1 20 21 https://reephamarchive.co.uk/omeka/files/original/f9b6d6087a234b24cb6068149f1bd48b.pdf cee061fe7a8fd11ec0766b17abb12473 PDF Text Text Reepham Society Magazine Millennium Edition April 2001 �SOLICITORS Hunstanton & Guestwick DIVORCE WILLS LANDLORD AND TENANT (PRiVATE OR BUSfNESS) COMMERCIAL LEASE PROBATE EMPLOYMENT CO-HABITA nON CONVEYANCL'IG PERSONAL INJURY DEBT CIVIL LmGATION Legal Services Commission Franchised Firm So Public Funding may be available FREE HALF HOUR Office Hours Tel. Fax 01485532662 01485534802 After 5.3()pm Tel. 01362 68423 JHlJilll JB3 elJrJnl Residential Care Home, Church Lane, Sparham, Norfolk Tel. 01362 688702 email: ronny.hill barn@virgin .net Hill Barn is an attractive family-run Home for the elderly, offering an informal and homely atmosphere. It stands in attractively landscaped gardens with open views across the countryside. The proprietors have over 20 years experience in elderly care, and with their daughter Nicola Bryant, RG N, Dip MCS and a team of highly dedicated and NVQ trained staff provide 24 hour care tailored to the needs of the ind.ividual. Var ious hobbies are catered for and a wide range of entertainment is tegularly offered. There is also a visiting hairdresser, chiropodist, optician, mobile library and shop. All meals are home-cooked and special diets are catered for. The Home has held a Good Food Hygiene Award from Breckland Council since 1997. All rooms have call bells and TV points. Accommodation is ground float with mainly en-suite facilities. For further information or to arrange to visit the Home please contact the proprietot Mrs. Ronny Hawtrey-Eastwood or the manager Mrs. Bryant at the above address. �Editorial Contents Editorial 3 Why Reepham? 4 Public Access and Right of Way • Tony Ivins on Whitwell 6 9 Hackford through the last Millennium Childhood memories of Reepham A Thousand Years of Salle 13 20 22 Reepham Personalities and Institutions 26 The Reepham Society is established for the public benefit in the area comprising Reepham, Hackford, Whitwell, Kerdiston, Salle and Booton. The aims of the Society are: 1. To stimulate public interest in the area. 2. To promote high standards of planning and architecture in the area 3. To secure the protection, preservation, development and improvement of features of historical or public interest in the area Front cover. )olyon Booth, Chairman of the Parish Council, with the competent help of the local Fire Brigade, erecting the banner advertising Celebration 2000 which marked the turn of the Millennium in january 2000. Typeset by eRB Associates, Reepham Printed by Norwich Colour Print, Drayton We have to mark the Millennium Year in some way. The Reepham Society nearly let it pass but, seizing on the fact that arguments hav.e been made for both 2000 and 2001 as the definitive Millennium Year, we have jllSt about squeaked in with a Millennium Edition of the Magazine. Not before time, did I hear someone say? Well, it is true that the last magazine went to print in ... well, quite a time ago . As a result we d o have quite a lot of material to draw on. To mark the Millennium, we want to look back at the history of Reepham and our group of parishes. We have included articles on the history o f Reepham, Whitwell and Hackford because that is what this magaZine has always focused on but we also thought it appropriate to celebrate some of the weU-known people who have contributed so much to the work of the Society and to the community. We had intended to bring out new publications and hold a History Exhibition to mark the Millennium in 2000 but the renovations carried out on St. Michael's and SI. Mary's churches made that impractical. Doesn't the tower of St. Michael's loo k splend id after its renovation? The work on St. Mary's is m ostly internal so do go inside and take a look. There is male to come. However, we have d ecided to bestride the two Millennium years by publishing this magazine and another book, Poems froml<eeplw/II and by holdin g the History Exhibition in May 2001. A preview for Reepham Society members will be held on May 10th, and the exhibition will be open to the public on May 11th, 12th and 13th. You may even have bought your copy of this magaZine there. If you have not heard of I'oems from Reep/ulIlI, let me tell you that this is a charming collection of poems entered by local people for the Reepham Literature Festival in 1999. They were too good not to have a larger readership than the six judges of the competition so the Reepham Society has published them - with an ISBN number so that a copy will be retained in the British Library and Reepham will have made one more permanent mark on British history! 'Poems' is on sale in Very Nice Things and Echo Antiques. The Reepham Society is not, however, solely concerned with the past . We are a member of the Norfolk Society (CPRE), we have links with other Amenity Societies in the county and we are also consulted on planning for our area. This is a time of great and rapid change so we must look forward as well as back. Within the limits of our constitution we in the Society are concerned with preserving, protecling, improving and developing features of historical and public interest in our area. We have already embarked on the promotion of environmental awareness in relation to safe and effective waste disposal. These issues affect al! of us at a time when we can no longer go on ignoring our individual res ponsibility for keeping our increaSingly crowded planet a safe place in which to live and bring up children. What better time to look forward constructively than during the first year of a new millennium. Oh, in case you were wondering what Reepham did to mark the Millennium, we should remind you that Ce/e/)mtiol1 2000 was held in SI. Mary's in January 2000. This was a rea lly effective event in which over 200 children and a smaller number of grow-ups joined together to look back at the last 2000 years - not to mention parents and others fro m the town who formed their audience on three occasions. This was a very moving even t and drew people together in a very appropriate way. 3 �Why Reepham? Wesley Piercy One of the older and better known Reephoffl residents is Wesley Piercy. Now in his eighties, he has lived 01/ his life in Reephom and has always taken an intense interest in the history of the town. He completed the local history course run here by Chris suggest, would have been called Reepham. The AngloSaxon ' ham' ending is generally thought to be ea rlier than 'ton' and Olhe r suffixes. The question then arises as to where the original settlement was likely to have been. This, I suggest, was somewhere in the vidnity of the market-place and churches. If we try to put ourselves In the minds of a party of immigrant farmers looking for a place to settle, this area seems to be the one they would be most likely to pick for the fo lJowing reasons: Barringer in the 1970s and, later, went on to receive on Open University degree. Whilst completing his history course he wrote 1. this specu/alion on the origins of Reepham. Why does Reephom stand where it does? Why is il so different from the surrounding parishes? Perhaps most puzzling of all, why did its churchyard contain three churches, now reduced by fire to two. Read on if Z. you wont to know some very believable theories of the origins of this fown. ' Ree pham is a small market town which extends into four parishes'. So says the White's Norfolk Directory of 1845. Why these four parishes, Reepham St. Mary, Kerdiston, Hackford and Whitwell, should collectively be known as Reepham whe n Reepham St. Mary is the smallest and least important is a puzzle. People are puzzled, too, by the fact that three of these parishes had churches in the sa me churc hyard, which is said to be unique. This paper is an attempt to give l>ossible answers to some of these questions. If one looks at the district, either on a map or on the ground, the four parishes, with the addition of Salle, form a compact whole with bounda ries followi ng streams for most of the way. Salle has to be included as the boundary with Reepham is so complicated that it seems that they m ust originally have been one. It seems possible that these parishes formed one large pre-Conquest estate . This, I 3. It is high e nough and far enough from the River Eyn (Booton Beck) to be in no danger of flooding and yet is not so exposed to the wind as other parts of the parish. Wit h an underground stream running through, it is easy to sink wells to give an adequate water supply, wells being the only water supply until very recently. The soil in this area is a good medium loam , easily worked and well drained, with a sandy sub-soil under much of it, whereas much of the outer area is sliff clay. A good deal of this land was gTazing land and was not ploughed until very recent times. It can on ly be surmised where these early settlers came from . !-l ad they come directly from the continent or from a previously settled part of Norfolk? If the former is correct, it is possible that they landed at Caister·by-Yarmouth and fo llowed the Roman road that led inland from Caister and crossed the Eyn at some point in the Reepham area before contin uing on towa rds Bawdeswell. If this was so, they would have passed through many miles of hea th and woodland with very poor soil. The sam e applies if they came from the Norwich direction where much of the ground between Norwich a nd Reepham grew nothing but bracken unti l a few years ago. For people approaching from either of these directions, the fertile valley of the River Eyn would have appeared very allractive. If, as we suppose, neepham was an early Anglo-Saxon settlement, the original inhabitants would have bee n pagans. Though no pagan cemete ry has been found, it seems possible that the present churches stand on what was origi nally a sit e of pagan worship. 1 This we can only surmise but the si te does appear to be very old if the heigh t of the churchyard, several fee t above the roadway, is anything to go by. It is a fact that when sewer pipes were laid in Church Street a great many human bones, apparently very old and crumbling, were dug up. This seems to indicate that the original churchyard was much larger than now and that the churchyard was originally on the level of the street. If this is so, it may be supposed that the early burial ground must have been associated with a church. TIlat would mean that there was a church on the site at a very early period, any remains of which would be many feet below the present churches. Who knows what might be fou nd if they could be excavated. The fl oor levels of the existing churches, being only a little below the level of t he ChurChyard, seem to indicate that the churchyard was a considerable height above the street level even in the very fourteenth century. These must be indicators of a ncient site. 2 ,I ReproduC/ion drawing of All Sainls Church, Hackford mode in '784 before mosl of the ruins were pulled down. All thot now remains is 0 fragment of one wall. 4 2 WIth the development of metal dNectors and increasing interest In historical research, further evIdence is slowly emerging of early settle. men ts In and around the Rcepham area. [Ed.l It;5 ;n tcrc~tlng 10 nott also that lmtead of stepping up into the chancel of St. Mary's there Is a Step down 10 a lower level. Was thiS the original slit of a church? �This was the opinion of the late Rev. H.G.B. Follard, Rector of Bawdeswell and Foxley, who had studied Norfolk churches for man y years. A si milar situation was discovered at Bawdeswell during the building of the present churc h there. The previous church was destroyed during the last war when an aeroplane crashed onto il. Under the fo undations of the old church were found the base of a Norma n tower of flint and the foundations of the body of the churc h which was apparently built of timber or wattle and daub. There would have been plenty of limber available which, being less durable than flint, may explain why so few Saxon churches remain in Norfolk. The first church in Reephllln, then, was probabl y also of limber and not replaced until, perhaps, the thirteenth century. This does not, however, explain why there came to be three medieval churches in one churChyard. If, as was suggested above, Reepham was a large Anglo-Saxon estat e consisting of the four parishes of present-day Reepham and Salle, and the original settlement was in the present church and market area, it is possible that the other parishes were off-shoots of Reepham. This may explai n why four or fIVe parishes are still collectively known as Reepham. Reepham Itself was known as Reepham SI. Mary with Kerdiston. If these names came into general use for the separate manors, as in similar cases elsewhere in the county, it would be si mpler to explain why they arc still, and apparently always have been, called Reepham. Salle, of course, is not called Reepham. If, as suggested , it was part of an original large estate, it may have become a separate parish with its own church at an early dat e. Hackford and Whitwell, which could have become Reepham All Saints and Reepham St. Michael's, but did not, evidently take their names from topographical features. In the case of Hackford (the fo rd at the bend), it must be from the ford in Hackford Vale where the bridge now is. This is also the only ford in Hackford. It may see m logical to suppose, then, that this was the o riginal settleme nt in Hackford. There is anothe r small hamlet in I-Iackford which is known as Pettywell, another name from a physical feature. This is probably a later dat e than Hackford, otherwise this could have been the name for the parish. 3 However, I-I ackford extends into the town itself and includes the whole of the Market Place which must have been part of the original sett lement of Reepham. There do seem to be some good grou nds for assuming that these settlements were ex tensions of Reepham by people seeking new land as the population grew. " For Whitwell, the details are rather similar to Hackford. It joins Reepham and Hackford near the churches. The parish boundaries have been arranged so that they m ~t at a point in the churchyard with each church standing in its own parish. The former Duke of York public house is said to stand in all three parishes. Bar 1...1ne, the former GraciOllS S~reet , leads from the church into Whitwell parish. Whitwell Street could be the origina l Whitwell settlement but a more likely spot seems to be ncar Whitwell Hall where excavations have revealed traces of an ancient settlement. TIlere is anothe r group of houses o n Whitwell Common and the White House, though now showing a Georgia n fa\ade, has been identified as on the site of an older manor house. Another small settlement on the outskirts of the parish, Jordan's Green, was probably fairly late as it has grown up on very stiff clay. Kerdiston appears to have had two centres, o ne connected with the 'Giant's Moat' near the Old Hall and one with Kerdiston House, a farmhouse now demolished at View m:ross the moot into the Kerdiston mooted site known locolly as the Gionl's M oot. The moot itself is now surrounded by trees, b(Jt the remains of on old well can be seen inside the moot. the other end of the parish. The population was, apparently, never very large and there was never a public house or shop, though there was a blacksmith within the last fifty years and, form erly, a brick and tile works. Much of the parish, il seems was wooded llntil fairly late. Th e last remnant of ancient forest , the 26 acres of Haw Wood, was only cleared and ploughed aft er the Second World Wa r. Much of Kerdiston is also heavy clay and a good proportion of the present arable was grazing ground until the 1940s. The question remains, why th ree chu rches? And stranger, why are they all in the same churchyard? The old story of three warring sisters is nothing but a legend though it may contain a grain of truth. It is natmal, when the original manor split , that each lord should wish to have a church on his manor or estate. Unless some pre-Conquest documentary evidence turns up we shall never know the truth. If, as seems likely, there was already a church on what may have been an ancient sacred Site, what can be more likely than that all the daughte r settlement's should wish to worship on the same site as tbeir forefathers, and be buried there, leaving us with the puzzle of our three churches. 1 Apparently the origi nal name was Peller's \'Jell which seems to include a mime, ~rhaps o f the oWner. \'Je should nOI forget, howe\"Cf. Ihal Iho:!rc b also ~ suggesllon Ihal Reepham Moor was the site of Ihe ori ginal SClllemenl which cou ld offer another explanalton fOI the den-Iopmenl of the lown. 5 �Public Access and Right of Way Kate Nightingale Reephom has many footpaths and lakes in the centre of the fawn which are public rights of way. There ore also many other footpaths and green lanes around the town which have been there, as they say, 'for time out of mind'. Having a public right of way on your doorstep makes you wonder what the phrase, 'right of way: actuolly means. It also gives you some insight into why some landowners should be so keen to (elis! the use of rights o( way by the general public! After all, the general public does include some people you might prefer not to walk over, through or along the side of your property for a number of reasons. Having started this article, I was goil19 to wait unti{ the new Access to the Countryside Bill hod passed through Parliament but, having waited some months, I decided thaI we could not afford to hold back a new edition of the Reepham Society Magazine any longer. As a result I must remind readers that some legal details on access and rights of way may have changed by the time they read this article. What is a right of way? It is one of those phrases which people use free ly wit hou t really understa nding what it means. When rights of way were first gra nt ed, they were granted by owners of land to others In their own local com munit y who wished to cross their land, perhaps to access their own land or to work in the fields. They knew the people who would use this access, personally. and both the community and the landowner, however large or small their holdings, respected each others' rights. Respecting others' rights was taken for granted in a small community where everyone knew everyone else. After all, Jiving in community depends on mutual give and take. [n our modern world, as communities grow in size, we do not all know each other. Different groups have different va lues and aspirations. It is much easier to infringe ot her's rights and liberties if you do not know them or have some lack of respect for those who belong to different SOCia l groups or are in a different age group from yourself, even if you do not mean to do so. There is also a tendency, in these days of consumerism, to put more emphasis on righ t's and rather less on those responsibili ties which are the other face of rights. One reason that there has always been such contention over access and right of way over open land is due to the fact that the public right of 'way' across land and the rights of those who own the land on and around a road or path are not the same. You can only expect your right of way to be respected if you act responsibly in respecting the rights of the owner or owners of land and property around the road. Some people will know of the celebrated case in the 19305 when the Manchester Ramblers made a mass trespass onto the grouse moors of the Duke of Devonshire in Derbyshire. Seventy years later, a IIIO(/IIS vivel1di has been worked out between those wishing for access to beautiful areas of countryside and large landowners. Not least was the initiative of the National Trust in buying up large areas of land to allow public access. However, we should remember that it is the preservation of moors and coverts for game by landowners which has preserved much of the countrySide now 6 available for access by the public. It seems only fair, in the circumstances, to respect the landowners' right s to dose areas when needed to prevent disturbance to game or stock. It is this care and seclusion which keeps the land undisturbed for other wildli fe and, we have to admit, not all members of the public exercise t heir responsibilities effectively. At the other end of the sC;lle we could consider those rights of way in a small market town such as Reepham. Those who live on lokes and narrow paths and roads are all 1'00 aware of how inlrusive the passage of others ca n be. People passing late at night, despite the lack of street lighting, chat loudly under bedroom windows. (You wou ld be amazed at what can be overheard!) We wiJI not embarrass them by recounting some of the late-night activities or describing the debris left behind. During the day people look over fe nces inlo gardens; a young man stops to smoke an illicit cigarette whose smoke drifts into garden or silting room, passing dogs make resident dogs bark or leave less pl easa nt evidence of their passing! Others sometimes park blocking the road, usually when a resident is lale fo r an appointment or when there are several cars behind as you want to drive in. In this context it is also appropriate to mention the new European legislation on Human Rights which states that a person has the right to 'peaceful enjoyment of his personal property'. That would also include noise bein g created outside someone's property on any right of way, including a metalled road. This can include thoughtless noise and lill er created by children who often have no idea of how disruptive to others their play can be. All of this makes you have some sympathy with farme rs and landowners who discourage walkers from using rights of way on their land, especially when a path goes righ t across a growing crop. Is it too much of a disadvantage to walk round the edge of the field? It is far more difficult for the farmer to keep that path clear when he is sowing the crop. He did not cover the path wit h malice aforethought and the law makes allowances for this as the farme r does have a duty to indicate and clear the cOllfse of a right of way, even if it does go across the midd le of a field. I, for one, can never understand why anyone wan ts to walk across the middle of a field with a standing crop just because there is an old right of way there. Why wiJfulJy damage a crop? And if you are looking for interesting wildlife it is going to be in the hedge, not in the middle of the field. Another aspect of this Issue is that of 'common rights'. Until very recently, land always belonged to somebody, ultimately, of course, to the Crown. In feudal times anyone who owned land held it of someone else. Although the feudal system and its associated communal agriculture was replaced by money rents fo r tenancies and personal ownership of farms and land, the question of common land and rights of access has taken much longer to resolve. In the manorial system common rights did not mean that common land was open to all and sundry. A common belonged to the 'commoners', a group of specific· ally designated people who held specific rights, in common, to a piece of ground. Those rights of access were for prescribed purposes which may originally have been to graze beasts, gather kindling, dig turves and so on. The ' fen tigers' were particularly notoriOUS for their riotous defence of their common rights when Charles I enclosed and sold off tracts of the Fens to ou tside landlords. This led to drainage and loss of their common rights on that fenland. �Commons were the last flicker of the age-old style of communal farming and were retained for the very purpose of ensuring that villagers did retain a place to graze their beasts and to gather wood for their fues. In this area they com prised the heath land and marshy land along the streams. Much common land has, of course, been sold off or enclosed. By the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries some common land became 'poor allotments', which were used either directly or indirectly to provide for the poor, and other commons have been opened to public access by a variety of means. During the last two hundred years the concept of a common has changed and commons have been defined under a series of parliamentary acts. The Commons Registration Act 1965 defined a common as follows: over our countryside. The Countryside Access Charter defines both rights and responsibilities in relation to rights of wily: Countryside Accen Charter I. a] footpilths - on foo t only bl bridleways - on foot, horseback and pedill cycle cl bY'vays - on publiC roads deSignated as bY'vays (sec also below). NB. Public rights of way are marked as such all Ord nance Su rvey maps. Public rights of way have been closed in the past around reservoirs or if land was sold to the Forestry Com mission though many of these paths are now being opened up again. Land which has been allotted under any Act for the exercise or recreation of inhabitants of any locality or on which the inhabitants ... have a customary right to indulge in lawful sports or pastimes ... or have indulged for not less than twenty years. 5 Th is demonstrates very clearly how attitudes to and ideas about common land have changed si nce enclosure of commons and th e demise of communal far ming practices. The only registered common in the Reepham area Is Whil'well Low Com mon though there are other remnants of former common land indicated o n old maps. Since 1981 l>ublic Rights of Way in the County o f Norfolk, as elsewhere, have been defined under the Wi ldlife and Count ryside Act 1981. Any changes had to be obtained under a Modification Order from the surveying au thority, the County Council. This involved taking evidence that included a description of the path or road and local statements of the traditional use of the right of way before the Modification Order could be confirmed, published and marked on the map. Local authorities have a duty to protect rights of way and must record them. They also hold a register of commons and village greens. II is to them that you should report any problems. In the 1990s, 'green' elements in the population have been much more insistent on the rights of access to the countryside for all. At time of writing (March 2001) the new Ad conflTming unlimited access rights to specified areas of open land is to become law. My own feeling is that there is already conSiderable access to open country and to extend this will mean disturbing land which not only needs to be undisturbed for farming but to protect the way of life of the anima ls and plants which live there. One aspect of unlimited access that is only now becoming clear is that farmers and landowners will have the right to close areas temporarily if necessary and that areas with unlimited access will be mapped. The Act will not be effective until the maps arc complete and this coul d take one or two years However, in 1992, the Countryside Commission published the Countryside Access Charier which defined rights of way but also gave information on the responsibilities of those making use of rights of way over land belonging to others. This is particularly relevant fo r town dwellers (and some country dwellers) who may have limited undcrstilnding of the disturb,lIlccs, not only to farmland and farm anima ls but to wildlife, from the irresponsible exercise of any rights to roam uncontrolled 5 I am Indebted 10 sara Blnln for tht' inform~tjon on commons in 'The Impact of commons registration: a No.folt study', 'lamhcape Ilistory' and 'Common land, poor relJef and enclosure'. Pus/ & PIrM"/, No.16S. November 1999. You have a right of wily 011: On a Right of Way you are allowed to: 2. 3. a] take a pram or pushchair or wheelchair (if practicable) b] take a dog on a lead or under close control (this means within ten feet of you) cl circumvent or remove an obstacle suffiCiently to allow you to pass. You have a right for recreation on: al public parks and open spaces - on foot! bj most com mons near older towns and cities - a ll foot, sometimes on horseback c] private land if the owner has a formal agreement with the local authority. Some areas are open to the public by custom or consent. a] open mou ntain, fell or moorland and coasiline. (Much of this belongs to the National Trust whose aim was to open the countryside for general recreational and aesthetic use, especially to town dwellers.) bJ most commons c] some woods and forests (This includes those owned by the Forestry Commission.) dl count ry parks and picnic sites e] most beaches f] towpaths on canals and rivers. III ad(iitiQfI; • • Land being rested from agricultural use may be temporarily open to public access - notices will display the fact. This may include use by horses and pedal cycles. Some private tracks and paths may be opened to the public by the owner on a concessionary basis. This means you can use the footpath as normal but that the owner is reserving his rights to close th e footpath, usually in response to some abuse by users. We have to remember that it is those who live and who have lived in and used the countryside who maintain it. It is they who have made the English landscape the beautiful place it is. This is not a natural, tota lly unspoiled environment. It is because it has been managed and developed over centuries by farmers and other landowners, great and small, that the cou ntryside is as we sec it today. If it is made uneconomic for them to continue their way of life, the land will lapse back, not to its previous state, but to overgrown scrub. Without our protection and sympathetlc usc of our rights of access to our fragile countryside it will be 7 �irrevocably damaged. This is a particular risk at a time such as this when farming is depressed and there is li ttle money to spa re for conservat ion, even as more and mOIC people come into the cou ntryside. You shoul d always remember that the OS map that you are using could be out of da te. Surveys are only done at len&'1hy intervals and reprints have, in the past, been based on surveys which could have been carried out some time previously. In this age of IT the whole process is being speeded up and the natlonal map is available on-line. This allows the sale of up-ta-date maps through authorised agen ts. These maps can be centred on your own home or other specified site and you obviously have to pay the agent to cover the copyright fee. Needless to say, Norfolk has been one of the last areas to be computerised in this way. Further information about rights of way and countryside access can be obtained from: Countryside Commission Posta! Sales PO Box 124 Walgrave, Northampton, NN6 9Tl For a Rights of Way Action Pack (CCP 375P) please contact: Countryside Commission Publications Printworks Lane Levenshulme. Manchester M19 3lP The Country Code In relurn for your right to enter or cross someone else's land you have responsibilities that the Countryside Comm ission has enshrined in the Country Code: 1. Apart from main roads, motor vehicles are only allowed on byways and roads used as public paths (RUPP), which were indicated on the OS map. RUPPs are, however, in the process of being re-categorised as bridleways. 2. Respect the work and life of those whose living is earned from the land. 3. Close all gates and do not damage locks and catches on them . 4. Guard against all risk of fire. This is a very real risk as global warming results in hotter summers with tinder dry grass and undergrowth - even quite early in the year. 5. Keep dogs under control, especially in lambing time . In sheep farming areas the farmers can shoot a dog seen in the field and off the lead, however well behaved or just having fun. And there may be young birds and animals or pheasant poults in the undergrowth in any part of the country. Untrained dogs can do much damage quite unintentionally. 6. Do keep to the public paths, especially in farmland . Not all paths are open to the public. You can check this on the OS map. 7. Always use stiles and gates to cross fences, walls and hedges. 8. Never interfere with crops, farm machinery or livestock. Protect wildlife - plants, animals and birds. 9. Keep water clean. 10. Take your litter home with you. 11. Take care on country roads. The road may be empty but there is no pavement, the road is narrow and what is round the next bend? 12. Make no unnecessary noise! 8 �Tony Ivins on Whitwell Part 1 Tony Ivins was a founder member, and remains the President of the Reephom Society for his life-time. This article is based on a recorded talk on the history of the parish of Whitwell, where he lived for many yeors. Unfortunately, the beginning of the transcript had some damoge bur I think we hove recovered most of it. The talk began by acknowledging a debt to two wellknown local historians, Chris Barringer and David Yoxley, both of whom hove, in the past, carried out a great deal of research in the area. At least two lopes of the original presentation are held in the Reephom SOCiety Archives. Anyone who wishes to lislen to or copy the tape should contoct the Chairman or Secretary of the Society. A good place to begin the history of this parish is to consider its name. Whitwell is said to me'ln 'ctear spri ng'. There are a number of live springs in Whitwell. In partiClIlar, there is a good clear spring ncar the sout hern boundary of the park of Whitwell Hall. This was embanked in 1842 to provide the water supply for the Hall itself. It has never failed and, coming from deep underground, it maintains a consta nt tempera ture for its population of frogs, toads and small fishes. POSSibly, that old Roman Road, after the Roman's went horne, was an access route for variOlls Saxon groups who ca me looking for land to settle in. That really brings us to the earliest Whitwel.t village records. In the north-eastern corner of Whitwell Hall there arc the remains of an old village. We knew t hrough o ral tradition tha t there was a village there but it was not until the early 19 70s that an archaeologist came along called Helen Supcrmeisl'er. Sadly, she is no longer with li S but she spent that summ er, wi th a group of friends, excavating there. They found the footings of medieval brick walls, quite a number of the m. Underneath those she found staining in the soi l that could indicate a possible Saxon settlemen t. The last mention of that village Ihat we know of is on Fayden's 1797 map of Norfolk and on the site of this Village he has marked 'Whitwell demolished'. And we think that the last few, possibly empty, cottages were pulled down so that the owner of WhitweU at that time could enlarge hi s park. At the southern end of the hall grounds, getting towards the south-eastern corner, there's a sit'e which we think may have been the first Whitwell Hall, probably an old timberbuHt Saxon Hall. There is a little clearing, still clear, strangely enough, surrounded by what our man called 'bottomless ditches', in other words very soft muddy ditches. An arc haeologist friend who came to look at the site some ye.lrs ago thought these ditches indicated a moat, possibly a drainage moat around the old halt. Of course, it would have had the advantage of bei ng quite close to the Whitwell Hall when it was opened before the last war as the Forest School. • The earliest history of the parish can be traced back to Roman times with the presence of the Roman Road which TUns from Biltingford and Bawdeswelt, through Booton and on to CaiSl'or-by-Yarmouth. The actual route of the road is not clear across Whitwell but in Whitwell Hall grounds it can be seen as a sort of sma ll curved emban kment. It goes on through Jorda n's Green to Bawdeswell along Common Lane. 6 6 One Indication of The sHe of a Roman load is The use of the telm 'Street' In a vU1age name. We Should remember th is when comidering the rOUle o f the lOad through Whi twell even though th e OS map marks it differe ntly and the word 'Street' Is common in Norfolk vmagts with no e'l1dencc of Roman presence. springs I mentioned earlier on so it would have had a good water supply. Getting away from Whitwell Hall and back to the parish, there is a seventeenth century map, of which I have a copy, which shows the Whitwell Field with its cultivated strips. That Whitwell field lay between the present Whitwell Street and what is now called Whi twell Road, wilh Mill Road in the middle. That made quite a big cu ltivated fic ld, one of the common fields of the Whitwell village. This map seems to be a copy of an earlier map, copied later to show which of the strips paid tithes to which of the three chu rches in Iteepham because the various strips arc ma rked 'W', 'R' or 'H'. 9 �• • This map of 'Whitwell Field' was probably used in the eighteenth century to establish to which church tithes should be paid. It is almost certainly copied fram on earlier mop as it still shows all three churches. The railway line now cuts across the west end of the field. The buildings of Leeds Farm are dilapidated today but they occupy the site of the Leeds Tannery. In the field behind here il is possible to see the remains of at least one of the tannery pits. The other piece of common ground in the vi llage is still there. Whitwell Low Common, some 40 acres of rather wet common has no ownership as far as the Commons Commissioners know . Their feeling is that it was a piece of manorial waste but, among the early Enclosure Awards, is an early nineteenth century one that says that this bit of ground should be set aside for the poor of Whitwell to gather fuel and, possibly, to dig peat as well. Such rights are . known as the rights of tl.lrbMY. One little bit of medieval history that is quite interesting is that there has been a long tradition of a chapel of St. Nicolas in Whitwell. We think this may have been si ted on the Whitwell Hall groundS, just south of what we call the New Wood because there is an acre of ground there which, until 1880, belonged to the Dean and Chapter of 10 Norwich Cathedral. This migh t possibly indica te that this was the site of the chapel of St. Nicolas. However, there have been no excavations there but we should note the site as a possible site of interest for the future. There was also, near the vi1lage, an old water mill that worked from the little stream that rises near Themelthorpe and runs through the Hall Farm grounds and then through Whitwell Hall groundS, eventually running into the Blackwater River and, thence, to the Wensum. Th is mill possibly ground the corn for the old Whitwell village. After the Village became derelict, the mill itself was probably abandoned but was rebuilt in the 1830s to break up the tan bark for the Whitwell tannery, of which [ will say a bit more later and it did that sort of work until the 18705 when it was replaced by a steam engine. �Coming right along now to the njnetcenth century, the principal landowners then were the Leamons of Whitwell Hall . They came to Whitwell in the early nineteenth century and Icft by thc end of that century, three generations of the m. They had a tannery. The Leeds of Wh itwell Green Tannery were tan owners and farm crs, too, whilst the Collyers of Hackford Hall also owned quit e a lot of land in Whitwell. 1 There is a map of 1824 that shows interestl n g road changes in the parish. It shows how the first Robert Leamon, like many another landowner of the time, pushed the road away from the Hall because he felt it ran too near his house so he had it moved about SO yards farther to the no rth. Several other little tracks were cleared out and a riding alley was o pened - that is the little lane and a bit of footpath that runs between Whitwell Street and Mill Lane, crossing Mill Road and through to the Whitwell Road. It is stil l called Riding Alley. Fiddlers Alley runs from the top road above the Hall down to the bottom road through Whitwell. Bar Lane is an interesting road that runs o ut from Back Street in ){eepham as a little foo tpath but until 1816 it was a cart road. A good many years ago now, I was given a bit of a notice board that had been used as a shelf in a cottage when o ne of the corners was cut off. It was a white painted board, and on it in black lettering were words to the affect that this road had been shut up 'By Ordcr' at a certain session. The date was 1816. As it was found in a cottage o n the corner of Bar Lane we are pretty sure it referred to the shutting up of Bar 1...1I1e. Another in tcresting little fact that o ne of my loca l friends told me is that when Bar Lane was open as a cart road it was called Gracio us Street. I cannot tell you any more abou t how it should get that name but that is how it was. Nineteenth century people Some years ago I was able to get a copy of the census returns for Norfolk and I tho ught it might be interesting to look at what Whitwell parish looked like, the people who lived and worked the re, wha t sort of work they did and how many of them there were. And it goes ra ther like this. The biggest group of people was those whom the census ca lled 'agricultural labourers'. Whitwell parish comprises just over 1500 acres so it is about the area of a reasonably sized modern farm. In this parish the Whitwell farmers employed 69 men, 30 boys and four women on 1500 acres. Now, those of you who farm o r have connections with farming will contrast that with what happens today perhaps at the most haIf·a·dozen chaps. There were len farmers. Interestingly, eight me n and two women were farming then. Most of the farms were fairl y small. I will go through them because quite a lot of the names keep going ove r the years and arc still known now. Mark Eglington farmed 270 acres and employed nine men and five boys. Jo hn Biliham - now that's interesting because a number of people will know that at the cnd of Whitwell Street is an area known as Billham's HiJI and that is where he farmed. He o nly farmed 22 acres, but to do that he had three m en and a boy. II Peter Wilkin , his acreage is not recorded. Most villages used to tan th~ hides of their own ocasts In the past so it Is possible that these tannert es are on much older slt ~. Ill' is also named as a ' machine own er' In one census so he probably had a hor:se-drawn thres.hh\g machIne wh Ich would be hIred out to ot h ers. [Ed·l Sarah Barrelt farmed 40 acres and she employed o ne man to help he r. Step hen Leeds I mentio ned earlier on he was one of the prinCipal landowners in Whitwell, farmed 880 acres and employed 30 men and 16 boys. He also had his tan yard, those bui ldings near Whitwell Common, JUSI beyond the White House. That was Leeds Tannery wh ich, inCiden tally, finish ed work aOOut'1903. As a tanner he also employed ten men, three boys, three carpenters and a blacksmith. Thomas Dunger farmed 332 acres up by Jo rdans Green and he had seven men and three boys to do the work of that. Elizabeth Neil farmed 50 acres with 'one man and two sons', whether they were he rs or the man's it doesn't say. Ma ri anne Secker we would really call a sm,lllholder now. She farmed an acre and a quarter. Robert Leamon of Whitwell Hall farmed 340 acres o n whi ch he employed 21 men ancl ten bays. As 1 said earlier, he was also a tanner employing 17 men and five boys. John Bacon farmed 22 acres. I don' t know where he farmcd . If you have added up all those acreages, you will find that it comes to a lot more than the 1500 acres in Whitwell parish. The answer to that is lhat Stephen Leeds, who farmed that 880 acres, had a Jot of land in other parishes. In total there we re 89 farm workers, m en and women . I will not list all those, although, here again, you find names tha t have persisted through to the present. There were th.rce pages of farm workers then we come to the blacksmiths there were two blacksmiths in the parish. John Smith, who was a qualified tradesman, aged 46, and J ohn Rudd . Rudd must have just come out of his apprenticeship because he was aged 16, born in Reepham as a jo urneyman blacksmith. The name of Rudd goes o n in Reepham today. There was one brewer - Mark Brett, a man who combined the job of being a bricklayer and an inn.keeper. That happened quite oft en, I found , especially with the little beer houses. V~ ry often the man followed a trade and his wife looked after the beer house. William Springell kept the pub called the Cock Inn which was in Whitwell Street and is now the house ca lled 'The Old Star'. There was another inn· keeper at the FOldgate on Whitwell Common - Samuel Vile. A high proportion of these villagers were born in Whitwell, Reepham or the surrounding parishes. Hardly anyone comes from very far away. Well, o ne chap came from Cawston - that's a lo ng journey. He was one of the three bricklayers. In a 10 1 of Norfolk Villages there was a brickmaker and bricks were made. I do n't think bricks were ever macle in Whitwell, but I suspect he worked at the Reepham brickyard which is just up where the road turns sharp right by Reepham StaUon. Now carpenters - there were lot of those. It is interesting to rcflect for a minute that in these early records one never finds t hc term 'builder' - they're all of a named trade. If you wanted a job done you didn 't send for a building firm, you sent for the tradesman you wanted to do the job carpen tcr, bricklayer, mason if it was stone work, and so on. As a result, you never find 'builder' listed. As for carpenters, I see there were a lot, about len of lhem living in Whitwell, not necessarily all working there. One of them, Thomas Sawyer - good name for a carpentcr - was also a wheelwright. 11 �Now, cattle dealers and shop-keepers - four of those. Three of them seem to be related - Ihey all named Neil; and then dealers in fish - two of them - William Guymee and Peter Wilkin, both born at Whitwell. This again shows the big variety in trades and tradesmen. There were seven dressmakers, so it seems quite obvious that no one went and got something ready 10 wear - you ca lled in someone to make it fo r you. The seven dress· makers were Jane Ware, Feank lins, Galimee, Roland , Vile, Vane, Secker. There was one washer-woman, Elizabeth Hunt and one char woman, Deborah \Vilsoll. In the parish there were two grooms. They would probably have worked either at the White House on the common or al the hall. Shoema kers - again you see no buying of the ready-made things. Three shoe makers working here - Guymers again and a Rudd . Also a turf maker and fowl dealer. Quite how he made his turf I don't know but I imagine he would be drying the turf for burning, possibly turf gathered on Whitwell Com mon. paupers lived with their grown-up children - their famities. I didn't find one in Whitwell who was living alone. They were all in their seventies. One man was 84. The census gives the professions of some of them. Rebecca Whur, was formerly a stay maker, Thomas Barker a carpenter, the o thers were all agricultural labourers. In t he parish at that lime there were a 106 dwellings occupied and three empty. That includes the two listed as big houses, Whitwell 1·lall and the White House, but they were mostly cottages or very small farm houses. Listed in the census was a total of 477 people includ ing children, 224 males and 253 females. Of that total, 173 were in jobs, leaving 304 not work.ing. TIlat is what the parish looked like in the middle of the nineteenth century. I think that there is one really significant thing. That is how occupations and jobs were very loca l because they are pretty we)) all working in the parish or in the neighbouring parishes of Hackford, Recpham and Kerdiston. As I mentioned earli er, their ancest ry, too, was loca l. Most of them were born in Whitwell and I think Whitwell Low Common is Ihe only pi(!(e of regislered common len in tM modem parish of Reephom. 1/ is no longer used as grazing land 001 is an important area for wild life. Finally, there was one wheelwright and then the house servants - nine of them. That is not very many compared wit h Ihe other parishes. Admi ttedly, Hackford parish is a la i bigger than Whihvell and Reepbam is about the same size. Though there were not many houses in the parish at that time who would keep servants, or keep many of them, there were nine of them living in the parish at the time. The directory shows another interesting fact about what happened when people got 100 old to carryon with their job. The only pensioners you fin d are men who've been in the armed services, and here we had two Chelsea pensioners, Henry Rudd and Jo hn Right . Henry Rudd was aged 73, born at Whitwel l and at the time of the census he was blind. John Right was aged only 45, also born at Whil>vell, and he was a pensioner of the 77th Regimen t of Foot. Then we turn to the lanners, of course, Robert Leamon and Steven Leeds, plus the number of men working for the tanneries. The two tanneri es em ployed between them 27 men and eight boys. There's one woman listed working in the tannery and she was called the 'bark cleaner' - Lydia Wilson, aged 36, and she was born in Reepham. The other group of people listed are the paupers and, in all the cases I've looked at in the census returns, those 12 p ractically none, in this particular census, were born o utside Norfolk. The other place I have mentioned is Whitwell Com mon. We thought Ihal it would be a sensible thing to make it into a local nature reserve because of local interest at the time. This then happened - with a management group made up of a number from the parish council plus myself, as a trustee under the old Pa rish Commissioners who managed the common from the beginning of this centu ry, and representatives from Nature Conservancy and from the County. Two other people, John Barkham, Environmental Scien tist, who advised us on the management of the common and Lyn Garland, who lives in Whitwell and was very enthusiastic about enrOlling groups of vol un leers to do necessary dearing work on the common, made up the numbers. This article comprises about half of the content of Tony Ivins' presentation to a meeting of the Reepham Society. The second half, which considers some different aspects of Whitwell parish, will be printed in a further Reepham Society Magazine which we hope to publish later in the year. �A Brief History of Hackford Parish through the Last Millennium Jennifer Roberts • Jennifer Roberts lives in Pettywell and has been there now for severol years. She is a qualified archaeologist. Though no longer proctising thot diScipline she has a deep interest in local history. She ;s another of our authors who has completed Q local history course under the aegis of Chris Barringer. This article is the result of the research carried out on her course and since. The view from a slightly different standpoint, that of Hackford, gives new details about the history of Reephom and its Sole/lite villages. Hackford-by- Reepham is one of the three parishes sharin g the communa l churchyard in Recpham . The parish includes most of the town of Reepham and land on either side of llle Eyn Brook. It is possible that the bou ndaries of the parish were determined by the heath and com mon on either side but this is by no means certain. It is possible that the name Hackford was derived from Iwca, a hook or Iwecc, a fl ood or sluice gate. 'Ford' is Anglo-Saxon for river crossing. The name then could either mean a 'ford at the bend of th e river', or 'the sluice gate (for catching fish) at the ford'. At the turn of the last millennium, just before the Norma n Conquest the principal lordship of f-/ack(orr/n was held by a freeman called Withe r. It is possible that Reepham was at the centre of a large AnglO-Saxon estat e. After the Norman Conquest it was given to Earl William de Warrcne, just one of the 139 manors he held. Although William de Warrene resided frequently at nearby Castle Acre, at the time of the Domesday survey the manor of Hackford was held by person ca lled Turold. There were few inhabitants, probably only 17 or 18 families lived in the area. The land was farmed , some was put down as meadow but cereals must have bee n grown as the re was a mill. Honey and wax were important products. Beeswax was used for church candles, 9 and it was the tradition for beekeepers to supply their local church. Hackford at that time had fi ve skeps of bees. It had woodland able to support 30 swine. Sheep, rounceys (horses) and cattle were also kept. There was a church supported by II acres of land. It was valued at IS marks. The manor passed through Will iam de Warrene's heirs for the next 200 years. [n 1276/7 a Saturday market il nd ann ual fa ir ch arter W':IS granted to Sir John de Vaux, who owned both the manors of Hackford and Reepham. An unofficial market had existed in the 'cemetery of Reepham' for many years before the Bishop of Non..,ich, in 1240, ordered the Sheriff of Norfolk to ensure that a new market place was found. The market was held on Saturdays, with a fair on the 'eve, day an d morrow' of the feast of 55. Peter and Paul (29th June). The present market-place lies in the parish of Hackford, but it Is not known if this was the site decided on in the thirteenth century. By the following century the de Roos family held land in Hackford, probabl y as tenants of the de Warrenes. A few years later they are mentioned as being t he holders of the knight's fees and paying return s to the Duchy of Lancaster. ,I 'I lIls Inlefrstlng to n(){e that a former name for the Cardinal's Hal In Dad: Streel wa~ Candle COurt. Some of the local inhabitants during medieval limes m ust have been fairly rich for t he church of An Sa ints had a collection of rich vest ments, communion ware and church ornaments, including silver chalices, a portable cross and a holy oil vessel. The vcstments included some made from worsted, fusteyn (fustian) and velvet and silk. Margaret and Ralph Vernon , Hackford landowners, were possibly some of the major benefactors, during the later part of the fourteenth century. During that century several of the Hackford residents stood surety, along with citizens of other parishes, to locals who were in trouble wit h the law. Brice of Hackford stood surety when Agnes Renandgo and her sister Emma were released on bail after being arrested for the m urder of Richard Brightman at Billi ngford. A Richard of Hac kford also stood surety in a m urder case, when Robert of Holden was accused of robbing and killing Henry of Cle rmont. Other fourteenth century crimes include rObbery. One night William Rilla had one quarter-a nd-a-half of barley, worth 5/-, stolen from him. A Roger Willok was charged but acqUitted fo r the offence. Some informa tion about the medieval inhabitants of neepham and Hackford parish can be gleaned from the o ld wills. For instance in 1429 Robert Baxter, a ci tizen of Norwich is mentioned as owning lands in Hackfo rd . Fifty years later Hugh atte Fc nn madc a will leaving 6/8d. towards the upkeep of the church. He also left moncy, to be obtained from the salc of hi s la nds and manors in Hackford to help scholars at C uubridge and Oxford as long as they were not wasters and haunters of alehouses. William Cubit, the Rcctor, in a will dated 1505, gave to the town and the church of Hackford a drinking house wit h two acres of land to have a yearly obituary kept in the church. He also mentioned that the guilds and 'drinkings' of aU the four parishes i.e. Iiackford, Wh itwell, Reepham and Kerdiston be kept there if they desired it. In a will dated a few years later John Godd ying gave 6/8d towards the making of a chapel in thc south p,lrt of the church if one happened to be erccted there. If not, the money was to go to the upkeep of the church. [n 1543 a fire burnt down most of All Saints, the parish church of Hackford, along with its church goods, ornamen ts and jewels. The fire also destroyed most of the tOWIl. The tower a nd parts of the west gable wefe the only parts of the church that survived. Thcy were pulled down in 1790/6. [ t is, however, possible that a part of the gable can be seen in thc tower of St. Michaels. A drawing in 1784 by E.F. Boon shows that the surviving tower had a chequer-board parapct and di,lgonal buttresses. The south wall of the tower had a square sound hole and the porch an elaborate doorway. As a resuit of the fire, Hackford parish lost its independence and was joined with Whitwell. On the 18th April 1544 an agreemen t was made between Robert Coke, owner of the fee simple of the church of Whitwell, Christoph er Lockwode, clerk, parson of Hackford and vicar of Whi twell, and Thomas Bayfield, William Brese, John Biofield parishioners of Hackford, that the chmch and rectory of Hackford was to be consolida ted with Whitwell by William, Bishop of Norwich . According to this indenture all t he parties were in agreement. However, some of the parishioners obviously intended that the church shou ld be rebuilt. One, Anthony Stlgat c, bequeathed 20 marks (1 mark 0:: 13/4d or 66.6p) towards its rebuild ing. Some of the surviving church plate was sold in 1547 for £20, probably to stop the ministers of Edward VI gelling t heir hands on it. Some of the church materials were used to 13 �repair roads in the parish and some were used to build the transept in Whitwell church. During the reign of Elizabeth I each parish had to provide a militia. The parish was involved in a muster in 1577. An in ventory was taken of 'of all Common Armor, Artelery munition and weponne and every p tecular pson shewed' It was found that t he town had 'one Corselet, o ne peke, too Curreors et Dam furnished'(!) Three people were also able to support arms. Vynse Hawude, Thomas Crotche and Roger Hase were able to furnish a few bows and arrows, pikes and helmets between them. The Bishops court had some d ealings with local drunks. Jo hn Twithney and Henry Bagrave were brought before the Bishops representative on a charge of being common drunks . Henry Hagrave who swore and resisted arrest later confessed to being drunk every day of t he week and was o rdered to do penance. Around this time the inhabitants were havi ng problems with a person ca tled Robert Kirk. [t seems he was extracting money from the people as fines and then keeping it for his own use. The parishioners paid him 6/- as payment fo r a fine for not planting hemp. A Thomas Croehe then paid h im 2/6d and then swore on 'h is book' to make a payment of 5/- yearly. Mr Berte, 'Gent,' a lso agreed to pay Kirk 5/a year fo r all yea rs to come. Nathaniel Bacon sct up an enquiry into Kir k's misdeeds bu t the outcome of this appears to be lost. Hackford gai ned some notoriety during the Commonwealth when the parish refused to bi llet a party of troops because the commanding officer referred to the parish as Reepham instead o f Hackford. At the same time the parish was paying £3.3s.1 0d per month towards the upkeep of troops and the furnishi ng of ammun ition for the Royalist cause. As in Elizabeth's time, the inhabitants were expected to attend musters. Hackford men formed a Foot Militia u nder Sir W. Doylys, which mustered at Heydon Ollands on September 24th 166 1 to be inspected. During the seventeenth century, weavers in Hackford, as in many of the local parishes supplied worsted. During 1657 Henry juby a local worsted weaver must have been having a period of prosperity. Surviving records show that he took on several apprentices; Matth ew Bale, Roger Hammo nd and john Humfrey were ind ented for seven years whilst a john Crotc h was indented for eight years. The social make-up of th e parish changed during the next h u ndred years. The worsted weavers gradually d isappeared, a result of cheap products from Yorkshire, and tan ning became important as a 10GI I industry. The tanners were wealthy enough as a group to make wills. There was also an increase in the number of shops and professionals in the p arish . Grocers, bakers, brewers, a su rgeon and an excise officer were all wealthy enough to make wills. The provision of services increased rapidly so by the middle of the next century the inhabita n ts of Reepham and Hackford were weU p rovid ed for. The town of Reepham h ad all th e services that would be expected from a local m arket town. All needs were catered for, ranging from the people supplying the local brewi ng and malting industry with barrels, to those who m ade hats and dresses for the local female population. The town was well served by bakers, butchers, grocers, confectio ners, cabinetmakers, gardeners and drapers. There was even a hairdresser. The parish was also served by a n umber of inn s and taverns, most in the town bu t at least one, the Lamb Beer HOllse, stood in the countryside. Links with Norwich, and thence the o utside world, were maintained by a coach and carrier service. Local people believed it was the purity of the water which led to the excellence of the local ales. Although there were seve ral brewers and maltsters in the parish, the Bircha nts were the major producers, so much so that when they were bought out in 1878 they had fifty associated pubs. In the parish generally though the re was very little industrial a ctivity. Like t he worsted weavers of previous centu ries, tanning also seemed to have disappeared from th e parish, although there were tanneries in the local area . At the beginning of the nineteenth century the poor c hildren of Hackford were reported to have been receiving a sufficient education. They attended a mix of Sunday schoo l, evening school and day school. [n 1837, however, the Legend _ Woodland D Ara ble § New allotment E2d Pasture [9'>9! Orchard ~ Cottage garden (,':,;.=61 Stockyard []]] Un known land use in Hackford 1846 (based on the Tithe Apportionment Mop) . 14 • • �Rev. Holley established a school in the Old Poor 1·louse consisting of a boys' school and a girls' school and a house where the schoolmasters and mistresses could live. By 1844 the rector's d augh ter had bcgun to hold a Sunday school in the school building. Thesc wcre church schools for tbe children of Hackford and Whitwel l. The children of Reepham parish had to wait until 1847 when St. Mary's School was set up. An inspecto r'S report in 1869 said the National School was conducted in a highly satisfactory manner. The Methodists had also set up a schoolroom when they built the chapel in 1817. Mr Good wi n Kilburn had run a day and boarding school in Reepham since 1836, when in 1846 he decided to sell up and emigrate. A Mrs Wool m e r a lso ran a school for girls. The pauper childrcn received an education in the workhouse. The poor Hackford ch ildren at this lime went to Buxton. Their cducation must have been a somewhat patchy o ne for there seems to have been a problem in keeping and finding suitable mistresses. A Poor House had existed in Reepham for the inhabitants of Hackford for many years, but, by the 1840s, the poor of Reepham and Hackford were sent to the Aylsham Union Workhousc, 10 which also included the old Gilbert Union workhouses at Bux ton and Oulton untillhe new workhouse was built in 1849. Hackford parish paid around £100 annually towards the cost of housing its paupers. Some of the older inhabitants were receiving outdoor relief, which allowed them to live in their own homes. This came to around 2/6d per week. There were also several charities, which provided relief by paying out money for emigration and for people who had sudden illnesses and acciden ts. Most of the charity payouts were under the control of Willia m Bircham . REEPHAM To Be Sold By Auct ion By Mr J VERDON Wed 21 Oct 1846 Neat and modern Household Furniture and other effects of M r G Kilburn who is removing to a distant cou ntry. Cata logues had on the premises and of the auctioneer, Great Witch ingham. TO SCHOOL MASTERS The hou se and premises where a profitabl e school has been In April 1846 smallpox made its appearance in Hackford and the workhouse medical officer was asked to vaccinate the inhabitants. They protested. The outbreak continued and by October it had been decided to give extra money so all in the Recpham area could bc vacci nated . Ufe m ust have been miserable for the poor of Reepham and Hackford, with the majority living in little more than hovels. However, the more able poor and the lowermiddle classes were able to emigrate to a better life in the colonies. Mr Goodwin Kilburn , the schoolmaster, is an example of this trend. He was 36, married with two small children, when he pul the above advert in the Norfolk C hronicle. He was not the o nl y local to emigrate between 1836-1842. The St. Stephen'S charilY had paid for some people in Heepham to go to America and it also paicl for a Widow 8ea les to go to Ireland. In common with the rest of Norfolk, by the nineteenth century Hackford was celebra ted for the growth of its barley. Other crops grawn included turnips, peas and beans, clover and wheat. A certain amount was kept under grass, especially by the river and stre,lItl margins. Stock kceping was also important and provided some local employment in the form of d rovers, tanners and cattle dealers. The annua l stock fair continued to take place on 29th June. In 1804 William Bircham who farmed 840 acres of the parish was the major landowner. He improved his soil by marling and liming, used a Six-year rotation but did not have any of the new threshing o r d rill machines. By 1846 the major landowners included the Rev. J. 8 edingfeld Coll yer who owned 182 acres and resided at Hackford Hall, the Rev. J. Hu m phrey who owned 144 acres and John Sewell who farmed 108 acres. Most of the land seemed to be fa rmed by sma ll tenant far mers. Hackford escaped the wholesale destruction of machinery and property, which the rest of Norfolk suffered during the Swing Riots. Maybe this was because the small tenant farme rs could only afford to farm in the traditional way. By the nineteenth cen tury around 23% of the local population were employed in agriculture on a permanent baSiS, although many more were employed doing seasonal work. Children were able to earn as much as Sd a day bird scaring, while gangs of women were employed hoeing, planting beans and thinni ng turnips. Many of the local clergymen wcrc concerned for the morality and welfare of the field-working womcn especia lly as the gang masters were 'rough bullying fellows who would bluster and swear'. A number of Hackford women, once the fieldwo rk was done, earned a few mOTe pence by weaving straw hats. In 1804 a farm labourer would earn 1/6d dai ly rising to 4/6d at harvest. During the last millennium Hackford has been an essentially rural parish dependent on the small market town of Reepham for its infrastructure. This has remained largely unchanged although recent changes in mobility have brought Norwich and the wider world into commuting distance, thereby b ringing new sources of money into the parish. carried on for the last 10 yea rs are now to be let with immediate possession. Enquire of M r Kilburn on premises. ". Union Workhouses se rved a 'union' of parishes and these larger work. hou5es replacl-d Ihe smaller parish workhouses. 15 �• An aerial view of Reepham's three churches. The lasl remnant of Hackf ord church can just be seen al the right of Ihe clump of yews. The photograph can be dated by some differences from a present·day view. For instance, York House (tap left) can be seen in the process of restoration in the background. • Hockford Hall. In 1846, at Ihe lime of the Tithe Apportionments, this was home to the Venerable John Bedingfield Collyer, Archdeacon of Norwich. 16 �Petty.vell Place now lived in by Howard and Margaret Blandford-Boker was formerly owned by the Eglington family. In 1846 it was owned by john Sewell but occupied by Margaret Rodham . • This plaque adorns the wall in lhe yard of Ihe Old Brewery. II marks the site of Ihe former Birchom's Brewery erected by William 8ircham in J 839. 17 �{ There was no piped water supply /0 Reepham until the' 9505. This well which has now been restored, also in the Old Breo.very yard, was the source of waler for the brewing of Reepham Ale until J816. The casl and audience of Celebration 2000 in 51. Mary's Of the end of the lost perlormance in January 2000. This was Reepham's Millennium Event. 18 �• This was the site of the shop formerly run by Mr and It has /lOW M~ Ron Gibbs a/ Towns End Comer. been pulled down and reploced by the new development containing the hoirdresser, DIY shop and elec/ricol shop. I I This model combine hervester was mode by Ron Gibbs and was later presemed 10 1M Reephom Society. In this photograph it was on display with other ogricullurol implements 01 our previous His/arkal Exhibition. 19 �Childhood Memories of Reepham Ann Dickinson This account of life in Reephom in the 1920s and 19305 was handed to the Chairman recently. Mrs Ann Dickinson now fives in Hunstanton but she was born in Reepham, Q member of the Gibbs family who have contributed so much to the records of the recent past of the town. Ann's parents were married in 1918 and she WQS born in '923. She looks bock on her childhood in Reephom with great affection. After receiving a copy of the ReeplwlII Society Magazille from my life-long friend Peggy Hum, J began to rened on my wealth of memories of Reepham. To begin ... the sermon to end when we cOlild hear the congregation in St. Mary'ssingi ng their last hymn. The Rev. Moore, in charge of SI. Mary's, invariably fin ished his service first! With the retirement of the Rev. Moore, and when the Rev. Geake left the parish in the early 1930s, the parishes of Reepham with Kerdiston and Whitwell with Hackford were finally united into one parish. The Rev. B.P.Lipscombe was installed and the present communicating door constructed between St. Mary's vestry and the c hancel of Sf. Michael's. Often I had to pump the organ for my mother, watching a lead weight rise and fall, paying ;I\tention so that it should not fa ll below a certain mark otherwise the orga n let out a tremendous sigh and faded out. Mother had played a church organ fro m the age of fourteen and she later took over St. Mary's from a Miss Jewel. The Rev. Lipscombe was extremely musical and could coax ability from the least able. Under his jurisdiction my mother became an excellent organ iSt. The Reephom Posl Office ond postmen in 1913. In those do}'5 it occupied what is now Meloncoulie Rose. /I is {JQ51ible to rf!C09nise the door into the cofe 01 Dione's Pantry on the lef!. At the age of th ree years, we attended Miss Bull's Kindergarten, situated at the back of the Brewery House. There was me and Peggy and her brother John, Pat Hall, Ken neth Hil ton and Joyce Wags. A year or two lilter we were attend ing dancing classes at Miss J-1olah's at Rookery Farm. The dancing school put on shows for parents and fri ends at the Town Hall. I remember dancing in Tlte Weddillg of tile l'a;lIted Doll with John Kerridge, son of the bank manager, who was JumpingJack. Sunday school was conducted by Mr Donald Chapman who, with his sister Olive, ran the Post Office ilt lana House. 11 Donald ran a flourishing and well-attended Sunday school. We had wonderful outings and prizegivings. Miss Wasey taught the senior children and, when we reached her class, she insisted that we learned the Collect for the coming Sunday off by heart and we had to recite it in turn. I remember her with greal affection and appreciation. My mother was organist at St. Michael's when Ihe Rev. Geake was the incumbent al Whitwell nectary. Botl1 churches were used for Sunday worShip then . Frequently, the congregation of St. Michael's would still be waiting for " lana House is in the Market Place and is now 'D1ane's I'amry'. The post· office was where 'Melo ncaulie Rose' now trades. 20 We had a fantastic choir under his leade rship, Si nging oratorios at special church festivals - the Messiall, Elijail, Olivet to Calvary, to mention just a few. Occasionally we incorporated the voice of Mr Broad from Heydon although Donald Chapman did very wen in solos, supported by his fe llow tenors, Fred Alford among them. Apart from church music, variOus members of the choi r founded a group to entertain during the year, putting on many Gilbert and Sullivan operettas. This group included Donald and Olive Chapman, Elsie Varley, Mabel Utting and Mr Cocking. The latter ran a boot and shoe shop which later became Gwen Ha rdesty'S fruit and vegetable shop and which is now the Bridal Shop. The Market Place was a grandstand for the Reepham Town Silver Band under the baton of Mr Ruffles fro m Fakenham. When the weather was kind, and it invariably was, they played for the town's entertainment after the evening service at church on Sundays unti l nine or ten o'clock. Reepha m also boasted a fllle Salvation Army Ba nd. They shared the Market Place as their meeti ng place on alternate weeks. I have memories, too, of carol singing with the choir and the hand-bell ringers in the snow. In those days, the seasons seemed more seasonable! In the spring we would pick primroses at Broomhill; snowdrops �• Ron Gibbs. He was 0 mon o( energy ond imogiflOlion who refused 10 give in 10 illness. Rev. Gl!Clkel with members of his choir outside lhe porch of SI. Michael's. • grew like a carpet at Catchback and the perfume from the vio lets at Reepha m Moor was unbelievable. Father, who was invalided out of the Navy with tuberclIlosis, put his talents to good effect when he settled in Rccpham. ).1y mo ther loved to tell of when motor ca rs became the 'in thing' . My father built o ne around an engine and chassis and, so anxious to try it o ut was he, that one Sunday afternoon he d rove mother and an au nt and uncle to Cromer and back. Father, being t he driver, sa t on the kitchen chair and his passengers on upturned o range boxes. The sides of the ca r consisted of chicke n wire draped with old curtains but when Ihey reached 10 mph the curtai ns flapped alarmingly and had to be removed! In between bouts of illness, Father dabbled in pho tograph y, watch and clock mendi ng, garage and battery charging and, when confined to bed, built mode ls, two of which, a ship and traction engine, drum and elevator (threshing machine) were housed with the Reepham Society. 12 Mother started a business making hats, which fl ourished and this eve ntually became a fully-fl edged d rapery, millinery, tobacco and confectionery shop. The garage, erected to service the growing car trade, was built at the rear and side of the shOp, over an old Baptist immersion pool. This site has now been rebuilt as Lesley Tooley's hairdressers and Reepham DIY. I am sure it needed very little demolishing as it was built chiefly of corrugated iron but the side facing our garden was all glass, consisting of photographic plat es of almost every photograph m y father ever look. Part of the garage was given over to the engine room where I:ather had a generator from which he produced electricity and proudly wired our house - the first .1 WI.' still have the t hreshing machine OOt (\0('5 anyone know Whal has happened 10 Ihe ship? in Reepham to have electriC light. This was in 1928 or thereabouts. He also made me a do ll's ho use and fitted that with battery-powered electriC light. Towards the end of my Fathe r's life I reme mber that the trees in o ur orchard had to be felled as they were old and barren. They had given shelter to the goats and bantams tha t we kept tbere. Mother's ambition of havi ng a tennis court built in the old orchard began to take shape. Father want ed to oversee the project and make sure the ground was quite level. This proved a problem because he was now on constant oxygen. Not to be thwarted, he asked Dick Hatley, who worked with him, to get an inner tube from a car wheel and inflate it with oxygen, added a piece of rubber tube to connect with the valve and, by slinging the tube over his shoulder with a clip to control the fl ow of oxygen, he was able to walk up the garden and inspect the new tennis court fo r himself, returning before the tube was deflated . We were now able to have tennis parties, comprising Donald and Olive Chapman, Jean Hawes, Evan Symonds, Ricky and John Lambert, Ruby Barnes, Len Wilkinson, mother and myself. My great (riend, Peggy Hum , and I had other delights in common. Her fa the r, and both of my uncles, Edward Gibbs senior and junior, were among the company which formed the 'Black Minstrel Troupe'. We look back with such affectlon to o ur childhood in our beloved neepham. End Comer. Ann Gibbs (now Dklcinson) is sealed on the righ t nexl to her mother. A lellnis party 01 Towns 21 �A Thousand Years of Salle During the Millennium Year, Salle village, church and estate celebrated the history of Salle on a beautiful June day. Morning service was attended by tnmt of the villagers, foJlowed by drinks at the hall with Sir John White before evel}'One joined in a borbeque at the Village Institute. The afternoon WQS spent in watching a eric/eel match or climbing the church tower for a glimpse of the splendid view from the top. This was a real traditional vii/age event made all the better by the blessing of good weather. To bring memories of the past into the present, Claire Buxton, Chairman of the Parish Meeting, with help from long-lime inhabitants of the village, such as Ben Stimpson, hod organised an exhibition in the church. This included archive material and a faSCinating display of metal detector finds dating back across most o( the last two millennia and collected by Richard Saunders who lives and works in Salle. This article is based on a brief history o( Salle which was available as a handout on the day. Origins Salle lies on the top of the Norfolk watershed between the Bure and Wensum rivers. It is, in very many ways, a typical Norfolk village. Its history from before the beginning of this millennium illustrates what was and is happening in many other Norfo[k villages. The name 'Salle' is usually taken to deri ve from sallows, the old name for wi llows but other suggestions have been put forward. Is it a corrupt ion of 'a ul ' the old English word for hall? One of the manors in the village was once known as Kingshall wh ich could easily lend itself to shortening as 'Sail'. Or perhaps it is related to an old northern word describing a high, windy place that appears in the Cumberland name - Black Sail Pass. Salle is high a nd wi ndy - fo r Norfolk. The land of the village has always belonged to one or other of the manors in the parish. Now, it is almost entirely part of the Salle Farms estate. Before the improvements of recent cen turies this wou ld have been regarded as poor soil Salle church from the south on a winter 'S day in January. This hUge and beautiful church dominates the skyline. 22 and used for sheep, much perhaps remaining as common land which was im portant also for the poorer villagers. In the past, those with common rights not on ly grazed their animals on the common but also collected wood and kindling and wild fruit . This left their own small plots, or 'pightles', to be cultivated to feed the family. As in the rest of the county, e nclosure started quite early in Salle to meet the changing needs of the farms. Commons and small pightJes and closes have now long been enclosed and those old open fields, themselves, have been changed to meet the needs of mode rn farm ing practices. A small landowner in the village is the church but it is the large and beautiful church itself which is the jewel in Salle's c rown and perhaps the best known building in lhis part of Norfolk. Salle church has recently figured in Ellg/om/'s TllOlisollll Best Churclies by Simon Jenkins (1999). No one s hould leave the village without making a tour of this unique church. Built on the wealth of the wool grown on t he sheep which grazed the local heaths, its presence emphasises the change from stock fa rming to arable which has taken place over the centuries as the farm ing families who built it grew wealthier. Heath, pasture and woodland have now largely given place to open arable fields. The building of Salle church by a group of leadi ng sheep farm ers in the fifteent h century and its ma intenance, since, by leading local families shows how stich famili es have always been import an t in sli pporting the life and people of a vil lage and its surroundi ngs. The families and manors of Salle Perhaps the most im portant historian of Salle is Rev. Walter Parsons who was the parson here for over 30 years. As a former scholar of Pembroke College and Dean of Selwyn College, Ca mbridge, he took great interest in researching the history of his parish. Hi s book Sa lle saves all of us much time and effort when researching the early history of the village, the manors and the church. It provides invaluable information on the history of the village and is available from Reepham Libra ry. Salle also figures in llle Pasta" Lellers. One of the Sa lle manors belonged to the Mauteby famil y, one of whose daughters ma rried into the Paston family. Although litigious and concerned about keepi ng a grip on their lands, like so many medieval Norfolk farmers and lords, the letters concerning Sa lle directly are often concerned with the promotion of a courtship betweenJolln Paston and Margery Brewes. The Pastons remained close ly associated with Salle for the next 100 years. Salle itse.lf is mentioned in Doomsday Book when it was said to have four manors. The history of the manors is well testified. Today, Salle Moor Hall and Sti nton Manor House probably represent the site of two of the manors whilst a third was probably finall y destroyed when Salle Hall was built. Parsons specula tes that the fourt h ma nOf house was sited on the Wood Oalling side of Gatehouse Farm nea f the bridge over the strea m. Sa lle Moor HalJ was a Bullen (Boleyn) possession from the fourteent h to the six teenth century. Yes, that is the famil y of Anne Boleyn! Bu t there is no evidence that she ever lived in Norfolk! More recentl y in Ihe hands of the Sti mpson fami ly, Salle Moor Hall now belongs to Mr Ardishe r Naghshineh who is farming this land organically. Ben Stimpson is now the onl y member of the Stimpson family sti ll living in Salle. Though now past his ninetieth birthda y, he remains a forceful member of the community and was, �• until very recently, still a churchwarden . His knowledge of the past and presen t of Salle village and its chu rch a nd people is unsurpassed . Stinton Manor is the mallor which was formerly a royal manor but that was before the Conquest. Dooms(/flY Hook tells us th at this 'Kings Manor' belonged to Godwin - the father of King Harold. Harold, himself, held Cawston. By the time of Doomsday, both were held by one Ralph who was made Earl of Norfolk. He rebelled, and his lands were given to the new Earl, William de Warenne, one of William's major lords who bui lt Castle Acre. Stinton House, havi ng passed through the ha nds of the Townsends of Raynham and Bulwer Longs of neighbouring Heydon, is now pa ri of the Salle estate and is, at present, the home of Panl Hovesen, the Salle Farms esta te manager who ca me here from Den mark some 13 years ago. Many other well-known Norfolk families have held land in Salle, the Briggs, Founta ines, Pastons, Townsends and Earles, to na me but a few. After Edward Hase created th e Park and built t he hall in 176S it passed to thejodrell fa mily after Richa rd Paul jodrell of Lewknor in Oxfordshire married his daughter. She had inherited the right to a baronetcy from her uncle, john Lombe, which now passed to t.he jodrells. The jodrells were squires here un til Major Timothy White, who owned the chain of chemist shops, now absorbed by Boots, bought the estate in 1890. Bot h these fa milies have done a great deal to both preserve and to develop the estate and parish of Salle. Farms and farmers of Salle One interesting point emerging from early history is a suggestion that this was an area with many 'freemen' in t he Middle Ages. Their counterparts, after the sixteenth century, were the yeomen fa rmers, tenants of the remain· ing fa rms in the village, all of which now belong in one capacity or another to the esta te. These were the successfu l men who prospered by buying up and enclosing land after the collapse of the feuda l system. A nu mber of their old farmhouses hilve been sold off ilS private houses though some remain as part of the estate. A typical exam ple of an old farmhouse is Pilrk Farm, formerly Bog Farm, standing on the edge of old wilter meadows which lie between Salle and the former royal manor of Cawston. This is now the home of Andrew and Claire Bux ton. Andrew farmed wi th his brothers in Heydon and now works for himself whilst Claire is Chai rman of Salle Parish meeting. Park Farm stood empty for some years until it was used as a film set for the television producHon of Mill 011 t/le Floss which was filmed largely on loca tion arou nd mid-Norfolk. Since then, it has been restored with a considerable degree of sym pathy to retain much of its origina l character. The date 1770 can be discerned in the brickwork on the front of the house but the house is older than th is. Like many Norfolk houses it has been refurbished or rebuilt repea ted ly over the years. Manor t-arm, which may have been closely associated with Dorothy Repps, mother-in-law of the builder of Salle Hall, remains an integral part of the estate as the fa rm office. It probably started life as a common-edge manor house in the Middle Ages. The late eighteenth century estate maps ind icate t hat the area that is now Bl uestone Wood was then com mon land as was an area ncar t he bridge on the way to Cawston. The name ' Brake Past ure' of a field next to the 1J,;1rk, also indicates common_ A 'brake' was a field cut oul of common or heath. The insertion of an older sta ircase in to Manor Farm may have been carried out because Edward Hase lived in Manor Farm after the destruction of the former manor house. The date on Pa rk Farm also seems 10 link the improvemen ts to these two farms with the creation of the park and buildi ng of the hall in t he late eighteenth cen tury. Practically nex t door to Manor Fa rm lies Cherry Tree Farm. This still belongs to the Bulwer Longs of Heydon and illustrates how closely inter-linked all the villages, manors and farms of this group of villages arc. This probably stems from the old manorial system when stri ps of land were held in a variety of open fields, not always close together or even in the same parish. Later, we find farmers owning strips belonging to different manors. This is shown particularly clearly on the 1864 Tithe Map where the few remaining strips still held by individuals show where the old open fiel ds existed . This intermix also affected the parish boundaries. Until very recently a long strip of Reepham parish cut right across Salle Park, balanced by a strip of Salle, which reached down to Reepham Moor. The parish boundary has now been changed to adjust this anomaly which had been perpetuated over time, possibly due to old land ownership Manor Farm as i/ is today when the Salle Farms es/ale office. it is in use 05 23 �boundaries, perhaps to allow a manor or tenant to have a mix of arable land and water meadow. Salle Village The viJIage itself is not large, consisting of a scatter of houses leading down past the cricket pitch from the church. It comprises cottages probably built o n the siles of the old 'tofts and crofts', formerly worked by tenants who may also have been craftsmen and whose family would have spun and woven woollen cloth in the lime between all their other tasks. Even in the past t he number of brick built o r stone houses would not have been much more than now. There would, however, have been many more residents, working the land, carrying out their trades in the village or working as serva nts on the farms. Families were also much larger, and expectations lower, until well into this century, so each house supported more people. The old school house still stands opposite the church. The school was originally a 'non·provided school', that is to say, it belonged 10 the estate and was admi nistered under a n agreemen t with the Board of Education, as a church school. As owne r, the squire was, the refore, Chairman of the Board of Managers and appointed several of them. Surviving correspondence in the White famil y archives gives interesting insights into the running of the school around the turn of the century. Education was already fairly closely controlled and inspected and the school developed over time to include examinations and scholarships as opportunities opened up. The staff consisted of a headmistress, most of whom seem to have come from southern counties and were required to have musical skills and to be able to teach physical education as well as the other more usual attributes of any teacher. The headm istress was supported by one assistant teacher and/or a 'monitress' who was a senior pupil of promise. The letters of these women, written when applying for the job, indicate that they had very little money. Shades of Ja ne Eyre! Before the First World War children would have fini shed their education by 12 years of age. In sllch a rural area, holidays were taken to allow the children to help with the harvest and these had to be specifically requested from the Education authorities. Mrs Williamson, the last teacher is buried in the churchyard. Next door is the Lynton White Inst itute, built by the White family, which provides a home for the Parish Meeting and a site for social events, not least cricket teas, as the Institute stands on the edge of a splendid cricket field. On the other side of the field is the forge, owned by the church and still a fully fitted working forge, though no longer regularly used. The rust of the houses in the village is the former 'W hite Horse' public house now converted to a dwelling hOllse since its closure in the late I 960s. The St reet continues down to Ga tehouse Fa rm between two rows of cottages, some of which are occupied by estate workers. There were more cottages around the eastern fringe of the park and a dairy farm in the park but there is very little more than a few bricks left from these buildings. More interesting are the houses in the park itself and the picturesq ue style lodge cottages at the four entrances to the park. Th ese have one unique fea ture as lodges; they are on th e opposite side of the road from the Hall. Most of t.hem ha ve now been adapted or enlarged by the estate to meet the needs of their inhabitants. TIle village is, obviously, dominated by its magnificent c hurch but nothing has been included here, as booklets on 24 the history of the church are available in the c hurch . Suffice to say that the church of St. Peter and St. Paul continues to attract visitors to view its architectural splendour and music lovers who wish to take advan tage of its excellent acoustics to perform and listen to concerts and to make recordings. Salle Park By far the largest house in the village is Salle House. Edward Hase created the park itself in the late eighteenth century before he built the house. A map, still in existence, shows h ow Edward Hase bought up smalJ closes and strips 10 make the park, processes know to historians as 'engrossment' and ' emparkmenl'. When Edward Hase died he fortunate ly, left a Memorandum Book which Sir Richard Jodrell continued to use after he succeeded in 1804 so we can date a nd follow some of the early developments in the park. Gardens and trees were plan ted, a beautiful walled garden still remains in use and there is an icehouse in the shrubbery. Work continues to maintain house and gardens in their present good order. Pat !)ennis, who has now returned to the village of his birth, keeps the gardens in order without t he army of under-gardeners and boys of forme r days. He still lives in the old gardener's house next to the walled garden. Fortunately, pleasure gardens were not fa shionable when the house was built and were never planned to be very large thoug h extended across the South Lawn as far as an ornamental ha-ha before 1846. One particularly happy aspect of the park is the number of magnificent trees it contains. Of course, creators of parks, following the ideas of Humphrey Repton (no\\l buried in Aylsham church yard) and Capability Brown, looked for a na tural effect in their new parks. Trees were oft en planted in clumps or as shelter belts but also in ' rO\\lS'. One way of achieving a rapid mature effect was to retain the trees which had formerly stood in hedgerows along field boundaries. It is possible to identify these fonner hedge lines from aerial photographs and old maps even though, in their more mature stat e, the li nes are not always obvious as trees succumb to old age or storms. Many trees have bee n felled during the ZOO years of the park's existence. However, one major oak tree, which must predate the park by some considerable time, still remains. It is now a huge and venerable veteran supporting considerable amounts of wild life. The park trees have always been well cared fo r a nd a new avenue of horse chestnut trees is now beginning to grow up along the main drive across the park. New plantings of park trees also include tu rkey, evergreen, red and English oaks Salle House Salle House was built in 1763. It is a mid·Georgian neoclassical building influenced by the emerging forces of romanticism. It consists of a two·and-a-half storey central wing of seven bays, built in red brick with a stone Ionic pediment o n both north and south elevations and a hipped roof surrounded by a balustrade. The architraves of the prinCipal doors are also of stone. A Si ngle-storey wing extends to both cast and \\lest where two courts were converted to an orangery on the east and a billiard room on the west in Major White's time. The Victorian upper storey, added over the billiard room, has since been demolished . Beyond the wings, low two-storied buildings extend on either side - to the coach house and stables on the cast. The appearance of Salle House is now almost identical 1'0 a �Solie viUage 5treet looking we5t from the church. The larger house on the left was formerly the White Hone public house. Salle Hall from the southern gorden. The pork. is 50 thickly planted with tren that there is only one sight line from which the hall can be seen drawing on an estate map of J807. This, however, is due to work carried out by Si r John White who has now restored the house both inside and ou tside whilst retaining its original character extremely well. Salle Farms Estate Salle Farms is now ent irely arabl e. Crops include large-sca le cultivation of barley, beet, beans, peas and whea t on land which, before the improvements of recent centuries, would have been rega rded as poor soil and used for sheep, The estate also remains conscious of its stewardship of the countryside. Successful modern farming is con tract farming to meet the needs of large-scale food suppliers. Output is constantly monitored by the use of satellit e technology. In addition to the 1:lrge-scale production of grain, pulses and sugar beet, a recent addition has been the appearance o f plantations of Ch ristmas trees which provide work during quieter periods of the year. Areas of set-aside supplement other conservation in novations that are now possible. Attitudes to the countryside have changed in recent years and many who formerly knew little about it are able to gel out and about and have demanded ilCcess to a countryside which they regard as a common heritage. This can be a twoedged sword . Unlimited access can be disrupti ve to wildlife habitat, to game bi.rds and to growing crops alike. However, many footpath s and green lanes marked on the as maps arc maintained to provide walks across the esta te. Some paths have been diverted found the edges of fi elds rather than cutting through the middle. Those who wish to quibble at th is should remind themselves that walking along the hedge is much more interesting as this is where the greatest variety of flora and fauna is to be seen. [n addition to lhe more conspicuous pheasants and partridges reared on the estate, and the ever-present rabbits, the re are less eviden t denizens of this land. Stoats, weasels and other small mammals are much shyer but are still in abundance where there is a large rabbit population. Though many small birds have disappeared in recent years there are a number of larger birds to be seen . Herons and kest rels are regular hunters in the area. Barn owls are becoming re-established and three are nesting on the estate. necently, a group of Ca nada geese hilve sett led nea r on e of the ponds. These birds can be a mixed blessi ng and have become a nuisance on some farms elsewhere. The more remote part of the estate is hare country and numbers of mad March hares are to be seen every spring. Yes, there are large field s but many new hedges have been planted and old hedges preserved. Other conservatio n measures are bei ng undertaken. These include the planting of broad-leaf trees along the old railway line near the Cawston boundary and maintenance of existing patches of woodland on the estate. One im portant conserva tion measure now being implemented is the scheme whereby 4-metre strips along watercourses are left as permanent sct-aside to reduce the risk of conta mination of ground water by pesticides and so forth . The watercourse, which crosses the estate from beyond Wood Dalling, winding round past C nvston to Booton, is a case in point. Anyone who walks down the rood by the side o f Wood Dalling church should note the ditch on the right-hand side which is fult of wild flowers, especially primroses and orch ids in springtime. This dit ch now has a preservation order on it. Yet , it was dug very recently, showing that modern farmin g activity is not always destructive. Much of the information in this article was obtained from the White popers and Bullen popers now held in the Norfolk Record Office. 25 �Reepham Personalities and Institutions AI the beginning of this century Reepham was a small Norfolk market town with long-established families living in a smaller community than today. Thf!y all knew each other very well, often being related by marriage, mostly working locolly in the lown or on the surrounding farms Gnd estates. Some of the older families still remain and hove contributed immensely to the records of the recent past of Reephom. As Reephom has grown and new houses Ofe constantly built, new people have increasingly moved into the lown. Mony of them will be unaware of the contributions to the community mode by former inhabitants and the origins of some Reephom institutions. Following the long gap since che publication of the last Reepham Society Magazine, this seems an appropriate lime to record 0 little about some of those who have contributed to the life of the town and who have helped to make Reepham the lively and caring community that it is. One messoge which comes over very strongly, even in these short profiles, is ;ust how much people's lives were disrupted by the effects of the two World Wors of the last century. Miss Jessie Brown MBE jessie Vera Lawford Brown died on 14th April, 1983 at the age of 95. She had a remarkable career, one achieveme nt being the foundation of the Reepham Housing Trust -clgh t bungalows fo r the elderly or disabled known as Sunbam Walk. 'My hope is that there will be accommodation of this kind in every village in the country,' said Jessie. Jessie was the only daughter among the seven children of Colonel F.D.M . Brown Vc. He r early education was directed by a series of governesses but, later, she studied history at the Oxford Home Students, now St. Anne's College. Her academic career was discarded whe n she joined her friend , Olive Sa nkey, and answered an appeal from Agnes Hunt , 13 the founder of a new hospital al Baschurch in ShropShire, 10 train as an orthopaedic nurse. After two years, Jessie went on to pass the examination for the Society of Trained Masseuses, later to become the Chartered Society of Physiotherapists. At the out break of war in 1914, Agnes Hunt and jessie went to France but were very soon frustrated with cond itions over there and returned to Baschurch which had then become a military hospita l. It soon became obvious that after-care clinics had to be established in the main market towns in Shropshire but transport was a problem. Undaunted, jessie acqUired a second-hand motor bike, learned to ride it and, by 191 7, 13 ort hopaedic dinics had been established throughout Shropshire. In 1918 Mr G.R. Girlestone askcdjessie to help set up clinics in Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire. He could offer no sala ry but arranged a small sum from a special Red Cross fund if a survey of all disabled people could be ca rried out - just the sort of challe nge jessie enjoyed. In 1924 Sir Robert jones, the prominent orthopaedic pioneer, received a call from Nepal. Princess Mani, the fIVe-yea r-old niece of the King of Nepal , was ill with U Agnes Brown and Sir Robert Jones, a plon~r orthopaedic su rgeon. Wtlt responsiblt for tht fou ndation of the ortoop.1edlc hospital In ~weslfy which carrit'S thtir names ~nd remains one of the lcading orthopaedic hospitals In the country. 26 poliomyclitis and it was decided to send jessie to help. Within three days she had set off by sea to Bombay, then overland to Kathmandu. There was no road from India into Nepal in those days so jessie was ca rried or rode on the back of an elephant for the three-day journey. During the next ten years jessie visited this brave little girl several times and after Mani's death in 1935 a ward was built in the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre as a gift from her gratefu l parents. Everyone who knew Jessie Brown was constantly reminded of her aims - that every patient must be instilled with the joy of life, irrespective of their handicap and that o ne must work until each diSilbled person is as independent as possible and able to contribute to their community. It became necessary for Jessie to return home to Yateley to look after her ageing mother but she soon had the outbuildings of her home converted to be a unit where physically handicapped people could learn hand-block printing. Grace Finch, a patient at the HenleyClinic, was persuaded to go to Yateley to help and, together, they soon had money raised and a training scheme fo r hand icapped girls was launched. New buildings were opened in 1952 and bungalOWS in 1956. Yateley Industries is a successful residential sheltered industry and em ploys more than 40 men and women. Jessie placed little importance on personal possessions and was able to move on without regret, always full of enthusiasm for a new ven ture. In 1952 her work was recognised by the award of an MBE. Bu t she was always far more interested in the success of her many projects. In 1968 jessie ' retired' to Reepham. It was during her retirement that she became the inspiration behind the building of the eight bungalows on Sun Barn Walk which formed the core of the Reepham Housing Trust. Today, the Trust is managed as a charity by local trustees, sharing a warden with the Wherry Housing in Ewing Close. Many in the town feel privileged that she touched our lives and hope to pass on her enthusiasm and joy of living to the full. We are grateful to Jon Henry for this piece on Jessie Brown. Ben Stimpson Ben Stimpson was born at Salle Moor Farm in 1910, a member of a well-known local fami ly here in Mid-Norfolk. He is a forceful and well-respected character in both Salle and Recpham and has given much service to the two Ben Slimpson �communities both as an active member of a number of organisations anc! as a benefactor to the communities. The Stimpson family fanned at Salle Moor for several generations as well as running the family business based in Reepham. It was Ben's grandfath er who opened the Salle Coal Company at Reepham Station, a company that continued in business as a general agricultural merchant under several names until 1980. Some of you will have read the book on 'Salle' written by the Rev. Parsons who was Vicar of Salle from the early 1920s unti l after the Second WorlC! War. [t was Rev. Parsons who married Ben and his wife Margaret in 1937. They came to live in Salle House, the house in which they still live and Ben gradually took on the management of the family business as well as his other work in the community. For many years he was chairman of the Salle Parish Meeting and succeeded his fathe r as churchwarden there, a posl which he held for over 40 years. Added to his fa ther's tenure of SO years this gives nearly a century of continuous service to Salle church by the Stimpson fami ly. To th is can be added the tireless work of Margaret who was also a member of the PCe. The role of churchwarden was not a sinecure as there have been a number of major problems, including a light ning strike, in keeping up t he fabric of Salle church one of the medieval gems of rural Norfolk - as well as th e day-to-day routine of the church . It is largely due to Ben's efrorl's that Salle church has been able to mai nta in itself so successfully in recent years. A tribut e for this work for the church was published in the November 2000 issue of TowII (ll/d COllI/try when Ben retired as churchwarden and was given a tremendous send-off by the congrega tion . Needless to say he remains a member of the PCe. Duri ng the war Ben played h is pllrt in the local Home Guard as well as helping his father with the family businesses. The activities of the Salle and Reepham platoon are weI] documented in Standing lip to Hiller'14 which tells the tale of the Home Guard in Norfolk. It was Ben Stimpson 1< 1997. A. Hoare: Sfllluli"3 up lu Hitla. The Story of the Norfolk Home Guard. l'ubllshoxl by Ceo. R. Ret-ve, Wymomlhall1 . ISBN 0 900616 50 4 . who provided the comprehensive records of the local units which now form a considerable portion of that book. Ben hac! led the local pla loon since May 1940 but by the latter part of the war the 17th Battalion Norfolk Home Guard was based in Reepham with it's HQ at 'The Bays' in Norwich Road, and led by Lt Colonel G.E. Gurney wi th Ben as his second-in-command. Duties included airfield defence, defence of bridges and liaison with other units backed up by weekly training and regular battle exercises. Stimpson's Piece Perhaps the most memorable mention of th e Stimpson name to present-day Reepham residents is in reference to Stimpson 's Piece. This piece of land was originally six acres, leased to the parish of Rcepham by the Stimpson family for use as a playing field. Following the Second World War a pavilion was built as a war memorial and in thanksgiving for victory. The pavilion has bee n rebuilt since then but the memorial plaque remains in the present pavilion built in 1995. In \987 the land was gifted to Reepham and extended by the parish council with a furth er seven acres to (orm the presen t Stimpson's Piece. Despite all he has con tributed to Reepham, Salle remains Ben 's fi rst love a nd he has become closely identified wit h that village and, as you can imagine, he knows a very great deal about Salle, its past, its present and its people. Wesley Piercey Wesley Piercy is the man we all turn to when we wa nt to find some elusive detail of the past of Reepham. Wesley was born in Reepham in 1917, in a farmhouse on Saleyard Hill. For those who arc comparitive newcomers to Reepham, this was the old road going up from Town's End Corner towards the old sale yard and curving up behind the cottages wh ich presently look down onto Station Road. tater, the famil y moved to 'Cabbage Court' - Hailway Cottages on the New Road - before moving back to the farm until 1940. After leaving the Hackford and Whitwell School, now th e site of [{eepham Primary School, Wesley first of all worked i.n Ben Stimpson leading the local Home Guard contigent 01 a parade in Reepham . 27 �Wesley has spoken to many organisations in the town over the years. He remains an active member of the Reepham Society - and still the fount of knowledge on the past of the town. Tony Ivins Wesley Piercy Cawston before going as apprentice to Reeder's, the baker in Back Street. The premises were known as 'house and baking offtce' and are now represented by the house known as The Old Bakery. Although he had moved just before the war to work in Wells, as a member of the Supplementary Reserve, Wesley was called up immediately. He had quite an interesting war! He wen t out with the British Expeditionary Force to France in 1939. In the confusion of the retreat from France, Wesley was separated from his unit when he had a brief spell in hospital. He was discharged from hospltal to lhe base depot near SI. Nazaire which was then being readied for a division of Canadian troops who were, at this stage, the only available unit still fully eqUipped to fight. However, it became necessary to evacuate all troops following the capitulation of France. Wesley then spent the next six months out in England be.fore embarking for the Middle E.lst and the West ern Desert in 1941. His unit was now with an army group later known as the Desert Rats (the Eigh th Army) which then crossed to Sicily and foug ht its way up Ital y. [n 1944 ' time expired' men were replaced by new recruits and Wesley returned to the UK. He then returned to Aldershot where he found that all the bakehouse jobs had been taken over by the women of the ATS. After the end of the war Wesley was demobbed in 1946. As you can imagine, returning to civilia n life was somewhat of a culture shock and Wesley left baking for more active jobs. He eventually found his way into the Eastern Electricity Board, for whom he worked fo r 23 years until he retired in 1982. Hi s love for hi story and the past of t he Reepham area was never lost. A number of historians and archaeologists had an interest in the local history and ran a number of WEA courses in Reepham during the 1970s. Wesley enthusiast ically joined to expand his knowledge of the past. Following his retirement in 1982 he was able to follow up his great interest in history. He started an Open University course, wherever pOSSible completing history units, to qualify for bis BA. His life also changed in another way around this time when he met his wife Olive on holiday. By th iS time the Pierceys were living in the bungalow where Wesley and Olive still live in Park Lane. As a result of his encyclopaedic knowledge of Reepham a nd its people 28 Tony Ivi ns rema ins the President of the Reepham Society to t h is day though increaSing age and frailty prevent his active involvement. I-I e was also a founder member and, with Susie his wife, a driving force in the development of the Society. Born in South London in 1915, Tony gained a diploma in animal husbandry at an agriUlltural college in the south of England. In the late 1930s, he joined the staff of the Forest School in Hampshire. The school was a progressive co-educational boarding school in the New Forest. Its ethos was to teach children how to respect the countryside and make use of natural resou rces. In 1938 the school had to move to new premises and an educational trust was set up to enable the purchase of Whitwell Hall and grounds. This is where Tony met Susie Dammen who became the Matron at the new Forest School where Tony was now the bursar. Not long after the move the Second World Wa r broke out, the school was evacuated and the army requisitioned the Hall. Tony Ivins Tony enlisted in the Air Force where he became a naVigator. His war years were spent in Africa where his squadron's role was to reinforce the British role by ferrying di plomats and heads of state around that country. From this he acquired an abiding love of Africa and has many albums of photographs from that t ime, especially aerial views. Meanwh ile, Susie joined the. Land Army and worked as a farm secretary at Sparham Hall. At the end of the war Tony and Susie were married and returned to Whitwell in 1946. Due to the financial costs involved, a decision was made not to re-open the school. Instead, Tony set up a pig farm at Whitwell Hall which brought in sufficient fin ance to enable Ton y to set up a Country Centre offering schoolchildren an opportunity to enjoy a week under canvas, or in the house, and 10 experience the country, the wildlife and the natu ral resources. Tony and Susie's children, Sally and Hugh, were born here and Hugh still lives with his family in one of the cottages which was bought from the estate. �Tony came to love WhihveJl as well as the educational trust which had always been dear to his heart. It was his interest in finding out about Whitwell and its past which stim ulated Tony's broader interest in history. With $usies drive and enthusiasm, they not onl y developed the COlin· try Centre at Whitwell but gave a great deal to the village and to Reepham. It is largely due to them and several other ea rly members of the Rcepham SOciety tha t we have been able to develop such comprehensive archives for t he SOCIety. Tony's work at Whitwell Hall enabled him to meet numerous well-known Norfolk folk. His friends included Ted Ellis, Dick Joyce and Philip Wayre of the Norfolk Wildlife Centre who shared many of his interests. Tony was also Chairman of the Norfo lk Deaf Children's SoCiety and one year he was able to show the Queen Mother round the NDCS stand at the Royal Norfolk Show. As Wardens of Whitwell Hall, Tony and Susie had lived in the 1·lall itself but when he retired they moved to Hillside Cottage on Whitwell Hill. Tony now became Chairman of the Country Centre and continued his tife·long work fo r Whitwell Hall and its 40-acre estate. Whitwe ll Hall Ed ucatio nal Trust • A great many people arc unawa re of the existence of Whit well Hall Country Centre, its unique history and unusual development. We think it is worth telling a little more about one more interesting aspect of the Reepham grou p of parishes. Whitwell Hall itself was, of course, a privat e house. The previous history of the hall, park and deserted medieval village has been described elsewhere in ea rlier Reepham Society magaZines, often relying on infor· mation from Tony Ivins himself. Forest School was started in 1928 near Godshill in the New Forest and consisted of 100 acres of woodland over· looking the Avon valley in Hampshire. It was bought by Earnest Westlake, the son of a Quaker and wealthy ind us· triatist from rordingbridge. He became a humanist and educati on;Ilist and, as a result, fou nded the order of Wood· craft Chivalry - the Woodcraft Folk - where families met together under canvas, later in huts, and learned to live in and appreciate the natural environment. Loosely built on the ideas and cul ture of t he North American Indians, its aim was to enable children to find out abou t themselves by offering opportunities for development and self.discipline rather than by imposing learning and d isci pline. Other schools, such as Darlington and Summerh ill, developed from similar roots as did organisations like the Guides and Scouts. Aft er the war, it was decided by Tony and Susie and the school secretary, who lived in Cam bridge, not to re-open as a school as such a large fi nancial investment would be required to renovate and repair the buildings. Instead, Tony set about earning an income fo r the trust by utilising his training in anima l husbandry and set up the pig farm in the ex isting outbuildings on the site. Each summer, fonn er pupils of Forest School continued the tradition of ca mping activities with their famil ies until the late 1950s when the Forest School was set up again to continue elsewhere. A young Tony /vim worlcing with older boys in Ihe /cilchen gorden. In the ea rly 1960s contacts were established wi th teachers and education authorities in Norfol k and Suffolk at a time when such bodies were keen to encourage ch ildren to spend ti me out·of-doors. From this grew a thriving Country Centre which conti nues to provide opportunities for many groups of children to spend a week or weekend camping in the grounds, or living in dormi tories, whilst undertaking cou ntry activities which are totally new for some city children. Tony Ivins, the original Warden of Whitwell Hall, was assisted by Susie as House Mother until the 1970s. By this t ime, it was necessary to take on more sta ff. Sue and Brian Evans joi ned the staff and later took over the running of the Centre which they conti nue to manage down to the present. On his retirement, Tony beca me Chairman of the trust and worked tirelessly for the Centre, a role which his son, Hugh, has now taken on after him. The Country Centre is always looking for ways to broaden its activities and a number of local groups and pupils from Heepham High School use the house and grounds fo r a variety of activities. Any group can contact Brian and Sue Evans to see if the Centre can accommodate their requirements - always bearing in mind that it is limited by its sta tus as an educational trust. Our grateful thanh to Hugh Ivins for his help in preparing this profile of his father and the outline of the development of the Whitwell Hall Countl)l Centre. 29 �Reepham Society History Exhibition Friday, Saturday and Sunday 11 th, 12th & 13th May, 2001 Friday: 10.00 am to 4 .00 pm Saturday: 10.00 am to 6.00 pm Sunday: 10.00 am to 12.00 noon local history of Reepham and the surrounding villages Members preview 7.30 pm Thursday 10th May The editor is very aware that the articles in this magazine talk about footpoths and access to the countryside in some detail. At time of publication the country is ravaged by Foot and Mouth Disease. Fortunately, this part of the country has remained free of infection. We would like to remind visitors to the area to observe footpath restrictions. Whilst this is Q largely arable forming area there numbers of animals in many places. Ofe Please only use those footpaths, like the Marriott's Way, which you are sure are open and do not venture into farmland. 30 �Hendry & Sons Funeral Directors Private Chapels of Rest RICHARD HENDRY, DIP. F. D. Members of the N.A.F.D. Station Road, Foulsbam, Derebam Norfolk Tel. Foulsham. (01562) 685249 MUCK&MAGIC Garden ServwN From one off solutions, to all-year-round maintenance Whatever your gardening needs we'll cover the ground for you. VEGGIES & GRASS HEDGES & PATHS PONDS & PATIOS CUTS & STRIMS COMPOST & MULCHES PLANTS & SEEDS TURFS & WEEDS I ! ! A FIRST· CLASS SERVICE Call JON PURDY fOl" a quote Home 01603308093 Mohile 07771926582 BramLey.., lOa New RoaiJ, Rupbam Working Bre\llery ~mof CAMRA N3Holkil A~3rd ...'inning \kNd Stout &:: R.'pill:f Polk Aloe and olher Indition.al beotn Collers Reepham Beers Dislincli~et~ Different \'Vodh Seeking Out �� Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Reepham Society Newsletters Description An account of the resource A comprehensive collection of newsletters published by the Reepham Society. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Printed and digital Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GB/REE/RS/Magazines Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1983-2000 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Reepham Society Text-digital Any text item for which there is no previously existing hard copy in the Archive. The text can be stored on CD, DVD, memory card, USB stick, on hard drive or 'cloud'. It may have been sent electronically to the Archive or it may be a text owned by someone else which we have scanned or photographed. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Reepham Society Magazine Millennium Edition April 2001 Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GB/REE/2501291035 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource A4 PDF, 32 pages Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource April 2001 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Scanned by Geoff Fisher Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Reepham Society Reepham Society https://reephamarchive.co.uk/omeka/files/original/70033e1774b1db8aa26c9886827b993b.pdf 49f117264ee6df7bdbb718063444b13a PDF Text Text 2r f • THE REEPHAM SOCIETY Affiliated to the Council for the Protection a/ Rural England Newsletter - January 1999 (Follows September 1998 Issue) At this time of year, as our voluntary collectors go round asking for your subscriptions, we generally include in the newsletter a reminder of the Society's aims and activities. The society operates as a loca1 amenity society within the parishes of Reepham, Booton, Hackford, Kerdiston, Salle, and Whitwell. It is a registered charity affiliated to the Council for the Protection of Rural England and is non-political and nonsectarian. The Society is also non·profit making and financed entirely by members' subscriptions, voluntary donations, and fund raising activities. Membership is open to all who are interested in the area covered. Objects are to:- I. 2. 3. stimulate public interest in the area~ promote high standards of planning and architecture~ secure the preservation, protection, development and improvement offeatures of historical or public interest. In addition to its own activities to promote these objects, the society cooperates and co-ordinates with other bodies such as the Parish Council, clubs and youth groops. The society also keeps a watch on activities and developments outside Reepham that are likely to affect the town. Planning As an Amenity Society, we are entitled to be notified about and comment on aU planning applications in Reepham. These are scrutinized by our Planning sub-Committee, of which Jan Henry is now Chairman and Jolyon Booth is Secretary. In 1998 the sub-ccmmittee commented on 28 applications. Broadland District Council subsequently refused 2 of them and approved 24 leaving 2 outstanding at the time of going to print. The most significant refusal was for two pig buildings at Wood Fann Kerdiston as reported in the September 98 newsletter. The most significant proposal since then is to convert Riches House (The old Happy Shopper) into a shop and four flats. We have not opposed this but BDC have yet to decide on it. Highways Members wil~ no doub~ be pleased to learn tha~ at a Parish Council Meeting on 25~ Nov, there had been a constructive exchange of views with two County Council Highways Officers on a range of highways topics. The Officers accepted that long vehicles should be discouraged from coming through Reepham. As soon as possible they would put notices on the BI145 at Bawdeswell, Aylsham and Fir Covert Road advising drivers that the road was unsuitable for long vehicles. The effect ofthese advisory notices would be monitored to assess the likely value of framing a restrictive regulation. They would also change the direction sign off the A1067 at Bawdeswell so it showed Reepham rather than Aylsham, as at present. They thought various other ideas about changing road priorities, protective kerbs and a chicane were not feasible though they believed Reepham was near the top of the queue for traffic calming. They would come and look at our parking problems outside Spar and along Norwjch Road. There was a possibility of extending the 30 limit beyond Booton Beck. RS Garden Competition In order to keep a unified theme for the evening, a new fonnat was tried for the presentation of the Reepham Society'S 1998 garden competition prizes. So, after they had very fully and carefully explained who was getting the awards and why, the judges fonned themselves into a gardeners' question time panel. The audience challenged them with a wide variety of questions, which they fi elded most expertly and Newsletter Jan 99 �/ • Page2 adroitly. All three of them found something to say about almost every question - there was no repetition and only the faintest hint of disagreement - altogether a fascinating evening. We are most grateful to the judges, for the time and effort they contributed. Between them they visited 80 gardens twice over. Winners, in order - lsi., 2nd, 3m, and Highly Commended - were as follows. The Stimpson Cup (Large Gardens). Mr. & Mrs. R Kemp; Mr. & Mrs. R D Harding; Mrs. A Wyand. Judge Mike Allen. The Ewing Cup (Intennediate Gardens) Mr. & Mrs. R W FrankJin; Mr. & Mrs. JR Lamhert; Mr. & Mrs. H W Raffell; Mr. & Mrs. B Simpson Judge Laurie Riches. The Margaret Cameron Cup (Small Gardens) Mrs. Pat Waterworth; Mr. & Mrs. IW McGilvray Mr. & Mrs. DW Everett; Mr. & Mrs. J Lay. Judge Brian Norbury. The Chairman's Cup (Vegetable gardens) Mr. W Roberts; Miss Dorothy Burton; Mr. HN Egmore; Mrs. NA linkerson; Mr. W J Tubby; Mr. S Tebbutt; Special Award /0: Mr. P Walker: Mr. & Mrs. D Leonard Judge Mr. EG Geater. Programme of events You will see from the list below and on your membership card. that this summer we have combined the "outdoor" event with the presentation of the Marjorie Gibbs Rose Bowl (hanging basket) awards. Last year it was the social aspect of both these events that members seemed to enjoy most and we plan to lay on some (gentle) live music as well as food and drink to oil the wheels. 1999 Programme FEBRUARY II The Knight on the Bed of Stone. (Like the Kerdiston tomb to St.Mary's Church.) lIIustrated talk by Kate Nightingale (Reepham Society) MARCH II Victorian Cooking: Rich & Poor. Talk and display by Lyn Gash (Norwich Museum) APRIL 29 AGM Election of Officers & Committee for 1999-2000, followed by Medieval Norfolk from the Air. llIustrated talk by Derek Edwards (Norrolk Landscape Archaeologist, Gressenhall) MAY 13 Unusual Britain Illustrated talk by Belen Paterson (Fonnerly of English Heritage) JUNE We hope to arrange an outing. (Memhers' suggestions would he welcome.) JULY 17 Society Summer Soiree & Presentation of Awards for Banging Basket Competition at Moor House, by kind permission of Mr. & Mrs. Leonard. SEI'IEMBER 9 The Sinking of the Titallic_Dlustcated talk by John Balls (Relative ofa passenger) 14 Saints Alive (Unusual church dedications in Norrolk & stories of their saints)-Illustrated talk by Philip Skeyte (Enthusiast) ocroBER NOVEMBER II 7:30 PM START The Society's Garden Awards followed by Gardeners' Question Time Norfolk Amenities Group AGM Members will be interested to learn that we are hosting this year's Group AGM ( 16 April at the Pavilion, Stimpson's Piece) where we hope to put on an exhibition of the Societies activities. Please notify Jolyon Booth if you wish to participate. Literature Festival Reepharn 's fame as an intellectual power-house has spread as fur as Norrolk County Council who have chosen the town as the location for a Literature Festival (though they want to call it something else!) to be run in conjunction with the District Council on 2 1, 2200, 23rd October. A Festival activity that the Reepham Society particularly wishes to help promote is <reminiscence gathering'. The memories of some of the Newsletter Jan 99 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Reepham Society Newsletters Description An account of the resource A comprehensive collection of newsletters published by the Reepham Society. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Printed and digital Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GB/REE/RS/Magazines Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1983-2000 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Reepham Society Text-digital Any text item for which there is no previously existing hard copy in the Archive. The text can be stored on CD, DVD, memory card, USB stick, on hard drive or 'cloud'. It may have been sent electronically to the Archive or it may be a text owned by someone else which we have scanned or photographed. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Reepham Society Newsletter January 1999 Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GB/REE/2409041005 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource A4, 2 pages (incomplete - last 2 pages missing) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource January 1999 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Scanned by Geoff Fisher Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Reepham Society Reepham Society https://reephamarchive.co.uk/omeka/files/original/127073d235cfe48d24158062518b1728.pdf 03f15121d11e2b93b9e1f05131fa235a PDF Text Text 20 THE REEPHAM SOCIETY Affiliated 10 the Council for the Protection of Rural Englalld Newsletter - January 1998 (Follows July 1997 Issue) Introduction This newsletter continues the Executive COlIunittee's commitment to keep members informed about the Society's activities ruKi proJX'sed future events. The newsletter will be distributed by collectors at the same time as 1998 membership cards when calling upon members for their 1998 subscriptions. which we have managed to keep at the same level as last year - £4 per household or £3 if any member of the household is a senior citizen. General A<; a reminder and for new members. The society operates as a local amenity society within the parishes of Reepham, Booton. Hackford. Kerdiston, Salle, and WhitwelL It is a registered charity affiliated to the CowlCil for the Protection of Rural England and is non-political and non-sectarian. The Society is also non-profit making and financed entirely by members' subscriptions, voluntary donations, and fund raising activities. Membership is open to aU who are interested in the area covered. Objects are to:1. 2. 3. stimulate public interest in the area: promotc high standards of planning and architecture; secure the preservation, protection, development and improvement of features of historical or public interest. In addition to its own activities to promote these objects, the society cooperates and co~ordjnates with other oodies such as the Parish Council, clubs and youth groups. The society also keeps a watch on activities and deve lopments outside Reepham that are likely to affect the to .....'11. Planning After years of expert sterling service, M,u-garet Hemmings has stepped down as Chairman & Secretary of the Planning sub-Committee. Jan Henry is now Chairman and Jolyon Booth is Secretary. In 1997 the sub-committee commented on 36 applications. Broadland District Council subsequently rcliJsed 3 of them and approved 26 leaving 7 outstanding at the tin,e of going to print. The refusals were applications to set up businesses - a Pizza takeaway in Townsend Court and two successive applications to set up a Hair Salon in a house in New Road. Amongst the approved proposals wa<; the conversion, to residential use, of stables at the Kings Arms with consequent improvement of a blank wall in Back Street by reinstatement of old windows. Further development ofthe Randall's yard site was approved to allow conversion of the old George and Dragon to two dwellings and addition of two more houses 10 U1e terrace on Norwich Road. The fate of the old wall at the bottom ofMaithouse Lane is currently under negotiation. Outstanding applications include the development of the old granary site in Stony Lane. Outline pennission for 9 houses was granted in April but a specific application has now been made for 7 houses. An L-shaped belt of trees around this site is now protected. Also outstanding is an application to keep horses on a patch of growld next to Whitwell Common, which we opposed because we doubted its suitability for grazing and feared pollution risks to the Site ofSpeciai Scientific lintercst. Since last January's newsletter the restoration and repainting of the old Spar shop to become Echo Antiques and the conversion of TIle Chimes into Motts Chemi:-,1s have both reen completed with results that we hope Joost people will fmd attractive. The modifications to the Broadland Local District Plan. have reached the final stage. They make very few changes in Reepham most ly to match the designated use of certain areas to their actual use and to preserve some patches of green, Nev"sleller Jan 98 �• • Page 2 Footpaths The Parish Council have sub-contracted to us the responsibility for the twice yearly survey of footpaths within the parish. Volunteer members shared the work between them and completed the first survey in November. 1be fee of £150 is a helpful addition to our finances. The next survey is due in May additional volunteers please contact the secretary. TheCPRE We continue to support the CPRE through its County Branch, the Norfolk Society both by our corporate subscription and by participating in CPRE activities. In October we mounted a display and helped at the Norfolk Society's Silver Jubilee exhibition at the Assembly House, Norwich and we have sent representatives to the Society's General Advisory Conunittee and to its award ceremony at County Hall. We look forward to Martin Walton's t.."lIk about these awards at our meeting on 121h February. Ralph Cox has completed an extensive planning research project, on our behalf, fur the Broad.land District Committee of the CPRE. We understand that the County Branch has now adopted Ralph's work as a model for use by other district committees. The CPRE has now discontinued its product marketing but we shall still ofter our remaining items at our general meetings. RS Garden Competition The Reepham Society's 1997 gardcn competition easily maintained standards set in carlier years, with the number of entries again topping 80. The awards ceremony on this occasion al,lowed time for each judge to explain how prize-winners were selected, and to make a few general remarks aoout gardening features which appealed to them. We were most interested to learn of the variations in approach by each judge. Unfortlll1ately several prize-winners did not attend. Wirmcrs, in order - lSi, 200. 3m, and Highly Commended - were as follows. The Stimpson Cup (Large Gardens). Mr. & Mrs. NT Wood; Mr. & Mrs. M WoodnUl; Mr. & Mrs. DW Jones; Mrs. A Wyand. Judge Laurie Riches. The Ewing Cup (lntennediate Gardens) Mr. & Mrs. HW Raffell; Mr. & Mrs. JR Lambert; Mrs. RM Attridge; Mr. & Mrs. RW Franklin. Judge Brian Norbury. The Margaret Cameron Cup (Small Gardens) Mr. & Mrs. DW Everett; Mr. & Mrs. IW McGilvray; Mrs. E Plant; Mr. & Mrs. J Lay. Judge Mike Allen. The Chairman's Cup (Vegetable gardens) Mr. W Roberts; Mr. WJ Tubby; Mr. HN Egmore; Mrs. NA Jinkerson; Miss. 0 Burton; Mr. S Tebbutt; Mr. M Jozefiak. Judge Mr. EG Geater. The 1998 award ceremony will be further expanded by agreement with the judges so as to provide a period for questions from the audience along the lines of Radio 4's "Gardeners' Question Time". We extend a warm welcome to any interested gardeners, particularly members of the Reepham and District Gardening Club. Other Support Activities As already reported in the July 97 newsletter we continue to sUpfXJrt the activities of various other Reepham organisations such as the Scouts Extravag~ Charter Day and the Victorian Day. at which last we raised on the cake stall a record £50 tor Ray's Hall. Once more our thanks go to Pat Large and her team of helpers who have provided cakes for stalls, refreshments and other assistance on our behalf Newsletter Jan 98 �• Page 3 Rcepham Society Archive. Over the past twelve months many new photographs have been added to the Society's archive. This was increased by a number of items from a member of the Beaver family who resided at Beaver House in Norwich Road. Some :further items of memorabilia from the G ibbs fam ily have now been included. One item of particular interest is a copy of a journal by J.P. Leeds who resided at lbe Oaks Farm, Kerdiston, and which gives a wonderfill account of the day to day running of a furm and the lifestyle ofhis family and associates from 1823 to 1828. J.P. Leeds was a relative of Stephen Leeds who ran tlJe Tannery at Whitwell. The archivist has been able to help famil ies who have been to Reepham during the past year with information on older relatives and ha'i been able in many instances to provide copies of photographs of places where they lived. Six families have been assisted during the past year. We were able to help with information to the Television Company who made a film of the problems of adopted children who wi.<;hed to trace their natural parents. This was broadcast on one of the "Matter of Fact" programmes which was seen late last year. Another family was helped in tracing their natural mother. This concluded in a happy reunion for all concerned. To pre!\erve good things and create better ones, it is vital to understand the pa<rt .md learn from it. The archive is an important resource for everyone in Reepham and we are most grateful for the care and skill that Brian Hardiment has put in over a number o f ye.:m to collect and organise it all. From time to time he mounts displays of special selections of our material which members and others find fascinating and informative. He is always looking fur more. so if you have any photos, docwnents or other items of historical interest that you are willing to share please let him know. Finance In view of our heahhy balance of around £2500, we feel we could accept a possible excess of expenditure over income in 1998 and have decided not to increase the subscription. The footpath survey fees (mentioned earlier) a lso improve our finance s and there is always a possibility of some fimd raising event during the year. Membership Additions and depletion.') have a lmost exactly balanced to keep numbers at roughly 250 households. This makes us one of the largest amenity societies, a fact that recently led the Aylsham Association to ask our committee's advice on how we had managed it! The truth must, we hope, have something to do with what we oITer to our members. lfindecd we are getting things right then, to make sure we continue doing so, we need to know what our members want. As a step toward that end we are planning to offer tea and biscuits after the AGM, which we hope wiU e ncourage members to stay behind and, amongst other sociable activity. have a "filII and frank exchange of views" with committee members. We would welcome any offers of help with these refreshments so that the providers are not so busy they are left out of the talk. If we were to extend this practice to other meetings we should then have to make a small admission charge to cover costs rather than rely on a begging rowl at the door. Please tell us what you think. Programme ofeveots The events for 1998 are Hsted on your membership card but this went to press too early fo r some events to be included. In particular we are hoping to arrange some outdoor event in the summer and would like to do something to draw in both new members and some of those existing members who don't come to our o rdinary indoor meetings. Any committee member wouJd be delighted to hear suggestions. In particular Newsletter Jan 98 �. - Page 4 the Secretary (Jolyon Booth) can be found at SO Bircharn Road, Reepham, NORWICH, NRIO 4NQ Tel: 871181 Fax: 8711111 email: Jolyon.Bootb@btinternet.com The Magazine Members have expressed a wish for fill1her issues of a magazine. We do have something in mind, which we hope to print during the year hut our regular researcher and writer, Michael B lack. has found it increasingly difficult to make the time for this work.. Any offers of help in this area from members would be most welcome. Otber Help Needed and Gratefully Received Eileen Plant, who has been finding ~lJe3k.ers for our meetings for some years now, has expressed the wish that someone else should take on this role. Any offers please? It is long past time to thm1k Harry Bibby and Geoff Hemmings for their regular perfunnance of the chore of setting out chairs for our meetings. Members mayor may not know that some years ago the society published a postcard showing All Saint's church Hackford - one of the three churches in Reepham churchyard - before it was demolished. A few copies of the card are still available in St Mary's but the society is in the process ofreprinting and hope to have copies of the new version available soon. The illustration alongside is to give an impression only and cannot match the quality of reproduction of the new cards. We should like to take this opportunity to thank all our distributors and collectors and wish all our members a Happy 1998. Don't miss the first meeting on 12tb February - 8pm in St Michael's. Newsletter Jan 98 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Reepham Society Newsletters Description An account of the resource A comprehensive collection of newsletters published by the Reepham Society. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Printed and digital Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GB/REE/RS/Magazines Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1983-2000 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Reepham Society Text-digital Any text item for which there is no previously existing hard copy in the Archive. The text can be stored on CD, DVD, memory card, USB stick, on hard drive or 'cloud'. It may have been sent electronically to the Archive or it may be a text owned by someone else which we have scanned or photographed. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Reepham Society Newsletter January 1998 Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GB/REE/2409041000 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource A4, 4 pages Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource January 1998 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Scanned by Geoff Fisher Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Reepham Society Reepham Society https://reephamarchive.co.uk/omeka/files/original/12996b152c40b126eeb2e0c64dbbbf63.pdf 9914dab8c369164babd0c119fffa74f0 PDF Text Text THE REEPHAM SOCIETY Magazine �THE REEPHAM SOCIETY is a local amenity society affiliated to the Council for the Protection of Rural England and its County Branch, The Norfolk Society. It was inaugurated in 1975 by a group of local residents who were concerned that the character of the town was under threat. They were worried about the possible loss of features of historic or public interest and the ri sks from overdevelopment unsympathetic to this rural environment. The Society's area of influence covers Reepham, Booton , Hackford, Kerdiston, Salle and Whitwell. The Society co-operates with the Parish and District Councils in monitoring approved new developments and encouraging good standards of architectural design; ensuring that materials suitable to their location are used and features of the landscape protected. Society affairs are managed by an Executive Committee of twelve members who are elected annually. In 1995 membership of the Society had reached over 400. Open meetings are held in eight months of the year, with speakers on a wide range of subjects; non-members are welcome. A magazine is produced periodically (at least once a year) by a Society member, Michael Black; this has customarily contained items of historic rather than current interest; current matters are reported in occasional Newsletters distributed to all members. © THE REEPHAM SOCIETY 1996 No part of this publicatioll should be reproduced ill allY form or by any means wit/lOut the prior consent of The Reepham Society �WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 27,1939 Reepbam CATTLE MARKET J sAJ..ES BY AUCTlON T ION - I bJ t.e 5& Co.) A, ~ NORWICH 'Pnooe fOI .5oCJ~ UQ mana&ed / 6tn .\~ .... - IYLETT o'dock.. .D SToo<. iEX"l' nUl' lRY a.t and Te\e~bOoe l~.U COOK. AHO HOUSEKEEPER. ~ In JaDuary .,OOK.GENERAL wa~t.Q:: B:~Ite; w.re~: tor una.. mud.rDIU~lc.. · uSl,la' ouUn'~"tD'17 llilIUlY .~~~~·~·r~;:"· Nor ..... ,,"" aile' ac:cordtol to J13· oK GENERAl- req,l.nud, W Cattale KOSPltal. ly Matron . experlence.-APP . td or C CO - T and bathroom w~~'C~co:- Tornbland. ~orwtcl\.. FAT CATTLE SALE THE COUNT't A .' NORTH W ALSs~~ 01' THE SEASON HO HOUSEOPENINGJANUARY 1940 PARLOURr.lAIOB A TffiIRSDA Y. 4tb • PARLOURr.lAIOS RMAID EVERY THtJRSDA~. IRELANDS' NORTH WALSHAM STOCK SALEALVES. ~NLING CALVES. "'am. MART NOTICE d der 401. 'II . • REEPHAM ~UCT~~Ns~12. o·clock. Wt!6~KlNG C.-R.-KE.EPfa~.\.U~wn sltt~ni-r~~) Times of Sale: Cdm.Sh~~~ n 1 o'cloclt. Watton '2; lents In sider one wltn c and M.ART COWS SITUATIONS VACANT poultt)'. Beasts an ::JRY . ,nd B1JLI.S. nce}. IRELANDS' HILL AUCTION TlUS OA~ • E. NORWICH Classified Advertisements 01' SATURDAY NEXT Beuta LO o·clock. Store [Imd of Sal.. Fat U ~ o'clock. Bea&ta 12.30. 'fat Sheep . purpOsa all IRELANoa NORWICH ~ FAT PIGS (by Lu:t:llc. PJULTRY. C;GGS. and ~~ll; ;TOCK. Sale !,O commen;~ ~~~5~°E'~~! Pll' and. kC~V:HOW. 'Phone U. a\ 11.15. Fat at 1 O'docL Dead SLOe ~~~~~R~'?l~~T~~C~lg~K ~::i N .. ory,;.,cl't' .. , £36. A. ~~~~7;~~~~~~·Al!r~af~~'~~n. N'cll. OJLLlNS'~ •• HOUSE. KITCHEH AHO SCULLERYr.lAIDS , 6rst weelt In not u,nde KlTr~~~Y~ exp~rienC~a~~;~SS:~a: retetcOa L 17 )'ean.-Wrlte., :i,e~rn Abbey, Norfolk. Lad)' Gurney. Wa. iolni 'M ID ReQUlred. tor nus lateness has not been due to one major failure but to a number of minor and sometimes annoying problems all of which have combined to hold up the completion of the main article and in tum the overall publication. There is however one problem which cannot in any sense be regarded as minor and in some quarters is now regarded as disastrous. This was the fire last August which so tragicalJy reduced much of the contents of the Norwich Central Library to a charred mess. Anyone in Norfolk who has carried out even limited studies or researches into local history wiLl know that one of the first and possibly the only place to call was the local studies section of that building. If further study was required then a walk to the basement floor to the Colman and Rye was necessary, A lot of my researches in the past have involved time in the Central Library and the loss of this fine facility is ~) ~!ntroduction and Acknowledgements I must admit that the production of this magazine is late and for that [ apologise. There is an unwritten requirement from the Society for the magazine to be produced on an annual basis. I could argue that Ihere was one in 1994 and now this one in t 995 but I wouldn't want to answer a direct questi on as to how many months there have been in between. 1 �greatly regretted, let us hope this facility will soon be available again. The main article in this magazine about the 'Reepham Auction Mart' would have been developed from sources available within the Central Library but with its aspects of Reepham that show or illustrate life in previous generations. We all like to look back to the immediate past (hence our attitude to the collection of antiques and memorabilia) with the recent social history venture at Reepham Station being a particularly good example. An old unavailability this infonnation has had to be obtained from elsewhere. I therefore gratefully acknowledge the help photograph can for example, be greatly enhanced by the offered by the library of Eastern Counties Newspapers and recollections of an elderly resident, their words relating to a long lost event are often worth far more than the picture the scrapbooks of Reepham owned by Mr. W. Freestone. There are surprisingly few photographs relating to the saleground and most of those included have been taken from the newspaper cuttings owned by Mr. Freestone. As the original negatives are no longer available prints have been taken from these cuttings. Other help with photographs has come from Mr. William Green of Warham can show. The camera may capture but the spoken word brings it to life. Marjorie Gibbs had a prodigious memory. which recalled the details of Reepham life and events going back to the early part of this century. Our oldest residents now recall events which perhaps go back to the end of the First World Mr. Robert Howes of Kerdiston and also sources of the War and in ten years time the years of the Roaring Twenties Reepham Society. I wish to thank also the Daily Express Newspapers for and the Depression will be the furthest point of local recollection. Peoples memories will always have value in the future and this has never been more relevant than today when we consider the monumental changes that have taken their kind pennission in aJIowing me to reproduce a Giles cartoon and for general references I am indebted to the writings of George Ewart Evans, to the 'People's War' by Angus Calder and 'I Remember' by Marjorie Gibbs. place during the lifetime of people who were born during or immediately after the last war. The last fifty years has seen the tenns of existence change more than in the previous thousand and we should in the future be able to canvass the vivid accounts of the social conditions and rural techniques which can illuminate the accumulated documentation. Provided of course the future My particular thanks are for the recollections that have contributed to the greater part of this magazine and I feel with this particular issue the contributions are sufficient witness to the worth of the infonnation provided. I hope that these memories will give as much pleasure to you the reader as they have given me in listening. recording and in Local Studies section of the proposed Central Library is transcribing them. The people I thank are Mrs. Queenie Ewing. Mr. Robert Howes, Mr. John Williams, Mr. Ben Stimpson, various members of staff at lrelands (past and present) and in particular Mr. Hubert Sheringham. fitted with emergency water sprinklers!! The detail available from memories is of immense interest and all that is usually required is an hour or two of conversation to hear and record this. Whilst many people would regard this as a relatively innocuous task they would I'm sure be surprised at the number who either immediately turn down such requests or who agree to talk and then decide against it. sometimes at the last moment. John Ricketts is currently recording the memories of some of our older residents , a record which will be invaluable in years A first draft of the saleground article was offered to Ben Stimpson for his perusal; a subsequent long conversation with him one evening meant the addition of material as well as numerous relevant changes. Whatever there is of enlightenment in the article the basis of it was greatly enhanced by Ben. FinaUy, I would express my gratitude to John Watton who offers me help as both publisher and to come. The people of Reepham that both John and I have spoken to are, I'm sure, only a small number who have such recollections. Information that should be recorded. printer and brings together all my efforts into a magazine that always end up far better than I initiaUy envisage. Many of the articles for the Reepham Society magazine that have been written by myself or other people during the past ten years have been based partly on references to preserved documents and partly on oral transmission. I would therefore ask that if anyone feels they would like to talk about life in Reepham as it used to be, 40 or more years ago. then please get in touch with us. J would ILke the next magazine to be dedicated to fanning in and around Reepham with a particular emphasis on the days when horses and not tractors did most of the work. If you feel you can make a contribution or if you have any photographs or items of interest then please give me a ring, the Reepham Society would be interested and grateful. Whilst it is felt that this oral tradition is in decline due to the large scale techniques of storing relevant documents there will always be a place for the historian or sociologist, amateur or not to seek details of what life was like years ago. Whilst documentation can present us with the clinical or statistical details, there will always be room for the physical details of the I saB' if, I was there or I knew him or Michael Black her type of evidence. Organisations like the Reepham 'H' 01603 870936 Society are to be commended for their efforts in preserving 2 Middlemarch Broomhill Lane Reepham �It was an annual occasion that was greatly looked forward Reepham Fair to. it brought life and vibrancy to the town and temporarily increased the takings of many of the local businesses particularly the public houses. In these present times our children clamour for a trip to a theme park but in those past days the thrill, entertainment and overall fun of the fair made its way to Reepham and doubtless this once a year event was appreciated, enjoyed and remembered far more than the expensive outings of today. The fair was held on the Market Place up to the outbreak of the Second World War. From 1939 the limitations imposed on the fair people by the War made such events impossible. Although visits by fair people resumed in the late 1940's and continued until the 1960's they were on a Edward I 1272 -1307 Conquered Wales, 1277 - 83, and attempted the conquest o[Scotland 1291-1307. much smaller scale and the stalls and rides were moved from the Market Place to a field on the outskirts of the town. The size and grandeur of the fairs of these earlier years had gone forever. Whilst this annual fair gave Reepham a week or more of local supremacy the dominance of a market in this area of Norfolk was for many Reepham Market was founded in 1277 when Sir John de Vaux, whose lordship of Hackford extended into the parish of Reepham, obtained a charter from Edward 1 for a weekly market on Saturday and a fair on ' the eve of day and years with the neighbouring town of Foulsham. Around 1300 Foulsham was the metropolis of the Eynsford Hundred and for at least the next three centuries the Reepham market was not to be compared with that of its neighbour. morrow' of the feasts of Saint Peter and Paul - the 29th June. This fair was for many centuries one of the highlights of the year to people living in and around Reepham. At the tum of this century the Market Place would be invaded by travellers vans. roundabouts , coconut shies, shooting galleries and stalls selling all manner of sweets, rock, souvenirs and general cheapjack items. Such a large Market Day gathering of fair people lasted longer than the original charter condition of an evening and a day and usually they were here for at least a week with some of the last to leave taking up to three weeks. Although the fair offered a time of great delight and excitement to the children the adult part of the population was glad when they went owing to the noise, the Norwich fairground families for the supply of a quantity of paint so that the 'cakewalk' could be repainted whilst it However. the size and status of Foulsham slowly declined whilst at the same time Reepham steadily prospered and during the 18th and 19th centuries established itself as a typical market town. With a population of about 1000 in 1845 it had acquired, apart from its Market Place, a number of activities which distinguished it from a 'village'. These would have included a bank, several inns, a brewery, clock and watch maker, chemist, grocer and draper, coach builder was at Reepham. The fair moved on, the bill was not settled and stone mason. and for years afterwards the annual visit of the fair meant an attempt by Mr. Gibbs to obtain his money. It is said that he For generations, until it fmally closed in the early 1970's, the farmers of the neighbourhood looked to Reepham to provide a weekly market for their products. The original market was set up in mediaeval times and this allowed a convergence on Reepham of all manner of people who wanted to buy, sell or barter and the market would also have disruption and general inconvenience that was caused. Mr. Edward Gibbs, the ironmonger. once gave credit to one of never was successful in receiving payment. This annual fair occupied the whole area of the Market Place; the vans (or homes) of the fair people were drawn up side by side outside the Kings Anns with the horses being put our to grass on a meadow near the outskirts of the town. The various rides were placed on the remainder of the area and at night the whole scene would come alive with a blaze offered a type of 'employment bureau' where arrangements could be made to hire a craftsman's skills. For instance a carpenter would have lived in the town or he may have come in and set up a stall from which he would take orders or arrange work. He would then go to carry out the arranged work in the house of the person who wanted furniture of sound, light and colour. There was a large and majestic steam engine which provided the power to run the roundabouts, the organ with its wide repertoire of tunes and to provide lighting for some of the stalls. All the stalls were gaily or gaudily decorated and those not lit from the steam engine were illuminated by paraffin flares. made. This type of service would have been the same for many other trades such as bricklayers or builders, dressmakers and tailors. 3 �With the large innux of people for this particular day the town would have had to make specific arrangements, water had 10 be available and the requirements were probably satisfied by communal wells or by the town pond which was situated where the Fire Station stands today. The stalls would have been organised into fixed lines with passages between and market latrines would have been dug; in the winter cut reeds or old straw would have been spread about on the roadways to soak up the mud and rain. Special beer was often brewed and bread would have been baked for the refreshment of those attending. Market Day in those times would have been a diffi cult experience for the many who attended. The main street (now Back Street) would have been narrow and hold-ups would inevitably be caused by the traffic passing through. This moved at different speeds - there were riders on horseback, singly or in groups, horse drawn carts of different sizes and probably slow, solid bullock carts, swaying and moving at a walking pace or less. There would have been piles of stinking street rubbish to negotiate . children playing, stray animals and many a drunk unintentionally sleeping in the gutter. Park.ing of animals and carts was a problem and the length of parking time was much di sputed. Although this was probably the manner of Market Day in Reepham for centuries it became somewhat more organised in later years and particularly during the 19th century. By this time the fami lia r layout of the centre of Reepham that we have today had been built. The Back Street was no longer the main thoroughfare and the roads leading into the town would have allowed a much easier passage for for those wishing to travel through on Market Day. In 1845 Reepham is recorded as having a hiring fair, this was one of the many customs associated with the farming year which had prevailed for centuries but which like so many others died out during the early part of the 20th century. Towards the end of September the hiring fair would have been held and those agricultural workers who wanted to 'break fresh ground' would gather in the Market Place wearing a piece of coloured ribbon or cord in their buttonhole. This was a sign that they were seeking a new situation. When the labourer had agreed terms with a farmer he would accept a shilling (usually) and this would bind him to serve his new employer for a year. Whilst St. Michaelmas day is officially the 29th September; in this area the payment of all due rents and the various necessary farm movements would become effective on the 11 th October. New farm engagements would commence on this date and should the labourer have defaulted then the farmer was entitled to sue him. Although considering the wages offered and the limited possessions of the labourer this was not much of an option to the farmer. It is further recorded in 1845 that Reepham had a weekly market, which sold stock from within a wide catchment area. What isn't known is the 4 BACKSTREET date when the day of the weekly market changed from Satu rday to Wednesday although it had been held on Wednesdays since at least the earl y 1800's. It was wi th the coming of the ra ilways in the mid 19th century that the movement to market for both man and beast became easier. \Vh.ilst this transport change initially benefited Reepham the drawing power of the great market in Norwi ch, with its need to feed a large population, gradually stifled all the smaller markets who offered competition. Although competition with Norwich was never something that was parti cularl y appropriate from the much smaller local markets like Reepham it was a major element that contri buted towards the eventual closure of the Reepham saleground in March 1972. Until the setting up of the new market saleground by Irelands in 1877 the Wednesday market is recorded as being a com and can Ie market with the 29th June as the annual fair for stock and horses. Linle is recorded of the com market and it was probably a small affair compared to the much larger ones held elsewhere in the County. The indoor facilities ofthe Com Hall in Exchange Street, Norwich (now the home of Jarrolds Department Store) were palatial indeed compared to the open Market Place at Reepham which su bjected the buyers and sellers to the vagaries of the weather. �Corn and Cattle The com market would commence in the Autumn once the grain to be sold became available on the local fanns. With harvest over and the barns full the threshing would begin; in the 19th century this was a boring. arduous task. carried out by four or five men at a time who would use a flail, the tool that was like a wooden jointed whip which when used in a steady rhythmic way would shake out the individual grains of com. After threshing was completed, the 'winnowing' or 'dressing' of the com, would be carried out and the remaining grain was scooped up into "bushels" - the standard measure, levelled off and tipped into sacks. Grain would be taken straight to the mills after dressing or samples would be taken to the market so that it could be sold. "Stock and staple" were the tenns given to the types of com sales. "staple", or "sample"'was when the farmer would bring samples of his com and book the order, he wou ld then arrange delivery where and when required and then collect payment. This would save cartage in bad weather. an important consideration on the bad winter roads prevalent EARMARKED - A Red Lincoln steer receives his ear mark, necessary under the fat stock subsidy scheme, at Reepham cattle market. The "operation" is being performed by Mr. L. Blythe. - July 1954 5 �in this agricultural area at that time. "Stock", was when the farmer took the com in sacks to sell direct. collecting payment at once. This method of sale often favoured {he buyer as he would try and beat down the price, knowing the fanner would let all go cheaply, rather thaol have to cart the corn home again. During the 1880's there was obviously a good demand for grain in this area and a number of local businesses were actively involved in the buying and selling. There was Bircham and Sons who purchased for their brewery, William Hannant and George Wright both com dealers, SquirreU and Utting com and cake merchants, 5 & 5 W Leeds com and seed merchants and Coller and Sons coal and com merchants. llrree of these businesses were established at Reepham Station and the coming of the railway to Reepham at this time boosted the local com market, albeit only for a few years. There was an initial spirit of optimism as the following letter placed in the local press in November 1882 indicates: The reopening of this market took place on the 4th October 1882 and has continued every fortnight since with remarkable success quite beyond the most sanguine expectations. The next Market will be held on Wednesday at half past two (instead of half past three as therefore) at which time a train will arrive at Reepham Station (Great Eastern Railway) and those coming from Norwich and elsewhere will find a conveyance ready to take them into the Market. The principal buyers have consented to find sacks and do all they can to make the delivery to sellers of corn bought at this market as easy for the farmers as possible at the railway station nearest. Seeing there is every facility and good prospect of making a good corn market for the neighbourhood, the farmers are solicited to support this project in every way they possibly can. We are expecting a full attendance at the next market. I Reepham Auction Mart I Messrs. Irelands saleyard - an area that was to become an integral part of Reephams prosperity was originally an orchard. It was the property of Mr. William Bircham who owned the Reepham Brewery (now the Old Brewery House Hotel), various areas of land in and around Reepham and a number of public houses, including the Kings Arms. The orchard, which for a number of years had been let to the landlord of this establishment, was tri.angular in shape and is recorded in the subsequent Bircham Estate sale catalogue as occupying an area of 2 rods and 13 perches. It was obtained from Michaelmas 1878 on a 30 year lease by Messrs. Irelands, at an annual rental of £5 . The orchard also contained a small bam with a yard and sheds and these continued to be let to the Kings Arms at the annual rental of £7.IOs.Dd. The orchard had been leased for development as a canle saleyard and it was subsequently advertised by Irelands as the 'Reepham Auction Mart'. In the Summec of 1883 the Bircham Estate was put up for sal.e by public auction and Ihe sixteen lots were sold at the Norfolk Hotel in Norwich. Lot 12. comprising the Auction Mart and the bam were purchased outright by Irelands. N£SS~i SP£iHJ4N 118j . In 1883 canle were still being sold on the Market Place although Irelands fortnightly sale is recorded as a "large stock sale". A notice in the Eastern Daily Press for a fortnightly sale in Jul y 1883 infonned interested parties: Messrs Ire lands offer for sale at Reepham Auction Mart PRIME FAT BULLOCKS, COWS. HEIFERS. STORE STOCK, FAT SHEEP. HOGGETS. FAT AND STORE PIGS and OTHER EFFECTS. Commencing at 12.30 P.M. Your Obedient servant, It is unclear as to whether local competition was prevalent between buyers and sellers in the Market Place and the new saleyard but Irelands would appear to have established the major level of business. R, p, GOOCH. 6 �THIS picture, a study in expressions. was taken during Messrs. Ireland's sale at Reepham, on Wednesday 22nd March 1950 stock to provide the army with the means to haul the artillery and above all for transport. Although the weekly market continued this loss was the cause of great inconvenience to many farmers who relied upon horses as their only mode of transport. With bad harvests in 1915 and 1916 and with the continued success of the German V-boat campaign the Government acted and set up a Food Production Department which had wide powers to purchase domestic produce and agricultural products. Many items which wou ld have been disposed of through the system of the local markets prior to the War were now purchased direct and the market as a vital element of the local economy began to decline. This decline was compounded further when, after another difficult harvest in 1917, rationing of food was introduced. The fanming industry was able overall to make a positive contribution to the war effort and fanmers did rather weU from August 1917 when an Act was passed which was initially to guarantee minimum cereal War and Depression At the outbreak of the First World War the selling of cattle still continued on the Market Place, Irelands had become a weekly sale with the annual fair still taking place from 29th June. The 1914-18 War and the resulting period of depression which greatly affected agricu lture in this area severely altered these arrangements and by 1925 the annual fair was no longer recorded. Wi th one or two notable exceptions all market and sale activities had been moved to Irelands saleyard and they rook place on a weekly basis. The outbreak of War in 1914 did not immed iately change the pattern of agricultural life in this area with the harvest of th at year being brought in before fann workers of military age began to trickle away to join the "great adventure". The greatest threat was the requisitioning of farm horses by govenunent agents with many a local fanner losing good prices for the next six years and also introduced a minimum wage for fanm workers. This however was repealed in 1921 and prices and wages feU sharply. 7 �The 1920's is recalled as being the most depressing period for farming, a depression which in tum affected those areas of business which relied heavily upon it. Market prices that had been high during the War years plummeted, the price of cereals fell so sharply that profits could only be gained by farmers who worked the best land and could produce a high yield. The introduction in 1919 of death duties on large estates meant that a great deal of land was placed on the market. Land values were still high and during this postwar period there were huge sales. It was estimated that by 1921 more than one-quarter of all local farm acreage had changed hands. The auctioneers suddenly found a short term boom for their services in dealing with the many land sales that occurred. These high prices failed to last and from the early 1920's the state of farming generally went into a sharp decline, farm prices fell sharply and farmers dismissed their workers and tried to make ends meet by using family labour, machinery or by reducing standards and grassing over previously arable land. Many farms were sold as the owners went bankrupt and landlords of large acreages found the land could not be let at any price. The wages of farm workers which had reached 46/- a week in 1918 had now been eroded down to 19/- a week, there was no alternative to these labourers but to work at the low rates as many men were already out of work due to the high number of farm closures. The period from a farm workers strike at the Easter time of 1923 until the General Strike in 1926 is seen as the lowest _ . t .. _ ...__ • 8 point in these bad times but after this date things began to slowly pick up. Ouring the War the Governmen t had introduced the new crop of sugar beet, ironically as Germany had supplied 80% of Britain's pre-war demand for this crop. From the mid-1920's the Government gave the farming industry a much greater financial backing by offering a contract price for growing this root crop. [t helped to get the farmers back to a healthier state by giving a level of fmancial security coupled with a crop that assisted crop rotation. Previously fanners had grown mangolds, swedes and turnips which were a root crop to feed cattle with. The import of cheap beef particularly from the Americas undercut the market price of cattle rai sed in this country. Farmers could not afford to keep them and in tum they no longer grew the root crops required as fodder. The lack of animals (0 sell meant a severe reduction in trade for [he local markets and the auctioneers. The introduction of subsidies on wheat and also on slag and lime greatly helped. Many lields in this area had become sour and under productive. They needed liming 10 increase yields, basic slag (which is a phosphatic fertilizer) was sent from the coalfields by train to Reepham. It was delivered to the nearby farms and spread onto the fields. Among th ose who survived the depression were farmers who were able to rear or support a flock of sheep and 10 many farmers the yearly cheque for lambs was the largest single item in their annual income. Whilst many locally raised sheep were sen( (Q the large sa les in Norfolk such as the June lamb sale at Diss (the largest in East Anglia), there �was still a large number sold in Reepham. An annual Spring lamb sale was held by Irelands at Bnston, an event which This mode of transport slowly began to change as more and more farmers started to use the competitive cattle coincided with the local fair. However this sale. like the sale were prepared to pay higher prices than those that could be lorries of the hauliers for their market transport. The old order of the fanners. the local markets and the cattle drovers all reliant upon each other for so long were to be so radically changed in just a few years by the transport changes that accelerated during the second half of the 20th expected in Reepham. There was a wholesale improvement in fanning from 1936 onwards, but the results of [he worst times were felt right century. The canle lorries took the trade from the rail ways and the trade went to the larger markets or direct to the abattoir. The up to the outbreak of war in 1939 and it was generally felt that the land fit for the re~Jming heroes of the First World War did not materialise under the wide Norfolk sky. cattle drover had all but disappeared by the 1940·s. the of sheep at Reepham. did not have the pulling power and higher prices of markets like Diss. Sheep driven to the fair at Diss attracted buyers from far afield and these buyers railways closed during the nex.t twenty years and many of the smaller and more local markets had gone by the mid 1970·s. Reepham Stock Mart (as it was originally known) reached its peak during the years 1900-1914, when it was ilmong the best in the County, with local people adamant that it was only inferior to the larger markets on Norwich Castle Hill and at King's Lynn. It served faithfully and well a wide Animals have always been sent to market; the buying and selling of beasts and fowls has always been an integral part of fanning life. and profit and fortune were only to be had if a farmer was able to raise his stock to a standard which commanded a good price. Until the latter part of the last century many aninnals would have been driven to the local inland agricultural community - with the nearest opposition market although some were often driven longer distances to the larger or seasonal markets as bener prices could be markets and the annual sheep sa les at selected towns as far distant as Dereham. Fakenham. Holt. North Walsham and Norwich - and weekly entries of 200 cattle in addi tion to plentiful supplies of sheep. pigs and poUltry were of quite throughout the County would mean long days for the common occurrence. obtained . The demand of the Norwich and Kings Lynn drovers who were entrusted to take care of the animals being sold or bought. However the time and effort taken by the local faomers and the hired drovers would generally be well rewarded by the higher prices obtained. First the Railways then the Cattle Floats Beasts and Drovers Reepham had for many centuries enjoyed a standard rural catclunent for those who attended its weekly market. the numbers attending as with most rural areas was limited to the daily journey made possible by horse and cart, a distance of some four or five miles (or a ten mile round trip) . Initially Reepham gained a shift in importance with the coming of the railways. with two lines and two stations positioned at the north and south of the Town . Famlers from a wider area were able to buy and sell stock and for a number of years. particularly up to the First World War, the market prospered. Animals would be brought in by a mixture of boys. fann labourers and drovers . The former two would have driven aninnals from the local farms or from the two railway stations whilst the drovers would have come from some distance where it was impractical to use rail transport . The driven aninnals would low and bellow as they had al ways done, mostly moved in slow but seemingly organised groups. Occasionally an animal would bolt from the herd or flock but this would quickly gain the attention of the from the 1920's this prosperity. brought to drovers dog~ which would increase the noise level as they Reepham by the railways. declined as more and more trade was switched to the more lucrative Norwich Saturday market with the loading of mostly cattle onto the early trains from Whitwell and Reepham stations and then being unloaded at the Trowse and City stations in NOT\vich and driven through the streets to the Castle Hill market. drovers could exercise tight control with their charges this was not always so with the groups of animals that were being led. even short distances. by some of the local lads. On shorter journeys that were not worth the bother for a drover the fanners would sometimes get their labourers to However barked and chased the aninnal back into place. Whilst the 9 �drive animals to market. Some farmers were reluc(ant to do this as they felt that the labourers were having a morning out at their expense, so they paid some of the local lads a few pence to do this particular job. A decision not popular with the labourers but the fanners felt it was money well spent. Whilst this offered a financial1y prudent arrangement to the fanner he tended to tum a blind eye to the difficulties that the lads often encountered or unwitting ly caused. A small herd of young pigs would want to go in every direction except forwards and certainly not on the most direct route to the sale pen. A sudden noise wou ld send the frightened animals scurrying in all directions, if an open garden gate or a gap in the hedge was discovered many a Reepham resident ended the day with an upturned flower bed or a vegetable crop dug up earlier than was intended. After the market it was a similar story but in reverse, if a fanner had bought animals and wanted them taken home by an experienced hand he would seek out one of the drover brethren and arrange for 'limma' with his '01 dorg' to go across and take the animals to their destination. If a shorter journey was involved 'the Ideal boys wou ld still be willing, despite their early morning problems. A local drover was Sidney Frost who lived in Whitwell Street, a man who was renowned for his large size and his infrequent change of clothing - although this was blamed on rus droving which often meant many days at a time away from home . With his dog trailing beside him he would be at the Ade marshes by 4 am to receive cattle which were then walked back to be in Reepham by sundown ready for delivery to the saleground for the following day's market. During the latter part o'f the 19th century and the early years of this century large numbers of Irish catt le were sent over to be sold initially at Norwich market. The cattle were landed on the west coast and then sent by rail to Norw ich. Local drovers were employed to receive and if necessary to look after the cattle for a few days and then to bring them to the market for sale. Irish cattle were very popular at Norwich because they were ideally suited for the lush coastal marshes. They would be sold and then sent to the marshes for fattening up, the rich grazing ensured they were ready for sale again after about three months. The cattle would be brought off the marshes by the marshmen ready to meet drovers like Sidney Frost who then had the slow but steady task of walking them to a local market. The Irish cattle were often in a bad state when they arrived in Norwich. They had li ved very poorly in Ireland and some of them were in a wild state. often the drives to the marshes were very difficult for the drovers and a great test for their skills. Once this difficult task had been achieved the cattle thrived quickly and the long return journey to markets like Reepham was much easier with a bunch of fat and contented beasts. After the First World War the work of the drover was gradually but irretrievably taken over by the motorised 10 cattle float; although in the early years the size of the vehicles was small and the number of animals that could be carried was limited they were obviously much quicker and the services of the drover and his dog. who had been part of the local agricultural life for so long, soon became obsolete. In later years the cattle floats would be brought into the saleyard, reversed up to the pens and the animals would be loaded up for a journey to their new home or on their fmal journey to the abattoir. The animals wiih a degree of initial re luctance, would anxiously climb the boards with the lorry driver and yard helpers banging empty pails on the sides of the lorry to encourage the hesitating beasts along. The shrill yap-yap-yap of the drovers dog had now been replaced by the sounds of grinding gears and labouring engines. The old order of centuries had changed . Although most of the drovers stuck to their known trade some of them would buy and sell for dealers and butchers and eventually some moved fully into the dealing business when the old order changed Some animals would be brought in by other means. One or two norses would be harnessed to pull a cattle float which would hold two beasts, pigs would be put into the back of a tumbril and then covered over with a net and nearly all the poultry was put into crates which were conveyed in the back of a fanners trap or driving cart. Billy Easton. landlord of the Ratcatchers public house at Cawston, was typical of many at that time who dabbled in the ways of the market by buying and selling poultry and small stock. He would journey into Reepham every Wednesday with his horse and cart and would have two or three crates of chickens and perhaps some rabbits to sell. After a day at the saleground he would go home with some other poultry, which had been bought at an advantageous price, ready to sell at a higher price a week or two later. In those days everyone in this rural area kept chickens, mostly for the eggs but also for the kitchen pot. When the birds had fmished laying they would be disposed of. There were no household freezers for the birds to go to so they would be sent to the local market and sold. There were large numbers of poUltry sold at Reepham each week with most of the purchasing carried out by specialist poultry dealers. A number of dealers came each week from Brislon, Hevingham and Norw ich but there was also the regular attendance of buyers from further afield and particularly those who purchased for the meat trade in the Jewish areas of East London. After having been sold the birds destined for the dinner tables of Bethnal Green and Shored itch would be put into crates and pushed on a hand cart up to Reepham Station; they were then packed in the guards van and sent to Norwich ready to catch a late afternoon train to London. Local Advertisments from past years . .. �Market Day and the Public Houses There were a diverse number of people who regularly attended Reepham Market Day. Local buyers and butchers were joined by many from Norwich and other East Anglian towns. There were also Midland buyers and some coming from as far north as Manchester. These long distance buyers would travel to a number of local markets until they had purchased all their requirements. Attendance at Reepham on Wednesdays would be followed by a journey to Acle on the following day. Added to these were the drovers who have already been mentioned and of course the farmers, butchers and dealers, who reached the town in a variety of carts, traps and even occasionally the elegant gig. The horses were taken our of the shafts and stabled under the watchful control of "Duckety" Rudd at the Kings Arms or Billy Hall at the Sun and these two hostelries in the Market Place did a thriving business while bargains were driven and settlements made. Some farmers preferred the lesser hostelries such as the Lord Nelson, Gre yhound, Duke of York or George and Dragon. In this pre-motor car era, the caring for the horses a'il<iSloring of carts gave much opportunity to the rival ostlers, whose frequent encroachment beyond their own bounds upon [he frontages of residences and Q(her business establ ishments oftengrew to dimensions which presented quite a problem. Another popular place was the Crown. mainly due to ir's proximity to Reepham Station and the roads leading buyers I FOR ,\ QUIET DRIN'IN PLEASANT SLRROUNDINGS and sellers in from Holt. Cawston, Aylsham and Wood Dalling. This particular public house was open all day and would pick up a lot of business during the afternoon as farmers. butchers and various other traders made their way up to catch a train home or were journeying past by horse and trap or on foot. During this later part of the day many had already imbibed at the public houses in the town and were often a little worse for drink. Memories still exist locally of some of the Briston dealers who regularly made their way home in an intoxicated and fighting state and who would stop and have 'one for the road' at the Crown, Some local businesses were indeed cautious and Hunts Stores on Station Plain would often lock their shop doors until these particular dealers had passed by. In the centre of the town fanners would congregate and talk to each orher, exchange news and gossip and bargain with the merchants to sell their com or go to the bank for wages. They would take Ihe opportunity to carry out necessary fann shopping with visits to the ironmongers or the agricultural engineer. Their wives would come too and would make their way around the shops, market traders and cheapjacks drawn in by the one day of the week when everyone came to buy and sell. A horse drawn Sainsburys van was a regular feature before the First World War, it would be based in the Market Place and would buy eggs brought in by the farnlers wives, these women also brought in and sold farm made butter to the local shopkeepers. Many of those attending would return to the hostelry of their choice to invest some of their profit in the liquid refreshment available. The local public houses were open from 10 am to 10 pm and both the Sun and the Kings Arms enjoyed considerable trade. There were the early drinkers who had taken advantage of the relaxed market day times, the farm hands who had brought in or were to take home THE Loolun I at your watneys local vl~jl KiJl~fs REEPHAM I IlJe ..:-\rIDSj TRUNCH :U.\UKI:T I'LACE . nl:l:l'".'\':\1 --_. FINE ALES & STOUT - ALWAYS A WELCOME AT TIlE SlJ1V nEEPILUI RITA and BILL IIll/h' t"l /JlolllcrI old ,urd BREWEO 8Y Steward & Patteson TItUNCH BREWERY LIMITED llt'llT!:D TRUNCH PocktAorpe Brewery NORWICH 1It'1I" 11 _ NORTH WALSHAM _ NORFOUC: �animals and then there were the farmers. butchers, dealers and other traders. Later in the day after all trading had been concluded the auctioneers and their staff would arrive. They all came to eat, drink, strike deals, catch up on the gossip and converse with their friends and acquaintances. The bars would be full and the beer would flow and many would contend that although Market Day was primarily business the best part was undoubtedly the socialising which took place after the organised buying and selling had been completed. The day would conclude with many people heading home in a befuddled but contented state. The market thrived during the pre-War years but with the outbreak of hostilities in 1914 and its subsequent restrictions it entered upon a general decline from which it never recovered. The heights of the sales during the Edwardian era were never again achieved and the slow decline continued during the next 60 years. There were periods of reestablishment. notably in the late 1930's - when the Hitler War cried a halt - and again in the early/mid 1950's after the limitations of the Second World War were finally lifted. Until the introduction towards the second half of this century of the larger and monopolistic abattoirs all killing of animals was carried out by butchers at local slaughter houses. Reepham butchers like Pratt. Utting and Spriggs all bought animals at the market, kept them until required and then carried out the slaughtering. Mondays was the quiet day of the week for the local butchery trade so the fateful animals were dispatched on this day. . ~ ~ ~I] '-1lNlsrJtr OP FOOD ~ N-\.TIOl'( Re ~ 29 AI. RATION '':;-Y/::tUCT,O"S N°Ol9762 B OOK (D). Food Rationing aiid other Controls The market continued during the years of the Second World War but the sale of the majority of the animals was strictly controlled by the Government. After the introduction and general success of the scheme of rationing in the First World War the Government felt that this would be an essential element of their war prograrrune. It was decided in the first week of War in September 1939 that food rationing would inevitably come, but for the time being food production was · to be controlled so that food supplies available would be well looked after and evenly distributed. 1bis early control was an attempt to prevent anything like profiteering and to avoid a dislocation of food stocks. Controls were introduced on Wednesday 13th September 1939 with an order made for fixing maximum prices for fat cattle, calves and sheep primarily destined for slaughter. Whilst it was possible to sell poultry and young pigs to the highest market bidder it meant overall that the sale of animals had to be carried out through the local livestock market and direct sales from the farm were prohibited. A dealer and the fanner agree a sale - this type of agreement on the/ann disappeared with the advent of the Second World War, and all animals had to be sold through the local market. 12 �The controls, in various forms of intensity, lasted for the ne.,t IS years although the first few months of the 'phoney war' caused the Government to ljft the restrictions in December and for a short time the market reverted back to a normal state. However with the initial introduction of the controls many farmers had assumed that with a market of fixed prices it would not pay for them to retain beasts for fattening and many beasts had been disposed of at control prices during the previous three months. Though the shortage pushed up Christmas prices that year it was a simple fact that local farmers had received no encouragement to hold on to their animals as they usually did for the Christmas trade and the relaxation of controls was short lived. strictly rationed. This coupled with the subsidised ploughup policy caused many animals to be sold and slaughtered during the autumn and winter of 1940/41. This resulted in a severe decrease in the keeping of animals and particularly of pOUltry and pigs which gave little back to the soil in return for what they ate and by 1943 the output of eggs had fallen by half, and that of pigmeat by two-thirds below the pre-War level. During the early years of the War there was pressure from the Government to put as much extra land as possible Whilst this had an initial drastic effect on livestock there was a need to maintain a balance as British fanning at that time was essentially mixed. It was appreciated that to 'under the plough'. Millions of extra acres were planted with cereals and although this compensated the levels of foodstuffs that could no longer be imported it had an initial production and there was an effort to retain fat canle and fat pigs, prices would be guaranteed and the production and and drastic effect on fanners who kept livestock. There was tremendous propaganda pressure from the Ministry of Food (who seemed to have an insatiable bias for more potatoes) , The camera catches the atmosphere of the market as the crowds gather around the auctioneers . .. some to bid and buy . .. some just to watch and listen. reduce too much would affect the level of meat and milk sale would be strictly controlled by the Ministry of Agriculture. After 1940 all purchases of livestock for slaughter were made on the Government account, farmers acre of average arable crops fed far more of the population than one acre of average grassland. It was widely promoted were asked to maintain orderly marketing of stock in the normal quantities through the appointed market and to cooperate with the various stages of control as they were that an acre of average wheat saved at least as much introduced through the war years. shipping space as seven acres of the best grass in England. Farmers who had kept livestock before the War had relied increasingly on cheap imported feeding stuffs, these were no longer available and those locally produced were all Reepham was nominated as a Market that could grade canle and pigs and for the next few years, until the regulations were fmally decontrolled if 1954, the regular Wednesday sale day continued. to plough up more land and there was an argument that one 13 �Grading When the animals were sent to market they were no longer sold by auction. The stock would be sent in by the local farmers and inspectors from the Ministry of Agriculture would grade the animals. Although in the early part of the War some of the grading was often carried out by experienced local butchers and farmers like Thomas Hudson of Bawdeswell. The animals would be weighed and checked and the decision of the grading fixed by means of an ear tag. The resulting grade would determine (he price the famler received. The controls would also determine the particular butcher or slaughter house to which the animals were to be sent. Grading at Reepham would start at lOam and would usually take up to three hours to complete. Whilst the animals were sent to market it was a very controlled procedure and somewhat alien to many farmers who had always been used to the ways of a more open sale environment and to those who had been used to selling animals direct from the farm to local dealers and butchers. A reminder that Christmas is only 12 weeks away is provided here. Seen (top right) is Mr W. G. Ewing, offering some of the 1000 turkeys that were penned. September 1950 14 There was also a level of resentment to the Ministry officials who would sometimes grade animals to a lower price than that expected by an individual fanner. However much the system of control was disliked it allowed Reepham Market to remain open during these dark years even though it had become no more than a local point for the control of basic food production. The number of people, panicularly farmers, who attended the market declined during these war years. Unless a farmer had animals to buy or sell he didn't go - times were hard, fuel was rationed, there was much to do and few people to do it and no time for standing about socialising in Reepham saleyard. Thoughts Turn to Christmas �.-I · J A BIRD IN HAND ... Prospective buyers Mr G. Childerhouse and Mr F. E. Falmer, inspecting geese at the Christmas poultry sale. Tuesday 14th December 1965 Dealers An essential element contributing to the local mark.et system was the role of the dealer. They were men who were mainly farmers or who had access to land upon which they would graze or store can Ie until such time as the animals could be profitably sold. These men wou ld travel around the various daily markets in Norfolk and beyond, buying and selling animals although they dealt primarily in cattle. The buying and selling would not however always be carried out at the saleground. In Reepham the various dealers would be found in their usual seat at a favoured hostelry and many a deal was struck berween them and their customers without the help of the auctioneers. One of these exceptions was "Latcher" Woodhouse, a cattle dealer who lived near Aylsham. He would never sell through Irelands market but always sold his animals privately so as to avoid having to pay commission to the middle-man. He would drive over to Reepham in a pony and trap and the 15-20 cattle that he had for sale would be brought in by a local drover. He would position himself (and the animals) near the outside railings of the Brewery House and from here conduct his business; a manner of sale that he continued throughout the inter-war years. Edward de Grey Seaman had extensive fanning interests locally at Foulsham, Kerdiston and further afield at Kings Lynn. He would always sit in the Kings Arms and conduct his business with the aid of a pot of tea which was constantly refilled during the dealing berween him and his customers. John Perowne, who farmed at Brandiston, could always be found in the Sun and Fords the bakers in the Market Place was the usual haunt of Sam Pye who had butchers shops at Cawston and Swaffham. Deals here were often concluded over a cup of tea and a hot meat pie or a plate of 'hollow' biscuits. 15 �During the depressed years of the 20's and 30's many farmers lacked the fmance to buy cattle but had the land to graze them on, so they would come to an arrangement with a dealer. Young cattle would be bought by the dealer and then fattened and looked after by the farmer; when ready the dealer would sell the cattle and a financial settlement from the profit would be shared between the two of them. Many small fanners during this period had no alternative but to seek out the dealers on Market Day and to try and set up such an arrangement. A deal that would give the farmer a small but greatly needed level of income. There were also buyers like Fred Wright who purchased for the Norwich Co-op Society and Billy Brooks of Horsford and Hubert Large of Swanton Morley who bought for slaughter houses who in tum supplied the butchery trade. There were many local butchers who bought for their own shops; Sam Pye from Cawston has already been mentioned but other regulars included Chris Payne from Foulsham and Charlie Howard from Lenwade. The relationship of dealers, butchers, farmers and the weekly market was a structure that sustained for many years but was broken with the advent of the Second World War when all sales were strictly controlled through the nominated markets by the Govenunent. The Christmas Sale and Fat Stock Show In the early part of this century Messrs Irelands in conjunction with many of the local shopkeepers, introduced a Christmas Sale and Fat Stock Show. The local traders contributed to the prizes for the many classes and there were cups and rosenes provided by Irelands. The groups of animals and fowls including pigs. sheep. cattle. domestic birds and turkeys were divided into many classes and the showing. judging and selling was a great social draw for many people in Reepham and from further afield. Like all stock shows the animals were the main attraction. they won the prizes and then suffered the unfortunate dignity of being sold to the highest bidder for slaughter for the Christmas trade. This annual sale and show began early and finished late and it ran with considerable success fo r some ten years until 1914. h anracred large entries in all sections and was a very popular event for exhibitors. buyers and the residents of Reepham generally. Competition among the exhibitors ·was al ways keen. and very high standards were reached. Among prominent Reepham exhibitors at that time were the farming brothers John. Ernest and Tom Sharpin while others included John Perowne from Brandiston and Billy Payne from Cawston. Rivalry among butchers was even keener and when a Reepham butcher was fortunate enough to obtain a prize beef, the carcase was early displayed prominently and proudly in his shop with its prize rosette. Needless to add, its delicately marbled fat in its appetising red meat was eagerly sought by his patrons. while its suet was a prize indeed. There was many a proud head of the household in Reepham in those days who brandished the carving knife above the roast beef of his Christmas diMer knowing that he could offer his family nothing fmer. The Christmas Fat Stock Sale and Show of 13th December 1911 was a good example of Reepham Market at its most successful. In the week before the local press had carried the market notices which indicated that the following number of animals had been provisionally entered. ... the outside railings of the Brewery House 16 �------ - -- - ------ - ---- - ----- - ----, 85 Grand Over Yeared Fat Polled Angus. Shorthorned Oxen and Heifers .£32 lOs. €Iud £J1 5s. 250 Half Bred and Black Faced Sheep 12 Heavy Suffolk Fat Shearlings 100 Fat Pigs 1000 Fowls (including Turkeys. Fat Ducks. Geese and Chicken) Order of Sale On the day. all those preliminary expectations were exceeded and Irelands dealt with possibly the biggest sale ever held at Reepham. The following report from the Eastern Daily Press of the next day tells it all. REEPHAM. A SUCGEStl}<'UL SROW. The market tm't\1l ()f Heephaln yesterday was crowded with fal'mers, but.ehnl's, ~wd d-eal(~ l";:;, 011 th~ occasiull of 1I-h..-;.-:;I·;:j. ll'e lumh:;' <-lllllu;:d ChJ'jstlU<lti show '0 1' LIt .stuck. 'l'hi:; yeal ' pl'tl\·ed I.!J bo olle of the Oe~ t yet heJd . both in. CjlllHltity .and qlwl·ity. The filt cattlH (;ompl: i~, e{1 UO IJl'iille over-yeul'ed box- lHI UoelL~. llli.lll.Y or gTeat weIght and. t:i 11 ven-v I' qUi.dHj' . 'J 5el'e w-u::; ~l.J-!::iU a. laJ ·~er H~l'..\' CHowe SJU-:f'P, hULl -UrN! h o ;..::.;d.'-i. '.n.w good, the llJghP.:st, ill J. cwt. l!\"ll \\"(!Ig·ht b.iH,,: K-blet!U illld traUe· for be.uf wa,::; vel""Y tact, fol' ~e\'el'<.Li yeal":S~ }etchlllg froID 4')-'s. tu 4 7:::;. l\-Iuttoll trade W.i.Hj <l.bo very lUueh hetter. ...:\ppeode-ct are a lit5t of the I> r jz~ WlnUtH'S for cupt; pl'eseulcu. by ~· entJ·y awl trali.er:;tue.n uf t l l l j di~t.('i~t:. l~est fat beast, I')ilver cup, valu-e .£5 [>ti.-Won by 11il". G. 1<' • .tloddy of bolw'l ck with a blaek polled homebred, wCJghing- 14 cwt. ~ qr~. :!lbs., and pUl'chased by Ml'. ;J.'homas Stimp.-:;on, Jj(>:-l'eham. fOl" £;'H 1(),;. Mr. Hoddy W'"'. however. dis- qnalified iu <':OJH:)f-'qll~n('e of the radins of bix milefi. \'....<L~ Best j'"t bullock fed by tenant farmer, presented bv Reepbam tradecmen silver cup, value .£5 5r;.-j\tf r. George Seaman, of Oulton,. W~ clwarded the prize with a black Angus, weIghing 16 cwt." 3 q"'i .• "nd sold to Mr. B. E. Smith. Bunwell. fOI" ,£41. t.he top price of tbe day. Best pell uf five cross-bred hoggets-~~n by Mr. John Green., a.nd sold to lvir. D ICKerson (N "rwieh) at 595 ench. Best pen of black·faced 6lu",p-\V()U by Mr. ,J o hn Perowlle. and bought by Mr. W. Ba.yfield (Doreham) at 6&. Pigs at II o'clock sharp Fowls at 12 Beasts at 1.30 Sheep at 2.30 l$ uppJy 01 B<'St pail" of fat beasts. fed by t enant farm,ers1J'his was won by .Mr. J-ohn !:'el'owne, uf (]'uton llall. WIth a pair nf Scotch bullock" •. bought by M·p.ssl't-;. Ii'. il';;lyfielri and Rub~rt Stlmpsou tOt" Th~re w&re b-everaI other very good hoggets shown. whieh realised much better prices than of late. Twel Vi) choice Suffolk. 6hearlings l'ealised 69s .. 71}; .• and 69s. each; they were th., property of Mr. George S-eaman. . . Mr. ]<;d ward Stimpson of Sail won both priZes in th" swine dass, th·e bE'6t pen of ·three fat piad and the b£'8t 6uloje pig. They were Gold at°a'n avel'i:l.g"e of .£8 e,-~h tu 1ft.. It·UUlP. Ree-pham. :Mr. Purdy of Cuwston touk the cott.age.rs' prjz.e fOl" the be6t p~g. ~r he betit pa.ir of tUl'keY6 wen t to 1{r. W . .T. C-omer of 'V-f':stOlL. J\tll'. Bartle took the seco-ud pl'lze. The best pail' of fat 'geese ~vere sent hy Ur. H.. Daw>;on, and the second paIr by M.r. U. BmwIl. For the best pair of fat ducks Me&irs. Lowe Bros .• Guestwick. were award"'"' the prize. with Messrs. Gibbs Br06., Guestwick, secolld. Fat chi-ckens,· fir~t pnze ~:f.r. Lock, 6econd prize M· €t:;t:jl'~ . .Gibb:5 Jjros . " . 1."he pigs included SOUle vel'Y heavy w.el-ghts. ,,\lHI trarl·e ruled Tn.ther better than r-ecent Pl'l-c€S sev-eral m"-1.king from £5 56. to .£8 lOs. each. ' The poultry show include<l.an· ""ceptionally large supp'.y. from 150U to 2000 h",d being penned. Turkeys made up to 23.5. each, ducks 4.<. 3d. each, geese 7s. each. chicken.s &s. 9d. to 4.< . each.· The attendance wa:-; ver~Y lal'ge. and buyers attended from all parts of Norfolk, a large number of Norwich butchers. as well as the principal bubehers from Fakenha.m. Derehrull, Holt Sheringham. Cromer. OVBrlStrand. North Wal;hll.lll. Aylsham . Foulshmn. and Ileighbourin ff villages. In ,t he eVEillirfg several of the co;npan:v Gat dmvn t.o dinner, the chair being occupied by Mr. Aubrey Radway, during which the cups wer-e presented to th(3 nrize-winnel"&" hiti farm exceeding M J'. George Seamau t.hen·for e awarcl-f'd the eup for a black Ang-Ut:l we-Ig-ll i ng- 16 cwt: 3 qrs ., anti pUl'chased by 1\.11'. 1;'. Jj-ay11.-el.d, It'oU1:ShaIll, for £;59 IUs. Best butcher's hullock. fed by tenant far mer, t-.ilvel' ~llp-'l ·he win.ner was Ml'. John Pel'OWlle. uf Gut-on Hall, WiUl a red shorthorn, weighing; ]" cwt. !! qr¢;., and Bold tu Mr. Charles Dig~ellbi ui Holt fOJ' £37 lo.;. 17 �I . . .. Dinner in the Kings Arms club room The conclusion of the press report mentions the dinner he ld in the evening. From the early years the bustle and enjoyment of the Show was concluded (and some would say enhanced) with a dinner in the Kings Arms club room: although in the latter years up to the Second World War it was held in the Sun Hall. Mr. Hubbard was the publican at the Kings Anns and he was responsible for the decoration of the room and the preparation of the meal. It was wholesome fare. greatly appreciated and hungrily consumed to replenish the sturdy frames of the dealers. fanners. auctioneers and other men who attended. Men who had spent the day in the business of showing. judging, buying and selling. Though no doubt they had found it necessary to replenish their energies with a draught or two of ale and a hastily eaten pie their stomachs hungrily awaited the evening repast. Th ~ meal offe red copious amounts of beef and pork (generously supplied by Bayfields of Dereham) with the plates further tilled wi th ample supplies of vegetables. This was followed by trille or a fruit tart and custard and cheese was available for anyone who felt he had a space left to fill. All of this would be washed down with draught beer and whisky chasers. The meal was followed by speeches and the presentation of the Show cups. In some years the parrons enjoyed enlertainmenl with recitals or monologues performed by the more musical or artistic members of the local community. The Hall would hold up to 100 diners and it was strictly an all ticket affair. TIle tickets were keenly sought after and would be sold out long before the day of the Dinner. Some of the diners wou ld stay in Reepham for the night but the locals who attended would fmd their way home, late but happy and many a horse rerurned to its stable with a rider or driver obli vious to the world and encapsulated in a fug of sleep and alcohol. The Christmas Sale suffered mixed fortunes, particularly from the effects of the two World Wars and it took a long while before it returned after 1945. At the first post war Christmas sale in 1954 the Reepham and District Chamber 18 of Trade challenge cup was won by a Hereford steer exhibited by Mr. Simmons of Witchingham and the beast was bought by Mr. F. Sunon of Acle. There were many other classes to be judged for canle and pigs. There was a heavy entry of cattle for this particular show sale although the entry of more than 450 pigs is reputed as being down on the previous week. Although the Christmas Sale and Show was revived the DiJUler was not and something that had figured prominently on the Reepham calendar for so many years had disappeared. The largest post-war Christmas poultry show ever recorded, when over 800 lots changed hands, had been held the previous year in December 1953 when loading and dispersals were maintained by the aid of torches long after dark. There was a fine show of turkeys with some birds realising up to 6/- (30p) a pound. Apart from the turkeys that year the sale offered a wide range of poUltry to grace the Christmas dinners tables of the local area, this included caponised chickens, coloured birds. beSt quality hens. cross breeds and a number labelled as 'inferior fowls'. There were geese and ducks and for those who didn't want poultry they could have purchased a rabbit - wild or tame. Although it was Edward VB who made the eating of turkey at Christmas fashionable, the present popularity of the rurkey is very recent. The high price paid at the market in 1953 was for the purchase of a bird that was (at that time) considered a lUXUry. Goose and chicken were routinely eaten on Christmas Day until the late 1950's when the turkey - with the help of a certain Mr. Matthews - began to dominate. More than 10 million are now sold every year at Christmas. The sa leground (now occupied by the Station Road car park) was not large compared to the size of other markets in Norfolk. It was of a triangular shape with two large entrances; one siruated where the present car park entrance is and the other further down the hill towards Towns End Comer. There were also a small pedestrian entrance into Chapel Walk (often called Saleground Alley). There was no pavement alongside the area as there is today and the sale ground went right up to the edge of Station Road. Along the east side were the uncove red sheep and cattle pens. On the opposite side along Station Road was an area covered in corrugated sheets used for the penning of pigs and cal ves and next to this was a small brick and tiled bam. This had been built originally as part of a small group of buildings when the land had been part of a farm; when the area was bought outright by Irelands in 1883 it was still being used for the winter storage of cattle. The west wall of the bam fronted directly onto Station Road and is remembered by many people for the profusion of bills and notices that were plastered over the lower brickwo rk . The bam was used as a storage and display area for the limited amount of deadstock sent for sale. Anything not sold would be slored here until the following week and �- '- A nice white turkey among those presented for sale at the first of the Christmas 1968 poultry auctions, has an anxious look in her eye, as though aware time is getting short. Holding the bird is Mr. J. Haggerty. in particularly cold weather calves to be sold would be put in the bam away from the icy draughts of the open barred cattle pens. Next to the bam were the toilets and this area was also occupied by a stall which sold cockles, mussels and other shellfish to those attending the market. The market was small yet busy and the close proximity of the animals, the emuent generated by both men and beasts which was dealt with by limited drainage and the smell of shellfish must ha ve offered a rare cocktail of heady yet rustic smells. Indeed one abiding memory offered was the trail (and odour) of animal urine that found its natural way from the saleground pens and downhill towards the street drains at Towns End Comer. In the centre of the saleyard was a row. of poultry pens which individually held up to ten birds. The pens were made of netting and the whole section was covered with a pitched roof to keep off the rain. Also in the centre was the wooden office used by Irelands on sale days and the weigh bridge. The site originally contained at the northern end a tall American prairie style windpump, used to raise the water required by the saleground. In later years a motorised pump was installed in a small shed situated over the bore pipe and the tower was removed. In recollections of the saleground this tall wind pump was remembered clearly by many people. In the early part of this century there were few houses along Station Road and the tower was clearly visible as people approached Reepham from Kerdiston, Wood Dalling and Cawston. 19 • �/ These Market years are connected with the names of many people who had a direct and indirect association with the saleyard. Ernie Lines, 'Ikey' Wright, and Les Blyth who did the portering, Tom Bacon who looked after the poultry, Herbert Vardigans who used to help wash down the yard and take away the days accumulation of straw and manure, Billy Freestone who unlocked and locked the saleyard and carried out the geneml caretakering duties and Tom Hall who helped with the clearing up. There was Fords the bakers in the Market Place who supplied the bread and meat pies which fed many of those anending and Clifford and The Saleground Owners Irelands was founded by Anthony and Henry Ireland who had extensive fanning interests in Guestwick and Wood Oalling. They opened offices in Guestwick and Foulsham from which they conducted business as land agents and auctioneers and were well established when they purchased Violet Watson who between them were licensees of The the orchard in Station Road which was to become the Reepham saleground, or Reepham Auction Mart as it was advertised in the local press of the time. Henry's son Edwin took over the fum in the early part of this century and continued with its expansion particularly in selling at the large and lucmtive market at Castle Hill, Norwich. By the 1930's Irelands had become a large and active organisation in the farming and general agricultural life in Norwich and North Norfolk. At this time their main office was based in Norwich and they were holding regular sales and auctions at Norwich Castle Hill, North Walsham and Holt as well as Reepham. During the 50 years, until his death in 1953 .t the age of 92, there were few members of the farming fmternity in Norfolk who had not had dealings with E B Ireland. Hubert Sheringham started work with Irelands in 1946 as an articled pupil and he had to pay the fum a premium of £100 a year to work there and learn the trade of .auctioneer and estate agent. Thankfully this form of apprenticeship lasted for a relatively short time and within two years he had become qualified and remained with Irelands for the next 40 years until he retired as a senior partner in 1986. During his time with Irelands Hubert was a regular auctioneer at Reepham. Immediately after the Second World War the rural areas of Norfolk still relied heavily upon the established system of markets to buy and sell and the many local markets held on different days of the week provided employment to a number of company auctioneers and other staff who would attend and carry out their particular tasks. Other well known auctioneers at Reepham included Alfred King from Trunch, Brian Boning and Arthur Gibbs from Norwich and more locally William (Billy) Ewing who had been employed by Irelands until he was called up for war service in 1940. During the War he would help out at local markets when on leave and when de mobbed in 1946 he was reemployed b y Irelands and continued to sell at Reepham until its fmal closure. The saleground was often a bustle of activity, there would be three auctioneers working at the same time - selling poultry, pigs and canle and assisting them would be the porters, helpers and clerks all going about their business in this relatively small area. Sun, the local public house favoured by Irelands for 42 years until Violet retired in 1964. Chartered Auctioneers, Estate Agents and Surveyors VAL UATIO NS und ertak en for REAL ESTATE, PROBATE, INCOME TAX Etc. IRELANDS WEEKLY MARKETS REEPHAM (Wednesday) NORTH WAlSHAM (Thursday) HOLT (Friday) NORWICH Hill (Saturday) OffiCES: Barclays Bank Chambers Norwich Telephone 20)45 North Walsham Market Place 20 Telephone 19 �effects", and "Capital Holdings", "Live and Dead Stock", "Agricultural Carriages", "Choice In-calf and heifers", "Pedigree pigs and poultry and useful working horses". There were many of these sales but much more went under the hammer than the items in the catalogues. In many cases the fann sale was not simply a sale but the disintegration of a way of life for a fanning family and for some the break up of a wider fanning community. Irelands Meadow Mrs Violet Watson Ire lands also held Spring and Michaelmas deadstock sales. These sales were held on the meadow (known as [relands meadow) which was bounded by the Kerdiston Road and Smugglers Lane - an area which in the last 20 years has been built on and is no w covered with houses and lrelands carried out a number of local fann sales and in the depressed inter-war years the appropriate page in the Eastern Daily Press would carry the bungalows. Before it was sold for development the meadow was used in later years for the parking of cattle auctioneers advertisements for "excellent pair of brick and tile farm cottages". "desirable lots of household furniture and 21 Early days of Irelands - centre seated is Henry John Ireland of Wood Dalling, Standing on the left is Alfred George Gibbs, �I MARKET DAY SQUEALS December 1954 With a squealing and a shooing, Mr W. Cook's pigs tumble helter-skelter out of the lorry to Reepham Wednesday Market. floats and other vehicles but twice a year and for a few hours only it came alive with the bustle of Irelands Spring and Michaelmas Sales. Apart from the limited use every Wednesday in connection with saleground parking the field was used as a general recreation ground and particularly by the Band of Hope football team who played here during the 1920's. These two annual sales consisted of all manner and classes of agricultural machinery and miscellaneous dead stock that farmers wanted to dispose of. The sales would be held on Wednesday and would start at lOam so that the majority of items could be sold before the sale of beasts and poultry commenced at the saleground nearby. The Michaelmas sale in October 1949 was typical of many successful sales held in these post war years, the car park is recorded as having handled 54 cars and six lorries and a fme Autumn day brought out a large number of people , some buying, some selling .. others who were interested to buy if a bargain came their way and the majority who just came for a morning out. More than 350 lots were offered and many were cleared at keen prices. it was probably not a day for the bargain humer. The more important items sold on the day included a Fordson Major Perkins diesel tractor £475, chicken houses to £31, Morris 8 van £60, tumbril £29, Deep Digger Plough £30 and pitch pole harrows £32. 22 On such days a large number of people would attend and the Market Place would be full of parked vehicles. Wednesday was the one busy day of the week for the local Police with a constable controlling the influx of people and traffic by standing on point duty at Towns End Comer. Parking Problems In the days of horse drawn travel parking had never been regarded as a nuisance but the increasing numbers of motorised vehicles caused the residents of Reepham to consider from the early 1920's that it was a problem and after much public agitation the use of the Market Place as a car park was brought about by the former St. Faiths and Aylsham R.D.C. The Council purchased the property from the then Lady of the Manor (a member of the Eglington family) for £400 in 1937. The ancient market was bought by the District Council on the urgings of the Parish Council who had been concerned for a number of years at way the Market Place had been managed, after being let to a lessee of the Lord of the Manor. �The End of an Era The Market fmally closed on the 8th March 1972. During the previous week the Eastern Daily Press had carried a notice from Ire lands which stated; The annual Christmas Show had been held in December 1971, the animals were prepared, shown and judged as they had been for the previous 100 years but the day was tempered with an element of regret and the knowledge that this was probably the last one. The market was held in the early weeks of 1972 and then on Wednesday 8th March Irelands fmally called it a day. Without ceremony and fuss the 32 fat pigs and sows that had been entered on that day were sold and loaded up for their various destinations. The dead stock was auctioned and the few traders. dealers, farmers and local people who attended drifted away in the early afternoon. The straw and manure was cleared away. the yard swept and washed down and in the failing late winter gloom the few electric lights were switched off, the gates closed and an area that had served Reepham and its rural catchment so well for nearly a century settled down to await its furure. A brief report appeared in the Eastern Daily Press on Friday 10th March but it was linked in with the closure problems of the Dereham Auction Mart. The few words offered about Reepham were a small. yet unfitting The Auctioneers wish to announce that the weekly market for live and dead stock will be discontinued after 8th March 1972. periodic sales of Household furniture and effects will be held in future and the first of these will take place on Tuesday 28th March. Like many other local markets it had suffered a severe decline in trade by the early 1970's and it was inevitable that a market that was small compared to others in the County was no longer fmancially viable. Irelands decided to concentrate their interests on the much larger and more lucrative Norwich market. Keys weekly market at Aylsharn had been established in 1954 and as Reepham dwindled so Aylsharn succeeded with a lot of the people involved in the general market business preferring the Aylsharn saleground with its much larger range of pens and cages (much of it under cover) and easier parking on the actual site. There had been a drastic decline in the num ber of animals being sold; fat cattle and calves were no longer being sold here and the market relied entirely on the sale of pigs. rabbits. poultry and dead stock and the occasional sale of furniture and household effects. The Spring and Michaelmas sales went when Irelands meadow on the Kerdiston Road was sold. The number of fat pigs and sows sold each week fluctuated greatly, sometimes it reached 150 animals but the weekly trade was often much lower and far too often the numbers sold were less than 50. The heady times of the early 1950's had gone forever; market days' when record entries of more than 500 pigs. up to 200 cattle and on one particular occasion in September 1952 when more than 2500 head of poultry were auctioned, would epitaph to the death of a market that has once stood with the best that could be found in Norfolk. The traffic problems in Reepham had been viewed with growing apprehension for a number of years and the closure gave Broadland District Council the opportunity to purchase the site from Irelands and in 1978 to open the area as a car park. The preparatory work and subsequent landscaping to achieve this has been very thorough and all trace and vestige of its former use has disappeared. As surely as Irelands Auction Mart buried all traces of Mr Bircham's orchard more than 100 years ago so the asphalt. bricks and ground covering shrubs has removed all traces of the saleground. We can only speculate as to what the next 100 years will bring to this area!! never again return to Reepham. 23 �REEPHAM SHOPPING WEEK was held in June 1950. It was Oliginally planned as the Reepham Shopping Days and these were scheduled for June 14th, 15th and 't6th, but the overall event was predeterrllined a success and events took place throughout the whole week. It was planned by members of the newly fonned Reepham and District Chamber of Trade and Commerce and the Shopping Week Committee was chaired by Mr. S. Curtis. The purpose of the week was not for the individual gain of a few tradespeople but was intended for the benefit of the Town of Reepham as a whole. It was hoped at the time that this would be the first of many such occasions which would advertise Reepham as 'a shopping centre and by degrees to increase the overall prosperity of the town. Further Shopping Weeks with varied success were held in the following years. The success of the nrst one in 1950 assisted the Parish Council the following year in deciding that they would not support the festivities for the Festival of Britain but would offer their support instead to the Reepham Shopping Week. The prospect of the new decade of the 1950's meant so much to the people at that time, the previous decade had contained the dark years of War and the period of post war austerity. This had now passed (even though some rationing was to continue until 1954) and the transition from war to peace by the Labour Govemment elected with a landslide made their way into the town for most if not all of their shopping needs. A trip to Norwich was an irregular or perhaps even an annual visit and this for most people could only be made by train and not by car; transport for most people was by bicycle or else they had tp walk. Larger orders placed with the local shops would be delivered by the shopkeeper's van or by a delivery boyan his tradebike. Bacon rashers were freshly sliced by hand for each customer, sugar was scooped out of a drawer by means of a handled measure and was weighed into thick, dark blue paper bags and thick rinded cheese was sliced by hand. Shopping was a necess ity that for many women fanned a regular part of their daily routine, meat safes were essential and refri gerators were a luxury. Stabilisers and preservarives in food were yet to be introduced and if you wanted to keep food for any length of time it had to be bottled, pickled or preserved at home. The vegetable patch formed an indespensible part of every household and chickens and rabbits were kept for their ultimate value as a pie filling. Much of the area had not been connected to the electricity supply and nor was mains water fully available. The flush toilet was still considered a luxury and for many the al ternative was a little hut at the bottom of the garden, serviced on a weekly basis by the horse drawn "Night Cart". Everybody knew exactly who everyone was, mechanised farming and household conveniences were unheard of. the abundance of vehicles on the roads had yet to appear and J. victory in 1945 had in a few years achieved conspicuou s success and the hopes of the people were that this trend would continut:. Memories were still very clear in Sainsbury was a town grocer indistinguishable from recollecting the harshness and deprivation of the War and .the post-War discomfort when in 1947 the heavy snowfalls and extreme cold gripped the country for several weeks was determined that this Summer event giving the worst winter in living memory. For so many years the basic foods and other household items had been thousands of others. The tum of the year in 1950 signified hope and everyone would bring pleasure and profit and would be repeated in future years. The first part of this hope indeed came true, as the local press reported after the Week was over "it was a thoroughly sound job that has been well done" . Whether or not it brought in the continued material success that the local unobtainable or rationed, simple pleasures became luxuries and routine travel had been tedious and time consuming. These times of deprivation and inconvenience, which traders hoped for was uncertain at the time but the fact would be forever associated with the 1940's had however remained passed and 1950 was seen as a cornerstone. A decade viewed with hope and optimism and people were convinced that the worst was over and social conditions and life people into the town to enjoy the events and Reepham was placed well and truly on the map. The programme of events started on the Tuesday with the Grand Eve of Opening Dance which was held in the Reepham Band Hall when Gerald Amies and his Orchestra played from 8pm to lam. During the Interval the result of the ballot for "Miss Reepham" was announced. It had been agreed that "Miss Reepham" could be any lady above the age of 18 from within a radius of five miles and Miss Daphne Barrow was elected by the vote of the audience. generally could only get better. In 1950 Reepham was very much a local centre for the surrounding area. Agriculture was probably the largest overall employer and farm life was still greatly dictated by the walking pace of the carthorse. Reepham was a focal point for the rural population who lived within a walking or cycling distance and a large number of people regularly 24 that the occasion brought a large number of �The following day saw the highlight of the "Week", the grand parade on the Wednesday afternoon of Light, Heavy, Riding and Saddle Horses and Vehicies, which came from many local fanns and trades and a gathering at the same time of the North Norfolk Harriers This parade congregated in the Market Place and despite some adverse weather a large number of people watched as the turnout was judged and the various rosettes and other prizes were distributed. It .,-as prev iously announced that two "mystery persons" (a lady and a gentleman) would lOur the main streets between 2 and 3 pm and if they were successfully challenged by someone who was also able to produce a Shopping Week programme they could claim a prize of 10/-. Miss Peggy ~{jUe r was the only person to successfully challenge . and she secured the prize. was a First Prize of 3 guineas and the event was greatly appreciated by the many people who au ended and particularly by those who went home with a prize. Friday evening was an exceptionally busy time with many people coming into the town for the Knock-Our Bowls Competition and a Darts Contest. The bowls was organised by Mr. C. Plume and played on the Sun Inn and Kings Anns bowling greens with the winne rs Messrs. A. Carman, H. Bell and H. F. Laskey winning by 9 shols to 3. The darts competition was organised by Mr. G. Bunn, and this attracted more than 300 entries. The finals were played at the "George and Dragon" with winners coming from Caw stan, Lenwade, Plumstead as well as Reepham. "Miss Reepham" with her attendants, Miss Joy Jones and Miss Jean Tubby presented the prizes In the evening the massed bands of Fakenham Town, The "Week" was an unqualified success, it brought many CawslOn and Reepham played in the Markel Place from 7.30 - 9pm and this was followed by an open-air dance with the mus ic being provided by Mr. Birds radiogram. From the early morning bustle of the weekly livestock people into the town and whilst this may not have raised a sustained level of trade for the local shopkeepers it certainly achieved its objectives in the short term. A opportunity was market to the enjoyment of the late evening dancing the derived which allowed the local tradespeople to fully display their merchandise and Iheir efforts were initially .. hole town participated in a level of enjoyment that had rewarded. The committee responsible for the organisati on DOl been experienced for many years. On the following day a mammoth whist drive with 35 tables was held at the Band Hall. Mr. H. Gibbons acted as Master of Ceremonies; there been thoroughly well done and the foundation was laid for a similar successful event to be held the following year. were rewarded 100 with the knowledge that a good job had �Daily Express, Oec. 9th, 1947 .. I wish someone'd hurry up and pinch this - bird if they're going to." Austerity, Food Rationing and with a general shortage of poultry, the Christmas Lunch/or 1947 demanded more than a little attention! Printed by REEPHAM PRINTING SERVICES Church Street, Reepham Tel. 01603 871102 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Reepham Society Newsletters Description An account of the resource A comprehensive collection of newsletters published by the Reepham Society. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Printed and digital Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GB/REE/RS/Magazines Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1983-2000 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Reepham Society Text-digital Any text item for which there is no previously existing hard copy in the Archive. The text can be stored on CD, DVD, memory card, USB stick, on hard drive or 'cloud'. It may have been sent electronically to the Archive or it may be a text owned by someone else which we have scanned or photographed. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Reepham Society Magazine 1996 Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GB/REE/2408201710 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource A4 PDF, 28 pages Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1996 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Scanned by Geoff Fisher Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Reepham Society Reepham Society https://reephamarchive.co.uk/omeka/files/original/2a933f58637e586ac91157cee4370c48.pdf 4e1930766b89dc44e967e9a089adcd3a PDF Text Text THE REEPHAM SOCIETY Magazine �THE REEPHAM SOCIETY is a local amenity society affiliated to the Council for the Protection of Rural England and its County Branch, The Norfolk Society. It was inaugurated in 1975 by 8 group of local residents design; ensuring that materials suitable to thei r location are used and features of the landscape protected. Society affairs are managed by an Executive Committee of twelve members who are elected annually. In 1993 membership of the Society had reached over 400. Open meetings are held in eight months of the year, with speakers on a wide range of subjects; non-members are welcome. A Magazine is produced periodically (at least once a year) by a Society member, Michael Black; this has customarily contained items of historic rather than current interest; current matters are reported in occasional Newsletters distributed to all members. who were concerned that the character of the town was under threat. They were worried about the possible loss of features of historic or public interest and the risks from over-development unsympathetic to this rual environment. The Society's area of influence covers Reepham, Booton, Hackford, Kerdiston, Salle and Whitwell. The Society co-operates with the Parish and District Councils in monitoring approved new developments and encouraging good standards of architectural Contents 1 Introduction Briekmaking in Reepham 2 Moor House - Glasshouse 8 13 Whitwell Hall 23 The Cawston Duel 25 In an Austin Seven No part of this publica tion should be reproduced in any '().or by any means without the prior consent 0' The Reepham Society 11 �Introduction The magazine will hopefully offer the reader articles of varying interest. although they are not all specifically about Reepharn. The area of benefit for the Society includes the four Reepham parishes. Salle and Booton but occasionally I feel it is wonh including something of a specific or historical narure from one of the nearhy villages. In this issue I have therefore included an article about the duel stone at Cawswn; many motorists on their way from Norwich to Holt or beyond will have sped past this memorial without even noticing its existence. In 1698 a duel took place which tragically resulted in the death of Sir Henry Hobart. A stone memorial was erected some years later to commemorate this and today the site is looked after by the National Trust. It is situated about 100 yards to the south of the Woodrow Garage. Until it closed down in me 1960's me Woodrow Inn was a popular stopping place for motorists on the road to and from Holt and the North Norfolk coast. It was a pleasant country Inn surrounded by trees and in those days had me added attraction to the traveller of the duel stone in its grounds. The area was spoilt when the Inn closed and many of the trees were felled to enable a garage to be built there although the National Benzole Company which owned the site presented a small area around the duel stone to the National Trust. It is sad that roday's commercialisation has brought "Jet" petrol to a site which is of such local and historical interest. Unfortunately our priority these days is to help the traveller quickly on his way rather man to encourage him to linger and give some moments of his journey to a stone commemorating an event that happened 300 years ago. I have little doubt though, that in 300 years time the site of the duel will still be remembered but will that future generation still be using (or if not, at least remembering) "Jet" petrol! The other articles are all Reepham based, I have gone back to the Moor House. Not to the House itself but into the kitchen garden to consider and enthuse about the glasshouse. This doyen of the Victorian age which at the Moor House has been so painstakingly rebuilt by the Leonard family and in particular by Mr. David Wright whose labours over the past two years have so transformed the grounds of this property. The area had been subject to neglect and disrepair for so many years and it is heartening that in a relatively short period the enthusiastic and sometimes quite seemingly brutal work carried out, has transformed the gardens back to a semblance of their fonner self. Collison Bros. built many hou ses in Reepham with the largest number contained along the Wood Dalling and Cawston Roads'. AU the bricks (and many of the tiles) used in the building of these properties were made on a site near Orchard Lane. The clay was dug on site, it was moulded into shape. fired in the kiln and the bricks were stacked ncarby until ready for use. Nothing remains today of the brickyard but the legacy of brickmaking in Reepham is seen all around with numerous buildings displaying the many and varied styles, shapes, size and colour of these basic but essential items. A large house that was certainly not built of local materials was Whitwell Hall, although the earlier Hall (much of which remains today) Obviously was. The Hall built in the 1840's for Robert Leamon is of a handsome white brick roofed in slate, a sty le lhat made the House completely different to any other in the area. At that time few people in this area would have had the wealth to buy in for example, slate for the roof but Robert was to become a man of wealth and property and ostentation is the best way of describing his particular requirements. During the course of more than 60 years from 1821 onwards Roben Leamon was to increase seven·fold the size of his Whitwell estate; his wealth increased also but the family fortunes were to reverse in the 1880's and with such drastic consequences. Like the Moor House though, Whitwell Hall is today in the state it was over 100 years ago and these two dwellings (along with Hackford Hall) display to our present generation the taste and grandeur of the families who were rich enough to build them. However. none of these families, the Birchams, Learnons and Collyers, could have foreseen that in the passage of time the Houses would remain as a lasting memorial long after they had gone. Finally my introduction must include some spec ific acknowledgements, whilst man y local residents have assisted me with oral and written material which has allowed me to write the enclosed articles my thanks in particular go to Tony Ivins, the Leonard family, David Wright and Reginald Rudd. Also to the 1898 publication of "An Account of the Church and Parish of Cawston" by Walter Rye which offered detail about the Cawston Duel. It is unknown as to whether or not the bricks used in the building of the Moor House came from a local source but if they did they would have undoubtedly been supplied from a local brickmaker and probably from the kilns situated only a few yards up the road on Crown meadow. Tel. Norwich (0603) 870936 1 Michael Black Middlemarch Broomhill Lane Reepham �Brickmaking in Reepham Like many of its neighbouring towns and villages in Notfolk, Reephum has through the centuries inherited a richness of buildings many of which survive today and hopefully with the benefit of the Reepham Conservation Area they will stand for generations to come. They may not stand out so majestically as the two churches or some of the larger buildings such as Whitwell Hall or Hackfard Hall but they are now regarded with the same level of import<Ulce and rightly so. They have an individuality of their own and as such they fann a very natural part of OUf Town. This ind ividuality is probably due to [he fact that nothing but local materials were used . In previous times transport (0 move the required items other than short local distances was extremely limi ted. Unlike recent years when a great variety of building maleriais has been brought into Reepham by the easy availi bility or lnms;:xm. However has this choice and the large number of 3adl{wrnl properties built; added or detracted from the overall chann d living in this rural market town? Most people would f!!el that lhe sol id use for so long of local ma(erials and the reC{.I!t lise of a much wider range have jointly helped develop Rcephwn into a place of some character. Wnilsl brick is generally considered to be the main building materiaj in Norfolk the three traditional materials of clay, flint and carstone have been extensively used and these along with a number of minor ones have all played their part in the cenruries old construction of buildings in Norfolk. They have all given their own individual character to the houses in which they were used . Not all these materials were used in this area as there was none locally available, notably carstone. The re are examples in the Reepham area of the use of materials which are no longer in favour as suitable for bu ilding. Weatherboarding is the style of finishing off wood framed buildings externally with horizontal courses of boarding, with one board being lapped an inch or so over the one beneath and originally they were finished with a coat of tar. This style of building found liule favour in Norfolk except in farm buildings where it was frequently used. It was a quick and efficient way of erecting buildings and whilst it deteriorates if not looked after there are a number of examples to be found in farms around the Reepham area. Weatherboarding is to be found on the east facing wall of the house on the comer of Ollands Road/Church Hill and on the renovated buildings in Reepham Moor just further up from the old Black Lion public house. Homes of half-timber work were built extensively from the Middle Ages and this method of building was reliant upon a 2 good supply of timber and craftsman who were well acguainted with this particular work. There are still a number of barns in this area which display in their roofs the art of piMing together huge wooden beams and trusses but there are very few houses left which display this particular building art. Probably the best example in Reepham is a house in Back Street. This is a two storey house which is timber framed and plastered to the street side and brick to the-rear, the main building dates from the 16lh century. At this period in Reepham's history the Back Street was either the main road through Reepham or was the edge of a medieval market place which was probably much bigger than the present one. It is likely that most if not all the original houses along here were constructed in this half-timber work. Most people associate Norfolk with flint and it is used extensively for building particularly in the south-west and along the north and north-east of the County. it was not easily obtainable il~ the Reepham area although it is seen in a number of specific places in the Town, notably the retaining wall built around the eastern edge of the Moor House and the wall on the southern end of OlJands Road (recently restored with the financial help of (he Reepham Society). The buildings with the greatest amount of flint are of course the two churches of Reepham St.Mary and Whitwell St.Michael and the lower pan of the churchyard wall along Back Street. Own individual character. �strength, often renowned for their capacity to consume large amounts of liquid to appease the thirst that this work brought, particularly in the Summer months. Excavations were carried out in the grounds of Whitwell Hall in 1973 and some fine examples of medieval flint walling were uncovered, walls which were Obviously part of a dwelling of some importance. To make clay lump the clay would have been spread out in a thick layer and all stones which were larger than a walnut would have betn removed. The clay would then have been watered and short straw, dried grass or sedge to act as a binding agent would have been spread over it and trodden in. This process was known as 'pudd li ng'. A horse or the labourers in their bare feet would have carried ou[ the 'pudd ling', which broke up the natural fracture lines in the clay and so reduced its proneness to break-up by weathering. There are two main materials left to consider and these were the most extensively used in this area; clay and brick. Originally clay was used in a process known as wattle and daub and this was the main way of building the walls. It consisted of a timber framing with wattle slicks laced vertically and horizontally in between which fanned a key for clay mortar to be stuck on. The whole of the framing was generally plastered both inside and out and buildings of this construction have almost the same appearance as those built of clay lump. The clay was then put into wooden moulds or frames to fornl a block which was generally eighteen inches long by nille inches wide by six inches deep, these would have been used for the external walls. Blocks were made to the same length and depth but only six incht:s wide for the in lernal walls. The blocks were set on level ground for a few days and when sufficiently dry were tumed up on end and taken to a platform where they were left to finally dry out. Depending upon the time of year this could take a month or Iwo and often the blocks were fanned throughout the Winter for use the following Spring. Clay lump was first used in Norfolk about 350 to 400 years ago anc was still used as a housebuilding material by local bui lders up until 50 to 60 years ago. There are some good examples at Kerdiston which were built for the District Council in the 1920's, An old say ing 'Give it a good hat and a stout pair of boots and il will lasl hundreds of years' is attributed to a clay lump house. The 'hal' is the huge ove r-hanging eaves and the "boots' being the solid base of brick or flint , the base usually being tarred for additional protection. Sometimes the houses were built with a dripboard about halfway down the side walls which would divert rainwater away from the 'boots'. The clay lumps would then be built on a plinth of brickwork or flint-work by se tling the lumps into clay mortar. The finished walls were then finished with a coal of clay slurry, topped with tar, then sanded and coloured. In other parts of Norfolk (particularly in the south) different colours were ofren used but in this area the houses were mainly white. The finishing coat had to be applied as quickly as possible after the wall was built as it was essemial not to lei water ger into the clay lump as it would disintegrate very easily. On fam bui ld ings (and sometimes on labourers cottages) the clay was often tarred. This made for a long lasting water tight building but asthetically it was not very pleasing; could anything have been gloomier to a poor faml labourer trudging back in the falling lighl than to go back to a black house. Clay was used because it was extensively available in this area, it only had to be dug out of the ground. There are many pits scattered around which testify to years of activity in extracting this material.The best example being the clay pits at Booton; these water filled pits have a reputation for being very deep which indicate to the large amount of clay that was taken over a long period of rime. This would have all been hand dug, loaded into sma ll carts and then transported to the required site, Anyone who has experienced digging ou t clay will appreciate how difficult the task was and these labourers were men of great Bricks, Pantiles and Weatherboarding. 3 �areas of brickmaking in Reepham. 'ON . ,~ , ,. ,.e.., . .. . ..... :..: ........•.~." • •~;o;,.. ". lSll P'j-. " Covering the solid clay-lump building would have been a roof of The O.S. map of 1886 shows the area in Kerdiston which had been used for at least 200 years, it closed down at the end of the 19th century. pantiles or thatch. Pantiles would have been laid on Norfolk reed and hair mortar. Thatch always seems the best covering for plaster walls and in this area good thatching straw and not reed would have been used. The second map shows the Cawston Road area from just before the Second World War; all the houses Finally. we come to brick, the material that was used most extensively for building houses and fann buildings in this area. Brickwork was introduced into this country in Roman times but the an of brickmaking ceased after they left and it was not reintroduced until the Middle Ages when brickmaking was brought to East Anglia by the many Flemish weavers who settled here at this time . were built from bricks made at Collisons brickyard (marked on the map as Kiln Chy.). Kilns were originally situated in the field just to the north east of the Crown P.H. - bricks made and fired here were used to build Newland Villas in Station Road. .. '~-89S . " 4 �Collison bought the area of land between the new railway line and the Cawston Road and during the late 1880's he built a new and large kiln at the eastern end bounded by Orchard Lane. Collisons were able to utilise the clay resources on this site to produce the bricks which during the 1920's and 30's built most of the houses that stand today on LIle Cawston Road , Wood Dalling Road and in Labumham Grove (an area orig inally called The Mountfield Estate) and the houses on New Road built for the fomler St. Faiths and Aylsham R.D.C. This area with its large pockets of suitable clay must have proved of great benefit to these immigrants who soon made and used bricks, a use that paralleled in growth with their increased prosperity. Bricks are made out of clay dug au( of the ground and allowed to weather, it is moulded into shapes and then baked. The brick earth contains sand and clay and other ingredients including oxide of iron and lime; these two are the main colouring agents with the maximum amount of iron producing a dark rich red. This is the natural colour of bricks made from clay from this area. Reginald Rudd who lives in Richmond Rise remembers working in the brickyard during the 1930's when he was apprenticed to Collison Bros. Reepham has a richness in buildings built of brick not just in the older areas of the Market Place, Back Street and The Moor but in most other areas of the Town .where the choice and use of brick reflects the now past industry of brick making in Reepham. In the past most villages had a clamp or kiln, usually situated next to a ready source of clay, from which bricks were produced. Marshall Howard a builder in Cawston operated a large kiln on the outskirts of the village until after the Second World War and brickrnaking was practised in Foulsham until the early part of this century "The brickyard was entered from the Cawston Road near the junction with Orchard Lane. It was a triangular shaped site and it ran along the railway line at the back of the houses on the south of the Cawston Road." When the houses were first built they had relatively small gardens but with the closure of the brickyard the gardens were extended over the old site and down to the railway line. Today nothing remains, the site is now entirely covered by houses ~nd the pits from where the clay was dug have long been filled in and grassed over. Even the pit which gave the site a continuous supply of water has completely disappeared. Reepham seems to have had two main places of brickmaking, the first one in Kerdiston. It is known that there was a thriving brick building business here throughout the nineteenth century and probably throughout the previous century also. There is a fann here called Brick Kiln Fann and the field directly opposite is shown on the 1846 tithe map as 'Brick Kiln Pightle'. It also shows the outline of a number of buildings which on the first O.S. map of the area in 1886 are shown as the kilns, a number of pits fr<?m where the clay was dug are also detailed. When the map was revised in 1906 the brick kilns were described as "disused' although some buildings including a smithy remained. John Eglington of Kerdiston is listed in Kellys Directory of 1846 and 1853 as a brickmaker as is Freeman Eglington in 1865 and 1875 .There is no such mention in later directories and it is assumed that brickmaking ceased here towards the end of that century. "The pit from where th~ clay was dug was situated al the bottom near the railway line; digging clay was a hard lask but made easier by having a bucket of water standing ncarby, this was used to wet the spade each time before it was put into the clay. The clay Slipped off easier with the spade wet but it was very different if the spade was dry, the clay would stick and each shovelful had to be scraped off. The clay was then taken to a large tank about 10' in diameter, known as a pugging mill, here it was mixed with water piped up from a nearby pit. The tank had a central spindle into which was fixed a bar, this extended across the top of the tank and five downward spikes were fitted to each side of the bar. It resembled a large spiked comb. A donkey or pony was harnessed up to the spind le and then walked round and round the tank so that the spikes thoroughly mixed the clay and water. Initially this was hard work for the animal but it became easier as the water was worked into the clay and a thick paste created." A great deal of energy was needed to pound and pummel the clay to the requi red consistency; it is difficult to believe that before horsepower was used this task was carried out manually - hard work indeed! NOthing remains today but if you look carefully you can find pieces of deep red brick in the ground around the kiln area. If you stand here and look eastwards towards Reepham, the field in front of you (brick kiln pightie) shows severe undulations and some very high banks. evidence of where the brick clay was dug for so many decades. \ Towards the end of the 1870's, Newland Villas, the row of houses in Station Road were built by Arthur Collison; who was in business as a publican (the Black Lion P.H.)and a builder and he used bricks from a nearby site. Brickrnaking had been carried out for many years on the area bounded by the Cawston Road and New Road. In 1846 the two small fields here were named as Clamp Close (situated just north of The Crown P.H.) and Brick Kiln Close (the area today on which the houses in New Road are being built). Brick making was carried out here although it suffered certain difficulties in 1881 when the line of the new railway was laid directly through the site. It seems that Arthur l I, "Towards j the end of the brickyard life the pugging mill was replaced by a crusher which was driven by a little petrol engine. It mixed the clay thoroughly and was also able to crush the stone and other impurities which previously had to be removed by hand. Whilst this process was faster than using a donkey or pony it was not so reliable and would often breakdown. When the clay had been thoroughly mixed into an almost plastic state the excess water was drained off (back into the pit from where it first came), the large stones would be removed and the wet clay would be dug out and barrowed up to the brickmaker. 5 �He would rake a double handful of wet clay and throw it into a mould, the clay would be tamped down, the top skimmed off and the wet brick shape turned out into a nearby barrow.The mould was always placed onto a small wooden pad which had the letter 'C' moulded onto it and this letter would be impressed into the clay when the brick was turned out. could result in a high proportion of 'throw outs'. If the heat was built up too quickly the clay would dry out too soon and the bricks would crack. This particular kiln seems in Mr. Rudd's recollection to have been soundly built to a specific design and the firing of bricks had a high degree of success. The kiln would be fired three or four times a year and each firing would produce about 5000 bricks There was one person permanently employed to run the site although when extra help was required other men from Collisons would be brought in and sometimes up to six would be employed on the site. The house on the Cawston Road known as 'Crows Nest'was built for the brickmaker. When Harry Collison was told that the first brickmaker to live here was going to be a Mr. Rook. he said "well the house must be called 'Crows Nest' " ~ and so it was. The last brickmaker for Collisons was Alan Jeffries who continued living here after the brickmaking ceased. A typical Collison Brick - made in tens of thousands during a period of more than fifty years, they were used to build many houses in Reepham, most notably around the Cawston Road. This area was originally called the Mountfield Estate. "Once the kiln had been lit the brickmaker would be responsible for bringing the fire up to temperature and keeping it going until the bricks had been baked. He would build the fire up gradually until a heat haze could be seen coming out of the top outlets,this showed the heat was going through all the kiln. He would then keep the fires going until the baking process was completed. This would take three to four weeks and during this period he would also be making more wet bricks ready for the next firing. The secret of achieving good shape was to accurately throw an adequate amount of clay with the right force, if this happened air pockets would not form and [he clay would properly fill the mould. When it was adjudged that the bricks had been fired, the fires were left to die down and the kiln allowed to cool. It would take about a week for the fire to go completely out and a further 10 days or so for the kiln to cool down. The entrances would be knocked down and the bricks removed. They were very hot when taken out and it was hard work which required a thick pair of gloves; once outside the bricks would quickly cool. The day bricks would then be moved to the drying shed where they were carefully stacked.This long narrow shed had a flat roof, slightly sloped to let the rain run off and with old sacks hanging down the sides to give further protection to the outside bricks against excessive wet. The elements, particularly the wind and sun would then partially dry them out; this process would vary depending upon the time of year and it could take several weeks. The bricks were then barrowed into the kiln and stacked from the outer edge working into the centre. The kiln was a long semi~circular brick building built partly under ground level, with doorways at either end. It was constructed with an inner oven area where the bricks were placed and an outer brick skin which conta ined a lower level where the fires burned. The fire level was reached from the outside by a number of openings at the ground level which allowed the coal to be shovelled downwards directly onto the fire. The smoke and heat went upwards over the curved inner area and out through a number of top outlets. When the kiln had been filled the entrances would be sealed up using clay and old bricks, then the fires would be lit. " The empty kiln would be checked in case any repairs were necessary to the structure and when ready the next lot of bricks would be barrowed in and the process started again. There was a considerable colour difference in the bricks, those nearest the fire were burnt almost black with the colour changing to a light red for the bricks stacked in the centre of the kiln. The black bricks were very hard and if knocked would shatter into pieces whereas the light red bricks were soft and could be easily cut and shaped with a bricklayers trowel." During the 1940's the ciay on the site had been worked out and Collisons were buying in clay from Cawston. The brickmaking process was very labour intensive, with the clay having to be bought and with competition from the increasing availability of cheaper bricks transported from the Bedford and Peterborough brickfields it was no longer a paying proposition and the yard was closed. The temperature and time needed to fire bricks in a kiln was a bit rough and ready by the standards of today but these brickmakers acquired a skill in controlling the required temperature and were able to raise the fire to something like 1000 degrees centigrade and then to hold it for the required period.lf the correct temperature was not acheived or maintained it would mean a wide range of quality in the bricks fired and The brickyard was in use for some 60 years and when it closed it fmished a manufacture that had been earned out in Reepham for hundreds of years. All traces of these brickyards and their kilns have gone but their legacy remains in the houses and other buildings that we regard as such an essential part of the character of Reepham. 6 �seventeenth and eighteenth centuries can be seen in a number of later properties. Close inspection in some areas of brickwork will show the Common English and Flemish brick bonds and the later Stretcher bond which was normally used when the structure included a cavity wall. Other less common brick bonds are also to be found here. Ordinary bricks were used for decoration, usually this was acheived by creating patterns in profile or by the bricklayer integrating different types of bonding. Decoration by using coloured bricks is nor noticable. Decoration on the end of buildings was often achieved in the chimney breasts or more particularly on the gable ends. The Dutch gable is often considered as a highlight of the bricklayers craft, whilst a number of good examples can be found in the nearby villages of Cawston and Foulsham; they do not appear to exist in Reepham. Different size bricks can oflen be found in older buildings; until the end of the eighteenth century most bricks were made two inches deep but the introduction of the brick tax in 1784 caused the size to increase with a three inch brick becoming the common size thereafter. It is not uncommon (0 find bricks larger than the three inch size; it usually depended upon the personal size nominated by the local brickmaker. One of the houses siruared along Reepham Moor; whilst architectural derails dating from the sixteenth century can be seen at Moor Farm later details of interest from both the COLLISON BROS. - Reepham Brickmallers and Builders Left to right: Horace (Horry) Collison, together with Herbert (Witty) Witred, Stanley Alford and Harold Alford. 7 �Moor House - Glasshouse architect's drawing board so that a number of 'desirable Tudorbethan residences' could be drawn in around the mature yet protected trees. Reepham already has a Moor House Close and many people would agree that we were not yet ready for a Moor House Park Estate also! We are only too aware that even with an organisation like the Reepham Society it is often difficult to protect the buildings and general landscape of the Reepham area. Government initiatives gave us a local Town plan which in tum produced a conservation area. This protected area includes much of Reepham but even with this level of protection it is still possible for structures that have stood as part of our heritage for so many years, to disappear. Often quickly and sometimes without reasonable opposition or protest. The Moor House was to be retained and planning consent was given for a number of different uses, whilst one of these was for residential purposes it was unexpected but extremely acceptable when the House was bought with the purchaser's intention of turning it into a family home. A decision which has now turned to fruition. It is even more gratifying to know that not just the House but the grounds and outbuildings also are receiving attention by the owners and eventually it is hoped to return it all to the state in which it was originally built and subsequently enjoyed over 100 years ago. In recent years we have all lamented the loss of large areas like the original Ollands Estate, or buildings like the bam on School Road or even the brick wall along Bar Lane. They could have been saved and the structures put to an alternative use; admittedly the wall along Bar Lane would have been expensive to repair and in parts to rebuild and some would argue that its costly retention would have been of little value, other than aesthetic to future generations. However, if we can consider saving the wall at the southern end of Ollands Road then the Bar Lane wall should have merited a better fate than it ultimately received from the contractors bulldozer. I'm sure many readers will have noticed and appreciated the labours of Mr. David Wright and Kirby Leonard, the owner's son. which has brought such a dramatic change in the gardens and grounds around the House. Many hours have been sP'!nt in cutting. planting and mowing these areas. Sometimes with a necessary ruthlessness and at other times with a required tenderness to ensure that a semblance of order and balance is returned to what was once an area of Victorian splendour set out in the fonnal and required manner of that age. The statutory planning controls and conditions that we have all had to consider or confront at some time or other, coupled with the media interest and subsequent regret often expressed when an old building is demolished, has given us a greater awareness of the need to retain our past even if the structu res saved have to be adapted to an alternative and more accep[able use to suit today's requirements. In receO[ years Reepham has achieved more successes than failures in retaining buildings rather than condemning them to the labours of the demolition contractors and much of this has been achieved by the local interest and desire in wanting to save buildings rather than lose them.The Reepham Society with its watchful reputation must take credit that the townscape we appreciate in Reepham today is there partly due to their effort. To the north west of the House and behind the wall along New Road was the kitchen garden, an area of starus and immaculateness that was the domain of the head gardener and his staff and which would have been ranked by Samuel Bircham and his family as one of the most important areas in the Moor House grounds. The walled kitchen garden is a form of gardening that was practised for many centuries but it reached its zenith in Victorian times when there was a tremendous demand for this relatively small area to produce a wide range of fruit. vegetables, flowers and plants to meet the constant requirements of the House and its occupants. A continous supply of vegetables for the dining table. fruit for dessert. flowers for decoration and pot plants for the house would be expected and it was the head gardener's job to meet this and for all days of the year. It was therefore to the relief of all interested parties a considerable triumph of common sense and a sense also of local history when it was announced that The Moor House was to remain. It was not going to ignominiously end up as a pile of rubble or that a plan of its grounds would end up on an 8 �However, this legacy of Victorian splendour was time consuming and highly expensive in tenns of labour. As social conditions changed during the earlier decades of this century it became an area of neglect, forgotten and unused by its later owners, a victim of 20th century changes and the mass yet cheap import of fruit and vegetables which had previously only been available to the landowner who had money to spend on heated glasshouses and a large gardening staff. However this garden and the glasshouse in particular. is now pan of a success story of which the owners must be justifiably proud and I'm sure they would like to share this with all those people in Reepham who have cares or feelings that something that could have so easily been forgotten has not just been saved but has been painstakingly, and I've· no doubt expe nsively restored. to it's original condition. There were many reasons for the popUlarity of glasshouses with the Victorians but two in particu lar allowed this era to reach the zenith of its use. Prior to 1845 glasshouses had been common in the very large country hou ses where money to provide and support them had been no object to me rich landowner. rn 1845 the removal of the glass tax meant that glasshouses and the general lUXUry of forced garden produce could be available to most houses of consequence in both town and country. Secondly. Thomas Rivers a well known Victorian nursery man came up with the idea of 'orchard houses' after experimentation in 1848 at his nursery. He found that he could grow peaches. nectarines and apricots with great success if he sheltered plants with a glazed roof and sides and allowed ventilation through openings which could be adjusted so as to maintain a constant temperature. This gave maximum prmection to the fruit trees and it ensured the setting of fruit in Spring and the thorough ripening of next year's fruiting wood during the Autumn. The fruit and vegetable garden at the Moor House became like so many others an item of the past and because it was untended it slowly returned to a natural state. This particular garden however was destined for a revival. The brick boundary wall along New Road reaches 18' in height along its southern end; this was purpose ly built as it was [Q fonn the back wall of the carriage house and the stable block which in tum stood next to the large kitchen garden glasshouse. The precise and orderly Victorian thinking deemed that the glasshouse would face directly south overlooking the garden which would in tum be situated next to the ample and continous supplies of manure generated by the horses stabled next door. Many people in Reepham were aware of this large glass building and most could recall that within their memory it had always been in a sorry state. Some and it is not very many. could remember it from the pre-War days of the 1930's when it was last commercially used. The memory though of most people was of its broken guttering. of the smashed glass panes which had once so majestically covered the wooden frame and of the frame itself. now paintless and in many places rotten. The interior was choked with nettles. brambles and other weeds which along with the few remaining hybrid plants had grown rampant as they all struggled for light and survival. It had become a jungle of untamed growth and it seemed to epitomise the collective neglect and disinterest that had befalIen the House and grounds. He wrote a pamphlet about this called "The Orchard House" which was so popular that it appeared as a book and this ran to many editions during the decades after 1850. It was said that the orchard or large glasshouse became so familiar and essential in a good Victorian garden that no other garden structure up to that time had ever advanced so quickly in popularity. 9 �Initially the orchard house differed from its companion glasshouse as it was primarily to grow fruit in. However it was soon found that a broad range of garden fruit and vegetables could be grown together and the Moor House glasshouse is a good example of a unit that was able to offer this double requirement. The high north wall allowed for trained fruit and the lower south area was ideal for a wide range of other fruit and vegetables which would grace the dining table. Up to the early/mid part of the 19th century there were only a small number of vegetables available for the country house table and during the winter months the variety was very limited indeed. It was said that a turnip. cabbage or leek were often the winter mainstay ahh ough broccoli. cauliflower. peas. seakale and artichoke were becoming popular. As the century progressed gardeners found that by forcing vegetables on hotbeds of fe nnenting manure, in forcing sheds. frames, terracota pots or in warm glasshouses they were able to offer a wider range of vegetables and fruit and for them to make an out-oF-season appearance on the dining table. It was possible to provide fruit from heated glasshouses two months or more earlier than its normal season. A glasshouse the size of the one at the Moor House would have undoubtedly been fitted with a system of iron piping which would have been fed from a small outside boi ler and the heat provided would in tum be used to force on the fruit and vegetables. The Moor House glasshouse presents us however with someth ing of a conundrum because there is no evidence of a boiler house or any fonn of heating, other than natural sunlight, being provided. Miss Ann Bircham whose family owned the House can recall the kitchen garden area during the 1920's but cannot recall the ex istence of any fonn of heating. The internal ironwork of the glasshouse is structured with a large open hole in each support indicating that is was probably designed to take a heating pipe but for some unknown reason they were never installed. It was known that when Samuel Bircham built the House his wife was never happy to live here and in consequence the time spent here was on a limited basis. Perhaps Samuel felt that the cost of installing a boiler and then running this for an irregular household use was an expense [hat could be avoided. It seems therefore that from the time it was built and until the tenancy of Mr. Ernest Hudson (1903 to 1931), the glasshouse was used in a fairly fannal gardening way but was still able to provide a wide range of fruit such as peaches, nectarines. figs, early vegetables for the winter table, summer salads including tomatoes and cucumbers and no doubt melons. a particular Victorian favourite. Gooseberries, raspberries and currants could also be potted-up and brought on in such a house. When Ernest Hudson rented the Moor House in 1903 he introduced a more regular use to the glasshouse - he turned it into a commercial peach house. The house provided a cool shelter to several peach trees which would have been trained to fan shapes. This meant th at in January the dead wood (which had borne fruit the previous season) would be cut off and the young shoots fonned the last Summer would be tied-in to wires which were nailed into the nonh wall. This pruning and tieing-in would have been carried out to a high standard, if not the work would be undone and would be painstakingly re-tied to the head gardener's satisfaction. The peaches that were grown were picked and sent for sale to Covent Garden in London; during the earlier part of this century fresh sem i-exoti c fruit commanded good prices and there was little competition from the Mediteranean countries. The fruit would be picked one or two days in advance and laid out to dry so that the skin would lose the effects of humidity which would have built up in the glasshouse. The peaches would then be wrapped in tissue paper or in a thin layer of cotton wool and the wrapped peaches were then placed in boxes (which usually held twelve frui t) and these small boxes would be stacked into returnable fruit hampers. 10 �The glasshouse today is a wonderful structure, the triumph of a desire to return a useful and well built example from the the Victorian age back to a pristine state and for the building to be used once more for its original purpose. Whilst we, the readers, are probably coment with our lO'x6' or t 2'x8' green hou ses After the fruit had been firmly yet securely packed it would be taken to Reepham Station and from here start its journey to London. It arrived after only a few hours and would enable the fruit picked in Reepham to arrive perfectly ripe and ready for immediate dinner table consumption. ,. When Ernest Hudson died in 1931 the House remained empty for a number of years until it was used for military purposes during the Second World War, In these few years up to 1940 the Bircham family retained the services of a gardener who continued to work and look after the kitchen garden and the glasshouse. It is fair to say that from the War onwards the use of the glasshouse declined and it subsequently fell into the state of dilapidation that became familiar for so many years to those people using New Road. _ _-...,:c_ . -,,-i:::~~' .--~-.. . _ ......o:... :.;...,_~'- -- :J~~l~:::-_ ~-=:- _.__ Care and expense though has now been lavished on [he glasshouse and today it resembles closely the state in which it would have been see n over 100 years ago; but what efforts it has taken. More than 1500 panes of glass were purchased and installed, considerable carpentry time has been spent on repairing and replacing the damaged woodwork particularly the lower opening window frames. All the original Victorian ironwork supports have been retained although they were in good need of cleaning and repaiming. The strucrure however proved to be remarkably sound and what is seen today is all original. Even the hand pump on the eastern end has ~en restored to working order. There is an underground tank at thi s end which collects rainwater from the glass roof, the tank is not overlarge for such a building of this size and David Wright feels that in some long past hot Summer the tank would almost certainly have been completely emptied. bought in an easily erectable state, we can offer nothing but admiration for a project that has seen the rebui ld ing of a glass structure lOO'x18';d8'. Now that their labours have achieved such a success let us hope that those instrumental in this project will have many years "fruitful" pleasure from it. There is one other fearure from the past that remains in (he building - a large vine. This is one plant that has withstood all the natural turmoil and upheaval of the past 50 years. Hopefully this year it will produce a harvest of grapes, the first for many years to come. Ann Bircham can recall the vine being here in the 1920's; vines were a favourite with the Victorians so is it feasible that here is a surv ivor from the plants installed by Samuel Bircham's gardeners so long ago. 11 �THE MOOR HOUSE GLASSHOUSE - 12 1993 �Whitwell Hall Godolphin was a nobleman who was fond of a good talk and a quiet life and so delighted was he with the Doctor's conversation that he invited him to go and live with him. He also introduced him to all his friends and in due course obtained for him the post of non-resident physician at the Chelsea Hospital. Monsey was able to live at the Earl's house at S1. Jame's in London. I In London this extraordinary Doctor from Norfolk, with his I l I According to the 18th century Norfolk historian, the Rev. Blomefield, the history of the manors of Gamban and Whitwell Symonds (which includes today the areas of Whitwell Hall and Hackford Hall) can be traced back to Anglo Saxon times. The land is listed in the Domesday Book (1086) as being owned by Rolf de Bellofago who was given the land after the Nonnan conquesl. In 1659 Augustine Messenger held the Manors of both Whitwell and Hackford and in 1680 these were inherited by Robert Monsey who became Rector of Bawdeswell in 1683, In 1689 he was obliged to take an oath of allegiance and supremacy to the new King William but he declined to do this and he was subsequently deprived of the living at Bawdeswell. He was more fortunate than many other members of the clergy in that he owned a small but yet comfortable estate and so he retired to Whitwell to live. He was able to indulge in his passion for growing plants paI1icularly oaks and some of the oak trees that he planted at Whitwell during these later years still survive in good order today.lt was here that his son Messenger was born in 1693. It is said that the eighteenth century was rich in "interesting physicians" and one of the most remarkable (and certainly the oddest) was Doctor Messenger Monsey. He is recorded as being uncouth, unwashed, able to del iver the most outrageous remarks and generally to behave in the most unseemly manner, was generally unpopular yet always tolerated on account of his wit and malice. He is mentioned in most of the contemporary records of the time. Messenger spent his fonnative years at Whitwell being educated by his father until 1711 when he entered Pembroke College, Cambridge. He graduated B.A. in 1715 and returned to Norwich to study medicine. He finally settled down to practise at Bury St. Edmund's and might have remained there for the rest of his days had it not been for a fortUnate accident which occurred when the second Earl of GodoJphin was taken ill at Bury, on his way LO his house at Newmarket. Monsey was summoned to attend and the patient made a swift recovery although history does not record whether the recovery was fully or partly due to the professional ability of Messenger. appalling manners and scathing tongue was a novelty and became an instam success in the broad social circle of friends of the Earl of Godolphin. He became a great friend of Sir Roben Walpole (who was the first person to hold the office of Prime Minister) and it is reputed that Messenger was the only man who dared to contradict him and to beat him at billiards. The Doctor had a prodigious output of general verse and literature but his celebrity owed linle to the pen but everything to his conversation and hi s habits. He never did anything in a common manner, when one of his teeth ached, he would tie it by a length of catgut to a perforated bullet and fire the bullet from a pistol: he claimed this method of dentistry to be painless and urged all his friends to remove their painful teeth in the same manner. He never said anything unless it was unexpected or outwgeous, his talk was vigorous and incessant. anecdotal, highly flavoured and crowded (like his letters) with classical quotations and deplorable puns. He was also reknowned as a teller of scurrilous after dinner stories once the ladies had retired and ldt the gentlemen to their port Lord Godolphin died in 1766 and none of Messenger's other patrons could quite endure the possibility of having him as a pennanent resident in their houses. He had married when he lived at Bury but his wife was dead and his only child, Charlotte, was married to a linen-draper in London and was preoccupied with her large family. The idea of retirin.g and moving back to Whitwell was the very last thing he wanted to do so he had to leave 5t. Jame's and retire to apartments in Chelsea Hospital. He continued to maintain his contacts and his remarks were as much quoted as ever; but he grew old and soured and intensely di~agreeable, and his dress and general deportment became even more eccentric. He was much disliked at Chelsea particularly by the junior doctors who were eager for his post and salary. Messenger would aggravale them by refusing to give up the position and by saying thar they would all die before him anyway: a statement which he did his best to fulfil by living to the age of ninety-five. He becanle increasingly lonely as the years wore on, for he had by now outlived all his friends, and his scalhing wit and 13 �unpredictable conversation was too strong to be accepted or appreciated by this later era of London society. His daughter spent as much time as she could willI him but this was limited as she had eleven children and a husband who was in business. During these later years he maintained a regular correspondence with William Wiggeu Bulwer of Heydon Hall, William lived only a few miles from the Whitwell estate and generally kept an eye on the place for Messenger. It is known that Messenger and Charlotte would occasionally visit Norfolk but it seems that whilst they would visit Whitwell they would always stay at Heydon, in any case the Hall would have a tenant living there. Travelling from London to Norfolk in the 18th century would have had its limitations and in these later years the old age and failing health of Messenger coupled with the family ties of Charlotte would have made journeys impossible. In 1767 he began these letters to William and they continued with the last one being written only a month before his death in December 1788. 10 20 Chiins )I, mile Whilst outwardly he appeared the same disagreeable and awkward person he had always been, these letters displayed him in a mellower and less savage mood. Amid the wit and general buffoonery there runs a pleasant current of affection and kindness particularly for his daughter and especially for Mr. and Mrs. Bulwer and their daughters Molly and Sally. He wrote of Heydon as the place "where I have always met with so much cordiality, pleasure and hospitality - for I do assure you I have passed no moments of my life with more satisfaction than at Heydon". He died at Chelsea at the age of ninety-five, on the 26th December 1788. His will was wonhy of him. It was nineteen pages long and was extremely detailed and complicated. He insisted, with elaborate and ghastly directions, that his body should be dissected and the remains thrown into the Thames. The recipients or his clothes were detailed down to his 'old shoe buckles'. Many people received sums of money ranging from Five Pounds To Six Hundred and Fifty Pounds but all his propeny and lands 'in the parishes of Whitwell and Hackford in the County of Norfolk' went to his daughter Charlotte. A complicated entail that the Whitwell estate should pass to her female children and to their issue only was included and it seems that Messenger's intention was to exclude the male line of the family from any long tenn inheritance. J. mile ( 440 yotrdsl Whitwell s~c,: H.R .O. e-i.. I/:C:>(co-:...":..:.!!'~~~ The exten t 01 the Whitwell Hall estate is indicated by the shaded fines. rft",p 14 rlg,o �Hall was initially occupied on an annual tenancy by Mr. Matthew Breese Copeman. However it was only eight months later that, in the same newspaper, the following notice appeared on five consecutive Saturdays in February and March 1822. Like her faLher, Charlotte did not appear to have lived at Whitwell Hall during the rest of her lifetime. She had eleven children and a husband who was in trade in London as a linen draper. Their home and business was fimlly rooted in the Capital and there seemed little sense in moving up to a rural estate in Norfolk and so for a few years longer Whitwell Hall and its fanns continued to be let to tenants. Fadens 1790 map of Norfolk marks Lhe Hall as being occupied by a Mr. Thomas Cooke . Charlotte only lived for a few more years and she died in 1798. Her eldest daughter Caroline inherited the Whitwell and Hackford Estates and on the 18th March 1800 she married John Bedingfield Collyer. John was the 2nd son of Daniel Collyer of Wroxham Hall and he and Charlotte moved into Hackford Hall. The Collyer family and their subsequent generations were to live at Hackford until Brigadier-General John Collyer left during the 1930's. The exact date cannot be established but at this time the Whitwell Hall estate was sold by Caroline either just before or j ust after her marriage. In the Land Tax Return of 1801 for the parish of Whitwell the proprietor is shown as Edward John Ellis. The same Edward Ellis is listed in the Momingthorpe Return for 1800 so it is probable that he purchased the estate between April 1800 and March 1801. The Land Tax Return for Whitwell continues to record Edward Ellis as living at Whitwell until his death in February 1821. His subsequent Will shows him to have been a somewhat wealthy man, he left a number of specific cash bequests totalling nearly £3000 with several bequests payable per week or per year fo r the reSl of the life of lhe recipient. The whole of the estate was left to his nephew James Ellis of Hackford with the provision for him to "be kind to his Father Arthur Ellis, if not the estate was to pay him an allowance of 20/· for the rest of his life". Unfortunately history does not record the actual outcome! Also included in the Will was £100 to Robert Leamon the Younger of Fakenham who was also appointed as sole executor and was to be paid expenses and a reasonable allowance for carrying out the necessary executive duties. James Ellis was a harness and collar maker (also the trade of Robert Leamon) who lived with his wife Alice and their eight children in a house on the comer of Reepham Market Place, on the site which was later occupied for so many years by Barclays Bank. James however declined to move into Whitwell and it was left to Robert Leamon as executor to find a tenant for the Hall and its surrounding arabIc and pasture land. The letting was advertised in the Norfolk Chronicle in early June 1821 and the AI '11Ie AII.i!d 11111, Marht Pir/ee, Nonl'icJ, tI';j' dwy 2'IJ Mureh bi'IWI't'li lilt! IwlUs vf J and 5 itl IIII' afll'rl/Oo/l (unlcss SOUlier Jispvsd oj by Pn·vale eMllrml). All Ihat very desirable ESTATE called HI11irweIl Hall, in WllitUleIl, in the COlillty if Norfolk, late rhe residence cf Edward jolHi Ellis, Gefltlemall deceased alld t10W i'l the oC(IIpatioti cf Mr. Matthew Breese Copemall, as tel/ali t from year to year; comprising a capital Matlsioll HOlise will! artached and detached qffices of evel}' descriptiotJ, fit for the resideuce tf a Gellteel Famify atld 130 acres, three roods alld 17 perches by slIn.-ey, of excellelll arable and pas/lire laud, willI hams, stables alld every otller requisite f arm buildiflgs, for the ocwpatiot1 cf the same. Also a Messuage, fl OW used as Cottages atld a COI/Vel/iel/l atld and well plamed Ti.J/I Ya rd, comaillilJg 14 /Jalldlers, 17 vats, six laps wilh tlecessary limes alld grait,ers, convenient dl}'illg shed, mill house, leather hOl/se, bark hams, .Hables alld other outbuildings, requ;sitt'for carryillg 0/1 the Tan/lillg Trade . TIle /vial15iotl H Ol/se comaiflS all elltrallce hall, with keepillg room, dillillg and drawing rOOIllS, six bedrooms, three allies, kitchen, store rootll, good (ellars and otlier domestic offices; it is situated 011 an eminen(e wilh a lawlI ill fro/It surrounded by growing plantatiOfIS, which it1close a trout stream, a greenhouse alld large gardetls, well planted with choice Jruit trees, a capital orchurd eU. The Estate may be viewed UpOIl applica{ion to Ihe tenat1t. Printed particulars and conditions if sale are ready for delivery alld may be had of the Auctioneer alld at the place of Sale atld for price by Privare Cot/tract apply personally or by letter post paid to Mr james Ellis at Reepham or Mr Robert uamon jutlior at Faker/ham. The Auction Sale did not however produce a buyer and Robert Leamon obviously felt the time had come to move up from the status of harness maker to that of country gentleman and so he purchased and duly moved into Whitwell Hall during the summer of 1822. This move was confinned when the following notice appeared in the Norfolk Chronicle in November 1822. Fakenham - To be sold by Auctiot1 all Wednesday 13th N ovember TIle remainill...,! parts if the valuable stock itl trade cf Messrs Leamon alld SOt1, Saddlers, Collar atld Harness Makers. To be sold without reserve 15 �Robert purchased not just the Hall and its surrounding farmland but also one of the two Whitwell tanneries. The tannery had been an essential part of lhe Estate business since the 18th century and it was to remain so throughout the next 50 or more years. Robert's ownership introduced a period of considerable change at Whitwell.He enlarged and modernised the tannery during the 1840's He made sure the estate was properly farmed and also built up a thriving timber business. Robert was obviously a man of some wealth and in 1840 he pulled down most of the old red brick Hall and built in its place the white brick and slale roofed Regency style house that remains to this day. In 1842 he moved the road some 100 yards to the north and built a new carnage drive which ran to the front of the House. ROBERT LEAMON who bought the Whitwell Estate in 1822. On the southern boundary of the present park are some springs, the presence of which no doubt gave the origination of the name 'Whitwell'. The springs flow up from the chalk and if the surface chalk is disturbed the water runs a muddy white. In old English Whitwell means white spring. At the time of the enlargement of Whitwell Hall embankments were constructed to contain the flowing water and so some four hundred yards east of the Hall Robert constructed a reservoir (or spring pond) to supply the Hall with a supply of fresh water. Research has shown that at the eastern end and a few yards below the reservoir a brick lined pit was built to contain a hydraulic ram which was installed in 1842. This machine used a flow of water from the reservoir to pump a smaller quantity along 300 yards of lead piping up to a tank in the Hall. The water was (and still is) very hard and this quickly coated the inside of the pipe which in tum minimised the danger of lead poisoning. The rise from the ram to the tank was about 80 feet and it took ten gallons of flow to pump one gallon of water into the tank at the rate of one gallon each minute. ......... The reservoir, which originally supplied the Hall with all its watervery little of the original ram can be seen today, what is left is situated at a lower level and in the trees at the far left of the picture. 16 �The original installation pumped the water into a large slate tank mounted on brick piers in the boiler room. Water was then piped co the kitchen and from here it was collected by the maids and carried by them to the parts of the Hall that required it. In later years tanks were installed in the anics and these were primarily used to supply the bathrooms and the flush lavatories. The waste flow of water which drove the ram was channelled along the southern boundary of the Park and a dipping place was made with brick steps leading down to the water so that the families living in the Orwell Cottages could come with their pails to get the water they required for their domestic purposes; this was in everyday use until 1939. The reservoir filled from the chalk springs it has always run constantly to overflow and has never been known to freeze over. It maintains a constant temperature of 10 degrees centigrade throughout all times of the year. The ram supply was used for the Hall until 1970 when the increasing use of agricultural sprays in the arable field next to me reservoir was judged likely lO pollute it. Robert's change of status in life to that of country gentleman was acheived by hard work and a shrewd ability to rum all aspects of the Estate into a profitable business. He died on the 7th March 1853 and was succeeded by his eldest son, also named Robert. ROBERT LEAMON (2nd) In his lifetime Robert (2nd) was to greatly enhance his inheritance and also to enjoy a reputation as a considerable personage. He owned an estate of nearly 800 acres and his business interests thrived. He was involved in politics and was the sponsor for Clare Sewell Read, a well known Norfolk MP of the time . He was also secretary to the group of country gentlemen who in 1850, erected by means of public subscription, the large Corinthian column erected as a monument to the memory of Thomas Coke at HoU~ham Hall. He is also known to have had a financially lucrative contract to supply timber to the Government, probably for the Navy and he bought large amount's of oak from other Norfolk estate's such as Felbrigg. He'must have had considerable capital available to be involved in and to sustain such a venrure. Robert had obviously inherited some of his fathers business acumen and he continued to take the Leamon family through a period of financial prosperity. a period that was to eventually decline and end so unhappily a few years after his unfortunate death in 1878. Whilst there were a number of reasons for the decline in the family fortunes they can be initially traced to a disastrous fire which occurred in 1874. The fIre which burned for three days destroyed the many stacks of tan bark which stood in.a yard near to the tannery; some of the tannery buildings were also burnt down. The can bark was not insured and to replace this and also to update the tannery Robert had to borrow capital. Skins for tanning had to be obtained from slaughterhouses and these mainly came from Norwich where most of the completed 17 MARY GILL Wife of Robert Leamon (2nd) �WHITWELL HALL in the 1880's showing some of the notable 192 3'300 changes and additions made by the Leamon family . IB61 2 ' 459~'I ' Hall I? "', : 1. The site of the Tannery. 15S l J ,, 2. The new co urse of the 53 1' , beck (the 'new cut ') which supplied the tannery with water. 157 3. The two cottages (now 'Hillside') let to the Midland and Great Northern Railway Company as homes for the 5 "97' station-master and signalman. Bought by the company in 1919 and turned into one house for lhe station master. 4. The line of trees built to screen the new station from the fron t view of the Hall. 133 l~ 020 5. The reservoir and hydraulic ram installed in 1842 to pump water up to the Hall. 18 �leathers were transported back with much of the trade going directly to the shoe manufacturers. The untreated skins were delivered to Whitwell in relatively small loads by carriers carts and this slow and limited fonn of transport was unable to compete with the new railways. The extension of the Victorian railway system enabled hides to be transported quickly and in bulk. Small country tanneries began therefore to suffer from serious competition at this time from the large urhan tarmeries notably in Bennondsey. Much of the work in the larger tanneries was helped by machinery whilst the local tanneries output was acheived· almost wholly by labour intensive means. Robert realised that his tannery was becoming uncompetitive and with the additional burden of the 1874 flre he decided not to just rebuild and replace his loss but to modernise the overall rannery enterprise. Money for the venture had to be raised and it appears that Robert borrowed from a local group of businessmen known as the Springfield Group of trustees. He greatly extended the Tannery by making additions of other tan pits, drying sheds and by building in 1876-77 an engine house fitted with a steam engine. This was used to grind the bark which was essential to make the tan liquor in which the hides were steeped. The outflow from the sJc.jn washing and particularly when the tan pits were cleansed gave off a dreadful odour, so Roben moved the course of the beck further to the east of the Hall by having a new course dug out. This is still referred to locally as the 'new cut'. Despite all the investment business did not upturn and the local community. and his family. were all greatly shocked at the severe loss when Robert committed suicide in August 1878. He hanged himself in one of the Whitwell Hall bedrooms. He was succeeded by his son Phillip. Phillip was unable to stop the decline and the Leamon fortunes went from bad to worse with the whole enterprise eventually being declared bankrupt in 1883. Phillip went to India to try and recoup the fortune but he didn't succeed; whilst he was away his wife remained at the Hall until 1887 when the Springfield Trustees foreclosed and she and her family were forced to leave. Her six small children were placed in the care of various relatives,and she went to live in Norwich. Sadly the considerable strain these years placed upon her affected her mental condition and she finished her life in an asylum. In retrospect it is ironic that the coming of the railways was the death knell of the country tanneries yet Robert sold some of the Estate land to the Midland and Great Northern Railway to enable Whitwell Station to be built in 1883. When it was sold Robert insisted on the condition that the M and GN plant trees along the new line of the road to screen the sight of the new station from the Hall. The trees subsequently planted were SCotS Pines; they grew quickly and fulfilled the screening condition. Most of them remain standing today. The front of WHITWELL HALL (in the 1880 's) looking towGrds the east; Robert Leamon (1 st) built the Hall in the 1840 's and also constructed a new carriage drive which led to the front of the building. This was closed up in the 1920 's and since then all traffic has used the rear driveway only . t The three generations of the Leamon family who lived at Whitwell all had large families and today their descendems are widely scattered throughout the world. In recent years Tony ivins has enjoyed a correspondence with branches of the family liv ing in Canada, Tasmania and in many pans of this country. The Springfie ld Trust retained the ownership of the Estate for the next 40 years and the Hall was let to various tenants. In December 1921 Mr. C. Banan bought the Estate but by 1925 he 19 �- The property was then sold to Forest School Ltd (1928) Ltd. ( a private company registered as an educational charity) which has owned the Hall to this day. Forest School had outgrown its original premises in the New Forest and they moved to Norfolk in the Spring of 1938. The school remained here until early 1940 when the threat of invasion along the Nonh Norfolk coast caused the children and teaching staff to be evacuated to south Devon. The Army requisitioned the Hall shortly afterwards and they remained here until late 1945. The School did not return but a Forest School Camp was held during the Summer of 1947 and during the next 20 years the Hall was increasingly used for Easter and Summer holiday camps and for staff training courses. In 1965 tented camps and house accommodation was offered to schools during ternl time and this pattern of term time activity and holiday camps continues today as the Whitwell Hall Country Centre. Tony Ivins joined the staff of Forest School when it moved to Whitwell in 1938 and apart from war service with the RAP from 1940 -46 he has been actively engaged with the School to this present day. Suzanne Dammen joined the school staff in the summer of 1939 and Suzanne and Tony were married in 1946 and made Whitwell their home . PHILLIP LEAMON - taken in 1879 a year after he inherited the estate from his father. had sold the 320 acre Hall Fann to Mr. Arthur Stimpson and also sold to CapLE.H.Barclay the Hall and 40 acres of parkland. Capl. Barclay lived at Whitwell with his wife and three daughters until 1937 when he inherited Colney Hall and subsequently moved there. Robert Leamon b.1787 d.1853 Robert Leamon m. Mary Gill b. 1822 d.1878 b. 1819 d. 1883 I I Robert had married Mary Gill in 1847 and like most other Victorian families of this period they had a large family; their first child a son was born in 1849 and ten more children followed during the next twelve years. The first son was called Robert (as had been the first son of the previous three generations). Sadly he died at the age of two and the Estate was in time inherited by the next eldest son Phillip, who was born in 1853. Another son was born into the family in 1854 and he was subsequently christened Raben. I Robert Phillip m. Elizabeth Reed b. 1849 d. 1851 b.1853 b. 1855 d. 1932 d.1924 . I 1 Mary Phillip Muriel Lilian Connie Herbert TIlE LEAMON FAMILY at WhitweU HaIl 1822 - 1887 b.1855 d.1904 b.1862 d.1928 b.1857 d.1954 b.1856 d.1935 Arthur '. Sydney Julia Annie b. 1854 b.1854 d. 1924 d.1895 b.1852 d. 1929 I I Robert + Rosa (Twins) Fanny I Brian and Sue Evans assisted by Paul Mortimer are now responsible for the management of camps and house· parties and also for the Estate. Tony still maintains an active interest as he is chairman of the company directors. Mary Herbert b.1856 d. 1871 b. 1857 d.1933 In the Whitwell Road cemetery there is a large memorial to Robert and his wife Mary and also to their 11 children. On the other side of the cemetery and almost parrallel to this memorial is the family grave of the Collyer family. It is perhaps ironic that the two families who lived and worked as neighbours should end with their final resting places so close together. 20 �JfRS PHILLIP LEAMON with her six children; Mary the eldest/ooks about 8 years old and so the pic ture was taken about 1889 some two years after the fa mily had left Whitwell Hall. The three eldest children with their mother, nurse and Mr Preston the coachman. Taken in 1884 it also includes a lady, at ille back of the trap. whose name is unknown although it is probably one of Mrs Phillip Leamon l; sisters·in-law. 21 �Members of the Whitwell Hall Staff in the late 1870's The large memorial to Robert, Mary and their 11 children in the foreground . .. the family grave of the Collyer family may also be seen almost directly in the background. WHITWELL HALL 1993 The outline of the Conserva tory from the 1880 picture can be seen on the side wall of the main building. 22 �The Cawston Duel Sir Henry Hobart of Blickling Hall was a Norfolk baronet and had been M.P. for Kings Lynn in 1681. He was a strong supporter of the Revolution of 1688 against James II and was later to fight in Ireland with the army of William III and was with him in 1690 at the Battle of the Boyne. He was again M.P. for the County in 1695, but lost his seat in 1698 . There seems little doubt that some election squabble caused the famous Caws ton duel fought in August of that year. Oliver Le Neve, his successful opponent was born about 1663. Although the family name was an old one in the County of Norfolk it was not one of the nobility, in fact his father was an upholsterer who came to London to follow his uade . Oliver benefited in finance and also in position when his kinsman and namesake Oliver Neve of Great Witchingham, who had also been a London tradesman, left him a considerable property. which allowed him to be sent to Oxford to be educated. After leaving Oxford he moved back to Norfolk and lived for some time at Mannington Hall and whilst here he married into two well placed Norfolk families. Firstly to Anne Gawdy (the daughter of Sir John Gawdy) who died in childbirth and secondly, in June 1698, to Jane, the daughter of Sir John Knyvet of Ashwellthorpe. Oliver's honeymoon, therefore, was hardly over when the quarrel which ended so fatally took place. The cause of the dispute seems to have been some remarks which Oliver Le Neve was said to have made that Hobart was a coward and had shown himself to be so when he was fightillg in Ireland. It seems that these remarks were made shortly after Sir Henry Hobart had lost his local seat as an M,P. but at the time Le Neve denied that it was he who had made them ami Le Neve seems to have written denying the trulh of the allegation. Hobart would nOl accept this denial and he went to Reepham and insinuted publicly that Le Neve: wrote the letter to avoid fighting him. Le Neve felt his honour had been sullied and wrote back with a challenge for a duel "Honored Sir, t at Reifham yesterday, when you I am very sorry I was no . h that I might not only gave yorseif the trouble of appeanng tn::e~aying what is reported I have further justified the Trut~d of mYthat I wrote not that Letter to oU did but that I might have to. Yh dit or yor author has confirmd , b t that if t e ere !I hn avoid fighting you; u , d nd desirous to meet you w e you in the beliif of it, I an: rea I yo;herwise, I expect your Author'S and where you please to asslg;I ~a take my satiifaction there; or name in return for thiS I tha from Blickling, and send you a else conclude the Imputacon spr':~l not rest as it is, tho' it cost the time and place; for the matter s a life of Yor Servant, OLIVER NEVE . Aug. ye 20th, '98 23 �The duel was very quickly organised and it took place the next day on Sarurday 21st August 1698 and was no doubt a fierce one, for Hobart ran Le Neve through the arm and Le Neve, who was a left handed fencer, hit Hobart in the belly and seriously wounded him. Henry Hobart died the next day and was buried at Blickling on 26th August. Apparently no monument to his memory was erected at Blickling but a stone memorial was erected on the duel site., The stone was paid for by Mr. W. Wiggett-Bulwer of Wood Dalling Oliver Le Neve died of apoplexy, at the age of 48, in November 1711 having survived the duel thirteen years. A great sportsman and greater drinker, the open-air life of a country gentleman probably kept him alive longer than might have been expected, and remains to this day. Henry Hobart had nine children, one little girl being only two months old at the date of the duel. His wife survived him less than three years, dying of consumption in August, 1701. Le Neve recognising that the County influence of the Hobart family was too great for him, left the country immediately and went to Rotterdam. Ways and means for the fugitive's keep in Holland were raised by a sale of goods by Robert Fisher, who wrote to him on 23rd January 1699, that he could only raise £100. Oliver's newly married wife seems to have stood by him for she sent a message by the same letter that "she will be very kind to you, and desires you would write to her often, and desired to see you safe at Witchingham again". It was suggested through supporters in England that Court influence for an acquittal should be brought to bear, through Lord Rochford who Le Neve was to meet at his country house in Holland. Although this meeting had to wait until The Cawston duel was the last recored duel fought in Norfolk, it was well chronicled and publicised at the time and in particular because there was considerable feeling that Oliver Le Neve was not at fault. Henry Hobart should have accepted the letter of apology - he didn't and this subsequently led to his tragic end. The duel stone was erected on land which eventually became part of the grounds of the fortner Woodrow Inn and in 1964 the stone was given to the National Trust. Lord Rochford found time to visit his foreign estate. In March 1699 the Hobart's were moving against Le Neve for their kinsmans' death and the matter of the duel was considered at the Thetford Assizes. Although no decision was offered by the Coroner to Le Neve's immediate prospects it was accepted that he had "irmumerable friends and supporters in the County". During the next few months Le Neve had to rely heavily on the support given by his friends and family and many items were sent over to him. Bedding and horses were sent to Holland in March and April and in May his friend Robert Fisher sent him 12 dozen "nog", a potent Norfolk ale forwarded to him in hampers. In July Le Neve was living under the name of Mr. Davyes and by now had bought a house in Rotterdam and his wife had joined him there, During the Autumn efforts were made by his friends to get a favourable judgement for him and in December he was advised to surrender himself, for "if the Sheriff forbear proclaiming him it would be too great a favour, and might prejudice him thereafter, as his enemies may challenge the jury on the ground of partiality". Ultimately he came back to England, and was acquitted, to the great joy of his friends, in early April, 1700. 24 �In an Austin Seven The "bus" is waiting -step ins ide! We're off! by Aylsham Road we glide; The sun is bright, the day is dear, Northward our baby car we steer. Blue sky ! fresh breeze! an ideal day ! We'll trip it to Holt and Cromer way. By Horsford's tangled woods we bend, Where dancing light and shadows blend. 'Mid oaks and firs on every hand, Through the green glades of Haveringland; Where scenes of charm and beauty hide, Least known of Norfolk's countryside. Here Cawston Church comes into view, h's square tower bold against the blue, Whi lst Salle above the woodlands high, Points with grey fingers to the sky, So speed we on our coastward way, By lanes new decked with opening may, .And on by rising lands until, These busy folk and windows gay 'Tis Holt Stock sale and market day! No lingering, though to stay we're fain, We petrol up and start again. Sheringham pleads, we fain wou ld stay To watch the rippling wavelets play Along its sunny beach; but no, Cromer's our aim and there we go. Here sweep the strong sea winds and stir The towering larch, the spruce, the fir; Around us, yellow gorse and broom Have graced the heath with scented bloom; There, wide o'er Kelling's trackless ways, Nature her gorgeous robe displays , With all the tims of morning spread, Purple and gold and rosy red. Up by more may-decked roads we wind, Leave Beeston and its cliffs behind; On, by The Runtons, on we speed, And curb at last our fiery steed Just in the midst of Cromer Town, And to a quiet tea sit down. Now the North Sea! some glimpses fine, We mark its far horizon line; And here, beneath our very eyes A scene of matchless beauty lies; By mile on mile, the ferny glade s Dip to a dell of woodland shades, A charming spot, beloved and famed, And "Pretty Comer" aptly named. We mount the steep of Edgefield Hill. • 'ow the fair scene, expanding wide, Deligh ts - at slackened pace we glide. Now eastwards bends our road and we Glide down by woodland ways, to see How the high rhododendrens fair Bloom bright with blended colours rare. Later, a brief stroll up the rise To stretch and view the sUllset skies, That arching o'er the ocean dim Bend down to touch its golden rim. The western light of evening falls On church tower, cliffs, hotels and halls; Cromer, more fair ne'er seemed to be"Set like ajeweJ in the sea". Just a brief spin, one ne'er forgel, And every tum a beauty spot. Norwich, 1931. In the poem the Austin Seven. its driver and passengers didn't quite travel through Reepham, if they had it is obvious that they would have had little inconvenience in the Market Place from other traffic - quite a different situation today though! The motorists of the time seem to have had the benefit of not just the open road but also a policeman who was conveniently placed to guide them safely across or around Towns End Corner. 25 E.li. �--. Printing I & J Watton 1194 Tel. Norwich 871998 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Reepham Society Newsletters Description An account of the resource A comprehensive collection of newsletters published by the Reepham Society. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Printed and digital Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GB/REE/RS/Magazines Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1983-2000 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Reepham Society Text-digital Any text item for which there is no previously existing hard copy in the Archive. The text can be stored on CD, DVD, memory card, USB stick, on hard drive or 'cloud'. It may have been sent electronically to the Archive or it may be a text owned by someone else which we have scanned or photographed. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Reepham Society Magazine 1994 Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GB/REE/2408201705 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource A4 PDF, 28 pages Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1994 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Scanned by Geoff Fisher Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Reepham Society Reepham Society https://reephamarchive.co.uk/omeka/files/original/02e4210ec832ae1d495ab1555d02f8b8.pdf bc7c698110db97034cc2afc000cc1bfb PDF Text Text THE REEPHAM SOCIETY Magazine �, .It ItAJ1!~~~.J.llAltlW· ~dh OUI!... &, CO· Ii"O~, M,E:;,RCl;liAJlIi1;'S, Partners: E. GIBBS, M. GIBBS (Min) This copy of Edward Gibbs and Son invoice heading cannot be appreciated as a black and wh ite copy, It is a wonderful mixture of red, blue and green - few letter or invoice headings today meet this artie tic standard ~ Contents Marjorie Gibbs 1899 ·1992 1 2 Edward Gibbs and Son George William Reeve 8 Reepham Market Place 1902 ·1920 11 The Stately Homes of Reepham 19 The Ollands Estate 20 The Moor House 24 design; ensuring that materials suitable to their location are used and features of the landscape protected. Society affairs are managed by an Executive Committee of twelve members who are elected annually. In 1992 membership of the Society had reached over 400. Open meetings are held in eight months of the year, with speakers on a wide range of subjectsj non-members are welcome. A Magazine is produced periodically (at least once a year) by a Society member, Michael Black; this has customarily contained items of historic rather than current interest; current matters are reported in occasional Newsletters distributed to all members. THE REEPHAM SOCIETY is a local amenity society affiliated to the Council for the Protection of Rural England and its County Branch, The Norfolk Society. It was Inaugurated in 1975 by a group of local residents who were concerned that the character of the town wes under threat. They were worried about the possible loss of features of historic or public interest and the risks from over-development unsympathetic to this rual environment. The Society's area of influence covers Reepham, Booton, Hackford, Kerdl.ton, Salle and Whitwell. The Society c<>-operates with the Parish and District Councils in monitoring approved new developments Bnd encouraging good standards of archi tectural II �of silence, of d us t y roads rutted by horses Hmi cartwheels, a countryside innoce nt of oi l and petrol. A youth spent in the slow a nd ti meless years leading up to the Firs t World War a nd in a sma ll !lHl rl-: ct town which was the central po int of business for the surrounding a rea. A tim e when work was hard a nd long and when many weeks of end less work were intermittently broken on ly by the hi g h days and holidays that the town organised and enjo yed. A t this Vi sit, which so unfortunately turned out to be my last, s he recalled th e Black Diamonds and partic ularly the fe te in the summe r of 1912 at which the troupe gave their firs t and possib ly t heir bes tloved performance. Her memo ry brought back de tails of that day nea rly 80 years ago as thoug h she remembered it from yesterday. How a t 12 vears of age she had helped with the refres hm e nts and how her fathel' had a ll owed her to stay up late and go back for t he eve ning ente r tainment. Marjorie spoke of the fri e nds s he m.::t a nd with whom she enjoyed herself, and her recoll ections of that day vividly descri bed an era of Heepham!s hi s tory that is long past and sadly no lon ge r in the recall of most lo cal people. Marjorie Giobs 1899 1992 MARJORIE GIB BS was a founder and life member of the Reepha m Society and in my earl y days as maga zine secretary she contac t ed me and offered me assistance with whatever de t a il she could supply in connection with prospective articles about Reepham. In recent yea r s I had made a number of vi si t s to in of so Marjorie and had spent many interes ted hours her sitti ng room, listening, discussing and learning the minuti a of Reepham detail that her memory prodigiously recalled. One afternoon in the early s ummer of 199 2 I went to see Marjorie at The Laurels, her home in De reham Road , Reepham as I wanted s ome add itional information about the Black Diamonds, 8 local minstrel troupe which performed in Reepham in the years just before and after the Fi rst World War - a troupe which included her father, who was a founder and subsequently a lead in g member. As usual we sa t a nd talked in her si tting room , a room that could recall a famil y's history and even ts that reflected the past century, a room th at breathed memories and nostalgia. Here was the burea u that Marjorie so often went to, to find some item that contributed to her particular topic of conversa tion. Pho t ographs of her father and his business, old ac count books that clarified a point, somewhere one of the drawers held 'the bones! that her father fashioned and then used when he was one of the four corner men in the Black Diamonds. Her fath e r, Edwa rd Gibbs, who figured greatly for many years in the business, parochial and religious life in Reepham and many words must have passed between the members of his fa mily as to how the town would organise, cope with and enjoy Coronations, Jubilees and other celebrat ions and how the families in this close rural area would cope wit h the tragic unfurling of events of both world wars, particularly the First whi c h was to t a ke the lives of so many young men of the area, many of whom Marjorie know a nd whose names she could so easily recall. Disasters, happin ess, grief and joy - this room could recall them all; the pictures, the carpets, the furniture, some of it decades old, was seeping with this memory. Its very presence recalled clearly to Marjorie her life; a life synonymo us with Reepham. Her childhood spent in Reepham when this area of North Norfolk was still decid edly rural - a ruralness 0603 870939 IVli ddlemarch Broomhi ll La ne Heepham MANY times Marjorie put her memories into the written word wi th articles in local publi cations, ea rn estl y refl ecti ng the oral hi s t or y t hat on ma ny occasions I was pri vileged to enjoy. It is ironic that thi s latest Re epham Society publication contains three ar ti cles which refle c t the abilit y and detail that Marjori e could offer; their in clusion was plann ed long before he r death a nd I ha ve no hesitation in ded icating them to her memo ry. She had a great love for Reepilam , its hi story and its inh ab itants and the town has lost a de a r friend with he r passing; ma y Ma rjorie Gibbs lon g a nd fondly remain in its memory. Michael Black 1 �Edward Gibbs Senior took an active part in the business until he was ninety-four, and he then maintained a daily interest almost until his death in December 1959 at the age of ninety-nine. Edware Gibbs Junior started to work for his fat her immediately after leaving school, and only service in the First World War intervened. A motor cycle accident in 1915 robbed him of his sight but he still carried on working in the shop. At the age of seven tyfour (in 1966) Edward Gibbs Jun ior decided to retire together with his sister, Marjorie, al though bo th r egarded the closing of the business as a I1matter of real regret Ti • Mr Gibbs, after 60 years in the business, decided to retire for two reas ons - firstly, because he wanted t o; and se condly, because of a declining trade. The days of horses in farm work had long since departed; he stocked the equipment the y needed for which there was no longer a demand. It was decided in 1966 to try and sell the business as a going concern but unfortunately the firm was unable to find a buyer. Early in 1967 the stock was Edward Gibbs and Son EDWARD GrESS AND SON, lron mon gers and Seed 1\1erchants, became an institution in Reepham and their shop and general agricultural services to the farming fraternity in and around Reepham is still remembe red with fondness today by many people even though their shop closed many years ago. It was said that the Gibbs! business was famous for two things; firstly , its picturesque premises and the excellent service it gave, and secondly, the late Mr Edward Gibbs, who attended the business daily until he was nine ty- eight. March, 1881. Dear Sir, We beg to infOlID YOIl that we hu.'e cal·dully The premises were large, with many warehouses; each one assigned to one section of the various goods stocked. Two years after Edward Gibbs took over the original business, the grocers shop adjoining became vacant and this was added to the existing s ho(?; There was a dwelling house attached which was enlarged in 1904 to assist with the ex(?ansion of the business. Behind the front buildings there was a· courtyard surrounded by the warehouses and other buildings which made up the complex which for the next 60 years was to become such a vital and ,"veIl respected part of business life in Reepham. It is said that there were ironmongers on this site long before the business was bought by Gibbs, but the exact date of the foundation of this business is not known but in t he churchyard is a tombstone inscribed lIW illiam Samuel George, ironmonger of this parish who died at the age of 69 years in 180 21!. The Geor ge fam ily ran the business until it was purchased by a f ir m called Sand S W Leeds in th e early 1870s who ran it until 1888 when Mr Edward Gibbs took it over. Edward Gibbs was born in 1860 the son of a farmer; he always wanted to be a farmer but during the 1870s farming was in a bad way so he applied for an aprr~nticeship with James Cooper and Son, iron mongers of East Dereham. He was accepted at a premium of £~:O and se rved his five years starting at 2s 6d a week. He stayed with them until 1887 and when he left his weekly wages had been raised to 305. On 11th October 1888 he took over the business of S and S W Leeds and a week after he was married at St Marts Church, Hickling. His two children subsequently became partners; his son Edward in 1920 and in about 1957 his daugher Marjorie took an active partnership. ,;elected , and can now offer GENUINE E1'WLISn (nOME ~l varifliy of OOOWN) AND FOREIGN ~e£~5, $gtimIfuntl which we highly r ccolllU!:wl fur cluulllino.i3, r3.r;) quali ty and reasonable prir:.:s. ,Ve have al so Borne good SEED O.-i.TS, glOwn ill this parish_ MANGOLD, SWEDE and TURNIP SEED at lowest pricCl.!. Your ki nd fuvours are r espectrully salicit(!J by, and 61.uill receive the llroInpt atteluion of Yuur oucdiC:Ilt Sin-vallts, p 8r p. 'f. CO RN, POLLARD, MEAL, ~EEDS, &c. TILES, 1'_1 VEJIESTS ..LVD D!ULV PIFH;-;. AGENTS FOR AGRICULTURAL MACHJNERY~ S & S W Leeds ran the business until it was purchased by Edward Gibbs in 1888. This is a card presented to local farmers by this firm. Such r'epresentations today would be hard to find. 2 �there is little demand for paraffin. It is a similar story for the seed merchants. There are no horses needing hay and so there is no call for hay seed. Bullocks are no longer fattened in yards and so farmers do not grow swedes and mangolds. Much as the passing of these traditional trades may be regrett ed, change is inevitable. lronmongery is just one of the many trades that once flourished in Heepham and is now gone. In 50 years tim e will the comp ut ers that now fill the shop premises of Edward Gibbs evoke as much nostalgia as does the smell of linseed oil and the sight of hazy sunshine pouring through the mixing of clover, rape and trefoil seeds! The closure prompted the following a rticle by Cyril Jolly which appeared in the Eastern Dail y Press in April 1969. Thomas Piercy (on the left) and Edward Gibbs, Senior mixing seer! in the Seed Room The Shop That Mirrored 200 Years of Change The Norfolk Ironmonger's Shop now closed after 200 years of trading revealed on its shelves two centuries of social history and change There are more interesting ways of studying social history than in books. The closing of an iron monger's shop, after two hundred years of trading, has shown me in a fascinating way how the tides of cha nge have ebbed and flowed over rural life. Changes in lighting, cooking, travel, farming, sport and craftsmanship - revealed by goods on the shelves of a picturesque 18th century premises making a corner of Reepham's Market Square. discounted by 5% and this discounting cont inued for the next three months reaching 20% before an auction was held in April 1967 in Irelands saleroom in Reepham (now the site of the car park in Station Road) when the remaining items were sold off. The old fashioned ironmonger's shop is now a thing of the past. Those that have survived have adapted their methods and their stock to meet tOOay's requirements. With no horses on farms there are no blacksmiths requiring iron for horse-shoes and wagon tyres. Nobody has oil lamps any more and This picture was taken in the 1890's a few years after the business was purchased by Edward Gibbs 3 �Edward Gibbs, Senior with 'Monarch' - the horse was stabled at the rear of the premises, the area now known as Merchants Yard. TIThe Square has its own charm, with thatched and Georgian houses, Flemish and crow- step gables, and two parish churches enclosed by the winding wall of one churchyard. The ironmongery is itself a little kingdom, with two double- fronted shops, attics, cellars and a neighbourly medley of store-rooms and granary. Beneath four panes of 'bulls-eye' glass I entered the main shop, which resembled Hampton Court maze with its passages and stairs. One stairway beneath the main counter led to a cellar. I bent double under the counter to enter this Ali Baba's cavern. Instead of oil jars 1 found two large tanks, one for linseed oil and the other for lard oil. The spillings of generations mixed with sawdust caked the floor, and wall racks held paint, turpentine, black harness oil, and preparations only old tradesmen would recognise. A dozen smells also competed for recgonition; linseed oil won easily. In an attic, beneath adze-trimmed beams, were scores of parcels that had slept snug on their dusty shelves for a century. They contained nails (mostly hand-made); nails for carpenters, builders, wagon wheel tyres and strakes; nails for shoeing horses and the bullocks that once worked ploughs· frost nails and caulking nails. Here I tried out a machine that might have eased the drudgery of knife cleaning fifty years ago. 'Tortoise' stoves elbowed door furniture into a corner, some would have graced a mansion and some a coal shed. A tub of gum arabic (used for starching shirt fronts in Edwardian times), scythe blades and plough blades, put back the clock half a century. Climbing up cobwebby stairs to the seed warehouse, I skirted bins labelled clover, rape, trefoil and saw a set of seed riddles and a set of measures made in Dereham by Bradley and Utting and a flailing stool. The operator sat on one end, laid the corn on the other and beat it with a swipe of a hand flail. In the yard was a gunpowder magazine for cartridges were made here. A hundred cases were set up in a frame, filled with powder,shot and waddinp; and the ends rolled in with a treadle machine - now only fit for the scrap heap. The proprietors, Mr E Gibbs and his sister, showed me the main shed with its countless drawers each bearing a sample of the contents nailed to the fron t. What a cavalcade of village life they represented. There were brass plug-taps for wine barrels of halls or public houses, (some had a locking device - and probably needed it). Cattle clippers, pig and bull rings, 'humbugs' for putting in the nostrils of cows when giving a medicinal drink, cheese wire; a key for fitting skates and ancient brass gear for shutters and blinds. Some peculiar needles puzzled me - they were larding needles used to pierce meat on a spit and draw off the grease into a larding tray; I handled lamp glasses of all shapes and curious tools for many crafts made in an age when wearing value mattered more than a glossy finish. In the office was a 'wheelers' round', used by wheelwrights to measure iron for re-tyring cart wheels, and well-thumbed price books going back to Victoria's golden reign, listing nails at IOs.6d. a cwt., a bass broom at two pence, and copper sheet at fifteen pence a pound. My brow furrowed as I picked up a swan-necked object - a stand for goffering irons! There was an ancient machine with a turntable for sharpening horse-clipper blades; unopened boxes of candle snuffers; a whip shOCKer tina unaressed leather for pump clacks. Miss Gibbs recalled, as a girl, selling 'penn'orths' of red ochre for smartening doorsteps, and 'penn'orths' of black gunpowder for cleaning out oven and copper flues. Had I known, in my boyhood, what fun I would have had with mother's wall oven! As a lad, Mr Gibbs first had to collect a fris ky pony from the meadow and then had to take down sixteen shutters for the shop to open at 7 a.m. It closed at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m . on Saturdays. Thursday was halfday - it closed at 4 p.m.! He also remembered a tub containing macassa oil which his father boiled 4 �with beeswax and oil of lavender to make a hair pomade. We looked in vain for some needles used to make up straw and oat flight mattresses. Tu.rning out more drawers we conjectured on the use of 'Rotten Stone' powder, and green copperas (was it used to prevent lime rUbbing off walls'?). There were dozens of other objects, once in common use, now museum pieces. They were facets of bygone rural life; peepholes on to a half-forgotten yesterday. In fact, beneath the many- angled roofs was two hundred years of social history, told in oil lamps, flat irons, tarred twine - and, 1 suppose, 'Rotten Stone'. After Cyril Jolly's article appeared in the Eastern Daily Press, Mr Gibbs received a letter from a reader in Gislingham, Suffolk who had read about the closure but he wondered if it was possible for him to obtain "a pound or so of the 'rotten stone' powder" which so intriqued Mr Jolly. It seems that this powder mixed with certain acids and oils offered the best means of restoring the lustre to ancient copper. The reader had tried with a number of iron mongers and chemists to find some, but to no avail. Miss Gibbs was able to supply the reader with some of the 'rotten stone' and he was able to clean some pieces of antique copper which until then had resisted all the orthodox methods of cleaning. Thomas Piercy worked for Edward Gibbs and Son for more than 50 yea rs and any article which refers to the history of this firm would not be complete without a mention of his time with them. Thomas Piercy was born in 1861 and lived with his parents at Thorney Farm, I<erdiston where hi s father was stewa rd. After leaving school at fourteen he worked on the farm with his father but in 187V he decided that he did not much care for farm work and went to work for Wand S W Leeds the ironmongers and seed merchants. He was employed as a carter at fifteen shillings per week (75p). The two Leeds', uncl e and nephew were both named Stephen, (not to be confused with the Whitwell tanner who was another Stephen Leeds). The elder Leeds' lived at the shop and the younger at Church Hill in the house now occupied by Mr and Mrs Uells. After working for the Leeds' for some years Thomas decided to join the Metropolitan Police but when the Leeds' heard of this they promptly revised hi s wages to one pound per week , quite a good wage a cent ury ago and enough to make him change hi s mind about the police force. The business was sold to Mr E Gibbs in 1888. The elder Mrs Leeds (now a widow) moved from the shop and went to li ve with the other (and younger) The business premises had been enlarged in 1904 and IIOW occupied the whole of the frontage which is contained toda;'1 between Towns End Corner and the former Barclays Ran/>. Apparently the array of hardwood and ironmongery was brought out every morning and taken in again at the enr/ of each day. This shows the premises in the late 1930s 5 �· . with 'Monarch' ready for the day's deliveries. During the First World lVar the Honourable Artillery Company was Reepham based and 'Monarch' had to share his stable with two of their horses. I The lale 1950s ... and Horses 6 �Mrs Leeds at Church Hill. When Mr Gibbs purchased and took over the ironmongers business he lacked experience in the seed trade. Thomas Piercy knew both sides pretty well a nd initially Mr Gibbs depended on his knowledge of the seed side of the business. His eldest son, Fred was taken on to learn the trade of ironmongery from Mr Gibbs, but tragicall y he was killed in an accident in the shop in 1904 aged fo urteen. His place was taken by another son, Wilfrid who se rved for a time and then went to work for a Norwich ironmonger. He was killed in action in France in 1916. Thomas Piercy became a pensione r in 1920 but still went to the shop on a part time basis. When he died in 1930 he had worked fo r more than fifty years in employment with Edward Gibbs and Son. His g randson, Wesley Piercy who lives in Reepham, recalls hi s childhood when as a small boy he would freq uently visit the premises with his grandfather. Whilst a n ironmongers and seed merchants shop may not have been deemed the most interesting of places Wesley always found it fascinating. liThe shop itself had stairs under the counter leadi ng down to a mysterious cellar a nd other stai rs to room s above. Throughout the e ntire pre mi ses there was a indescribable smell of turpentine, lard oil, linseed oil and the smell of a dozen other substances. "Across the yard was the seed room. This was reached by ascending a winding st a ircase to the top flool', at the far end there was a low door wit h MIND YOUR HEAD a sign stating 'Mind Your Head'. Here the various grass and clover seeds were mixed, these would be sown with barley and when grown would be cut for hay. IIOccasionally, I was allowed to accompany my grandfather with the horse and cart delivering bars of iron to blacksmiths in the surroWlding district. One of these was Hardiments of Kerdiston which was where the horse went to be shod. Another was Millets whose smithy was on t he main road to Sparham, in those days the road was often referred to as the turnpike. The most exciting trip was to Barrets at Lyng. In those days this invol ved going t hrough the river. This was in the early 1920s when the present bridge had not been built. TTl also remember goi ng to Weston House, Weston Longville and Heydon Hall to deliver paraffin. I believe these trips for me came to an end when Mr Gibbs replaced the horse and cart with a Ford lorry. Thi s was driven by a man named Henry Rose; my grandfather never learned to drive". On twenty years and wares are no longer displayed in such volume outside the shop. The virginia creeper has by this time nearly covered the whole fron tage . . The premises in the 1950s 7 �George William Reeve The Reeve family circa 1900 at Booton. George is next to his mother, and the other boy is Walter who lived at Hackford Vale and for many years ran a carrier business. He was also a J P and served on the local bench. In the centre is Violet (now Mrs Muddle), in 1984 at the age of 96 she drove up from her home in Kent to visit George. GEORGE REEVE died in May 1984, aged 94, after a very active and eventful life; his return to this area in the late 1940s quickly earned him the apt description of r village lad made good '. He was born in Bawdeswell where his parents kept a public house, in Decpmuer 1890 but after about three years the family moved to a house in Booton Street. He started his education at Booton School, but for some reason he couldn't settle down and it seems that the remainder of his schooling took place a t Lyng where he went to live with his grandmother. An early job, possibly during the school holidays or shortly after he left school was as 'odd job boy' at the Moor House. One task was attending to the pumping of water to a tank situated at the top of the House by a mule driving a pump in the garden. The clearance of undergrowth at the Moor House in the last year or so has uncovered this old pump situated in the corner near The Moor turning, off the Norwich Road; the remains of the machinery are clearly visible to passers by. Little is known about the next few years but in his later teens he worked in London for a corn merchant and even managed to purchase a car, quite an achievement around H:I08, although on his own admission he "had to run it mainly on paraffin to keep expenses down!". While in London he became friendly with some American students who apparently spoke highly of prospects in the United States so George decided to go with them when they returned to their homeland, selling his car to pay for his passage, but being completely broke on arrival. 8 �Throughout his life George short period he enjoyed remarkable employment success, rising to the position of Chief Jnspector by 1918. One of his most treasure red possessions was a silver cup presented to him in 1918 at a dinner given in his honour by his own staff; it was inscribed 'as a token of esteem by his Inspectors and Checkers'. This dinner and presentation was recorded in the local paper at the time - would always find a use for his undoubted talents and making use of his motoring experience he obtained employment as a chauffeur with 8 well-to-do American family. Around 1914 he obtained a job with a Government .. construction firm in Washington (New Jersey) which with the outbreak of war in Europe became engaged almost totally in producing war supplies. He was there for just a few years and during this relatively WASHINGTON PARK (N J) GOVERNMENT MAN HONOURED 18 May 1918 of 35 men inspectors and A party Woodbury and vicinity checkers from t Thursday night gave a theatre per y . ch i et Mr in Phi liadelphia to their George W. Reeve the entlemen were After the theat~e I er ' sg magn i t I cent escorted to rug loaded tab 1 e banquet ha I I where a we lI t of the . ded for aI I the wan s provi inner man. after -dinn e r speec~es Many p l easant W J Cha rlton acting were made. Mr as toastmaster. After the war there was a decline in the type of work that he had been involved with during the past few years and he decided he wanted to make his way so he traded on his own in the business of removals; he built this up and for a number of years was successful and em ployed several drivers to carry out the work. The large influx of immigrants to the USA in the early post- war years meant there was a considerable transient population at this t i me Co Bobb i e Nash of Bill y Watson t •• :~: . at the Casino Thea re, plaYing t and pleased the an honoured gues dotes and stor ies. boys with many anec . d d at the piano I Hill pres! e I' te touch brought Mr Ch ar es. d with hiS de Ica . b an . that i nsp I red the oys forth me I od I es t O u r i n9 the even i n9 p to do the two- s e • h If ot his fel l ow C P Budd on b e a Cap t • d an i nscr i bed cup employees presente ded with a few to Mr Reeve WhO re sPhC:art i I y thank i ng d well-chosen war. s'\ alty and support . everyone tor their oy and George's decision to be his own boss was more then justified. Information about the next few years is hazy. These were the years of the Wall Street crash a nd the Depression which hit America so hard and then spread over most of the major manufacturing countri e~ of the world. During the mid/late 19205 George had some connection with the manufacture and selling of oil burner stoves with the trade name of 'Islander'. 9 �within a f~w years had developed the garden; pedestrians along the Booton end of the Norwich Road were well rewarded as they glanced through the open gateway with a vista of well laid-out flower beds and quasi natural shrubberies. He estahlished a tyre business in a separate building which was situated just inside the gateway and he carried on with this until the mid-1960s although one of the large metal signs remained visible to passers-by until the house was sold. On the domestic side of his life it appears tha t George at some time married a British girl who joined him in America but could not settle to the life there. She returned to this country and they were subsequently divorced; there was one son from the marriage. George later married an American girl and his son from that marriage is still in America. It seems that this marriage was over before he came back to this country in 1936. During the last 10 years of his life George's health declined and he received devoted care from his housekeeper, Mrs Betts, who gave much assistance in the original compiling of the notes that led to this article. For many years there was an ironwork seat which stood on the Moor Corner looking up the Norwich Road towards Booton Street. George placed it there and cemented it in when he heard that the authorities were planning to widen the road by taking in the wide green verge, which he claimed belonged to him. At that time the road was not widened and the seat remained. A number of years later (and after George had died) it was widened and the seat was moved to the opposite side of the road. Sadly little remains to-day of the items that George so profoundly stamped on this corner of Reepham. The house has been replaced and his garden and shubberies were swiftly and sadly removed by mechanical digger. The outbuildings, the metal advertising signs and the ironwork seat are now gone. It is ironic that the only thing that George would recognise to-day is the remains of the muledriven pump in the corner of the Moor House grounds - the one item that was there before all the others! It is not known whether George dealt with the 'Islander' as a sideline to his removal business, whether the manufacture a:nd selling was carried out under licence or whether George actually invented the stove. After a gap of nearly 30 years George returned to England in July 1936 but, as he had acquired American citizenship in the previous years, he was only allowed an Alien Permit to land for six months and with no authority to find or enter into any employment. After a few months he returned to America but came back in 1939 with permission to stay for twelve months. For a time he stayed with his sister, Mrs Muddle, at Lyng and for some time at his parents' house at Booton. In 1940 he stayed at a Hotel in Thetford J which seems to have had something to do with the restrictions on his activities as he was still classified as an alien. He had by then managed to acquire another car and, according to an entry in his passport, was officially 'allowed to use his car in connection with his business', whatever that was at the time. In February 1941 he was exempted from the 'Alien Restriction Order' on such occasions as when called upon for Ambulance Duties, and unconditionally exempted in October 1941. Soon after the end of the war he started building a house on the Norwich Road/Moor Corner in Reepham. This was a house with a character entirely of its own, and built in the American style with a big basement and an off-the-ground verandah which went all round the building. George made the hollow concrete blocks for the walls and he also made individually the concrete and sand red tiles. The house was centrally heated with an automatic burner using diesel oil which was thermostatically controlled with the main unit situated in the basement. In 1946 such a unit in a house in this country was indeed unusual, but his years' manufuacturing the 'Islander' obviously played a great part in the innovation. The unit provided heating for the whole house as well as producing the domestic hot water. George moved into this house, always known as 'New House', Norwich Road thereafter, in 1946 and The 'New House' shortly before it was sold in the late 1980s 10 �Reepham Market Place 1902 1920 The story of Reepham Market Place in the early years of the century as seen by the eyes of a child REEPHAM, having a cattle market, liked to term itself 8 Town. The centre of that Town was indeed the Market Place and so it was the vital centre and always referred to as 'The Town'. Even today the older generation will remark that they are going in to 'the town' to shop, or across 'the town ' if proceeding further or even meeting someone in 'the townl. It has many nostalgic memories for me - indeed I have a very affectionate regard for it. It was the centre of most activities, since the Parish Council (of Hackford only in those days) consisted mostly of residents of the Market Place. It had street lamps of a kind, about four lanterns attached by iron brackets to the walls in various dark corners. These contained oil lamps complete with chimneys and a lamp lighter was employed by the Council. He was responsible · for kee ping the lamps filled, trimmed and he lighted and extinguished them at the appropriate times. They were not used at all during the su mmer months. The only lamp lighter I can remember is rvt r James \\Iasey. Du rin g the First World War the lamps were not lit at all a nd in the dark winter evenings I used to walk to Guides with 8 cycle oil lamp. The social life of the Market Place was al most a community in itself. Messrs Austin (butcher), Fisher (grocer and draper), Hall (saddler and harnessmaker), Peck (general stores), Cocking (shoe sales and repairs), Riches (high class grocer) and Gibbs (iron monger and seed merchant) all had premises in the Ma rket Place. They were all members of the Parish Co uncil and most of them served on various committees that were formed from time to tim e. One of the highlights of the year was the Fair on June 29th and I can remember th e excitement of us youngsters when the Market Place was invaded by vans, roundabouts, coconut shies, shooting galleries and stalls selling home-made rock of many flavours and much stickiness. They usually stayed for a week to the delight of the younger generation, although the adults were glad when they left owing to the noise and ma ny other inconveniences. Stalls were gay and li ghted by paraffin flares. The majestic engine with its sh ining brasswork was adm ired and wondered at by everybod y as it prov ided the power Probably taken in the 1890s - showing the original roof line of Hall's shop (the Saddler and Harness maker) 11 �for wages, and do most of their farm shopping at the local iron monger's and agricultural engineer's. If the sale yard was too full, calves and sheep would be kept there until such time as there was roo m in the saleground. The market place was the central meeting place of everyone. On Sundays the Salvation Army band would hold services in the Market Place afternoon and evening. The band was very good in those days. Two Arm y officers were in charge and the Army had a good cause here. I would always run to the window to see them march by as they paraded to the barracks in Norwich Road via the Back Street - that is, if I was not in Sunday School in the afternoon. The market place set the scene for another 'once a year' occBsion. The Oddfellows held a district church parade, usually on Whit Sunday evening, when men, and in some cases their wives, came in from various lodges, arriving by wagonette, horse brake, horses and traps or bicycle. The men met at 6pm on the market place, looking very impressive in their various coloured sashes, and following a very imposing banner bearing the symbols of the Oddfellows, they would march to church via Back Street. In tnose days the chUrches were not amalgamated, and I think the Oddfellows' service was held alternatively in St Mary's and St Michael's. After the service they would again parade with th e band (usually the Dereham Volunteers' Band, proceeding along Norwich Road, Reepham Moor, and Cabbage Court (now New Road) to Station Plain and back to run the roundabout, the organ with its repertoire of tunes and current for the lighting system. The organ was also a strain on the pockets of the youngsters for pennies, which often had to be supplemented by a visit to their parents two or three times during the evening! The vans were drawn up side by side on the King's Arms plain facing the road and the horses were put to grass on the meadow. We used to visit the 'Fair people' and take them fruit and vegetables, since my mother always remarked "Poor things, they have no gardens!!. One family came year after year and we would be asked in to the van, so spotlessly clean - a wonderful house on wheels and 1 wished I lived in it! People would throng in from the surrounding villages and make it a real frolic. I was told to be home by 9pm for bed, but I would lie awake listening to the organ playing its repertoire of the topical tunes of the day and waiting for God Save the King at llpm. Disturbing the quiet of the week, each Wednesday saw scenes of much activity when market day arrived. Farmers drOve in with their horses and traps, the la tter of various shapes and sizes. The horses were taken out of the shafts and stabled at the King's Arms or The Sun, though some pi'eferred the lesser hostelries such as the Lord Nelson, The Greyhound, Duke of York or George Bnd Dragon. The carts were parked on the Market Place or in the yards of the selected stabling. Farmers used to congregate to talk to each other and exchange views and farm gossip, bargain with the merchants to sell their corn, or go to the bank 12 ., �often awakened by the arrival of the mail cart and its noisy driver. The cart was like an ordinary heavy trap, with a covered-in portion behind for the bags of mail, and was red. The horse was given a nose bag while the driver knocked up the post master. He came every day including Sunday. A t the turn of the century the cottage which is now situated next to Ewings the Estate Agent, was the Parish Reading Room. This was run by a committee most of whom were parish councillors, with Doctor E V Perry as Chairman. Downstairs was a public room with daily newpapers and a number of period icals such as 'Tit- Bits', 'Pearson's WeeklyT and 'Exchange and Mart'. A number of monthly magazines were ava ilable along with the 'Illustrated London News' and 'Punch'. Upstairs was a library which consisted mainly of second- hand books which had been collected from various sources over the years. There was another larger room upstairs which contained a full-sized billiard table; this was mainly patronised by the younger men and boys while their more sedate elders read the papers and smoked in comparative peace downstairs. In 1911 Mr Sam Bircham leased part of Hackford House to the Reading Room committee and all the papers, books, furniture and equipment including the billiard table were removed to these much more suitable premi$es. The old reading room remained empty until the war when it was used as a billet by soldiers based in Reepham. During the War the Town Hall (known in those days as the Old School) was used as a Red Cross to the Market Place via Station Hoad, collecting money en route. They would then disband and repair to either the King's Arms or The Sun to 'whet their whistles'. As a child this was a highlight and my mother would entertain one or two the the wives during the parade and we would keep open house with coffee and cakes for anyone my father or my brother brought in afterwards. It was a 'treat' for me to be allowed to stay up to watch the parade after church. 1 cannot recall the Coronation of Edward VII but to celebrate this 1 believe marquees were erected on the market place and the whole village attended a feast of cold salt beef and pickles (I don't think salads were so f ashionable then), with plum pudding t o follow. As a souvenir every child was given an enamel mug bearing the picture of King Edward and Queen Alexandra. Another feature of life in the market place during t he winter months was the weekly dancing class held ' in the King's Arms club room. I envied my sister and brother who were old enough to attend this very popular pastime. Mosf of the young ladies and young farmers from the district attended (even Mr Peck, though not so young!). The culmination of all this was the annual dance, held in the same place. Miss Boon supplied most of the music on the piano and the dance usually finished by midnight. The King's Ar ms had a flourishing Bowls Club, well supported by the market place residents. Anot her daily event in the the market place comes to my mind. At 6am the people living there were 13 �• '. . r, .~ '" - r, , ~ .. ..-, • REEPHAM MARKET PLACE. SOUTH -" ~..".,q. ~ L:..:2:~:.£~;j,;~~~~~~~~~~~~~~: ~'J. REEPHAM MARKET PLACE BEFORE THE FIRST WORLD WAR 14 �RE £PI-iAM MARKET PLACE , EAST, --~--------~-. - - note some of the businesses remembered by Marjorie Gibbs: Austins, Fisher, Hall, Peck and of course E. Gibbs 15 �• 'The Black Diamonds' in their make -up and finery ready for a performance hospital run by Lady Grace Parry, who headed a team of nurses who lived at Hackford House; with so many young men away the facilities offered by the billiards room were used by convalescing soliders as part of t heir recreational facilities. In 1919 I\-:r Bircham gave Hackford House to the parish as a war memorial and it was re-named The Bircham Insti t ute (now The Bircham Centre). Musically the residents of the Market Place could be an entertainment in themselves. Mr Fisher was organist at the chapel, choirmaster and also conducted Glee Parties. Mr Cocking played the bass fiddle and trombone, Mr Juby the violin, Mr Edward Gibbs junior th e violin, piano or Bny other instrument he could find, and with residents from other parts of the town a string band was formed, not grand enough to be called an orchestra. Local concerts for various charities were given in the old school, Mr Peck singing in his light baritone voice, part-comic, part-sentimental songs that not always succeeded in being f unny. Miss Boon was a willing accompanist and would also sing well-known ballads of the day such as 'Dc)n' t Hurry' and 'The Song that reached my heart', ac companied on the piano by Miss Austin who lived next door and who was also pianist with the string band. Mr Austin had a rich tenor voice and could always be relied on to sing 'Nirvana' or 'Thora'. Mrs Wilton and lastly the Gibbs family would sometimes help. My father was ever popular with repeated rtaqu~sts for one of his six or seven humorous pattCl' songs, for some of which he had never seen the music and for which my brother would invent accompaniments. Since my father had a gift of wit and great humour he could always be relied on to make a racy speech of introduction or pass a vote of thanks. The elder daughter would recite and the son, with that rare gift of improvisation, would play the piano or organ and any instrument that he could find for his collection. He even invented an attachment tor the piano which was like organ pedals and produced music from bells, each pedal playing one bell. The younger daughter (myself) only came into the music picture about 1913 by playing accompaniments on the piano and piano solos, and even at an early age was in great demand to sing childish songs. Throughout the war she sang in concerts for the troops. Her voice was trained but she could never pursue a musical career as intended as with the shortage of manpower she had to leave Dereham High School and make a career in the family business instead. In 1910 with several 'outsiders r from other parts of the town and surrounding district the musical gentlemen of the market place formed a highly successful minstrel troupe, calling themselves 'The Black Diamonds'. Mr Le Neve, the relieving officer from Derehaffi Road, was interlocuter, the two cornermen were my father as Bones and Mr Sidney Eglington as Tambo. The assistant cornermen were Messrs Austin and Peck. They rehearsed in the club room and were in great demand as entertainers. The troupe had a strict code of dress, with coats of black sateen and red buttons, dark trousers with white shirts with small red bow ties' the two cornermen had cutaway evening coats, red waistcoats, very large bow ties and red stripes down their trousersj the two assistants had similar outfits but with small bow ties. Mr Neve, the interlocuter, sat in a high chair in the middle of the back of the stage and his task was to control the overall performance; with his exaggerated bow tie, evening coat with contrasting cuffs, button hole and a large watch chain across his waistcoat his imposing presence left the audience in no doubt as to who was in charge! The first major performance of the Black Diamonds was given at the fete held on 20 June 1912 at the Dereham Road home of Doctor E V Perry (now Eynsford Lodge). They had been practising hard for the previous year and had met twice a week and rehearsed in a barn a littlE: further along Dereham 16 �Road (now part of Tylers Mead). For their premiere a covered prosceni um was erected, t he String Band accompanied and t he performance, along with the rest of the fete, was a huge success. The stage was unique in those days in that it was lighted by electricity supplied through the gardens by land line from Mr John Dixon, who at the time had the cycle shop on the corner of Towns End. The arrangements for the fete were carried out by a committee consisting mainly of gentlemen fro m the market place, with their wives forming the tea committee. It commenced at 2pm and with the exceptionally fine weather throughout the afte rnoon and evening a large number of local people were attracted and stayed and enjoyed themselves. The first part of the afternoon's proceedings were taken up by the band (which had paraded from the ,\1arket Place) and a detachment from Watts Naval Home, North EI mham, who performed various military, musical and life saving drills~ After the boys had finished their performance they were provided with 8 substantial tea which was topped up with further li ght refreshments just before they left. By 7.1 5pm a large crowd had assembled to enjoy the first part of the eveni ng's entertainment, The Black Diamonds under the musical directorship of Mr George Storey, who was also the bandmaster of Reepham String Band. The troupe performed for more than two hours a nd their programme of songs and choruses, some serious others humorous, was well received and several well-deserved encores were given. As dusk descended the garden was illuminated with hundreds of fa iry lamps festooned along the paths and amongst t he trees and bushes. These lamps consisted of coloured glasses about the size of a la rge cup, each containing a nightlight, and were lit ready for th e String Band which played for dancing on the IDwn until well after llpm. The whole affair was a great success, not leas t finanCially, and the proceeds were devoted to thc Reepham and Hackford Nursing Fund. The friendl y market place t ook on a different aspect with the outbreak of war in 1914 a nd everything seemed changed. Market days still continued, but with less en thusiasm . Local men were eithe r called up or volunteered for the forces, and with the arrivDl of troops the market place became a parade ground. We had army personnel here throughout th e war, billeted in homes and various bu ildings. There was much excitement when the first troops arriv ed ill late 1915. These were the IN Company of the Honourable Artillery Corps. , well remember them arriving on horses with their equipment. We were awaked by the sound of reveille from the market place at 6.30am and it was also sounded from various other points in the town. During the day were heard 'Come to the cook-house door! and later, at sunset, the 'Last Post'. To the younger gene ration who did not realise the seriousness of war it was a th rilling sight to see t he Company on horseback lined up for inspection on the market place, probably before going around the country- side on manoeuv res, and many a child was late for school in consequence. This gI'OUp of 1916 - Marjorie Gibbs is taking the picture in the centre foreground 17 �peacetime soldiers who were called up at the outbreak of war were drawn from all quarters of city life in London - stockbrokers, solicitors, actors, musicians and all grades of professional life. It was Reepham's boast that it held a very special regiment. These men entered into the village life and were very welcome guests in man y homes. The officers' mess was at the Ollands and the NCO's and men were in billets. The horses were kept in various stables in the town and we had two, as well as our own horse, in ours. We had two sergeants billeted with us. One was a dentist from Hanover Square, London who by way of contrast was the Saddler Sergeant. The other sergeant was a highly qualified engineer and he was the Wheeler Sergeant, so he was more or less dealing with machinery. Although the sergeants' mess was at Brewmere, these two invariably had their evening meal with us and became part of our family. The very small artillery guns of the Ii.A.C. were kept and g uarded on the market place. One vivid memory of the H.A.C. is still very much imprinted on my mind. It was New Year's Eve. We had kept open house for most of the evening for coffee and drinks for several of the officers and men with whom we had become frie ndly. (There seemed to be a great camaraderie amongst these troops and the various ranks mingled with each other very freel y). Nearing midn ight everyone came out of their houses and a huge ring was formed entirely round the market place. Soldiers and civilians linked up, in rather a merry mood, and we all sang 'Auld Lang Syne' and 'Home Sweet Home'. For a very young teenager, taken care of by one of the sergean ts of the household, this was, as I have already said, an unforgettable experience. If the market place could feel it would have thrilled as it listened to about 150 folk of all ages singing the Old Year out and the New Year in. It was with much sorrow that we saw the H.A .C . depart for active service in the spring of 1916. The Middlesex Yeomanry with horses, followed during the ne xt winter and the year after that the Hampshire Yeomanry arrived on bicycles and then instead of the market place being a parade ground with horses, we saw bicycles lined up for inspection. By this time a small YMCA was functioning in the King's Arms club room. A succession of regiments followed a nd each one entered into the li fe of the village, although we did not have another New Year's Eve on the market place. During the war several of the market place gentlemen were special constables and would be on duty in pairs, working on a rota system . The young generation became adept at avoiding their respective fathers, not wishing to be caught wi th a special army friend. When peace was declared and Reepham was again without its troops it never seemed the same. The tone of the town had altered, some men did not return, some were crippled, some had been prisoners of war and we all felt war weary and in a much more thoughtful mood. However, the old market place itself never changed a nd it returned to its peaceful splendour and serenity, as it is to-day. EDITOR'S NOTE Most of this essay was originally written by Marjorie Gibbs as a contribution to a study of Reepham and the surrounding villages. Whilst the bulk of the original article has been used. I have included some additional material, particularly that relating to the Black Diamonds and the 1912 Garden Fete. The inclusion of this article and the proposed changes were agreed in principle by Marjorie a few weeks before her death. I feel sure that she would have approved of the final result and that she would want me to stress her original comment that any critical remarks were not meant to be unkind in any way, but were merely a child's impressions and thoughts, seen mostly from a humerous angle. Taken in the early 19005 it shows the ivy clad church of St Michael's 18 • • �The Stately Homes of Reepham O NE of the saddest aspects of change, particularly since the Second \Vorld War, has been the passing of the big houses in and around the Reepham area. Up to the 19208, Reepharn could point to a number of these modest rStately Homes of England 1 and all they meant to their local rural communities. Hackford House (now known as The Bircham Centre), si tuated in the Market Place is one such residence that is but a shell of its former opulence. The home of a branch of the Bircham family, it was given t o the town as a thank-offering for the peace which followed the 1914-18 war., to serve as an indoor rec reational centre know as The ilircharn Institute. Its many rooms provided accommodation for meetings, ?a rticularly to many local voluntary groups and club s; and this use continues today. It also offered facilities as consulting rooms for visiting Veterinary 19 Surgeons, a Dentist and on Market Days a room was regularly taken by a Chartered Accountant. Hackford Hall, the erstwhile seat of the Collyer family exercised a considerable influence for many years and although it underwent many vicissitudes after Brig-General J J Collyer left it in the 1930s it Was restored to its proper use as a residence and has remained so since. Whitwell Hall is another residence, that although still accessible in some ways to the people of Reepham, is no longer used for the purpose for which it was built. The last person to use it specifically as a family home, left in the mid-1930s and it stood em[Jty until 1938 when it became a school. The outbreak of the Second World War saw the early closure of the school and it was used during the next few years by the military who exacted their usual toll on the building. Set in parkland of some 40 acres it was farmed after 1945 by Mr A H Ivins and there was the introduction of using the premises for summer cam!;)s. This use, was most successful, as it still is today, and there are many children living near and afar who have fond memories of this building and its grounds. There are two other big houses which deserve mention and these are the subject of greater detail. One has been demolished, this was Reepham House formerly known as The Ollands, a charming residence that retained its character and use until the 1960s, and secondly, The Moor House, a residence remembered for its beautiful well laid out gardens and which, after many years of neglect has now been restored to an element of its former glory. The Norwich Road entrance to the O/lands Estate �The Ollands Estate THE area in Reepham that we know as Ollands Park and the adjoining area of Moor House Close (bounded William Bircham lived in the property until the estate and various other areas of land that he owned in Reepham were sold at auction in July 1883. The House would have become available for possession by the new owner at Michaelmas that year but there is doubt that William Bircham moved out after the sale. Kelly's Directory of 1885 lists the occupants of the I-louse as William and Henry Bircham (his son). The next owners were Mr and Mrs Kendrew who lived there from about 1890 onwards. In 1914 Alexander Kendrew died and although the House was still owned by Mrs l{endrew until her death in 1920, she did not live here during the Great War. by New Road) was formerly the Ollands Estate, this was an area of nearly.....19 acres of parkland, gardens and lawns overlooked by a mansion originally called 'The Ollands'. The Mansion was built in the Elizabethan Style by William Bircham Esquire in 1832 and at some substantial cost. The interior was adorned with superb oak carvings and was decorated and finished in an expensive manner which offered a high degree of refinement and taste for a moderately sized establishment. It was built with the main rooms facing to the southeast a nd during the early years the grounds were developed so that eventually the house stood surrounded by park-like lawns adorned with ornamental timber and enclosed by plantations of trees and shrubs. The House consisted of the following rooms: In the basement there were a number of arched ale and wine cellars. The ground floor had an entrance hall with inner glazed doors, a vestibule with doors leading into the garden, a drawing and dining rooms, study, back hall, housekeeper's room, butler's pantry, kitchen, cook's pantry and scullery. The main rooms were fitted with carved oak mantelpieces and all floors were paved with stone. The first floor was approached by a broad oak staircase which was lighted by a large fine stained glass window. There was a central boudoir, eight sleeping and dressing rooms and a bathroom (fitted with a bath and water closet). There was a second floor with four large bedrooms and a open landing. Outside there was a rear courtyard with a servants hall, knife and coal houses, larder, large bin and a force pump which filled the cistern at the top of the House. A House of this size had to have its own transport and this was accommodated with stabling situated around a paved courtyard, it comprised a double coach house, a stable with four stalls, another stable with three stalls and a box, all with lofts above, a harness room, a second smaller coach house and a range of outhouses. Nearby was a coachman's house built in the same style as the House. In the years after the House was built the gardens were developed and after a few years it was surrounded by flower gardens, a rosary, walled fruit garden, outside vegetable and fruit gardens and a n orchard, supported by tool and fruit houses. A large conservatory was built near the House, also there was a double vinery (70 feet long) complete with hot pipes and a heating room, mushroom house, melon yard, various pits, potting houses and a large soft water tank. • John Alexander Kendrew • Mary In 1916 the House is recorded as being unoccupied but records also show that it functioned as a Officer's Mess for certain periods during these dark years. In the early 1920's, Mr Edward Phillip Oppenheim lived here and it was known as 'Reepham House', 20 �Although now generally forgotten, E P Oppenheim was during this period a famous novelist who wrote about 150 books, mainly travel, in addition to many new spaper and magazine articles in this country and the USA. To avoid paying certain taxes he moved to the French Riviera in 1925 and his daughter and her husband, Mr and Mrs Ryder Smith, continued to live here until 1928. Certain local opinions in Reepham have expressed, in recent years, that the House was lived in during the 1920's by the more famous novelist, Henry Rider Haggard. This is now clearly accepted as being un true although there are a number of comparable points tha t led to the apparent acceptance of this error of me mory. They were both writing novels at the same time a nd were famous during the 1920s; both lived in Norfolk (Rider Haggard at Ditchingham) and they bot h abbreviated their christian name to the first lette r. Edward Oppenheim's daughter and son-in-law, Mr and Mrs Ryder-Smith , lived at The Ollands and the similarity of names (with Rider Haggard) probably, more than anything else, fostered this mistake. It is highly likely that the two authors were socially a cquainted and more than likely that Rider Haggard visited 'Ollands House' but he never actually lived t here. A few years of Mr Oppenheim's occupancy are s ti ll well remembered today by some of Reepham's residents. When Mr Oppenheim moved in he brought with him his own butler and a Chauffeur, recalls Wesley Piercy. The butler was a Mr London and he lived in the house (now known as Echo Lodge) which was originally built as the coachman's house. The Chauffeur, Mr Mair, lived in one of the pair of cottages in Norwich Road, opposite St Mary's 21 School. The other cottage was occupied by a gardener, Jimmy Smith and his wife Polly. Jimmy may hRve been a gardener but he also had a reputation as a Reepham character and one who was partial to more than the odd half a pint of beer, much to the chagrin of Polly who was always trying to alter his ways to those of a more temperate nature. The large field known as Mill Hill and now cove red by the Moor I-louse Close estate was part of The Ollands' grounds. It had been let by the Ken drews to a local farmer for use as arable land but j\l r Oppenheim stopped the letting and laid it down to grass. Two or three local boys li vin g in the New Road area went as a deputation and called on ~ lr Oppenheim to ask his permission for them to be allowed to play on the field. This was kindly granted on condition that they stayed out of the plantation areas. A splendid field on which to pJay foo tball or cricket after school was gained and at weekends the Band of Hope football team played their home matches there. On the fifth of November each year, on this field Mr Oppenheim provided a great firework display which was supervised by the butler and other members of the staff. There were enormous rockets and other fireworks f ar bigger and better than those that could be bought locally that enthralled the watChing crowds, particularly the youngsters who were given sparklers to hold in their hands. The fireworks stopped after Mr Oppenheim moved but use of the field continued until the property was sold, the kindness offered was greatLy appreciated and no-one ever abused the condition concerning entry to the plantations. When the House was sold to Mr Harmer he immediately banned everyone from the field and used it for exercising his two riding horses. �Marjorie Gibbs recalled the occasions that she met Mr Oppenheim; lithe first time, he came into the shop (the firm of Edward Gibbs and Son, tronmonger and Seed Merchants of Reepham which closed in 1967), he was wearing flannel trousers a blazer and a straw boater and walked about smoking a cigar; quite a personality and looked most elegant. liRe was a writer of mystery and detective novels and in those days he was widely read, he was probably as popular then as Agatha Christie is today. 11Th ere was a flourishing choral SOCiety in Reepham in the early 1920s and the twenty of so members would go carol singing at Christmastime. The first night we visited the large houses in the district having first acquainted them that we would be calling. On the second night we concentrated on various houses in Reepham finishing up at 'The Ollands'. I well remember one Christmas, I think it was 1923, we were ushered into the large entrance hall by the butler, Mr London. We were greeted by Mr and Mrs Ryder Smith who asked us to sing to them. We were then regaled with hot sausage rolls and mince pies together with liquid refreshments. I can well remember Mr Ryder Smith offering me a choice of whiskey, port, sherry or coffee, 1 very modestly chose the latter only to be admonished afterwards by my friends for not taking anything stronger whilst I had the chance. IIAt about 9.30pm Mr and Mrs Openheirn - the parents of Mrs Ryder Smith - came out from dinner (both in evening dress and he with the inevitable cigar) and they chatted with each of us; this was the second time I met Mr Oppenheim.!! The ownership passed to Mr and Mrs T CHarmer (the Norwich clothing manufacturer) who -lived there until 1950 when it was bought and lived in by Mr and Mrs F J Irwin until the late 1960s. After the lrwins left, the house remained empty. It became prone to vandals and its glory, particularly the gardens, began to fade. There was a demand at this time for residential building land and this large accessible area in the middle of Reepham was easy prey to the planners and developers. In the early 1970s the House was demolished and grandiose plans for an estate of large detached houses was commenced. A few houses we re built before the developers fell into financial difficulties and for some time the area of half constructed houses and piles of unused building materials gave the place • • a blighted air. The work was eventually resumed by other contractors and happily by the early 1980s the work was completed and the grounds of this former splendid mansion were allowed to settle to their new use. Many people in Heepham remember The Ollands with fondness and there are still some who can member the House in its heyday with its formal gardens, conservatory and paths wandering through the large number of mature trees. Very little remains today; Echo Lodge in Ollands Road, a few of the large trees are still there to remind us of the former grandeur and some of the road names will continue the memory of former residents of the House, notably Bircham Road and Irwin Close. I .uIo'''''"' , .,,, GG';;:;;' -·.-'C·..: , ' 9S 6 ," ' . .:>8J 22 �THE OLLANDS, HACKFORD··NE 23 �The Moor House In the late 1870s, William Bircham was forced to reconsider his financial position. With the encroachment of the railways, th e Bi rcham Brewery monopoly in this area was put under fierce competition, pa rti cula rly from th e Norw ich Breweries, and the family were in turn placed under severe financial pressure. In 1879 the Old Brewery House and various other lots in Reepham we re sold a t auction by Messrs Spelm an and Compa ny. The Old Brew ery House was bought by Samuel Bircham, who although a member of the Reepham Bircham family, was a successful sol ici tor who lived in Surrey a nd practised in London. It was ironic and perhaps satisfyi ng to William Bircham t hat Sam uel should purchase the Brewery House and he further extended Samuel's estRte in Reepham when after William's deat h in 1886 he lef t in his will the area in, around and including the Moor House to Samuel who had to purchase his holding. Due to his financial difficulties, William had mortgaged the Moor House and t he s urrounding area to Samuel Bignold in 1876. To in herit the property Samuel paid £2,250 to clear the mortgage. As Samuel now owned all th is a rea he decided in 1888 to clear the whole si te to ma ke the house larger and ge nerally to tUlO it into a house of some magnificence. All th e dwelli ngs, farm build in gs and o t her buildings were demolished and the whole area t urned into gardens and grounds to compliment t he new I-louse. The Bla ck Lion Public House was demolished and a new one was built on the opposite side of the road. A ga rdener's cottage was then built on the si te of the old Black Lion. The onl y early building which survived beh ind the house was probably used as outhouses and stables to ser ve the original s maller Moor House. I have been unable to fin d ou t who carried out the extensive rebuilding of the Moor House but Harry Hawes wrote in 1949 that the Black Lion was built by John Hever and Son, builders of Norwich and that his father Thomas Hawes was given the o rder to demolish a nd clear away all the cottages, farm houses and buildings which were on the site, he was also g iven the order to build about 50 yards of fl int wall with encloses part of the grounds. TilE HOUSE and the grounds that we know to-day as the Moor House were built in 1888 but there was a smaller house (with the same name) occupying the site before this date. It is difficult to detail when the original house was built, but it is known to be between 1846 and 1865, probably nearer the later date. The tithe map of 1846 for this a rea shows only a general collection of fa rm buildings and other dwellin gs. In 1865 Kelly's Director y of Norfolk records a Mrs Dalrymple as a private resident living at Moor House; th e Directory records very few private residents and it can be assumed t hat those included were persons of some rinancial means and social standing, and this status would no doubt have been shown in the local community by the size of their residence. In hi s reminiscences of Reepham, Harry Hawes recorded that rMrs Dalrymple lived there, she was aunt t o Mr Sam Bircham a very nice old lady, generous to the poor. She would ride about in a donke y chaise f itted with a glass front and whenever she went out she was always accompanied by her nurser. Mary Anne Dalrymple was born in 1778 and died in Reepham in 1875; In 1799 she was married to William Dalrymple and had ten children. It is reputed that William Dalrymple wal ked from Dumfries, Scotland to Nor wich to join some uncles in business there. He beca me a surgeon and gained a national reputation for his work at the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital. One of t heir daughters, Marianne, married William Bir cham in 1823. William was a brewer who lived at The Ollands and he owned the various t ithes that today make up the area of the Moor House, and it was he wh o is assumed to have built the original house .. Willi am Bir cham remained in re sidence at The Ollands and never li ved in Moor House but it seems to have been t he home of mem bers of his fam ily. Anoth er daugh t er of William a nd Mary Dalrymple was Cathe ri ne who, in 1837, married Francis Thomas Bircham and their son was Samuel Bircham who eventuall y inheritied the Moor House. After the death of Mary Ann Dalrymple in 1875 a Mr Fre nk Parmeter of Booton Hall came to live at the Moor I-louse. The Kelly's Directory of 1883 lists a Miss Bi.!'cham a nd Francis Pa rm eter as residing there. There was anoe-Ier branc h of the Bircham family which lived at Boot on Hall and Francis Parmeter (from Ayls ham ) married one of the daughters of the Samuel Bircham who resided there in the la te 18th and early 19th century (not to be confused with the ot her Samuel Bircham mentioned above). By the late 1870's Frank Parmeter was widowed and he went to live at the Moor House with one of his wife's unmarried sisters. After the House was completed (at a cost of £19,000) Sam uel Bircham lived there for part of the year alth ough working in London. He also li ved in Surrey where he built three further houses to live in. It is said that his wife did not like li ving in the Moor House and they spent their tim e in their various other homes. Sam uel Bircham lived here until the turn of the century when it was rented to Ernest Hudson who was here from about 190 3 un til hi s deat h in August 1931. Whilst living at the Moor House his son Sydney died, aged 27 in 190 9 and his wife Helen and second son Eric both died 24 �• in the infiuer:::z:z. members of t:Ie aI. Tbe OIlands this area of Reepham must, during the summer months, have been wonderful to walk rowd and look at. _ = !!. of rme :>edII: along New c:a=e the horses ~ awey by the Army. _ ~........-i-= - IiICDe of his horses cam e back B.i1rl i .. is '- &a= ¢e!' of losing them caused him nen~l" in lz.Te EY ;;;ore. Ernest Ei.lCson is still remembered today by som e residents 0: Elee?hal'IJ .,'ho recall him as a large and ki.nd elcerly man. He had a north country accent and he ""-as reputed to be part of the family that U' owned Hudson's Soaps; whether or not this is true he was always referred to as !Soapy Hudson! in Reepham. Local people who knew the House during this period rem e mbe r the grounds and front gardens as always being meticuously kept. With similar attention by full time gardeners being paid to the nearby grounds After Ernest Hudson's dea th in 1931 the House remained empty until the Second World War. It was kept windproof and wa tertight duri ng these years until it was used by the Army during the war years. There were many serving mem bers of the armed forces based in and around Reepham during this time and it seems that those based at the Moor House constantly c hanged. Their general role was not believed to be of any grea t or secret importance. In 1947 the Bircham family sold the Moor House to Dr Eglington who used it as a nursing home until the late 1980s. During the later years the House was used by numerous film and television companies to provide settings both inside and outside for various films and programmes. The most notable being the extensive use by Anglia Television in connection with the film adaptations of a number of P D James' novels. The Moor House was sold again in 1989. No part of this publication should be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior consent of The Reepham SOCiety 25 �1 Printing 1& J Watton 1 / 93 Tel. Norwich 871998 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Reepham Society Newsletters Description An account of the resource A comprehensive collection of newsletters published by the Reepham Society. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Printed and digital Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GB/REE/RS/Magazines Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1983-2000 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Reepham Society Text-digital Any text item for which there is no previously existing hard copy in the Archive. The text can be stored on CD, DVD, memory card, USB stick, on hard drive or 'cloud'. It may have been sent electronically to the Archive or it may be a text owned by someone else which we have scanned or photographed. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Reepham Society Magazine 1993 Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GB/REE/2408201700 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource A4 PDF, 28 pages Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1993 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Scanned by Geoff Fisher Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Reepham Society Reepham Society https://reephamarchive.co.uk/omeka/files/original/63591286da5b86b3720ce0793ea14546.pdf 99bd6cfccc1727d16dff20f9609d7b28 PDF Text Text THE REEPHAM SOCIETY • agazlne . I I I " r :" .. I I II ! �._.Mr" '":,,. t::£:z4t'cr:'~()111 S ould be reproduced in any - lo u t the prior consent of the 2 8 12 16 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~ ~__~____~~~~~~S~:.~~] ·~::::,;(!~!!ru~g::~~i!iiIIi:r:~· ~ IlIft..M~IfiW#.~ 's Way :~ ~~ft-~~__~~~~~~,~~~~~~j 19 29 32 34 �The guide lists the Whitwell station as being on the L.M.S. line but this is not strictly correct, the various lines in the North Norfolk area underwent 8 number of Changes, takeovers and amalgamations during their working life and this resulted in ·a number of name Changes. Hopefully this will be more fully explained in la ter pages. I've enjoyed finding and bringing together the information; I hope you enJoy reading it. The information that has filled these pages is not available from one source but it has been found by researching a number of archives, books, studies and by talking to people who remember the railways. To all these sources and people who have helped me r must offer n collective thank you, but there are som e who must be singled out for a particular mention. Mr Richard Joby who offered me advice, and who has allowed me to quote from his publication 'The East Norfolk Railway'. Mr W Freeston who allowed me unhindered use of the scrapbooks of Reepham news which had been kept by his mother Mrs Freeston, a lifelong resident of Reepham. To Mr Richard Black who has so meticulously redrawn the map of the 1ayout of Reepham Station. Mr Ben Stimpson who offered many hours of time to talk with me about the history of Stimpson's and also about the general daily life of Reepham Station in its heyday. To the M and G N who have generously allowed me access to their collection of photographs a number of Which are reproduced here. Eva Tuddenham and her son Edwin lived in Luburnham Grove in l{eepham and from the 1940's onwards built up a wonderful collection of photographs of the local railways, most of which they took themselves. Whilst Edwin worked on the railway his mother worked in Hunt's Stores at Station Plain, Reepham, this however, did not stop her from photographing particular trains at specific times. She would rush out of the Stores and down into the Station to take her pictures and then go back to carry on with her work. How many people were able to say they were slow in being served because tI train was late! Tragically, Edwin died relatively young in 1967 but Eva carried on with this great love; after her death SOIr"le years later, the collection passed to a friend who had a similiar interest. He then passed the negatives on to the M and G i'f Circle for their archives and the collection is today extensively used by its members and others who are interested in trains. It is a fitting tribute that this magazine about railways in Ree9ham should be so adequately illustrated by Eva and Edwin's handwork. I'm sure they would have been m ore than pleased! And a final 'thank you' to my Wife, who has had to endure many evenings of 'railway talk' and who now knows more about railways than she ever wished to. :Introduction· In November 1990 I received a letter from Mr Norman She~ry who lives at East Grinstead in West Sussex, he had received pre\;ious magazines of the Society and had written to me asking for f urther information about the railways in the Ree pham area; he was particularly interested as t o hy a relatively small market town in the middle of agricultural Nor folk should have had the benefit of t wo railway Hnes and two stations. It is indeed an interesting point and in acknowledging Mr Sherr ·'s interest I must also confess that "his enquiry subsequen tly determined the content of the next issue of the magazi ne of the Reepham Societyit is wholly about Re epham and its Railways. I have tried to cover the buiJding and eventual closure of the lines, the impact it had on local life particularly the affect it made t o business in the town and also the future use that is to be made on the route of the old line.$. The story of their history is often complemented by the uniquen ess of having two lines, one ei ther side o Reepham which were operated by two independent co mpani es for nearly 70 years until they were nationalised in 1948. Their separateness and individuality were strengthened by fierce staff loyalty. These points and many more, add to the story of Reepham and its Railways. An official guide dated about 1930 describes Reepham as "situated in one of the most charming par-ts of Norfolk is Reepham - a sm all town on the banks of the little river Eyne. If it's not very ancient, it is at least, not very modern, and for that reason can be recommended 8S a haven of refuge for thos~ who wish to flee from the stress and strain of city life". Although in one sense it was 'out of the way' it was by no means inaccessible as it had two stations within a very short distance of each other. The first (is described in 1930) as being on the Aylsham-North Elmham line of the London and North Eastern Railway (L.N .E.R.) and serves Reepham and the second, on the Mel ton Constable-N orwich line of the London, Midland and Scottish (L.M.S.) which serves the neighbouring parish of Whitwell. Both lines maintained good services of local trains and connections could be made with the south ma.in line expresses from Norwich and with those runn ing west and north (via Melton Constaple) at o t tingham, Leicester and Peterborough. It was possible to travel from Reepham to London in 4 t hours although to achei ve this you had to tra vel to Norwic h via Whit well as the trains on this line accomplished the distance of 12! miles in about 25 minutes. If the journey was taken from Reepham Station then it took nearly one hour as the trains went Via Aylsham and Wroxham into Norwich and the distance was approximately twicE' the WhitwelJ journey. Michael Black Middlemarch Broom hill Lane Reepham 1 Norwich (0603) 870936 �~~~~~~~~~~~~gg~f.~w.~"~i~r"~~~m Whitwell and The Muddle a d Go owhere ~ii1i~~f~~i~iiii'1i!iifii~i~~~~~~~~~~ The Muddle and Go Nowhere as it was affectionately known retained its independant existence but finally ceased to exist under its own title on the 1st October 1936 when it came under the control of the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER). 1t then became part of British Railways with the nationruisation in 1948 but to the end of its days the route was always referred to locally as 'the old M and G N'. Whitwell Station was opened on the 1st July 1882 when the section of liT').e from Guestwick to Lenwade was opened up to pass,enger and goods traffic. This section WaS 6 ~ miles ;,in length and ini tially there were four trains a day'" (with variations on Tuesday) which ran to and from Melton Constable. On the 12th August 1880 the Lynn and Fakenham Railway was authorised to buildl from Fakenham to Norwich and the line was subsdquently opened in stages as its builders progressed through the countryside of central north Norfolk; Ptikenham to Melton Constable, then to Guestwick, to Lenwade and then to Norwich where the line terminated at the City Station. The whole length was offically opened on 1st January 1883. The Lynn and Fakenham was merged with a number of other local railways and they formed the Eastern and Midland Railway Company. For the next ten years the, East Midland ran the system although by 1889 it :' had run into such financial difficulties that the Midland Railway and the Great Norther Hailway made a joint offer to take over the Eastern and Midland system. This offer was accepted and after some four years of negotia.tion the new committee, took control of the line from 1st July 1893 and the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway was born (the M &. G N). The forming of the M and G N was therefore a microcosm of the railway fever that had swept Great Britain in the 1840s; as thE;! major cities were linked by the amalgams tion of small railway companies so the towns and villages of much of Norfolk were linked by the amalganHl,tions, forty-two Acts of Parliament 9.nd foresight thilt made the M and G N. The lines of the M and G N stretched from Little Bytham in Lincolnshire through the Fens and Kings Lynn wi th a sp ur to connect with the Great Northern at Peterborough; f r om Kings Lynn it ran across Nor folk t o _ el ton C onst able and on to Norwich with oth er lin es r unning out from Melton to Sheringham and Crom er and another which went to Great Yarmouth vi a North Walsham. As .1elton Constable was the crossroads of these lines i e- entually became the headquarters of the 1 and G • This was due to a number of reasons; the first was geographical as it was below the ridge of high la d runn ing from Fakenham to Cromer and secondly the a vailability of 25 acres of land owned by Lord Hastings (with part of the eventual contract being t he construction of his own platform and private waitin g room). As a result of one of the earlier amalgamations the locomotive shops of the Yarmou t h an d Fakenham Railway were moved to lelton and this was the initial impetus that was to create the 'Crewe of Norfolk' and turn Melton Constabl e into hi storical uniqueness as the only rail 'lay village in the world. In 1888 it had a population of only 118 and this had increased to nearl:-; 1000 2 �were regular goods trains that would deliver coal, artificial fertiliser and animal feed stuffs and would pick up grain and livestock and sugar beet during the winter months. As with Reepham (North) the sugar beet was brought to the station by farmers wagons (drawn by horses initially and then in later years by tractors). This crop was grown under contract to the Can tley factory and to get there it had to be hauled from Melton Constable to Great Yarmouth and then onto the line to Cantley. Both stations at Reepham were in the Cantley contract area and as the area was purely agriculturally based they were both competing for the same type of business, the Whitewell Station generally suffered from this campeU tion. Although there were large facilities at Whitwell for storage, the en trenched business of Sti rnpsons at Reepham Station meant that they enjoyed most of the trade in fertilizers and feed stuffs that was available although Sti mpsons stored grain etc. at Whi twell. by 1901, the works gave a great impetus to the local labour force as an alternative to the only other occupation - agriculture. With the influx of labour into Melton it was necessary for the Company to provide accommodation. Houses were duly built which included gas, running water and main drainage - all for a rent of 4/- a week which was stopped from the wages. A general store was built to serve the growing community and a school soon followed; this provision set the foundation for what was to be one of the most successful and happy railway companies in the history of steam locomotion. It is little wonder the there was such affection for the M and G N during its working life and for many years after it demise. Obviously the 43 years of the M and G N saw its ups and downs; on one occasion the Company ran into such financial difficulties that they were unable to pay the men on a Friday night but on the Monday morning they all turned up for work as usual and the engineer in charge was physically reduced to tears at the loyalty of his workforce. With the volume of s.ugar beet being loaded throughout the season meant that the railway gangmen uften had the onerous task of clearing up the soil th8t would drop through the wagon doors. They would have to clear up the yard nearly every day and so much soil would be collected tha tit would be put into wagons and sent to the coast to be dumped along the sea wall. The twelve mile length of track which included the stations of Hindolveston~ Guestwick, Whitwell and Lenwade was looked after by an eleven man gang who were based at Guestwick and who used a motor trolley to travel up and down their length of track. For much of the year the work of tt1e gangmen was routine but it was often aggravated and at times made hazardous by the vagaries of the weather. The engineer was William Marriott who was the Chief En~neer and Manager of the M and C N system for 41 ye.ars. He was based .and lived in Melton Constable and often worked from a railway carriage which had been turned into an office and in which he travelled round the railway system. His name became synonomous with the M and G N and he is remembered today in the new long distance walk named 'Marriott's Way'. Whitwell and Reepham was a typicoJ M and G N small country station which was staffed by a station master, a clerk, two signalmen, one porter and a lad porter who cleaned the lamps and carried out other general duties. There was a daily passenger service of four or five trains eAch way and there D 16/3 No. 62597 LEFT Leaving Whitwell in the evening in June 1957 and RIGHT The same view in June 1991 3 �D 15 No. 62538 Taken in August 1950 this shows the best kept 'Claud Hamilton' on the Norwich District at that time leaving Whitwell for Melton Constable D 16/3 No. 62533 Hackford Bridge was removed a few years ago, this shows a full head 0 f steam as the train heads from the Bridge towards Themelthorpe in May 1957 D 16/3 No. 62562 Before the passenger traffic declined in the 1950's the 10.41 am from Melton to Norwich leaves Whitwell in February 1949 4 �D 2s Nos. 2157 and 2195 Just before the train was released from snowdrifts at Guestwick 9th March 1947 J 17 No. 65588 The 'afternoon freight) from Norwich to fl,1elton Constable in May 1957 4 MT No. 43111 (Goods) D 16/3 No. 625 15 (Passenger) it busy scene at Whitwell in . September 1957 The goods train has shunted its ballast truchs into the yard to let the 9.37am Melto n Consta ble to Norwich City pass by. 5 �The main Station building at Whitwell in August 1965 In the severe winter of 1947 many roads and rails were blocked by snow and two engines and a coach becll.me stuck on Wednesduy 5th March in high drifting snow in a cutting at Cuestwick. lnitially railway stuff could not get to it by using snow ploughs so it hud to be manually dug out. Troops based at the Weybourne army camp assisted by a number of German prisoners of war started digging from the Melton Constable side and a train load of men (who were temporarily unemployed due to the wea ther) were brought from Norwich. The train also brought a refreshment van and a quantity of shovels supplied by R G Carters of Drayton. for this was a few lumps of coal that he had off the tenderj it was an offence to take these but the driver aod guard were not in a position to say any thing as the loss of their goods train was far worse than the loss of some coal. In the days before large road transport the railway was one of two means of getting cattle to the. main Norwich Market (the other was to walk the animals there). Every Saturday a special train would leave Melton Constable at 4 am and would convey the animals to Norwich, they would be unloaded at the City Station (near Heigham Street) and would then be d ri ven to the M arke t then si tua ted in fron t of the Castle. After much hard work the train was finally freed on Sunday 9th March when a snow plough coupled with three engines from the LMS was used to clear the finol drifts. A large number of passengers (particularly on Saturdays) would be conveyed to and from Norwich, many farmers and business people would go and make purchases and these would be delivered by the shopkeepers and merchants to the City Station ready for the Ipassengersl to pick them up when they came back for the return journey. Another great weather problem was the fog and in u poem about the job of a plate18yer, Mr A L Jex, who worked on the length gang covering Whitwell wrote that: 'When thll t black beast colled fog descends, A signal post he must a t tend; Put detonators on the line, So drivers may be warned in time'. The agricul tUfal goods traffic declined rapidly at Whitwell after 1945. There was the competition from the G E R at Reepham and from the increas!ng number of road hauliers, full wagon loads from Whitwell became non-existent from the late 19405 onwards. He recalls that he was on fogging duty at Whitwell one day and he cracked a fog signal to stop a goods train. After a while he heard what he thought was wagons on the rails and then through the fog came a brake van and eight wagons. The track was downhill from there to Lenwade so he jumped on the brake VHn and pulled up the wagons in the mack Water Cutting. He then. went back to Whitwell Station and told the staff and they arranged for an engine to go down and pick up the wagons. His only reward By the 19505 the passenger traffic had declined and this sleepy country station displayed a general absence of business. A member of staff from the Norwich office of the Railway remembers a day in the mid 1950s when he went to Whitwell to catch the train back to Norwich. It was a cold day and the waiting room fire made a welcome place to sit by until the train came. There was no one about 6 �and sadly its state in June 1991. would come and in February 1959 the last passenger train steamed its way through Whitwell, the lamps were put out, the doors were closed and the cold winters day was warmed only by the nostalgia which so many felt for this much loved railway. except a lady station attendant; when the Norwich train came in - she called 'Whi twell and Reepham Station' three times - no one got off and just the one passenger got on; as the train slowly pulled out of the station he remembers thinking 'change and decai - it was therefore inevitable that closure Whitwell Station - date unknown, but believed to be circa 1920. 7 �The Reepham Line Q.j ~~ ~fi ~ii!i iii'i!& ifii~'i~~~ffi5~ffi5~~¥Wi~ The East Norfolk Western Extension Railway Before the railways, communications in North East Norfolk were served by the turnpike systern which in this area was sparse and followed the main coach routes and by a dense network of country roads which until the 1870s was extensively served by carriers carts. Essentially all ronds in this area seem to lead to and from Norwich. Passenger services on these roads were very poor, the smaller market towns such as Aylsham were well served with passenger coaches twice a day, but Reepham had to make do with a passenger service twice a week. Apart from these services the only alternative was to hire a horse and carriage or to pay for a seat on a carriers cart. William Leeds, the proprietor of the Sun Inn, ran an omnibus and carrier service from that establishment every Wednesday and Saturday, leaving at 8am and concluding the journy at the IMoon an9 Stars Public Housel in Norwich, returning the same day at 4.30 pm in Winter and 5pm in Sum mer. The journey passing through Booton, Alderford, A ttlebridge, Taverham and Drayton. William Stimpson-Lewis offered a similiar service from Reepham on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday and the Post Office operated a mail cart which left Reepham at 4.30pm and which returned from Norwich at 6am the fol1owing morning. Carri ers carts rarely took more than a ton of goods and were primarily to transport consumer goods to and fro m market centres and to supply local shops and businesses. I-leavy, low value goods were less In the 1860s and 70s the people of Reepham were able to journey to Norwich or have their goods picked up from or delivered to there by the two local carriers. A timetable from the early part of this century, note there is no Sunday service. When land was purchased for the line many Farmers only sold on the condition that the 'Lord's Day' was observed. NORWICH ITborpe) WROXHAM. AYLSH AM (South), COUNTY SCHOOL, and D£RE R.A.M A RtaUon tor ThorDe Bt. Andrew a I o E 1.01 . RLln! li5th July t.o ith &lJtembu I n(;h~4'e 3 mlnut ..... l'{flr on 8&lurda,.-a E~cept F The L Eu~ Ancliao. Llmlud accommothLl()n Via Norwlrh lTho~) ~p . 1 0 p .m. on Wedo~Jayl and 1 J p . m. OD tla\urd.ys • Arr. D 8 p.m. until 2Hh JUDe UeV. 10 2~ a.ro . DC Saturda,. f p .m. 8 or S BaturrlaYI onl,. , I lJoep. 11 f' p.m. on Munda,. 8al UfcU.T!I For &THEa TW. \ I N~ betw&ell "0",..1<:..11 and W'hllU 1..1 tu.m. T&.bld ~ aDd U-Jforwlch u~d WrouLlD, 'fable ~-)Cor-lc..h Lnd Ooun~y School, Table ~-------Dou..oL7 ~ool "!lei Dere.hLmJ 'tAble $4. 8 �often carried in this way. Farm waggons, droves of animals and walkers formed the rest of road traffic at this time. Footpaths were also intensively used by both locals and by foot postmen. Carts were expensive, 8d to 1/- a mile, and more in bad weather and hence were a strong factor in the isolation of the communities in this area. During the mid nineteenth century in the whole of North East Norfolk less than fifty passengers a day could be carried by public transport and yet there was little call for a more intensive coach service. This dearth of traffic was noted as a fact by the Board of 'Trade when the rest of the country was gripped by railway mania. North East Norfolk therefore lacked any manufacturing industry and it lacked a transport infra-structure capable of supplying any new large industry or resort, the area was totally agriculture based and it was undeniably prosperous for the farmer if not for his labourers. This area ~ was, in the eyes of many an entrepreneur ripe for the consideration of a profit making line of communication - the railway! The first railway in Norfolk to be built was the Yarmouth and Norwich railway conceived in 1841 by the Stephensons as the first link in an east-west trunk railway from. Yarmouth to Peterborough, the line was completed in 1844. The second stage of the Stephenson project was the railway from Norwich to Brandon which was duly built and when the line was extended from Brandon it finally allowed Norwich to be linked to London, although it was one of the last major urban centres in England to be so joined. Norfolk was linked to other main centres of trade but the route was often tortuous and the lines badly run but there was no reasonable alternative. In 1850 goods sent from North East Norfolk to Ipswich, had to be carrried by horse to Norwich and then consigned on the railway via Cambridge and London, a journey of some 200 miles as against 40 by road. This long journey was still quicker and more reliable as the turnpike in winter was invariably half a yard deep in mud. .: ..:;- . ", '"'.,>-,.' " . . .. , 9 ' �The Station Staff take time between trains to pose fo r the camera - date unknown, but probably the early 1900 s. A busy m o men t at the Station during the in ter war period. The use of the Railway declined during these years, bu twas revived fo r a few years during the Second World War. The Last Passenger Train to stop at R eepham Station - organised by Aylsham and D istric t R ail A ction Co mmittee in 1 978. 10 �The First World War brough a halt to the extensive holiday traffic to the Cromer/Mundesley area and there was compepsation by an increase in military and general farm traffic as maximum production from the land was encouraged. The immediate post war period continued this revival particularly as farm production stayed high but the first buses started to run scheduled services to Cromer and Aylsham. When the road surfaces improved during the 1920s and bus stops were introduced into the very centre of Norwich, the passengers started to turn away from trains onto the buses. They found they could catch a bus which passed through the village rather than walking up to two miles to a station to catch a train. There was then a flood of proposals for railways to fill the gaps in the railway map of the 1840s and 50s in North East Norfolk but for various reasons none were built. In the early 18705 construction began on the line from Whitlingham Junction to North Walsham and after the appropriate Board of Trade inspection it was permitted open to traffic as from the 20th October 1874. The line ran through Wroxham and it was from here that the east-west extension was planned. The East Norfolk Railway Act of 1864 had originally planned an extension to Aylsham but delays in building other extensions (noteably to Cromer) and other financial problems slowed down expansion plans so that the Act to extend the line to Aylsham was not granted until the 16th April 1876. Tenders for the work were submitted during 1878 and that of the lowest, William Waddell, was accepted and in August 1878 the work commenced. There were a number of initial problems particularly with the weather; bricklaying was stopped in December, due to the severe frosts. The Wroxham to Reepham and County School line really suffered in this inter-war period, being an east-west line when most of the traffic was northsouth (to the coast and the Broads). Reepham to Norwich was catered for also by the M & GN line from Whitwell (which was 35 minutes quicker) and by buses. Worst of all in the inter--war period was the depression in farming and allied industries. Arable North East Norfolk was depressed more than most areas and with little money available to finance development or initiatives the railways were losing a lot of a decreasing total of traffic. It was not until the approach of the Second World War that traffic began to increase markedly. RAF Stations built at Coltishall and Foulsham brought extra traffic to the line, agriculture revived as in the First World War and bus schedules were slashed. A great many people now had to travel and the only service available were the trains. However in the Spring of 1879 with a large increase in the number of men employed and with the assistance of two stationary steam engines and a traction engine he was able to keep to his contract of 'Coltishall by the middle of June l and he estimated that he would be at Buxton by the end of June. The Board of Trade Inspector declared the line adequate and the first section from Wroxham to Buxton was opened on the 8th July 1879. The Company however was running into financial problems and when shares in the Western Extension (to County School) were offered in September 1879 there was a lack of res onse and this coupled with proposals for extensions submitted by other railway companies in Norfolk meant that there was litttle chance of the Wroxham to County School extension becoming a profitable possibility if it ran on its own. It was inevitable that it would only survive if it was taken over by a larger company, this happened in June 1881 when the East Norfolk Railway was amalgamated with the Great Eastern Railway. During these troubled times however, the building of the line continued with the extension from Buxton to Aylsham opening on the 1st January 1880 and from Aylsham to Cawston opening on the 1st September 1880. At the time of the Great Eastern Railways takeover in June 1881 land for the two miles beyond Reepham had already been purchased and work from Cawston was proceeding on schedule. After the war there was a rapid decline in passenger traffic on the line from Aylsham to County School once the buses and private cars returned to the roads. The long meandering line from County School to Norwich via Aylsham in a slow train pulling dowdy and worn carriages which were at least 40 years old were no match for the direct and competitive buses. The passenger services from Wroxham to County School ceased on the 15th September 1952 and the line from Foulsham to Reepham was closed to goods as well. The line was linked to the M &. GN line from Melton Constable to Norwich via Whitwell when the Themelthorpe curve was laid in September 1960 and this allowed the concrete production from Lenwade to form much of the traffic for few years until it finally closed to goods in 1982. After the amalgamation with the G.E.R., the East Norfolk lines were developed as part of an integrated system but this development favoured the Norwich to the North East Norfolk coast area and this was further enhanced when a line from Mundesley to Cromer was opened in 1906. The line was last used in the mid 1970s when a small number of passenger trains were organised by the Aylsham and District Rail Action Committee. The journeys from Thorpe Station to Lenwade (and back) via Wroxham, Aylsham, Reepham and Whitwell were packed with passengers but they provided Ii ttle more than evocative reminders of the slow pace of life of a bygone age, a service which could not be profitably sustained today. The western extension of the North East Railway became the poor relation of the system; it proved to be an unpopular and profitless extension which slumbered along into the twentieth century; it epitomised the sleepy rustic branch line that -our memories are so fond of. 11 �Memories of th R ilw y ~WiY:~~fi~i~i' ai'i~ifii~i~~~~~~~~~~ The days of man are three score years and ten but that was certainly not the vision that inspired the building of the 'Western Extension of the Great Eastern Railwayl, as it was termed, when it was opened in 1882, but 70 years WaS how long the passenger service lasted until its closure in September 1952. Horse-drawn trucks were the motive power, and Mr Walter Wilkin, drove the tip horse. Originally the road from Cabbage Court to Cawston New Road (now known as New Road) ran through Crown Meadow, but with the construction of the railway bridge to the east of the station, it assumed its present curve over the bridge. lnciden tally, this bridge is the highest spot in Reepham and served admirably as a lookout post for air raid wardens in the last war. The blaze at Lowestoft in its worst night could be discerned at this vantage point. La'unched amidst much anticipation (with perhaps not a litte trepidation) during the period 1876-79, grandly the project gathered sway from Aylsham to County School, as Cawston, Reepham and finally Foulsham Stations arose and the railway tracks compl~ted their easy communication in 1882. All the actors on that stage have now taken their last call and it is no longer possible to converse wi th anyone who was involved wi th the building of the line. There are many and varied episodes connected to the building, some are complimentary and many are contradictory. The search for detail c-an be long, exciting - sometimes exasperating but always interesting and at last a more or less coherent story can emerge. When the line closed it was still possible to contact people in the Reepham area who could remember the 1880s. Whilst most could remember the line being built very few worthwhile details could be gathered. Victorian ideas as to the Sabbath - and they were not bad ones either - insisted that the sale of many properties through which the line ran was conditional upon there being no Sunday traffic over them and this reservation has been scrupulously observed. ~---------~------~ M AID1S HEAD HOTEL, NORWICH. I;\'t,C't,\f'i\.'< I;\DIO\jI\\'t,\) \'t\I;\O\) (j't\ O\) \ , The onlY purely Fa.mJ1y Hot.elI.nNorwlch, and the County Hotel of Norfolk {or over 500 yeaTS. OPf'O.'iITE THE CAT HEDRAL. CHAROES MOOERAT.E, ~ \RSVC\.I\"S CI'IH. The patriotic urge, to provide waste paper and reduce the danger of fire f rom aerial attack early in 1939 doubtless resulted in many old papers being given over for salvage. II AOY JEUNE W'.:I: t'i' (S IN ' ''' £. · ·W!(IIILY SVN " CI-( A ISTMA.6 N \J ~8tA , 18 96: "It seems to me that the real interest oj Norwich centres in th e Cath.<.::;;-<.!I and the Maid 's Head Hotel, " One lost paper held an accoun t of the dinner gi ven at the Kings Arms, Reepham to celebrate the opening of the line when the Superintendent (Mr R W Kendall), under whom it was built was chief guest. T lI. t O JUP\04IC .A.O OA( $$ N" ' ICIW AL. TILrP)oo.o~r MAIO $ Hr.A o. N ORWICtt. Address, "Proprietor." N O_ &S , N OR WICH The high fields bounding Stoney Lane and the eastern boundary of the yard to the railway bridge are often a puzzle to people. The navvies who built the railway excavated the site of the Reepham Station yard, leaving the fields high up on either side. The soil tha t was removed went to build the embankments which lead to the bridges on the Cawston and i\ erdiston roads. One old inhabitant, Mr Matt Timbers recalled the making of the yard, entailing the work of a pick and shovel brigade (IlThere were no excavators or bulldozers in those day, you know!!), and the earth was run down the ' slope on a specially-constructed light track to build the embankments approaching the bridge over the Kerdiston road. ~--------------------------------~~~~ 12 �+---------------------------+ GREAT EASTERN RAILWAY. ~ EASIDE, AND P BROADS AND RIVERS OF NORFOLK AND SUFFOLK. TOURIST, FORTNIGHTLY, AN D FRIDAY TO TUESDAY ISSU E D F ROM LONDO N AS UNDER : TOURIST, (a) Liverpool Street or St. Pancras to- . , . Hu nstanton · L owesto(t .. ·. ·. 1\[ undesley-on-Sea · . , Yarlllont h ·. Cr(\mer~ ·h Wrox ham . _ N orwich . ·. ·. . . Liverpool Street .. · . ·. · ., , ·. ·, · . .. · . .. ·. t o- W alton.oo·the-Naze, C lacton- l o n ·St!L.l, or Frinton ·. . I H ~rwich or Dovercourt ·. F el ixstowe .. ·. ·. Alckburgh .. · . . ·. ·. South wold .. · . · . · . · Southenu-on-Sea, tBurnham- ) on-Crouch .. f ·. · . . · ·. . .. Clas~. s. d. ! 1St Class. C lass. (c) 3 rd Cbs", d, s. 0 10 0 d. 22 0 II 0 IS 0 22 0 TI 0 15 0 22 0 1I 0 15 0 22 0 1 I 0 11 6 10 0 1 7 6 6 10 0 13 10 0 13 9 0 20 l' 0 20 0 0 20 0 10 18 6 6 27 6 27 6 II .. 20 0 12 0 20 0 12 0 1 23 4 14 9 3 8 16 1.8 17 '27 3{ 3 9 5 25 0 27 6 1 t4 4 t7 t4- 4- t8 d. 16 IJ 0 IS 0 2 34 31 ~, !;;. !-. . 0 0 Class. 0 d. 6 3 rd Class. 1st d, s. 18 19 30 33 34 31- ARE FRIDA.Y to TUESDAY, FOR.TNIGHTLY (b) 3 rd 1st TIC K ETS 5 27 27 0 .. .. .. 3 6 7 6 6 6 7 6 0 10 0 3 0 16 IS 0 2:::! 0 6 8 I I 0 0 3 6 0 I (a) Tourist lI'lckets are issued tltlily throl.lg-Ilullt the year, by allY train, ;'\l)d arc avail,lhlc (or the retllrtl jou~Iley by any train a.s fullows. Th,?se issued from 1St May to 31St ()ct(lb~r ~llcJuS!V e 011 any day up to and lnc1udlllg' 31~t DCCl!lllhcr; those Issued frmll I~t Novemher to 30th Al->nl IIlCIU SIVC Oil allY day withifl two calendar mOllths (rolll the (\;It.:= of iSSllC. (b) Fortnightly Tickets are issued daily l>yallY train, and. an; availahle for return II}'. any uf the adv(~ rrised trains Oil ~lllY (i:ty withil_1 .15 dityS, i~lcIlJdin~ ddYS uf ISSue alld return. ee) .E'nda,v to Tuesdo.y Tlckets are l~sul:d every l·nday and Satunby lly allY train, and ,lre iLv"ilalJlc fur retu rn by ,Illy of the advertised traills UII the day of issue, or on cwy tidY lip to alld including- the ft)llowing' Tues(I;IY. • These lid.:ds are t',nlled to JF1'o:t:hfl))l olllyfroJJL lJ.[ay to Odv/7r:1' blciJlsivl!. 10Ur£j·t aJld Fortllt:I:iJtly hrJ:t'/s art: only :'.:,::,ut'd 10 HU1'Jlltam-on-Crouch'/rOJJl ~!I1Y to Od, inclusive. These Tickds are ~lv:.Lil;Il)le to or from additional StatIons a~ follows :-Hllllstalltoll Tickets at 1 [t::tch;llll j Lowe~toft Tic.kets at Heccles, Rc<.:dhalll, Carlton Colville, Ullltllll Broad, Yarmouth, Crolller, Mundeslt..:y j Y;trllloutil Tickers at Bcccics, Reedham, St. Olaves. Acle, Lowestoft. Cromer, I\luJldcsley ; CWILIer Tickets at North Walsh,UlI, ClIIlton, Y;lrmouth, Lowestoft. Mundesley j MUlldesley Tickl:ts at P ,lstl)lI :l.IIO KIlClptnrl, CrOlller. Yarmouth, l.owestuft; Walton-()Il-thc-N;ize Tickets at Frinton, Claetun, llarwich, Dovercourt; CI;(etoll-OIl-Sea Tkkcts at Frilltoll, \Valtun. H.trwich, Dovercourt i FrilltOJl-lIl1-Sea. Tickets at Claclon, Waltt)ll, lJ.lrwich. J)overcourt; J{.(rwich Tickets at Dovcrcourt, P;lrke!;;tl)l1, FrintoJl, CI;lctUl1, W.t1t(jII, l FL:lixstuwe; Fclixs{Owe Tickets at Trimley. HarwiCh; Aldt..:burgh Tickets at Leistoll; Suuthwold Tickets ilt Darsllall!, Wen haston, Blythburgh, Walbcrswick; SoutheJld on· Sea Tickets at PrittlL'well; Burnh;\lIl-on·Crouch Tickets nt Famhridg-e, Althorne, SouthlIIinster. Pils~t:ng-crs 1I1uSt pay the ordinary local ~i1il;!'\e Fares when trilvl!llillg- from one Station to the other. S }'aiJOljft:r.... travdtlJlg to or ./}"O))l. FdixJ/owe wilh Har'zvlch or Dov~rcolI1't Tickets arc rcl/llirert 10 pay the dijfert'Jzce Ot'/7Ut'I'1t the rt!sjr:dhe Fares. ill arldiho)l to the Local 5z'1l¥le Boat 01' Rll il Fan', 7I.IhOl tra7 /l'ih'JlJ.," ./1'O)Jl the 011r: pial'( to thl' other. Extra. Journey Return Tickets at H.ed uoed Fares are is~uecl at the above Stations-excepc SoutIH·.nd-oll-Sea, Bumhilffi,oll.Crouch, Prittlewdl, Famhridg-e, Althorne, and Southminste r-to the Station from which the Tickets an; j:;!:olled) to visiturs holding- not less than two Tourist or ¥oTtllig'htly :rickets. The J;:.xtra Journey Tickets willlJe available fur return until the date of expiry ofthc Tickets III respect of which they are lssLtcd. J. 'F. S. GOO DAY. GENERAL MANAGER. Liuerpool Street Station, 1900 . ~-------------------------------------------------~ 13 �The Midland and Great Northern Railway Company had for some time been considering a line which would give a more direct route to the Midlands whichl covered much of the area taken in hand so energetically by the Great Eastern once the necessary sanction had been given the latter really got on wi th the task and the speed with which the work was done came as a great shock to those who favoured the nearer route to Norwich from Whitwell Station. Because of the close proximi ty of the two stations of rival Companies the fare to Norwich was the same, notwithstanding that the mileage from Reepham was about double that from Whi twell. The Whi twell line had no Sunday service either. The story of the sheds at Reepham used as blacksmi ths' and iron-workers' shops, of the turntable in use because the Government of those days forbade a train to run with the tender before the engine; the work of Mr H E Hawes, a survivor of those days when he was a carpenter employed in the interior construction of the station's dwellings at Cawston, Reepham and Foulsham and on the woodwork of the line - are not all these with many another written in the Book of Memory. In the early 1880s a favourite Sunday walk of those days was to the station to see the weekly progress of the line - how many more sleepers had been laid; this walk was alternated with a visit to Booton Church to see how many more bricks had been laid by the Rev Whitwell Elwin Dnd his team. reasonable so he started walking a short cut home along the railway line. It was late and dark and a train overtook hi m, cutting him to pieces. The gory evidence of the accident was only revealed when the train stopped at Reepham Station and search parties went out and soon found further evidence to SUbstantiate the tragedy. No story of the Reepham railway would be complete without some reference to its stationmaster-s, the first of whom was Mr Richard Sayer, a genial and much-beloved gentleman. It seems he was succeeded for a s.hort while by Mr Frank Rice, who subsequently became stationmaster of Sheringham, to help in its development from a lobster fishing village to a popular North Norf olk watering-place. Probably his successor was Mr Youngman, whose son Harry contributed much to the cultural life of Reepham through the Orchestral Society and Nigger Minstrel Troupe before the 1914-18 war, in which he was killed. Later holders of the office were Mr Wilson, Mr Moore and finally Mr S B Ba.ss whose maternal grandfather was a Mr Hoggar who was the first stationmaster at Foulsham. Mr Bass came from a real railway family who accumulated 390 years of railway lservice between them. Eleven members of his family we~'e ' stationmasters. ~------------------------~ PELMANS' HORSE SALES, The line from Reepham to County School was opened on the 1st May 1882 and two months later the July issue of the Foulsham Parish Magazine proudly printed the first timetable of the East Norfolk Railway wi th its conglomera-tion of IMixed ' , 'Parliamentary! and IMarket' trains. By this it took 43 minutes to travel from Aylsham to Foulsham, the editor for brevity omitting reference to Cawston and Reepham. The journey from London to Foulsham by the 'Mixed' train occupied 5 hours 14 minutes while the 'Parliamentary' one took 6 hours 29 minutes. NorwiCh to Foulsham by the same trains were a matter of 1 hour 24 minutes and 1 hour eleven minutes respectively. There were, however 11 trains daily from Norwich to Foulsham and 10 from Fowsham to Norwich. All these, of course, passed through Reepham too. Norwich. mESSRS. SPELMANS' Fortnigbtly Sales of High-Claus ~ Horses are noteworthy for their assemblage of follies, Cobs, Saddle and Harness Horses, and Hunters. Entries can be auanged on application at tbe Auctioneers' Ofll.ces. St. Glles St.reet, Norwich, and 28, H.a.ll Plain, Great Ya.rmouth. OUTSIDE LONDON THERE ARE FEW MORE IMPORTANT CENTRES OF Periodical In 1882 the fastest train of the day did the 17 mile journey from Foulsham to Norwich in 63 minutes. This seems to be the fastest time recorded for this trip in the 70 year history of the line. Horse Sales THAN THE GlTY OF NORWICH, The building of the line seemed to have been relatively accident free, or else no accidents were ever recorded, but two incidents were recorded. Firstly, the one outstanding incident before the line opened when a steam traction engine used by the contractors blew up near Foulsham while the users were de~parately trying to replenish the boilder with water from a nearby stream. Shortly after the . line opened the only bad accident occured when a man named Flatman left Cawston where he had been waiting longer than he thought WHERE $PELMANS' SALES ATTRACT BUYERS FROM ALL PART. OF THE UNITE 0 KINGDOM. I ~--------~~------~----~ 14 �-----------------------------~I was then where magisterial business was transacted and where a well attended busy market was held each week. The railway gave Reepham a direct communication with neighbouring villages and with towns like Dereham and Norwich, while London was now only 5 hours travelling time away. To the farm labourer of the time for whom a journey to Norwich was likely to be an annual event the prospect of leaving Reepham at breakfast and to be in the centre of London for lunch must have been difficult to comprehend. Although it is unlikely that he would have been able to afford it let alone have the free time to go. The novelty of a railway journey though, undoubtedly brought a shrinkage of trade and it is more than possible that the railway started the dispersal from the countryside. >~~~------------~--------------~ Was the coming of the railway to Reepham a blessing or not! Till the 1880s it certainly was a prosperous, self contained unit, numbering many influential people among its inhabitants. Whitwell Hall, Hackford Hall, The Brewery House, The OHands and The Moor House were all the homes of gentry and Reepham The railway came as an engineering marvel which provided unlimited travel to the people of this Victorian era the service however, did not change much during the next 70 years and in its latter days it had many faults of infrequent and slow service but the passenger train during its 70 years at Reepham did meet a very real need. Even wi th its faults there was considerable sadness expressed when its farewell finally became necessary. E 4 No. 2793 The 2.10 pm from Dereham to Wroxham leaves Reepham Station in - Our local railway memories are encapsulated in pictures like this. 15 May 19:50 �- -- ~~ -1 ,:' " ~j, -I:· J...,.. ~ . "" 'I :::'. -"-----.,<, B 16 I �Around the -World 17 �K 2 No. 61748 A Gresley K2 ,' e.: passes Themelthorpe, later the site of the British. Railways curve, on 10th May 1949. Heepham is one of those few places that had the benefit of two railway lines, which ran independantly f or many years and which were unexpectedly linked in 1960. The line through Reepham Station which closed to passengers in 19~2 and the line through Whitwell which saw its last passengers in February 1 9 59. The railway lines were eventually taken up in t he mid 1980s but in the intervening years the lines con t inued in use until the mid 1970s with regular t rains hauling freight, the final goods train from Lenwade made its journey on 4th January 1982. The reason for this continued use was the building of the Themelthorpe curve in 1960. This line starting from Whitwell Station and turning back almost on itself at Themelthorpe returning to Reepham Station makes a pleasant walk which traces the transport Hne which for 70 years was the backbone of most of the life ond goods that came in and out of Reepham. Prior to British Rai lways amalgamating the li nes in 1948 the area was served by the Midland and Great Northe rn J oi nt Ra ilway which journeyed into Nor wich Cit y Station (t he a re a east of He igha m Stree t now developed as an industrial estate) a nd the Gre a t Ea stern Rail way which journ eyed into Norwi c h Thorpe Station. The t wo Norw ic h s tations wer e only a mile a part ye t t here was no dire ct link and a ny frei ght that had t o be moved f r om one s tation had to be se nt northw a rds vi a Nor t h Walsha m, Cromer a nd Melton C onstable a nd t hence ba ck to Norwich. For a distan ce of one mile direct t he actual fa il j ourne was imm ense, th e rout e was affe c.t ionately know as 'going-ro un d-t he-world'. When t he T he melthorp e c urve was laid it halved t he journey at a s t roke. No. D 5537 Concrete beams on low loader wagons leaving Len wade in August 1 965 and abou t to make .their jo urney aroun.d the Themelthorpe curve . 18 �~~~~~~~~~~'~~~r~g~~~~rl.~~~ Reepham Station The timpson Co nection O:l IiiY~~fJ~i~iii~'i~iffiWi~~~~~~~W¥i~~ As the railway builders moved on their relentless course from Cawston to Reepham and on to Foulsham during 1880 and 81 the site of Reepham Station became an important point for the Company building the line. The site occupied a large area which today is bounded by Stony Lane and Wood DaIling Road an d it was deyeloped not only to house the station, ssociated buildings and various areas of lines to e used for marshalling goods traffic but also included areas and facili ties that at the time were vi t al to t he railway buildingo There was a carpentersf shop, where level crossing gates were built and materials prepared to build the signal boxes. There was a blacksrfli ths' shop where the metal work for gates a nd buildings was forged and there were areas used f or s toring the sleepers, rails and the mass of other ite ms that were broug"ht in by rail to assist in the Taken about 1930 it shows Stimpson and Hurn staff with some of their delivery wagons. 111.r Th omas Hurn is second right from the centre horse and AIr Ben Stimpson stands to its left. 19 �AM E ._----------_ .... _- - - - .. -._--I Scale - ., 0 IHRRRR 20 1 rhain fo dn inch 3 & I I -- �On each weekday the 6pm from Wroxham and the 6.05pm from Dereham met briefly at Reepham at 6.38pm REEPHAM STATION as it was built and laid out in the 1880's. The only items that remain today are the Granary, the Station buildings and the Old Carpenters' shop (later used by Stimpson's for stabling horses); this is the shaded building in the upper centre of this layout. 21 �+.1- 'I- '1' + -I- -I-'~'I- +++... building of the line onto Foulsham and beyond. The site even included a bakery which was built to produce bread for the gangs who worked on the railway, many of whom came back at night and slept in and around the station area. + + ~: + -I- .).t-I- To encourage its usage the owners of the railway had to introduce and sustain goods traffic; they couldn't relay entirely on passengers to produce their profit and so the area round the station became a site of Victorian business development. Businesses were to be encouraged into the station area and hopefully would profit and expand from the regular delivery to the station by the daily goods trains. 't: r/ . 12 +"" ++'1' ·1- +./-+ + -I- ++- ++- +-1-""1- '" + '1-++ 1-+++++++ ·1· "C .1"fO SIIIJIP.on, 'R.ecp~am t l flU: oj. STIMPSON & ~: Coal. Com, CaJ?t! 6- :t :A[ allure ~r erc/'anl5 + :1: + -I+ t COALS:t -I- "" .j. -I- + + ... ... FOR t COMFORT + -I- + ... t-I- \Ve :1: your t CDn meat dem8.IJd~ all jar HOUSE, STEA1v{ & 1(ITCHEN + :~ Special QUOlo.lionlJ (a,. Lar!!er Quanlilies t DELIVERIES TO ALL PARTS + + Trucks + + sent -I- to allY :t -I- t -I- + Station + + + .-- -> ... ... .. . .. .. ::: CORN, ·1· CAKE & t 4- MEAL Ev~,.y(hi(lg in CallIe Food ·1· 4.to ·1· :!: t 1: HIGH GRADE MANURES We Sf')":!. d,C :1: Best + .J. 1 + ... t!OQUlrht.1 Inloil.J PrOUljJt A{contion GJYII/) and A YLSHAM For COAL, COALlTE ANTHRACITE COKE Pig. Poultry and Cattle Foods Fertilizers "We serve to please. and we are pleased to s.e rve " PHONE PHONE 201 2 114 -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - _ . +,. ++ +++ -I- The three companies cuntinued in competition until 1927 when Sharpins closed down and their business area in the station yard and Granary was taken over by the other two, although by this time the Sall Coal Company had changed its name to Stimpson and Hurn. Collers moved their Reepham area base to Aylsham in the early 1960s and the whole station site was then taken over by Stimpsons. All grades of Solid Fuel DISTRIBUTORS B.O. and C.M. PRODUCTS of...j' L.o All in the station area, although Taylors was taken over in 1886 by the SaIl Coal Company. Coal, animal feed stuffs and grain were the main business of Sharpins and Sall Coal whilst Collers mainly con cen tra ted on the supply of coal. LIMITED REEPHAM J REEPHAM STATION Y~lIr :::'1- -I- +.1-++ ++ +++ ++++ '!-'I- +++ + -I- -I- ++ oj. ++ -I ' ++++ "' ... R. Coller & Sons, t+ J ·1· t + 01- + + ·1· -I- ~ "CUmpQu! Our P,ias" ./. Quality :r. ./. -I- In the first year or so after the opening of the line Garrett Taylor, Sharpins and Collers all set up business -I- '1' -I- The area to the south of the sta tion buildings and the main up and down lines was developed as the business area; the Railway built a large granary (approximately 200 feet x 50 feet), there was an area known as the coal grounds and a group of cattle pens all served by a series of sidings. ~. + 01- :l: + The obvious business role was one that would satisfy the supply and .clem and of the agricultural needs of the areas and also to provide bulk goods for the business and domestic needs of the residents in and around Reepham. Service HURN Mr Benjamin Stimpson was a farmer at Morton and Great Witchingharn who purchased farm land at Sall in the early 1880s when c,arrett TAylor had to sell up; Mr Stimpson also took over their Reepham Station bus-iness setting up the SaIl Coal Company in 1886; the business continued during the next 100 years and the site is still used today by Pertwees for the distribution of seed corn, agricultural chemicals and fertilisers. 22 �ing the past 100 years the following name changes ve occurred. From 1886 to approximately 1914 ere was the Sal 1 Coal Company, Ben Stimpson d E. Stimpson; from 1914 - 1932 it was Stimpson d Hurnj from 1933 to 1965, E Stimpson and Son, d then E Stimpson and Son Limited; from 1965 o 1980, Stimpson and Partners and Stimpson and e rtwee Limited, and from 1980 (and probably not ally) Pertwees. Benjamin Stimpson (who was the grandfather of e present Mr Ben Stimpson) set up the Sall Coal om pany, an agricultural merchants business which eal t in animal feed stuffs, grain and artificial :erti lizers, these were bough~ and s.o ld throughout e local farming community and they also bought coal which was then sold to business premises .and householders in Reephan\ and the neighbouring ·llages. coal grounds were served by two lines ong which the trucks were brought to be unloaded; he coal was often stored in piles at the station and unless the coal could be directly shovelled out _ o m the trucks then men were employed who would hovel the coal into skeps which were then carried awa y from the tracks and hand tipped into prepared ooden bays. e coal would be distributed in various sized lots ma inly to the more affluent households of the district ho could purchase and store the coal in such bulk. The big Houses in the area would order coal by the r uck load and many a long working day had to be endured by the employees who were responsible or deli vering the regular truckload ordered by the wners of such places as Haveringland Hall and Great Witchingham Hall. "-hen steam engines were used to thresh the corn the farmer would arrange for a suitable amount of steam coal to be delivered to the farms and this mild be supplied in bulk by Stimpsons· and Collers. the deliveries being made to arrive in advance at e respective farms as the threshing contractor it h his machinery made his way from one site to ano ther. Some farmers would buy a truckload of s ea rn coal for use in the house as well as for :hre shing. The coal was also bagged and weighed in small lots which was then sold by a delivery undsman who toured the local area. Stimpsons d their main rounds in Wood Dalling, Kerdiston, lli t well and Sparham with most of the Reepham area. being covered by Collers. The coal (as with 1 other deliveries) was made by horse and cart :rom the 1880s until after the 1940s although the 1 rst motor truck entered service with Stimpsons - 1925. _ e coal was usually bought through a Factor such _.lellonie and Golder of Ipswich, Bessey and Palmers _ Gr eat Yarmouth or Vintners of Cambridge and was mostly obtained from the Nottinghamshire A Stimpson inventory of 1887 shows that they er-e stocking best coals, kitchen coals, brick burning , smithy nuts, cobbles, screenings, coke, natural _ds, steam coal and household nuts. 23 In the early 1960s Collers moved to Aylsham and continued with their coal rounds but by this time there was a general decline in the demand for coal, the requests for bulk deliveries had all but gone and the introduction of oil fired central heating had reduced the household demand. The closure of the goods traffi c in the 196 Os and the subsequen t difficulties that would ensue in the delivery by road signalled the end, in 1965, of Stimpsons as coal merchants. Most of the work at the Station concerned with coal was carried on outside in the yard area, the granary was rented and used for the other sides of the business; the feed stuffs and grain and the artificial fertilizers. The company bought in general feed stuffs which were sold to the local farming community and it bought from the farmers their cereal crops which were then sold or stored depending upon the market demands at the time. The grain was sold at the Norwich Corn Hall in Exchange Street (now the home of Jarrolds Department Store). A balance sheet from the end of the last century shows that the follOWing feed stuffs were being sold to local farmers; bran, barley meal, cotton cake (square and long), decorticated cake, supers, linseed cake, maize (flat and round), malt culms, lamb food, black oats, rice meal, tares, porridge meal, fowls wheat, bullock food, beans and white peas. They also sold bar, land and rock salt. At that time there was a small demand [or artificial fertilizers and Stimpsons were buying in and selling on nitrate soda, phosphates, superphosphate, lime, bone manure and sulphate of ammonia. Much of it seemed to be recorded as manure: "this would appear to have been 8 generic term to describe the product irrespective of whether it came f rom animals, chemical firms or as a by product from the mining areas (basic slag was high phosphate). Stimpsons were responsible locally for their pioneering approach to the manufacture of feed stuffs: whilst there may not have been a specific demand from farmers for animal farm compounds. Stimpsons recognised that balanced feed stuffs were much more beneficial (and cost effective) than single feeds and they developed products which were then sold direct to local farmers. In the early 1930s they started preparing mixed pig and poultry feeds and this soon developed into a wide range of similar products. In those ea-rly days all the feeds were mixed by hand shovel but as the demand increased a mechanical mixer, hammer mill and oat crusher were all purchased and installed in the Granary. The early development with artificial fertilizers led to the setting up of an agency with rCI in 1930, sales increased during the 19305 and during the Second World War the business was almost wholly concentrated on it. There was a great need for the Country to become as near to self sufficienct as was possible and at the same time Stimpsons had to sustain a decrease in their workforce as more and more staff left to take their place in the Forces. �Mr Ben Stimpson supervising another delivery of Artificial Fertiliser from leI in the 1950's, Towards the end - Stimpsons unload another delivery in the 1960's also Artificial Fertiliser. 24 �less staff available and with a growing demand crop production Stimpsons concentrated on - -':-idal fertilizers ,and decreased their activities - feed stuffs and grains. to shunt the trucks into the granary ready for unloading. The station yard diagram shows two lines of track, one which goes behind the granary, this was known as the 'back road' and another which goes in one end of the granary and out the other end. This was known as the 'shed road'. Two horses would be used and they moved the trucks around in the sidings until the ones to be unloaded were in posi tion, they would then be pulled by the horse to the south door of the granary. - '- - was freely available during the early years he war but a decline in the number of men in pi ts coupled with a particularly long and bitter spell in January 1942 caused the rationing of to be brought in later that year. Stimpsons con tinued wi th their coal rounds, although the __ ly to them had been erratic particularly during winter months when the transport of coal by would sometimes break down completely. When - -ooing was introduced the deliveries continued . g the rest of the war but it was of speCific Olffi ts and to regular customers. There were two mixed goods trains a day, which passed through the station and every afternoon if trucks arrived for unloading then the trains would leave them in the area to the west of the station si teo There was a gradien t up through the coal grounds, until it reached the granary dOOf; there it levelled out. If the trucks required unloading in the coal area or other outside sidings or in the granary then they were pulled into position by two horses. One was fitted with a special harness and pulled nearest the truck and the other outer horse was fitted with an ordinary trace. er the war some areas of business slowly declined in 1965 (the year the coal sales finished) they -erged with Pertwees: eventually the feed stuffs ·sed and today the whole business concentrates artificial fertilizers, agrochemicals and seed - _ many years the business relied heavily on horses - ~ t heir delivery work and also for use in the yard Both horses would walk on the right hand side (not between the fails) and they would pull the trucks The Granary today, little changed in its structure since the 1880's. The Goods Trucks were pulled into the building through "the large doorway on the right hand side. original enters shop, ~ standing only just-' 25 �J 17 No. 65534 A train of Cattle Trucks wait to pull away in April 1950 Harvest Machinery waiting to be unloaded -- probably destined for sale by Randells to Farmers in the district. on the long haul up from the dip to the granary doors. Once they reached the doors the gradient levelled off and by now there was sufficient motion for the trucks to run on inside the granary (the horses having by now been released) or if the trucks had stopped they would be pushed or 'pinched' along by hand by means of a long pin-ch bar. There was a gradient up to the granary, once unloaded (and with the downward gradient out) the trucks could be pushed manually down into the Sidings. Stimpsons had horses available for the coal delivery and each day, for six days a week, one of these would be out on a round in the morning and then back to shunt the trucks in the afternoon. As the shunting was really a task for the GER they paid Stimpsons f or the f acili ty of the horses doing the work of a train. In 1890 there was an income of nearly £90 a year from the GER for this work. (The GER also gave a first class return ticket to London which was invariably made use of by Mr Stimpson). The amount of work must have been extensive When you consider that the average wage of a labourer of the time would be little more than £25 per year. 26 The daily shunting was physically hard even for the horses and they did not last too long on this work, it was a necessary task Which had to be carried out. If the trucks were not unloaded within three days then the buyer would be charged 'demurrage' by the GER. Another problem, particularly during the colder months, was that the grease on the truck wheels would begin to harden and this made their movement a lot harder, particularly for the poor horses pulling them uphill. In the late 19205 a horse named 'Smut' was regularly used on this work and it cost Stimpsons £1 25 Od a week to supply this service; it cost 10/- a week for oats, bran and cut hay to feed 'Smut' and a labourer cost 1/- an hour for two hours a day, six days a week. If none of the horses were available to shunt the wagons, then a horse from one of Stimpsons nearby farms would be brought in. The shunting with horses started in the early 1880s and carried on until the mid 1930s when the operation was then taken over by trains. Throughout the Country the railway companies used many horses as an alternative to trains to shunt goods trucks and in the larger stations th~y were �A great deal of other work was carried out at Reepham; there was the seasonal need for the loading and movement of sugar beet to Cantley and large consignments of grain, fruit and vegetables were sent out from the station, all of these were manually loaded and unloaded for many years by the local farm labourers. The sta tion had the use of a group of cattle pens and these were used for cattle going to and from the local Reepham Wednesday Market. Cattle sent from t he Reepham area t o the main li vestock market in Nor wi ch were invari ably sent fr om Whit well, the journe y fr om Whit weU t o Norw ich was much quicker than t he journey fr om Reepham Station whi ch would delive r the ca ttle to Trowse Station wh ereas the Whitw ell line ended at the Ci ty Station which was then a much shorter drive (up Westwi ck Street and 5t Andrews) t o the Market held each Saturday morning in the a rea around Norwich Castle. The imbalance in the business for transporting cattle was partly offset in the warmer months of the yea when large numbers of local cattle were se nt to Th e Loading Gauge, unused now for 30 years and nearly smothered by natures un;;hecked growth . . eepham Station - !l1id 1930 'so used for th e delivery of goods. Grass alongside rural lines was cut and dl">ied and sent as fodder the horses based in the urban areas, notably London. e companies employed inspe ctors wh o would travel d their a reas and inspec t the horses on a six thly basis. If horses had not be en available at eepham fr om Stimpsons then it L reasonable to :;ssum e that the GER woul d ha ve had t o supply and aft e r them. }en t he li ne was being laid a carpenters l shop was which carried out most of the cialised woodwork requirements of the line as progressed towards foulsham. After its short vi tal working period the building was left vacant was eventually hired by Stimpsons for them stable their horses in; it held up to six. Collers had horses and they were stabled in the area occupied by th e new industrial uni ts in Collers _. The stables used by Stimpsons horses are still - t o<la y; it is the delapidated wooden building the nort h side of Stony Lane. Any visit to it should _ taken with car e a s th e building is leaning badly ill probably collapse in the not too dis tant ~e. H owever, a visual inspection shows its hi st ory, - floor is la id in a numbe r of pla ces with small e stable bri cks, par t of th e fl oor has been laid old redundan t sleepers, possibly th e only ones _ can now be found in t he station area and under - :ll'esent roof you can still find re ma ins of he covering that was put on by t he r a il ways builde rs e early 1880s - t. at Reepham 27 �Reepham Station for the journey to Acle marshes where they were grazed during the summer. On the edge of the main platform there was a loading dock with small manually operated crane which was used to lift farm machinery on and off trucks, machinery that was bought and sold by Eglingtons and Randells, the main agricultural machinery merchants in the area. The loading dock was also used by the loading and unloading of horses, these animals whether for hunting or for working on the farms or to work with local business people were highly valued and could not be driven and packed into trucks like cattle. The M & GN supplied special covered wagons (which contained seats for grooms and other workers who rode with the horses) and these wagons had large sides which would drop down onto the loading dock and down which the horses could be 'led. It was common practice for horses travelling to and from local hunts and race meetings to be loaded and unloaded in this manner, although such events never happened in Reepham. The GER had a parcels office (the small building next to the station) which was used for small parcels and they also had an area in the granary which was used for storing or holding the larger items. Reepham was the epitome of a country station which served a small but busy market town acting as a centre to the surrounding rural area. The area was wholly agriculturally based and the station and its five acre site adequately served Reepham's needs during the seventy years life of the railways. The GER Reepham station was always in competition with the M and GN at Whitwell but there was little doubt as to which one was the more successful. Reepham was always full of people, horses, traffic and generally displayed an air of business; Whitwell was the one which won prizes for its flower beds and settled into a rural quietness between trains and which dealt with goods on an intermittent rather than a regular basis with the exception of the animal trade on Saturdays. We miss them both and although Whitwell has deteriorated to a state of dereliction, the buildings at Reepham in their ·soft cream brown brick remain and as a permenant reminder of their former glory. The station master's house with the attached booking office and waiting rooms, the small parcels office and the large granary are all in current use. No doubt whilst they remain as working buildings they wil1 be preserved in good order and will act as a living reminder of their contribution to the history of Reepham and its area. A present day view of the Station Buildings. The Parcel Building is the small separate unit to the right. The two storey part of the building was the Station Masters' house. 28 �NORFOLK NEWS, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 1952 IVELY FAREWELL TO RURAL LINE With a "funeral oration" from the footplate and wreaths to bedeck the engine, there was a suitable farewell at Reepham Station on Saturday night for the last passenger train on the Wroxham -- County School line. -The Last Pas e ger T • In ' WH~~fi~i'~iiii'~i!iffii~~~~~~B:i5Wiffii~W¥i Branch railway line between Wroxham and County 1 (North Elmham) was open to passenger traffic th e last time on Saturday 13th September 1952, -e that date the line remained open for freight until it finally closed on the 31st October .. . The closure of the line to passen-ger traffi c :.5 an econo my mea sure by British Railways. 29 On the night of 13th September the last passenger train steamed westwards from Wroxham to County School and various ceremonies had been arranged at intermediate stations along the route to make the ending of a service which had been in existence for over 70 years and which had served so well the rural com munities of this area of Norfolk. �open in far more difficult times than the present and pointing out that for many residents in the area the action of British Railways would cause real hardship and inconvenience. The following detail is taken from the newspaper report of the time and it portrays the affection and regret expressed by the local people at the closure of this much loved raHway line. 'One man, for instance, declared that if he decides to use the bus service that will operate in place of the railway service he will be forced to hang about for 80 minutes after leaving off work before he can begin his homeward journey every night. Further along people were speaking of mothers with young children living in the villages who used the train to visit the shopping centres along the line. With the train, they said, these women could take their toddlers and their prams or push-chairs in comfort; now that they would have to travel by bus they would be obliged to carry their children in their arms all the way and all the time. 'At A YLSHAM (North) Station, the black and white crepe paper round and between the pillars supporting the roof of the main platform probably reflected the views of most of the 300 or so citizens who ga the red there, and Chopin's Funeral March, played over public address equipment as the train steamed in from Buxton, seemed to harmonise with the general feelings. The "bang-bang-bang" of exploding detonators as the train drew to a standstill appeared to strike an incongruous noteo 'It must be assumed that when Mr J B Postle, president of the Chamber of Commerce, handed the driver and firemen cigars and bottles of beer, complete with clean tumblers, he was not trying to be lighthearted, but anxious to offer the men tokens of appreciation of their services on the branch line, for, with the help of an assistant, Mr C Skoyles, who, like Mr Postle, wore a top hat and a dark overcoat, he also clambered up a ladder to the top of the engine and hung a large wreath of dahlias, held by a wire round the funnel, over the front of it. 'A t tached to the w rea th was a card bearing the words liTo the memory of another limb of private enterprise which was amputated during the scourge of nationalisation - 1881-1952". 'Then Mr Postle and others having jumped on board to take part in the ceremony at Reepham Station, the train moved slowly off, exploding more detonators as it did so. As the red lamp at the rear of the last carriage faded into darkness, the big crowd slowly melted away. The public address equipment came to life again wi th a modern dance tune in a brave attempt to cheer the gloom, but the emptiness of the waiting rooms had a more telling effect. Then the doors were closed and locked and the porter wondered - would he never see the platform filled with people again? Mr J. R. Postle, president of Aylsham Chamber of Commerce, placing a wreath on the train when it arrived at Aylsham on its return journey. 'Among the many hundreds of people who gathered at the stations to watch the train arrive and then depart into the night, there were several who regarded the occasion wi th lightness of heart. But there were many more who looked upon the passing of the service - which had been a great boon not only to them, but also their parents, their grandparents, and in some cases, their great-grandparents - with real and sincere regret. 'Four of CA WSTON'S oldest inhabitll.l1ts, Whose total ages were 344 years had been taken by cars to Wroxham so they might travel back to Cawston on the last up train. 'On arrival at Cawston they were presented with their rail tickets as souvenirs of the ride by the 'In big and little groups all along the platforms people could be heard recalling that the line had been kept 30 �- on master, Mr J Burgess. They were taken by o the King's Head Inn where light refreshments if served. 9pm, when the last down train reached Cawston, 100 villagers and friends were collected on platform to say 'hail and farewell'. -;-onators normally used as fog signals were placed the track and as the train drew into the station flashes and explosions added to the tenseness scene. !reath was hung on the engine and 'Auld Lang _ e l was sung by those present, then for the last e the train left the station and a large Union - " at half-mast waved it on its way. c t rain steamed on its way covering the short e y to Reepham. - _oon as the 'Pink Uns' had been collected the of pedestrians to RE EP HAM Sta ti on started t he platform was thronging with spectator's good 20 minutes before the scheduled time of _=- -al of the last train into the station, whilst the - -on yard assumed the activity and proportions a c ar park. Never before have there been so many __or cars assembled there. An event, which during previous week had been dubbed 'e. lot of squit' - _ -ually gathered interest and in its final denouement -- clearly proved to have captured the public ~ ~ ation. there was never evidence of any sense of 'rag' ugh the modest ceremony devised by Reepham ber of Trade and Commerce quickly bore the p of an 'occasion' of some importance with - - general public not lacking in initiative. -te 300 people were gathered on the platform, - above their hum of animated conversation the of the Reepham Band were heard. With e cted near-punctuality the long train from _ ston Signed its approach at the Railway Bridge shd with the noiseless efficency and grace of ..:.. express of a more aristocratic line into the station the Chamber's guests, Mr Edward Gibbs and - H E Hawes were engulfed with the spectators, - - the other 35 or so passengers from Ca wston mbarked. 'The former should have been welcomed by the Chamber, but in view of the length of the train, which almost measured that of the platform, and the surge of the crowd, it is not possible accurately to state what happened to this part of the programme. It is understood that a few of the Cawston passengers made the return journey home on foot. 'Then public initiative took command, as Mrs Matthews offered bouquets as a spontaneous gesture of appreciation to the engine drive and fireman. To make the occasion the more impressive, Press photographers hoisted her on to the footplu te and in the flash of their camera bulbs the public had a better view of what was happening. 'In the meantime, the District Passenger Superintendent (Mr D S Lewis), his Chief Staff Clerk, Mr Birkett, and the Reepham Stationmaster, J\lr 5 B Bass were being welcomed and entertained in the station waiting room by Mr Ben Stimpson. chairman and members of the Manllgement Cornmit tee of the Reepham Chamber of Commerce. '50 amidst the strains of Auld Lang Syne frorTI the band, in which the crown joined, the wElving of handkerchiefs in sad farewell, the train mounted stel:l.m to roll outward into the dtirkness for the lu~l time. As it gathered speed rockets (another -unofficaJ addition to the programme) mingled with the scurrying smoke in tribute. IThe final scenes took place in the waiting room. where Mr Stimpson thanked the general public for their grand support, the band [or their greot heir> and Mr Postle and the Aylsham Chamber of Trade and Commerce for their friendly co-operotion and association. Mr Postle thanked the Reepham Challlber for their hospi tali ty and Mr R C Seals repli ed for the Band in which he thanked Mr Skovles of the Aylsham Band [or taking the trouble to corne over and conduct the Reepham Band on tha t occasion. They were proud of the honour he had accorded them'. So a service that had existed for 70 vears came to an end, it was poignant that a num-ber of the older spectators at Reep-ham included some who had been marched by Mr W Pitcher from the school to the Station Bridge to watch the first train intO Reepham Station. GREAT EASTERN RAILWAY. ~EASIDE' AND BROADS AND RIVERS 31 �If there a e hosts They should be here on the old M. & G.'N. 1949 brightens the 10.31 am to N orwich City as it approaches Whitwe ll Sta tion. D 15 No,62528 The Winter sun in February The railway lines around Reepham were built well after the railway mooia which swept t hrough early mid Victorian England. Their working li fe was from the late 1880s until the pl::l.ssenger closures in the 1950s although goods ti'affic carried on for a few more years. Today the line rem ains and has found a new life in offering a route to walkers and horseriders, its past use remains in the empty cuttings and archless bridges nIl built by hand more than 100 years ago. The line was buil t by nuvvies who used tipping trolleys and hand tools as tlle y dug, blasted and dran k their way th r ough the N orrolk coun tryside, man y of them li ve d t oo far away to ret urn hom e at ni ght, so they slept in barns or am ong stacked up sleeper s c overed with tarpaulin s. Many of t he work men em ployed on the li ne we r e ex-far m la bourers from the surrounding ar ea s who were attracted by the 50% in c re ase over the normal wage which nav vying offered and during t he su m mer months particula rly, the possibility of over-time gave the m th e chance to earn e ven more. The gangs were ma de up of colourful characters such as Sam Shirt wh o apparently was not impeded in tl1e quality of his work by having only one ar m j Lum py Ling, Spi ttin g Joe the Diddekoi , and Loo Dye, the latter of whom was famous or notori ous, for his breakneck style of engine driving. The men often had to get or make their own meals. They cut wood for fires and would cook their food in com m unal coppers, which often inCluded anything they could get by poaching. But mostly they would exist on the staple diet of bread and cheese and vegetables often taken from the local farmers' fields. These vegetables were cooked in the coppers along wi th t he famous Norf olk dwnplings m a de fr om bread dough. Water for the coppers oft en had t o be ca rried long dis tan ces and t o ensure that none of it was was t ed any left over after the vegetables and dum plin gs had been cooked in it was used for making tea. The gangs dug cuttings and used the soil to construct the e mbankments and they built culve rt s, br idges, level c rossings and stations with mos t of t he ma t e ri als be ing sent by rail fro m Melton Constable as t he line moved relentlessly on towards Norwic h. On some occasions it was nec essary t o use locally made bricks from san d and clay dug from n earby pits an d then fired in local brick kilns. 32 �Under the bridges you can still see the blackened remains of old train smoke high above on the brickwork. The cuttings are steeply pitched and up to 18ft high. In the summer many areas are ablaze with hawthorn and particularly the dog rose. Later in the year they are heavy with hips and haws a berry-red harvest of crimson and scarlet. e line was built life for those in the permanent ym e nt of the Company was geared to the ~ .:::... and departure of the trains. For a short while rt of the working day was one of hurried ............"'"-"~ and in between it could be confined boredom arly during the wet and colder weather but enjoyment during the spring and summer This intermittent workstyle affected all sta tion staff but particularly the signalmen the crossing keepers. Many a signalman has -ered off to fish in nearby pits or streams whilst - . g for the next train. When the railway was in use the sides of the line were kept free of undergrowth and were used for hay. This was scythed and the tonnage wos sent to London where it was used by the horses of the Great Eastern Railway. This scything of the high grass was a practice which also helped to prevent fire along the banks from the snarks of passing engines. The policy of keeping the undergrowth down meant that wind borne sparks sometimes did not stop until they had landed in and subsquently set alight to nearby cornfields. -- e turn of the century Railway regulations stated - ga te-houses such as the one at Themelthorpe, . only be occupied by married couples, and the d had to be a rail way employee. This meant -: d uring the day (when most of the trains passed gh) the operation of the gates was left to the . With the house so close to the line when the went past they would shake the doors and " w panes and rattle the pictures on the walls ove the ornaments on the mantleshelf. 'The Last Sleepers' on the old track bed at Reepham Station . J1. & G.N. Crossing Keepers' Cottage -:hemelthorpe. _ €.! Along the walk if you look carefully you can find the few remaining examples of the railway and its staff; the odd sleeper covered in undergrowth which will in time rot awaYi the few rails which were never taken away when the line was ripped up and which will no doubt permanently remain, offering a metal grave stone honouring the life of the railway; whilst their surface bears no inscription they will remain for many years their very presence speaking volumes of the seventy years that the line formed the backbone of the industrial and social life of this areo. crossings were a prominent feature of the .t GN. They usually had a small crossing-keepers : ge, perhaps built of concrete blocks made at - . Ielton works, alongside. Originally it was intended :JUild a cottage at all but the smallest crossings, -de it with a plot of land, and then offer it rent with a modest wage to anyone who would '"take to handle the gates as required. The wages E ... ed varied according to the traffic and in a : minor lane just after the last war it would couple of pounds a week and this sort of sinecure a s much sought after. The line will now become a reserve for nature and a place of peace and solitude for the walker but it will also become a time capsule of ghosts and memories: before the last war there were a number of passenger trains every day travelling along the two lines either side of Reepham. They were slow but punctual and many a farm worker would stop and check their pocket watches or would time the routine of their day with the sound of the whistles or the sight of the trains. In this hurried age we can now only look back and cons' er these thoughts with nostalgia but wouldn!t we like to travel back in time and ride on these trains again ••• if only we could! Reepham Station was built the navvies were ate in that the site was used as a main base the contractors and a bakery was completed - a ailable to make bread and dough [or the workers ade their way back to Reepham each night. - li ne is now overgrown and has become a wilderness ildlife such as seen in very few other places - _-. It offers a rural enchantment in its slumbering _ - and you can feel a wistfulness and nostalgia _ railway tha t has now gone forever. 33 �In 1979 the route of the former M &. GN Railway from Norwich to Lenwade (a length of seven miles) was opened to walkers, cyclists and horse riders for them to use as a footpath and bridleway. The route was named after William Marriott who was the Chief Engineer and Manager of the M & GN system for 41 years. A further 14 miles has now been purchased and the route has been extended from Lenwade to Aylsham via Whitwell, Themelthorpe, Reepham and Cawston. The walk finishes in Aylsham opposite the station of the Bure Valley Light Railway. j THEMELTHORPE ~ ~ ,------ _ !~ ~~~~~~~~~I~~9i~.~f?MPn~~'~~ --~ Marriott's Way ;a""...,~ ~t5!d~jiii·~~ifii~Wi~~ff.ii~H6Wi ·~ The walk was offically opened on the 1st May 1991 by the Chairman of the County Council's Countryside Com mi ttee, Ingrid Floering Blackman. The route is not a public right of way, but members of the public are invited to use it as a footpath and bridleway a t their own risk. The purchase and development has been carried out by Norfolk County Council, Broadland District Council and Norwich City Council with further assistance from South Norfolk District Council, Costessey Parish Council and The Countryside Com mission. Discussions were started with Bri tish Rail in 1987 to purchase the 14 mile section and these were concluded in December 1990 when contracts were exchanged and the implementation work com menced. Part of the agreement was for the County Council to also take over the bridges and put them (and keep them) in good order - all 35 of them! Urgent work costing £44,000 has had to be carried out on the bridges at Lenwade and Whitwell. Although a lot of money has had to be spent it is intended tha t no further structural repair will be required for a least another 20 years, it is ironic that the sleepers used to repair the bridges were imported from Holland as good sleepers at a reasonable price are no longer available in this area. Whilst walkers and cyclists are to be encouraged there have been efforts made to discourage the motorcyclists who use and churn up the track. A large number of gates, stiles and fences have been erected and these should make it difficult for the motorcyclist, the large gates will be padlocked but are there to allow maintenance vehicles to get in and out. Horse riders have been presented with gates that can be opened without dismounting and three horse ramps have been built to allow horses and riders to get down easily from embankments, the best local example is alongside the bridge over Orchard Lane. J 17 No. 5567 'Trains you could set your watch by ~ --- changed into LNER livery the 3.S2pm to Norwich approaches Whitwell in May 1949. 34 �--~ o o 2 Weavers' Way / V'in g Hall Link Palh 3 2 ....-MARSHAM ,, r ' 1 ' ', I , IYIWSTRAWBERRY HORSFORD YELLOW TOADFLAX - oute is well signed with small unobtrusive signs the gates and larger sign boards, which offer -e detail and some of the basic rules to be followed. the railway was in operation the wildlife was . r estricted. The track vegetation was frequently sprayed or burned off so that the trains were obstructed by scrub and the sparks from the - g st ea m engines did not set fire to the tra ck. as only a very limited range of wild an imals - plants tha t survived under such con diti ons. In ears since the closure limi ted work bad been 35 ''"L ' J\. ./ . . :. \ . ~. ": ' 1)r:.=Jr~ ~'Vf~ < . ': . ... , , , ;%' , ~ . .~ 'V' - 5 mile Norwich :.,. ~Q -0-. ,"--. R'IverSI'de WaJk' ",I'(; ~~~"~ " �carried out and the ve'g etation has been allowed to encroach back in some places nearly across the track. A priority was to create a strip four metres wide along the whole length and this has meant that a great deal of vegetation has had to be cleared or cut back, this seems visually drastic but a season's growth will heal the wounds. With exceptions of where the track starts and finishes in Norwich and Aylsham the only other place in its 21 mile length where houses come up to the track is in neepham where the Richmond Rise estate and the houses along the Cawston Road come up to the track; it is in tended to plant trees to soften this view. Generally there are some excellent views from Marriott's Way compared to other similar walks, particularly th~ local views from the embankments beyond Whitwell Station looking towards Reepham, at Kerdiston looking towards Pettywell and on the line beyond Orchard Lane looking towards Cawston. Since the closure, a range of wildlife has colonised the line. Trees and shrubs are the main colonists, including oak, field maple, thorns, apple and the rarer spindle, with its distinctive coral-pink berries. The track bed and some sections of the banks have remained open, developing an interesting dry chalk grassland nora of a type that has become increas;ngly rare. Sections can include attractive flowering species such as wild strawberry, haresfoot clover, great mullein and primrose. Nature conservation work will be encouraged in a number of areas particularly the cuttings which are good habitat for all manner of wildlife, a good example is Blackwater just south east of Whitwell Stati on. Cuttings often support both a wide variety of plants and good ranges of insects, particularly nectar-feeding butterflies and moths. In some places, the track verges are wet tcr and species such as marsh-marigold, meadowsweet, common or Norfolk reed and horsetail. Horsetails are non-flowering, fern relatives which are of particular intel'est as they come from a very ancient family that has survived almost unchanged for over 40 million ycars. j The most frequent animals that will be encountered are insects and birds, bird species include jay, magpie, goldfinch, wren and green woodpecker (whi ch is noticeable when flying because of its loud, laug"hing song). 36 One aspect relating to wilcllife that will not meet with everyones l approval is the control of rabbits, this work is not only essential but is also a statutor"y obligation under the 1953 Rabbit Act. Whilst many walkers will have enjoyed watChing the rabbits that Ii ve in the embankments near the meadows off the Back Lane beyond Broomhill, they will I'm sure, appreciate that the large numbers that can be seen must be controlled. With the purchase of the line the necessity of this control has now passed to the County Council. The walk is now offically open, it I?asses through some lovely Norfolk countryside and is there not just to be used by mainly to be enjoyed; the closure of the railways may have been regretted but now the old routes have been opened up they can be appreciated at a pace that is probably comparable with the speed of the steam engines that for 70 years plied their way backwards and forwards through this coun tryside. One point will, however, never be fully accepted; the name MorrioU's Way. The Themelthorpe Norwich length is the route of the M & GN Railway whilst the Themelthorpe-Aylsham length was originally run by the G.E.R. The two companies ran in competition for many years, competition which was at times fierce and which fuelled solid loyalties among its employees. Whilst the two companies were amalgamated with the nationalisation in 1948 and the two lines were physically joined in 1960 many people will never agree that an area of G.E.R. line should be known as Marriott's Way. �__ - .2780 The 2. 33pm from Wro xham - : to enter Reepham Station in A.prill _ . J ~ 5 ~ '0 . 5478 The 12noon {rom Dereham .. Reepham in August 1948. �Prin ting I & J Watton Tel. Norwich 871998 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Reepham Society Newsletters Description An account of the resource A comprehensive collection of newsletters published by the Reepham Society. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Printed and digital Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GB/REE/RS/Magazines Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1983-2000 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Reepham Society Text-digital Any text item for which there is no previously existing hard copy in the Archive. The text can be stored on CD, DVD, memory card, USB stick, on hard drive or 'cloud'. It may have been sent electronically to the Archive or it may be a text owned by someone else which we have scanned or photographed. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Reepham Society Magazine 1991 Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GB/REE/2401101055 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource A4 PDF, 40 pages Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1991 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Reepham Society RS Database 425 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Scanned by Geoff Fisher GER Railway M&GN Railway railway https://reephamarchive.co.uk/omeka/files/original/9da522982d58624e2f9cb3f9e1b239aa.pdf 49466f145f0f8fe4bea72756d49309a9 PDF Text Text THE REEPHAM SOCIETY Magazine �Middlemarch . Broomhill Lane. Reepham Telephone Norwich 870936 The front cover of this magazine shows the Moor House, an impressive building built in the mid part of the nineteenth century by the Bircham family. William Bircham was li'ving in The Ollands when he built the Moor House and initially the House was lived in by other members of the family but from the early 1900's it was rented out until it was eventually sold after the last war. Whilst there are many photos and considerable detail available about The Ollands little is known about the history of the Moor House, indeed some of the oral history imparted to me by local residents proved to be incorrect and it took a lot of cross referencing to establish the detail that I have given about this House. The history of the Moor House is just part of an article that details a general history of the Moor during the past 100 years. I'm grateful for the reminiscences of a number of local people that have helped me with this and I must also acknowledge the considerable help gained from the long article entitled 'Past News' written in 1949 by the late Harry Hawes. He was a builder who lived in Reepham all his life, as had his father, and his recollections of Reepham and its residents go back to the mid/late part of the last century. Contributions in this issue include a article from Edwin Prockter about William Alfred Pasko I am sure many people will remember the outfitters and drapers that the Pask family had at Towns End Corner (the site occupied today by Reepham D.I. Y .). Margaret Rowe and her sister Pat Swinhoe-Phelen, daughters of the late Rev Bernard Luscombe, (who was vicar of Whitwell and Kerdiston during the 1930's and 40's), recall their childhood in Reepham during these years. In the last magazine many people enjoyed the article. about the 1ronmongery business of Edward Gibbs and Son; Wesley Piercey now recalls his grandfather Thomas who worked for this firm until he retired in the early 1930's. I apologise for repeating a photograph that was printed in the last .issue but as it shows Thomas Piercey with Edward Gibbs it seems more significant to this issue. George Kett, a regular contributor, has sent an article about the last days of Robert Kett who was captured at Swannington after the unsuccessful revolt of 1549. Another regular contributor, Tony Ivins, recalls the Bircham Brewery Well which is historically linked to the old post mill which first stood in Reepham and then was moved to Booton. Finally John Ricketts has sent 'Memories of Cricket at Reepham'. There is nothing more evocative than memories of the sound of leather on willow on summer afternoons of the past and although local club cricket has had its ups and downs during the past 70 years it is going as strong now as it ever was and John has captured somewhat fondly, this sport that is so beloved by many. This magazine contains a large amount of local historical detail, please do not read and accept it as being definitive. If you know that any of the facts given are fundamentally wrong then I would welcome comments, corrections or even constructive criticism. I hope also that some of you readers will have memories (of Reepham) that you would like to recount for the next issue, if you can help then please get in touch with me. Reepham has a wealth of documented and oral history and I'm pleased that the Society's magazine allows this to be brought to a large number of people in this area; I hope you will read it and enjoy it. Michael Black SOCIETY REEPHAM 11 Spring 1990 �These were the local headlines which people read in the newspapers of January 4th 1943. A little under four months later on 1st May, the same papers were recording a death the previous day of William Alfred Pask - Tailor of Reepham for more than 80 years. William Alfred Pask - THE EARLY YEARS . . . Not a lot is known about the early years of 'Billy Pask's' life. He was born in Ipswich to a travelling man, also called William Alfred and his Reepham born wife Charlotte, nee Loades. The next time we find his family is in Norwich, where his only brother Charles Alfred was born in 1853. Only one year after this his mother Charlotte dies in Ipswich of cholera, aged just 24. What happens next is a mystery, but it seems that William and his baby brother Charles were taken to the 'Loades' grandparents in Reepham to be brought up, and this is where the Reepham Pask dynasty begins. THE WORKING YEARS . . . Billy used to tell his grandchildren that his first ever job was scaring crows for a farmer. However, going back to the newspaper articles of January 1943, we learn that he first entered tailoring at the age of seven, and at the age of 10 became apprenticed to the Reepham firm of Bircham and Amos. In 1875, possibly with money received from the estate of his late grandmother, he set out in business on his own, and built up a very high class tailoring business with wealthy customers in many parts of the country. Tailor 'REEPHAM TAILOR WORKING AT 91 ••• ' '50th ANNIVERSARY OF THIRD WEDDING ••• ' , 1 �SECTIONS OF THE AUTHOR'S FAMILY TREE, TRACING THE MAIN 'PASK' LINE BACK FROM HIS GRANDFATHER , SECOND SON OF WILLIAM - TAILOR OF REEPHAM 12. Peter Pask 8. Charles A Pask 4. William A Pask 1792 to 1861 Born 1824 Death Unknown 9. Susan Castell 1851to1943 1830 to 1854 Born 1801 Death Unknown 11. Charlotte Taylor 1875 to 1929 1803 to 1881 6. William Ellis 1851 to 1888 Born 1769 Death Unknown 10. James Loades 5. Charlotte Loads 3. Elizabeth Ellis 13. Rebecca Basham 1805 to 1870 2. William A Pack 1. Alfred Harry Pask Born 1769 Death Unknown Born 1818 Death Unknown 7. Harriet Waller Born 1819 Death Unknown 3. THE CHART ABOVE HAS BEEN SHORTENED IN DET AlL TO MAKE IT EASIER TO FOLLOW, IT INCLUDES SEVERAL REEPHAM PEOPLE OF THE 19C. FOR FURTHER DETAILS REFER TO NUMBERED INFORMATION BELOW: 4. 5. I. 2. Alfred Harry married in Abingdon, Berkshire and later became the tailor of Lowestoft . William was married three times . First to Elizabeth Ellis who I believe was born in Gt Witchingham, from 1871 to 1888. Second to Clara Elizabeth Neale a widow of Reepham from September 1890 to Novem ber 18~ I. Third to Annie ~arah Rowe who was born at Peasenhall, from 1893 until his death in 1943. 8. 9. 2 Elisabeth's father was a coachman, she had a sister Maria who is buried next to her in Whitwell Road Cemetary. Her brother John later lived in North Walsham. William the first, is a man of mystery as he never stayed in the same place for very long. By trade he was a hawker or book canvasser. Charlotte had six brothers and sisters all born in Hackford. Margaret, Samuel, Mary, Robert, Sarah and James after his father, who was a blacksmith by trade. Charles Alfred was born at Stoke by Clare , Suffolk. He married at St. Matthew's Church , Ipswich in 1824. Most of his life he was a bookbinder /bookseller, but for a few years he was Innkeeper at the Cornhill Tavern in Ipswich . This Peter was possibly the second ancesto r by this name, but at this stage his parentage has not been confirmed conclusively. �THE F AMIL Y MAN . . . William was no stranger to tragedy, having lost his mother at three years old and seemingly being deserted by his Dad soon after. However, sorrow continued with him for many years to come. He first wife Elizabeth died of T.B. aged 36, just three days after the death of their youngest son Donald, leaving William with eight small children to cope with. Such was the scale of these events that a 'fund' was set up in the village to support him through t hese dark days. However, more grief was to come, on 30 September 1890 he was married to Clara, only to be widowed again for a second time a little over 3+ years in November 1891. Just nine months after this his ten year old daughter Ethel died in a tragiC accident whilst out playing. However, after his third marriage in January 1893 to Annie things did begin to go better at least for a time. It is not perhaps surprising that at one stage William took to heavy drinking and his wife lived in fear of him coming home at night, but in his latter years he reformed after a 'conversion experience' at the Methodist Chapel. William was the father of 18 children, including one step-child from his second wife. Of these 15 lived into adult life - eight boys and seven girls. From this family have come hundreds of descendants still living today in many parts of the world. THE WILLIAM ALFRED PASKS . . . William was very proud of his family, as he loved chi ld ren, but he had a special pride in the four living ge nerations of William Alfred and three kno wn pictures were taken of them at stages in life. Few know that his father was also William Alfred, and with William Alfred V - st ill alive a nd well, living in Aylsham there has now been a William Alfred Pask for 166 yea rs . Author's Note: The preceeding article is in no way a history of the Pask family, a book would be needed for that. However, Edwin Prockter does have an ongoing interest in family research. If you can help with a ny memories of any persons mentioned on the 'tree chart', please can tact Ed win at the following address: 149 Carholme Road Lincoln LNI lRU Tel: 0522 522975 3 �l\ I ESTABLISHED - w •••••• w w. ............ :wv Wi . . . . 1875. _ . . . . . . Wi ._ ... .. An PASK, Civil & Military Tailor, . . e»&ie:rt9 ~tc;,.9 MARKET PLACE, REEPHAM. ..... W" ................ ~._.~• • • ~ .......... ,...,...~,. MOURNING & LIVERIES AT SHORT NOTIOE. Ladies'Riding Habits and Jackets in Latest Fa~hions. Good Fit. Workmanship Guaranteed. All Work done by Experienced Men on the Premises, under personal supervision. ..., - -4 .. ; ) �Whilst in recent years the town area of Reepham parish has grown and commercially prospered the Moor has declined in a commercial sense and today this leaves the Moor as a much quieter almost totally residential area. During the 19th and early part of the 20th century however the Moor was commercially prosperous and the residents living in this area formed up to half the population included in the cenus returns for the parish of Reepham. The population level was about 400 during the period 1851 - 1931 (with up to 200 living at Reepham Moor). In 1883 the commercial side of the Moor included William Baker, chimney sweep; Thomas Dewing, shopkeeper; William Gillingwater, bootmaker and shopkeeper ; Henry Porter, landlord of the Black Lion and at least three farmers. Reepham Moor By the County of Norfolk Review Order, 1935, the civil parishes of Hackford, Reepham and Kerdiston and Whitwell were united to form the new parish of Reepham. Prior to this unification Reepham was always described 'as a small town and parish on the banks of the Eyn'. Reepham Moor is, and always seems to have been, a separate part of the Reepham parish situated to the east of the town. 'Moor' means low wet land and this area was originally the common of Reepham. The river Eyn is the boundary between the parishes of Reepham and Booton and although the low wet land on the Reepham side was long ago drained and cultivated the land on the other side is Booton Common an area of wetland which remains today as it probably was hundreds of years ago. All of Reepham Moor is contained within the Reepham Conservation Area, the main objectives of conservation include the resistance of development which would be out of keeping with the character of the area or detrimental to its appearance and to ensure that new development is of a type and design which will blend with the appearance of the. area and add to its interest and attraction. Future changes at the Moor will be strictly controlled. However changes to Reepham Moor in the past have been minimal, but with two main exceptions during the past 100 years. The first change in the period 1850 - 1890 and the second between 1910 and the late 1980s. It seems likely that the road through the Moor was the original road from Reepham to Cawston, the map shows the present road which finishes at Moor Farm and the route restarts at the Green Lane which proceeds in a reasonably direct line to Cawston. It is accepted that houses have been scattered along this road since Tudor times. The present houses along the Moor display a number of interesting architectural details dating mainly from the sixteenth century at Moor Farm and from the late seventeenth and eighteenth centuries as seen at 'Ye Old Monastery', the Moor Lodge and again, Moor Farm. I i ~ i Manor hrm : . _-- II / ii : 0' ">\~ l:: ,",/,- -,{ O· \~\.. .'.'" The Area of Reepham Moor 5 �The shading shows the road along Reepham Moor and the Green Lane to Caws ton. Originally this was the main route between Reepham and Cawston. THE MOOR HOUSE The first change concerns the area now occupied by the Moor House and its grounds. The tithe map of 1846 shows the area as a general collection of farm buildings and other dwellings, the next map of the area is the detailed work carried out by the Ordnance Survey of 1885. This detail shows quite .clearly that in the intervening years a large house had been built in the middle of the site and that a road shown in the 1846 map had been moved further to the north. In the 1885 map the straight line which reaches to the north west from the back of the House is the line of the original road. The present House and Lion House (the old Black Lion Public House) are dated 1888 and 1889 respectively and it is widely believed that they and the New Road were all built at this time. This is not so and I will elaborate in greater detail the building carried on around these dates later on in this article. It is difficult to detail when the Moor House was built but I assume it to be between 1846 and 1865, probably nearer the later date. Kelly's Directory of Norfolk specifically lists the 'private' residents of Reepham and someone who could afford to live in a house of this size would .urely be listed. The first listing is in 1865 when the person recorded as living here is a Mrs Dalrymple. In his reminIscences of Reepham, Harry Hawes recorded the "Mrs Dalrymple lived there, she was aunt to Mr Sam Bircham, a very nice old lady generous to the poor. She would ride about in a donkey chaise fitted with a glass front and whenever she went out she was always accompanied by her nurse. After her death Mr Frank Parmeter of Booton Hall came to live here". The Kelly's Directory of 1883 lists Miss Bircham and Francis Parmeter as residing at the Moor House. Mary Anne Dalrymple was born in 1798 and died in Reepham in 1875, she was married in 1826 to 'Surgeon Dalrymple of Norwich' and it is believed that after her husband's death she came to Reepham to live, she was survived by two daughters. I am informed that in 1837 Catherine Dalrymple married Francis Thomas Bircham and their son was Samuel Bircham who eventually inherited the Moor House. I assume that Catherine was related to "Surgeon Dalrymple", a sister or possibly daughter from an earlier marriage. The various tithes, area 296 - 303 inclusive, were all owned by William Bircham (who lived at the Ollands) and he was probably the person who built the Moor House and at the same time changed the road to the layout we know today. 6 �® The Western end of Reepham Moor (around the Moor House) as it was in 1846, the dotted lines indicate the road alignment carried out when the original house was built and the roads built into Richmond Rise in the 1970s. ® The same area in 1885, shortly before the house was extended and the Black Lion Public House moved to the other side of the road. © The same area in 1990. Prior to this building the tithes supported the livelihood of a number of tenants. The tithes 296, 297, 301 and 302 were used as pasture and arable land . Tithe 298 was occupied by Thomas Springall who was a bricklayer and farmer of some 27 acres, the buildings on this tithe were a farm house with a barn, stables, cart sheds, cow house and a par yard . (1 am informed that a par yard was a yard in which cattle were kept during the winter months - Editor). There were also five cottages occupied in 1870 by the following tenants. 1. Nurse McLean who was the Parish Nurse. 2. William Huson, a bootmaker. 3. Jerry Hall, a labourer 7 �4. Widow Hall, who had tw o sons and two daughters (one of whom married Morris the hay trusser). 5. Broughter Hart, a harness maker by trade who was also employ.o:d by the Post Office. Every weekday he would walk from Reepham to the Saxthorpe Post Office delivering as he went the 'letters to SaIl Street. He would then walk to and leave the Wood Dalling and Heydon post bags at Heydon Post Office, he carried on th r ough Heydon Park to leave the Corpusty and Saxthorpe bags at Saxthorpe Post Office. He then turned around and walked back bringing the various letter bags which were to catch the horse drawn Norwich Mail Van which left Reepham at 5p.m. each day . As Samuel now owned all this area he now decided in 1888 to clear the whole site and to make the house larger and generally to turn it into a house of some magnificence. All the dwellings, farm buildings and other buildings were demolished and the whole area turned into gardens and grounds to compliment the new House. The Black Lion Public House was demolished and a new one was built on the opposite side of the road to a new house which was built as a gardener'S cottage. The only early building which survived and is still there today is a small barn like structure behind the house which was probably used as outhouses and stables to serve the or iginal smaller Moor House. I have been unable to find out who carried out the extensive rebuilding of the Moor House but Harry Hawes wrote in 1949 that th e Black Lion was built by John Hever and Son, builders of Norwich and that his father Thomas Hawes was given the order to demolish and clear away all the cottages, farm houses and buildings which were on the site, he was also given the order to build about 50 yards of flint wall which encloses part of the grounds. After the House was com pie ted (at a cost of (19,000) Samuel Bircham lived there for part of the year although working in London. He also lived in Surrey where he built three further houses to live i n. It is said that his wife did not like to live in the Moor House and they spent time living in their various homes. Samuel Bircham lived here until the turn of the century when it was then rented to Ernest Hudson who was here from about 1903 until his death in August 1931. Whilst living at the Moor House his son Sydney died, aged 27 in 1909 and his wife Helen and second son Eric both died in the influenza epidemic in April 1919; all four members of the family are buried in the Norwich Road cemetary almost opposite the grounds of the house where they lived. The tithe area 299 was an orchard and area 300 contained yards and agricultural buildings and four cottages, in 1870 the tenants were: I. William Self, he worked the in the local Whitwell tannery Leaman 2. Mr Watchman, he was a maltster (the malthouse in which he worked was situated next to the Norwich Road opposite Virginia's Workbox - Editor). 3. Mr Kemp, a gardener. 4. C. Hall, to encourage Samuel Bircham told him in Worlds End Lane for free from all rents for to say, Mr Hall accepted. steam owned st r iker by Mr this tenant to leave he could have a cottage himself and his family, his lifetime. Needless In the area 303 stood the 'old' Black Lion Public House, this had a thatched roof and attached were several farm premises which included a barn, stable, piggeries, par yard and a skittle alley. On the gable end a large board was affixed, this was nine feet long and had a large black l ion pai n ted on it. He was fond of horses and kept a number of fine animals in the stables which still back along New RO,ad. When the First World War came the horses were all requisitioned and taken away by the Army. Like so many other animals none of his horses came back, it is said the grief of losing them caused him never to have any more. Although a member of the Reepham Bircham family, Samuel Bircham was a solicitor who lived in Surrey and practiced in London, he obviously yearned for - life in Reepham because he purchased at auction in 1879 the Old Brewery House. This 'superior residence' and various other lots in Reepham were sold by Messrs Spelman and Co., these lots were certain parts of what was previously known as the Bircham Brewery estate sold by William Bircham. With the encroachment of the railways the Bircham Brewery monopoly in this area was put under fierce competition particularly from the Norwich Breweries and the family were in turn placed under severe financial pressure. Ernest Hudson is still remembered today by some residents of Reepham who recall him as a large and kind elderly man. He had a north country accent and he was reputed to be part of the family that owned Hudson's Soap; whether or not this is true he was always referred to in Reepham as 'Soapy Hudson'. It was ironic and perhaps satisfying to William Bircham that Samuel should purchase the Brewery House and he further extended Samue l's estate in Reepham when after William's death in 1886 he left in his will the area in, around and including the Moor Ho use. However, Samuel had to purchase his holding. Local people who knew the House du r ing this period remember the grounds and front gardens as always being meticuously kept. With similar attention by full time gardeners being paid to the nearby grounds of The Ollands this area of R eepham must, d uring the summer months, have been wonderful to walk round and look at . Due to his financial difficulties William had mortgaged the Moor House and the surrounding area to Samuel Bignold in 1876, To inherit the property Samuel paid (2 ,250 to clear the mortgage. After Ernest Hudson's death in 1931 the House remained empt y until the Second World War. It was kept windproof and watertight during these years until it was used by the Army during the war years. 8 �There were many serving members of the armed forces based In and around Reepham during this time and it seems that those based at the Moor House constantly changed. Their general role was not believed to be of any great or secret importance. In 1947 the Bircham family sold the Moor House to Dr Eglington who used it as a nursing home until the late 1980s. During the later years the House was used by numerous film and television companies to provide settings both inside and outside for various films and programmes. The most notable being the extensive use by Anglia Television in connection with the film adaptations of a number of P D James novels. The Moor House was sold again in 1989. TITHE AREA 270 (formerly Collison's Yard) The second area within Reepham Moor which has seen the greatest change was originally the tithe number 270. The c hange is probably now complete but this has been achieved over a 70 year period to the late 1980s. In 1844 this tithe was owned by John Eacher, he also owned a block of four cottages of clay lump and thatch which were situated on the north side of the site. No 1 was occupied by C Baker - Chimney Sweep No 2 was occupied by James Wyer - Agricultural Labourer No 3 was occupied by Vertrae Fuller - Pauper No 4 was occupied by James Harrison - Pauper There was another group of four cottages of clay lump and thatch on the site which were owned by Stephen Leeds - the tithe does not detail the occupants of these dwellings but later in the 19th century Harry Hawes recalled all the cottages as being in a very bad condition. In the early part of this century the area was owned by Mr William Harrison who in September 1910 sold the site to Mrs Eliza Betsy Collison. It is not clear at what date the clay lump houses were demolished but houses appear in the same place on the O.S. map of 1906 as in the tithe map of 1846. On the area today the house known as 'Klear Vu' and an old wall between the new dwellings and 'The Gables' both show example of local made clay brickwork and it is possible that they were the remains of Victorian dwellings built to replace the clay lump cottages or that the early described 'clay lump' is in fact 'clay brickwork' and the remains today are in fact from the original dwellings shown in 1846. It is known that when Mrs Collison bought the site in 1910 there were a number of sub divided dwellings with tenants on the site, there was also an orchard in the north west corner of the site. The site was then split into two and on the southern part a house subsequently known as 'The Gables' was built and was sold in July 1920 to Mr Leslie Heron. The other half of the site was turned into a builders' yard for Collison Bros. An entrance to the site was created and a bungalow and builders' office was built, the exact date of this is unknown but it is believed to be in the early 1920s. • 9 �The site was split again in 1933 when a house was built on the area originally covered by the orchard. This house was sold in 1945 to Sir Dymock White (of Salle Hall) who wanted it as a house for his estate forester. The cottage in the north east corner (which was believed to be built on the side of one of the original dwellings) was sold in 1954. The builders' yard remained but was by now almost surrounded by dwellings, this use remained until Collison Bros. closed down in 1986 and the area was sold with planning permission for two new dwellings, t hese were subsequently built and the original half acre of tithe 270 is now split into an area of six dwellings and gardens. 247 .p7!1 q;, < I 'J REEPHAM MOOR 1885 (H " I H I'" HI o o REEPHAM MOOR 1969 10 �REEPHAM MOOR (Excluding the Moor House and Tithe Area 270) grandmother, Mary Crane Amiss, was given the block of four cottages whilst she was a child, she owned them all her life. The single cottage adjoinging belonged to Samuel Eglington who paid her 2/6d a year for a right of way to get water from the pump, she always spent the money on bottles of gin." The remaining area of the Moor (from the Moor House corner to Manor Farm) has changed very little during the past 100 years with the exception of building on the old tithe area 270 there are only two or three dwellings that have been built since 1885. Many of the cottages have however been modernised and in some cases extensively altered. When many of them were built the roofs were thatched but over the years these roofs have been replaced by tiles. A typical Moor dwelling would have looked like the cottages at Stocks Hill (as shown in the photograph) or the only remaining thatched cottage today, which today stands on the junction with Orchard Lane. 3. 4. both agricultural labourers." The cottages were later demolished and Mr Owen - who later lived at the Moor Lodge - had them demolished and the land was incorporated into the garden of Moor Lodge. Harry Hawes recalled the Moor and its residents as it was at the end of the 19th century, I have rewritten his notes and the individual dwellings mentioned are num bered against maps of the area of 1885 and 1989 the account starts at Manor Farm. 1. 2. The Moor Lodge - "was occupied by a Mr Stearman, he was Registrar of Births and Deaths. He took a great part in the Reepham String Band, unfortunately Mr Stearman ended his days in the Asylum". "Past the Moor Lodge stood two cottages built of clay lump and thatch and known as White Hall, in the 1840s they were owned by Mrs Ward and occupied by Simmons and Porter, "This farm belonged to Mr W Parke - listed i n Kelly's Directory from 1846 -1875 as a farmer - he had this for many years. He was a church warden for St Marys Church with Mr Dye of Kerdiston. He had a niece, Jane Gray, who lived with him and who, after his death married Mr Ben Wyand." Today this group includes Primrose Cottage, Rose Cottage and Haven Cottage "My 11 5. The Cottage - "Next came two cottages roofed with thatch, they belonged to the Rev Wilkinson. These my father re-roofed with pantiles." 6. Modern Bungalow - In 1840 this was owned by Will Edwards and later it was occupied as a farm cottage for Thomas Springall's farm." In 1892 and 1904 it is listed in Kelly's as being occupied by Owen Hardingham who was a horse slaughterer and a dealer in skins, the cottage was demolished in 1947. �7. Old Cottage - "this was originally one cottage which was re-built in the late 19th century as two cottages, it has recently been turned back into one cottage again." 8. Block of three cottages including Ye Old Monastery - "these cottages belonged to William Baley Baker . who was a chimney . sweep. The middle property was a grocer's shop run by Thomas . Dewing, he also did tailoring. The tenant of the larger cottage was Betsy Coe the midwife, she did mangling of linen at a penny a dozen, items could be any size. The cottages were all thatched, I bought them for 060 and had them re-roofed with tiles." 9. Anniversary Cottage - "these cottages belonged to Mr Richard Rodham who sold them to Priscilla (?) and she at once sold them to Martin Dewing" - between 1885 and 1904, Martin Dewing is listed in Kellys as a shopkeeper at The Moor. 10. Thatched Cottage - " The property owned by Mr Neale was originally owned by the farmer William Parke." 12 13. II. Now occupied by modern chalets at start of Orchard Lane - this area included a farm and various farm buildings, from 1840 - 1870 it was occupied by Thomas Springall who is listed in Kelly's as a farmer and bricklayer. "The farm house was built of clay lump and thatch and was very small and the roof eaves were only six feet from the ground." All the buildings are long since demolished although the barn survived until 1974, the barn was used just after the Second World War by Collison Bros., builders, in which to make roof tiles. These were used to tile the roofs of the houses along the Wood Dalllng Road. For many years the area was used as a smallholding by Mr and Mrs Neale, the farm house had been demolished and from 1928 onwards they lived on site in a redundant railway carriage. 12 Kiriemuir, Hill House and Hillside - "This property had a block of four cottages, all built of clay lump and thatch, they were known as Stocks Hill Cottages as they adjoined the site of the old stocks. In the 1840s they were owned by R W Brady and later by the Rev E Holley who sold them to my father, Thomas Hawes." "this property was owned by my grandfather Job Henry Watson who was a grocer and coal dealer and he also sold pork and sausages. He is listed in Kelly's from 1846 until 1875 as a grocer - Mr Barnabas Seeley (who was a carter and farmer from Hatchford) used to cart coal for him from the riverside at Norwich. I have been at dinner with him on Saturday and have known him to be disturbed from his meal by someone at the back door who wanted a stone of coal, or a screw of tobacco for a penny or a toz of snuff which was a penny farthing." �14. An area owned by John Eacher. then Steven Leeds and purchased in 1910 by Elizabeth Collison - all relevant detail is recorded in the separate note about tithe 270. 15. Now the north garden of Moorcroft - In the 1840s this was owned by Sir R Jodrell. There were two cottages. one was occupied by Luke Coe who was a shoemender and the other was occupied by Hannah Matthews who ran it as a common lodging house and took in pedlars. labourers and paupers. Both dwellings are long since demolished and the land is now incorporated in the garden of Moorcroft. "the walled in garden now used by the Reepham Fire Brigade contained the ruins of an old house. my grandfather (Job Henry Watson who kept the shop opposite) remembered Mrs Matthews who lived there and who gained a living by taking roadsters. These roadsters used to call at the shop and wo uld buy a penn yworth of tea or a penn yworth of sugar. " 13 16. Orford Cottages - "bit further on were four more clay walled and thatched cottages owned by a man known as big Stephen Leeds. 1 remember the tenants being Mary Hardingham. Betty Larkman and Billy Mungay who had a fireplace with pavement corners wide enough for myself and another boy to sit on. The other tenant was a Mr Reynolds who had a smart horse and trap and got his living by pig dealing." 17. Moorcroft- " The tenants of the next th ree cottages were Joe Hastings who was a sack mender and kept a donkey which he used to visit the farmers to carry out repairs. The new tenant was William Hendry and the third tenant was Sam Drew who was a ginger beer maker, he had a donkey and cart which he used to deliver his beer." �• entire premises there was an indescribable of turpentine, lard oil, linseed oil and the of a dozen other substances. Thomas Piercy 'and the Ironm onger's Shop of Edward Gibbs and Son smell smell Across the yard was the seed room. This was reached by ascending a winding staircase to the top floor, at the far end there was a low door with a sign stating 'Mind Your Head'. Here the various grass and clover seeds were mixed, these would be sown with barley and when grown would be cut for hay. Occasionally 1 was allowed to accompany my grandfather with the horse and cart delivering bars of iron to blacksmiths in the surrounding district. One of these was Hardiments of Kerdiston which was where the horse went to be shod. Another was Millets whose smithy was on the main road to Sparham, in those days the road was often referred to as the turnpike. The most exciting trip was to tlarrets at Lyng, in those days this involved going through the river. This was in the early 1~20s when the present bridge had not been built. 1 also remember going to Weston House, Weston Longville and Heydon Hall to deliver paraffin. 1 believe these trips for me came to an end when Mr Gibbs replaced the horse and cart with a Ford lorry. This was driven by a man named Henry Rose; my grandfather never learned to drive. The article in the Spring Newsletter about Edward Gibbs and Son prompts me to contribute some further details that may be of interest. When I was a small boy my grandfather, Thomas Piercy, worked for Mr Gibbs and I frequently visited the premises. An ironmongers and seed merchants shop may not be deemed a very interesting place but to me it was always fascinating. The shop itself had stairs under the counter leading down to a mysterious cellar and other stairs to rooms above. Throughout the Grandfather Thomas Piercy had been working at the shop for some years before Mr Gibbs took over the business. He was born in 1861 and lived with Thomas Piercy (on the left) and Edward Gibbs, Snr. mixing seed in the Seed Room. 14 �his parents at Thomey Farm, Kerdiston where his father was steward. After leaving school at fourteen he worked on the farm with his father but in 1879 he decided that he did not much care for farm work and went to work for Sand S W Leeds the ironmongers and seed merchants, he was employed as a carter at fifteen shillings per week (75p). Memories of Cricket at Reepham The two Leedes, uncle and nephew were both named Stephen, lnot to be confused with the Whitwell tanner who was another Stephen Leeds). The elder Leeds lived at the shop and the younger at Church Hill in the house now occupied by Mr and Mrs Hetts. After working for Leeds for some years Thomas decided to join the Metropolitan Police but when the Leedses heard of this they promptly revised his wages to one pound per week, quite a good wage a century ago and enough to make him change his mind about the police force . The 1920 and 30& The tradition of cricket around Reepham has been strong within living memory; though with gaps. So far we have been able to go back 69 years to the time when the local ground was a pleasant meadow on the left hand side of Booton Road currently owned by our retired 'veterinary', Mr John Woods. Indeed the original pavillion is still standing, though I think not in its former condition. In the 1920s the fieldbelonged to Mr Bircham, who lived in the Brewery House. The driving force behind the Club around 1920 was Dr Perry who was usually seen wearing his frock coat when preparing the pitch on Friday evenings. The pitch and ground were well kept, the mowing was carried out with a mower pulled by a horse whose hooves were shod with special leather shoes. The business was sold to Mr E Gibbs in l!:H5~. The elder Mrs Leeds lnow a widow) moved from the shop and went to live with the other land younger) Mrs Leeds at Church Hill. When Mr Gibbs purchased and took over the ironmongers business he lacked experience in the seed trade. Grandfather by now knew both sides pretty well and initially Mr Gibbs depended on his knowledge of the seed side of the business. Grandfather's eldest son Fred started to learn the t rade with Mr Gibbs but was killed in an accident in the shop in 1'104, aged fourteen. His place was taken by another son, Wilfrid who served for a time and then went to work for a Norwich ironmonger. He was killed in action in France in 1'116. Grandfather became a pensioner in I'1ZO but still went to the shop on a part time basis. When he died in I'1JO he had worked for more than fifty years in employment with Edward Gibbs and Son. Charlie Hall of Bartle Court can recall his old schoolmaster, Chute Thompson, playing; also Stanley Bird of Barney who was one of the great stalwarts of the team, he first played in 1919 when he was 14. Together with Ben Stimpson they remember some of those who came to play; batsmen and bowlers who arrived by motor-bike or bicycles: Fred and Stanley Bird, Billy Morris (a tailor with 'Stitcher King'); Stanley Holah (of Rookery Farm), Albert Neal (chicken farmer) who was a left-arm fast bowler; Alan Moulton the wicket-keeper and Walter (a Cawston postman) - a batsman. Ted Williams from Wood Dalling; Stanley Watson (with Gibbs, the ironmonger); possibly Cliff Watson who kept 'The Sun' Public House and Tom Long, who was a shoemaker with Mr Allen (now Gwen Hardesty's fruit shop). Tom was known as 'The Pessimist', his cricket trousers were held in place securely with braces as well as a belt. Initially this article was intended to be about the iron mongers' shop but I suppose it has turned out to be about my grandfather. You could say he was a fixture in that shop for half a century so any article w hich referred to the history of Edward Gibbs and Son could not be told without including Thomas Piercy. .. The old fash ioned iron monger's shop is now a thing ot the past . Those that have surv i ved have adapted th eir methods and their stock t o meet today's require ments. With no horses on farms there are no blacksm i ths re quir ing iron for horse-shoes and wagon tyres. Nobody has oil lamps any mo re and there is little demand for paraffin. It is a similar story for the seed merchants. There are not horses needing hay and so there is no call for hay seed. l:Suliocks are no longer fattened in yards and so farmers do not grow swedes and mangolds. Much as the passing of these traditional trades may be regretted, change i s inevitable. lronmongery is just one of the many trades that once flourished in Reepham and is now gone. In 50 years time will the computers that now fill the shop premises of Edward Gibbs evoke as much nostalgia as does the smell of linseed oil and the sight of hazy sushine pouring through the mixing of clover, rape and trefoil seeds? Stanley Bird and Alan Moulton were perhaps the outstanding players. The standard of the team's cricket was something to be proud of. The first four or five batsmen were consistently successful, ball control was the mark of the bowlers and several of the fielders could throw the ball 'a mile'. Initially t hey played friendly matches, but around 1921 they entered the Nor folk Junior Cup and one year reached the final, losing to Hempnall. Stanley reca lls a match at Booton, the teams were back in the pavillion, where a dividing curtain allowed the visitors changing space and a sense of privacy, when he heard the captain of the CEYMS Xl arranging hi s strategy: "Fred, will you open with Jimmy, Derek 15 �you go number three. Then Cliff and George you'll bat number five - tho' I don't suppose we'll need you." Out on the home field, Reepham's slow leftarm spinner kept walking up to the wicket and, helped by the slowness of the wicket and some good catches, he helped dismiss them for 35 runs. Reepham then went on to score 65. When Reepham entered the Norfolk Senior League they were happy whenever they were drawn at home; visitors were unused to a good slow wicket they were more used to playing on pitches treated with the new Nottinghamshire marl. The postmaster, Donald Chapman, managed to raise a second eleven for a few years. Sadly by 1927-8, Father Time had encouraged several to retire, some had moved away and generally there was not enough young blood to continue the Club. Salle had a thriving Club and the remaining Reepham players joined them. Their ground was in the field to the left of the road to Cawston (near Salle Patch), then part of Sir Dymock White's Salle Park estate. The vicar of Salle, Canon Parsons, was a great supporter, he used to buy all the eqUipment and he offered boundless enthusiasm. Fred Laskey and his brother Herbert had played for Sane and Reepham respectively but with the dem ise of the Reepham Club by 1930 they both then played for Sane, as seen in the first photograph. This was taken by the Norfolk Chronicle in about 1938, when Sane won the Mid Norfolk Shield. The team was: (umpire) Mr Reeve, Charlie. Smith, Geofrey Tubby, Mrs Dack, Len Riseborough, Peter Tubby and Walter Jarvis: (front row) Marshall Steerman ('Smasher'), Billy Hagan, Fred Laskey, Stanley Dack, (captain) George Sewards, Clem Stearman and Herbert Laskey. It is good to see Mrs Dack recorded with the team. She represents all those mothers, wives and girl friends who have given such practical support during the years. The 1950& and 60& The post-war resurgence of Reepham cricket was largely thanks to the valuable acquisition of the present sports field, known as the 'Stimpson's Piece'. The Stimpson family's generous lease ensured 99 years of sport near the town centre. (After only 39 of those years the field has now been permanently given and is managed by a committee of parish councillors and other representatives). The official opening match took place on June 17th 1950 and was between Reepham Xl and a Norfolk XI. No one so far seems to recall any details of the match, not even the result. Perhaps refreshments cast too much of a rosey hue over the event. The next two photographs show firstly the Reepham team: Back row - Fred Laskey, Charlie Case, Horace Jones, Norman Platten, Jim Underdown, Noel Bird, Kenneth Bird, Umpire, George Sewards. Front row: Herbert Laskey, Stanley Bird, Billy Howard (captain), Rex Hunt and Len Underdown. And secondly, The Norfolk Xl (which had one or two local players in) Back row: Evan Simons, who as a boy just before the war, had played for Reepham, Malcolm Williamson, Bud Rose, (wkt) Neville Laskey, Ben Stimpson, Tom Eaton, Anon, Jack Read and umpire Billy Morris. Front row: Fred Low, Fred Bell, George Pilch (captain) Mike Falcon (Norfolk's captain) and Basil RoughtRought. 16 �The new 'Ed rich-Compton concrete wicket' was deemed a success and once the bowlers and batsmen adapted to it, some good cricket developed. This was the era of two of Norfolk's great cricketing families; the Edriches of Ingham and the Partitts of Foxley and Billingford. Alec, Bob, Hugh, John, Richard and Peter Partitt all played at times for Reepham. Peter, when younger, once took all ten wickets in a game against the Electricity Board. Not long after he was playing for Middlesex and England. Another young Reepham player, Evan Hall, played for the County, scoring several half centuries before moving to Middlesex, where he served on the Lords groundstaff for four years. After a year with Leicestershire he was available again but the Norfolk County Club somehow failed to make use of him again. Salle Cricket Club however, kept the game alive locally, as current residents recall: notably with Jim Tuddenham, Keith Pask, Jim Miller, John Tubby, several Stearmans, (Marshall, Farmer and Peted, David Downing, Henry West, Cliff Nurse and Reverand Dickinson. Dr McFarquhar, a geneticist with Bernard Matthews, played often and was usually successful in contributing a half century. As the decade came to an end teams became harder to raise and the end was heralded when horses were put into the field to graze. So ended an era of Salle sport, where not only cricket was played, tennis courts shared the field and badminton had been played in the nearby Lynton White Institute. The 1970s and 80s Surviving enthusiasts then joined with other for cricket in Reepham to restart in 1971. The Club was called the Reepham and Salle Cricket Club for two seasons. Salle's sight-screens were towed up to Stimpson's Piece, where they still serve. A list of first members included Mr Crane, 1 Walbyoff, P Hardwick, Jim Morris, Brian Wright, P Horner ; C Reeve, Nand J Tubby, D Roberts, B Dennis, R Howard, D Norris, A Hunt and C Pratt. Billy Howard was president and Ben Stimpson vice-president. Matches were played also on Sundays and by 1978 they had joined the Norfolk League. They achieved promotion as high as Division 2, but they are now in Division 3. In 1983 they won the Norfolk League Knock Out Cup, beating Norwich Casuals by seven wickets. This period of the 1950s was probably the height of the Club's history. They played friendlies only on Saturdays and selected strong opponents like Norwich Union, Mallards, Thorpe Hospital, Bradfield, Cromer and Sheringham. If score books came to light one golden memory at least could be checked: is it possible they beat Cromer one season, dismissing them for four runs? Around 1964 cricket in Reepham ceased when the supply of players dried up again, some retired; younger ones may not have had great encouragement watching the leading batsman and bowlers doing so well and others moved away. (While one family who are quoted as 'moving away' went to New Zealand, another had moved as far as Wood Dalling). The concrete wicket had been taken up in the early 60s, perhaps on account of the cost of replacing the coconut matting every three or four years or to concede more space for the thriving football club. These leagues seem to go back a long way in Norfolk's history as one of the two cups that Reepham won in 1988 was initially dated 1911. With the growth of Reepham within the last 15 years, the local game is in a healthy state, although shades of manpower 17 �problems from the past may sometimes hover in the background. There are however promising signs. Peter Hardwick, with the help now of his son, continues to do sterling work on the wicket. ReCent improvements include the purchase of a motorised , roller, and upgrading of the pavillion facilities the new bar adds greatly to the availability of the sports clubs that use the ground and there are now prospects of the development alongside of a larger sports and social hall. A good number of youngsters have played for Reepham in recent seasons; for three seasons there were summer holiday matches for 14 and 15 year olds. the High School is fortunate in having Mike Rowson as a P. E. teacher who has for several years also been selector of the England Under 15 Xl; a boy with talent and enthusiasm has every chance of getting on in the game from that start. Since the mid 1970s pupils from the High School have played for the County including Peter Williamson, Darren Gooderum (now captain of Horsford), Stephem Framlingham, Nigel Ellis (Reepham Cricket Club) and Mark Brown (Witchingham). Carl Rogers Is a bright hope now playing with Ingham. Currently there are four young players who play for the Club: Glen Chipperfield, Mark Willis, Louis Grandjean (1989's captain of the Norfolk Under 14 xI) and Alistair Bailey. Is enthusiasm as great as in the past? With Saturday League matches followed by the slightly less serious Sunday Cup garnes, every weekend one can hear the familiar sound of leather on willow. Limited-over matches seems to hold complete sway in Norfolk, whether this is for better or worse depends on how much of a cricket purist you are. A resu l t is assured and this in turn has increased t he level of excitement, to achieve this aggressive batting tends to be necessary . (Did any local player hit the ball further than Alex Parfitt, when at Hellesdon Hospital the ball went clear over one of the wings and into the courtyard n. Did earlier teams ever go on tour? In recent seasons, Reepham has played a 4-5 day tour around Braintree, enjoyably and successfully. How many local teams have boasted an overseas player? In 1989 Tony Sheahan was imported from Austrailia, and made a good contribution. In his spare time he did exchange teaching at Hellesdon School. To demonstrate that the love of the game has by no means diminished, here are a few statistics from the 1989 season: 18 Saturday matches in the Norfolk League (45 overs) 8 won 8 lost 2 cancelled. 17 Sunday matches in the Mid-Norfolk League: (40 overs) 13 won 4 lost. Weekday evening Cup matches 20 (20 overs) Finalists in the Hellesdon Cup and Winners of the Billingford Forge Cup and the Gordon Smith Cup The best batting average, Tony Sheahan 46 runs The best bowling runs per wicket. average, Glen Chipperfield, 9.1 Highest single innings, Paul Reeve, 114 So, roll on the 1990 season; new members will be welcome. Contact Nick Mears, (Tel: 9688-251). The season begins on Sunday April 29th v Haddiscoe and then Saturday May 5th v Scole. The first horne Cup match will be against Lexham on Sunday May 27th. Some extra fixture cards will be available at the Chimes and results are published regularly mid week in the Eastern Daily Press and also i n the North Norfolk News. 18 �billeted with us and Church Army Captains who helped run the parish whilst my father was away in the Army. He was in France, at Dunki rk and was also stationed at Aldershot and later, after a compassionate posting, at Nelson and Brittania Barracks in Norwich. Reepham 1935 - 45 Margare t Rowe (who now lives in Norwich) was bom in the Reepham and Whitwell Rectory in May 1935. she has given the following vivid memories of her early years spent in Reepham. MEMORIES OF MUSIC IN REEPHAM DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR My father, the late Rev Bernard Porter Luscombe, came to the living of Whitwell and Kerdiston in 1932 and when the Rev Moore retired a few months afterwards he also became rector of Reepham and Hackford. I still visit Mrs Moore (94 years old in April) in Aysgarth, Wensleydale whenever I am in Y orkshire. As my father was a very talented and enthusiastic muscian, many of my most vivid memories are connected w ith music. From the age of two onwards I was to sing contralt o in the Church Choir. I could sing long before I could read. I would sit next to Mr s Jean Hawes and as a child I never understood wh y Mrs Hawes and my mother (another contralto) had larger and more comfortable hassocks than th e rest of us!! On cold Sunday even i ngs we sat in t he choir stalls clutch ing hot- water bottles! The previous article was contributed by Margaret Rowe and the following has been sent by her sister, Mrs Pat Swinhoe-Phelan nee Luscombe. Much of the Church music continued as before the War as various organists helped out when the regular organist, Bessie Jewell, joined the WRNS, although she played whenever she came home on leave. Whilst she was away she was ably deputised by Miss Bartle, who would cycle all the way from Kerdiston, by Mrs Gibbs or by myself. My memories are mostly about playing for Evensong during the dark winter evenings. The back of St Michael's under the gallery was 'blacked out' and a frame put around the organ up in th e gallery. Mr Fenn had to manage to blow the organ in the semidarkness but he never let us down. Inside the frame was rather claustrophobic and hearing what was going on downstairs presented some difficulty. However we mostly had the hymns with organ and congregation together, but the psalms were another matter, the responses were very 'hit and miss' but we got through and Evensong continued right through the war. Before Evensong on warm summer Sundays we were sometimes allowed to climb to the top of St Michael's Tower and sing Anthems, unaccompanied and to th e delight of man y listeners who collected below. Although I was unable to reach the pedals, I had my first taste of playing the organ at a Children's Service in St Marys - I seem to rem ember 'All Things Bright and Beautiful' had far too many verses. Band Concerts were the high-spot during the war with frequent concerts in the old Band Hall, which was situated on the site opposite Abbs Garage and now occupied by the 'impressive' builder's workshop of Mr Prince. The late Queen Mary honoured the band with her presence on one occasion. She arrived from Sandringham in one of the old very upright Rolls Royce cars and very -obviously enjoyed the concert as she tapped away with her feet and her parasol. Afterwards she met many of the band. When playing the Harrison and Harr ison Organ (now moved from St Michael's into St Mary's) at the Septem ber Flower Festival in 1989 many happy mem ories were recalled. I remember in particular dear old Mr Fenn who pumped the organ (without complaint), for Mrs Gibbs, Bessie Jewel, my sister Pat and for me. At Children's Services I occasionally had to read a Lesson and I stood on a specially made box so that I could reach and see the Bible. There were also splendid Parade Services with Scouts, Cubs, Guides and Brownies. My father, being a military man, insisted that rehearsals for the Colour Parties were to be taken very seriously, any objectors were speedily replaced. Recital concerts were held but not very frequently , the Rev Luscom be sang such songs as 'When the Sergeant Major's on Parade' and 'On the Road to Mandalay' and Gilbert and Sullivan solos. He sometimes played the cello and I accompanied him our favourite, and of the audience, was always SaintSaens' 'The Swan'. I was fortunate to attend Reepham School until I was ten years old, being extremely well taught by Mrs Bird, Mrs Lawn and Miss Maude Bradfield or Braddie as I knew her. During the War Miss Bradfield came to live with us at the Rectory as did anum ber of evacuees. Army Officers were Another excitement was Turkey's Concert Party'. and their cast included a Paul and Griffith Jones They would perform short musical numbers. 19 the visit of 'The Norfolk They C1:lme several times brilliant blind pianist, Alan the actor and film-star. sketches as well as popular �The Last Days of Robert Kett Walking along the lane at Swannington which leads from the church, past the Hall and on to the farm now called Woodlands Farm, I could not help thinking that Robert Kett, the Norfolk rebel (and a possible ancestor of mine) could have travelled along this same route 440 years ago, although it is perhaps more likely that he came by a more direct way from Norwich, probably along field tracks via Felthorpe. In August 1549 what a distressing journey it must have been for the relatively prosperous family man from Wymondham, 57 years of age, with the courage to lead a rebellion in protest at landowners enclosing common land. He arrived at Swannington, after escaping by horseback from the battlefields in Norwich, worn out and overcome with despair having lost thousands of his followers during the fighting in Norwich, his struggle at an end and himself now a lonely fugitive from the Earl of Warwick's troops. At Swannington, during the evening of the day of his escape, Kett took refuge in a barn. There are, I am aware, several local claimants to the ownership of this barn or, at least, the land on which it stood ~/ but my own researches indicate that there is little doubt that the barn in question, long since demolished, was situated at the location subsequently known as Joles (or Jowles) Farm, now named Woodlands Farm. A farmhouse nearby the original barn, owned by a Mr Riches (or Richer) has also been demolished. An account of Kett's arrival at Swannington is given by Nicholas Sotherton written at the time of Kett's capture and quoted in the late Rev Wortley's book on Swannington. "On reaching Swannington his horse was so tirid that hee was forced to take refuge in a barne, where was a Cart with Corne unlading: from hence he was browte to the howse of one Mr Riches of that towne, and though he was left with a childe in the howse of vij or viij years old, he had not the spirit to depart whyles Mrs Riches was fetched from Church, whome though shee ratid him for his demeanor, yeat did hee pray hir of contention and to have meate: ye next morning about iiij of ye Clocke he was browte to ye Lord Lieutenant's lodging, with such as were sent for him." (The letter j following the Roman numerals was used instead of an i, thus viij means eight). A similar, or slightly more detailed account of the capture is given by Alexander Neville written in 1575: (Translation) " .•. he was taken by two young servants of Richer de Swannington and brought to their master's house, which was nearby. Twenty horsemen were at once sent out, who came upon him there, all ragged and bewailing his fate, pale with fear, overcome with apprehension and despair for his life. They brought him bound to Norwich. " Joles Farm, Swannington (now known as Woodlands Farm) where Robert Kett took refuge and was subsequently taken captiue. / 20 �ce to explain why There appears to be o g Swannington. Kett made his escape ,s Rebellion' offers Stephen Land, in !loa e been making for the suggestion thaorfoli coast (such some small ports as Wells) to escape :e to Norwic h, Kett Following his ca ower of London where he was then sent e e of ovembe r when, having was held until reason he was taken back to been convic ed Norfol k for exec tion . The execution took place on December 7th when he was taken from the Guildhall to the Castle from the walls of which he was hanged. The only visible reminder of Kett's brief visit to Swannington is, as far as I am aware, the lane leading from Swannington to the Norwich/Reepham road called, a nd marked on O.S. Pathfinder maps as, Kett's Lane altbough sometimes incorrectly referred to as Kate's Lane. carry the very steeply pitched tile roof. At some time in the past metal ties have been inserted to reinforce the timber and counteract the outward thrust of the roof. The tiling is interesting, the first five courses from the base are flat pin tiles, above these are more pin tiles rectangular on three sides but the lower and exposed edge curved in a semicircle. The hips to the octagonal roof are in lead and the gutters are ogee cast iron. At the present time the brickwork is sound and t!:le oak timbers are in good condition. Slipping tiles on the roof and the guttering both need attention and the lead flashing on one edge of the octagonal roof is missing. The Bircham Brewery Well This well was s k in wbat is now the courtyard of the west s ide of the Old Brewery Hotel. I have been unable t o establish when the well was first dug but it see med to provide an endless supply and Miss Ann Bircbam tells me that it provided sufficient water for the needs of the brewery until the business closed in 1876. In the brewery days the water was raised man ually by two men turning the handle on a big wheel wbicb operated the pump drawing from the welL In later years the water was pumped mechanically to the Brewery House and there is still evidence in tbe well-head of a heavy wooden platform on which an engine was probably fixed. Miss Bircham says that the water was always very cold and very good and that the supply never failed in the driest weather. She thinks the well is about sixty feet deep and that there is a platform about half way down which was used when the well needed cleaning. The present roof over the well head is an interesting construction. Octagonal in shape it rises to a height of some twenty feet above ground level. One section of the octagonal base brick wall has been left open for access to the well. The brick wall is three feet in height and has the year' 1900' inscribed on a section. Above the wall is a timber construction in heavy oak of sleeper beams and uprights cross braced to The Post Mill at Booton before it was pulled down in the late 19th century, There is an interesting history to the building of the roof over the well. The work was carried out in 1900 by Harry Hawes, a Reepham builder who, in 1949, wrote his now fabled account of Reepham during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, he recalled that the oak timbers for the work came from the old post mill at Booton when it was pulled down. The brick base can still be found on the righthand side of the road to Norwich on the rising ground behind Mill Cottage. This mill was first built and stood at the end of Mill Lane near the top end of Ollands Road. It was moved to Booton because, as the story has it, the miller fell out with his neighbour who subsequentally built a wall and planted trees, which, in time, effectively kept the wind from the windmill. This threatened to' put the miller out of business so he removed the windmill to Booton. A somewhat long term revenge. Long may the well-head and its high pointed roof remain to remind us of some very human bits of Reepham history. 21 �I Printing 1& J Watton Tel. Norwich 871998 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Reepham Society Newsletters Description An account of the resource A comprehensive collection of newsletters published by the Reepham Society. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Printed and digital Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GB/REE/RS/Magazines Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1983-2000 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Reepham Society Text-digital Any text item for which there is no previously existing hard copy in the Archive. The text can be stored on CD, DVD, memory card, USB stick, on hard drive or 'cloud'. It may have been sent electronically to the Archive or it may be a text owned by someone else which we have scanned or photographed. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Reepham Society Magazine Spring 1990 Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GB/REE/2311010905 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF, 186 x 255 mm, 24 pages Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1990 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Reepham Society Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Scanned by Geoff Fisher https://reephamarchive.co.uk/omeka/files/original/4620921508366cf65e8ce0585b7a327f.PDF d1b6296bdcd7570e3b88654f46182600 PDF Text Text K6~('7fl/7TV1 S"Oc IE-TV ffRC/-{f(/6 THE REEPHAMSOCIETY .<!; SPRING 1989 NEWSLETTER �REEPHAM SOCIETY NEWSLETTER - SPRING 1989 The front cover of this newsletter features the premises in the 1950s ,of E. Gibbs and Son, for many years one of the leading businesses in Reepham. Inside I have compiled an article about a firm which is still remembered with great fondness today by many Reepham people. I am indebted for the help given by Miss Marjorie Gibbs who was able to offer me clear recollections of the firm and its work and she has also kindly allowed me to reproduce a number of her personal photos and mementos of the business. I have edited the Society's newsletter for the past 3 years and during this time I have been able to offer a number of articles about Reepham, articles which have been the work of independent contributors or have been the basis of work available to the reader from the local library etc. In the past 3 years much has been used and the source is beginning to dry up; usually at the start of each newsletter a number of items are available and these form the basis of the next edition. This newsletter has not been so easy, one or two promised contributions failed to materialise and I have had to resort to research to produce something which I hope will be of interest to you, the reader. On this basis it is likely that future newsletters will feature less but larger articles about Reepham rather than a number of smaller items as have been produced in the past 3 years. I am always grateful for contributions and if you have anything that you feel is of interest then please get in touch with me; the contribution could be a fully researched and written article or can be a collection of photographs and memories which need to be drawn together and written up as happened with the article about E. Gibbs and Son. Middlemarch Broomhill Lane Reepham Michael Black Tel: 870936 1 �REEPHAM SOCIETY OFFICERS 1988/89 AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS Following the resignation of the Vice-Chairman, Mr M C Black, for business reasons, the Executive Committee has appointed Mr T J Large to fill the vacancy; and has also co-opted four members to the Committee From September 1988 the following are the Officers and Committee. OFFICERS COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN A H IVINS VICE-CHAIRMAN T J, LARGE TREASURER J EAMES SECRETARY MRS MEMBERS Mrs I AMES V R GALLEY Mrs S IVINS * * * Rev W E Mrs P LARGE Mrs E A K PILClIER-CLAYTON D A PLANT J R H POTTLE C STAPLES F VINCENT Mrs * PILCHER-CLAYTON J Mrs * JONES B J L WARING Co-opted Septemb er .1 988 2 M A HEMMINGS �Reepham Society Cheese & Wine Evening, October 1988 The ' Society held their thirteenth Cheese & Wine evening, once again at Whitwell Hall. More than one hundred members and friends attended 'for an eveni ng of business, entertainment, and refreshments and certainly not least for a good mardle with friends. The business was the presentation of our Garden Competition awards. Mrs Rosemary Stimpson presented the Stimpson & Ewing Cups to the winners of the large and small gardens sections of the competition in the unavoidable absences of Mr John Stimpson and Mr Ken Ewing. Mr Loose had once again brought his considerable expertise to judge the competition and gave the company a talk about the merits of the gardens he had judged. The Society offers warm thanks to Mr Loose and to Mr & Mrs Bibby who organised the competition. The entert ainment was given by the Reepham Singers who seem to go from strength to strength, accompanied by the Rev. Gordon Dodson their performance for us was voted "just the kind of lively and musically delightful singing we enjoy". The entertai nment ended with a short sketch illustrating modern educational method s to encourage learning. The refreshment was admirably done, the tab les filled with a tempting display of delicious things to eat and the wine served cheerfully and efficient ly by friends who have de veloped their own expertise. The SOCiety offers warmest thanks to those many friends who helped both before the during the evening. A tombola, instead of the usual raffle, seems to have been popular and rais ed a good sum towards the Society's funds. Many thank~ to its "minder" who spent the evening ' dispensing tickets. The annual Cheese & Wine is the main fund raiser the Reepham Society organises . Members subscriptions cover the production of the News Letter and the secretarial and other running expenses. So if we want to do some thing for Reepham that requires finance then it has to be raised in this way. This year the result was £300 for the Society's funds, not the most we have raised at a Cheese & Wine, but a ve~y satisfacto ry conclusion to what many people have told us was a most enjoyable evening. A. Ivins Chairman :. 3 ���APPLICATION FORM To: Hon Secretary, The Reepham Society. I wi sh the scheme mentioned below to be considered for a Reepham Soc iety Award. I have obtained permission from the owner, and o c c up ier where appropriate, for this scheme to be entered. Signed Dated Name Address Telephone Pleas e complete accurately the following: 1. Name of Scheme and Address Date of Completion (Schemes must be complete) 2. Name, Address & Telephone No of Owner 3. Name , Address & Telephone No of Occupier 4. Name and Address of Designer/Consultants 5. Name and Address of Builder or Manufacturer 6. Names and Addresses of any Organistion involved (state capacity) 7. Brief Description of the Scheme NOTE: Any creative work which contributes to the quality and appear ance of townscape or landscape is eligible. There will be no catego r isation of entries. The following points should, however, be not ed : (a) schemes must be such that they can be seen by the gene ral public, (b) schemes must be fully completed (or if in several phases this must be defined) and (c) entries consisting principally of l and scaping may need to be deferred for assessment if in s uf ficiently mature to allow an impression of the intended effect. There is no limit to the number of entries allowed from anyone source. 6 �The Ollands Articles appeared in the last two' newsletters about Ollands House. now the area of development known as Ollands Park. Miss Marjorie Gibbs has clear memories of the days when the Ollands was lived in by E. P. Oppenheim and she recently wrote to me with the following reminiscences . "Mr Piercy's article about the Ollands in the last newsletter of the Reepham Society brought back memories to me of when E. Phillips Oppenheim resided there. I well remember the firework display j we supplied some of the fireworks but these were never grand enough and Mr Oppenheim would order a supply of large fireworks and set pieces which were se nt direct by one of the manufacturers. I met him on two occasions. The fir st time, he came into the shop (this shop was the firm of Edward Gibbs and Son, Ironmongers and Seed Merchants which closed in 1967 - Editor), he was wearing flannel trousers . a blaze r and a straw boate r and walked about smoking a cigar. He was quite a personality and looked most elegant. He was a writer of mystery and detectiv e novels and in those days he was widely read, he was probably as popular then as Agatha Christie is today. There was a flourishing choral society in Reepham in the early 1920s and the twenty or so members would go carol singing at Christmastime. The first night we visited the large houses in the district having first acquainted them that we would be calling. On the second night we concentrated on various houses in Reepham finishing up at the Ollands . I well remember one Christmas, I think it was 1923, we were ushered into the large entrance hall by the butler, Mr London. We were greeted by Mr and Mrs Ryder Smith who asked us to sing to them, we were then regaled wi th hot sausage rolls and mince pies together with liquid refreshments. I can well remember Mr Ryder Smith offering me a choice of whisky, port, sherry or coffee, I very modestly chose the latter only to be admonished afterwards by my friends for not taking anything stronger whilst I had the chance. At about 9.30 pm Mr and Mrs Oppenheim (the parents of Mrs Ryder Smith) came out from dinner (both in evening dress and he with the inevitable cigar) and they chatted with each of us; this was the second time I met Mr Oppenheim. After leaving the Ollands the evening was concluded by the society singi ng '0 come all ye faithful' in the Market Place. We had all enjoye d the evening, not only for being so royally received but for the sheer joy of singing in harmony those lovely well-known carols. Throu gh business contact I knew Mr Oppenheim 's secretary and she said that if an idea came to him during the night she would be called at any hour and would have to take dictation of the ideas and thought that came to hi_. I mus t agree with Mr Piercy that Sir Henry Rider Haggard did not reside at the Ollands at any time, confusion about this possibi lity has probably arisen because Miss Oppenheim married Mr Ryder Smith and they lived at the Ollands for some time during Mr Oppenheim' s resi dence there. Marjorie Gibbs" 7 ��Edward Gibbs and Son Edward Gibbs and Son, ironmongers and seed merchants, became an insti tution in Reepham and their shop and general agricultural services to the farming fraternity in and around Reepham is still remembered with fondness today by many people in Reepham, even though their shop closed well over twenty years ago. It was said that the Gibbs business was famous for two things; firstly, its picturesque premises and the excellent services it gave and secondly, the late Mr. Edward Gibbs, who attended the business dailY until he was ninety-eight. The premises, at the height of the business, were situated in the area which has now been converted into the commercial and residential area occupied by Merchants Yard, Ewings estate agents, Saralle Systems, M-Tec and a number of others. It was and probably will be the occupier of the largest commercial site in the centre of Reepham, with perhaps the exception of the Old Brewery House Hotel. It is said that there were ironmongers on this site long before the business was bought by Gibbs, but the exact date of the foundation of this business is not known but in the churchyard is a tombstone inscribed "William Samuel George, ironmonger of this parish who died at the age of 69 years in 1802". The George family ran the business until it was purchased in the early 1870s by a firm called S. and S.W. Leeds who ran it until 1888 when Mr. Edward Gibbs took it over. Edward Gibbs was born in 1860 the son of a farmer; he always wanted to be a farmer but during the 1870s farming was in a bad way so he applied for an apprenticeship with James Cooper and Son, ironmongers of East Dereham. He was accepted at a premium of £30 and served his five years starting at 2s 6d a week. He stayed with them until 1887 and when he left his weekly wages had raised to 30s. He took over the business of S. and S. W. Leeds on October 11th 1888 a week after he was married at St. Mary's Church, Hickling. His two children subsequently became partners. his son Edward in 1920 and in about 1957 his daughter Marjorie took an active partnership. Edward Gibbs Senior took an active part in the business until he was ninety-four, and he then maintained a daily interest almost until his death in December 1959 at the age of ninety-nine. Edward Gibbs Junior started to work for his father immediately after leaving school, and only service in the first world -war intervened. A motor cycle accident in 1915 robbed him of his sight but he still carried on working in the shop. At the age of seventy-four (in 1966) Edward Gibbs Junior decided to retire together with his sister, Marjorie, al though both regarded the closing of the business as "a matter of real regret". Mr. Gibbs, after 60 years in the business. decided to retire for two reasons - firstly, because he wanted to and, secondly because of trade. The days of horses in farm work had long since departed; he stocked the equipment they needed but there was no longer a demand for it. It was decided in 1966 to try and sell the business as a going concern but unfortunately the firm was unable to find a buyer. In early 1967 the stock was discounted by 5% and this discounting continued for the next three months reaching 20% before an auction wa~ held in April 1967 in Irelands saleroom in Reepham (now the site of the car park in Station Road) when the remaining items were sold off. 9 �,{. ~O'" °L" ~ t \ \- w :~ .:... L t ,, ? - --- - ~ 'Monarch' with Edward Gibbs Snr - the horse was stabled at the rear of the premises, the area now known as Merchants Yard. During the FIrst World War the Honourable Artillery Company was based in neepham and Monarch had to share hIS stable wIth two of their horses. 'Monarch' with the firm's delivery cart ready for the day's business. 10 �Part of the premises was bought by Mr. W. Ewing (now the estate agent s) and the main part was bought by Mr. Ernest Clark who ran a hardware business until he retired due to ill health in 1982. After Cyril Jolly's article appeared in the Eastern Daily Press, Mr. Gibbs received a letter from a reader in Gislingham, Suffolk who had read about the closure but he wondered if it was possible for him to obt ain . "a pound of so of the "rotten stone" powder which so intrigued Mr. Jolly" . It seems that this powder mixed with certain acids a~~ oils offered the best means of restoring the lustre to anci ent copper. The reader had tried wi th a number of ironmongers and chemists to find some, but to no avail. Miss Gihb~ was able to supply the reader with some of the 'rotten stone ' and he was able to clean some pieces of antique copper wll.ich, until then had resisted all the orthodox methods of cleaning. ( /.9 • 1 ) ft , · -. i"F-" - -- NOR71X Partners: E. GIBBS, M. GIBBS (Miss) This copy of Edward Gibbs be appreciated as a black wonderful mixture of red, or in voice headings today and Son invoice heading cannot and white copy. It is a blue and green and few letter meet this artistic standard. 11 �;. 11 f. o i .. !. . It t !) . Ij i, I ' • t . '.' "j , I \ . .~ ' -. . . ,-. . '-~ I'hi~ photo was t 'l k f'1I ITl Ih.· I H!--II)s a f Ec! W business was pur('has<-,d b y E dwar' d 1;1 hhs , ~' (> ars aft(>r thf-> Mr Gibbs and Hr Pierce y mixing se e ds in one of the upper storey sheds. 12 i I ! I I' I �The following article appeared in the Ea stern Daily Press in April 1967, shortl y a fter t he business closed . It was written by Cyril Jol ly. Shop that mirrored 200 years o f c han ge A Norfolk i ronmonger's shop now closed after 2 00 years of trading, revealed o n i ts shelves two centuries of social history and change. There are more i n t eresting ways of studying soc ial history than in books. The closing of an ironmonger' s shop, aft e r two hundred years of trading, has shown me in a fascinating way how the tides of change have ebbed and flowe d over rural life. Change s i n lighting, cooking, travel, farming, spo rt and craftsmanship - r evealed by goods on the shelves of a pict uresque 18th century premi ses making a corner of Reepham's market square. The square has its own charm, with that c h ed and Georgian houses, Flemish and crow- s t e p gables, and two pari s h c h urches enclosed by the winding wall of o ne churchyard. The ironmongery is its e l f a little kingdom. with two double-fronted shops, attics. cell ar s and a neighbourly med ley of store-rooms and granary. Beneath f ou r panes of "bulls-eye " glass I entered the main shop, which resembled Hampton Court maze with it s passages and stairs. '- One stairway benea t h the main counter led to a cellar. I bent double under the counter to enter this Ali Baba' s c a vern. Instead of oil jars I found two l a rge tanks. one for lins eed oil and the other for lard oil. The spil lings of generations mixed with sawdust caked the floor. and wall racks held paint. turpentine , b lac k harness 011, and preparations onl y old tradesmen would recognise. A dozen smells also competed for reco gnition; linseed oil won easily. In an attic. be n e a t h adze-trimmed beams, wer e scores of parcels that had slept snug o n their dusty shelves for a cen tury. They contained nails (mostly hand-made); nails for carpenters, b u i lders, wagon wheel tyres and strake s; nails for shoeing horses and the bullocks that once worked plough s ; frost nails and caulking nai ls. Here I tried out a machine th at might have eased · the drudgery of knife cleaning fifty years ago. "Tortoise" stoves elbowed door furniture into a corner, some woul d have graced a mansion and some a coal shed. A tub of gum arab ic (used for starching shirt f r on t s in Edwardian times), scythe blad e s and plough blades, put back t h e clock half a century. Climbing up cobwe bby stairs to the seed warehous e , I skirted bins labelled clover , rape, trefoil and saw a set of seed riddles and a set of measures made in Dereham by Bradley and Ut t ing and a flailing stool. The ope rator sat on one end, laid the corn on the other and beat it with a s wipe of a hand flail. In the yard was a gunpowder magazine for cartridges were made here. A hundred cases were set up in a frame, filled with p owder, shot and wadding and the e nds rolled in with a treadle machine - now only fit for the scrap h eap. 13 ." " ~ "/' ��The proprietors, Mr E Gibbs and his sister, showed me the main shed wi th its countless drawers each bearing a sample of the contents nailed to the front. What a cavalcade of vill age life they represented. There w~re brass plug-taps for wine barrels of halls or public houses,. (St P- had a locking device - and probably needed it). Cattle clippe r . , pig and bull rings, "humbugs" for putting in the nostrils of cows when giving a medicinal drink, cheese wire; a key for fitting skates and ancient brass gear for shutters and blinds. Some peculiar needles puzzled me - they were larding needles used to pierce meat on a spit and draw off the grease into a larding tray. I handled lamp glasses of all shapes and curious tools for many crafts made in an age when wearing value mattered more than a glossy finish. In the office ' was a "wheelers' round", used by wheelwrights to measure iron , for re-tyring cart wheels, and well-thumbed price books going back to Victoria's golden reign, listing nails at lOs, 6d. a cwt., a bass broom at two pence, and copper sheet at fifteen pence a pound. My brow furrowed as I picked up a swan-necked Object - a stand for goffering irons! There was an ancient machine with a turntable for sharpening horse-clipper blades; unopened boxes of candle snuffers; a whip socket and undressed leather for pump clacks. Miss Gibbs recalled, as a girl, selling "penn' orths" of red ochre for smartening doorsteps, and "penn' orths" of black gunpowder for cleaning out oven and copper', flues. Had I known, in my boyhood, what fun I would have had with mot~r's wall oven! As a lad, Mr Gibbs got a frisky pony from the meadow and took down sixteen shutters for the shop to open at 7 a.m. It closed at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. on Saturday s. Thursday was half-day - it closed at 4 p.m.! He also remembered a tub containing macassa oil which his father boiled with beeswax and oil of lavender to make a hair pomade. We looked in vain for some needles used to make up straw and oat flight mattresses. Turning out more drawers we conOjectured on the use of "Rotten Stone" powder, and green copperas (was it used to prevent lime rubbing off walls?) . There were dozens of other objects, once in common use, now museum pieces. They were facets of bygone rural life; peepholes on to a half-forgotten yesterday. In fact, beneath the many-angled roofs was two hundred years of social history, told in oil lamps, flat irons, tarred twine - and, I suppose, "Rotten Stone". 15 �ltt~~pham, March, 1887. Dear Sir, We beg to infOlm you t.hat we have. carefully.8elected, and can now offer a variety of GENUINE ENGLISH (HOME which we highly recomm~1l'l and reasonable prir~s. GROWN) A~D FOREIGN for deauline3s, rara quality We have also some good SEED OATS, grown in this parish. MANGOLD, SWEDE and TURNIP SEED at lowest prices. Your kind favours are respectfully solicited by, and shall receive the prompt attention of Your obedient Servants, CORN, POLLARD, ~IEAL, &c. TILES, P"J VEJIENTS AND DRA1N PIPES. AGENTS FOR AGRICULTURAL MACHINERY. S. and S.W. Leeds ran the business until it was purchase d by Edward Gibbs in 1888, this is a card presented to local farme rs by this firm. Such representat ions today would be hard to find. 16 �"GOODBYE TO GIBBS" Now And For Our Gibbs's shop is closing, Reepham must repine. here it was we bought our nails, crockery, paint, and twine. The shop-floor, bare and boarded, We reached by several steps. Above us, from the ceiling, Hung shears and pails and skeps. The long old wooden counter, All worn and scratched with use, Bore stains of oil and plaster, And varnishes sold loose. A hundred years or so ago It stood in garish pride, When all those shelves were hard and new, Ranged on its other side. Now still the drawers and boxes Are marked in bold black "CAPS": COLD CHISELS, .:[URNSCREWS, PUNCHES, SHAVE HOOKS, ARCH DRILLS, BRASS TAPS CHEESEWIRES, SMALL STAPLES, PLANE IRONS; LINE-PINS and APPLE CORERS; TACK HAMMERS, KNOBS, AND FARRIERS' KNIVES, TWIST-BITS, SWISS-BITS, and BORERS. HOSE-FITTINGS, PULLEYS, WHEEL-VALVES; DOOR-PLATES, PAD-BOLTS, BIB-COCKS; BRASS CABIN HOOKS, FLY-CATCHERS, COLANDERS, CLA'g PS, RIM-LOCKS • .. And what, we wonder, were all these? And who the folk who sold them? Only the empty drawers remain For cobwebs to enfold them. But The And The we remember , clean and bright, pleasant place we knew. Reepham folk will not forget shop in white and blue. Maggie pye A small booklet about Reepham was printed in 1967, it included a poem by Maggie Pye which lamented the closure of Gibbs and Son. 17 �LItter squads tor schoolS urged In Norfolk 'ihould be made to pIck up .Iltter before being allowed to i~ave school at the ~nd of day d parents llrgamsatlOn chief :.rged vesterda~ . ' HILDREN R .chard BIrd , chaIrman oJl Nor t"l~ Federation ,)f Parent feache, pUpil' ~houla havp In clean schooi ouildmp dnd playmg fields to help IOstll d ., ense of diSCipline BUI Norwich head teat' her lalmed a Similar system at hel .~~soclat.on~ , ~ald a .' Wha: ha~ gOI 10 happen IS that ., na' gi 01 1(, ,tan from the very "arl\ ,lage' . dnd ," . erybody in the , eh .. " , ,hou ld h, dOIng this. liu , H"wlth,,, p' H'gh '>cho,)1 n"ad ".<t ' he , l\t1arl"" ( hapman ,a ' <I :"t·, t> \A.,,, d lf('ad\o a ~ Imilar .. , " n, " [)":dling ai her ,chool . Ilh ill .. -1n , ' I\mDIII~lon schooi workeo perfectl) wf'11 on a voluntan ha~" IOiiHWt"O ({ ,~ ali Theil c.,mrneni :- frorrJ 'on htll l i ..... · BUh"h<..'! it)j ..... 1. Joh n ii"j, ' Mi(I I '" ' ' n'h)l " : iltH"f ..,q"ad' I Vii ')(hot Ii .. ·h" n ;.. "hl01og t"' xamf)1t ,- '- ll '. " K f'" rKSnlrl dt"'~ " .; j nl'\' [ • • I \" ,1'\ ."\ . ,'ung. <;tpr.., : "nuic1 hi ' nUgn ; ,ell .1", IPIPI t" MI Rlrcl 11~ ' '\, i ,ht 'n ' ''W I n;.s \I , dun l tTT'- who do ' .. an'n!! ,lunnl! pastoral ..:are \A' I '\l..lUal1' . n, -In ~tHW ll II . \nt' '1\ nlldh "ndon-'I I i:n l( are Iltler.hug~ dnd . ...un!! .. nlldn-r, with paren" Ju\ i ;r.. " u ,r.. n)!.\ away 10 tht" , lI eet .· h,' ,al<I Aftpl ' lilt:' RepphalTi a thp d tl t·IlI})! .'" : i ,il t'r II l.!V Ih, ' 1\ pr,.,l'i t'lTi [)upoi\ .hou ld h,' ful" t"d ". h,'alth, pl<i....' "",,':'(',',", il1~ 1.1-..' .., nt ' \a l Q Ii',' , dnt1 v.c (t"spon~l' ;-;,wielv 1:-1:-- nlct" no t had a 1 n 1988 to make to know that one of ("onta1ned entirely in Reepham '. Some of the Reepham Youn{j Farmers who helped clear the old cemetery. Having a slashing time" A BAND of Reepham Youn g Farmers slashed their way through undergrowth at a conservation area. But the magnificent seven were working for a good cause. They had volunteered to do the work at the Reepham and Kerdiston Bu Ground for the Reepham Mr Tony Ivins said the .-,oT area was cut annually at this time of yei;lr, to avoid disturbing wildlife. The area is managed by the SOCiety, which has an avenue of yew trees, a pair of Corsican pines, and mature wild flowering cherries, planted by the Women's Institute about 15 years ago. Rowan trees and buddleia have also been planted to attract wildlife. / / / - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -_ _ _--1. /. /,,/" 18 ver~ when we asked for volunteers." she went on. Mr Butcher said of Windsor Boys' School litter squads system . ." shall be drawing this school'~ s uccess to the attention of local t!ducatlon authoritIes, WIth whom I shall be havmg diSCUSSIOn ahoul makmg OUI school playgrounds and plavmg tields litter-free I.one!.. A I the school. pupIls dnly sIgn the register and leave at the end C)f the afternoon once the staff are ~atlsfied the ground~ and build · lOgs are fit 10 be handed over to the caretakers. �T, -':~~!~e ~,'?' " ,',' • wllrnlng, and save church MAJOR fund-rai!g d9ve by villagers IS Iielpe d to save ~e of 05t Norfo+k'. preci ous lurches";. from :)sure. I~'~ ; " The r~ctor of 'Caw5ton, or Ayl,ha m, had warned ,al peo ple list March at 5t Asnes' Church uld clo.e beeau.e it eded £23,000 for re""in d attracted only tiny' nl~lat ions. Villasen responded by 'mins the Fri~nd s of 5t inC! and, aner leu than ! year, have helped rai.e , out £10,000., The rest of·,' . e money hid Ilready en promised in .... nIJ. The delilhte.! rector;· tM Mike Stallard. lIid ,terday: "' told people ilt u nless :they took In , :erest and Itlned .. isitl,;.' e mo ney, the church ,uld close. They ataned .d-rai.inc with terrific '. . .to Ind wt managed to t . our Ur,et by " 'v lristmas.'" . ,' He hoped the repairl, :Iuding wor!< 10 the roof, n1\\1ork, .utter!n, and '0 draina,e Improve,nt., would. be carried t reldy for, I special ankslivlns .ervlee In :Iober. when lhe church .uld be celebr~ tln, the Oth annlve,,"ry of the It recorded reetor It . *The 11lfihly IndIvidual cerved wooden eng.. e .hlch 01 It Agnel' Church, Clwlton, lor 600 y..... n ;·.i In previous newsletters articles have been included about some of the churches in the Societys "area of benefit" there were three articles about the churches at Booton, Reepham and Salle. All of these churches are of some individual and exceptional interest but there is also another church nearby which has some outstanding features, St. Agnes' at Cawston. Caws ton is a village which al though only 3 miles away is not normally associated with the area of benefit of the Reepham Society, although the church can clearly be seen from various pointed within Reepham. Story: ian Bullock. Plctur": Nick Lyon, Oreetinfl1 c~rd. with art." from the Norfolk can'. just l it Melt Ind say ; work by Iris Francis were Cl;luri'h.e Trust and about "That', if," . d " HI: dl, iib l{ Lso~d)? ~cJp the ~u~ ~~~,...£25.00 from Enlltsh,... Mr '!ltallard' ~i<p.cts :,' . ' " . , , J a '~I or llO'tcard, was (lroHentage. : 1htr repair work wfll be" The Friends , raised duced featurina reproduc- . Mr F rro w said tht eded It the church, money throug h vldoUI tions of photographs taken rund-raisers had included lich he said had one of, events such •• w hist in 1910 and , given to the e.' fin .. t on..1 roo" In drives. coffee morning.. church by Avis M.nh, of long-established residents as well a~ newcomers to : world, • coneens. stalls and a fete. West Runton , Cawston. and added: "It's He said the church, There was also a two-week ' Led by chairman John .uch Ii lovely old building lich DOW attracted more exhibi tion of work by Farrow and secretary and we didh'l want 10 the In 30 people It Sunday Norfolk arti.ts in the Valerie Burton , they lose the church in the rvicei. would not etolt chu rch and a ball at managed to secure further Cawston College. grant aid, including £4000 ) village." t odded: "We hIve lot IwsIOt:t. ST. AGNES' CHURCH, CAWSTON "t~ kee p soin, at it. w~ ":'. Like many of our churches it currently suffers from the urgent need for expensive repairs, the problems of Caws ton church have been featured in the local press and also extensively in an article a few month~ ago in the Sunday Times Magazine. It is nice to note that the villagers of Caws ton have responded to the problems and have raised a sizeable amount of the total required, as the recent article in the Eastern Daily Press shows. , \<-- ' 1lte clt.lrmlll of th., ,rllftdt of 81 Aghel' ChUrch, .John Ferrow, leH, and the ..etor 01 Cewlton, the Cew,ton. John farrow. e.emlne. th. decoyIng mllonry of the ioullt el,I•• Rev Mike Stlllllrd, admire the tfe81urel 0' one of Norfolk'l Iln.,t roedl •• ,1 bulldtngl, 19 ��New members since the last newsletter Miss R.A. Smith Mr & Mrs R.D. Blake Mr & Mrs B. Hardiment Mr & Mrs D.H.K. McDoWell (LIFE) Mr & Mrs B. Atteridge Mrs L. Annesley Mrs T.E. Church Mrs P. Oldham Miss G. Wright Mr Robert Reid Mr & Mrs B" ." Dye Mr & Mrs A. Barnes Mr & Mrs P. Dickson Mrs S. Anderson Mrs P. Waterworth Mr &; Mrs N. Flynn Mr & Mrs ? Hoveson 21 �� Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Reepham Society Newsletters Description An account of the resource A comprehensive collection of newsletters published by the Reepham Society. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Printed and digital Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GB/REE/RS/Magazines Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1983-2000 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Reepham Society Text - printed Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Reepham Society Newsletter Spring 1989 Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GB/REE.2302201810 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource A4 PDF 23 pages Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1989 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Reepham Society Reepham Society https://reephamarchive.co.uk/omeka/files/original/d704a4314a0250aa2d9c9bbedc4eb1e9.pdf 3c7dc1a86c19caadedb2fdc0dcc60fb2 PDF Text Text THE REEPHAM .S OCIETY '. SUMMER 1988 NEWSLETTER �1988/89 OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS OF THE REEPHAM SOCIETY OFFICERS . Chairman Vice-Chairman Treasurer Secretary A H Ivins Hillside, Whitwell NR10 4RE 870368 M C Black Middlemarch, Broomhill Lane NRIO 4QY 870936 Barwick House The Street, Bawdeswell, Dereham NR20 4RT 9688 455 J EAmes Mrs M A Hemmings . Cheville, Whitwell Road NRIO 4JS 870759 Barwick House, The Street, Bawdeswell, Dereham NR20 4RT 9688 455 R.V. Galley 47 Bircham Road NRIO 4NG 870813 Mrs S Ivins Hillside , Whitwell NRlO 4RD 870368 Rev WEB Jones 37 Bircham Road Mrs P Large The Little House, Norwich Road COMrUTTEE Mrs I Ames T J Large " " " 870738 " " NRIO 4JN " 871789 " r-irs H Pottle 24 Smugglers Lane NRIO 4QT 870945 R F Vincent Vale Cottage, Hackford Vale NRIO 4QU 870554 Mrs J L Waring 6 Elizabeth Close NRIO 4JF 870748 The Committee has for a number of years always been short of members, there are 12 vacancies and we have 9 members . We would dearly like to have a full complement of members and if anyone feels that they could usefully offer their help as a member of the Committee, then please do not hesitate to make your views known to us . �Annual General Meeting of Reepham Society This was held at the Old Brewery House on Thurday 28th April anej. was attended by about 50 people. Annual General Meetings are not the most rivetting of occasions so -it is encouraging tha t so many people turned up. The Society has for some years combined this meeting with some other light entertainment and the venue of the Old Brewery House is refreshing to say the least. The formula seems to work, the business of the evening was completed in about 40 minutes, this included the report of the Execut i ve Committee gi ven by the Secretary, the Chairman and then the Treasurer's Report and the appointment of Officers for the forthcoming year. The second part of the meeting was gi ven over to Mr David Joice's friend Parker who related, in his own inimitable style, some of his Norfolk tales. The meeting concluded at about 9.30 p.m. The Society remains in a heal thy financial state as can be S'3en from the statement of account for 1987/88. New Members since last newsletter Mrs H A Rose Mrs J Benstead Mr and Mrs W Howard Mrs V Davidson Mr W Marshall Mr A C Burton Wing Comm. and Mrs A Reed Major and Mrs J Child Mr and Mrs J Rowe Mrs M Hanbridge Miss R Richens Canon and Mrs A Foottit Mr and Mrs A Wellcome Mr and Mrs R Gray Mrs M and Miss F Cameron Dr and Mrs E W Price Mr and Mrs J Claxton Mr and Mrs D Cronne The Kings Arms, Market Place Mr C P Noble Mr and Mrs P Caston Mr and Mrs G Cutts Mr and Mrs R Ellis Dr and Mrs P Crisp Mr and Mrs L Mynard Mr and Mrs D Plant Mr and Mrs H Dean Mr and Mrs P Staples Mr and Mrs P McLeod Mrs K Beard ���The Ollands After Mr Kett's interesting article in the Winter Newsletter, some further reminiscences of the Ollands may be of interest. I wo~ld however query some of the dates given. I can well remember Mr Oppenheim coming to live at the Ollands, the article stated that this was in 1920, I was only 3 years old at that time and my earliest recollections, at a slightly older age are of the house standing empty. It must have been 1923 or 24 when Mr Oppenheim moved in but I am open to correction if anyone knows better or has a longer memory. Mr Oppenheim brought with him a butler and a chauffeur. Mr London, the butler, lived in the cottage now known as Echo Lodge in Ollands Road. It was not really a lodge but the coachman's cot tage, it being adj acent to the coach house and stables. Mr Mair, the chauffeur, lived in one of a pair of cottages in Norwich Road, opposite St Mary's School (where the entrance is to Ollands Park) . The other cot tage was occupied by a gardener, Mr Jimmy Smi th, and his wife (formerly Polly Hill), both of them well known Reepham characters. Jimmy liked half a pint but Polly tried to get him to change his drinking ways. At mid morning she could be heard over half of Reepham calling 'Cocoa, Willy'. Why she said Willy when his name was Jimmy we never knew. Mr Oppenheim hired some local shooting and also employed a gamekeeper. The field, now covered by the housing estate called Moor House Close, was nothing to do with the Moor House but was part of the Ollands grounds. It had been let to a farmer as arable land but Mr Oppenheim stopped letting it and laid it down to grass. Two or three of the boys living in the New Road area went as a deputation to calIon Mr Oppenheim to ask for permission to play on the field. This was kindly granted on condition that they did not go into the plantation . Thus we had a splendid place on which to play football or cricket after school. The Band of Hope football team played their home matches there as well. On the fifth of November each year, on this field, Mr Oppenheim provided a great firework display, supervised by the butler and other members of the staff. There were enormous rockets and other fireworks such as we had never seen before and us youngsters were given sparklers and such like to hold in our hands. The fireworks stopped after Mr Oppenheim moved permanently to France but we could still use the field , till the property was sold. This privilege was appreciated and no-one ever abused the conditions that we were not to go into the plantation. This came to and end when Mr Harmer who, I believe, was connected wi th the Norwich clothing manufacturing firm of F W Harmer Ltd bought the Ollands. He immediately banned everyone from the field. He required the field for e x ercising his two riding horses. His groom, Mr W Sturman, lived in the cottage formerly occupied by Oppenheim's chauffeur . �After Mr Oppenheim had gone the Ollands was' occupied for a time by Mr and Mrs Rider-Smi th. Mrs Rider-Smith was Mr Oppenheim's daughter. The similarity of name may account for the story Mr Kett mentions of Sir Henry Rider Haggard living at the Ollands, which I had never heard before. It is certainly not true that Rider Haggard lived here and I doubt if the house ever had any coqnection with him. Wesley ~iercey �Mrs Ann Dickinson of Hunstanton has written of her childhood memories in Reepham, a childhood which she says she looks back on with great affection in her beloved Reepham. Ann' Dickinson's parents were married in 1918 and she was born in 1923. She started at Miss Bull's kinderga~en school in 1926 and her memories are of events between 1926 and 1935. Her father died in 1935 and both she and her friend Peggy Hurn went to Dereham High School as weekly boarders; later they both became nurses. Childhood memories of Reepham After obtaining an extra copy of the Heepham Society Magazine for my lifelong friend, Peggy Hurn, I reflected on a wealth of memories of Reepham. To begin with (at the age of three years) we attended Miss Bull' s Kindergarten School at the back of the Old Brewery House - there was Peggy and her brother John, Pat Hall, Kendal, Barbara Hilton, Joyce Wagg and myself. At a year or two older we at tended dancing classes at Miss Hoolah' s, these were held at Rookery Farm. The dancing school put on shows for parents and friends at the Town Hall, I remember dancing in the "Wedding of the Painted Doll" with John Kerridge, son of the Bank Manager , who was Jumping Jack. Sunday School was conducted by Mr Donald Chapman, who with his sister Olive ran the Post Office (Iona House). Donald ran a very flourishing, well at tended Sunday School, we had wonderful outings and prize givings . Miss Wacey taught the senior children and when we reached her class she insisted we learned the Collect for the corning Sunday off by heart which we had to recite in turn. I remember her with great affection and appreciation. My mother was organist at St Michael's Church when the Rev. Geake was incumbent at Whitwell Rectory. Often I had to pump the organ for her, watching the lead weight rise and fall and to pay attention and not let the lead fall below a certain mark otherwise the organ gave a tremendous sigh and faded out. Both Churches were used for Sunday worship, frequently the congregation of St MiChae.I' s would be waiting for the sermon to end as we listened to the congregation of St Mary's singing their last hymn . The Rev. Moore, in charge of St Mary's, invariably finished his service first. Wi th the retirement of the Rev. Moore and the Rev. Geake leaving in the early 1930s the Rev. B P Lipscol!lbe was installed and the two churches and four parishes of Reepham, Whi twell, Hackford and Kerdistone were amalgamated and a communicating door was installed between St Mary's vestry and the chancel of St Mich~el's. The Rev. Luscombe was e x tremely musical and could coax ability from the least able. We had a f antastic choir under his leadership, singing oratories at special Church Festivals, the Messiah, Elijah, Olivet to Calvary to mention just a few occasionally incorporating the v.oice of Mr Broad from Heydon, al though Donald Chapman did very well in solos and supported by his fellow tenors, Fred Alford among others. �Mother took over St Mary's organ from Miss Jewel. As Mother had played a church organ from the age of fourteen she became 'an excellent organist under the Rev. Luscombe's jurisdiction. Apart from Church music, various members of the choir founded a group to entertain during the year putting on many Gilbert and Sullivan operettas. The Group included Donald and Olive Chapman, Elsie Varley, Mabel Utting, and Mr Cocking - the latter running a boot and shoe shop now Gwen Hardesty's fruit and vegetable shop. The Market Place was a grandstand for the Reepham Town Silver Band under the baton of Mr Ruffles from Fakenham. When the weather was kind and- it invariably was, they played for the town's entertainment after evening service at Church on Sunday evenings until nine or ten o'clock. Reepham also boasted a fine Salvation Army Band and shared the Market Place as its meeting place - alternating with the Town Band. Memories too of carol singing with the choir in the snow, and with the handbell ringers. Picking primroses at Broomhill, snowdrops growing like a carpet at Catch Back and the perfume from the violets at Reepham Moor was unbelievable the seasons seemed more seasonable in those days. Father, who was invalided out of the Navy with T. B., put his great talents to effect when he settled in Reepham. My mother loved to tell the tale of when motor cars were the "in thing". My father built one around an engine and chassis and so anxious to try it out that one Sunday afternoon he drove Mother and Aunt and Uncle to Cromer and back. Father, being the driver, sat on the kitchen chair and his passengers on upturned orange boxes. The sides of the car consisted of chicken wire draped wi th old curtains but when they reached 10 mph the curtains flapped alarmingly and had to be removed. Mother started a business making hats which flourished and this eventually became a fully fledged drapery, millinery, tobacco and confectionery shop . Father, in between bouts of illness, dabbled in photography, watch and clock mending, garage and battery charging and when confined to bed built models, two of _ which, a ship and a traction engine, drum and elevator, are now housed with the Reepham Society. The garage, erected to service the growing car trade, was built at the rear and side of the shop, over an old Baptist ' immersion pool. (This site is now rebuilt as a hairdressing salon and Reepham DIY. ) I am sure it needed very little demolishing as it was built chiefly of corrugated iron but the side facing our garden was all glass, consisting of photographic plates of every ' photograph, well almost, my Father ever took - I wonder what happened to those? Part of the garage was given over to the engine room where Father had a generator from which he produced electricity and proudly wired our house - the - first in Reepham to have electric light, 1928 or 29. He also made me a doll's house and fitted that with electric light powered by a battery. �Towards the end of my Father's life I remember the trees in our orchard had to be felled, they were very old 'and barren and , had given shelter to the goat and bantams we kept there. Mot\ler's ambition of having a tennis court builtin the old orchard began to take place, Father wanted to oversee the project and to make sure the ground was level but because he was now on constant oxygen this proved a problem. Not to be outdone he asked Dick Hatley, who worked with him, to get an inner tube from a car wheel and inflate it with oxygen a piece of rubber tube to connect with the valve and by slinging the tube over his shoulder and a clip to control the flow of oxygen he was able to walk up the garden and inspect the new tennis court for himself, returning before the tube was deflated. We were now able to have tennis parties - comprising Donald and Olive Chapman, Jean Hawes, Evan Symonds, Ricky and John Lambert, Ruby Barnes, Len Wilkinson, Mother and myself. My great friend, Peggy Hurn and I had other delights in common - her Father, Mr Fred Hurn and both my uncles, Mr Edward Gibbs Senior and Junior were among the company which formed the "Black Minstrel Troupe" and we look back with great affection to our childhood in our beloved Reepham. �TRAGIC FLIGHT FROM FOULS HAM The following is an article by Mr George Kett, one of our regular contributors, it is slightly outside our normal ~ange as it con~erns the eventual consequences of a wartime flight from Foulsham airfield. Ivluch of our recent local history is steeped in the wartime RAF and USAF bases and their activities and whilst , Reepham did not have a local airfield it was close enough to bases in Foulsham, Swannington, Weston Longville and Oulton for many Reepham residents to be affected both in employment and socially. It is an interesting yet at the same time a sad story of a wartime occurrence which started just a few miles from Reepham. This account of a wartime mission from Foulsham airfield is based on records held by the Public Record Office at Kew, with the assistance of a colleague who was researching information for a German historian. Permission to reproduce verbatim the K8nig War Crimes Trial report has been obtained from the P.R.O. Towards the end of 1943 No.192 Squadron, part of 100 group whose H.Q. was at Bylaugh Hal1,operated from Foulsham. This was a highly specialised squadron fitted out with equipment for listening to and interfering with German radio and radar transmissions. This mission set out at 4.00 pm on 21 Nov. 1944 in a Halifax on a special duty flight to investigate transmissions from rotating Freyas (radar), JOlning Lancaster bombers bound for Aschaffenburg near Frankfurt. No bombs were carried by the Halifax but a 'Special Ops' engineer was part of the crew. After skirting the target area they ran into heavy gunfire which left the two starboard engines on fire necessitating the order to bale out, after destroying the secret equipment held on board. Four of the crew managed to bale out: Sgt S. Wharton (Navigator), F ISgt. J . G. Smith (Wireless Op.), Sgt. A. P. Bloomfield (Gunner), and Sgt. R . B. Hales (FIt Eng . ). The other four crew members met their death in the crash. They were W.O B.H. Harrison (Pilot), Sgt . R.P. Clancy (Gunner), Sgt. T.D. McGill (Gunner) and W/O J.R. Sutton (Special Ops) who were interred at Durnbach British Military Cemetery. St. Wharton landed heavily in a field around midnight and, in spi te of a broken ankle and damaged ribs, managed to ' crawl along country lanes and eventually reached the village of Hembach about 30 miles south of Frankfurt. There he knocked at the door of a house, was taken in, given food and drink and was generally well treated before being taken to a nearby military hospital. He later met up with his wireless operator, Australian F ISgt. Smi th, and they remained together in various P . O. W. camps until liberated by the Russians in May 1945, eventually being flown back home the following month. The shocking fate of the other two airmen who baled out, Sgt. Bloomfield and Sgt. Hales, is related in detail by the K8nig War Crimes Trial report reproduced here. Justice was done - to some extent at least. George Kett �r �THE KONIG WAR CRIMES TRIAL Killing of F/Sgt. A.P. Bloomfield and Sgt. R.B. Hales The long This case was tried at Hamburg on 18 July 1947. delay has been caused by the endeavours to trace all persons concerned and ensuring that the right persons were extradited to this Zone for trial. The evidence at the trial may be divided into two parts. First gi ven by local persons who received the surrender of F /Sgt. Bloomfield and Sgt. Hales, escorted them and handed them over to what they thought to be the appropriate authorities. Second - the evidence of how the victims met their death. This was gi ven by the accused as there were no other witnesses present. It may be safely assumed that it was what actually occurred. During the night 21/22 Nov. 1944 the aircraft crashed near the village of Nieder Kinzig, 12 miles north of Erbach. Erbach is about 30 miles south-east of Frankfurt. Some of the crew died in the crash, others including F /Sgt. Bloomfield and Sgt. Hales landed by parachute in the neighbouring villages. F/Sgt. Bloomfield and Sgt. Hales were arrested by villagers and brought to the Burgome i ster I shouse. There they were well treated by people who came to see them. Sgt. Hales had a slight wound in his upper leg caused by a splinter of metal. This was dressed by the Burgomeister. F/Sgt. Bloomfield had lost a shoe when leaving the aircraft so the Burgomeister's wife produced some sacking which was used to wrap round his foot to enable him to walk. Their capture was reported to the police in a nearby town. Meanwhile they sat in the house, talking to the villagers to their photographs and who behaved in a whom they showed This is understandable as the perfectly friendly manner. witnesses for the prosecution who had dealings with the two capti ves at this time all appeared simple country people, allover middle age and apparently of honest and friendly disposition. The police told the Burgomeister to send the two prisoners under escort to the town of KHnig. There they would be put into custody for the night and forwarded to the Army and P.O. W. authori ties n ex t morning. Accordingly they were taken away by four members of the Rural Guard, an auxiliary police organisation for country districts. Due to Sgt. Hales wounded leg and the bulky wrapping of F /Sgt. Bloomfield's foot, the pace was very slow. At times the escort gave them a helping arm. At KHnig they reported to the police sergeant in his office at his home . The man in charge of the escort arranged wi th the police sergeant that the prisoners should be allowed to keep their watches. Then the police sergeant and the escort set out to take them to the local gaol where they were to spend the night. �Meanwhile, at Erbach (the principal town of the district), the Volkssturm (Home Guard) had just completed a short course of instruction and were having a farewell party for the Army Officer in charge of the course and the five NCO's who had helped him. The soldiers got slightly drunk and the Officer - 2nd Lt. Maurer, one of the accused - went to the Cinema. After. he had gone, the fact that an aircraft had crashed was reported to a man, Jaeger, who was at the party as a leader of the Volkssturm . Jaeger was also a member of a gang of enthusiastic party members who were at the more or less constant disposal of the Party Leader of the District, the Kreislei ter, for any emergency that might arise. This Politische Staffel was intended to supply replacements for party officials incapacitated in air raids on local large towns and to organise emergency billet ting, feeding and rescue work after air raids. I t is much doubted if such welfare work was their only purpose. Jaeger immediately got in touch with other members of the Poli tische Staffel (some were also at the party) and sent to the Cinema for Maurer. All were summoned to the Kreisleiters's. There the Kreisleiter, the accused Schwinn, told them that an aircraft had crashed and members of the crew probably baled out. They were to be captured. He finished in an ironical tone, "You know what to do. " This was a clear reference to the propaganda prevalent at the time about the way which captured airmen should be treated. Maurer in his statement said what he suspected (and what must have been clear to all present) that it was not intended to bring any captives back to Erbach. Maurer with four of his soldiers, Jaeger and members of the Politische Staffel called Mayer, Horn, Haigis, Giesler and Sauer, got into a large car belonging to the local fire brigade and set off in search of the baled out airmen. First, they went to the scene of the crash and made enquiries. They then called at the house of the Burgomeister and later at the home of the man in charge of the escort. Only when they came to KHnig did they catch up with the prisoners as they were being taken from the Police Sergeant's house to the gaol. At the various stops en route, people in the car made remarks to witnesses suggesting their actual intentions. Jaeger stopped the car and he and Maurer got out and approached the prisoners and escort. To this the Police Sergeant agreed readily enough as he knew the Army were the proper authorities for looking after POWs. He then took Maurer to his office and handed over the papers found on the two prisoners. The prisoners meanwhile were marched away under escort of Horn, Mayer, Haigis and Geisler in the direction of Erbach. After collecting the papers, Maurer and Jaeger drove in the car and overtook the prisoners and escort a little way out of the town. The car stopped and Jaeger got out. The prisoners were walking along in between Mayer and Haigis with Horn and Geisler behind . It was a very dark night. Suddenly they were told by Jaeger, who had waited at the roadside, to turn left off the road on to a pathway. �Soon after, Haigis who was walking on the left was told to go left again. Some shots rang out and FjSgt. Bloomfield collapsed almost at once. Sgt. Hales disappeared in the dark and could not be found. Mayer and Haigis claimed that Haeger and Horn fired those shots. Next day the local authorities found the bodies - that of FjSgt. Bloomfield was apparently where he had been shot and that of Sgt. Hales was found about 100 yards away. It was assumed that he had run this distance before collapsing from the one bullet wound he received in the right side of his chest. There is no other evidence about the actual shooting. The Police Sergeant tried to ini~iate an investigation when Jaeger openly admitted the shooting he heard what had happend. afterwards and claimed that the two prisoners were trying to escape. The Chief of the Gendarmerie refused to accept any report on the incident and pointed out it was a Party matter and the police should not interfere. This Gendarmerie Chief killed himself when the U. S. forces entered Darmstadt. Before doing so he shot all members of his family. Jaeger and Sauer were killed three weeks after F jSgt. Bloomfield and Sgt . Hales when the car were travelling was involved in an accident. the murder of in which they Giesler has never been traced and it is presumed that he is in the Russian Zone. Horn committed suicide by hanging himself ten days before the trial commenced. As a result, only Schwinn the Kreislei ter, Maurer the Army officer and Mayer and Haigis the escorts at the moment of the shooting were put on trial. The evidence of the actual shooting was not very strong, nor was the evidence of the part played by the Kreisleiter Schwinn. Nevertheless all four were found guilty and sentenced as follows:Maurer Schwinn Mayer Haigis 15 years imprisonment " " 12 7 " 5 " " " �-------Tidy up Reepham I'm sure some of you will remember the well publicised attempt in - 1986 by the Government in getting Mr Richard Branson to assist in an unpaid capacity in the "Keep Bri taib TidY" campaign. A much publicised start to the campaign is about as mucp as anyone now remembers. Mr Branson went off to America and proceeded to set records on his return by arriving by powerboat and then hot air balloon. Perhaps the cost of recovering Mr Branson and his enormous balloon from the sea off Ireland did not equate with a proposed policy of keeping Britain tidy at as Iowa cost as possible. In the Spring of 1988 Mrs Thatcher attempted to stir our consciences towards a tidier Brit~in by arranging another auspicious start to a campaign which is supposed to make us aware of how untidy a nation we are and what a much better place we would have to live in if we all dealt with our litter properly and tidily. We must admire the intentions and any campaign must be worth noting if it can gain the personal support of the Prime Minister. The item gained a maximum media coverage but unfortunately for the wrong reasons. The City of Westminster Council duly arranged for a supply of ironed and sQnltinized crisp packets which were scattered around Hyde Park for Mrs Thatcher to pick up whilst the country's press recorded the occasion. Mrs Thatcher did not need to have her litter delivered, she should have come to Reepham, we have ample quanti ties already in place just waiting to be picked up. The Reepham Society has been concerned for some time about this litter, it is a problem which we feel is permanently with us and one which we feel has been getting worse in recent years. We felt that it was time for this problem to be tackled and it seemed an ideal project to tackle as part of the Civic Trust Environment Week which was held during the week commencing 22nd April. Arrangements were made to directly involve all local organisations and the schools who cooperated in the responsibili ty for certain areas from which they removed an accumulation of litter and other larger items of rubbish. These organisations etc. concentrated on the town's public places such as the market square, car park, churchyard, cemetery, the main streets and most of the footpaths. To make the pick-up of litter an acceptable task we even arranged for a supply of disposable gloves and rubbish bags to be available if required. We felt that such a venture should not exclude the householders of Reepham so the day before the start of the tidy-up over 700 leaflets were delivered with the morning papers. The leaflet urged individuals to help by clearing up those areas around their homes - we hope you responded! Was the clean up a success; Yes, there is little doubt that it was. Everyone cooperated and during the week an enormous amount of litter and general rubbish was collected and disposed of. �,- A clean up such as this takes a lot of arranging and the Reepham Society has taken the initiative. It must not however be a one off, litter is a continuing problem in Reepham and. it would be nice if the clean up could be maintained. Reepham regularly enters the Best Kept Village Competition; one of the judges I criticisms in the past has been the amount of litter, a criticism which has not helped Reepham towards a prize. Does Reepham have a litter problem which is perhaps worse than in other places? I think that probably the answer is that it does. We live in a small market town which has the facility of a large High School, during lunchtimes particularly there is a large influx into Reepham of children, many of whom seem to have scant regard for litter going into bins or into their pockets. I f you are aware of the areas around Broomhill Lane, along Park Lane and in the Market Place and along Back Street then you know of the problem. The hedges along Park Lane are the ideal cover for a surreptitious cigarette and the Lane is contantly littered with empty cigarette packets, drink cans and other paper . These areas were well covered by the school in the clean up but it was ironic that the children who were doing the clearing up were the younger pupils and certainly not the older ones who caused the problem. It is sad to reflect that the Lane was cleared in the morning and lunchtime brought the usual band of smokers who by 1.15 pm had left further empty cigarette packets . A restart of our accumulating problem. The Reepham Society has taken the initiative with this problem, they will continue with their involvement but to succeed it has to be a corporative effort. Firstly the Parish Council must not leave it to our Society to deal with this, they should make a greater effort particularly if they are to enter the Best Kept Village Competition and they can start by making a much wider provision of litter bins particularly in and around the Market Place and the High School . Secondly there has to be a greater effort by the School, regular collections in and around the School should be made and a clampdown on the smokers would be helpful. Let us all make an effort, if everyone can cooperate as they did during that week in April then Reepham would be a much cleaner and tidier place. Let us take a leaf from the ~ook of Mrs Mary Archer (the wife of novelist Jeffrey Archer), she is Choir Mistress at Grantchester Church in Cambridge. Every time she walks to the church for a choir practice or a service she carries a small plastic bag and picks up all the litter that she finds on the way. I f we all did this and it takes no more than a little time, then we would have a Reepham kept tidy. �The day • the raIns came • • • Four reported dead in floods FOU R deaths were recorded, including three drownings, although in those days of limited communication. others may have gone unnoticed by the prc s~ the time. Edward Po ll. a bahy boy in Canterbury al Place, Nonh Heigh.m, was swept away while his family was being rescued by a boatman Special reports by JANE FLATT called William I T CAME at the end of a dismal August, another one of those summers when it seems never to stop raining. The cloudburst and gale-force wi nds slashed across t 800 square mil es of Norfolk and north S uffolk. It began at 3am on Monday the 26th, and continued mercilessly until mid-morning on Tuesday. Hellesdon to carrow. The surface drains we re blocked wit hin minutes, and severa l streets caved in. All public services c:ltcept gas and water were suspended, the Post Office was reduced to sorting letters by candle-light. the factories we re crippled. and all trains to and from the city wefe ~ us pended. Eart h wa~hed away from Castle Mound stid down on 10 the tramlines and clogged up that pan of the public transport system, Something like 10,000 people were made temporarily homel~ss. Even the cathedral, on its low.lying meadows, was threatened at one stage. the nood·water reaching the cloisters, Released from the funnel of the city. the water then spread out eastwards to create a great swamp of the Broads. In Norfolk alone, 52 bridges and culverts were broke n, including those at Trowse and lakenham. At Wymondham, the River Tiffey flooded and cut otT the town. Some houses at Damgate Bridge collapsed. he nonnally peaceful River Bure thudded against Wroxham Bridge, which shuddered and would have collapsed, except that the river burst its banks, roared off down 8 side·road, and nooded a wide area round Wroxham old church. Tens of thousands of acres of farmland and pa!lture wC're ruined. Tomato and cucumber~g rowing were wiped out for many months, aOer acres of gJass·houses were submerged. * Trowse Bridge, wrecked by Ihe lIoodlng. the east of Ihe city. At Brundall, 8.06 A huge volume of wa ter built up near Fakenham , and raged down through the narrow cha nn el of the river Wensum through Norwich, shaking ancient build ings to their foundations, and causing devastation in the riverside suburbs. from T Roads were several feel deep in places. and with bridgrs down everywhere, whole comm uniti es were cut arT. In Norwich itself. 6.31 inches of rain fell in 12 hours. The river level rose to 16ft 6in above normal, easi ly exceeding all prev ious records. including that of the "great Oood " of 1878, which was 13n Sin, a level reached by 4rm on the Tuesday. The centre of the storm ""'3S just to inches. nearly four times the average for the whole month. were recorded in 29 hours. No trains could get through on the Cromer, Yarmouth and LowestoO branch lines, leaving pao;;scngcrs stranded in waiting·roo ms. A parly of 12 day-trippers from Grimston, nea r King's Lynn, spent four days at Yarmouth Beach Station, not having enough money to stay anywhere else. As eve ning fe ll on Tuesday, the rain resc ued se veral people when he apparentl y lost his footing in the raging torre nt on his way to an other re~c ue . Astounding Mr Brody's hody was found noat ing ncar Bullard·s Wharf. After were lin ed with anxiolls people, watching for the effect on the nood· water of the incoming high tide. There were ga le s at Ya rmouth, wh ich held back th e nood·water The water-level in the st reets rose inexorably. and the bridges had 10 be cleared, with only a few inches to spare below the laps of the arches. A Wednesday, with the worst over, people had their first chance to examine the full effects. Among th e highest casualties were the world· famolls Norwich breed of canaries: hundreds of the little birds were drowned, and some particularly valuable strains were wiped oul. The water subs ided rapid ly all day, and on T hursday, although it was A map showlg where Ihe haavlesl rain letl. ""~-""'---"""-------------""r'I'I of Gas Hill. "Could"" pulled clear. Mr Abel was presented with a gold watch·chain. an inscribed medallion. and best of all in those days. an enlarged Norwich with the speed of a mountain stream, and huge tracts of the countryside around were sodden, the danger was over. photogra ph taken of him at work on the floating timber the foll owing day . Clearing up after the disaster put It, "without distinction 0' pOll· tlon and social standing, men Bnd women of high lind low degree responded to thai one touch of seven school., were opened up wa8 'aunched, with donat ion. for the thou'.nd. of refugees from the flooded areal, and every home cut off by the water was g iven • 24·hour.' IUpPty of food, plul two candlea end I box 01 malch ••. Touching An emergency council meeting wa. convened on Wednesday nature which mekea Ihe whole kin." A "ollonal lIood rellel appeal IncludIng £150 Irom the King ond Queen, £50 from the Prin c e of Wales, and £21 Irom Ihe Ki ng ond Queen of Norway. One 01 Ihe mool lou ching gllll was from the children 0' the Rail- way Mission Sundoy School In Melton Constabls, who donated Ihe £12 pul allde for their summer treat. morning, to fonn a rellet commit· The 1912 dlsoster weB far from tee, Other organllatlon. and , Ihe IIral Ilood Norwich had Indlvlduol. ,olned In. II was leld. endured. The records Ihow that bolh II Ihe time and Illar, that twice or three times every Ihe one good Ihlng aboul Ihe flood woo Ihel tl broughl home 10 Ihe mlddle-cl ... e. Ihe oppalling condition I In which many 01 Ihelr fellow cltl.en. were living. AI o~e contemporary Recount hundred yeara, heavy ralnl.1I uaed to awett the winding channet of the Wenlum through the city and flood the riverside. Slum clearance, wer damage and the shift to the suburbs between his funeral . his widow was given a weekly pension for life. in recogniti on of her hu sband 's heroism. There were man y acts o f astounding co urage during those terrifying days. One of them resu lt ed in the s.1 ving of the centuries·old Bishop Bridge. which spans the Wcnsum al the bottom On the T uesday night . its "ncient stonework was being hammered by timbers washed down fro m the woodyards abo ve Cow Tower. Harry Abel. a coundl workman , lowered him se lf from the bridge on to the hucking timbers and tied ropes to them , so that they still rushing through ORGANISED relief measures In Ihe clly wdre held up al IIrst, becouse the Lord Moyor, Ihe depuly mayor end the clly surveyor were all on holldoy 01 Ihe lime, ond Ihe Sheriff wa. III. PubliC building., Including A postman at Saxlingham also drow ned, trying to grt through the noods in his horsc·a nd--cart. And a M" Kemp, of Goat Yard. Oak. Street, Norwich, was reported as having died of "fright and shock." George Brody. a Ii ~ h porter, of Sawmill Yard. Oak Street, had alread y had Slopped, and the cily's bridges t dawn on Marrison. who was credited with the rescue of 100 people. them have cut the number of people living In those arees. The 1878 lIood, which unlll 1912 W81 called the "Greal Flood," loll owed a lorlnlghl 01 heavy rain In November. The rivers Yare nnd Wensum, swo llen by six Inches rnln In lu st over a fortnight, overflowed Into the low·lylng land between Norwich, 0' Yarmouth Bnd lowestoft, lind th e Helghllm dl,trlct 0' Norwich became II lake nearly II mile wide. Infested The only 1095 0' life then was among the rats which Infested the city ot the lime. Thousends 01 them fled up the dra ins, to drown under the grBtlngs. Soma survived, Including one large colony which lound Ita way Into Ihe eettars 01 • local brewery. They were discovered drunkenly trying to balance themselves on floating barrels - as Inebriated as rodenta, as the lay in g nearly goes. �� Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Reepham Society Newsletters Description An account of the resource A comprehensive collection of newsletters published by the Reepham Society. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Printed and digital Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GB/REE/RS/Magazines Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1983-2000 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Reepham Society Text - printed Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Reepham Society Newsletter Summer 1988 Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GB/REE/2302181045 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource A4 PDF, 19 pages Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1988 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Reepham Society https://reephamarchive.co.uk/omeka/files/original/0b1fbe8ae56b64b97f0cbeb7c7b7dac0.pdf fb778c0a92810bb5d3d58c8c1bd7c53a PDF Text Text r NEWSLETTE; �REEPHAM SOCIETY NEWSLETTER - WINTER 1987 Dear Member, In this newsletter I have concentrated on an area of Reepham that has greatly changed in the last few years, an area that is affectionately remembered by those whose recent memories go back prior to 1970. Now known as Ollands Park the area was formerly the gardens and residence known as the Oll ands, Hackford-next-Reepham. I must offer my thanks to Mr. George Kett who gave me the page enti tled "where have all the trees gone" and wi th photographs from the Society's collections it gives me the opportunity to build an article which I hope gives you the reader, a feel of the Ollands Estate in its heyday. I'm grateful also to Anthony Ivin's and Wesley Piercy who have contributed to the article about the opening of the "wild life garden" as part of the Civic Trust's Environment week held last April. The other pages includes the balance sheet from our recent Cheese and Wine Evening which gave the Society a profit of more than £400 and the Society's balance sheet presented to the Annual General Meeting in April which shows our healthy financial situation. The 1987 Award Scheme is included and the winner, the Kings Arms P.H. is featured on the front cover. Also included are extracts from Broadland District Councils local plan for Reepham which shows and details the listed buildings in the Town - did you know there were 50? Other items are those of a broader rather than of a strictly parochial interest, Maurice Woods writes or rather bemoans the fact that local inhabitants are using our local dialect less and less and asks if Norfolk has a dying dialect. An article which appeared in the environmental magazine 'Heritage Outlook' gives detail of how the reclaiming of Cockshoot and Belaugh Broads can give us hope for the preservation of all the Broads by the combination of planning and modern technology and finally a copy o{ a report about the U.E.A's Centre of East Anglian studies. Michael Black November, 1987. Middlernarch, Broornhill Lane, Reepharn. �New Members during 1987 Mr and Mrs W Dawson Mrs E Thompson Mr and Mrs J Clark Mr and Mrs Capel Miss BOwen Rev E Easten Mr and Mrs D Henson Mr and Mrs J Peirce Mr and Mrs Plummer Rev and Mrs W Jones Miss J Mayhew Mr and Mrs J Lathwell Mr and Mrs C Graves Miss K Moss Mr and Mrs P Kett The membership of the Reepham Society is now 360. Miss K Hall, Colsway, Station Road, Reepham It is with sadness that we inform members of the death of Miss Kitty Hall, one of our oldest members. Kathleen Hall was a member of one of the old established Reepham families. She was the eighth of nine children of John Ebeneze.r Hall, harnessmaker, whose shop was on the west side of the Market Place (now the butchers). The business was taken over by his son, Albert, who was the last harnessmaker in Reepham. Another son, Lee, was, for many years, in charge of Purdy and Holly's Reepham office. Another daughter, Ivy, was a teacher at Hackford and Whitwell School, now Reepham Primary. Kitty Hall was very interested in the Reepham Society and with her fine memory she was a good source of information about former Reepham and its inhabitants. With her death, there is now no member of the family residing in Reepham. She will be sadly missed. �/' THE REEPHAM SOCIETY CASH AT BANK CAPITAL ACCOUNT AS AT 31 MARCH 1987 CASH AT BANK 31.3.1986 Barclays Bank Reepham Curre'n t Account Deposi t Account 31.3.1987 Barclays Bank Aylsham £213.74 £1,139 . 27 £234 . 33 Current Account National Savings Bank £1,353.01 Investment Account £1,099.73 £12.44 Cash in Hand £1,346.50 ADD EXCESS I NCOME OVER EXPENDITURE £493 . 49 £500.00 LOAN TO BIRCHAM INSTITUE £1,846.50 £1,846.50 I have audited the above statement of affairs and attached revenue account of The Reepham Society for the year en ded 31 March 1987 from the bank statements and vouchers produced to me, and confirm that the said financial statements produced therefrom show a true and fair view of the results arising. 32 Red Lion Street Ay Ish am, No rfolk NR11 6ER R. Greenway FCA Chartered Accountant THE REEPHAM SOCIETY REVENUE ACCOUNT FOR YEAR ENDING INCOME Interest Deposit Account Subs cripti ons Donations S ale of Po:; tcards " Footp ath Maps Greetings Cards Collections at Meetings Wine" Cheese Party £720 . 69 less Expenses £235.62 Bov.· ling Green Rents 1985 " 1986 Cash in Hand 1. 4. 1986 31 MARCH 1987 EXPENDITURE £108.11 £330.00 £8 . 00 £40.70 £60.10 £68.03 £485.07 £40.00 £7.43 Hon. Secretary: Telephone Postage Stationery Membership Secretary: Telephone Postage General Photocopying, Printing etc. Greetings Cards Postcards Reepham SOCiety Stationery Accommodation Bircham Centre Old Brewery House Hotel Speakers " Expenses Coach to Hales Hall Award Scheme : Expenses" Refreshments Gardening Competition: Prizes " Expenses Civic Trust Subscription Advertisement Town " Country Repay ment to Mr. R. Galley for Overbanking Excess Income over Expenditure £1,147.44 £5.00 £8.97 £1. 00 £6.80 £2.30 £120.31 £89 . 70 £75 . 90 £35.00 £33 . 00 £75.00 £65 . 00 £45.00 £24.45 £32.05 £7.50 £14 . 00 £12.87 £653.85 £493.49 £1,147.34 �THE WINE AND RE EPI:AM CHEESE RECEIPTS P ARTY, SOCIETY 23 OCTOBER 1D87 EXPENDITURE Advance ti cket sales 335 00 Ti cket sales at door 72 50 Bar 104 07 Raffle 97 60 Coffee 20 50 Donations 30 00 Piano tuning (Mr Ivins) 15 00 Catering (Mrs Pearson) (includes £7 for cloths, doylies, etc) 44 54 Food ( Mrs Ivins) Light and heat Loan of chairs (Reepham p. c. c . ) Wine (£180 18 less refund £3910) 8 00 15 00 5 00 1tl 08 Entertainers' expenses (Hireoof practice room) 20 00 £659 67 Net Profit £411 05 Tickets sold ~63 = £407 60 Numbers present 158 (146 + 12 complimentary) Some 1986 COmparisons Ticket sales 185 1 £462 50 E xpenditure: Food 51 42 Wine 144 00 £241) 62 �THE REEPHAM SOCIETY AWARD SCHEME This is a biennial award first presented in 1983 when it was a warded for the development of Birchams Yard. In 1985 it was presented for the Mercha nts Yard development and for 1987 it has been presented to the Kings Arms Public House. The Award Sub-Commi ttee consider ed six nominations for th e 1987 award and the unanimous decision subsequently e nd orsed by the Society's Committee was to Mrs P Chipperfield, landlady of the Kings Arms. The Award Committee felt that there were three reasons why the Kings Arms was chosen. The building has undergone extensive restoration both internall y and externally, which has in no way changed its appealing features. Secondly, the building has been sensitively painted and the pleasing colour scheme has harmonised the building within the overall character of the Market Place and thirdly the whole building has, during the summer, been vibrant with colour from the plethora of flowering tubs and baskets. The plaque will be affixed to the Kings Arms to remind us of the financial effort that the brewery owners have injected into the building and to the flowering enhancement that Mrs Chipperfield has introduced. Let us hope that a similar display will be present next year and that other businesses will follow this colourful example. �Reepham Old Burial Ground Wild-Life Garden At -the end of last winter it was suggested that the Reepham Society should take over the management of the old Reepham and Kerdiston Cemetery on the Norwich Road as a wild-life garden. At that time, although aware of its position almost adjoining the former St Mar y' s Church School, most of us had never ventured through the iron gates that guarded the old burial ground. In fact it took some research to discover its histor y , even the date of opening varied in different accounts but it seems to have been in 1855 on half an acre of ground gi ven b y Mr Parke. The cost of the iron railings and gates along the road boundar y and possibl y the planting of the avenue of y ew trees edging the central path amounted to £150. The cemetery was to be managed by a Burial Board of four members. The Parish Council agreed in principle to the management of the cemetery by the Reepham Society and asked for a management plan to be submitted. Dr John Barkham of Whitwell agreed to survey the old cemetery, last used for a burial in the early 30s, and to make a plan of management as a wild-life garden. It may be of interest to the reader to set out the aims and plans of management as proposed by Dr Barkham. Aims: To maintain it as a wild garden for quiet enjoyment. To manage it with a minimum input of resources. To maintain the existing good features and add new ones where practical. when and Some existing good features: At the road end of the ground a line of wi ld cherry (prunus avi urn 'flora plena'). Given and planted by the Reepham Women's Institute. Two bird cherry (prunus padus). Two Corsican pine (pinus nigra). One is an e xc eptionally fine specimen of a mature tree. Two white spruce (pice a glauca). A line of red horse chestnut (Aesculus X carrea) along the field boundary . A double line of yews (Tax us baccata) flanking the central path. Regular management The Headstones are not to be disturbed, the Society plans to complete the work of recording the inscriptions on the headstones begun by the Reepham W.I. some y ears ago. A perimeter path and mown and kept short. also The hedge on the west side quickthorn where necessary. the to central path bet ween be and cut the yews to be laid and planted up wi th The ground, apart from the paths, to be mown only t wi ce each year in late August and October and mowings cleared and heaped. Some dead wood on the trees to be left for the birds and insects. Suitable planting to be carried out to enhance the wild-life aspect. �As soon as the Society knew that the Parish Council approved the management scheme, work began on the necessary clearance after the winter gales. Members and friends came along and worked with enthusiasm and skill to get the new wild-life garden into good shape. Gifts have been made to the Society of two rowans, three buddleias, honeysuckle, primroses and daffodils. The Parish Council planned a handing-over ceremony for Saturday April 25th at the Old Cemetery. It was a sunny morning when some sixty people came along to hear the Chairman of the Parish Council formally hand over the management to the Chairman of the Reepham Society. The gathering was honoured by the presence of the Chairman of the Norfolk County Council and the Chairman of the Norfolk Society Ameni ties Commi ttee. Canon Wilkinson was rector of Reepham-cum-Kerdiston from 1867 to 1917, and so it was a very happy beginning for the Wildlife Garden that his grand-daughter, Miss Barbara Owen, agreed to plant a rowan tree for the birds. The proceedings were blessed by our present Canon Gordon Dodson and it can be truthfully said that all present felt the sense of community strengthened. Ox-Eye Daisy finds success in a pot_ By Gareth Huw Davies Britain's long-suffering meadow flora should benefit from recent changes in EEC policy aimed at reducing the numbers of dairy and beef cattle. These could soon halt the drive for more intense grazing with its heavy use of fertiliser and herbicide, which has greatly reduced the number of traditional meadow flowers . and their attendant insect life. But those wanting to recolour'the meadow with its lost native flowers will have to do .much more than simply scatter seeds over the fields, according to recent research at 'Southampton university. Sci<.'ntists at the university's Department of Biology have carried out two experiments which show just how carefully some seeds have to be handled if they are to blossom again in the meadows. Seeds of native grassland plants were sowed directly onto four patches of existing grassland which had been cleared of vegetation and dug over. Some were treated with various types of compost and covered with cloches . Twelve species were used: Ox-Eye Daisy, Knapweed. Lady's Bedstraw, Musk Mallow, Self-Heal, Bulbous Buttercup, Betony, St John's Wort, Field Scabious, Cowslip, Harebell and Hay Rattle. The results weie very vari- able. One flower, Hay Rattle did not appear at all. Field Scabious and Cowslip produced only one and two plants respectively. The most successful were Ox-Eye Daisy, Knapweed, Buttercup and Mallow. A second experiment was then carried out in which seeds were germinated in pots and planted out in holes in the turf. Two months after transplanting, only Harebell appeared to have had any difficulty in establishing itself after being planted out. The explanation for tl\e: greater success rate, the scientists believe, is that the pot plants may have better-develogt;d root systems. They conclude that although the initial cost in manpower . is considerably greater, the success rate of using pot-germinated plants is so high that the technique is more cost-effective in the end. It is also less demanding than clearing plots and preparing seed beds. However, subsequent m'anagement is crucial, the scientists warn; they recommend that a consistent cutting and grazing regime should be established on the replanted mcadows to ensure the new plants are not overwhelmed 'by 'hardi er species. Source: British Ecological Society bulletin, VOL XV 111, August 1987. �". ' The Civic Trust had nominated the last week of April 1986 as Environment Week and throughout the country more than 1000 different projects were planned. The Reepham Society contributed to this by , officially taking over the management of the old burial ground to turn it into a wild-life garden. The handing over ceremony was carried out on Saturday 25th April and amongst those present were Mr Rex Haney, who is well known for his regular nature spots on Radio Norfolk and his contributions in the Eastern Daily Press. In the last newsletter I wrote about the history of the burial grounds in Reepham, admittedly my informat ion came from a number of sources but it would appear that some of this was wrong. It pays not to make a mistake in writing about Reepham as any mistake will soon be corrected. I am indebted to Mr Wesley Piercey who sent me the following notes. The Norwich Road burial ground was created in the 1850s at the same time as the Hackford and Whitwell cemetery was formed on the Whi twe11 Road. Burials were still taking place at the Norwich Road in the 1920s and they probably ceased in the early 30s, these were no doubt where plots had been reserved. In and In to for the mid 1920s, the Whi twe1l Road cemetery was doubled in size was extended to Park Lane and the present gates were erected. this new extended cemetery all the right-hand side belonged Hackford and the left-hand side is divided into two, one area Reepham and Kerdiston and the rest belonged to Whitwell. Until the last war, the Norwich Road cemetery was always kept locked and anyone wishing to visit a grave had to obtain the key from Mr A Beaver, the Clerk to Reepham-cum-Kerdiston Parish Council, who lived nearby. IN THE COUNTRYSIDE Iverham, April 24 many cleverly 5 of initials nowfor one tend to ,m them so their 'act is lost. There thers like me, I the eye-catching leans nothing till ut as European :nvironment. :00 d to see the Civic ociation with six lad the good sense the plain, selfIe of Environment thousand or more ~d for the period y 4. ts are nationwide and include work, play and entertainment aimed at helping people to look at their neighbourhoods as never before . As the Civic Trust points out , there are 51 other weeks to a year and it is hoped that this fresh look 'will inspire individuals and groups to continue the good work all year round. The info rmation pack they provide is full of useful ideas and the addresses of supporting of" anisations. The week begms tomorrow and I'm looking forward to attending an important ceremony in Reepham which is the first Norfolk event connected with the National project. The Reepham Society has corne to an agreement with the Reepham Parish Council to take over management of the Old Burial Ground to develop it as a wildlife garden. The formal opening of this ground in its new role wiJI be shared between Tony Stimpson , chairman of the Parish Council, Tony Ivins , chairman of the Society and Harold Rose, chairman of the County Council. It is clear fro:n an article in the Reeph am Society'S excellent newsletter that the Norwich Road cemetery has been cause for concern and debate for decades. It must be to everyone's relief that this positive initiative has been taken but it is a responsibility not to be taken without careful thought and preparation. Eye-catching EYE The management plan shows the garden already has an extensive range of plants so the associated animal life must be there. The intention is to maintain the existing good features and to add new ones where practical while making provision for visitors to enjoy the peaceful surrounds. All this has to be done without over-stretching limited resources. With such a range of mature trees, mossed and lichened stones, grasses and flowering plants already established, the Reepham enthusiasts have a flying start. We wish them success and hope many others will follow their example. Rex Haney �;{;arden of new life for · old ·eemetery A DISUSED cemetery at Norwich Road · ,Reepham, was formally opened as a wildlife · gardeJ?, on Saturday. nance 0 cemetery by the parish council ceased two years ~go. due to cost, prompt- · Ing the Reepham Society to offer to take over management of the area and operate it as a wildlife garden for enjoyment by . the pUblic. . Volunteers hav~ already started the conservation work and at the opening Miss Barbara Owen whose grandfather, Cano~ Wilkinson. was rector of Reepham-cum-Kerdiston for 50 years, planted one of three buddleias given to commemorate the new use The - ceremony was jointly by the , parish council chairman, . Mr A. Stimpson, and Reepham Society chairman, Mr A. H . Ivins. Prayers were led by Canon G. Dodson of Reepham. Harold K. Rose, Norfolk County Council chairman and Norfolk Society chairman , told the 60 people present that the event. which marked the beginning of Environment Week . was one of more than 1000 Civic Trust projects planned for the week. ~onducted �So y~ar~ :/ ~vtlopmtnt cJ th( Olla,I1d.~ £,td:(nc", E~r,ha.m'RcaJ.) ''\;~ ) 235 ; 1 ·861 234 .1[il/ Hill 1B4 5 649 . i7 /\19,$ 'I' HE Oi..,LAHDS . Bui lt 1 8 32. From 1 9 20 to about Demoli sh ed 1 9 7 .::' . 1928 thi s was t he home o f Edwa rd Philip Oppenh e im (1 856 - l q46 ) author of ma n y nov e l s , majn l y a~ou t esotonace & diplomacy, jncJudinB ' The Gr ea t ID pe r sona ti on ' ~nd ' Envoy Ext r ao r djna r y ' . G. Y . �THE OLLANDS The Ollands Park estate now fills the area which was formerly the Ollands House and its grounds. Many people in Re epham remember wi th affection this large open area which was lost to residential development in the early 1970s and those in Reepham with long memories can remember the House in its heyday with its formal gardens, conservatory and mass of mature trees. Very little remains today, Echo Lodge in Ollands Road and a few mature trees are the only remaining items to remind us of a small town grandeur which is now only a fond memory. The Ollands was builtin 1832 and was owned by William Bircham Esq. for 40 years or so until the 1880s. It was then owned by Mr and Mrs Kendrew who left in 1914. During the Great War, the House was used as an Officers Mess and after the War it was bought by Mr and Mrs Oppenheim. During the 1930s it was bought by Mr and Mrs Harmer (the Norwich clothing manufacturers) and then it was lived in by Mr and Mrs Irwin. Some of the occupants are remembered today, the name of Bircham is somewhat synonymous with Reepham and the Irwins are remembered in Irwin Close which leads from Bircham Road to the new Moorhouse Estate. The occupant who was probably most famous in his time but is now generally forgotten is Edward Phillips Oppenheim. He was an author who wrote about 150 books, mainly travel, in addi tion to many newspaper and magazine articles in this country and the USA. Robert Standish wrote a book about his life and entitled it 1 The Prince of Storytellers " he makes a few references to Oppenheim 1 s time in Reepham. It seems that he moved here in about 1920 and went, apparently to avoid paying some taxes, to the Riviera in 1925. In the autobiography, the house is referred to as Reepham House and from then on it was called this by those who lived there, although Reepham has always called it Ollands House or The Ollands. There is a feeling that the House was lived in by the more famous novelist, H Rider Haggard, during the 1920s - there is no clear evidence to bear this out and it would seem that in many ways the two writers were comparable and this has caused confusion. They were both writing novels at the same time and were famous during the 1920s, both lived in Norfolk (Rider Haggard at Di tchingham) and they both abbreviated their christian name to the first letter. It would seem likely that they knew each other and although it is possible that Rider Haggard visited Ollands House he never actually lived there. �The �THE OLLANDS,.HACKFOR The e;arden between the conservatory and the shrubbery �Church walk looking towards the "village" gate Path leading to "village", looking towards the Conservatory ���A TRIP TO NORWICH I don't know why my wife objects so strongly to my tweed overcoat, she reckons it's old-fashioned and scruffy. Admittedly it is getting a bit elderly. I bought it at Dunns of Norwich about 15 or 20 years ago - alright, 25 if you insist but it's still in as new' condition and would pass the MOT without a blink. Lovely thing! On this 'fashion' lark I wouldn't know. True these anorak garments seem all the go just now but I work on the theory that things come back into fashion, perhaps pepped up a bit, if you wait long enough. The blue denim overall garment I wore as a young engineering apprentice countless years ago, for instance, has since resurfaced under the name of 'Jeans', generally with an untidier appearance. Oxford Bags and spats are due for reincarnation any time now. Anyway, I was off for a lone visit to Dereham, wearing my tweed overcoat - the threat of 'not being seen with me wearing that old · thing' didn't apply this time. It did last time though, several months ago, when my wife and I journeyed to Norwich mainly because I had £5 worth of vouchers to spend at Lit tlewoods, although it was not our intention to confine our purchases to the value of the vouchers per se (I slipped that in as a touch of culture). I remember that visit quite well. After all, a visit to Norwich is a bit of an event for us; car-parking, at a reasonable cost anyway, is such a problem although admittedly I am made more welcome than my namesake Robert Ket t over 400 years ago. I do sometimes feel, however, that it is not really logical for us to expect, wherever we go, an extra 70 sq. ft. or so of space for our vehicle. I must try to think those logical thoughts next time I visit the N & N Hospital where finding a parking space is a major operation. "Now let me see," I said to my Wife, "Littlewoods is that big store opposite the Haymarket Picture House isn't it?" "It never was opposite any picture house - that t s been gone about 40 years," was the evasive reply. I didn't intend to let that tick-off go unchallenged. "Well it used to be there - I remember seeing Al Jolson singing about Sonny Boy in the first 'Talkie that came to Norwich'." I burst into song, "When there are grey skies tra la la" but could immediately see that my Singing was not appreciated. Ah! those happy Al Jolson days. Nothing over sixpence at Woolworths and a gallon of petrol for what we now call 5p (20 gals for a pound note!) but, of course, we had to manage wi thout Eastenders and Wogan. �Anyway, we arrived at St Giles' car park rather expensive but with vouchers to spend we could afford to be reckless. It was much bet ter, years ago, when car parks were open wi th no boundary railings so there was always a sporting chance of getting in and out without paying. While I carried out my own mission at Lit tlewoods, so pleasant with the bill already paid as it were, my wife went to 'look around the shops' rather a risky business as she has this habit of buying things which are not strictly necessary. For my vouchers I had in mind essential requirements such as a By careful selection I bottle of Sherry and a bottle of wine. the price could make up to £5 or a bit over, I could surely afford to be a little generous under these circumstances. No difficulties . I left the store, after cashing up, feeling rather pleased with the transaction, browsing around a bit before . meeting my wife for a sort of celebratory snack at the Theatre Royal (vouchers have that sort of effect on me). Then homewards - mission accomplished - no problems. Somehow that happy visit to Norwich was spoiled when I wore that overcoat for my trip to Dereham and found those vouchers still in a pocket. Norfolk: A dying dialect? THE Norfolk marsh man in the witnes box was giving his evidence as loudly and clearly as a church bell, There was only one difficulty, Lord Chief Justice Cockburn could not understand a word of it, He beckoned the under-sberiff of tbe country. WWould you be good enough," be said, W to stand beside me and act as interpreter?" That WIS during Victoria', ",ign. A letter from the under-sheriff, published in this newspaper almost • century 8S0. records the incident. It add. that the judge thought Suffolk ,peech 50unded like "Norfolk set to music." The phrase hal been with UI ever since. Confusion· Would hi' Lordship need an interpreter today? I doubt it. Time and television have so diluted our language that fo",ill"en - by which is meant anybody outside Ea51 Anglia - .'" no longer thrown into confusion, let alone hulled into a bume. The RC,cent is leu robust, the vocabularY le.s bizarre. Vet, 8S I discovered 6ft returning to my native habitat aller many yean · out foreign," the rudiments of East Anglian IJ"Immar remain intact. I knew ... was home when I heard people .ay ·that dew· instead of ·it Visitors to our county are less and less likely to hear words like 'hully', 'fare' and 'dwile' from the lips of the local inhabitants, a fact bemoaned by Maurice Woods does", and .. without the rain" instead of "unless it rains." A German friend once told me that his heart leaped up when he heard the rustic speech of his province. "At owl· flight," meaning "at twilight," filled him with pleasure. ] know how he felt. . My heart leaped up when the man who came to empty our septic tank said the of the east wind: "That dew fare marster stingey." Miracle of miracles, I thought, "fare" is still alive. From somewhere deep in memory rose the voice of an old man announcinR the return of sprinR with the words: "The frosl fare 10 forgive.My compatriots, I found, had not forgotten how to express themselves quaintly. There the man who tested his new car and declared with enthusiasm: "Talk about go - that hully went coming back." Memory stirred again, th is time of a young firm worker who said: "My master say if I dew as I oughter dew, I ahoun't dew 35 ] dew dew." Echoes of Ihe old East Anslia conti nue to delight my ear. Farmers tell me that their work is at a standstill because the !loil is "clung". I hear damp cupboards described a. ·foisty· wh ich seems nearer to the German "Feuchl" Ihan to Ihe English "fusty". Elderly housewives still call 8 c1e8n~ ing·clolh a "dwile, .. though I no longer expect to see "dwiles, fourpence" chalked up in Ihe hardwa", shop. My native tongue, I conclude, is refusing to lie down , even though the rich dialect I heard all round me as a child is as dead "' Ihe Lalin I learned ., school. Painful Old stagers like me are bilingual one language on the lips, another in Ihe mind. My lips say that I push a barrow, my mind says that I crowd it. My lips say that] am cleaning out a ditch, my mind knows perfectlY well thaI I 11m (ying 0111 a holl. The boil that made me walk to school because sitting on the saddle was painful - that was not a boil, according to my mind. It was • push. The school nurse said 50. What, then, has gone forever? Fellow East Anglians, when did you last hear somebody speak of Ihe "wilTage" or the "Wicar"1 ] can name the lasl man I knew whose ·V'I" were "W's·. He was a patriarch of the Linkhom family. He worked on the bird sanctuary at Hickling, and would refer to Jim Vincent, the head keeper, as "Wincent." ] was a schoolboy then. Many word! have gone because the equipment they described hAS gone. Only the old remember that a morfre~ was 8 kind of farm vehicle, that a scuppet was 8 !hovel. that a jill had two wheels and a drug had four. People no longer scrog beans or boil their water in a betsy. Nor do they hang their betsy on a hake . And I doubt whether countrywomen "ming" their dough. Like everybody else, they knead it. The special arrangement! made for Easl Anglia when Adam named the animals have fallen into abeyance. Tadpoles grow frogs nowadays, not into freshen. Neddy is a donkey, not a dickey. Fourmarts have become stoats. rannies have turned into shrews. Mice are no longer meezen, and the pishymeres plaguing our kitchen call themselves ants. A schoolmistress named Barnaby was known to everyone in our school, including the teachers, 85 "Bishy." That was because a ladybird wls .a bishy-barnaby. When we found one we would chant: Bishy-bishy-bamaby When are you ,0ill8 10 marry me? Nobody ever popped that question to the uncomely Mis. Barnaby, poor 5Oul. As I write, the mune is on the drecp. You may think it is on the wane, but "on the dreep" is what the fishermen of my coastal village would have said, .. they rolled down the street in their canvas smocks, spittina tobacco juice aJ they went. Vanished It was on just such a night that one of Ihem told me: "Dew yew lam yar lessons, bor, dornr yew on't never moist." MOlle? He meant prosper, of coune. ' 11 was sound advice from one that vanished breed of men who valued skill above all else, skill wilh the ropes and nets of their trade, skill with the hands and, for those lucley enough to possess it, .kill wilh the brain. They valued .kill so highly that I am inclined to believe those etymologists who claim that the one word ever to pass from Ea.t Anglian dialect into standard English was "clever". It is a pity - though Lord Chief Justice Cockburn might disagree Ihat so many of its fellows have passed, nol into English, but into oblivion. ���BROAD LAND DISTRICT COUNCIL - REEPHAM LOCAL PLAN LISTED BUILDINGS OF SPECIAL ARCHITECTURAL OR HISTORICAL INTEREST (Only those buildings within the area of the Local Plan are included) 1. The Cardinals Hat BACK STREET (Grade II) House with CIG jettied timber frame section, extended in the early C17 in diapered brickwork, with rear late C17 double pile extensiort, all of 2 storeys. The brick was rendered and colourwashed about 1975. 2. Nelson House BACK STREET (Grade II) House, early CIS extended with early C19. Red brick, colourwashed brick with pantile roof. Now divided into two cottages. 2 storeys, · with 2 storey and single storey outbuildings to the south, which are not of special interest. 3. Oak Leaf House and Acorn Cottage and Adjoining Cottage to East BACK STREET (Grade II) House, early CIS, red brick and colourwashed brick with pan tiled roof. The house of 2 storeys and attics, with rear out-shut has been divided and extended to form 3 terraced cottages. C20 flat roofed extension at rear. Included for group value. 4. The Old Shop BACK STREET (Grade II) Former Shop, Late C17, much altered in the C19. Built of red brick, rendered at ground floor level with red pan tiled roof. Terraced, 2 storey and attic, with C19 single storey wing to the south. C17 beams in living room with ogee stops. Included for group value. 5. The Oaks BACK STREET (Grade II) Farmhouse of C17, added to and altered in the CIS and late C19. Built of red brick, gault brick and slate. 'L' shaped plan of 2 storeys with rear 2 storey lean-to. Late CI9 terraced street facade of 3 windows with off centre door. Sash windows have shutters at ground floor. �6. The Old Bakehouse BACK STREET (Grade II) House, C18, of red brick with pantile roof. End of Terrace, shaped plan of 2 storeys and attics. Included for group value. 7. 'L'- The Greyhound brick arch BACK STREET (south) (Grade II) Former public house, C17, but much altered. Built of red brick and rough cast brickwork with pantiled roof. 'L'-shaped plan of 2 storeys. Late C19 public house partitions, screens, doorways and details remain intact. Included for group value. 8. Fragment Church of All Saints CHURCH HILL (Grade II) Remaining wall of the Parish Church of All Saints, Hackford, destroyed by fire in 1543. Tower taken down in 1790. Of flint and brick with, to the west, a 2 centred blocked arch. 9. Church of St. Michael and All Angels (formerly listed as Church of St.Michael) CHURCH HILL (Grade 11*) Parish Church of Hackford with Whitwell, the nave converted to Parish rooms. Mainly C14 and C15. Flint with stone quoins. Brick and flint additions. Roof of slate and plain tiles. Tower, nave, modern extension to north. Red brick link to St. Mary's Church. Fine Jacobean pulpit, restored 1893. 10. Church of the Nativity of St.Mary with Brick Retaining Wall to the North (formerly listed as Church of St.Mary) CHURCH HILL (Grade I) Parish Church, mainly C1 4, with a major restoration in 1885. Built of flint with stone quoins and black glazed pantile roof. Nave, north aisle, south porch, south tower. south aisle and chancel. 2 stage tower with stepped diagonal buttresses. On the north wall a fine monument. probably William de Kerdeston, died 1361. Churchyard. raised above Church HilI, and retained by red brick wall to north. with raking buttresses, and attached to the north aisle wall. �11. Post Office. House of Reverend Easton. Oakdene and Church Hill House CHURCH HILL (Grade II) Corner shop and 3 terraced houses. 'L '-shaped plan. 2 storeys with rear outshuts. Red brick. colourwashed brick and slate roofs. 12. The Thatched Cottage CHURCH HILL (Grade II) House, C17. red brick and thatch. II storeys to rear lean-to. divided into cottage and shop. Included for group value. 13. Magpie House CHURCH HILL (Grade II) House and shop. of mid C 19 of red brick and pantiles. 'L '-shaped. 2 storeys. with single storey additions to the north and east. Included for group value only. 14. Wavey Line Food Fare CHURCH STREET (North) (Grade II) Shop, early C19, of red brick. colourwashed, with pantile roof. 2 storeys, 5 windows to street. On ground floor mid C19 door and shop front . Included for group value only. 15. Rookery Farm House and Cart Shed CHURCH STREET (Grade II) Farmhouse, circa 1810, of red brick with smut pantile, red pantile and slate roofs. 'L'-shaped plan of 2 storeys. Attached to the west a 4 bay cart shed and granary of 2 storeys, with curved timber lintels supporting segmental brick arches. Linked to this a high rendered brick wall. Cart shed and wall included for group value. 16. Rookery Farm Barn CHURCH STREET (Grade II) 5 stead barn, dated 1810 of red brick and red and black pantiles. 2 pairs of barn doors on south face. Flagstone threshing floor. �17. Church Wall to south of St.Mary's Church CHURCH STREET (Grade II) C19 and earlier wall of red brick and flint. retaining the eastern and southern boundaries of the Churchyard from the east entrance to the Church Hall. For half its height. in flint and stone. then in brick. with a brick saddle back coping on the eastern section. and a stone coping on the western section. 18. York House CHURCH STREET (Grade II) House. C17, rough cast brick. red brick, possibly with timber framing. Pantile roof with parapet gable to west, 2 storeys and attic with northern outshut, and lean-to extensions at north and south. 19. Boundary Wall The Old Rectory CHURCH STREET (Grade II) Boundary wall and gates. of two periods. the first to the south, C18. and second, C19. from a point to the south of the entrance to the property boundary to the north. 20. The Old Rectory CHURCH STREET (Grade II) Former rectory of Reepham with Kerdiston. 1864. by Henry Goddard of Lincoln. Of polychrome brickwork with slate roof. Included for group value. 21. Eynesford House DEREHAM ROAD (Grade II) Doctors house, circa 1848, of red brick and black pantiles. Double pile hipped roof of 2 storeys. with rear gabled service wing. 2 storey lean-to waiting room, and linked Tack Room and 2 storey coach house. 22. The Laurels DEREHAM ROAD (Grade II) House. circa 1837 of red brick, rendered brick, colourwashed. with slate roofs. Of 2 storeys with lean-to extension at rear. �23. The Stores and Adjoining House to the west MARKET PLACE (Grade II) Terraced house and shop, mid C1S, of red brick and black pantiles. 'L'-shaped plan of 2 storeys and attica with 2 storey range and lean-to basement range at rear. 24. Ewings and Adjoining House to the east MARKET PLACE (Grade II) Terraced shop and house, the shop now an office. Late C18, of red brick with pantiled roof. 'L'-shaped plan of 2 storeys and attics. Included for group value. 25. Barclays Bank MARKET PLACE (Grade II) House, now bank and offices. Early C19 of red brick and slate. 3· storeys with 'L'-shaped plan. 26. Hawk Lifting Services (Adjoining BarcIays Bank to the north) MARKET PLACE (Grade II) Semi-detached house converted to office, C18, of red brick and pantiles. 'T'-shaped plan, of 2 storey. and attic. Included for group value. 27. Attfields Butcher Shop 1\1ARKET PLACE (Grade II) Shop, Cl7, of brick and red pantiles. 2 storeys and attics. Facade to Market Place with C20 shop front. Included for group value. 28. The Chimes, Antiques MARKET PLACE (Grade II) House and shop, early C18, of rendered brickwork with black pan tiled roof.. 2 storeys and attics with rear lean-to. C19 double shop front to left with central half glazed doors and fanlight. �29. The Old Brewery House, Gates and Railings (formerly listed as Dial House) MARKET PLACE (Grade II) Former house and brewery buildings, now a hotel. Early ' C17 'core, to south west, re-built and extended in early C18, forming 'L'-shaped plan of 2 storeys and attics. C19 wing, set back on west , of 'T'-shaped plan attached to front range. Substantial extension, circa 1900, behind front range. Modern extensions on east and west, linking converted maltings forming an open courtyard to the north, all of 2 storeys (of no special interest). Built of red brick with pan tiled roofs. 30 . The Old Bakery MARKET PLACE (Grade II) House, divided into two. C17, greatly altered in the early C19. Built of red brick with slate and pantiled roof. 'T'-shaped plan of 2 storeys and attics. South facade of 4 bays. 31. Carleton House, Melton House and Railings MARKET PLACE (Grade II) 2 terraced houses and shop. C18, re-fronted in mid C19. brick, rendered brickwork and black pantiles. 'L'-shaped plan rear outshut. 2 storeys with rear range of 1! storeys. Wrought railings with finials and central gate to Carleton House on brick with date stone dated 1884. Included for group value. 32. Red with iron wall The Post Office MARKET PLACE (Grade II) Former house, now shop. Late C18, of red brick, colourwashed brick and black pantiles. 2 storey with rear outshut. C20 double shop front in centre. Included for group value. 33. Ivy House MARKET PLACE (Grade II) House, converted to Solicitors offices and shop. C18, red 'brick, colourwashed and rough cast brick, with black pantile roof. 'L'-shaped plan, of 2 storeys and attic to Market Place and 3 ,storey s at the rear. Included for group value. �34. Iona House MARKET PLACE (Grade II) Terraced house converted to 2 shops and flat. Mid C19, colourwashed and rough cast brick with slate roof. 2! storeys to Market Place with hipped, bow fronted extension, and, at rear, basement storey and lean-to extension. Double bow fronted shop front to Market Place. Included for group value. 35. No.7. MARKET PLACE (Grade II) Terraced house, C1S, colourwashed brick with pantiled roof. 3 storeys. with rear and storey lean-to wing. Included for group value. 36. Kings Arms MARKET PLACE (Grade II) Former Inn. now public house. Early C18 with C1G brick fragments and CI9 stables. Red brick, brick and flint and colourwashed brick with red and black pan tiled roof. ·2 storeys and attic. Stables for group value. 31. Breeze House, The Drapers, Hewkes House MARKET PLACE (Grade II) House, converted to flat, shop and house, circa 1840, with earlier core, and late C19 additions of red brick with slate and pantiled roofs. 'L'-shaped plan, 2 storeys and attics with rear lean-to additions. East west wing included for group value. 38. The Bircham Institute and Boundary Wall to west MARKET PLACE (Grade II) Former house, now library and community rooms. C17, and greatly altered in the C19. Built of red brick, colourwashed render with black pan tile and slate roof. 'U'-shaped plan, of 2 storeys and attics, forming an open courtyard to the east. Facade to Market Place rendered. At rear, red brick wings with gabled pan tile and slate roofs. ' �39. Riches Stores MARKET PLACE (Grade II) Shop and flat, mid C19, built of colourwashed, red brick with red and black pantiled roof. 2 storeys and attics with rear lean-to. Included for group value. 40. The Old Vicarage MILL ROAD (Grade II) Former Rectory circa 1840, of red brick with smut pantiled hipped roof, later remodelled and extended to the east. 41. Beaver House NORWICH ROAD (Grade II) House and shops, early C19, of red brick and pantiles. 2 storeys. House and shop to left of 4 windows, with small shop, to the right. Many interior fittings intact. 42. The White House NORWICH ROAD (Grade II} House, mid C18, of stucco and white painted brick with slate roof. Square, 3 bay hipped pile, with hipped roof pile to the north west and linked gable range to the south west. 43. Echo Lodge OLLANDS ROAD (Grade II) Former Lodge to the Ollands Country House, now demolished. C19, red brick with black pan tiled roof. I! storeys with eastern lean-to, and C20 western staircase extension. Attached boundary wall to west with 2 centred arch and timber door with 'Y' tracery. 44. The Thatched Cottage REEPHAM MOOR (Grade II) House, Late C17, of rendered brick and reed thatch. 2 storeys with rear outshut. 2 windows, 2 doors, late C20, in original opening. �45. Nos. 3 and 4 Ye Olde Monastery (formerly listed as Olde Monastery) REEPHAM MOOR (Grade II) House, divided into two. Early C18 'L'-shaped plan of 2 storeys and attics. 46. of red brick and pantiles. Moor Lodge REEPHAM MOOR (Grade II) House. C 18. of red brick and rendered brick with pan tile roof. 2 storeys. with triple pile at rear. 3 window facade with central 4 panel part glazed door with cast iron 'Gothick' porch. Good cast iron fireplaces - a blacksmith was in residence in 1809. 47. Gate and Garden Wall, Moor Lodge REEPHAM MOOR (Grade II) Early C19. Red brick, wall adjoining the road. with cast iron coping and wrought iron railings. Central, set back wrought iron entrance gate. Included for group value with Moor Lodge. 48. Manor Farm House REEPHAM MOOR (Grade II) Farmhouse dated 1752, of red brick and black pantiles. 2 storeys with rear outshut. 3 bay facade with central door with C20 timber portico. C20 flat roofed rear extension. 49. Nos. 1, 3, 5, Townsend Corner STATION ROAD (Grade II) Shop, house and store. Mid C19 of red brick and smut pantiles. 'L"-shaped plan of 2 storeys, extended to the north. Included for group value. 50. Dairy Farm Barn, THE STREET, WHITWELL (Grade II) Barn, dated end gable of 1735 of red brick and pantiles. 3 bay, with byre at south end. Southern gable re-built with bargeboard. Hipped roof byre not of special interest. �Heritage Outlook RECLAIMING A NATURAL ASSET How the Norfolk Broads are being given a new lease of life However, after further investigation, it was revealed that the large deposits of mud, still present in the broad~ contained enough phosphate to fuel algae growth for many years to come. To remove the offending mud, traditional dredging methods were not suitable because whilst these would remove the solid deposit at the bottom of the broad, they would leave behind the surface layers which contained the highest phosphate levels. hroughout Great Britain, many of our most popular tourist sites are centred around water of some kind. One of the most famous is the Norfolk Broads, with thousands of people visiting the area each year. With such large numbers, it would seem logical that for conservationists, the greatest "threat" to these waterways, would be human. In reality, it faces a problem whose source is much closer to home - pollution. T By the late 1910's, this had grown to such an extent that the Broads Authority was established to help combat the detrimental effect it was having for both the environment and tourism. Before 1900 : Very low nutrient levels, clear water, low-growing plants. This summer, the Authority are in the process of completing one of their most ambitious tasks - the complete restoration and removal of pollutants from Belaugh Broad. The pollution problem arose from two sources. Nitrogen-rich run-off from the surrounding agricultural land, combined with effluent from sewage treatment works containing high concentrations of phosphates. These two chemicals act as plant fertilisers and whilst a limited amount will do no harm, the high levels pouring into a number of broads has resulted in a complete and adverse change in their ecology. What had once been a well-balanced combination of water plants, animal life and their essential nutrients, turned into a collection of cloudy, lifeless waterways devoid of fish and river plants. This alarming state was a direct result of nitrates and phosphates. The chemicals acted as ideal nutrients for the growth of algae which consequently flourished throughout the broads. Without any form of control, the algae soon 'took-over' the water, depleting oxygen and making it impossible for aquatic life to survive. Plants once covering the banks of the broads were soon lost and with no protective vegetation, the banks were washed away into the broads, contributing to the aheady mud-infested water. After identifying the cause of the pollution problem, the Boards Authority have embarked on a scheme to correct the Mid 20th century and after mud pumping : Increased nutrient levels, clear water, luxuriant plant growth. Before mud pumping in 1982 : High nutrient levels, silted-up, cloudy water dominated by algae. No plants or wildlife. disturbed ecological balance and provide a means of allowing the waterways to return to their former state. This involves a number of options. First, the removal of phosphates from the source - namely the sewage treatment works - and secondly, to isolate individual broads from the 'polluted' rivers feeding them. The Authority's initial experiment was with Cockshoot Broad. Here, the broad was cut of{ from the connecting river by a dam. This prevented high levels of phosphate from entering the broad and hence reduced the algae's nutrients. Instead a mud-pump was employed to remove all the excess deposits. The process involves pumping the mud from the broad into wasteland (which can, after drying out, be used to provide nutrient rich pastures for grazing livestock.) It took three months to remove all the excess mud from the eight acre Cockshoot Broad according to the Authority, enough to fill 44 Olympic sized swimming pools. Within one month, as a result of isolation and pumping, the broad was clear enough to see to the bottom. The dramatic recovery continued with water -Iillies and plants all responding to the improved conditions. However, there was one temporary drawback - so many birds returned to the area that most of this new growth was consumed! Following this experiment at Cockshoot Broad, a neV'{ approach was taken in the treatment of Belaugh Broad. This time the Water Authority were Anglian approached and agreed to introduce a new treatment. This involves phosphate being removed prior to the disposal of waste into the river in a process called 'stripping'. This has enabled mudpumping to take place without the broad having to be dammed from the previously polluted river. Mud-pumping at Belaugh is now in its final stages and the Broads Authority are confident that with the water now becoming ciear, phosphate pollution will no longer be a major problem. Although nitrates are still present, their effects on water quality are diminished by the absence of phosphates. When fully returned to a 'healthy' condition, the broads can naturally cope with the higher levels. It is the combination of phosphates and nitrates that has proved so detrimental. �Heritage Outlook A Cockshoot Broad now complete with a wooden walkway The Authority have set aside, with the help of the World Wildlife Fund, £50,000 to help restore their "miracle on the Norfolk Broads" Apart from the expensive process of pumping, future activities in· clude adding amenities for tourists and maintaining the plant-life. Such work has already taken place at Cockshoot Broad where a wooden walkway has been ' on structed and a wildlife observation house sited on the edge of the broad The success of the Authoritys work IS apparent, not only from the broad's improved appearance but also from the tens of thousands of visitors who now enjoy the once stagnant sites. As Diana Shipp, the Broads Information Officer, says, "The public will now be able to enjoy the experience of seeing how all the broads would have been like one hundred i years ago". If such restoration had not taken place, the Authority states that within twenty years broads like Belaugh would be lost forever. At present, pending the outcome of a Government sponsored Bill, the Broads Authority are hoping to be made a Special Statutory Authority, with funding and powers equivalent to those of a National Park. Whilst awaiting the outcome of this Bill, two other broads have already been ear-marked for the third stage of their restoration plan - mUd-pumping broads which are already in use for boating. The team hope that after clearance, these broads will remain in good condition despite the continual disturbance of river traffic. Both Cockshoot and Belaugh provide an ideal example of how the combination of careful planning and modem technology are helping to save one of our most renowned natural assets. Anyone wishing to visit the Broads or who' has similar problems with water quality, in their area, can contact the Authority'S Information Officer on (0603) 610134. DL A The mud is pumped from the broads into wasteland. T Tourists have now returned to areas which had become weed, ridden and desolate. f ' ~11(·.· f'~"'~~~~r} t: ! '( , !. .{ '~ ��� Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Reepham Society Newsletters Description An account of the resource A comprehensive collection of newsletters published by the Reepham Society. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Printed and digital Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GB/REE/RS/Magazines Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1983-2000 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Reepham Society Text - printed Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Reepham Society Newsletter November 1987 Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GB/REE/2203081615 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource A4 34 pages Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource November 1987 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Reepham Society Reepham Society https://reephamarchive.co.uk/omeka/files/original/48b4bb02ef44866b3482427c26011cd8.pdf 1710c0ae5aeb416def581c7d398c8db9 PDF Text Text THE REEPHAM SOCIETY "- NEWSLETTER SPRING 1987 �:: SPRING 1987 The front cover of this newsletter features David Puttnam , · the C.P.R.E's President. Mr. Puttnam is one of the world's top film producers (remember Chariots of Fire?) and last year accepted the C. P.R.E. presidency . . He is a keen conservationist and in this issue we have included an open letter from him in which he seeks the co~operation of societies like ours to co-operate as effectively as possible to make the conservation heard . He looks forward to hearing from you. ; A full list is given of the events arranged by the Society for this year . Our Annual General Meeting will be held on 23rd April , 1987, and the second part of the evening features a Norfolk dialect "expert" , John Kett , who will offer amongst his presentation some of the poems and verse he has written . Our summer outing in June is somewhat unusual as we have organised a combined coach and boat trip to end around (by water) How Hill gardens . An application form to enable members to submit schemes for the 1987 Award Scheme is included . If you are aware of any scheme which you feel merits consideration, then please submit details for the sub-committee to consider. Other items feature the Old Burial Ground Wild Life Garden which is our project for the Civic Trust Environment Week , and some comments (probably not the last) on the Reepham Local Plan. Michael Black Tel. 870936 Middlemarch , Broomhi 11 Lane , Reepham. �The Reepham Society welcomes the following new members who have joined since the issue of the last newsletter. Dr. P. Bass Mr. and Mrs. G. Morgan Mr. G. Meek Dr. and Mrs. H. Sims Mr. and Mrs. D. Thomson Mr. and Mrs. F. Rayment Mr. and Mrs. D. Knott Mr. and Mrs. L. Eden-~~orri s Dr. and Mrs. B. Wright Mrs. and Miss Mirams Mrs. M. Ffrench Mr. and Mrs. P. Limond Mr. and Mrs. P. Underwood Mr. R. Damman 2 �WINE AND CHEESE- FRIDAY 14th NOVEMBER What an evening! The most successful fund raising effort in the Society's history was enjoyed on Friday, 14th November 1986. IJ m sure all of you who came 'will agree that the culmination of effort by the small band of organisers and helpers made this a most enjoyable evening indeed. It is our usual practice to sell as many tickets as possible, usually the numbers attending are less than the number of tickets sold but this year not only did everyone seem to turn up but a number of others turned up for the evening and paid admission at the d06r. The sheer numbers necessitated the entertainment being presented in two performances and our thanks to the players of the Reepham Amateur Theatrical Society who went through twice the amount of effort they had intended, their co-operation was greatly appreciated. With such a large number all areas of sale made handsome profits, particularly the raffle and the sale of coffee. The amount of wine obtained was based on previous years' sales and it was hardly surprising that all the wine was drunk by about 10.30 p.m. and a number of guests kept going by putting some of the raffle prizes to a lubricating use. It would seem that about 175 people attended and although parking was tight. the rooms crowded, the entertainment late in and with the wine running out it seems that everyone had a good thanks again to those who organised and helped and particularly Large who acted as our "co-ordinator" throughout. the car finishing time. Our to Mrs. Pat The income for the event totalled £718.55 and with the expenses totalling £238.62 it left the Society with a net profit of £479.93. During the evening the presentations were made by Mr. R. Loose to the winners of the Society's 1986 Garden Competition. Mr. Loose, a well-known local gardener, was this year's judge and visited those gardens entered in May and September. The winners were: The John Stimpson Cup - Large Gardens 1st Mr. and Mrs. W. Blatch Valley Farmhouse , Whitwell 2nd Mr. L. Winwright The Folgate, Whitwell Common 3rd Mr. and Mrs. Norbury Wood Farm, Themelthorpe. The Ewing 1st Mr. 2nd Mr. 3rd Mr. H.C. Mr. Cup - Small and Mrs. N. and Mrs. V • and Mrs. R. S. Kent Gardens Wood Lunn Pochin Mill House , Ollands Road 18 011 ands Road 36 Ollands Road The Spinney, Whitwell Road EASTERN DELIGHTS - 22nd JANUARY -. Th i s evening was devoted to a talk entitled "Eastern Delights" and was given by Mr. C. Hanson Smith who is the Regional Information Officer for the National Trust and is based at Blickling Hall. Eastern Delights was nothing ~o do with belly dancers or Turkish chocolate but was the title given to an lllustrated talk about some of the properties administered by the National Trust in the Eastern Region. An interesting talk which gave details of some of the work being carried out particularly with relatively new acquisitions, the one which impressed most people was Wimpole Hall near Cambridge. This Hall was bequeathed to the National Trust by the previous owner who was the 3 �daughter of Rudyard Kipling. Apparently she spent a lot of money on the furnishings and interior but unfortunately paid little attention to the outside buildings and grounds. The National Trust has over the past few years spent a great deal of time and money on the whole estate and have turned it into a day out for the family, the Hall, the outbuildings, the estate and a farm full of animals from the Rare Breed Survival Trust all add together to provide something for everyone. Another Hall featured was Sheringham Hall, recently acquired by the Trust. The Hall is not really big enough to be a building which will be open to the general public but the gardens will be open all the year round and are well worth a visit in May and June to see the wonderful display of azaleas and rhodedendrons. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING followed by NORFOLK DIALECT READINGS by JOHN KETT 23RD APRIL, 1987 The Society's Annual General Meeting is to be held on the above date and the format for the evening will be as in previous years. The forma l ities and administrations of the first part of the evening will hopefully be over by 8.30 - 8.45 p.m. and this will be followed by a more light-hearted second part, an hour or so with John Kett and the No rfolk Dialect. I have received the following note from the Honorary Secretary . concerning the first part of the evening. On 23 April the Society is holding its eleventh annual general meeting and the election of officers and committee for 1987/88. Under the terms of our constitution all four officers (C hairman, Vice-Chairman, Treasurer and Secretary) and the Committee Members relinquish their positions every year and are eligible for reelection at the annual general meeting. The Constitution requires nOminations for Officers and Committee to be made at least fourteen days before the A.G.M.; each nomination must be supported by a seconder and the consent of the nominee must have been obtained. Will you please therefore let me have nominations for the four officers and the Committee Members (there are a ma ximum of twelve) no later than 9 April. The names of the 1986/87 Officers and Committee are on our Notice Board in the entrance to The Bircham Centre and in the Society's window of Johnson's Newsagents. At the time of writing I do not know which of the present Officers and Committee will be standing for re-election, but details will be put up on the boards. Copies of the Society's Constitution can be obtained from me. Margaret Hemmings, Honorary Secretary, "Cheville", Whitwell Road, Reepham. Tel. 870759 There are few people who can be called true exponents of Norfolk Dialect, people who can talk from a historical base about the subject, who have a depth and understanding that allows them to talk and write about it and who can write poetry and songs in the dialEct. The few that readily spring to mind are perhaps Dick Bagnall-Oakley, Eric Fowler, Sidney Grapes, John Kett and perhaps today the increasingly popular Keith Skipper. 4 �We are pleased, for the second part of our evening, to have the of John Kett for our enjoyment. He will give us a potted history of the dialect from its Anglo-Saxon origins up to today and will conclude .by asking, or informing, us as to where it is going. tal~nts He will then conclude the evening by reading some of his "poems" and verse and perhaps sing one or two of his songs. John Kett has written a number of books of Norfol k verse including "Watcher' Bor", "Tha' s a Rum' un, Tew" and "A Year Go By". Eric Fowler better known to us as "Jonathan Mardle" once wrote of John Kett that he is "a writer who can capture in verse the rhythm, and the peculiar into nation and turn of phrase , of the East Anglian dialect, and moreover express the homely sentiment and strong local patriotism of Norfolk people - the Broad Norfolk of John Kett is the genuine article". John Kett is someone who is well worth listening to - don't miss him on 23rd April. EVENING EVENTS ARRANGED THROUGHOUT THE REMAINDER OF 1987 Thursday 28th May - A tal k by Mr. R. Hart on "The Russians, their language, culture and military strength". Thursday 4th June - A coach outing to How Hill Gardens (including a short journey by motor cruiser whilst at How Hill). Thursday 23rd July - An illustrated talk by Captain P. Elphick on "British exp loration in the Pacific in the eighteenth century". Thursday 24th September - A talk by Mr. R. Will iamson on "Through Afghanistan to the Russian border in search of Marco Polo sheep" . . Thursday 23rd October - Annual Wine and Cheese Party Thu rs day 26th November - An illustrated talk by Dr. A.G. Irwin on "Behind the Scenes in the Natural History Department of Norwich Castle Museum". All meetings, with the exception of the How Hill visit and the Cheese and Wine, will be held in the Garden Room at The Old Brewery House - all will commence at 8.p.m. -. 5 �THE REEPHAM SOCIETY AWARD SCHEME .Members will recall that the 1985 Award was won by the Merchant Yard development and the presentation was made in June 1986 to the builder, Mr. D. Crane. The Scheme is a bi-annual award and we are therefore inviting nominations for the 1987 Award. Any member or non-member can submit schemes, and the full details covering the Scheme are outlined below. I would ask that any nominations you may care to make are sent to Mr. Michael Black Middlemarch Broomhill Lane Reepham Tel. 870936 or Mrs . Margaret Hemmings Chevi11e Whitwell Road Reepham Tel. 870759 by no later than 31st May, 1987. It is hoped the schemes nominated will be inspected during the summer and it is intended for the Award to be announced in November 1987. If anyone feels they wish to make a nomination but do not want to complete the application form detai l s then a telephone call to either of the above two numbers will suffice . Members and non-"members of the Society are invited to submit s.chemes. The following examples are not definitive but include the types of practical work to De encouraged: i) Restoration of old buildings and structures, both internally and externally and, where necessary, their adaptation to a new use. ii) Replacement of obtrusive, excessively large or garish shop and other signs by signs better suited to the character of the surroundings. iii) Improvement of the surroundings of buildings and areas by landscaping, appropriate lighting and street furniture, and other means to create a more pleasing setting. iv) New construction, the design of which harmonises with the character of the surroundings. v) Repair, cleaning and repainting of buildings. vi) Open spaces introducing more trees, grass and flowers~ vii) Repair and preservation of vernacular details . 6 �APPLICATION FORM To: Hon Secretary, The Reepham Society. I wish the scheme mentioned below to be considered for a Reepham Society Award I have obtained permission from the owner, and occupier where appropriate, for this scheme to be entered. Signed _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Dated _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ N arne Address --------------------------------------------____________________________________________ Telephone __________ Please complete accurately the following: 1. Name of Scheme and Address Date of Completion ---------------------------------------- ------------------------- (Schemes must be complete) 2. Name, Address & Telephone No of Owner ______________________________ 3. Name, Address & Telephone No of Occupier ___________________________ 4. Name and Address of Designer/Consultants _______________________ 5. Name and Address of Builder or Manufacturer __________________ 6. Names and Addresses of any Organisation involved (state capacity) 7. Brief Description of the Scheme NOTE: Any creative work which contributes to the quality and appearance of townscape or landscape is eligible. There will be no categorisation of entries. The following points should, however, be noted: (a) schemes must be such that they can be seen by the general public, (b) schemes must be fully completed (or if in several phases this must be defined) and (c) entries consisting principally of landscaping may need to be deferred for assessment if insufficiently mature to allow an impression of the intended ~ffect. There is no limit to the number of entries allowed from anyone source. �REEPHAM SOCIETY POSTCARDS Th~ Society has for a number of years offered for sale postcards of some of the more popular photographs that are held in ourcolle~tion. Two more are now for sale and are currently available from The Chimes, The Fast Bat Press and The Old Brewery House (or from any Committee Member). The two new postcards Show views of Reepham Market Place from the north, and from the east, further copies have also been printed of the Market Place from the south and north, ample supplies are therefore avail.able of cards showing the four aspects of the Market Place. CHURCHES AND PUBS Many people have heard the comment that Norwich had u a church for eve~ week of the year and a public house for every dayll. We can only presume that the person who made this statement had tried to visit each place and no doubt befuddled with alcohol and christian virtue, didn't get too far and was left to make a calculated but unfortunately an exaggerated guess. The comment, however , does emphasise the point that in the past the community used and supported many more churches and alehouses than it does today and Reepham, like Norwich, is a prime example in this emphasis. Reepham is perhaps, unique in housing three churches in one churchyard. Reepham comprises of four parishes, Reepham, Hackford, Whitwell and Kerdiston and each parish (excluding Kerdiston) had i ts own church . The church of All Saints ~ Hackford was burnt down in 1544 and was demolished some time later although a small portion still remains and can be seen in the churchyard just to the north of the Town Hall . The two remaining churches are St. Mary ' s and St. Michael's. They can be easily remembered as St. Mary's is the larger of the two but has the smaller tower and St. Michael's is the church with the clock. Reepnam has in the past had thirteen inns or alehouses; it is said that beer was the common drink when tea was a luxury and a place like Reepham needed this number to support its thirsty residents. Many of these have gone and have mostly been turned into private houses . The definitive list of inns , alehouses or drinking places is: The The The The The The The The The The The The The Crown Kings Arms Duke of York Lamb Greyhound Swan Sun Star George and Dragon Black Lion Lord Nelson Farmers Arms Folgate Only two from the above list remain today, The Kings Arms and The Crown, although of course the town has a third , The Old Brewery House. As a hotel 7 �and current popular "drinking place", the Old Brewery is a recent addition to the town. Reepham could boast its own brewery which was situated in what was formerly the garden of the Old Brewery House and was in existence for about 100 years until the late 1870's. The house was a private residence until it was purchased and turned into an hotel and licensed premises in the early 1970 ' s. In 1820 Mr. William Bircham , the owner of the brewery , built "The Ollands", a fine residence which was pulled down in the early 1970 ' s to makE way for the residential development now known as Ollands Park. NORWICH PUB SURVEY The British public house is a unique institution; from the centuries old coaching inns to the flamboyant Victorian and Edwardian gin palaces, they have a very special place in our architectural and social history. Unfortunately older pubs are particularly under threat from alterations, as breweries try to follow the whims of fashion by converting them into cocktail , bars and restaurants, removing all the original fittings and even changing their names so that all their historical character is lost. surprisingly, the society found that the interiors have suffered more than the exteriors, such as the early 19c Cat and Fiddle - externally fairly well preserved, but inside altered beyond recognition. Among the best preserved pubs were Sir Garnet W olseley and The Eagle. The society is now looking for sponsorship to produce a number of archive copies of the survey, with more detailed accounts and photographs of the pubs included. Norwich Society, aware of the effects of these 'modernisations' have been carrying out a survey of their city's pubs. This assesses the building's external and inte rnal qualities, grades them on their general historic and architectural qualities, whether they retain such features as etched glass, carved woodwork etc, and also takes into account any alterations or additions to the pubs which might have enhanced or spoilt them. Not 8 �REEPHAM OLD BURIAL GROUND WILD LIFE GARDEN In a recent "Par.ish Council News" you may have noticed an item entitled "Nor,wich Road Cemetery" which informed that for the last two years the Council had ceased to maintain this old and unused cemetery due to the cost and that they had received a request from the Reepham SOCiety to tu~n it into a nature reserve. The present cemetery, on the Whitwell Road, was formed in 1856 at a cost of £200 for 1~ acres for Hackford and Whitwell at a cost of £450 for half an acre for Reepham and Kerdisten. The four civil parishes were united in 1935 to form the new parish of Reepham and the Parish Council took over the . responsibility of the cemetery. It seems that the Norwich Road cemetery was redundant to the extent that a new burial ground was required in the 1850 s, the old cemetery has therefore been a redundant area to be maintained for a long time. 1 In the Norfolk Chronicle the following article appeared in September 1954: From the Norfolk Chronicle Sept . 1954 Norwich Road Cemetery is a headache reported the Chairman of the Labour Committee (Mr. B.G. Hall) at the bi-monthly meeting of the Reepham Parish Council at the Town Hall on Wednesday . Mr. G.F. Faircloth presided. The observations arose on consideration of the reply from St. Faiths and Aylsham R.D.C. concerning a suggestion from the Parish Council whereby the cemetery could receive bet.ter attention by the levelling of the graves. The R.D.C. asked a series of questions on the orig i nal provision of the ground, whether by the Parish Council under the Burial Act or by the Church authorities . whether it comprised all consecrated graves, when it was first used , and when did the last burial take place; has any person a perpetual right of burial there and what were the conditions imposed when permission was given for gravestones to be erected on various graves. Only in the light of answers to these questions could advice be given. The Clerk (Mr. D. Kendall Chapman) said he had had occasion recently to consult the Minutes of the old Reepham Parish Council from 1894, and he had failed to find any reference to the provision of the ground and it must be assumed, apparently, that it was provided by the Church. There was also doubt as to whether perpetual rights of burial had been exhausted , and the Council agreed to let the subject lay on the table . It is with little surprise that considering the questions posed by the St. Faiths and Aylsham R.D.C. that it was another 30 years before the Parish Council decided to off load this maintenance responsibility and we hope that the Reepham Society can come up with an acceptable set of proposals to turn this area into an amenity area. The Committee has agreed that the Old Burial Ground Wild Life Garden should be a Society project for the Civic Trust Environment Week which is from 25th April to 4th May 1987. It is hoped that the formal opening of the garden will be during this week. 9 �REEPHAM LOCAL PLAN I'm sure that unless you have been in hibernation over the past few months you will not have missed the furore caused by the draft written statement of the Reepham Local Plan printed in November 1986. Not that the overall draft caused any particular concern but just one particular item; Item 3.3 recommended that an area of land of about 5 acres, to the south of the Primary school playing field should be allocated for residential development and it was felt that the site was capable of accommodating 50-60 dwellings . The District Council had issued an earlier draft in February 1986, and this was followed by a public meeting and neither suggested that further residential development was desirable. Why therefore, did the November draft contain this "bombshell"? Another public meeting was held on Wednesday, 11th February '87 and the reasons for this inclusion were explained. The November draft was intended to be the outline of the Reepham Local Plan for the next 10 years or so, if the current building rate in Reepham was to be maintained during this period there was insufficient land available within the current builtup area to allow this and additional land would have to be identified. Apparently it was the Parish Council who had pointed out to Broadland this possible shortfall and they asked Broadland to review possible areas for future proposed development. Broadland undertook detailed site investigations on 4 possible housing sites and recommended the Mill Road/ Bar Lane site as the most suitable. Unlike the first public meeting which was held to debate the first draft statement the public meeting on the 11th February was to debate the issue "Does the present rate of house building need to be maintained,if not then the a 11 ocat i on of 1and is not necessary". About 300 people attended the meeting . Those who wanted residential development kept a very low profile indeed although Mr. A. Stimpson, the Parish Council Chairman, gave a creditable performance by making a speech which stuck to the Parish Council's reasons but which unfortunately was in opposition .to nearly everything else said. The opposition to the scheme was overwhelming and the District Council officers were left in no doubt that the overall feeling of the meeting was that this particular development was not desirable. Let us hope that democr~cy will prevail, that the voice of the people of Reepham will be heard and that the Planning Committee of Broadland will agree and pass the draft statement without the inclusion of this development. 10 �Village 'llO! in need ' of hODles' REEPHAM was described as "a God-forsaken hole" when county councillors discussed its future. Reepham county co uncillo[ Sally Marshall argued at yesterday's meeting of the county plapning sub-committee thar the village did not need any more house building for a time, The population had grown substantially but there was no employment locally to absorb it with most people commuting to Norwich to work. Graham Gotts commented: "When you see the rates people have to pay in the city of Norwich you can understand why people move out to a God-forsaken hole like Reepham:" Mrs Marshall said the Reepham local plan should not include an allocation of another five acres of housing land near the primary school. There should be a halt to building in the area for a time. The head of planning, - John Ayton, said Broadland District Council had responded to concern at Reepham about more house building and a public meeting had been organised for February Il. The sub-committee approved Reepham's draft local plan with the proviso that "it is important to release land for development only at a rate compatible with the town's capacity to absorb it". Fury of Still alive and kicking hard a a town scorned A CHORUS of protest rang out from Reepham yesterday after a leading Norfolk councillor branded the town "a God-forsaken hole." "The very last thing Reepham is is forsaken by God,n said the rector, Canon Gordon Dodson . "Life in the church is quietly thriving. n Townsfolk were reacting to a comment made on Wednesday by Graham Gotts during a county council debate about the town's future , reported in yesterday'S EDP. A repentant Mr Gotts, speaking from his Mundesley home, said yesterday: "Please forgive me, Reepham. Tasteless "I made the remark in the heat of the moment. 1 have very pleasant memories of Reepham . Far from being a Godforsaken hole, Reep~am is a pleasant Norfolk country town." But Reepham Society chairman, Anthony Ivins, said he found Mr Gotts comment, made at 'a meeting of Norfolk planning sub-committee, "inaccurate and .. tasteless. " "God-forsaken hole is the last expression 1 would have thought of for Reepham. 1 would say the . town has developed well, and has a good mixture of people. The fact that the Reepham Society has 330 members shows that people take an interest in the place." Canon Dodson told a reporter: "There are a lot of good things going on in the community at large and in the church as well. There is a good community spirit here and several clubs and organisations. Overall, it is a very happy place." Parish council chairman Mr Anthony Stimpson accepted that Mr Gotts had probably made the remark in the heat of the moment. "The sooner we forget it the better," he .added. NEARLY 30 years ago, lively controversy ran in the EDP on the question of whether or not Reephamwas a dying town. While not of the view that it . was actually dying, the rector wondered if it might be sleeping. Modern Reepham is far from dead, and is passing through sleepless nights. It is not the fear of stagnation that troubles the citizens, but the dread of urbanisation. This week some 300 assembled in the High School to tell Broadland District Council officers of their opposition to the parish council's claim that further land should be allocated for housing. Reepham, as district councillor Gavin Graham pointed out, has grown dramatically over the past 15 years, and requires time to grow into a community and to establish facilities presently lacking. More pointedly, David Knott, chairman of Residents for Rural Reepham told the chairman of the district planning committee, "Reepham doesn't want, nor will it tolerate, more build~ ing at this time." It may be that local traders are in favour of what the parish council chairman termed gradual growth, but an estate development across five acres would greatly exceed this emollient description. Reepham is fortunate in having both a Civic Society with 330 members, and another body of resident nonpolitical activists, to express a distinctive voice on these matters. . As Mrs Jean Ogden, secretary of the Norwich Society remarked this week, more Norfolk towns and villages are in need of watchdogs to scrutinise . building and development plans. Their value is likely to increase as the county lives through a period of unprecedented growth. Village wants to keep rural RURAL Reepham wants to stay that way. A1JTl:Jst 300 people gathered at the town's high school to tell Broadland District Council officers they did not agree with the parish council's claim that mcil'e land should be allocated for houses. Speaker after speaker was warmly applauded as they stood to oppose the designation of a five-acre site near the primary school for residential purposes. An organisation called Residents for Rural Reepham has been formed to fight- the plan. Its chairman, David Knott, handed in a 560-name petition which contended that Reepham needed parks and gardens, not bricks and mortar, "Be in no doubt," he told Sheila Ashford, chairman of Broadland's planning committee, MReepham doesn't want, nor wjll it tolerate, more building at this time," He also handed in a. copy of a letter from MP Richard Ryder which supported the opponents of additional residential development. Broadland's head of technical services, Roger Colver, said the district council's original view was that with existing allocations, infill development and planning consents already passed, Reepham had enough housing land. It had identified a further site for housing, however, fo.lIowing approa.ches f!,om the pansh councII whIch .sa!d that If the current rate ofbUlldmg, ar?und 25 homes a year, was to contmue more land would be needed. Residents argued that the infrastructure of the proposed site, public transport and employment opportunities . were inadequate and laughed at suggestions that the exiSiting schools could cope. Sue Thomson pointed out that the primary school was already overfull and children had to use a mobile classroom. Local district councillor Gavin Graham said Reepham pad grown 11 flavour,~ dram.Hically over the past 15 years and needed time t? grow mto a commu~I~~ and .tlme to establIsh the facIlItIes whIch were lackmg. In respOnse to a plea from Mrs Ashford for views in favour of land allocation, parish council chairman Tony Simpson, said the 36 members of the Reepham Traders' Association, whose .livelihoods · we.re inextricably tied up with the growth and thriving nature of the town; were in favour of gradual gro\l.'th. . However, Elizabeth Rowson said that even the traders did not call the allocation of five acres for e~tiitf. development Mgradual growth". �COUNCIL FOR THE PROTECTION OF RURAL ENGLAND The Society has recently received an open letter from the C.P~R.E's President, David Puttnam. In this letter he identifies two natural conservation issues which are likely to cause major concern during 1987 and , he feels that the C.P~R.E. should be able to reflect any resulting public concern in its discussions with Ministers and other political leaders. This letter is reproduced in full and members of the Society are asked, if they feel strongly enough, to write to Mr. Puttnam indicating that they share the particular C.P.R.E. concerns his letter identifies. ·ll {()t);!l" t Pl:kL' , LllllduiI :--;\\' 1\ 'y' OHY tel: 01<235 94tH /',J/I,)I/ Il vl \ 1''.1 ,: . . 1,' ( 1/ ,llIlI101 11 . (I h ' t) t ll'C1I I) ; , I,\~ I \\. \ ~; . !I !' (, ' \id l lf( 1>/1, ',/ · 1' j 1, 1 \ 11..1 l'l ,lll :. , i l1 i, Hi !~ h : 1l ( , [ ,,' : \\ 11 ~ ; Dear Friend, In a 1986 New Year letter twelve months ago, I wrote, as o[ ~lie Council tor i:he Protection of Rural England (CPRE), to the leaders of the country's main political parties, about a number of key conservation issues. All of them replied in detail - and CPRE made these responses public. ~:E3 idEnt with the possiblity tit a General Election in 1987, I now intend to write to them again. But first, I need your help. The English countryside will face unprecedented new pres sures over the next year or so. I should like to know that CPRE has ~ particular support for its attempts to ensure that the countr y's political partles put countryside conservation more securely at the centre of their prioriti es. Two prospects are particularly troubling. First, the future of British farming is now in the melting pot. This will have enormous implications for patterns of land u se up and down the country. There is wide official consensus that our farming industry and its EEC counterparts are now producing too much food - str~nge though that seems in a wo~ld in which famine is a continuing tragedy . British farmers are therefore likely to be enc ouraged offici~ lly, to s~op incre2si~g the production of C[OFS and animals. But because yields per acre will inevitably continue to rise, one result will be pressure to take a lot of farmland - millions of acres, maybe - out of production. In the process, this land, perhaps up to 20% of England's surface area, could become available for new uses. This in turn would create the conditions for cn inevitable swath e of new urban development ~cross much of the lowland England which we have s uccessfully kept green until now. In Whiteha ll, Westminster and ~russel s , options of this kind are bei ng vigorously discussed. Perhaps the y shou ld be, though they are Ear t ro nl the only pr ior i ti es . 12 �2 But the key question is: are the interests of con s ervation and public enjoyment of our countryside at the centre ot this debate? . CPRE' s experience is that they are not - because public opinion 1S not yet fully aware of what is at stake. We need 'your help to change this. Our concern is all the greater because of a second massive change now in prospect for the countryside. This concerns the future of strategic land use planning in England and wales. The Government has recently published proposals for abolishing county structure plans - the instruments used by county councils for the strategic planning of land uses in their areas. Its intention is to hand over all formal strategic planning to the 33J District Councils in England and Wales. At CPRE, we recognise that some chan~es to the way ir whirh 12~d uses aie planned may well be necessary. But surely, strategic responsibilities ought to be placed at a level higher than the districts, who in many cases have fairly narrow short term horizons? How, otherwise, are we collectively to decide where necessary new developments are to be distributed within individual counties in everyone's interest? And how are we to ensure that the interests of natural heritage are given adequate long-term priority. Over the next few months, many conservation organisations, national and local, will be responding to the Government's consultation paper on this matter, The Future of Development Plans. My concern is to underline to you the close relationship that exists between this issue and the other, broader, question of the future of British farming. Bluntly, the risk is that more and more of our farmland may become available for ill-considered development up and down England and Wales, at the very moment at which the country's long-established strategic planning system is being weakened. That is a recipe for chaos and controversy - and would be bad news for ev~rybody. This is not a political matter in a narrow party political sense. CPRE has always been strictly non partisan in its dealings with the parties - and all of them will now face the same dilemmas in addressing these major changes in agriculture and the future of land use . What is important is that those of us involved with long-term environmental concerns should make the conservation issues felt in the crucial debates on these questions in Whitehall, westminter and Brussels . If we fail to do so, narrow sectional interests and short term economic arguments will prevail. Of course, in certain respects, conservation now counts politically more than at any cime in recent memory. The importance of Green Belts, nature conservation and pollution control has never been more widely acknowledged. But we must ensure this continues in an election year. 13 �J I t you share these concerns please W[ 1 t e . to Jlle - David Puttnam CUE, p.[ e sid e nt, Co un Cl 1 tor the Pro t e c L 1 U 11 0 t HU r alE n g 1 and, 4 !i.obart Place, London, SW!W UHY. Kno .... lng t1ldt we have your p e r s on alb a c k 1 n 9 w ill s tr ell y tlH~ nus en 0 r III 0 u s 1 Y 1 II 0 U r . forthcoming d1SCUSSlons with Government Mlnlsters and others. The tact stake. I look lS, ultlmately i t 1S ~ torward to hearing from you. Yours sincerely, David Puttnam President 14 local countryside that is at �N o vem ber/ December 1,}:-;6 Heritage Outlook The'Case of the Disappearing 'Phone Boxes All over the COWltry our familiar red telephone boxes have been disappearing at an alarming rate. UnfortWlately there is no mystery involved - they are the victims of British Telecom's campaign to replace them with lightweight PVC housings. Despite numerous appeals to save them, the DoE has only listed ten boxes, so is this the end of the line for Gilbert Scott's famous design? The cast-iron red telephone box is part of Britain's everyday civic dress, Designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott in two versions (K2, 1924 and K6, 1935) it was one of the first architect-designed items of street furniture, reflecting the classical decorum of its time and the solidity and permanence expected of a public service. The boxes were also sited in streets and villages with regard to the existing buildings, Seeking a new image, British Telecom has for 18 months been carrying out a campaign of replacing all old boxes with reputedly vandal-proof, lightweight, housings. The only way of stopping this has been the listing of boxes by the DoE latest score 10 out of 60,000 boxes listed. The Thirties Society has suggested the inclusion of telephone boxes in the conservation area protection, but the DoE refused to change the law to include street furniture. A circular sent by the Society to all local authorities nonetheles; produced an encouraging response. Many planning officers have attempted to reach informal agreements with British Telecom regional payphone managers for the retention of boxes in key areas, but BT is under no obligation to discuss the question or abide by agreements. Cases have been reported of the removal of boxes which have been agreed for retention. 1940. As the design remained in production unaltered until 1968, this restriction is meaningless and arbitrary, The dating is very difficult to prove, and will exclude many boxes which contribute to their surroundings. As a result, from being the most common type of telephone box, the K6 could soon become the rarest. Listing may be a cumbersome process for the large number of kiosks suitable for preservation, but failing a change of heart by BT or an alternative method by the DoE, it is the only available recourse. There is no doubt that BT's high-handed and inflexible attitude is widely condemned. The sale of old boxes to America at high prices for use as shower cabinets and other kitsch accessories adds insult to injtiry. The advantages claimed for the new boxes could easily be achieved by a judicious mixture of old and new, for the Giles Scott boxes can be fitted with the most modern equipment. All that is required is proper maintenance, As the campaign of destruction continues, with hardly an original box left in the North-East, the Thirties Society has received many appeals from individuals and local civic societies for help and advice. At present, only the K2 model, the larger of the two, with squarish panes and a pierced crown in the spandrel over the door, is likely to be listed. These are found mostly in London. The K6, with horizontal glazing and a lowrelief crown, can only be listed in exceptional circumstances if the installation can be proved to be before Right: As lasr Bn"rish Telecom are removing them, overseas buyers are snapping up our traditional cast iron telephone boxes. 15 K2 The choice should be available to the community. Some local authorities have carried out model consultation exercises with parish counciIs. Urban authorities like Westminster, Camden and Hackney have tackled BT and the DoE and succeeded by hard negotiation in keeping the boxes they believe are an asset to the street-scene. At present, the statutory controls on BT's destructive programme are far too weak. Time is short, and only persistent pressure from groups and individuals will prevent the privatisation-drunk company from forcing the dreams of its marketing executives on a reluctant country. Alan Powers, Caseworker Thirties Society. of the The Thirties Society report The British Telephone Box - Take it as Red is available from 3 Park Square West, London NWl. Price £3.50 inc!. p&p. �, The Norfolk Naturalists1fust JUBILEE YEAR FULFILS ITS AIMI / " The Norfolk Naturalists' Trust was 6.0 years old last year. When the celebrations were planned, the objective was quite clear: Tllis was ,to ensure that the trust profile was heightened throughout the county so that membership and funding would increase. This in turn would give the Trust the support it needed to expand its activities. These expecta~ons have been amply fulfilled thanks to all the support we have had , from all over Norfolk. To all thes'e peopie and many more we send our warmest thanks. Because 'of your support we have achieved: Our highest recruitment in many years (nearly 15.0.0 new members); the purehaseof 9.0 acres of the Salthouse Marsh,es aimost entirely through donations;' the creation of a new ,woodland; the continued improvement of visitor and " educational facilities on our ,reserves; the extension of our work to sites of local conservation importance , 'outside trust reserves. We take this opportunity to I thank all our many supporters - members of the public, members of the : The accent of the Trust, wardens and , their : ,numerous events throughhelpers on the 36 trust ! -,- out the year was on public reserves, staff, MSC teams, participation: OPen days at Norfolk Conservation all our major reserves and Corps, sponsors and grantsome smaJier ones town aid organisation~ ~nd walks and large public others who help us In kind, events. These were all so v,olunteers at our Cley and successful that the trust Ranworth ,Visitor Centres ' plans to repeat , these over the next few years. and shops; helpers in our , Gift shop In Cathedral : -'Close, organisers of our ' local membe.rs' groups a,nd of our WATCH junior _ groups, birdwa\Chers, graziers on our reserves, purchasers of other produce from our reserves (reed, sedge, timber, etc.), The list is long. Bllrton Brolld - Highlights of the year were certainly the ,Ted Ellis Jubilee lecture and Wildlife Gardening Exhibition in ,March, the David , Bellamy lecture and WATCH day in October, the film "Norfolk in Trust" shown by Anglia Television in September, and the new Reserves HandbOO~ published in July. ' The Trust, established in 1926, was the first ever county conservation Trust. " There are now 46 throughout the British Isles operat, ing under the umbrella of the , Royal Society for Nature Conservation, Cley Marshes were the first , reserve to be bought by the Trust, closely followed by Starch Grass (at Martham) and Alderfen near Barton, The Trust now manages 6.0.0.0 acres of excellent wildlife habitat, owning 5.0.0.0 of this acreage. It safegilards such unique and endangered species as the marsh harrier, avocet, bittern, otter, ,swallowtail but1erfly, spiked speedwell, maiden pink and mllny o,ther plant and animal species. ' achievement:; over 6.0 years and look forward to even greater ones over the next 60. But we still need your help! We still need £15,.0.0.0 to cover the costs of purchasing the marshes at Salthouse. We still need n,e arly £15.0,.0.0.0 every year to manage our Nature Reserves for the benefit of their wildlife and you, the visitors. We stili need another £1.0.0,.0.0.0 every year to, extend and develop our work in existing and new fields. Above all, we still need members. Our staff at 72, ' c Cathedral Close, Norwictf~~, can give you all the infor- :' , mation you need to join ' (telephone Norwich 62554.of Please help us to help Norfolk's wildlife and wild places. We are proud of our Miss Constllnce Gay, It pitS' secretary of the Trust, rows to Barton Turf, owned by the Trust since 1945, 16 �;..:: :- eM!>M tV.f... F K c.1 P LACE . EAST. - ----- - ---- ---- - - - - - , - - - - - - - - - ---- ---- . REEPHAM MARKET PLACE, NORTH. 17 - ------ - -------- �� Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Reepham Society Newsletters Description An account of the resource A comprehensive collection of newsletters published by the Reepham Society. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Printed and digital Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GB/REE/RS/Magazines Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1983-2000 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Reepham Society Text - printed Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Reepham Society Newsletter Spring 1987 Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GB/REE/2202161950 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource A4 20 pages Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Spring 1987 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Reepham Society https://reephamarchive.co.uk/omeka/files/original/999644812cc656575a307dac743cff04.PDF 2585cb5fd581de0bf677c41a553808ee PDF Text Text ��� Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Reepham Society Newsletters Description An account of the resource A comprehensive collection of newsletters published by the Reepham Society. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Printed and digital Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GB/REE/RS/Magazines Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1983-2000 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Reepham Society Text - printed Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Reepham Society Occasional Information Sheet January 1987 Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GB/REE/2202142030 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource A4 3 pages Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource January 1987 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Reepham Society https://reephamarchive.co.uk/omeka/files/original/11f23213326525a35b3f3ccaf456c9de.pdf 22b2216c250f9f0f44b7ffa7ad1ce74c PDF Text Text �OCTOBER 1986 ;: As I write this introduction to the October 1986 newsletter the weather can only be described as glorious, we have had a long dry period with plenty of early autumn sunshine and warm winds blowing up from the Mediterranean - perhaps we should change the time for the seasons, in June the Society held its bi-annual Award presentation and the weather was 'flaming' June in totally the wrong sense. We had, when planning the event, envisaged a warm summer evening for an outside stroll and presentation , as I comment in the report it turned out to be the coldest June day for twenty five years. Other events reported on include an account of the annual general meeting held in April and details of the visit to Hales Hall on Thursday, 10th July, when the weather was much more amenable~ I would like to thank Mr. and Mrs. John Ames for contributing this item. Members should note the forthcoming events planned for this Autumn, a talk on 30th October by Mr. Brian Sage on "Northern India and its ~ildlife", the annual Wine and Cheese Evening to be held on Friday, 14th November and the conclusion of this year's events, another visit by the University of East Anglia's Norfolk Film Archive. The other cOAtributions in thi s news 1etter are a plea for help from Mr. A.C. Burton who lives in Stafford but whose ancestors came from this area - if possible he would like to find out further information about his family history from anyone who can help, and two articles taken from "Heritage Outlook", the first about the first 60 years of the C.P.R.E., and the second a review about something that is always appearing in the newspapers, Sites of Special Scientific Interest. The back and front cover of the newsletter is a montage of local business and trade adverts which appeared in the local press in June 1958. Middlemarch, Broomhill Lane, Reepham. Michael Black Tel 870936 1 �A welcome to the following neN members of the Reepham Society . :; Mr. and Mrs. Lain Mr. Hatley Mrs . Gordon Mrs . Wright Mr. and Mrs. Gunton Mr. and Mrs . Dowding Mr. and Mrs. Turney Mr. and Mrs. Andrews Mr. and Mrs. Goff Mr. and Mrs. Middleton Mr. Walding Mr . and Mrs. Holl Mr. and Mrs. Rogers Mr. Rugg Mrs. Cuthbert Mrs. Carwood Mr. Neale Mr. and Mrs. Collins 011 ands Road W)od Dal l ing Road H)me Farm House, Wood Dalling C3.wston Road M3.nor Farm, Kerdiston 011 ands Road M3nor Farm Cottage. Kerd iston Whitwell Road Rookery Farm Heydon Road, Wood Dalli ng Caws ton Road Richmond Rise Brewery Lane Ireland LIFE MEMBER Leamington Spa Smugglers Lane Richmond Rise The Old Coach ~ ) use It is with deep regret that we note the deaths of t wo of our members. Mr. Pearce of Towns End Corne r who died in May and Mrs. Phyllis Brown who died in July. 2 �ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING O=- THE REEPHAM SOCIETY HELD AT THE OLD BREWERY HOUS: ON THURSDAY 18th APRIL Annual general meetings are not renowned ~o be the most enlig htening of occasions and theY'e are probably few local orqanisations who can hold their annual meet.ing and attract more that fifty people as did the Soci ety on the 18th April 186. Members and friends listened and hopefully enjoyed a meeting which lasted about 90 minutes~ the first thirty minutes was taken up with the necessary annual administrative items and the next hour was spent listening to the Rev. Bert Allcock giving us his memories of Reepham in the 20'S and 30 ' s. ;; Mr. A. Ivins, the Chairman, introduced the evening and then gave his annual report of the Society's activities during 1985/86. He reviewed the past year's activities and commented on the organised functions and reminded members o~ the bi-annual Award scheme. He announced the winner of the 1985 Award - it will be presented for the development carried out and now known as Merchants Yard. Tony Ivins spoke of those items currently being considered by the Society, notably the Reepham Picture Book which should be available by the time of the A.G.M. in 1987 . He introduced our new Secretary, Mr s. M. Hemmings who took the opportunity to ask the meeting whether anyone cou ld help her in two specific areas. Mr. G. Johnson is continuing his offer of two of the Post Office windows for regular display of items and material relating to the Society, does anyone have any expertise in this type of window arrangement ? The displays are not changed as often ,3.S we would like and anyone who can help would only be involved probably every 3 or 4 months. Someone with a flair for writing/drawing posters would De more than welcome, the Society organ ises about half a dozen functions each year and posters advertising bhese functions must be prepared. If there is anyone who would like to help with ' window dressing' or iposter design' then would they please offer their services to Mrs. Hemmings en Norwich 870759, ~ The Chairman continued his ~eport by talking about the course of the former M. and G.N. railway line~ negotiations with British Rail are bein g actively pursued with the County and District councils with the intention of turning this into a footpath. It is hoped that it will connect up with Marriots Way at Attlebridge, follow the old line through Whitwell to Themelthorpe back to Reepham station and through Cawston, on towards Aylsham where hopefully, it will connect up with Weaver's Way - an exciting prospect. 3 �The annu< 1 report was concluded by ( brief comment to the recently received consultatio1 paper concer ling revisions to the Reepham .Town Plan. It ~s likely that this will oceJpy more time in the 1987 report. The next item on the Agenda was the annual report by the Treasurer, Mr. R. Galley, who presented and commented on the Society's financial activities during the year ending 31st Marcl, 1986, full details of the Society's accounts are presented on the next page. The Society has a healthy financial ;tate; during 1985/86 there was an excess expenditure over income of £268 but it must be remembered that during the year a contribution of £500 was made to the Bircham Centre and there was no income from the Society's main fund raiser, the Cheese and Wine Evening as this has been moved from Feb/March to November. The sale of postcards continues steadily and we are now in a total prof it situation with them, there are still a large number to be sold and all sales in the future should prove highly profitable for us. The Reepham Picture Book will involve the Society both administratively and financ ially, it is estimated that the capitil cost will be about £2,500 and it is likely that a small loans scheme will be initiated to encourage members to help with this. It is hoped that the sales of the Book will enable us to pay back all loans within six to twelve months, long term the Book could possibly produce a 400% profit, although this may take 4-6 years to achieve . The following persons were elected as Officers of the Society for 1986/87:Chairman Mr. A. Ivins Vice-Chairman Mr. R. Vincent Secreta ry Mrs. M. Hemmings Treas urer Mrs. H. Pottle 4 �The following were elected as Committee Members for 1986/87 : Mr. Galley Mrs. Ivins Mr. Large Mr. tvlayson Mrs. Stuart Mr. Black Mr. Hemmings Mrs. Large Mrs. Waring Mr. R. Greenway was appointed Auditor. With no items being raised under 'Any Other Business', the first part of the evening was over by 8.30 pm and the next hour was spent in the company of the Rev. Bert Allcock with his memories of Reepham in the 20's and 30' s. 5 ���Thursday 5th June -PRESENTATION OF THE REEPHAM SOCIETY ftWARD SCHEME 1985 I'm sure the few persons who attended this presentation wi ll not forget the evening - it turned out (according to the following day ' s weather forecaster) to ce the coldest June evening for nearly twenty five years, those who attendEd did so clad in wirter coats and with scarves and gloves. The weathe r obvio usly curtaile( what should have been an enjoyable evening strol ' ing around the centr2 of Reepham , we are grateful to the twenty or more mE~bers who attended. The presentation of the award formed the first ~art of the evening and this was followed by a visit to the new workshcQs of Colin Prince in School Road and the evening finished with a glass of wine in the "converted cartshed" of Mr . and Mrs. Vertigans. The Society recelved a number of nominations for the 1985 Award, they were: The restoration of facade of Barclays Bank The conversion of the old Duke of York P. H. The conversion to living accommodation of buildings in the grounds of Bar Lane Cottage The conversion to living accommodation of the former cartshed of Mr. and Mrs. Vertigans, off School Road The restoration, improvement and conversion work carried out and now known as Merchants Yard . The Award was presented to Mr. Derek Crane for his work at Merchants Yard, admirable work had been carried out on all schemes and the decision was difficult but Merchants Yard was the unanimous choice and a stroll around the Yard is recommended to any member who has not seen this work . The photocopies on the next page show Merchants Yard before the conversion was carried out. 8 ��VISIT TO HALE, HALL - THURSDAY 10th JU LY A pleasant and succes ;ful evening WiS spent by the Reepham Soci~ty at Hales Hall on July 10th . The Society WiS transported by Eastons CC3ches whose drivers displaye d cons derable skill in negotiating the narrow lanes and gateways. Hales Hall is s tuate( just off the Norwich to Lowestoft Road a few miles south of Loddon. It ccnsisted of a large moated estate forming a square, which original y hou~ed about 300 people. Only the barn and the servants ' quarters now remair . The complex was built in the late 15th Century by James Hobart who was Attorney General t c Henr) VII. He financed it by a fine lev ied on the Earl of Leicester for keEping a private army. The barn, which is the longest in Norfolk being 184 ft. long, was originally thatched, is now unfortunately roofed by corrLgated iron and asbestos. It is, however, hoped to roof it with PantilEs in the future, as the cost of insurance of thatching is prohibitive. It consists of a large storage area with living accommodation at one End. The barn has a queen post roof of which several suppo rts have been removed to give more storage space. It is equipped with loopholes for defence and the moat originally ran outside it. The Hall is no longer standing but the site has been partially excavated and the base of a tower can been seen. It is reputed to have been larger than Blickling Hall which it resembled. Blickling Hall was also built by the Hobart family. The servants' quarters, still standing, have been restored and made into a pleasant dwelling hous= for Mr . and Mrs. Read who have owned the property since 1970. The Society is very grateful to Mrs. Read who escorted members around the e;tate and made it so interesting. The present house is r~puted to be haunted by a ghost called "Prudenc~' who does not approJe of modern plumbing! The buildings are listed Grade I, so that resto Aation has to be accurate, which is obviously sometimes very difficult . Mu :h research has to be done to discover the original design and materials Mr . and Mrs. Read have set themselves an enormous and worthy tas k i n r l~ storing such a place. Their son is also 10 ��involved in the restoration of old boats and barges, and an old Norfolk keel .is being restored at the Hall. They are all to be congratulated on their efforts. .,. '.' ******************** ~. , ~ THURSDAY 30th OCTOBER For this evening we have invited Mr. Brian Sage to give us a talk with slides entitled "Northern India and its Wildlife". Mr. Sage can offer societies talks on a wide range of geographical topics and we have picked just one from a long list of possibilities. The evening will be held at the Old Brewery House and wfll commence at 8.p.m. ******************** SUNDAY 23rd NOVEMBER The society has organised a footpath walk to commence from the Market Place at 2.p.m. on the above date. Anyone;s welcome to join us for this afternoon, so why not have a large but early Sunday dinner and then "walk it off" around some of Reepham's countryside. ******************** 12 , �WINE AND CHEESE - FRIDAY 14th NOVEMBER The Society's annual Wine and Cheese Evening will be held on Friday 14th November from 7.30 p.m. onwards. Tickets are £2.50 each and are available from The Chimes and Hewkes House, ~·'arket Place or from any of the following committee members: Mr. Galley 47 Bircham Road Tel. 870813 Mr. and Mrs. Ames Tel Bawdeswell 455 Mr. and Mrs. Large The Little House, Norwich Road Tel. 871789 Broomhi 11 Lane Tel. 870936 Mr. Black Hillside, Whitwell Tel. 870368 Mrs. Ivins The evening will also include the presentation of the Garden Competition Awards and entertainment to be provided by the Reepham Amateur Theatrical Society. To ensure that everything is fitted smoothly into the evening we will have to have a programme. Wine will be served from 7.30 p.m. and Mr. Loose will present the Garden Competition Awards at about 8.00 p.m., the presentation should take about half an hour and food and wine will be available from 8.30 to 9.30, entertainment by the R.A.T.S. will be from 9.30 to 10.15 and the evening will be concluded with the drawing of the raffle. It is therefore a fully planned evening and with the first glass of wine free, it should guarantee something for everyone. This evening is the main fund raiser in the Society's year, so please, let us see you there on Friday, 14th; the sale of all the tickets would greatly benefit the Society's funds. NORFOLK FILM ARCHIVE - THURSDAY 4th DECEMBER David Cleveland of the U.E.A. Film Archive will be showing some "Norfolk Films" at the Old Brewery House Hotel on Thursday 4th December from 8. p.m. 13 �1987 PROGRAMME The Committee has arranged a tentative list of meetings for next year, details have not yet been finalised but a full list should be available to members early in 1987. It was felt that the Society should aim to have nine open meetings with an evening coach outing in the summer, the provisional programme is as follows:January February March Apri 1 May June July August September October November December A speaker from the National Trust Regional Office An illustrated talk on 'a gardening year' A talk on Heraldr~l by a the Chafrman of the Medieval Society The Annual General Meeting to be followed by dialect story/poetry reading by a local Norfolk personality A talk entitled 'Russian Language, Culture and Military Strength ' . Coach outing A talk entitled 'British Exploration in the Pacific in tne No arrangement to be made A talk by a member of the A Cheese and Wine Evening the launch of the Reepham A talk by a member of the No arrangement to be made 18th Century' Kingsley Vale Nature Reserve (hopefully to coincide with Picture Book) Norwich Castle Museum Members might like to note that all members meetings will. as from January 1987, be held on the fourth Thursday of each month in the Garden Room at the Old Brewery House Hotel. ************************ 14 �LETTER FROM STAFFORD 1 Earlier this year I who lives in Stafford. rec ~ ived He h ld obtained a copy of an earlier newsletter on a visit to Reepham end ha could help him. a letter from a Mr A C Burton now asked whether any of our members He informs s that members of his family lived in Reepham until the 187 0' s and he has a numb e r of family possessions handed down to him which ref r t o this area , and he would like to hear from anyone in Reepham who CI uld g ive him any more details about his ancestors. ~n c estors Mr Burton has establish. d some of his were butchers but has no more information . han this and wo u ld appreciate help from anyone who can assist him. The family tree he can t stablish from ancestors in this area is:- THOMAS BURTON married Ann (? DENNIS NEALE married Ann I JOSEPH BURTON b.17SS d.184S ELIZABETH NEJiliE b.1762 d . 1843 married / THOMAS EORTON b . 181S married ELIZABETH EGLINGTON b.1811 THOMAS JOSEPH BROWN Thomas Joseph Burton lef t Reepham for East London towards the latter part of the 19th he died in 1929. cent~ ~y and married Elizabeth Jane Houghton, and Both Josepr Burton and El l zabeth (nee Neale) his wife, are buried in the same grave, Joseph died OJ 6th January 1845 aged 89 and Elizabeth died on 2 3rd Af r il 1843 aged l l . On his recent visit Mr Blrton was disap pointed to see that the headstone was broken in two, _eaning against another unfortunately the inscription was no longer decipherable . full detail of the inscriptio I He does however, know the and it is int eresting to know the part which refers to Joseph Burton 15 ?) �By this inscription be it understood My occupation was in shedding blood But now I rest from sin and sorrow free All through a Christian Lord Who shed his blood for me. Mr. Burton details the following items which have been handed down to him. Book prize inscribed "William Leeds. 5th class, Paston Scholar in Maths 27.7.88" (sent on later?) Lord Macaulays Essays and Lays (1888) Family Bible 1630 'John Dorrick his book' Salmon'S Chronological Historian 1733 'Robert Pinnell the gift of William Barrow' Martin's Chronology 1615 'Frances G. Leeds' March 29 1789 'Abigail Taylor, Yarmouth' Bible 1831 with many of the enclosed records in. Oak panel Grandfather Clock 'Symonds, Reepham'. Turnip watch with repair slips from Symonds and Woolmer from 1862 on. Pistol, muzzle loaded. Woodworking tools inscribed 'Leeds'. Books If anyone would like to contact Mr. Burton about his request, then perhaps they would contact the editor who will be pleased to supply you with Mr. Burton's address. (Although Mr. Burton has not stated it in his letter to me, I assume that the broken gravestone of Joseph and Elizabeth Burton that he refers to is in the old cemetery situated on the Norwich Road - Editor). 16 �_.". _."._-- --- - - - -,--------,. PLANNING FILE the causes operate on an international level, so too has been remedial action. The British Government has become a signatory to worldwide conventions and European Community Directives to protect certain types of wildlife. In order to bring our legislation in line with our intentions, the 1981 Wildlife and . I Countryside Act was passed. and part of it I is devoted to SSSIs. Be.c ause so many have been lost or damaged over the years, the NeC has .embarked on a resurVey of all known SSSIs as they have to be re-notified under the Act. apart from the consideration of new ones.' The latter are often proposed by the various naturalist bodies and there are often differences of opinion as to what is significant. When the NCC are convinced of the merit of a site it is their duty to designate it and notify the Secretary of State, the relevant local planning authority and the owner of the The creation of Sites of Special land or its occupier. Now there have'been Scientific Interest seeks to offer some problems with regard to infomung the protection against the numerous threats users: some have claimed that they never to the rarer features of our countryside. received the letter and so did not wilfully Nevertheless, many designated sites damage their site. This rather vital matter have been lost through wilful or . has been dealt with in the 1985 accidental destruction, and so last year Amendment to the Act. the Wildlife and Countryside Act was amended to tighten up controls. Here . The other loophole pertained to the 3 Wendy-l~-Las reviews how effective months notice which the NCC was the changes have been. required to give the owners of new sites. It was found that a few hours was enough for Sites of Special SCientific Interest. (SSSI), some owners to get the urge to plough, became a term to conjure with in the drain, spray or otherwise damage their public mind following the controversy site irreparably. Hence since 1981 many over the Wildlife and Countryside Bill in more sites have been lost. .Now the site is the early eighties and the Amendment to protected from the moment the notifithe Act last year. However SSSIs have cation is received, although there are still been on the statute book since the 1949 three months for making objections. The National Parks and Access to the Country- NCC must either withdraw or confirm the side Act when they were introduced as part notification within nine months of of a package of measures designed to informing the Secretary of State, protect our natural heritage. However many owners were left in ignorance that Owners and occupiers are told in their their land harboured flora, fauna, notification what sort of operations would geological or physiological features of damage the site. If they wish to undertake great interest to the naturalist or scientist. This was because the Nature Conservancy Council (NCC) could designate the site and consult with the ".-~~ . local planning authority but no one was obliged to tell the owner or tenant of the . ,: .,:,, ) land. The 1968 Countryside Act .... ' :: . lit···. ' . empowered local authorities to enter into management agreements with owners or occupiers but these tended to be confined to sites of particular significance. ,SITES: "· 01' SPECIAL, SCIENTIFIC ,,> INTEREST .,"'r'~'<.. ~'\. g .:;. ..,' " '.... I '~"p " " During the last twenty years an awareness has been created of our dependence on our natural environment and the threats to it posed by urbanisation and agribusiness. It is worth considering some of the habitats which have been lost since 1940: 30-50% of ancient broad-leaf woods have been converted to conifers or grubbed up to extend farmland; only 3% of limestone pavements are still completely undamaged; 95% of hay meadows have lost their full complement of wild flowers; wetlands have been drained, reclaimed and fertilised . And part of our reward are butter mountains and wine lakes. Just as such an operation they must mform the Nee and obtain consent m writing. If the NeC object there is a four month period for negotiations during which time, hope . fully, agreement is reached. If the lIser goes ahead regardless he is liable to a fine of up to £1000. The only exceptions are if the action was taken during an emergency such as fire or flood. But what ifno agreement is reached? After four months the operation can take place unless theNCe can persuade the Secretary of State to issue a Nature Conservation Order under section 29 of the Act. Before making a section 29 Order the Secretary of State has to be satisfied that the land in question is both of special interest and of national importance. As far as the Nee are concerned all SSSIs are selected on that basis, but it has been found that Peterborough and Marsham An offender may be ordered to carry out restoration works. However the scope for this can be limited: habitats which have evolved over millenia are rarely capable of instant reproduction by homo teclmologica. On the other hand partial restoration can be better than nothing e.g. the replanting with broad-leaved trees will reattract certain species. Street do not always see eye to eye on th's one. So some owners can just sit it out for four months and then proceed. If the Secretary of State agrees to make a Nature Conservation Order. its effect is to immediately apply certain restrictions on damaging operations to all persons using the land (not only owners and occupiers) As with SSSIs designated under section 28 of the Act. notice has to be given to the NCC of the intention to carry out potentially damaging operations and they have to give written consent. A Nature Conservation Order effectively imposes a stop order on such operations for up to 12 months whilst the problem is being sorted out or the land purchased. Here again the exceptions are those undertaken in the case of emergency but deliberate damage is punishable by an unlimited fine. An offender may also be ordered to carry out restoration works. However the scope for this can be limited: habitats which have evolved over millenia are rarely capable of instant reproduction by homo technoligica. On the other hand partial restoration can be better than nothing e.g. the replanting with broad-leaved trees will reattract certain species. The preservation of SSSIs is often dependent on management agreements worked out between the Nee and the owners or tenants of the land. Under section 15 the NCe may seek such an agreement at any time, or the owner may request one. However the period of notice of intent to carry out a potentially �--------------------------------------------------------------------------------, damaging operation is intended as time in which to work out such a management aqreement Where that operation quahfies for a Ministry of Agriculture. Fisheries and Food grant users of the land are wont. in practice. to apply for the grant <it the same time as informing the NCC . which often finds itself having to devise a management agreement at short notice. If NCC really objects to the scheme they make their views known to MAFF. If MAFF turns down the application for conservation as oposed to agricultural reasons, and the record shows that they usually listen to NCC, then the latter are obliged to produce such an agreement. However. as has been mentioned. the user of the land is still free to refuse the offer. Nevertheless it should be worthy of consideration because the user of the land is recompensed for the profits foregone by not 'improving' the land, In perpetuity. To put it mildly, this facet of the Wildlife and Countryside Act has not passed unnoticed. After all people are not compensated for not getting listed building consent or planning permission In general. On the other hand farmers are more likely to compare themselves with other farmers able to turn every square inch into a pretty penny And it is hardly unknown for the government to pay to conserve other aspects of the heritage. It is likely In due course that some agricultural prices will fall because of over production In the EEC. and so the cost of maintaining SSSIs will diminish from the current £15m a year . Meanwhile the clandestine findings of the Gould Report would suggest that cash for doing nought has proved too much of a temptation for some farmers, with the only penalty being the length of time taken to work out how much it should be. However 11 would be a gross misrepresentation to think of agriculture and forestry as the only threat to SSSIs. Any landowner or developer can find that there is a site on his patch and because its preservation thus far has depended on it being considered marginal in economic terms. it is likely to be thought of as expendable. So local councils have used them for tipping rubbish and the Ministry of Defence has mined them. whilst the Department of Transport almost seeks them out because they are less expensive than demolishing a housing estate. Nevertheless all owners are not pyedatory. Many SSSIs are in the care of the various species of naturalists or other conservationist bodies like the National Tmst not to mention caring individuals. As they do not require management payments rhey would appreciate government grants to purchase land outnght. For thuse who have watched the growth of awareness In such matters over the course of the· last 'w enty years . much has been .'l ccomplished and it would be too cynical 10 'nr: te oil 'he :uture achievements of '· , ,, ie .r !" .I ·; . " .'. :.: apPoInred to safeguard wildlife in the unlikely care of MOD or the CEGB. But such changes have only come about because of the untiring efforts of pr~ssure groups such as RSPB and CPRE tn amend and monitor legislation. ~nd point out the value of the 'green' vote to all who are publicly accountable. Nevertheless there IS a long way to go, especially as expenditure cuts induce a mentality which knows the price of everything and the value of nothing. It is too soon to know how effective has been the blocking of loopholes In the amended Wildlife and Countryside Act But it is certain that the major cause of habitat loss now is the slow rate of renotification of SSSls by the NCC. It is hoped eventually that there will be around 6,000 comprising 8% of the land surface in Britain. But shortage of money and manpower. compounded by lengthy over management negotiations agreements. means that the figures have not yet reached 5.000. Resources of another kind are needed too, sometimes: effigies of NCC staff were hanged in Orkney soon after II announced its intention to notify some moorland of vital importance to birdlife. Clearly the work ethic dies hard or (to quote the NCC Annual Report 1'985) 'We have experienced particular problems over the notification of SSSIs in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland ... these have resulted from a misunderstanding of the implicatiOns of the Wildlife and Countryside Act'. PLANNING TERMS EXPLAINED IN ISSUES OF HERITAGE OUTLOOK ANCIENT MONUMENTS .................................. .................. Mayl]une 1983 ARTICLE 4 DIRECTIONS ........... ..... .... ..... ... .. . ................ Sept/Oct 1982 COMMON LAND ............... ..... ............ .... . ..................... Mayl]une 1985 CONSERVATION AREAS .......... .. ..... . .......................... Sept/Oct 1981 CROW'l LAND ............................... ....................................... NovlDec 1983 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT ................. Mayl]une 1982 (changes :lending) GREEI\ BELT ........ ....... .... . .. ..................... July/Aug 1983 HERIT hGE COAST .. ............... ....... ... ... .. . ............ March Apri11982 INDUSTRIAL IMPROVEMENT i\REAS .. ... ..................... Jan/Feb 1983 LISTED BUILDINGS ............... . .. .... .. ..... ... . . .............. ..... NovlDec 1981 LISTEr: BUILDINGS CONSENT ... . .. .... .................. Jan/Feb 1982 MINERA.LS AND THEIR EXTRACTION ................. NovlDec 1984 SIMPLI? IED PLANNING ZONES ..... ..................... July/Aug 1984 SITES C F' SPECIAL SCIENTIFIC INTEREST .................... july/Aug 1986 STRUC':'URE PLANS ................ ... ................ jan/Feb 1986 TREE PHESERVATION ORDERS ............. july/Aug 1981 " - -1"- '- --' - �- -- -- - _._ - -------------------; Sixty Years Ago In this Jubilee edition Sadie Ward reviews some of the activities and achievements of CPRE over the last 60 years, as revealed in the Council's archives. Dr Sadie Ward looks after CPRE's archives now deposited at the Museum of English Rural Life at the University of Reading. The earliest concern of CPRE was to exlend planning controls to rural areas in order to prevent the spread of 'ramshackledom' or 'hugger-mugger' urban development . In 1931 Clough Williams-Ellis visualised what the intelligent foreigner would see 011 coming to England: 'blatent advertisements. ugfr gasometers and the countrv:~ quiet rural charm destroyed by people who commit bungalows '. He quoted a text from Milton , appropriately from Paradise Lost. predicting the future ifnothing was done. 'Farewell. happy fields. where joy for ever dwells Hail horrors: A particutarly strident version of the field signs that' abounded along country roads during the 1920.f and 1930s. .I I ~l II was CPRE's task to protect the countryside from 'horrors' by drawing alieni ion 10 Ihe need for 'rural land management and by influencing legislation. II quickly developed a wide range of interests and case-studies in rural housing. transport. electricity schemes. green bells. mining. afforestalion and coastal protection. etc. However. it was not only a question of saving the countryside from the lowns. but for them. In the late 1920s and early 1930s CPRE emphasised Ihe need to provide land for amenity and recreational purposes. in tune with an upsurge of interest in such outdoor pursuits as rambling. camping and cycling. The restrictions that private landowners placed on access to places of wild heaur.\' led C P RE to take a prominent part in the National Parks Movement. In 1929 the Council submitted a memorandum 10 the Prime .Minister askingfor an official enquiry - ----- - - .. ~ -- .. . - --- -- into the need for National Parks. As a result of this, the National Parks Committee was set up under the chairmanship of Lord Addison. Reporting in 1931, it recommended that a National Parks Authority be established for England and Wales and one for Scotland. Bur the Government's failure to implemenl the Report induced CPRE to se( up a Standing Committee on National Parks in 1936. under Sir Norman Birkett, to agitate both for National Parks and for a general improvement in public access to the countryside. Although the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act was not passed until 1949. the contribution made by CPRE in this area was indisputable. Pressures on the countryside increased dramatically in the post-war period. The expansion of car ownership created what Peter Hall has called a 'civilised form of apartheid' - a growing separation of homes and workplaces as more and more people moved into the rural hinterland. At the same time Michael Dower talked of a new wave of 'gamholling humanity' seeking leisure in the countryside. In response CPRE vigorously defended the Metropolitan Green Belt (already under pressure in East Berkshire by the late 1950s) and pressed for more purpose-designed recreational provision - to relieve problems of litter and over-use else- where. By the late I960s CPRE was involved in a number of other imporlant issues. including the siting of new motorway routes. airports and power stations. A new menace was that presented by changes in British agriculture. Intensification. encouraged by the Government and made possible through the application of science and technology. transformed the landscape - with the consequent destruction of traditional features and species. From the 1970s CPRE has sought, with other bodies and with recent cause for optimism. to inj7ence national and EEC policies on agriculture. Another priority since 1980 has been to combat the greater freedom given to developers and lh~hirt lhe renewed attack on London's Green Belt. In all its campaigns. CPRE has always been well-informed and its expertise welcomed by Government departments, local authorities and by other amenity and professional bodies. The success of CPRE in securing legislation or favourahle decisions, has owed much to the support of prominent individuals. as well as to the dedicated work of its branches. The countryside remains in crisis: CPRE has proved an effective guardian of the nation's heritage in the past. The likelihood is that it will remain so in the future. The age o/'horse-power. Hauling a timber carriage onlO Ihe road under difficult conditions, near HildenhfJrough. Kem. in February 1931 . - - .------- . --- -- - - - --- 19 - - . .- " ---._-- "--- - - - -- - ----------- -- - - _-- -- - . .. . �� Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Reepham Society Newsletters Description An account of the resource A comprehensive collection of newsletters published by the Reepham Society. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Printed and digital Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GB/REE/RS/Magazines Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1983-2000 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Reepham Society Text - printed Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Reepham Society Newsletter October 1986 Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GB/REE/2112142010 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource A4 21 pages Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource October 1986 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Reepham Society 1986 Reepham Society https://reephamarchive.co.uk/omeka/files/original/d5d028cb01d55345fb642d9743312273.pdf d36e56d64a70664031226fe693ecc594 PDF Text Text ~ THE REEPHAM -- ~ SOCIETY ~ . Newsletter - ·Christmas .1985 �NOVEMBER · 1985 Dear Member, Another newsletter, and another year drawing to a close, a year which has been successful for the Reepham Society, our membership continued to grow throughout the year and is now nearing 300, but one in which we conclude with the sad report of the deaths of two of our members, Mr. H. Whittle and Mr. B. Wise, both of whom gave valuable service as committee members and honorary officersof the Society. In this issue I have been fortunate in obtaining help with a number of articles, John Kett has contributed an article on "Broad Norfolk"; many of you will have read his Norfolk Verse and 'poems' from such books as "Watcher Bor" and "Tha's a Rum'un, Tew"!! Although an excellent dialect poet, he is in my opinion one of the leading authorities of the Norfolk dialect. I hope you will enjoy his comments. Miss Majorie Gibbs has allowed me to use part of her book entitled "I Remember" which vividly describes the Market Place in the early days of this century and I have included a map which details this in comparison with the present day trades and businesses. My particular thanks must go however to Mr. W. Freeston who has given me access to scrapbooks kept by his mother which has enabled me to write and present an article on the history of the changing attitudes towards Reepham over the past thirty five years or so. Mrs. Freeston, who will be remembered by many of you, moved to Reepham in the early 1930's and lived here until her death a few years ago. She was a post woman for a number of years and when she retired she said that amongst other things she intended to concentrate her efforts on developing her one great hobby - her scrapbook of Reepham. From the early 1940's until her death she filled a number of scrapbooks with local newspaper cuttings dealing with Reepham and the surrounding area. This 30 years of local news does give a unique look at a period of Reepham's history and I hope that Mr. Freeston will let me delve further into the cuttings as they could offer a wonderful base for a number of future articles about aspects of Reepham's post war activities. The two competitions in the last newsletter were not well received and the response to them was somewhat limited, perhaps they were too hard! If you wondered about the answer to the "initials" competition, then I will give you some details from the answer supplied by the winner, Juliet Williams of 1, Bircham Road, Reepham. "From Reepham Market Place you travel to the Ratcatchers Public House at Eastgate, turn right to Haveringland and Matthews Turkey Farm. The initials E.F. stand for Edward Fellowes who built the third and last hall in 1840-5." A Merry Christmas to all members and a Happy New Year for 1986, a year which will include the tenth anniversary of the Reepham Society. Finally , my thanks to all the following contributors and helpers. George Pearson William Freeston Russell Vincent John Kett Moira Warland Anthony Ivins Michael Black Middlemarch Broomhill Lane Reepham. Tel . 870936. Marjorie Gibbs Lily Frost �1985 PROGRAMME ~PASTEVENTS CAR TREASURE HUNT - SATURDAY 22hd. JUNE This event like the following item, was not a warranted success. You may not remember the preceeing week to Saturday, 22nd June, but it was very wet, in fact it rained every day of the week and also on the Saturday morning, however during the afternoon it cleared out and it turned into an ideal evening for a car treasure hunt. There were prizes for those cars that filled the first six places; it was unfortunate that only seven cars turned out. Disappointing for the organisers who spent a lot of time in arranging a pleasant evening. Congratulations to ~1r. and Mrs. Stimpson who were the winners by half a point. GARDEN VISIT The Society1s members were invited to visit the garden of Mr. and Mrs. Norbury at Wood Farm, Themelthorpe on Friday, 21st. June. As I mentioned in the previous item, the weather posed certain problems during this particular week, the evening of Friday 21st. produced a prolonged downpour and it was obvious to anyone intending to go that the evening would be cancelled. The evening was reorganised for a date in early August, and whilst we thank Mr. and Mrs. ' Norbury for their kind offer in allowing our members to view and stroll around the garden, we were sorry that only four members turned up. VISIT TO MANNINGTON HALL (THURSDAY 18th JULY) - AN EVENING WITH THE WALPOLES A successful evening visit to Mannington Hall and gardens on Jury 18th offered a challenge to the keener historians in the Reepham Saciety. Here was a 500-year-old house - (predating other famo~s hsmes such as Blickling and Felbrigg ) - which was acquired by the famous Walpole family nearly 250 years ago but was not lived in by a Walp~le until the 1860s. The present owner and occupant, the Hon. Robert Walpole (son of the 7th Baron Walpole of Wolterton) has undertaken a substantial restoration programme since taking over the house in 1969 and with Mrs. Walpole has acquired some excellent period pieces to fill gaps in the furnishings. ; The Mannington history. however. remains incomplete. and therein lies the challenge to society members; anyone who can do so is invited by the Walpoles to provide information about the hall and gardens, especially that relating to the hall from 1740 to 1860. Despite the gaps in its history the Reepham party, numbering 44, enjoyed an informative tour of the hall under the guidance of Robin and Mrs. Walpole. Two groups were formed, one starting from and the other completing the tour in the small scented garden which, planted as recently as 1980, takes its pattern of beds from the design of the dining room ceiling in the hall. 2 �· ··'i ~ ... The house lies in about 20 acres and is approached via a main drive, the gates to which were transferred within the family, starting life at Kingls Lynn and being re-erected at Mannington in 1973. The earl IS coronets on the gates mark the second creation of the Earldom of Orford for Horatio, nephew of Sir Robert Walpole, Englandls first Prime Minister. Few of the party are likely to have noticed such detail on the way through the gates, being more fascinated by the coach driverls skill in clearing the opening with an inch or so to spare. A moat which surrounds the house is shown on the earliest surviving plan, dated 1565. A drawbridge that dates from the 1860s and was restored in 1977 leads to the front door. On approaching the main door it is possible to see in the wall the outline of a large window that is now partly filled in. This would have been a window of the Great Hall when the house was built by William Lumnor: a plan of the ground floor dates the Great Hall , parlour, buttery and pantry at about 1460. Mannington was owned by Tirels, Lumnors, Dodges and Potts, all connected by marriage, until the Potts family sold the estate to Horatio , 1st. Baron Walpole of Wolterton and brother of Sir Robert, between 1735 and 1742. The Great Hall window disappeared and 100 years or so passed before the Walpole family moved into Mannington in the person of Horatio, 4th Earl of Orford. A keen antiquarian with a taste for Gothic architecture and known as an eccentric misogynist, he brought carvings and architectural features to Mannington from other places. In 1864 he ,built the present dining room with the rooms over it. Further changes were made through the years. Today the house stands restored and is described as an interesting survival of a medieval plan dwelling built when the moated site was soon to go out of fashion and as an example of a Victorian idea of a Gothic house. Additionally, it is again a family house, and as such proved to be an excellent choice for the Soc ietyls visit. Whilst emphasis was placed on the house, which is open by prior appointment only, the delightful gardens had equal appeal for many of the party. Threatening weather which eventually developed into a sharp downpour brought the programme to a premature conclusion, but there was ample time to appreciate the heritage rose garden, representing seven periods from the Middle Ages to the present. In all , another well organised and successful event for members, who were able to enjoy the luxury of private coach travel, a further bonus for those who usually do the driving as they were able to sit back, relax and see the countrys i de between Re epham and Mannington. George Pearson 3 �FILMS FROM THE EAST ANGLIAN FILM ARCHIVE ON NORFOLK AGRICULTURE These were shown at the Old Brewery House Hotel on Thursday, 24th October. A full house , (nearly 50 members and friends) enjoyed a number of short films from the archives, commencing with a promotional film about Bonds of Norwich made in 1922 followed by agricultural films with a particularly good one made in 1949 showing a farming year in the life of a Norfolk village - Rickinghall . The films concluded with one made in the late 1940s about a samphire picker at Blakeney who can only be described as lIa Norfolk character", he gave the commentary and it was nice to hear some Norfolk dialect after the somewhat dubious dialect ("actors' Norfolk") which had been used in some of the other films. The evening concluded with some readings in dialect by Wesley Piercey from the "Boy John Letters" by Sidney Grapes . You may recall in the last newsletter that we asked for some further details about a film of Reepham made during the 1930s. At that time we had very little information about this and unfortunately at the present time we have not progressed much further. We believed that a copy was held somewhere in Norwich. Mrs. Thompson from the U.E.A. who brought the films spoke about this film of Reepham, the archive unit is aware of the film and would like to find a copy, they had rather hoped that Reepham would produce a copy particularly as Press reports of the time stated that a copy was "to be handed to Reepham Parish Council for keeping as a historical record". Reproduced here are two Press reports from the time (the date we have been told is 1951 and not the 1930s as we originally thought), it states that when the film was first shown there was an audience of over 300; surely someone can offer some further information about the film and it's present whereabouts. 1'o~rN-'S ' ,t '. ' , . • .-LIFE . Il\i -;5 l:"" '~:: A' FILM l. -', ~ilisib~CAL !;k'~ORD 11 ' j . :' ..... , .) ,\ . FOR REEPHAM HOur Town" ;:1" people o! Reepham ;:"e-sterday " P:-c,,£'nt proposals are that the film ...: liH"mse lves and their town on ::c rpen . In any drcumstances "JI \I.·"llIei have been a me-morable ~, ·· i ~ i o " . alld one the more pleasur: "~!c' oef":1 use in the hum ely surrounqI:::;.: of the Band Hall convention .<e l ':0 b~ll on applauding the appear:;n .£, of OTleY s isler or uncle or cn.l:·kl i ng ill rffognition of .. a "~ '1 ~ ; ,<'tpr." To this intimate enjoymt' ,, 1 '.,· a~ a dded th~ fact that the fi ! '11 \\';1.' due. nof to the chance visit c: ~'Il r.-.<'i()na l technicians. but to J :of"Ji plan. Made thL~ summer as a :nr ; II!~ of aiding the Recreation Gro!.lnd c-1emorial Fund. it is. and ·~.ill ,·(' main. the property or the '.~::' A documentary film of We a l ,. ReephHm durin, tho pa!~ .umm~r. wn1ch 1J to b. handed to Reepha m Par~l\ Council tor ke<:plna ., ~ tuatorlcal record. wa. .hown in the ' town ;yes !.erda),. The film. which u b~lnll !lIven tor two day.. U Iponsored by Reephan ~ Rt-crea won Ground Memurlal fund Commi ttee. It W~ made by ltll' NorwIch Suh-Standard FI.mIDi Group. who .penl • lnrg~ part of uH &ummer -~\\ I)..:... _ . __ _ ,hooting .cene. al Reephnm. which will lIve lU1Ufe aeneratlOna an Idea of the town'£ prescnt day lile. Church and chap~l. r:r.arket and Ichool appear, a. weU liS lhe well-known TOWD Band, Ihe trade~s. lind Inc s.rn.!h s.1ue.n. ~ horse. There 15 a 'hot of the .latlon . and a fete. whi ch was also tor tile Memorial ' Fund. The fete ~ene, include dances by the children. and tl1e film ends with a view ot tl1e re<:relltion nound. So far. Rcephum has raised £1000 01 the £2500 n~eded for the recreation ~round. It was not until a tortniiht ago that it was learned tl1at land had Mr. S F. Simmons. who Is on th~ b!'en released and work could now be slurtt'd on It. The film Is belDI! ahown commltter. rrmlndrd the ch!ldren thol to raise further funds. Bnd the tlrst they would IlfOW UP to use the ifound. audience ycst£'rdny were the children, which had been obtained through the The who reco\i:nlsed them5el\"~s. the szrown- klndn~1S of ' Mr. E. St ~mp50n . ups and buildings with dellghted ~cniors would be able to help with the 5houh~ _ _ _ _ .'. __ ._ __ ._ work 01 oreparinll It. whic h would Jne"Jri~ p'Antlng tre· ... and Jevelllnl( . Th~fe wa~ an Rudience of over 3110 last nIl/ht and thE." takin"s totalled £22. 4 _ _ .. shJ\! have only ' a two-day .. run." though it may be surmised that it ' '''il! rearp('ar a number ot times bef t) ~ " It..> novelty fades. One local Id ~a wa., tha t it should then be ~,rt:.l in '" lo",d c'Ukcl. so that Jt m' g:;t rev eal to a 1uture generation "hat an English town was like 2t the birth of the atomic age. 11 this IUggest;on was not made C/Ver~~iollSiy it reflects none the less ~'ognition of the [act that a simple IUb'd~ndurd film of shops. a smithy. I ~ c hXJI and the life that g()('s on lrou~d them will acquire some value 1I a hio:! o r ic a l re<:Drd with the ~I:)h of the years . For this aoii.s on t!1P film is to be preserved. _It: ,I IS true. In a lead casket, but p the. other recordl; of Rcepbam I~L.n Cou ncil. ~ r~('nl riccndes have seen a rev \-.ral ~~ ~e'''iv of interest in local history ~ 1.1 the kC('Plng of local rec ords. tl .It noJ}" be expedt'd that the ~.'rn('[H made by Rcepham with IQ ~(>-tlr':r;ltion ot Norwich SubJ.u~~.J.rrj Filming Croup will be '-n:n .~d .,!I ,d developed b y other . ~ "11 1t,,", ill . East Anglia. To Iir. e hwn s wilirh are linked with .~r~lo\l n" . in Europe or the New the !o(:<l ma~' prove oarticu~' .. ~("e~t;lble. Wha t better addi~.() t:) c exchanges and ~ i fts that J . ~~'e<l t:lls year than a study ~rn Ur T own "-a home-made entary film? :n t.n . . - - -- �REEPHAM SOCIETY: OFFICERS & COMMITTEE: 1986/6 OFFICERS Chairman: Vice Chairman: Secretary: Treasurer: Mr . A. Ivins Mr . R. Vincent Hillside , Whitwell Vale Cottage, Hackford Vale, Reepham Mr. R. Galley 47 Bircham Road, Reepham COMMITTEE * * * * Mrs. P. Aitchison Mr. M. Black Mrs. S. Ivins Mrs. P. Large Mr. T. Large Mr. A. Lee Mr. V. Lunn Mrs. H. Pottle t~r. H. Ra ffe 11 Mrs. E. Stuart Mrs. J . Waring Kings Pasture, Booton Middlemarch, Broomhill Lane, Reepham Hillside, Whitwell The Little House, Norwich Road, Reepham The Little House, Norwich Road, Reepham Newington House, Booton 18 Ollands Road, Reepham Old Lamb Inn , Hackford Vale, Reepham Moorhouse Park , Reepham Broomhill, Broomhill Lane , Reepham 6 Elizabeth Close , Reepham * Newly elected committee member ( in 1985 ) 5 �OB ITUARI ES HARRY WHITT ALL It is with deep regret that we have to inform members of the Society of the death in August this year of Harry Whittall. The Committee in particular will remember Harry for his valuable service as our honorary treasurer, a post which he ably filled for a period of five years. Despite indifferent health he carried out his duties with expertise and cheerfulness. Harry and his wife moved to Reepham in 1960 from Little Melton where they ran the local store. They had both been members of the Society since its formation ten years ago. Harry and his wife had been married for 44 years and they have a son and daughter, we offer our sincere sympathy to them . BRYAN WISE It came as a great shock to all of us to learn of the death of Bryan Wise who died on 31st October this year, our greatest sympathy is extended to his wife and family. The efforts and keeness that he exerted on behalf of the Reepham Society will be sadly and greatly missed. He had been a keen member for several years and for some time had been the honorary secretary of the Society. The regular meetings of the Society's committee will not seem the same without him. Known to many a pupil, friend and member alike as "Basil". his dry wit, his keen ability and keeness to get straight to the point and his great capacity to deal with grammatical and administrative detail will long be remembered. The Society has unexpectedly and regrettably lost an active supporter and a great friend, his services were highly appreciated and we know they will be difficult to replace. Bryan's active interests were not only contained to Reepham, he was a great lover of Sall e Church and a regular member of it's congregation. TOM SAYER OF BOOTON HALL Tom Sayer died peacefully at his home on Friday. November 22nd. He was, perhaps, not widely known among the present generation of Reepham people because he led a very private life centered mainly on his house and grounds at Booton. Nevertheless it was his foresight some eleven years ago that saw the need in an expanding Reepham for an amenity society. He knew well and, I believe, loved the old town of Reepham and was anxious to see that the necessary new development was achieved in the best possible way. This was his concern in calling those informal meetings of interested people which resulted in the formation of the Reepham Society. Tom became the first chairman and guided the Society through the first three years of its life. A Society which has broadened its interests over the years and has been welcomed by both old and new inhabitants of the town. This autumn the executive committee of the Society decided to ask Tom if he would accept the office of President of the Reepham Society. He told me that it made him very happy to receive the offer and that he would accept with pleasure and gratitude. He had the interests of the Society at heart and his passing will leave a gap in our lives. 6 �BROAD NORFOLK When Sir William Paston established the Paston School in 1606, the Statutes of the school forbade scho l ars "to use the vernacular or mother tongue, to swear , or to take part in any shameful game of dice". Thus "BroadNorfolk" was placed on a par with bad language and gambling! Sir William might have been surprised to know that nearly fo ur centuries later that mother tongue would still be heard, albeit infrequently and somewhat changed . Our East Angli an dialect, spoken with many local variations from the Wash down into Es sex, is basically Anglo-Saxon, altered and enriched as a result of the i nvasions that took place along our coasts. Allan Jobson, the Suffol k writer, referred to his grandfather's speech as "much older than Shakespeare, some of it Scandinavian, some Old Norman, a good deal of Low German, some Anglo-Saxon, French, and a little Icelandic " . The late Eric Fowler , "Jonathan ~1ardle" of the Eastern Daily Press, gave a very readable account of it in his book "Broad Norfolk" published in 1973, and included many amusing anecdotes. Another great Norfolk character, still remembered by some senior citizens in the area, was the late Canon Marcon of Edgefield, who wrote of the speech he loved, "It's more than a tonic - it's Teutonic!" thus putting the matter in a nutshell. The mechanisation of farming had a marked effect on Broad Norfolk, for many of the old words were connected with work on the land, inc luding the activities of the village blacksmith and the wheelwright. My own earliest recollection is of hea ring the call, "Cup, cup there - wheesh, whee- eesh!" as old 'Lijah skilfully turned his plough on the headland of a nearby field. With the arrival of the combine harvester we lost the shocks and the shoofs and the "Hold-ye boys", although in recent years there has been a nostaglic . revival of Harvest "HavJkeys" in some parishes. Evidence of the great changes of the past century is supplied by our old Directories; in White's "Norfolk" for 1845 Reepham has a list of 23 farmers, 5 blacksmiths, 4 joiners and wheelwrights, 3 saddle rs, and 1 horse-breaker, and some of these, be it noted, combined their work with that of Beerhouse keeper ! The advent of the motor car also had i t s effect. "All the real ole Norfolk boys ride bikes," I have heard it said, "They han't never had no car!" This describes a rare breed today, and there is no denying that on two wheels you have the opportunity to look at the fields and gardens, and find it easier to stop for a mardle - a word that even "furriners" understand. It originates, it is said, from "mardelle", an old French word for a small pond, the villa ge pit being the recognised place for rural conversation. Ducklings were formerly called "mardlins" , and in some areas duckweed had the same name. Fortunately it is still possible to find a natural speaker of our dialect in most of our villages. The late Dick Bagnall-Oakley, schoolmaster, naturalist, and broadcaster, with a deep pride in his county, once told me that to "talk Norfolk proper" you must have four grandparents bred and born in the county_ The number of people fulfilling this requirement must have diminished recently. I remember old William, a small holder in West Norfolk, who in the 1920's, then well past middle age, had never seen the sea, although he had on one memorable occasion been "t'other way" as far as Chatteris. His vocabulary, like that of Allan Jobson!s grandfather, was probably no more than 900 or 1000 word s ; we are told that Shakespeare's 7 �wai 25,000, and Winston Churchill's about 60,000. But the Norfolk man , is skilled in making himself clear in his own way, although he may overwork some words - "Dew yew dew that afore that rain, bor, dew that 'll be a rum ole dew, that that will!" Strange speech indeed, but with the qualities possessed by our old flint walls, strong, dependable and attractive in its simplicity. Let us be thankful when we are privileged to hear it today, remembering how it reflects the changing and troublous times through which East Anglia has passed. John Kett. * * * * * * * * * * A welcome to the following new members:Mr. P. Pearce Towns End Corner (Life Member) Mr. C. Salt Haveringland Mr. M. Howard Silver End Miss T. Beresford Caws ton Road Mr. J. Ramsay Merchants Yard Mr. & Mrs. Browning Bircham Yard Mr. & Mrs. Matthews Bircham Yard Mrs. Dainrith Smugglers Lane Mr. & Mrs. Ludgate Whitwell (Life Member s) Mrs. Horsley Bath, Avon (Y es , Avon) Mr. & Mrs. T. Bar rett Cawston Road Mrs. Bruce Bi rcham Road Capt. & Mrs. P. Elphick The Ch ime s , Market Place The present membership of the Society is 280 including 34 Life Members (as at 1st August. 1985) * * * * * * * * * * 8 �WHEN IS A COMMON NOT A COMMON? by MOIRA WARLAND On many Ordinance Survey maps of England there are areas marked as Commons. In some cases thi s is a correct designation; in others it is no more than an historical survival. To the question "When is a Common not a Common?" the answer might be "When it has not been registered". Or, since the legislation on commons is complicated, it might equally be "When it is a Manorial Wa ste"; that is, a type of common without Rights of Common. Rights of Common A Common was normally set aside by the Lord of the Manor as land which certain householders could use " in common" with him for certain named purposes. The land was therefore common to these rights holders and the Lord of the Manor. Over the centuries, the existence of rights and even of owners has been lost and, to try to bring order out of chaos, legislation was enacted at the end of the last century and the beginning of this. In 1965 further legislation, The Registration of Commons Act was enacted, which required the registration of commons and of rights with County Councils. Thus for a common to be a true Common it must have been registered under that Act. If registration did not take place , or if it was rejected, a piece of land, though it might be called a common, cou ld no longer be used in common by the rig ht s holders and the landowner could thereafter enjoy full control. Where a common has been registered under the Act, the public living in the neighbourhood enjoys access to it, and the right to peaceful air and exercise, but only if the common is situated in an urban area and was subject to Rights of Common on 1 January 1926 (e.g. Roydon Common). Otherwise the public at large has no statutory right of access; permission has to be obtained from the owners . A common cannot be enclosed, even to enclose stock that might be grazing there under common righ t s, without special sanction from central government. On some commons (e.g. Brisley Common) it is mainly sheep that are grazed and these are restrained not by physical barriers but by instinct (hefted). It i s the responsibilty of neighbouring householders to keep marauding stock out of their property. In addition to requiring the registration of a common , the 1965 Act also required those holding specific rights on that common to register those with the County Council. In some cases this was not done, either because rights originally accorded were no longer exercised and people had forgotten about them, or because people did not appreciate the distinction between "rights of common" and "common ri ghts" . I n some cases owners may, of course, allow the continuation of specific rights, even though these may not have been registered. Grazing Rights Registered Common Rights may vary from common to common. At Royoon and New Buckenham, for exa mple , only grazing is allowed, a right that is actively exercised at New Buckenham though not at Roydon. At East Winch the rights include tree-lopping, firewood , peasticks and bracken , as well as grazing. At New Buckenham the holders of grazing rights are well organized and virtually manage the Common , meeting once a year under the Chairmanship of the Lord of the Manor to f i x the rent and let the grazing to local cattlemen. The rent received goes into a fund from which are paid the wages of a pinder or part-time herdsman , the cost of temporary electric fencing and of any 9 �spraying that may be agreed with the owners of the Common (the Norfolk Naturalists Trust). Who is a Commoner? The ownership of common rights depends upon the ownership of a tenement (a dwelling or land) to which the right is appurtenant (i.e. attached). Anyone owning such a tenement who has exercised such a right and registered it before 1st January 1970 may be recognised as a common right holder. To establish the validity of the disposal of common rights without that of the tenement to which they are attached (i.e. by which they would pass out of the parish or the manor) might well call for lengthy legal process. Not all householders in a parish or manor own tenements to which is attached a particular right. At Roydon Common, for example, only three commoners are registered, and for a specific number of cattle, sheep and horses. The owner of the common, on the other hand has rights automatically and can exercise them, though not to the detriment of the commoners. Rights cannot be leased; something then can lead to confusion where there are agricultural tenancies, since these can only be contracted by the landowner, not by the common right holder. In cases (and they are many) in which the owner of a common cannot be found, the Commons Commissioners may vest the ownership in such body or authority as may be decided by Parliament. Poors Allotments and Poors Fens These are not commons, although some might be called such (e.g. Booton Common). However their administration is of interest and can be mentioned briefly here. They are owned by Trustees of the Poor and are usually managed either to provide fuel or, more usually, income with which to buy fuel or other necessities for the poor of the parish . The Norfolk Naturalists Trust now owns seven commons and has agreements over four poors fens covering some 960 acres. The Trust is also involved in advising on the management of several other commons inc l uding Swannington Upgate. There is in Norfolk more than 6000 acres of registered common land. The Norfolk Naturalists Trust, the first of its kind in Great Britain, was founded in 1926 for the purpose of acquiring properties in Norfolk and on its borders requiring protection as nature reserves , and holding these in perpetuity. Conservation is the principal concern of the Trust which today has responsibility for over 35 properties covering some 6000 acres in representative parts of the County. The main article is condensed from a larger item which appeared in the 1984 Annual Report of the Trust. Moira Warland is the Trust's Director and Secretary. I am indebted to her for her interest and permission in allowing her original article to be condensed and reproduced . 10 �FROSTS AND COLLISONS - BUSINESS OR TRADITION? The white aproned boy will never again wheel out his grocery laden trade bike from Frosts shop in Station Road as the Eastern Daily Press told us and we will never again see the craftsman and his boy lead the horse and cart laden with building materials and trot out of the yard of Collison Bros. Builders at The Moor, Reepham. Both these businesses came to the end of their long active lives during 1985. It is not worth me commenting further on the closure of Mrs. Lily Frosts' shop as the reporter from the E.D.P. covered it well and The Collison Bros. business was concluded with an auction of the remaining building materials on Saturday, 22nd September. Like Mrs. Frosts' shop which was put up for sale, the business of Collisons had been up for sale for some time. The present owners , Mr. and Mrs. J. Williams, had hoped that someone would buy the yard, the materials and the goodwill and take it over as a going concern. It is perhaps a sign of the times that there was plenty of interest but nothing positive at the end of the day. It seems that these days you don't have to have a yard full of materials to be a builder. Like Frosts shop, Collisons yard tucked away off Reepham Moor contained many tools, articles, fittings and materials which are now more at home in museums and antique shops. In the weeks before the sale much time was devoted to the cleaning and sorting of the various buildings and many items were discovered that had lain hidden under benches for many years. A box of nails may not be exciting, but to be told and to realise that they were put there "before the last war" does give a feel of the history of the place. It is sad to think that today those nails would cost new 10p-20p each and you have just found about 30 lb. of them and then to listen at the auction and hear someone buy them cheaply at a maiden bid for little more than scrap value. Nobody these days wants cast iron pipes and gutters - its all easy fit, light to carry plastic and who would really want to buy pit saws, wooden brick hods, a spade for getting hand made bricks out of the kiln, well chains, a sign telling you that Fairways Garage will be opening shortly and all the other items that have been accumulated for a long time , perhaps up to a 100 years. In a way the auction turned out to be quite a local affair with much of the stock knocked down to other builders in Reepham by the town's auctioneer', Mr. K. Ewing. Former employees turned up for a mardle and although bargains were anticipated and achieved, brisk bidding on some articles probably averaged things out with the buyers and seller both fairly pleased at the end of the day. The buildings which have served well for so long are to be taken down, the site cleared and houses are to be built on it. It is perhaps ironic yet pleasing in some way that the site that has served for so long in the Reepham building trade is now to give further work to local builders in it's demise. Collison Bros. has always had a name for a craftsman's finish, no job was too small (or too large) and whether it was building houses in Norwich or replacing an odd pane of glass in Guestwick, Collison could always be contacted and relied upon to carry out the work. The size of the business had been wound down over the past few years and although the history of the business commands a separate article, many people will remember a famil y business which in it's last years grew in it's reliability with the unique services of John and Tom Williams, "Busty" Rudd and Cyril Barber. Reepham will always have builders and Collisons will always be remembered with the best of them. 11 �THE WHITEAPRONED boy no longer wheels out his trade bike laden with groceries, and the special offer posters in the window proclaim their prices with 1980s brashness. But to walk into the small grocer's shop at Reepham is to step back in time to a more genteel age before the pre-packed revolution and the electric till. Mrs. Lily Frost's shop, ,h uilt in Station Road between the \1ItlltS. for her : mother-in-law, still con. tains the original shop-fittings which now are more at home in museums and antiques shops. Scales After 38 years behind the oak counter Mrs. Frost has finally decided. at the age of 71 . to give up her world of glass c abinets and little drawers. and the shop is u? for sale . . ~I've got mixed feeli ngs . I am a bit sad. When you retire it is the fin?,l chapter. isn't it?" sai-.1 Mrs. Frost. a widow for 25 years. who now will probably never arri ve. . The furniture itself puts modern plastic woodgrain fittings to shame. The larger cabinets would not look out of place in a stately home and a small ivy cotton box. its reels long gone. is a marvellous piece of almost miniature furniture. Mrs. Frost's one concession to modern times is a small sweet display. ~They give you them." she explained. Mrs. Frost does not know what will happen to the fittings once the business is sold - nor does she know exactly how old they are. "They were my motherin-law's and they could have belonged to an aunt of hers before," she said. In days gone by. the 61 drawers round the shop contained rice. dried fruit. sweets and the myriad things that Mrs. Frost would weigh out on her Berkel auto scales and pack for you. The scales remain, apart from the odd quarter of sweets or pound of fruit or veg. redundant. But the drawers are still full with the shrinkwrapped cartons of goods, which would stand atop one another in a supermarket . tu c ked away inside. In some. the stock left over from a past age still awaits a bu yer. In one , inch-wide boo tlaces. in another. butt o ns a nd hooks and hatp ins . all carefull y laid aw ay as they await the customer 12 But she is sure of the reason why Frosts Stores has not -moved with the times. "I just like it this way - and I suppose my customers must have." she said. "I've enjoyed it," she said. ~I suppose I will be a lady of leisure now. "I expect I shall still live in Reepham. because that is where my roots are." said Mrs. Frost. turning to serve a customer who was seated in the chair reserved for anyone wanting to stop and chat. The money - pound coins where once farthings used to go clattered into the till. which. like the rest of the shop. belongs to a bygone age. �I REMn1BER The story of Reepham Market Place in the early years of this century as seen by a small child. As a contribution to a study of Reepham and it1s surrounding villages, Miss Majorie Gibbs wrote what can only be described as a long essay, giving a child1s eye view of Reepham Market Place during the period 1902 - 1920. As essay it may be, but is a delightful piece of social history which encapsulates the characters, residents and activities of an age personally known now to so few people. Reepham Market Place has changed little and in a way her detail is brought to life by us being able to relate it to the buildings which have changed so little in this particular area in the past 80 years. The essay is too long for the newletter to contain it all in one issue and I have spread it over two; this will not I feel change the flow of it, as Miss Gibbs wrote it in two main pieces, the first (produced here) is about the residents and their businesses and trades and the second is about the social life of the Market Place. have includ ed a map of the Market Place and the numbers (if you cannot work it out) correspond the article with their actual position all those years ago, for example number 9 refers to Barclays Bank taking up the ground floor, they are still in the same building. I am extremely grateful for Miss Gibbs giving permission for her article to be reproduced. The essay was printed and publ ished locally in a small book in 1971 but copies are not readil y available. 13 �Having known it all my In'e 'une Market Place to me is n01i just a place. In those days Reepham, having a Cattle Market liked to term itself a Town. The centre of that Town was indeed the Market Place and so it was the vital centre and alw~s referred to as "The Town". Even today, the older generation will remark that they are going in to the town to shop, or across the town if proceeding further or even meeting someone in the town. It has many nostalgic memories for me, indeed I have a very affectionate regard for it. It was the centre of most activities, since the Parish Council (of Hackford only in those days) consisted mostly of residents of the Market Place. It had street lamps of a kind, about four lanterns attached by iron brackets to the walls in various dark corners. These contained oil lamps complete with chimneys and a lamp lighter was employed by the Council. He was responsible for keeping the lamps filled, trimmod and he lighted and extinguished them at the appropriate times. They were not used at all during the summer months. The only lamp ligh~er I can remember is Mr. James Wasey. During the First World War these were not used at all and I cannot recall having an electric torch at the time. I used to walk to Guides with a cycle oil lamp. The residents and their status are remembered as foll~vs, Commencing from Town End: -,I. Facing south was Edward Gibbs, ironmonger and seed merchant; more of this business later. 2. In the cottage attached to this building was the Reading Room. This was run by a Committee, mostly Parish Councillors. Dr. E. V. Perry was the Chairman (as he was of 'nearly overy other cOODiti;cc in the Town). Dovmstairs was a public room with daily papers and such periodicals as "Tit-:Bits", IIAnswers ll , IIPearson l s Weeklyll, and IIExchange and Mart ll • The Windsor, Strand and Pearsons magazines were the monthlies along with the Illustrated London News and Punch. Only a very few of these publications have survived to the present day. Upstairs was a library consisting mostly of s econd-hand books from other libraries and added to from time to time. The large room upstairs was used as a billiards room with a full-size table. This was mostly patronised by the younger men and boys, while their more sedate elders read their papers, and smoked in comparative peace devmstairs. One paid a small fee to belong to the Reading Room and my father was Secretary, I think, and general factotum, seeing that the place was kept clean, unlocking at 9 am and closing it at 10 pm. 3. The next block was divided into tV10 parts with a shop at the corner, facing south. It was kept by Mr. Priest, chemist, who with his wife and daughters lived in part of the ground floor and the first and second floors. The previous chemist was Mr. Cripps (whom I don I t remember) but Vlho was The Priests were what I a great friend of my father's. think was termed livery genteel" and just a step above the ordinary tradesmen, since one had to "qualify" to be a dispensing chemist. The elder daughter had a small private school at IISunnyside" on Norwich Road, (demolished in the 19601's). This was a solect school for the young ladies of the town and district, and one boy attended, the son of Doctor :Berry of the "Whito House ll • Either Mr. Priest retired or died but the s chool was removed to Foulsham and the premises vacated . My sister attended the school. I 14 �was too young and lat er had a much more normal education u~ to the age of 1 2 at the local Elementary ( or Board ) school. 4. Mr. D!Arcy Colleyer, a s olicitor, residing at Hackford Hall, also occupied some of the rooms facing south. An eccentric, , my chief memories of him are of a bicycle which he frequently pushed, and a large dog which would bark all night if he forgot to take it home with him after an evening at the office. I should imagine he had a great love of music. He would frequently sing strange songs when he came to the office in the evening (or forgot t o go home). Sometimes tho songs were German Lieder, to the accompaniment of a guitar or banjo, with window wide open. 5. The corner shop was taken over by E. T. Stoner of Aylsham, as a bicycle shop and watchmending was done as well. It was managed by Mr. W. Bishop vlho lived at the other end of the Market Place. I think this tenancy was relinquished during tho First World -'(Tar when Mr. Bishop was oalled up to the Services. 6. Around the corner, facing cast, the basement was occupied by Mr. and Mrs. ' Bunnett and daughters and they used tho top floor for bedrooms. 7. Mr. Edward Holly had tho first floor where ho practised as a solicitor, and Vias later joined by Colonel T. Purdy of Aylsham. , 8. The ground floor was taken up by Barclays Bank. The Bunnetts acted as caretakers for both Mr. Holly and the bank. The bank manager was Mr. H. T. Ow on • Since the four parishes had not yet been amalgamated, he was not a member of Hackford Parish Council as he lived at Hoor Lodge, Reepham. 9. - Next to the bank was Mr. Robert Barber, a watchmaker, a Crimean veteran, and a man to be revered since he had been in "furrin' parts". He was a gentle, quiet man having a white beard almost to his waist. I~ first recollection in connection with him is of a string of watches hung across tho centre of the sash window and of being taken to the house to see his war medals and old shako. Lat er on, after his demise, Mrs. Bates came to live there from King's Head, Booton and later still Mr. Rump, the butcher from opposite the church lived there. 10.. Next was Mr. John Hall, saddler and harness maker . He had a large family, the eldest son being clerk to Mr . Holly. The saddlery business flourishe d in those days since horses wera the only means of transport (apart from the railway). Mr. Hall also mado riding saddles. M~ chief memory is a glorious smell of leather as I passed by to go to the next shop. 11. This was a grocer's and draper! s occupied by Mr . George Fishor, also a friend of my father. He had a family of four, two sons and t wo daughters. One of the latter helped in the shop and one tau&~t music and gave me ny first piano lessons. Mr. Fisher was a very likeable, jovial man and very public spirited, as indeed were Qost of the tradesmen of the l!larket Place and the ilTl!:lOdiate surroundings. 12. The last house faci ng east was the barber's, complete vdth gay striped pole . This was kept by Mr. Arthur Fowl e, a cripple , and proQinent Qember of the local branch of the PIYmoutb Brothren. I believe the shop was also a centre for much gossip and argument. This business was later taken by Mr. Harry Swoisb who remained there for many years. 16 �13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. Turning the corner and facing south is Old Brewery House, so named frau the Birch~ brewery that was at the back of this house, and owned as far as I remember, by Mr. Samuel Bircham. My first recollection is of Mrs. Bruce and her three daughters living there. When Mr. Bircham decided to live there himself, Mrs. Bruce and her daughters moved to Hackford House. One of Mrs. Bruce's daughters, Nan, married Richard Bircham. Mr. Sam Bircham had extensive alterations made to the house but after a few years, decided to roturn to London. Mrs. Bruce returned to Brewery House and hor daughter later lived there with hor family for many years. Mrs. Clitheroe, an elderly lady with a lace cap worn at an angle, lived in the next house. Her grand daughter lived there also and was a friend of my sister. Miss Shingles followed Mrs. Clitheroo, a lady very fond of children, often entertaining soce of them for tea. Wass Scotton followed on. She was a popular Red Cross nurse at the local war hospital during the war. Adjoining was the bakery owned by Mr. Ford. He was twice married and had a large family. His bread was renowned far and wide as the best bread in the district, with a real home-made texture. In the next block was Mr. William Allen's boot and shoe shop. My chief memory is of his son Robert, a very pleasant young nan, who later took over the business, fitting my very small patent shoes. I always had two pairs, ono for very best and one for seconds. Robert Allen had a great knowledge of his trade, sonetimes making shoes for special orders, a very high class shop. Robert Julen died comparatively young and the business was then taken by Mr. George Cocking who remained there for many years. The other side of St. John's alley was a "fancylf shop, kept by Miss Howard. Here was to be found a motley of goods, not very tidy, such as newspapers, sweets, tobaccos, odd wools, buttons, beads and cheap toys. Impressed on my mind , and to me as a small child, very mysterious, was a piano, half-hidden behind the counter. Here, in between serving ha'porths of sweets and ounces of shag tobacco at 3d. per ounce, Miss Howard would give musio lessons. This was a source of wonder and even envy to me. A little friend onoe . told ne her lesson lasted all the morning. She saw everyone who carne into the shop and sometimes she had a sweet. Time was no object in those days! After Miss Howard died, the business was taken by Mr. H. C. Peck, (more of him later) and when he relinquished the business it was taken by lire F. Miller. Mr. Peck had transformed it from chaos into order and Mr. Miller with his wife continued on these lines. The cottage next door was occupied by ~1rs. Stonyx whom I nover saw. She was a lady of lCloans, since, when she was ill, she had a nurse, a relative of ours, from tho Norfolk and Norvvich hospital private staff. At the auction, after hor doath many antiQues ';Jere disoovered, including what appeared to be a painted chest of drawers bought cheaply by my father. It was discovered underneath to be of solid oak and was renovated as such. This is the house 'Nhere Mr. Bishop lived when he managed Stonerts shop. The corner shop was a tailor's and outfit terts kept by Mr.·Juby, who did a fair business. He emigrated and the business was taken over by llr. A. V. King. Mr. Juby ,vas a violinist and assisted in the local string band. 15 �20. 21. 22. 23. 24. Facing north and opposite Mr. Juby was a s~all shop, also a tailor's. I think this was kept by a Mr. Bircham, but I can only just recall Mr. Pask and family living there, hi~self a tailor. ,Adjoining was a high class grocery establishment kept by Miss Woods and her ~other, also rather genteel! I can dimly re~ember Hiss \loods, but Mr. Leonard Riches later took over the business and included the tailor's shop next door in his premises. Round the corner on the square and facing west was another grocery and drapery store, kept by Mr. and Mrs. Peck. He was a cheery but rather POElpous, round little man with pale sandy, curly hair but very good in helping with parochial affairs. It was his boast that he had tho first pianola in the district, and I remember hin remarking to my father on tho occasion of his birthday that he was "half a century old today". Mrs. Peck managed the drapery side and would go to the warehouse (London, I think) to buy for her customers. A note would cor.'le for my mother that the hats for "best" 'INear for her daughters were now in for selection. 1'Irs. Peck also catered for tho toas for tho cricket team on Saturday afternoons. Adjoining was Hackford House, occupied by the Misses Spencer, most ladylike, and as a s~all child I was rather in awe of thom. After their departure I can recall their furniture auction in tho markot place. It was tho first auction I had ever seen and I was fascinated with tho ~ethods of tho auctioneer. Mrs. Bruce was the following resident and later, having moved back to Brewery House, Mr. Sam Bircham leased part of Hackford House to the OQm1litt<?G of' the l'eadin{l' -room in 19)1. ThG oouiP!!1p.nt. in~luding the billiard table, was removed to these much Part of the house next to Peck's more suitable premises. was turned into a furnishing and ironmonger's shop leased to Wallace King of Norwich, but he was not there for many years. During the 1914-18 war Hackford House was used as a nurses' home for the Red Cross hospital wh ich was run by Lady Grace Parry and her team of nurses, in the parish hall to the rear of Hackford House garden. Tho reading room became redundant. NOTE In the early 1900' s the parish hall vms referred to as the Old School, it was later promoted to tho parish hall and after tho War when renovations were made, the building was much improved and re-named tho T~m Hall. During the Uar tho wounded from the hospital, mostly convalescents, used the billiard table and room as part of thoir recreation facilities. In 1919 Mr. Bircha~ gave Hackford House to the parish as a war memorial and it was re-named The Bircham Institute. Wallace King had vacated the premises and that part was made , into a houso for the caretaker: the process of transferring the deeds etc., of the Birchao Institute took a long time to get settlod and when Mr. BirchaEl died in 1924thG whole of the procedure had to be gone through again, since it had not been settled in his lifetime. Facing north on the square is the King!s Aros hotel, kept first, to my recollection, by Mr. William King. He was a blacksmith by trade and came to the King's ArQs from the Greyhound in Back Street where he used the forge opposite . (now) a.emolished). I do not think he did much blacksmi thing after he came to the King's Arms but he used to drive a very smart horse and trap. Mr. John Dixon followed and then I think ~~. George Hubbard, who wa s there throughout 18 �the ~ar. I cannot 'recall exactly the years, maybe in the early 20's, the landlord was Mr. Devlin. His wife was Daisy Ashford who made fame with her childhood book "The Young Visiters". She did not come out much into the town but sorved in the bar quite a lot. 25. Under the King's Ar@s clubroom was a small shop, kept by various traders, one of whom was Mr. A. V. King, son 'of the landlord and who later took over Juby's tailors' business. 26. In the little house next facing north lived the Misses Boon. Their father had been a shoemaker but I cannot remember him, although I have a faint recollection,of seeing their mother when I Vias being fitted for a dress. The two sisters were very much liked. Jane, the elder, kept house and was a dressmaker. Ethel, the younger sister by several years, was a school teacher and very musical. She gave piano lessons and was organist at St. Michael's church. The churches were separate livings at that time. 27. Next cane the butcher's shop, kept by Mr. R. w. Austin. He had a tenor voice and sang in the choir and he was another tradesman who was a member of the parish council. Later he retired and the business was taken over by Mr. ~. J. Utting. 28. The Post Office came next, a plain and austere looking house. The room on the- right hand side facing was the Post Office and entered via the front door and hall. It was a Sub Post Office only. The postmaster was Mr. Herbert Rudd, assisted by his sister, Lydia. They were very nice people and were joined later by their nephew, Donald K. Chapman, who took over the Post Office when 1tr. Rudd died. After the War the premises were enlarged and a new shop front was added. 11r. Chapnan, assisted by his two sisters, then expanded the business with stationery and tobacco, etc. 29. Ivy House, the next facing north, was a pretty house covered with ivy, looking Dare imposing against the plain exterior of the houses either side. Privately, the Gibbs' thought theirs was prettier since it was covered with virginia creeper which turned red in the 3.utunn, but Ivy House had the advantage of keeping its leaves all the year round. A succession of relieving officers lived here, wbitelaw, Hamoond and Lindsey. I cannot remember if there was a tenant in between Lindsey and 1-irs. 1;1il ton, who had a large family and two lodgers. Her husband had been a sergeant major and they first kept the star Inn at Vihitwell. After his death, Mrs. lJilton cat::le into the tovm. She was a character indeed, with a strong personality. She was nost intelligent, hard-working, public spirited and a singer, altogother a very busy woman, but she always had time for everything and everybody. TIhen tho telephone came to Reepham, she oanaged the exchange installed in Ivy House, tho porch being used as the call office . It was said that she liked to listen in to conversations, but I cannot vouch for any truth in this gossip. After the iJar when sane of the fanily were grown up, sho Doved across the road to tho old reading room which had been occupied by trcops during tho Vlar and the telephone exchange Doved with hor. 19 �30. very early recollection of the Sun Inn facing north and also facing Gibbs shop (and attached to Ivy House) was of "Charlie Culling", the dog, SO named because Mr . Culling-was the landlord. I think sooeono olse followed him. for a short time, but then came Mr. and Mrs. Fred Watson and they were landlords there for a number of years. Mr. Watson was a most efficient painter and decorator and worked for Hr . John gright who lived in Norwich Road. Mr. 'Y1atson continued with his work for some years but later gave it up to work entirely in the Sun. Mrs. \7atson was a woman of groat character, and very ouch respected by all her custooers . She was a kind, motherly soul and during the \7ar was known to the forces as "ma". She was c:x:treoely good t o all s ervice r:len, whether Aroy, Navy and Air Forco , especially if they were hone sick or lonelY. 1~ 20 ��The Eastern Daily Press artist Andrew Dodds drew this picture of "The Chimes". He commented that "the elegant shop front in mellow brick in the Market Place at Reepham still gives the impression of an 18th century prosperity. So it is not hard to visualize the au tho r of Parson Woodforde's Diary doing his shopping here." Parson Woodforde frequently visited the Rev. Richard Priest and his famil y at Reepham and he records a visit to Reepham on August 24th. 17 81. "Took a ride to Reepham about 1 o'clock and there dined and spent the afternoon with Mr. and Mrs. Priest (and a number of other recorded f riends). We had for Dinner some boiled beef, boiled fowls and mushroom sauce, a goose roasted and a plumb pudding. We had after a Melon, Pears, Plums and Filberti - Returned home to Westen abou t 8 in the evening, after spending rather a dull day, and making a very indifferent Dinner." 21 �REEPHAM - DYING BUT NOW REVITALISED You will perhaps recall the article entitled "30 years ago" which appeared in the May Newsletter, it detaile d comments made at the Reepham Chamber of Trade and Commerce at their meeting held on Friday 19th " November, 1954. Three stu dents from Liverpool University had made a survey of Reepham during the previous summer and they had been "appalled" at the lack of sewerage and piped water, and they considered the town "half dead" . These were commen ts that were not met with disagreement by the Chamber as they considered it was their duty to help bring Reepham back to life and they felt that without water and sewerage no industry or private housin g was li kely. A study of newspaper reports of this particular era show th at there was indeed a great deal of local feeling and vocal expression as to whether Reepham was dying, thriving or generally just held back due to its lack of basic amenitie s. "0 The Norfolk Chronicle dated 21st May 1954 reported that at their meeting he ld on Monday 16th May members of the Reepham Chamber of Trade and Commerce ha d the gra ti fying news that their recen t efforts towards improving Reepham's ameni tie s ha d met with some suc ce ss. The white lines on the road at Towns End Corner which had almost faded to ob sc urity were to be renewed by the County Counci l . This would minimise the traffic danger at this crossroads. (The white lines were only down the centre of the road and on the Cawston and School roads only, the Dereham/Market Place road was unmarked - today we would be happy for any reas onab l e traffice improvement in Reepham and Town s End Co rner is perhaps ripe for improvement, it shows how much time and traffic has changed this corner of Ree pham, looking at a photo of th e early 1950s it shows Gri ef's shop with petro l pumps outside, not more than a few yards from the crossroads). The mee ting was also told that the lo cal R.D.C. had intimated that a water scheme for ' Reepham was at last substantia l ly in hand. Members were still unhappy that no mention was made of a sewerage scheme as they felt this was a major need as present conditio ns were verging on the pr imitive. Reepham caught the local press headlines less tha n two months later ln July 1954 when th e first of a series of articles on Reepham appeared, it gives an account of Reepham changing with the times from a commercial point of view. It is interesting to note the paragraph ab out the fitting of the stone framewor k facade to Barclays Bank, not a word of di scontent was expressed at the time about this work, work which gratefu lly has been undone by Barclays restoring a year or so ago the building to its former beauty. 22 �Changing Face of Reepham ' (1) COMMERCE MOVES WITH THE TIMES This is the fiTst of a articles on Reepham, small Norfolk series of typica L (L market loten. 'Prompted hy the 45 years' residence oj one of its inhabitants in the hope that it will revive memories of a happier past and 1JTOVe of interest to its lleu;er generations. THE i I i TEMPO of life in the Reepham of the past was less' hurried, and perhaps more satisfying. although it was the age of the I' paraffin lamp. the horse and trap. and the making of one's own pleasures. Shop hours were much ' longer, usuillly from 8' a .m. to at I least 8 p.m ., with l I a r 11.30 I; closing_on Saturdays . when easily! the biggest halt of the week's I trading was done. . One could almost claun that the bigges~ change in the nation's social life has ~ been in its .<;hoppil1.J< customs. In retrospect, it is lIttle short .of ma,rvel- I 101M that wnereas Saturday .night was 11 {he accepted lime for. shopping, I most of it can now be done in day- ! Jight and earlier in the week. I I Reepham can be proue( of its shops, many of which have ;rcceived modern ironts. About the ea,rliest to be given this treatment was the Post Uffice. Previously it was run in a room of a private house, which served the town tor well nigh 50 years. but the introduction . of the Old Age Pension Act (one of the earliest social services to by undertaken by U1C Post Office) led to such an influx of traffIc that the housc was denied all privacy. A . more offIcial frontage was installed, the one sm:J.ll-paned I window ,g iving place to a double. ' paned plate glass window with .'l door ,g~v in.e direct acce:;s to the office, Seven years ago, when the P05t Omce was tranSlfer,red lo other premises, a more a.ffi bitious cnlargclnent \vith a . quite modern frontage and window fittings was carried out, and here a new amenity for Heepham-a bookshop-Is being conducted by the former 5ub-postmaster. It was Bnrclays Bank that in tbe 1920's start\Xl the real trend in m odernisation of the town's commercial establishments. Formerly comprising a suite ot. offices (in which, incident~llv. lw!' ~oljdtQr~. nract!~ed at either end ot the DUlldmg, a silop, the bank premises proper a6 well · as livIng accorrunod;>','on, its trllllsformalion was a .. o·urce of interest not untouch!:u with tre.pidation, as the excavation was made to house the strong-room. The highest buildin,g in the town, apart from the steeples of the ch urches , its shell 10 a ked nrighteningly fragile as the sand on which it stood '...·as being shovelled out, :Ind conside.rable shoring-up w as nl'Ccssar y to withstand the higb winds th<:t developed at that time. As the massive stone framework of ihe new bank office gr-adually fitted int o place fears subsid\Xl, and without untoward mcident an offIce worthy of the institution and the town came into being: with Italian marble flooring, two spacious counters and today's staff of five as :rgainst the 601 itary rl'lr. H. Temple Owen of 45 years ago. 23 Une of the solicitor,; (Capt. T. Purdy) .retains much of his former accom-· modation, but ·t he old <:aretaker's Quarters have been requisitioned, whil~ the other solicitor (Mr, D'Arcy CoLlyer) has srince died. The eliminl<tion of the' shop led to the adapi;Jtior. of Ivy House, almost opposite the bank;' as the' shop to house the d.ru.g·gIst business now c-arried on by Miss E. G. Jewell. The next shop to meet the changing tim~s was Mr. Hunt's grocery. and : dra.pery store on St.ation Plain. i Chronologically, Teturn has.to be made I to the centre of t!he town. where the Town's End . milLinery and drapery ' store now operated by Mrs. S. L. Curtis was completely trans·figured wIth spacious windows and central healing to become a favourite haunt of Sunday window-shoppers. An entirely new shop a..p peared on the Dc.reham no·ad followin,g the advent of electricity in tbe town. where an effedi\'e modern buildinC!' serves as the showroom and offices of the Eastern Electricitv Board. At the Dereham-Ayl61ham road approach , of Town's End the cYcle. tov and ! radio shop 0 ·( Mr. G. Griefs has . absorbed collages and adopted the ' current shop style as far as possible, and the latest to un<!ergo remodellinC1 is the prpsent Post Office" where Miss Bushell also conducts I '",('\1'"' nMv~~('("r("·. ! �In January 1955 the Reepham Parish Council expressed strong views in support of a letter from the Reepham Chamber of Trade and C6mmerce about the lack of piped water and sewerage. This, they felt, was diminishing the prospects of attracting new en terprise s into the town. One of Reepham's district councillors said that it was not the fault of the R.D.C. but that the holdup was with experiment s wit h the composition of the type of pipe to be used in rel at io n to the soil. This explanation was however, given short thrift and the Clerk was in structed to write to the local M.P. and to the county councillor urging th em to spee d up the insta llation of these es sential services. In November 1955 the Reepham wa ter and se werage scheme had progressed, tenders had been accepted for headworks and water mains from Cawston and Salle up to the Reepham railway line and tenders for the water mains and sewers in Reepham were due to be receive d during th at month. It was hoped th at th e starting date "should not be many weeks ahea d". We have to move on a couple of years or so to Janua ry 1958 to find th e next headline "Reepham is genera lly happy, but ... ", the reporter felt th at as one wandered about Reepham the impression gathered was that the re s ident s felt it was "a very pleasant, happy and ge nera lly satisfactory littl e town". However it was felt that there was room for development and improvement. There was room for light industry in the t own, it was equipped with electr icity and good roads, it had an active railway station for both passenger and goods traffic and water and sewerage wo ul d be fully available by the end of March. The bas ic needs for an enterprising and expa nding town were all there. The new school (now the High Sc hool ) was projected for the following year and this should bring a we l come infl ux of new life and interest to the benefit of the trade and town. It was true that a number of shops coul d do with a face lift, a spot of modernisation but in 1958 it seemed that Reepham was attractive l y poised commercially to bri ng an era of prosperity to the town. It was felt that "The town and tra de of Reepham" a mu st on eve r y toast l ist two decades earlier could now be heard again. The to ast was obviou sly not expressed or heard by al l as no more than f ive months later the headli nes read " Is Reepham a dying town", the article which i s reproduced here lets you decide for yourself. Subsequent letters to the Press from a number of"Reep hamites" asser ted most stron gly that Reepham was not dying but merely changing, the new rector, t he Rev. G.H. Hurst felt th at although many things were lacking it was encouraging to find many peopl e who knew and loved the town. There were obviously many signs of life in the town an d perhaps one of the problems was that Re epham was a town, if on l y in size. I t was per haps a very small town wh ich had difficulty in its isolation, there was like ly to be a conflict be tween a small outlook and a big outlook - between those who were concerned to do things in small ways suitable for a village communi t y and those who wa nted to do things in ways more fitt i ng the dignity and respo nsibility of a town . 24 �'KbbPHAlVl UYli~U- More Light Industries the Big , Need" • • • Two of the Causes I N the s,itting-rooms 'and the streets,' the saloon bars and the shops of a little Norfolk town, one question is uppermost in the minds of the townsfolk. It is a' question which has received Nth ,',.. such publicity in recent weeks that it is being discussed far outside the town ~itself-for , , mdeed It affects many other towns of similar size and status, " The questIon: IS REEPHAM TOWN 'l A DYING h i e county. e wrote. I now • a ghost market town'" ' But ot~er correspondents rush,ed to the town s defence. •• Reepham IS far from dead,': wrote" A Reepham,-ite," "In fact. It seems to an ordinary person that it is very much alive in many ways." Are things. In fact. as bad as they look to the casual visitor who arrives on a Wednesday afternoon? A visitor who may well imagine. from the dearth of cars or people or activity. that it is early closing day. but who will discover on inquiry that this is In fact market d«Y-the busiest day of the week, N Reepham itself is a town of some 1400 people, set in the heart of agricultural Norfolk. Well off the main road arteries, andio recent years even deprived of its passenger railway station, it strives to maintain its little shopThe Brighter Side ping centre, its business associaOn the face of it. Reepham seem:; tions. and its weekly Wednesday. ' dying indeed, And yet. one may market. But some of the townsreach a different conclusion on closer people think it is fighting a losing inspection, Down one back street, battle; others think it can only win for example, a block of old cottages with 0 u t sid e help; and thp. and a building which has been used as a maltings. a carpenter's shop and occasional pessimist even asserts a fish-and-chip saloon is at present that it is not merely dying, but being converted into a mineral water dead, bottling factory. providing potential In days gone by. Reepham ' was a thriv'in.: market town. Within its' employment for ten or a dozen people, Out on the Bawdeswell road. two boundaries were two tanneries, three new police houses are nearly commaltinj!~, and a brewery, to prov:de pleted, Elsewhere in the town. within jndustrial employment for the local the next 18 months, a, new secondary population, The shoppinl; centre inmodern school is to be huitt The cluded three butchers, three bakers. scars on ,~~ ;i'c.~l1 rOCJds are a three 'harness'makers. two chemists, r.,llllllder that water and sewerage l· have just been laid on, and will be WItat ,s l ,!:::,:I"g connected, it is hoped, within the next O! the industries. none is left. 0: few weeks, :: •., :;~:;;:'. """,ntioned above. only one Ar .. th~nO: indications that Reepham butcher, one baker ana ,,:-:':" h"rnes~is dying? maker remain, The only sUr\':v;:-:g , .. Ah," say the pessimists, .. but a chemist's shop closes at the end of .. ~ ... oolice house and a new S{;hool this week, to join the barber's shoo will not brin); npw life to the town," which closed some months ago and 'A nd it is true that, tr,vu .. :1 they will the grocer's which put up the be an amenity for what lite tile. ~ ;0, shutters last Easter, they are not likely to inject fresh The cattle market, once so well sup' blood , ported. has not attracted more than What, then. is the answer? :!O-odd entries on recent market day" The life of a small market town Furthrr cuts have been reported in depelJds, it would seem, on two main the meagre bus service. Then' is factors-a prosperous market, ar.d not a re.taurant or a public ooO\'eniadequate scope for employment. ::'.lore ence in the town, cattle in the pens, more light industries in the tOWll, Is this likelv This IS the black side of the plc:ure to happen at Reepham? ' ' -a side which was emphasised by Mr, E, H, Britt'din when h" "~nn1lnl'ed r O/J/Josill!! 1dellS i' two monti,s ago that he could find ~ ~ nobody to take over his chem:,,'s One school or Ithought maintains shop-,tl,1' only one left in Reepham. that, with thorough canvassing bY servin" about a five-mile radius, the auctioneers, more farmers wou,rl The problem in his cdse is not ~enrl their callie to Reepham Market. limited to Reepham's condit~oc, T:le ,more buyers wou;d be ilttraCled .'1 tra:!,ed chemist today can find more belter prict's would be obtaincd. al:d , remunerative and convenient po;:s so still Illore farmers would send with("lut sink in::: cap;tal in a rural their cattlc. ' ' TIJC' opposite ~chool replies tll;!t I'lle bU5iness. But l\-lr, Brittain, who at f:t.rin('rs have alread,v been canva~~eo, ';'2 ha~ compleled 50 years as a but with easicr trilllsport facililies, chemi~t. ele\'en of - t~em spent at they prl'fcr to <end Ihe;1' C' tt1e to the~ i Reepham, kars In"t the day 01 :ne b" k T' ,'" ,: II! mar els, he OrlC(,S at Reephilm~;) ,.' small market to\\'n is,"- nearly o\'er. ,:' thl',V , say, c'omparc f;l\'ourilbly willl't~ uknlesSt,~(lll1ethi!"I'l!t,can ,oed °tffherE"t o dto , those E"1~('wh('j'e. but tohC'v ~tiil han'; ", Pe-p ne popu d Ion an e ra e~ , not <lttrilelpd mo~e s(,lloel:~, And eV(,IIC,,: <>m dr :ftinJ! to Ihe bi).! cities, f#~' if tlie," rlid, :m ex,.tr.a thirty or forty). , -~ fal'nler~ in tl~(' 10"~' I}, "lfne clay a w('ek::') • GIlost jp'1 or k'C t T ol«:n ' '~ l wou'rl not brlll)!'a ',\'ave of pro>pe-rit\', ,, , But there i~ no 'sueh repl,\' 10 \lie; ! Mr, Brittain':; pli;:ht prompted a I Qupst,("In of Ii!!ht indu,trie>-allrl here' man w!c.o once knew Reepham to raise wnu!d ~('('m 10 be I'll' mo,t promi~ing , ';', ' t'he ques:ion publicly: .. Is Reeph~m \ ~olution, AIl'ead,' olle inollstrv i~ , d,-:ng 7" It came bc(ore the Parish be:ll:! crl'aterl in the lown: wl\l',i !he , : Coune:! and the Chamber of Trade. water and sc~,'ic <Ire' conn ectecC ,,' and It was taken up by other carre tlhere m<lv well oc much more, Anri spondents, { p e o P l e who c<ln work in a town will Mr, J, Haggerty, for example wh live in that town'rand s~nd in that keeps the King's Arms Holel. was town.-as well. \ one who thou~ht th:l\ it wa s, .. What There arC' man.) facilities waitin~ wa~ once the best litlle market tQ:vn for thC'm, Since the w~r it is claimed TOO QUIET -The 2.45 p,m , on market that about 110 houses and bungalows have been bu,i lt there. There are two ~'outh clUbs functionin,gregularly durin~ the winter monlh~. facilities for furtner education are provided :It the schoo!, o,ganisations like the British Lc,gion. the St, John A)nouldii~":: ~"';~::Hle, and tile Red Cross are fiourishinl;, The fire brigade and the tOWII band have built up impressive reputations: the local ambulance ,committee runs a day-and-night Eervice for t,he town and the surrounding area, Many other activities, not noticeable to the casual visitor. are equally alive, !ike the S'POrts commi!1ee which has ambiti<:>us plans for d ;rtna reXcUl.ii. j ' As :\11', D, Kendall Chapman put !t to the Chamber of Trade, Reepham i~ not d~'ing, but chan,ging, Whether t,hat change is accompanied b." decay may sti!l be a matter tnr dispute, But lZiven a l:tt!e encourallement. a little good fortune. a little thoughtful inve~tment and ' fore~il!'ht. and the change may weB be for the better, Qre tu10 oj the ShOP3 J. H. R. T. ' 1 ' ,.! " , '--,r-- " --::-:------1 'l'flE LA.ST CIIE,".,IST.'-A1r. c!lel' Erne.sf Brit,tain fh,",~ isf',see,n 'I' outSIde h" shop'. ,Wr BTlttaln who is 72 , yeQrs old , QS been unsucce3s/1l1 in Inc. in d a '" successor' Qnd 1'lI! l~nchcd the controv.,er3Y - . (' Is Reepham ' D ' ri' .. ~ ~ y rn l1 i i :,. ', ~:"~:_ > , ,' __ ;~~'II).. EASTERN DAILY PRESS, F �JU~l CHA1~G-ING? Concern jpotllgbt on a N01folk Town On the Brighter Side I , ,', ; , 'arket Square at Reepham photographed at ny. In the distance on the lejt oj the square hich hatle closed within the last few months. --, J , ! LIFE IN THE BAR-Although the streets are deserted there ia still some trade for the five remaining public-houses-in the bar 0/ the King's Arms the licensee. Mr. J. Haggerty. is lJeen at work. f :. C L· i: " . "'t " t',: " , ,_ _ ,. ____ _~~1>':::t';$tVrZ NEW BUILDINGS-Another siRn oj betler tim~s ,) at the.rear of the old court house. IDAY, IHAY 9, 1958 - T(eo neW police hO(lses arc beinR b(Jilt (above) ~l:; -~~., �Reepham Today - Whatever descr i ption of Reepham I could now make would probably meet with disagl~eement from someone so it is probably for the best if I leave you to draw your own judgement and conclusions. I feel though that Reepham could hardly be regarded as dying, it is changing and has probably changed more i n the last twenty years than in any other twenty year period of its hi story. Yet during this period of change it has also been through its mos t restrictively planned period of its . history. In 1972 the Norfol k County Council produced a Village Plan for Reepham, which included a Central Area Policy Plan. At the same time most of the town centre was designated within a Conservation Area for the town. In 1979 part of the Reepham Village Pian was superceded by the Reepham Town Centre Local Plan. In 1985 it was decided that both plans were out-of-date and that a review of local planning policies for Reepham should be carried out. Reepham ;s also included in t he Norfolk Rural Development Programme which allows for the development of industri a l floorspace. Reepham has been selected (within the Draft Roll Forward Policies of the Norfolk Structure) as one of the 12 villages selected for housing estate development and as a village service centre which will provide a range of facilities for the village and the surrounding area. It is ironic to note that 25 years ago Reepham was a small town which was finding difficulty in its isolation and now it ;s to expand and to provide facilities for the sur roundi ng area it is called a village. Yet during this "pl anne d period" the number of houses and the population is at it s hig hes t eve r level as the fol l owing figures clearly show. Ce nsus Popu lati on 1961 1971 1981 Dec . 84 (e stima t e) 1276 1381 1896 2127 Ho use Comp l eti ons 1971 1972 197 3 1974 1975 197 6 1977 1978 197 9 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 13 8 32 32 39 11 20 24 4 24 14 23 17 42 Reepham is wel l liked by most if not all of i ts inhabitant , it is a town that is alive and exp and ing, let us hope t hat all th e plannigg and policies . that now allow and co nta in this wil l let it retain i ts character and its rural but valued isol at io n. �Under Cromwell's oak IT HAPPENED almost underneath Cromwell's Oak. The future Lord Protector was' forced to take refuge ·in the oak on a visit to Erasmus Earle his SeIjeant-at-Law in the Long ParlIament, according to ~ local tradition. Earle's majestic tomb is in Heydon church. A car drew up by the stagheaded oak, just past the front of Heydon Hall, and I was delighted to make the acquaintance of Captain William Bulwer-Long; who lives in the red brick Elizabethan mansion and welcomes visitors to walk in its fine park. Greeting me warmly, he spoke with enthusiasm and a feeling for history, of his love of the countryside and wish to share its enjoyments with others . How boring a life farmers led who had only an expanse of "prairie,~ he thought. I had set out from Reepham northwards, over a railway bridge and past World's End Lane, to where a mile- long footpath struck across a wide peafield for the great tower of Sail church. (No sign of path.) Then , go along the lefthand edge of a belt of trees and over a wire fence to the grassy mound on which the church stands: grand and grey and full of featurp.s and the sonorous tick-lOck of tempus fugit-ing. " I like th e head of a sheep, n said a lady doing the flowers, and she pointed me to ·a small carving high up on the ' chancel arch, beneath the stupendous timbered roof. "It's often overlooked; Heydon Hall: Off the beaten track but walkers are welcomed to stroll through the grounds of the park. 27 it shows the church was built on the proceeds of wool." Trouble lay ahead. A small brokendown gate leads from the churchyard and a second mile of field path starts alongside a hedgerow, but soon strikes somewhere across now unbroken cornfields, to the Heydon road. I n the dip, wh e n last I came this way se ven years ago, was a bro ok w ith a plank bridge. N ow it's a deep, water-filled dyke, and if there's a bridge I failed to find it - which was excusable. Heydon was Norfolk's first official "conservation~ village but owes much of its charm to tree s and fin e hedges. Short of the Earle Arms , which faces the green , Jack Barber was bus y in his smithy, welding a fragment of old lorry. "I once had 400 horses to shoe,n he told me, recalling 43 years as a blacksmith. Now he is happily back at work after open-heart surgery at Papworth - "by the top surgeon too'" Fol1owing the sweep of drive past Heydon Hall , I crossed the Holt road and into a lane and green track (with few flowers and without hedges) ; and , th e doleful cries of peacocks in my ears and the poplar-line Bure b e low , c a me past Irminghall Hall into Corpusty, a pretty riverside path near the end. Or was it Saxthorpe , the Siamese-twin village? Se ven years ago I found young Sean Rawnsley making harpsichords in a tum bledown Salvation Army hall at nearby Wood Dalling. Then he mo v ed to this joint the hedge and admire t he scene - and how many such pull-ins are there in Norfolk. Cropto n Hall has an imposing clump of barleysugar-twist chimneys. Here go right, then soon left into a farm drive. The path crosses a meadow in front of t h e house and I had to work my way round two sides of it to a gate while followed closely . by four friendly sheep. Then By B. R. Christy village of many crafts, but had gone, finding more scope for harpsichords in London apparently. The Duke's Head was friendly and delightfully the "local." Refreshed , I strode along the Heydon road - a pretty lane with occasionall y a place fo r drivers to pull pleasantly on to the grass by J W'~~ 1.'~ ~ \", > J ,/ OAK ~~~~ f~. ~ 'TROPION HALL GROVE fBEU5K ~~ ! \'l' ?\ ... ~t ~ ... .•?1 ,..\ SALLE :' (", k·/ ""HAM "'l'tJf- -J~~ O.S SHEETNoI33 : ' 50, 000 SERIES DISTANCE ABOUT 13 or 6 miles the path crosses a cornfield to a White house at Norton Comer. For the rest, bear broadly south, keeping an eye on compass and map, on a variety of roads and tracks, some with grass down the middle , some sandy, some muddy; past Crabgate's small cluster of red roofs, past lonely farms. "Hill" Farm is surely a joke - like all the Little Londons! Opposite Manor Farm was the muddiest track of all but such fine trees and hedges. And just past a double iron gate a rough stile invites you into a pretty footpath that follows a brook back to the edge of Reepham. If the full walk seems too arduous, the best can be e-njoyed by starting and fi ni sh i ng at Heydon , in whIch case contmue south at Cropton Hall and so into Heydon Park. • Both Sail and Heydon churches are unlocked; and Heydon has a fascinating dIsplay highlighting points of interest and drawirlg attentIOn to the expense of repairing the magnificent . 15th century tower damaged by a hurricane in January 1976. �FISH AND CHIPS .If to Reepham Market Town you should take a tr i p To buy a cow or sell a sow then take this little ti p; When the sale is over and before you leave th e t own , You should find a cosy little place and with a frie nd s i t down . But if you do not know the place And for some Tommy grieve Let me just introduce to you A place now run by Reeve. You'll find it not two minutes From the market or the square Between the sun and sun barn pit You'll find it sunny there . Just walk inside and take a seat, A waitress there you'll see, You'll order what you want to eat And drink a cup of tea. This place is where you get some plaice, Some codling, skate or soles, Some nice potato chips as well But 'tis no place for fools . For here you get your money 's worth In fish and chips and bread And if you'd like a cup of tea It's there as soon as said. The management is of the best As you will quickly see , For if you looked the food is cooked By electricity. I recommend this place to you For I went yesterday And you may take my word as true, It's worth every bit you pay. So if to Reepham Market Town You should take a trip To sell a cow or buy a sow, Also take this little tip: And go to Reeves for Fish and Chips To Fords for buns and tea, For other things go whe re you wish But take this tip from me. Taken from Poems and Prover bs by Royal W.J . Cooper 28 �� Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Reepham Society Newsletters Description An account of the resource A comprehensive collection of newsletters published by the Reepham Society. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Printed and digital Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GB/REE/RS/Magazines Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1983-2000 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Reepham Society Text - printed Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Reepham Society Newsletter Christmas 1985 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource November 1985 Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GB/REE/2110021440 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource A4 31 pages Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Reepham Society 1985 Reepham Society https://reephamarchive.co.uk/omeka/files/original/1991f5c7890a52f520e353ac93a082a9.pdf b8087614fa52af05ca3938a8805792ff PDF Text Text THE REEPHAM SOCIETY ·N~WSL.ETTER APRIL 1986 �MARCH 1986 Dear Member, The last newsletter was a Christmas issue and contained one or two extra articles which were intended to give you, the reader, somet hing to look at and digest in your spare moments over the holiday period. If our distribution is quic k, then you will probably receive this issue in t ime for the Easter holiday. I cannot, however, produce the quantity of material this time - but I hope you will fi nd something of interest. All members should have received their 1986 membership card which included the programme of events organised by the Society for the forthcoming year . The origina l list of events was planned last autumn and since then a number of changes have been necessary , one or two extra events have al so been fitted in. Please refer to the list of dates detailed in the next few pages as your new definitive list of events for this year, there may be other changes and we will certainly want to inform you of further detail concerning specific events, such as the Cheese and Wine Evening now scheduled for Friday, 14th November. Future quarte rly newsletters will inform you of any changes but please , watch the Society 's notice board in the Bircham Centre or note any posters which may be put up informing you of our events. At the end of each membership year the Society loses a number of membe r s and then gains throughout the following year. This year however , our new members have mo re than totalled our membership loss. During January and February we gained 26 new members and after allowing for the 12 memberships the Society lost, our total membe rship now exceeds 300. The trend will be for fu rt her members to join during the year and as we now have more members than at any time in the Society 's eleven years existence, it seems that "things can only get bigger and better" for us. The second part of "I Remembe r" by ~1iss Marjorie Gibbs is included, this particular item stirred a number of memories and from the feedback I have received , it seems it was widely read by members and by a number of non members who purchased some of our spare copies from The Chimes. Mr. Tony Ivins has lent me an article about tanning, an occupation that once found employment for a number of people in this area. A word of warning though, if you suffer from a queasy stomach then read the article before you have your tea and not directly afterwards. We have an article about the history and work of The Civic Trust, of which the Reepham Society is a registered member, and I have reproduced from the Trust 's bi-monthly journal "Heritage Outlook" an article about the Ramblers Association which I hope will be of interest. Finally we have given you anothe r poem by Royal W.J. Cooper, another topi cal choice entitled "Reepham N.F .U. Meeting". My thanks to t he foll owing contributors and helpers. Anthony Ivi ns Roya 1 Cooper Majo r ie Gibbs Irs. M. Hemmings. Michael Black Middlemarch Broomhi 11 Lan' Reepham. Tel. 870936 1. �THURSDAY 3rd. APRIL The annual general meeting of the Reepham Society will be held on this date at the Old Brewery House Hotel commencing at 8.p.m. The first part of the even.ing will be devoted to the affa i rs of the Society, whic h usually consists of the election of officers and the el ection of those members nominated to serve on the committee for the forthcoming year and a report of the Societyls previous yearls work and achievements, a report usually given by the chairman. When the annual affairs of the Society have been completed those attending will be entertai ned by the Rev . F. Allcock, who will give a talk on "Memories of Reepham in the 1920 l s and 30 s." I would add that the administrative/committee part of the evening usually only takes about 30 minutes, so please donlt be put off by the more mundane part of the evening. The Society now boasts a membership of more than 300 and the turn - out at the annual general meeting is usually about 40 members and friends, so this year why not turn up and enjoy an evening which as a member has been primarily organised for your benefit! I ******************** MO NO AY 5t h. MA Y The membe r ship card and 1986 programme does not list the following event, the 1986 programme was initially planned in Oct./Nov . 1985 and- since then a footp ath walk has been organised. In previous years footpath walks have been organised by the Society or by outside groups to whom we are affiliated or linked in some way. 11m sure many of you will remember the two walks that we were involved with last March, one a walk around the town and the other a somewhat wet and windy walk around the Reepham countryside. Monday, 5th May is the Bank holiday to celebrate May Day and you are invited to join us in the Market Place at 3.p.m. for our Spring Footpath Walk, good walking shoes or boots are essential and as it is a bank holiday, then something warm to wear will probably be essential. All members and friends are welcome. as are any dogs - but on a lead . Reepham is an area which is well served with footpaths and unfort unately the Reepham Society does not take a role as great as it would like in organising regular walks along these paths . I think it is fair to say that three or four walks a year could be organ i sed and it would still take a few years to cover all the known walks and points and places of interest in the area . Is there anyone who would like to take a more active organising interest in this particular area? The present comm ittee does not feel we are giving our footpaths wa lks enough emphasis and we would be more than willing to help anyone who would like to take over this particular role. If anyone is suffici ently interested th en perhaps initially they would contact the newsletter editor on Norwich 870936. ******************** THE REEPHAM SOCIETY AWARD SCHEME - THURSDAY 5th. JUNE The Award is to be presented bi-annually, the first award f or 1983 was presented to M.G. Brown and R.J. Chamberlain for their renovation wor:-: on the four early 19th cent ury cottages now known as Birchams Yard. The Award Scheme is intended to stimulate interest in the appearance of our Town and Countryside; to create a greater awareness of the importance of environmental design in all as pects, including architecture, planning and landscape and to draw attention to 2. �the best con t r ibutions being made in these fields. Every two yea rs members and non members of the Society ar e invited to submit schemes for the consideration for the Award. The winner is presented with a certificate and the buildi ng or area of work which wins the Award has a plaque affixed. The plaque was designed by Russell Vincent and is in cast aluminium and manufactured by t he Royal Label Factory. Four schemes were nominated for the 1985 award and the sub- committee vi sited:1. Barclays Bank - to consider the outside structural changes 2. The conversion carried out and now known as Merchant s Yard 3. The conversion to living accommodation of a former cartshed for Mr. and Mrs. J . Vertigans 4. The conversion to living accommodation of a forme r slaughterhouse at Bar Lane Cottage for Mr. L. Harris The recommendations of the sub-committee have been ac cepted by the Society and an award will be made but I'm afraid that at this sta ge the wi nner cannot be announced, we are saving this for the following date. The committee has arranged an evening visit on Thursday, 5th June to "look at a new development in Reepham", it has been decided that t he award ceremony will be held on thi s evening and hopefully we will be able to look in some detail at the winning scheme and then to move on to the 'new development'. Would all members and friends who want to attend, please meet in the Market Place at 8.p.m., from there we will walk to the award win ne r ! ******************** THURSDAY 10th. JULY ~ VISIT TO HALES BARN The Society has arranged with the owners of Hales Hall Barn f or a pri vate evening visit on Thursday, 10th July to Norfolk's largest barn. Hales Barn is indeed an impressive building and has been des cri bed - as the most spectacular as well as one of the oldest surviving barns in Norfolk. It was built at the end of the fifteenth century and at a hundred and eighty four feet long, it has, during the centuries, been used for stabling . and accommodation for farm servants as well as for storage space for harvested crops . The barn was only one part of the Hales Hall complex and alt hough little remains t oday of the original Hall except some buried foundations, there is oppos i te to the barn, a long range of domestic buildings for the farm, buildings as old and as interesting as the barn. A coach will leave Reepham Market Place at 6. p.m. sharp on 10th J uly , and t he cost to those going will be £1.50 each. This is an exceptional piece of our Norfolk Heritage and we hope as many of you as possible wil l come along f or this evening. ******************** �THURSDAY 30th. OCTOBER For this evening we have invited Mr. Brian Sage to gi ve us a talk with sl i des entitled "No r thern India and it's Wildlife". Mr. Sa ge can offer soc i eties talks on a wide ra nge of geographical top i cs and we have picked just one from a long list of poss i bilities . The evening will be held at the Bircham Institute and will comme nce at 8. p.m . ******************** FRIDAY 14th . NOVEMBER - WIN E AND CHEESE EVENING Over t he pas t years t 1e Wine and Cheese Even ln g at Whitwell Hall has given the Society a successf Jl fund raising event enjoyed by all t hose who attend, it has usua l ly been held ea r ly in the year but in 1986 i t is to be held on Friday 14th November , this is not an event th at a~ p e a r s in the 1986 programme and membership card so perhaps you could make a note of this date in your diary. Further details will be given in due course but at the moment I can tell you that it wil l be held at Whitwell Hall from 7.30 p. m. The awards to the winners of the annual garden competition will be presented early in the evening, you will then have some time to enjoy your 'cheese and wine' and the evening will be concluded with some entertainment (a t the moment we have not booked anything speci f ic but I am told that a revue by the Ree pham Amateur Theatrical Society is highly likely) . ******************** ANNUAL GARDEN COMPETITION Th i s annual competition was not held in 1985 but Mrs. P. Large and Mr . J. Miller have taken on the task of organising it for 1986 . Contact has probably been made already with those members who had their gardens judged in previous competitions to see if they wish to participate agai n. The Society will be pleased to arrange a visit to any garden that i s entered , inspections are us ually made twice during the summer by the organi sers and the judge and these vi sits are usually made without prior arrangement with the gardener concerned. The judges' final decision is made on the strength of bot h visits, gardens will be judged in two categories, large and small, and there is no limit on how large or small a garden your garden can be. It doesn't have t o be all your garden, if you keep scrap cars in the bac k garden , but the f r ont garden is your pride and joy, then make it clear t o t he j udges that onl y the front is to be considered . I f you would like to enter the competition, then pl ease contact Mrs . . P. Large, telephone 871 789 after 4th May 1986. The Ewing Cup for the Best Small Garden and the J. St impson Cup for the Best Large Garden will be presented to the winners. Certi ficates will be presented to those coming 2nd and 3rd and cash prizes will also be given to all six winner s . ******************** 4 �THURSDAY 4th. DECEMBER Last year .we had a very successful evening wit h the "East Anglian Film Archive"; a 'large audience enjoyed a look at Ipast No rfolk ' and we have asked the film unit to come back again and bring us some mo re of their photographic memories '. The films will be a mix of City and County and \/ i11 last for about one hour, the highlight will be a film made in 1942 , E~ ntit · ed ICrown of the Year' ! It features a farmer, Charl i e Wharton, who 1 i Vf· d in the FTeggburgh area of the county and features the wartime harvest of 194; . I m· sure that the harvest using horses with muc h of t he help coming fr orl landgirls, will stir many memories . The evening will be held at the Old Brewery Ho Ise Hotel and will commence at 8.p .m. ******************** A welcome to the following new members:Mr. D. Harvey Mr . N. Sunter Susan Batterham Mr. & Mrs. W. Blatch Dr . & Mrs. R. Batty Mr. & Mrs. R. Randell Mr . & Mrs. Seeley Mr . & Mrs. A. Cowles Mrs. E. Nightingale Mr. & Mrs. D. Joice Mrs . S. Hardiment . Mr. & Mrs. Ayliffe-Robson Mr . & Mrs. Heath Mrs. Canham Mr .. & Mrs. D. Gostling Mr. Shearman o The Old Brewery House Hotel Blackwater Cottage, Whitwell II II II Valley Farm House, Whitwell Brewery Lane, Reepham Silver End, Reepham Silver End, Reepham Silver End, Reepham The Chimes, Reepham The Moor, Reepham Booton St. Marys Glebe Barn, Reepham Ollands Road, Reepham Silver End, Reepham Pightle Way, Reepham Station Road, Reepham Membership with the Society is annual and was renewable from the 1st. January 1986; for various reasons twelve memberships were not renewed, however with membership renewals and with new members since January 1986, our total membership is now 305 including 36 Life Members (as at 1st March, 1986) . ******************** 5 �I REMEr~BER The , story -of Reepham Market Place in the early years of this century as seen by a small child. In the last newsletter we printed the first part of the remlnlscences of Miss Majorie Gibbs of Reepham Market Place during the period 1902-1~20. The first part detailed the residents and their businesses and this second part elaborates on the social life of the Market Place. The social life of the market place was almost a community in itself, Austin, Fisher, Hall, Peck, Cocking, Riches, and Gibbs all being meober.s of the parish council and oost of these on various conmittees that were fomed from time to time. One of the highlights of the year was the fair on June 29th and I can remember the excitement to us youngsters when the Market Place was invaded by vans, roundabouts, coconut shies, shooting galleriqs and stalls selling home-oade rock of many flavours an4 much stickiness. They usually stayed for a week, to the delight of the younger generation, although the adult part of the popUlation was glad when they left owing to the noise and many other inconveniences. Stalls were gay and lighted by paraffin flares. The majestic engine with its shining brasswork Vias admired and wondered at by everybody as it provided steam to run the roundabouts, current for the organ's repertoire of tunes and the lighting system. This was also a strain on the pockets of the youngsters for pennies, which often had-to be supplemented by a visit to their parents "tVlO or three titles during the evening. The vans were drawn up side by side on the King's Arms plain facing the road and the horses were put out to grass on a meadow. We used to visit the "fair people" and take them fruit and vegetables, since my mother always remarked "Poor things, they have no gardens". One family came year after year and we would be asked into the van, so spotlessly clean, a wonderful house on wheels and I wished I lived in it. People would throng in 6 �froD tho surrounding villages and make it a real frolic. I Vias told to be hone by 9 pn for bed, but I would lie awako listening to the organ playing its repertoire of the topi cal tunes of the day and waiting for God Save ' the King at 11 pD. I can recall Barnes, Stocks, Shaws and Grays, and cncc' Stocks stayed for three weeks. I nay add as a personal note, that this liking for fair people has never left me. Disturbing tho quiot of the week, each fiednesday was t he scone of much activity, when market day arrived. Farmers drove in with their horso and traps, tho latter of various shapes and sizos. Tho horses wore taken out of tho shafts and stabled at tho King's Arms or the Sun, though some preforred the lesser hostelries such as the Lord Nelson, Tho Greyhound, DUke of York, or Georgo and Dragon. The carts were parked on the market place or in the yards of the selected stabling. Farmers used to congregate te talk to each other and oxchange views and farm gossip, bargain with the z;'lOrchants to sell their corn , or to go to the bank for wages, and do most of their faro shopping at the local ironmonger's and agricultural engineer's. I have seen cheap jacks with earthenware, and if the salo yard was too full, calves and sheep would be kept thero until such time as thevo 'was room in the saloground . The oarket place was the centrax nceting placo for everyone. On Sundays the Salvation Amy band would hold services in the market place afternoon and evening. The band was very good in those days. Two army officers were in charge and the Army had a good cause here. I would always run to the window to soo them march by as they paraded to the barracks in Norwich Road via the Back Street, that is, if I was not in Sunday school in the afternoon. The market place set the scene for another "once a year" occasion. The Oddfell~vs held a district church parade, usually on Whit Sunday evening, when men, and in some cases their wives, came in from various lodges, arriving by wagonette, horse brake, horses and traps or bicycle. Tho men mot at 6 pm on the market place looking very gay in thoir various coloured sashes and, with a very imposing banner bearing the syobols of the Oddfollons on it, would march to church via tho Back Street. In thoso days tho churches were not analgamated and I think tho sorvico was hold one year in St. Mary's and one yoar in St. Michaol's alternately. After the service they would ag~in parade with the band (usually the Doreham Voluntoers' band) 7 �;rocecding along NO~vich Road? Rcephan Moor, Cabbago Court (n~N New Rcad) to station plain and back to tho market pla ce vin Station Road collecting ~oney en route. They would then iisband and repair to either the King's Arms or the Sun to "whet their whistlos". As a child this was a highlight and ~~ nother would entortain one or two of the wives during the parade and we would keep open house with coffee and cakes for ~r~one whom my father or ny brother would bring in afte~vards. It was a "treat" for De to be allowed to stay up to watch the p:uado after church. I cannot recall the Coronation of Edward VII but to celebrate this I believe narqueos were erected on the ~~ket place and the whole village attended a feast of cold salt boef and pickles (I don't think salads were so fashionable then), with pluo pudding to follow. Every child was given an enanel mug with tho picture of King Edward and Queen Alexandra on it, as a souvenir. Another foaturo of lifo in tho oarket place during the winter months was tho weekly dancing class held in tho King's ~s club roon. I envied my sister and brother who wore old ~nough to attend this very popular pastime. Most of the young ladios and young farmers from the district attended (ovon Mr. Peck, though not so young!) The cumi-nation of all this was the annual dance 9 held in the' sane p}aco. ~~ss Boon supplied most of the music on the piano and the lance usually finished by r.udnight. The ICing's ,Arcs had a flourishing Bowls Club, well supported by the narket place residents. Another daily event in the narket place cones to my mind. Ai 6 am the people living there were often awakened by the l1.rrival of tho mail cart and its noisy dri vcr. The cart vias like an ordinary heavy trap, with a covered-in portion behind for the bags of mail and was red. The horse wa~ given a nose bag while the driver knocked up the post naster. He cane every day including Sunday. Musically, the residents could be an entertainnent in thenselves.Mr. Fisher was organist at the chapel, choir~aster and also oonducted Gloe Parties. , Mr6 Cocking played tho bass fiddle and tro~bone, Mr. Juby the violin, Mr. Edward Gibbs Junior, violin, piano or any other instruocnt. he could find, and with residents from other parts of tho town, a string band was fomed, not grand enough to be called an orohestra. Local concerts for various oharities were give~ in tho old school, Mr. Pock singing in his light baritone 8 �vcice part-comic, part-sentimental songs that not always oucoeoded in being funny. Miss Boon was a willing cccor.:rpanist and would also sing well-known ballads of the day auch as "Don't Hurry" and "Tho Song that reached my Heart", accoopahied on tho piano by :Miss Austin who lived next door and who was also pianist with the string band. 1h-~ Austin haj a rich tenor voice and could always be relied on to sing "lIivana" or "Thora". Mrs. Wilton and lastly the Gibbs family would sometimes help. lIy father was ever popular with repeated requests for one of his six or seven h~orous patter songs, sone for which ho had never seen the nusic and ny brother would invent accor.:rpaninents for tben. Since ny father had a gift of wit a..."1d great humour he could always be relied on to nake a racy opcech of introduction or pass a vote of thanks. The elder jaughter would recite and the son, with that rare gift of ir.~rovisation, would play the piano or organ and any instruoent that he could find for his collection. He even invented an ~ttachnent for the piano which was like organ pedals and produced music fron bells~ each pedal playing one boll. The younger daughter (myself) only cane in to the music picturo about 1913 by playing accompaninents on the piano and piano solos, and even at an early age was in great demand to a.ing childish songs . Throughout the War she sang in concerts for tho troops. Her voice was trainod but she could never pursue a musical career as intended, as with the shortage of ~-powor shGhad , to leave Dorohao High School and nako a caroor in the family business instead. With sevoral "outaidors" from other parts of tho town and surrounding district tho nusical gentleoen of the market place formed a highly succossful minstrel troupo, calling themselves "The ulack Dianonds". Mr. Le Novo, tho relieving officer from Dereham Road, was interlocutor, tho two corner men wore 'ny father as Bones and Mr. Sidney Eglington as Tanbo. The assistant c~rnor mon woro Messrs . Austin and Peck. They rehearsed in tho club room and wore in great demand as entertainers. Evory year a grand Garden Fete (another highlight since there wore few cinomas and a visit to the theatre an event) was held in the grounds of Dr . E. V. Perry, the coooittee for this boing of course the Darket place gontlenen with a'few others . Their wives formed the tea cOI!Ditt ee . Sometimes the Barnardo boys froD ~atts Naval Training school at Elohan would give displays of life~saving, various gun drills and physical 1isplays and also dancing of the hornpipe . The band of this 9 �UdlOOl would parade from the market place. At night the ~nrdens would be illuminated with hundreds of fairy lamps, ~long the paths and festooned around. These consisted of coloured glasses about the size of a large cup, each containing a night-light. Usually one or two of the juniors ~cre assigned to light these at dusk, and the band played for dancing on the la\~. Vllien the Black Diamonds were formed, their first porformance was given at one of these fetes. For this premier ~ covered proscenium was erected, the string band accompanied :md it was all a hugo success. The stage was unique in those d~s in that it was lighted by electricity supplied through the ,:;:lrdcns by land line from Mr. John Dixon, who at that time had the cycle Shop on tho corner of Towns End. Tho friendly market place took on a different aspect and wi th the outbreak of war in 1914 everything seemed changed. ~arkot days still continued but with less enthusiasm, local con were oither called up or volunteered for the forces and wi th the arrival of troops, the market place bocame a parade ground. We had army personnel here throughout the war billeted in homes and various buildings. There was ~gru.ch axoi tement ~en tho first troops arrived in late ~9l5. .These were the 'A' Company of tho Honourable Artillery Corps. I well remember them arriving on horses with their equipment. We were daily awakened by tho sound of reveille from the ~3rkot place at 6.30 am and it was also sounded from various points in the ' town. During the day, we heard IICome to the cook-house door" and later at sunset, the 'Last Post' • ~ To the youngor generation who did not realise the seriousnoss of war it was a thrilling sight to see the Company on horseback lined up for inspection on the market placJ, probably beforc going around the country side on manoeuvres and many a child was late for school in consequence. This group of peace-time soldiers who were called up at the outbreak of war wore drawn from all quarters of city life in London. Stockbrokers, sol~citors, actors, musicians and all grades of profossional life. It was Reepham's boast that it held a ·'ory special regiment. These men entered into tho village lifo and were very welcome guests in many homes •• The officers' moss was at the Ollands and the N. C.O's and men ",ere in billets. 1ho horses. were kept in various stables in the tnvn and we had t-,.;o, as well as our own horse, in ours. We had two sergeants billetod with us. One was a dentist from Hanov!r Square, London who by way of contrast was the Saddler Se ~geant. Tho other sergeant wa 3 a highly qualified en ~neer and he 10 �was thG Wheeler Sergeant, so was more or less dealing with machinery. They invariably had their evening meal with us, and although the sergeants' mess was at Brewmere, they became part of our family. The very small artillery guns of the R.A.C. were kept and guarded on the market place. One vivid memory of the R.A.C. is still very much imprinted on my mind. It was New Year's eve. We had kept open house for most of the evening for coffee ~~d drinks for several of the officers and men with whom we had beceme friendly. There seemed te be a great camaraderie amongst these troops and various ranks mingled with each other very freely. Nearing midnight everyone came out of their houses and a huge ring was formed entirely around the market place. Soldiers and oivilians linked up, in rather a merry mood, and we all sang "Auld Lang Sync" and "Home Sweet Rome". For a very young teenager, taken care of by one of the sergeants of the household, this was, as I have already said, an unforgettable experience. If the market place could feel , it would have thrilled as it listened to about 150 folk of all ages , singing the Old Year out and the New Year in. It was with much sorm 'that we saw the H.A.C. depart for activo service in the spring of 1916. The Middlosex Yeomanry followed during the next winter, with horses, and the year after that the Hampshire Yeomanry arrived on bicyoles when, inst ead of the market place being a parade ground with horses, we saw bicyoles lined up for inspection instead. By this. time' a small Y.M. C. A. was funotioning in the King's .Arms Club room. A succession of regiments followed, and eaoh one en ered into the lifo of the village, although we did not even have another New Year ' s night on the market plaoe. During the war several of the market plaoe gentlemen were speciai oonstables and would bo on duty in pairs, 'Working on a rota system. Tho young generation beoame adept at avoiding thoir.rospectivo fathers, not wishing to be caught with a speoial army friend. When poaco was deolared and Reepham was again without its troops it neve~ seemed the same. The tone of the town had alterod, some men did not return, s ome were crippled, somo had been prisoners of war and we all felt war wcary,and in a much more thoughtful mood. Hew/ever, the old market place i t s elf never ch~ged and it returned to its peaoeful splendour and serenity a s it is today. ' As a matter of interest, the i r onmonger's bus i ness of Edward Gibbs was establish ed i n 1767 . In approx i matoly 1850, 11 �Mr. Wil~iam George had t hose premises. I do not know who had the business previous to Mr. George unless i t ~as his mother. It was found in records of the early 19th century that'Mrs. George was a shopkeeper in Reepham, but no trade was mentioned. Mr. Georgo was a man who did not intend to miss a penny, and it is said that he would open the shop at 7 am and sit on the doorstep eating his breakfast of bread and milk to avoid missing a customer. About 1875 the business oame into the hands of S.W. & W. Leeds. In 1888 Edward Gibbs (my father) took the business qver. He wanted to be a farmer as his father was before him, but at that time farming was at a low ebb , and ho was apprenticed to what was said to be the next best business, and that was, an ironmonge~ Hero he remained all his life, being joinod later by his son. The premises wero large, with many warehouses, each one assigned to ono section of the various goods stocked. In the 1890's the grocer's shop adjoining became vacant, and this was added to the existing shop. Until after tho war, the shop was opened at 7.30 am open all day until 7 pm, on Fridays 8 pm and on Saturdays 9 pm and it was never closed for meals . The dwelling house attayhftd was ' enlarged in 1904 when two rooes were added one on tho first floor and the other underneath, with an extra staircase and pantry behind. The business carried a large stock in great variety including somo Q~usual articles, e . g . piano hinges. It was said that if a certain article could not be obtained elsewhere it could always be found at Gibbs'. A story with its · unconscious humour occurs to me. My mother often helped at the desk with bookings and cash on Wednesday afternoons . During the war she was chatting with a customer, long sinco doceased, about meat raticning. She romarked that as a farmer, he would have, at loast, a plentiful supply of eggs to supplement his ooals, to which he replied, "What's in a egg, two mouthfuls". As a child I loved tho shop and the premisos were fino for playing hide and seek with my friends. I could ~rite about tho business at great length but so many rominiscencesmight bo boring. ·SUfficient to say I have enjoyed writing this saga of Reepham market place of so many. .years ago. I have looked back into childish memori es and savoured again n1y. · childish pleasures as 'I reeember' . 12 �TANNING . The tanning of animal hides for the production of leather was an important activity in the old parish of Whitwell throughout the nineteenth , century although the origins of the two town tanneries here seem to date back much farther. There is some evidence to suggest that there may have been a third tannery in Hackford parish at Hackford Vale.. White's Norfolk Directory of 1845 notes Robert Leamon of Whitwell Hall as a farmer and tanner and also Stephen Leeds of Whi twe 11 Green near l~hi twe 11 Common. These two tanneries and possibly the third in Hackford parish are all situated on the same small beck which runs through Hackford and Whitwell parishes, and supplied the quantity of water necessary for the tanning processes. The 1851 Census Returns list the two tanners of Whitwell, Robert Leamon, Tanner.employing 17 men, 1 woman, 5 boys and Farmer of 340 acres employing 21 men and 5 boys. Stephen Leeds, Tanner employing 10 men and 3 boys and Farmer of 880 acres employing 30 men, 16 boys, 3 carpenters and 1 blacksmith. Here follows an account of eighteenth century tanning taken from "The Complete Dictionary of Arts and Sciences" by the Rev . Temple Henry Croker, A.M. and others. MDCCLXVI. A.H . Ivins. ****** TANNING. The preparing of skins or hides in a pit, with tan and water, after the hair has been first taken off by putting the skins into lime-water. Method of tanning Oxen-hides . The skin being flayed off the carcase, if it is intended to be kept, is salted with sea"(salt and alum, or with a coarse kind of saltpetre. If it is not for keep~H)g, the salting is saved, as being of no use but to prevent the hide from corrupting before it can be conveniently carried to the tan-house. Whether the hide has been salted or not, the tanner begins with taking off the horns, the ears, and the tail, after which it is thrown into a running water for about thirty hours, to . wash off the blood and other impurities adhering to the inside. This done it is laid overnight in a lime pit, already used, whence it is taken and left { o drain three or four days on the edge of the pit. The first and slightest preparation over it is retained into a strong lime pit for two days, then taken out for four days more; and thus for six weeks alternatively it is taken out and put in twice a week. At the six weeks end it is put into a fresh pit, where it ,continues eight days and is then taken out for so many, and thus alternatively for a year or eighteen months, according to the strength of the leather and the weather; for in great heats they put in fresh lime twice a week; and in frost they sometimes do not touch them for three months. Every fresh lime pit they throw them into is stronger and stronger. At the end of four, five, or six weeks, the tanner scrapes of the hair on a wooden leg or horse, with a kind of knife made for that purpose. And after a year or eighteen months, when the hair is perfectly gone, he carries it to a river to wash, pares off the flesh on the leg with a kind of cutting knife, and rubs it briskly with a sort of whetstone, to take off any remains of flesh or of filth on the side of the hai r. The skin is no ~ put into tan, that is, it is covered with tan as it is stretched in the pit, and water is let in upon it; ~.the skin is strong five co verings of tan will be required; for a weaker three or four may suffice. When th e sk i n has not been kept long enough in lime, or in the tan pit, upon cutting It in the middle there appears a whiteish streak, called the horn or crudity of the skin, and it is th i s crudity that is the reason why the soles of shoes , boots etc . stretch so easily and take water. 13 �to be dried When the hides are sufficiently tanned they are taken out of the pit,/by hanging them in the air; then the tan is cleared of f them, and they are ' put in a place neither too dry nor too moist; they are there well stretched over one another with weights a-top, to keep them tight and strait; and in this condition are sold under the denomination of bend leather. This is the method of tanning bullocks or oxen hides. Cows, calves and horses skins are tanned much after the same manner of those of oxen, except that they are only kept four months in the lime pit, and that before they be put in the tan, there is a preparation required thus: cold wateris poured into a wooden vat or tub ~ wherein the skins are put, which are kept stirrring while some other water is warming in a kettle, and as soon as that water is little more than luke-warm it is poured gently into a vat, and upon this is cast a basket of tan; during which time the skins are still kept turning, that the water and tan may not scorch them. After an hour they are taken out and cast for a day into cold water, then returned to the former vat and the same water they had been in before and here they are left for eight days: which expired. they are put into the tan-pit, and three coverings of tan given them; the first of which lasts five weeks, the second si x, and the third two months. Phil. Trans. No. 36 Every part of the oak-tree, of what age or growth soever, is fit for the tanners use, and all oaken coppice wood, of any age or size, being cut or procured in barking-time will tan all sorts of leather, at least as well as the bark alone. When this material is got at the proper season it must be very well dried in the sun, more that the bark alone; thence it is to be cut up and preserved in a covered place for use. / When it is to be used, the greater wood must be first cleft small, to fit it for the beating and cutting engine; and t he smaller must be put into the engine as it is. Which done it must be again dried in a kiln and after that ground in the same manner that the tanners grind their bark. Such wood as is to be used presently after it is gotten, will require the better and the more drying upon the kiln; and, if t his is omitted, it will blacken and spoil all the leather it is to be used about. Where oak is scarce, blackthorn will tolerably well supply its place, and where that is not to be had in sufficient plenty, the white thorn will do. Phil. Trans . No. 108 Birch also, being ordered in the same manner with oak, is fit for some uses in tanning, particularly it does very well for tanning of shoe sole leather. ATl these ingredients will tan much better than bark alone, and that with much less charge; so this discovery may very wen save the felling of trees .when the bark is wanted at a season when the sap is up, which, when it is done, causes the outsides of the -:rees to rot and grow wo rmeaten; whereas, if the trees had been felled i ll winter, when the sap is down, they would have been almost all heart, as ':he people express it, and not subject to worms. The manner of using the It/ood with the bark, in tanning. will also increase the value of underwoods very considerably. Phil. Trans. ******************** 14 ~ I O. 105 �THE CIVIC TRUST The Reepham Society, with its current membership of over 300, is , among nearly a thousand local amenity groups which are negistered with the Civic Trust. The Civic Trust has been working for nearly 30 years to protect and improve the Real Britain, the places where people live, work and shop. It is an independant charity, not a government quango. Nearly a thousand local societies are registered with the Trust and their combined membership is more than quarter of a million. This national network has been built up with the help and support of the Civic Trust, and the challenges some of these societies have met and achieved are remarkable. Local amenity societies are not short-term protest groups nor single street associations, but groups which concern themselves with the local environment as a whole, in town and country, watching over the planning of rural and urban areas and carrying out improvements in co-operation with many other agencies and organisations. The Civic Trust concentrates on national issues - it was closely associated with the drafting of the Act which created Conservation Areas, giving protection for the first time to whole areas of villages, towns ,and cities. (There are now nearly 6,000 Conservation Areas). The Trust pioneered co-operative street improvement schemes and the transplanting of semi-mature trees; initiated research into the amount of Urban Wasteland available for use, thus protecting Green Belt land - another Trust concern. It took on the Heavy Lorry challenge 12 years ago, successfully deferring the introduction of the enormous 38 tonners for more than a decade. It produced the first national report on Bypasses - which towns had them and which need them most. To encourage first class development and skilful conservation it runs the Civic Trust Awards, which is the bigge~ scheme of its kind in the world. And to ensure that the next generation is· even more aware of what is valuable in our heritage it runs the Heritage Education Groups which work with schools, teachers and planners. The Civic Tr~st publishes a bi-monthly journal, HERITAGE OUTLOOK, which makes absorbing reading for those concerned with the quality of our environment. Recent issues have included an article on the Trust's alleged love-affair with Lout in Lincolnshire; an account of the origins and activities of the Ramblers' Association; a fascinating feature by the Chairman of the London Docklands Development Corporation on the redevelopment of the dockland area; details of some of the schemes which were successful in the Civic Trust's 1985 Award Scheme; accounts of how the Architectural Heritage Fund, which is administed by the Civic Trust, has distributed some of the .£4 million it has loaned to date; and reports of some of the thousand events organised by local amenity groups to celebrate "Environment Week '85", the first of the Trust's nationwide environment weeks which are intended to help people to become mote aware of their surroundings. The cost of an annual subscription to HERITAGE OUTLOOK is .£7 for six bi-monthly issues, post paid; cheques should be made payable to the Civic Trust and sent to The Civic Trust, 17 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1Y 5AW. If you would like to see a copy before taking out a subscription of your own, our Secretary has some back copies available for loan and will be pleased to take one to any interested member. ******************** 15 �Rambling on ••• Formed fifty years ago to fight . for access to, and the c onservation of, the countryside, the Ramblers' Association is now more popular than ever, and ready to stride confidently into th e future. Tony JUdous reports Rambling again? Yes, b ut not my dictionary's definition 4 "(of speech) to lack organisation"; rather d e finition 5 "a leisurely stroll, esp. in the countryside". That is what the Ramblers' Association has been concerned with now for 50 years. It fights for access to , and the conservation of, the countryside; but its members and local groups also take part in those leisurely (sometimes not so leisurely) country strolls. Rambling, says national secretary Alan Mattingly, is "for pleasure, recreation and relaxation." The Ramblers' Association came into being as a national organisation under that title on I January 1935, but the movement it represents goes b ack much further. Footpaths societies started in York in 1824 and Manchester in 1826. With increasing urbanisation, townspeople felt a longing to get out into open country for clean air and refreshment of the spirit. The Peak and Northern Footpaths Society which still flourishes claims lineal descent from the Manchester society In the late 19th century came another burst of interest with the establishment of such groups as the Forest Ramblers, established in Epping in 1884; then rambling clubs began to pool their resources and lobbying power in federations - the Southern Federation in 1905, closely followed by others in Manchester and Sheffield . They strove to keep foothpaths operi for recreation when farmers and landowners would have preferred to see them extinguished; in the north they lobbied. for access to moorlands regarded by their owners as private game reserves. They drew closer together in the early 1930s in a National Council of Ramblers Federations ; then in 1935 consolidated this into the Ramblers' Association. And that today must b e counted one of the most successful and fastest growing recreational and amenity organisations. It cP~rated its 50th anniversary by enrolling its 5O,000th member. and by November had 14% more members than at the beginning of this jubile e year. Six years ago there were only 32,000 members. The p resent 50,000 is in addition to the members of 560 affiliated societies and groups who togethel number another 75,000 or so A formidable lobby The M's work (as distinct from the pleasure of walking together) has two complementary sides: defensive and creative On the creative side It has campaigned successfully for a whole series of long distance routes, of which the Pennine Way was the first, and the North Norfolk Way and Peddars Way, with luck to be formally opened next year, are the latest. They range from routes officially designated by the Countryside Commission such as the Pennine and South Downs Ways, through semi-official routes like the Dales Way and the Wealdway (from Gravesend to Eastboume) to others which are little more than descriptions of walks The latest Countryside Commission's survey on recreation confinned "trips to the countryside as the most popular activity after gardening and showed walking in the country to be more popular than any organised sport" individuals have done by stitchIng together existing public paths. For some of them, like the London Countryway. you would, says Mattingly, need a largish scale Ordnance Survey map to pick your way along them. At the local level, many of the 250 local groups to which M members belong do much practical work in clearing, improving and waymarking public paths. Its East Berkshire Group is a good example of this. In principle. it is the Job of local authorities to waymark iIld maintain paths; in practice budgets are usually tiny, and they do only what the I" w requires - signpost the path whe e it leaves the public road - and not wha' the law allows- effective waymarking aJ mg it whole course. So local groups stel m. I: East Berkshire's case they actt illy e ect stiles (provided as kits by E lrkshire County Council) and bull, or r pair bridges where necessary. 'he c ,unty supplies materials; the volunt, ers d) the work. 16 Whtle the RA knows that well-orgarused volunteer work to conserve and Improve paths IS good not only for walkers but calculated to evoke positive response from landowners. It also knows thaI 1I1 some cases you have to fight and fighl. hard Oilseed rape IS tmpopular with. ramblers not Just for Its bright yellow colour but because. growing across d path, It is a dense and heavy crop and virtually impossible to walk through. In March the M's vice-chairmaIl ChIts Hall, who is editor of the Burford based CountrymaIl magazine on the RA's behaJf successfully prosecuted a farmer fOI planting this crop across a nght of way last year The law requires a farmer Ie reinstate a path through crops . but i~ widely ignored. In this case failure to do so resulted In a £ 100 fine and awa , r1 of £500 costs In 1985 the farmer has kept the path clear Another successful battle recently was at Luddesdown m Kent. where the threat was not from oilseed rape but the Britisl"t Army Moving m to support a local action group. the M took a leading role 1I1 fighting a public inquiry mto the proposed use of arable farmland in the Green Belt for battle training purposes It did so with the greater determination because this putative battleground IS crossed by the Weald Way long distance path. By the time of the mquiry the Ministry of Defence antiCipating, says Mattingly. the kind of rubber stamp decision they appear to have had in the past had already bought Court and Brooker's Farm at Luddesdown high above the Medway Valley five miles south of Gravesend. But the town plarmer who preSided as inspector over the two-day inquiry took a more robust and independent view f-IIS conclusion, with its references to the movement of troops to and from the sIte" having "a substantial impact on traffic in the locality" and the noise generated causing "intrusion" can broadly be summed up as mearung that Ken' ist fields, woodlands and :larrow lanes .iIe no place for mechanised aJ mv manoeuvres and would have made ".ife very unpleasant for residents nd ramblers alike. The Secretary of Site �agreed, endorsed his recommendation to very professional campaigns and well send the army packing, and the MOD had _researched cases at public inquiries . to put the laitd on the market again. It has like Alan Mattingly's on behalf of the been bought by a committed conser- Luddesdown local groups. vationiSt, a wealthy Scandinavian businessman who was the chairman of the The association now has 17 paid staff supported by a subscription income of local action group. about £160,000, by the proceeds of its Though the attitudes of farmers and trading subsidiary RA Services Ltd.. landowners towards walkers has whose profits go into a charitable trust; improved over recent years - the and grants from the Countryside Country Landowners Association, Commission and the Sports Council. That particularly, has been encouraging its body's increasing concern for "informal" members to waymark and look after" recreation may well have been public paths so as to ~e influenced by the Commission's regular inadvertent trespass and evoke a positive recreational surveys, the latest of which response from walkers - there are still confirmed trips to the countryside as the too many who see the walker as an most popular activity after gardening and intruder to be discouraged and, showed walking in the country as a more popular activity than any organised sport sometimes, ejected . In recent years the assoclatlon has tended to take a broader view on countryside issues, looking past the nitty gritty of particular rights of way to conservation of the countryside for recreation. It is a redoubtable campaigner against what it regards as ugly and innappropriate afforestation, particularly conifers; it joined in the (unsuccessful) fight against the "improvement" of the A66 through the Lake District's heartland; and the (successful) fight against the spoiling of Wastwater and Ennerdale Water to provide a cheap additional water supply to British Nuclear Fuels' installations at Sellafield. When compared with the resources of the National Farmers Union or the Country Landowners, the Ramblers Association's headquarters organisation at Vauxhall looks small and underresourced. But in comparison with the one man show run for years by its first full-time -.:retary Tom Stephenson (still active at 80), today's national office is relatively well-founded and can mount For their basic subscription of £8 a year. RA members receive or can call on a range of services. They get automatically the association's quarterly magazine Rucksack and its annual Bed & Breakfast Guide; they can hire Ordnance Survey maps at nominal charges, and take part in the activities of local groups. Members and non-members can also join walking holidays organised by Ramblers Associa· tion Services in terrains as varied as the Cotswolds and the Alps and Pyrennes. to decide broad policy; and the Nauonai Executive. with some 17 members. meeting half a dozen times a year at weekends and giving the paid staff their instructions Mattingly's chairman IS Hull University lecturer David Rubinstein. the current president. In succeSSIOfl to Labour politiCian Lord Melchett, IS the 1'V entertainer Mike Harding Harding who was drawn in after meeting Tom Stephenson while making a radio programme on the Pennine Way has proved a great asset. He IS ever ·ready to turn out in walking kit to maugurate paths or give a publicity boost to RA a<-1ivities; but he surpri.ses many people by the seriousness of hIS concern for rambling Harding It was who kicked off the big event 9f the RA's 50th azmiversary veal the 2,000 mile Jubilee Walk. This stitched together sections of 20 different official. semi-official and unofficial long distance paths, and broke the 2,000 miles d own Into 181 manageable sections mostly of between 9 and 15 miles length. covered In succession over a six month programme from April to 27 September The association produces a range of publications. and sells a selection of those produced by others. Its fact sheets are an invaluable start for anyo--f)lanned walking holiday In Britain. setting out contacts, available maps and guides, and map coverage . Mattingly. who became national secretary 12 years ago at the age of 24 after a spell as an energy forecaster with the Coal Board, is answerable to two representative controlling bodies. the 200-member National Council, representing 45 areas and meeting once a year Opposite page: Mike Harding. president of the Ramblers' Association, starting their 50th annivezsary Jubilee Walk in Egham. Below left: A group 01 ramblers who took on the jubilee Walk. Below right: The Sheffield Ramblers branch getting co grips with some conservation work �REEPHAM N.F.U. MEETING Yes Reepham has been honoured That's what the Chairman said! By two M.P.s who came to please An industry near dead. This industry as all well know Is in a sorry plight So and Sir - - - Came down to put it right. They talked as all the M.P.s can Of barley, beer, and beet, And said that they the rot would stay And put them on their feet. The farmers cheered and said Here! Here! These chaps the tale can tell, And though their heads were in the air, Their feet were still in Hell. They cheered again with loud Here! Here! We shall soon sell our barley, With Jimmy Wright in for the fight And his right hand man named Charlie. Barley and beer begin with "Bs" One cheap the other dear, And like M.P.s say things to please Talk's cheap, but not so beer. They promise this, they promise that Life a cloud without the rain, And promise you great things to do If you send them back again. This job ;s just another stunt ,. Before the next Election They come to Town your thoughts to drown And save you from dejection. If all the things they told of old Were put in circulation, The Reepham Hall wouldn't hold them all, There would be such consternation. But let me say there'll come a day Or I shall be surprised, When all the land is contraband And all things nationalised. Farmers will know what crops to grow With orders straight from Whitehall, No need to say which best will pay Agriculture, Beer or Football. A Board for Milk, and Beef, and Beet A Board for Wheat and Barley, With Boards enough to make a seat For Jimmy Wright and Charlie. Yes Reepham has been honoured Just as the Chairman said, By two M.P.s who came to tease An Industry now dead. ******************** 18 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Reepham Society Newsletters Description An account of the resource A comprehensive collection of newsletters published by the Reepham Society. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Printed and digital Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GB/REE/RS/Magazines Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1983-2000 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Reepham Society Text - printed Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Reepham Society Newsletter April 1986 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource April 1986 Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GB/REE/2105130950 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource A4 19 pages Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Reepham Society 1986 Reepham Society https://reephamarchive.co.uk/omeka/files/original/073338e2d82d166e26337b77d543dc36.pdf 7f895cb8251fd16f9393d50b539cb4c6 PDF Text Text THE REEPHAM Ma~ SOCIETY Newsletter �MAY 1985 Dear Member, I have not been able to keep the newsletter to its intended three monthly issue; the April newsletter is now the May newsletter. A bout of influenza (the sort that lasts weeks not days) and the continual supply of newsletter material firstly put me out of commission and then secondly made it difficult for me to decide when to stop taking material for this one and when to commence filing it ready for the next issue. Whilst I therefore apologise for being late, I would add that this is the biggest newsletter to date; I hope in that context you will find it worth waiting for. I have commenced with the regular section on our 1985 programme and have included some items which although not organised by the Society have produced an interest to our members - the Reepham Town walk and the R.A.T.S. Concert. The theme of the three local churches is concluded with Salle, that gem of Norfolk churches - is it Sail, Saul or Salle, read on and you can find out. The articles of local interest cover the subject of Whitwell Low Common, Reepham - 30 years ago and the Reepham Parish Clerk in the 1860's. I'm pleased that we have been given permission to include an article about our "ancient woodlands"; do you remember 'plant a tree in '73' and 'plant one more in '74' - was it really more than ten years ago? Amongst the remaining items you will find my knuckles being rapped, as I felt in the last issue that "an existing form of architecture" was an eyesore and sho uld be knocked down and two competitions open to all comers, depending upon your age. I hope you will enjoy the contents and please let me repeat my comment from the last issue that if you have any item that you feel could be of interest let me know. I would be particularly interested in pictures, photographs or postcards of Reepham and district as I feel the newsletter could do with more picture items (all items would of course be returned) . Finally my thanks to the following contributors: Dr. Rosemary Adams Anthony Ivins Wendy Jones Richard Mabey Catherine Vertigan Basil Wise Kathryn Batcock Suzy Ivins George Kett David Rosenthal Russell Vincent Michael Black 'Middlemarch' Broomhill Lane Reepham Tel. 870936 ********** 1 �A welcome to the following new members: , - Rev. B. Allcock Mr. P. Allcock Mr. D. Barrett Miss E. Eade Miss L. Garland Mr. P. Walker Mr. and Mrs. A. Pickard Dr. and Mrs. R. S. Williamson Mrs. V. Tyler Mrs. C . Taylor (Life Member) Mr. and Mrs. A. Williams Mr. and Mrs. G. Gamblin Mr. and Mrs. Sage Mrs. E. Stephens Mr. and Mrs. A. Butcher Mrs. K. Kent Miss M. Bartle (Life Member) Mr. and Mrs. Hemmings (Life Members) Mr. and Mrs. N. Simms The present membership of the Society is 267 including 31 life members. 2 �1985 PROGRAMME - PAST AND FUTURE EVENTS Wine and Cheese Evening with Musical Concert at Whitwell Hall on Friday 15th February 1985 The Society gave its ninth Cheese and Wine Evening at Whitwell Hall. Over the years a feature of the evening in addition to good food, drink and conversation has bee n the offered entertainment . Varying in style from Ted Ellis to our own local version of the Victorian Music Hall, all have g iven great interest and e njoyment to the company gathered but perhaps none more so than 'Saraband', the musical group of harpsichord and wind ins truments organ i sed by Marion and Richard Danby . The Society offers their warmest thanks to all those who helped to make the evening such a success and particu larly to those business and private friends in Reepham who generously gave twenty six prizes for the raffle. It is est imated that 165 peop l e attended the evening - a house full . The Soc iety's fund has profited by £322.30, a record amount. The Concert given by the group Saraband on February 15th was a great success. The performers in this group were Marion and Richard Danby (recorder, c larinet and oboe), Antoinette Watts (harpsichord) and Judith Smith (bassoon). From the opening bars of the Vivaldi Trio sonata to the exciting finale of the Ibert suite the audience was completely captivated. Many had never before heard a l i ve performance of Baroque Music let alone the combination of three wind instruments with harpsichord . It was interesting to hear the continuo of the Trio s on a ta played on a bassoon which gave great clar ity to the music; it was also exciting to hear the wide range of the inst rument in Tele mann's sonata. All the music was most ably played, not only technically but in the sensitive interpreta tion given. Perhaps the most memorab le was the Mozart Divertimento where the sheer beauty of the music, particularly the slow movement, was e nhanc ed by the rich tone of the clarinet. People will remember th i s concert with pleasure and gave it well deserved applause. Reepham - A Wal~ Around The Town " On Sunday March 3rd, 2.30 pm, my husband, son and I joined a n assembled group in Reepham Market Place for a guided walk arranged by the County Council Planning Department . The theme of these walks is "Norfolk Past and Pr~sent", the first venue of the Spring programme being Reepham. As outsiders (living all of four miles away!) to this love ly town we felt. very i nterested in the walk. We first v isited Reepham nearly fifteen years ago when we moved to Norfolk and have watched with inte r es t the expansion and conservat i on of the town. 3 �Our guides ' ,re intrc duced; Anthony Ivins and Wesley P ercey (both locals) a nd afte l parting with our SOp fee (children 2Sp) w set off in the driz z le. A good number had turned up (38), considering the weather 'and also that ano ther walk had coincidentally and surprisin~ly been organised by the Footpath Society in the same place and at the same time. We wandered around the new housing estates, passing the first/middle school and the sheltered housing for the elderly, along with the housing units built specifically for handicapped persons. After strolling past the doctors surgery (ex magistrates court) we entered Smugglers Lane and emerged at Station Road - sadly the trains no longer run . Then, on to Reepham Moor, truly unspoilt, undeveloped and somewhat timeless. Later, Mr. Piercey was able to relate who lived in the various shops on the Norwich Road, just prior to the Market Place . Not many are shops now. We entered the Market Square; the livestock market, however, used to be held on what is now the car park on Station Road. Again, Mr . Piercey was able to tell us the history of all the shops in the Square. What a pity the Bircham Institute , once so grand, now seems in urgent need of care and attention . After looking along Church Street and a visit to the two remaining (of three) churches, we rather soggily finished the walk and looked at some old postcard pho tographs of the Market Place. It was interesting to note that Reepham wa ~ so well served by Public Houses; not many functioning now (eg The Black Lio n, The George and Dragon, The Greyhound, The Nelson and The Sun). Over two hours h ,~ d passed but thanks to our excellent guides (with the help of an elderly booklet entitled "Mr. Hawes' Walk Around Reepham"), we noticed neither rain nor time ~ R.A.T.S. On two nights in March the Reepham Amateur Theatrical Society (R.A.T.S . ) presented their first prod~c tion . This has nothing to do with the Reepham Society but many people e ~ ressed their enjoyment of the farce and I feel that it is worth includip g the following short piece sent in by one of our members . A Sparkling Performance "We went ·to the High School on Friday evening to see the Reepham Amateur Theatrical Society (R.A . T.S.) in "I' ll Get My Man" rather in a spirit of supporting a local event . However, as the farce developed, it was quite evident that here was a talented group giving a polished performance. The larger than life characters were always credible so that we enjoyed a slight caricature of many of our friends, and perhaps of ourselves. A delightful evening and we look forward to R.A.T.S. next productio~.~ " 4 �Annual General Meeting - 18th April 1985 This was held at the Bircham Institute on Thursday 18th April and our chairman Mr . A. Ivins presented his annual report which was received with interest by the 40 or so members who attended. He spoke of the Society's general activities and enthusiasm and mentioned:~:in particular the 'Reepham Picture Book' which is in hand for this year, our representation on the new Bircham Institute Committee and the Society's help that has been offered to assist with the ; repairand retention of the church railings. He commented on the observations we had made in connection with the planning applications submitted for Rookery Farm and Moy's barn ,and also talked about the Reepham Society's Award Scheme instituted in 1983. Officers and Committee members were elected for the forthcoming year (a full list will be included in the next newsletter) and we are pleased to welcome four new members to the Committee - Mrs. P. Large, Mr. A. Le~y Mr. V. Lunn and Mr. H. Raffell; there is still one vacancy to be filled . The audited accounts were presented and show the Society to be in a healthy financial position. During the 15 month period to 31st March 1985 there was an excess income over expenditure of £591.25 and the total amount in the Society 's funds at that date was £1633.12. The Secretary of The Norfolk Society, Mr. A. B. Eddington, attended the meeting and in a letter to our chairman (recently received) he congratulates the members "on our enthusiasm and genuine concern for the local environment". The Society generally can look back on the past 12 months with a sense of achievement and can look forward to the next year with a strong sense of enthusiasm and purpose knowing that we are in a strong position with our keen and supportive committee, our growing membership and our healthy financial base . Norwich Wildlife Group After the necessary business of the Annual General Meet ing had been completed and a coffee and biscuit had been enjoyed, members were entertained with a talk and slide show given by Mr . John Beckett of the Norwich Wildlife Group on 'The Natural History of a Garden '. His presentation was completed with a display of various items of nature including a collection of birds' wings and a small collection of animal and bird skulls . It must be stated that all the exhibits were taken from birds and animals found dead on the road and in the hedgerows, etc. An enjoyable evening with the more serious business of the Society's functions and finances being completed by the presentation of an excellent set of slides about an irrt · .. ,,' ~n q sub ject. 5 �Friday 21st June - Garden Visit Mr. and Mrs. Norbury's garden at Wood Farm, Themelthorpe has twice in previous years been voted the best garden in the large garden category of the- Society's Garden Competition. Members .have been extended an invitation to visit and stroll around 'this garden on Friday 21st June from 7 - 7.30 pm . onwards. With ponds and a conservatory to look at and the garden and meadows in which to stroll, it should be well worth a visit. Mrs . Norbury has promised a cup of coffee to those who arrive and the combination of this and mid-summer's day leaves me nothing to add but the directions of how to get there. Travelling from Reepham along the Bawdeswell road, take the first right after the railway bridge (the road to Themelthorpe and Foulsham) . As you travel into Themelthorpe the road turns sharply to the right at the telephone box and at this point turn left. Wood Farm is a short distance from this junction on the left hand side. Mrs . Norbury will put signs up near the telephone box and outside the farm (please don't park on her flowers) . Salle Church - June Concerts Many members will have enjoyed the music of 'Saraband' at the Cheese and Wine earlier this year, and if classical music is your choice then you will probably be more than interested in two concerts organised by Rosemary Adams and to be held in Salle Church in June. These are not events organised by the Society but I'm sure many of you may be interested so I have , included a few details, particularly as this newsletter has a 'Salle Church flavour '. Sunday 16th June at 7.30 pm. - Music by Bach , Handel and their contemp oraries with soloists from Glyndebourne, En glish National Opera and the Philharmonia Orchestra . Saturday 22nd June at 7. 30 pm . - A concert to be given by the Mozart Orchestra:Mozart Butterworth Haydn 'Haffner' Symphony No. 35 in D Banks of Green Willow Cello Concerto in C (Soloist - Martin Storey) Music for the Royal Fireworks Handel Car Treasure Hunt - ., Saturday 22nd June This is in the membership programme for Saturday 22nd June and it is intended to keep to this date but it is a busy period for events in Reepham. At the time of writing I am aware of the visit to Mr. and Mrs . Norbury ' s garden on Friday 21st June, the Church Garden Fe~e 6 �on Saturday 22nd June, the Treasure Hunt during the late afternoon/ evening and the Reepham Saturday Spectacular (somewhat revised I am told) on Saturday 29th June. Full details of the Car Treasure Hunt will be given on posters etc. from early June onwards. Visit to Mannington Hall - Thursday 18th July The Society has arranged with the Hon. Robin Walpole for a conducted tour of Mannington Hall and grounds on the evening of the above date. A coach has been booked and will leave the Market Place at 6.30 pm . for the conducted tour to commence at 7 pm. The visit is open to members and friends and those who wish to travel on the coach are asked to be at the Market Place at 6.15 pm. There will be a charge of £2 for the visit but the coach trip will be free to members. Anyone travelling who is not a member will have to pay an extra SOp for the coach ride. 7 �SALLE CHURCH People somet mes ask, on first seeing Salle Church , why was so large a church required for what cannot ever have been a big population? I doubt if there we; e ever more than about three hundred inhabitants of the parish. ~he chur h is not a mausoleum for the ostentatious tJmbs of a wealthy f dmily of local landowners; indeed, the modesty of tr , building is as rem.irkable s its size. Its most beautiful adornments , a series of nine cirvings ,epicting scenes from the life of Christ, h e 19 high in the roof )f the c h ancel, anonymous and only with great diffic llty to be discerned. True, the building ser'e s the people, but its ch j~ f purpose is to proclaim the gory of God; this it does nobly . With very sl ght differences what you see now is what yc ! would have seen towa r ds the \ nd of the 15th c e ntury, when Salle Church v s completed. It was be~un about 1400 and finished before the end of the CE ,tury . Over the great west doo r, flanked by its two angels with their cer ;ers, are two rows o f shield s, with the arms of persons of local interest; two of the shield.s have t he instruments of the passion, and one shield has the arms of H~nry V wh en he was Prince of Wales - 1400 to 1413. The heavy oak doors, with t h eir massive hinge s and bolts of local blacksmith's work, are the oric inal ones; you enter this church as worshippers have done for more thar. five hundred years. Inside the church you stand under the ringers' chamber with the font in front of you. It is a 'seven sacraments' font with carvings of the sacraments and of the crucifixion on its eight sides. Below each panel is an angel bearing a symbol of the sacrament (e.g. a lyre to represent the harmony of marriage) and over the font a splendid cover suspended from a sort of crane operated from the ringers' gallery. There are forty of these 'seven sacraments' fonts in England, twenty-f i ve of them in Norfolk and thirteen in Suffolk; unfortunately almost all of them have been sadly mutilated, the one in Salle not quite so savag ely as some others . Over the two porches at the west end are rooms reached by spiral stairs; the south one has its roof reinforced with iron; perhaps it was a treasury; the n o rth one may have been a chapel . It has a solid oak door with a ma ss ive bolt, and a handsome groined roof. The nave is lofty and spacious; between the font and the back pews is an area of open space, so that the first impression that a sensitive visitor experience s is of calm. Later one may find those unostentatious details of decoration which make every visit a fresh delight, but at first it is the majestic proportions of the place that give it its quiet power. Architects h a ve remarked on the skill of the medieval builders in supporting so weighty a roof with simple arch bracing; no fussy hammer beams. But some eighty years ago it was found necessary to pin the walls together with iron rods, still leaving clear lines from floor to roof; the roof decorated with angels. The re are angels a llover the building outside, over the west door, and on the roof, and inside the fragme nts of ancient glass. In 1611 Lord Knyve tt - who arrested the Gunpowder Plot conspirators in 1605 - gave the clerk's and minister ' s desks and the sounding-board behind and over t h e pulpit, making a ' three decker'. This, until the restoration in 1910-1912 , stood halfway down the nave, on the south side. At the time of tha t restorat ion the church was so badly damaged that the 8 ��little congregation could only use the chancel, and entered the church by the small door on the north side. Frank Lillingstone, rector from 1902 to 1909, set to work to collect money for the restoration which was completed soon after h _s death with generous donations from Sir Woolmer White and Sir Alfred Jodr.c ll. Early in the reign of Queen Elizabeth the rood screen was cut down to its present height; the saw marks may still be seen ih the oak. Many churches escaped this vandalism - Ranworth and Cawston among them. But the result in Salle is not wholly unhappy; it has opened up the whole inspiring length of nave and chancel. By 1450 there were seven guilds with altars and chaplains in Salle. All the altars have long since disappeared, leaving only hints of where they stood. There is no evidence of any college of priests here; which makes the twenty-six misericord stalls in the chancel hard to explain. These stalls have beautiful carved figures of animals, birds and peop le, the carving almost as fresh and lively as when· the anonymous craftsmen left them five hundred years ago. Even the panels in the screen (only eight of them painted) have tiny carvings of birds, and of dragons, in their spandrels. It is much to be regretted that the nine carvings of scenes from the life of Christ are hung so high in the chancel roof that they can only with difficulty and binoculars be seen. But perhaps they migh.t not have excaped the puritan desecrators if they had been accessible. They are carved with great freedom and very moving simplicity of composition. Only four of the monumental brasses which used to be in the church now remain (and one other fragment). One of them is of Geoffrey and Alice Boleyn, great grandparents of .Anne Boleyn. I have been told that, at the time of the 1910 restorat ion, excavations unearthed the skeleton of a young woman who had six fingers on one hand, and this gave support to the tradition that An ne Boley n is buried in Salle; but the tradition is almost certa inly untrue. f Talking about Salle is, though I cannot stop doing it, of little worth. Salle must be expe rienced and allowed to speak for itse lf. Caughtley ranked three Norfolk churches as pre-eminent: St. Peter Mancroft in Norwich, Walpole St. Peter in the Fens, and Salle. Another authority, Pevsner, ranked Salle among the fourteen great Perpendicu lar Churches of North - east Norfolk and Norwich. SALL, SAUL OR SALLE The name of the village; we all pronounce it the same but how do you spell it? The title g i ves three ways but since the Domesday book to date it has also been recorded as Sa lla, SaulH~, Sawle, Psalle, Sa l and Saal. The most frequent spelling (particularly during the midd le ages) was Salle. It would seem that the 'e' was dropped during the sixteenth century and this spelling persisted until the early part of the twentieth century. The Rev. F. Lillingstonewho was Rector from 1902 - 9 r e vived the spelling with a fina l ' e' ; during the 1930' s it was felt that this spelling wa s gaining vogu e and p e rhap s today it i s now generally accepted that it i s Salle. 9 ��WHITWELL LOW COMMON . This area of approximat ely forty acres seems to have bee r the part of a larger parish common which was exempted from inclosure urjer the early nineteenth century Inclosure Acts because it was decreec: to have originated as "Manorial Waste". On the 15th day of July, 1824 eight owners of estates in Whitwell met to decide upon the management of grazing over the Low Common. The minutes of this meeting survive. There also exists a notice from the Lynn & Fakenham Railway Co. dated 4th August 1881 convening a meeting to be held at the Kings Arms Hotle , Reepham on the 18th August at 7 o'clock in the evening bet4een the representatives of the railway company and those Whitwell parishone cs having "commonable" rights on the common. The purpose of the meeting was to appoint a committee to agree compensation for a railway line to be laid across the common. In 1893 application was made by the landowners in Whitwe l l to the Board of Agriculture for a Provisional Order for the Regulation of the Common. There exists an interesting detailed reply from the Board but nothing further seems to have come of this move. In 1902 application was made to the Charity Commissioners to prepare a scheme to regulate the grazing rights on the common. This scheme was finally sealed and became operative on the 14th March, 1905. Its main provision was to set up the method of appointment of Trustees and to define their duties and responsibilities. The Trustees then made rules as to how many animals each entitled commoner was allowed to graze, fees to be paid the product of which was to be used to pay a "hayward" who would be responsible for keeping open the drains and generally seeing that the common was used only according to the rules. One interesting point is the total omission of any right to gather fuel by the commoners. This point was brought out in a letter to the Commissioners from a Reepham solicitor of the time, D'Arcy Collyer . An annual list of Commoners was printed and some of these survive. The number of commoners exercising grazing rights seems to have decreased steadily through th e thirti es until by the fifties to my knowledge only two commoners were making use of grazing rights. For many years there had been insufficient money to pay the wages of a hayward and the drains became silted up, the lowest grazing areas waterlogged and the higher ground overgrown with scrub. In 1965 civil parishes were required to register a,reas of common and commoners having rights on common land to register these rights. Whitwell Low Common was registered by both the parish council and the Norfolk Naturalist Trust but no commoners Rights were registered either individually or by the trustees for the Common: Because of this omission any commoners rights previously existing were lost . On 13th January, 1977, Mr. Settle Q.C. the Commissioner for Commons sat at County Hall, Norwich to try to determine the ownership of some of the Norfolk commons. He expressed the opinion that although the scheme of management under the Charity Commissioners was still extant this had no bearing on the ownership of t he land and so he placed the responsibiiities of ownership on Reepham Parish Council. A committee of the parish council consisting of the chairman and two members together with myself as sole remaining trustee under the Charity Commissioners scheme has met to decide on a policy of management for the 10 �conunon under present condItions . Be c aluse Whitwell Conunon had been designated as a Bite of Special S c ientific Importance by 1954 and because the area is now covered by trees, scrub, and reed beds it seemed to us that the proper future for the conunon should be as a natural reserve where the wild life of the area could exist undisturbed. However , in the world tod ay, Nature Reserves have to be managed and protected. An expert in this field , Mr . J . P . Barkham of Booton has accepted an invitation to join the management conunittee. The committe e has drafted the following statement of management policy. 1. Whitwell Common shall be managed as a wildlife reserve. 2. It has b e en r e gistered as a Site of Special Scientific I mportance S.S.S.1. (1954) 3. There shall b e no felling or lopping of trees except as decided by the Committee for the good management of the Common. 4. There shall be no uprooting or removal of plants. 5. There shall be no removal of turf, sand or gravel . 6. There shall be no dumping of rubbish or other material. 7. There shall be no shooting on the Common or pursuit or taking of wild life including game and vermin . 8. An exception to rule 7 i s the Lord of the Manor of Whitwell Symonds, Mr. J.A . B. Stimpson, who has the sporting rights over the Conunon. 11 �30 YEARS AGO I'm sure many of yo u glance at the small article regularly printed in the Eastern Daily Press entitled '30 Years Ago' - on the 20th November, 1984 this referred to a survey of Reepham made by three students of Liverpool University in 1954. It has been possible to obtain a copy of the article which appeared, and this is printed below; what we haven't been able to find out is more detailed information about the survey, a letter to the University of Liverpool produced the reply that they "can find no record of any survey of Reepham". If anyone in Reepham can produce some positive detail about the survey then I would be more than interested to hear fro ~n them. From the Eastern Daily Press, Saturday November 20, 1954 Traders' Duty "to Help Bring Reepham Back to Life" At a meeting of the Management Committee of Reepham Chamber of Trade and Commerce last night, Mr. Ben Stimpson reported on the reaction of three students of Liverpool University who made a survey of Reepham in the summer. He said they were "appalled" at the lack of sewerage and piped water, and they considered the town "half dead". Mr. Stimpson considered it was the duty of the Chamber to help to bring Reepham back to life, and without water and sewerage no industry or private housing was likely. Reepham had plenty of space and suitable sites without taking up agricultural land. There were a number of empty houses that could not be hired and a number of condemned houses allover the town. "Parlous State" Their main industry was agriculture, and he observed, "What a good thing it would be if we could attract to Reepham, say, a quick-freeze plant or canning factory, which would benefit the whole community. This vision was impossible of fulfilment without water or sewerage." "Here we have empty houses, an empty garage and vacant building plots, and unless something is not done soon the tradespeople will have empty pockets." As it seemed Reepham would never have sewerage and water without "creating a hell of a fuss about it", he moved that letters be sent to their M.P., their County councillor, their four representatives to the R.D,C., and the Parish Council, drawing attention to the parlous state in wh ich Reepham found itself through lack of those essential modern amenities. ' Could Take Light Industry The letters will point out that Reepham had electricity, roads and sites that :could accomodate light ind,ustry and houses at considerably le ss expense and without defacing a Norfo t k beauty spot, as was proposed i n the Stratton Strawless scheme . The motion was carried unanimously_ I -" 12 �DIARY OF A COUNTRY CLERK- EXCERPT In the Januar y Newsletter I included an articl e about Reepham - 1875 (taken from Kellys Directory) and the second part of our three local c hurches, St . Mar y 's Church, Re epham. Shortly after the completion of the News l etter, I found in the library a small boo k e ntitled "Diary o f a Country Clerk " by C. L. S. Linne ll. It only a mo unts to eight or so pages a nd is oDviousiy a small article (of interest to Reepham) taken from a lar ger volume. I assume this as the f ir st page is numbered 413 and the la st page 419. The article commen ces with a reference -to Parson Woodforde and talks of the complication s in Reepham as there were two parishes in one small country town, the artic le then continues with items of interest taken from the Diary, Account and Commonplace Book of Mr. Watson, Clerk of the Parish of Reepham-cum-Kerdiston dur ing the 1860's. The article gave some interesting detail wh ich would have been ideal to produce in January linking it in with the other two mentioned items. However, Mr. Linnell's writing does o ff er some interest ing detail and I include some notes about it; if it whets your appetite then you will have to get the book fro m the library to digest it more fully. The p a rt ic ular po int that I wish to c omment on conce rns the two churches , we are informed that the y were comple te with their own incumbents, curates , c lerks and sexton s and were interchangeable in all things except congregations. Apparentl y the congregation were tenacious of their rights a nd loyalti e s to their own particul ar parish church. Mus ic for the services was provided by choirs and village bands who would perform in the gallerie s of both churches (are t here two ga lleries today!) and when a harmonium was first introduced into Reepham Church this was regarded by Mr. Watson as a "rather dangerou s proceeding " . He obviously disapproved of change a nd recorded the lack of enth usi asm when he was charged with distributin g the first edition of 'Hymns Anc ient and Modern' . The Communion was cele brated about once a month, the number attending was never very impres sive even on Easter Day when never more than thirty are recorded during the ten years (1 859- 69) cove red by -the book . The attendance for other servi ces wa s (by today's standard) phenomenal, between three and fou r hundr ed wor shippers wou ld attend espec i al ly in the afternoon and eve ning. On every Good Friday there was a morning service with a cong r egation of over four hundred, this impre ssive figur e is slightly misleading when we are t old that farm laboure rs got a holiday o n Good Friday, with pay provided they went to Church . It must be remember ed that the fi g ures given are for Reep ham- c um-Kerdi ston and do ubt less they we re much the same for Whitwell - cumHackford . 13 �Woodland in lrust ld broadleaved wood land is our island's ancestral landscape, and probably the richest and most beautiful of all w ild habitats. It is where nightingales live, and . bluebells grow, and where you can still enjoy the unforgettable sight of beech leaves turning gold over a carpet of flowering heather. It is the heart of our natural heritage But as a nation which for centuries has tolerated the fact that we have one of the lowest proportions of natura lly wooded la nd in Europe, we have suddenly realised that even this small fragme nt is in danger of being wiped out Our "ancient woodlands", the last of the Wildwood, are going down in front of the bulldozers . Already the losses have been devastating. Nearly a half has been destroyed since the wa r to make way for arable crops or conifer plantations, in what may have been the fiercest period of attrit ion in our whole history What remains amounts to, on offic ial estimates, about 300,000 hectares, or less than a seventh of the country's treelands. This may seem a smidgen of land, but it still manages to include almos·t all our favourite local copses, as well as great national treasures like the New Forest and the Lake District oakwoods . The decline is depressing, but also puzzling, not least for the fact that as a people so passionate ly fond of trees we should have al lowed it to happen And how do we square those figures with the recent boom in planting, and with the Forestry Commission's evidence - also widely publicised - that deciduous woodland has actually increased in area over the last decade? What is so spec ial about ancient woodland that singles it out from decidu ous woodland in general? Presumably all woods have to sta rt somewhere so aren't we in danger of forgetting those proverb ial littl e acorns? A poll- or, better, a word association test would probably produce half a dozen different and probably contradictory images of ancient woodland, ranging from groups of shapely oaks planted by Capability Brown to somet hin g vaguely primeval, unmarred b,v any human hand . But thankfully in the summer of last year, a definition began to emerge that everyone, commercia l foresters included, was prepared to accept. The phrase "ancient woodland" refers, simply, tosites which have been continuously wooded since before 1 600. That is a fair slice of time for the special plants and animals of woodland to establish a settled existence, bu! the date isn't a purely arb itrary one. It also marks a watershed between two separate traditions of managing woodland the modern idea of forestry, with its artificia lly created plantations, often of exotic trees : and the older tradition of woodman ship, which relied on the continuous cropping and regrowth of our nati ve species The idea of planting whole woods is surpris in gly O ------------~.•.~- 14 �WOODLAND IN TRUS I supply of firewood and building timber is due to the simple but recent. and would have seemed absurd to the med ieva ls. since persistently ignored fact that our native broadleaf trees (unlike woods grew so well of their own accord. ' The earliest recorded conifer species) are capable of re generating from the stump when plantation is Lord Burghley's Wood in Windsor Great Park. which they are fel led or lopped. and of doing so indefinitely. dates from 1580. oU do not need to take any of this alternative woodland The point about pre-1600 woods is that being unplanted they history on trust: it is all there to be seen. preseNed in the are likely to have - almost by definition - vastly more natural fascinating and intricate structure of our remaining ancient features than plantat ions. There is even a chance that they are on woods themselves. Here and there. on inland cliffs. ·unstabie sites which have bee n continuously wooded since the Stone Age shore lines. and other habitats too precarious or inaccessible to and that their vegetation and wildlife are remnants. or at least have been worked commercially you can see something of the echoes. of the time w hen the Wildwood cloaked most dry land variety which the original Wildwood once encompassed . On 10.000 years ago Although these plants and animals can be upland scree slopes in. for instance. Western Argyll there are often immensely tolerant of our using their habitat. they are very patches of juniper. birch and aspen which are probably much like particular in their requirements. and often cannot thrive in newly the shrubby woodland which pioneered the reafforestation of created woods . Britain after the retreat of the glaciers. Shrivelled ash -woods grow Boulsbury Wood in Wiltshire - currently our most notorious on some limestone "pavements" in the north-the Yorkshire Da les ancient wood because of the compensation payments of £20.000 for example - though it would be more precise to say in the a year for 60 years the government is having to pay the owner for not converting it to a conifer p lantation - has some striking limestone; not only do the bulk of the flowers . the wild garlic . ferns. globe-flowers and cranesbi ll. ac'tua ll y grow below grou nd examples. As well as a stunn ing carpet of woodland flowers. level in deep. moist fissures. but so do many of the trees. And on including lilies of the valley. orchids and Solomon's seal . it Holmstone (ie holly-stone) Beach at Dungeness in Kent. there is contains what is probably one of the oldest living things in Britain. wood growing on pure shingle. consisting of almost prostrate It is not an oak but a native lime. now a scarce and scattered holly and blackthorn and first mentioned in a boundary charter species : and it grows not as a huge and venerab le hulk. but as a dated 741AD. gigantic ring of smaller trunks. the result of having been regularly cut back 10 ground level ("coppiced") maybe 50 times in its life. But the vast majority of surviving ancient woods have been It is 22 feet in diameter and probably 1.500 years old. and is a living worked in some way. from the little alder dingles on the We lsh embodiment of the continuity of the wood . borders. once cut for clogs. to the great West Country oakwoods Cases like this. of unplanted trees surviving precisely because whose bark was used in the tanning trade Both these were th ey have been cut. go right against the popular belief about the managed as coppices. So were the gorge woods that run along the way that trees and woodland "work" . Most of us were brought up banks of the River Wye and which contain almost our entire range on a version of woodland history that began with a primeval oak of some 60 native species of tree and shrub . They were harvested largely to supply the local iron smelting works . as were many of the forest. This survived the assaults o f early settlers. was plundered to fuel th e iron industry and build the British fleet in the 17th century. woods in the Forest of Dean. and it was this important -economic role that ensured their sUNival. It is no coincidence that many of and onl y saved from total extinction by the farsighted planting of the most densely and continuously wooded areas of Britain - the the 18th - and 19th-century landowners . In short . the legend .teaches us that felling and using trees destroys woodlands and Weald. Wyre Forest in Worcestershire and Furness in Lancashire :-- occur precisely where there were once flourishing iron mining tree planting is necessary to restore them. and smelting enterprises. The ironworks needed a continuous OW it would be very encouraging to have a national supply of wood charcoal. and their owners made sure that the mythology about woodlands which so obviously cares woods that produced it were well looked after . Uses of other kinds about them. were it not so far from the truth as to inhibit the conseNed other areas of woodland . The Chiltern woodlands. for kind of understanding and action we desperately need at present The real history is radically different at almost every point. example. which were a major source of fuelwood for London until the advent of cheap coal. found a new role in the 19th century 1 he Wildwood. to begin with. was a constantly varying tapestry of when many of the old coppices were converted into beech "high a score of tree species . In the south of England small-leaved lime was probably as common as oak . Clearance for crop-growing and forest" to supply the High Wycombe furniture trade . And the settlement was under way very early. mo re than 6.000 years ago importance of usefulness is just as apparent today. In East Anglia. on current estimates. but as the woodland area declined. what the recent revival of interest in ancient woodlands together with remained wa s used with increasing ingenuity and care . It was . a growing market for their produce among craftsmen and women. and wood-burning stove owners. has meant that some hundreds after all. an irreplaceable resource Among the earliest wooden "rlefacts to have been discovered in this country are the of small. abandoned copses have been saved from clearance and corduruy" wa lk-ways which were built across the marshy lands returned to traditional management. Beyond the coppices is the legacy of a quite separate tradition. of the Somerset levels . They date from about 2500BC. and are built of po les so straight and regula r that they were almost in which the growing of wood was combined with the raising of certainly grown and cut in managed woodland . cattle or deer. In this tradition are the medieval deer parks. like By Domesday (1086) less than a fifth of the original forest cover Moccas in Hertfordshire and Bradgate in Leicestershire with their remained. and was being managed as a mosaic of wastes. hunting huge boundary banks. and the many wooded commons of chases . wooded areas where cattle grazed. and enclosed coppices southern England - Burnham Beeches. Epping . the Mens for where fuelwoodand building timber grew. The combined example - where firewood was haNested above the leve l at which wood land estate was astonishingly productive. By 1600 when cattle grazed by the lopping process known as pollarding . coal and cheap Scandinavian softwoods were comparatively You have only to go woodcrawling around your own parish to unimportant items of trade. Britain 's population of some seven see how much history has been inscribed - in· grained. so to speak million was virtually self-sufficient in timber and fuel from a total - in the structure of all ancient woods Much can be read in the area of treeland probably somewhat less than we have at present' form of the trees themselves . Rings of smaller trunks. apparently One eminent woodland historian has described the coppicespringing from a single base . are known as stools. and are the form wood as "the North Sea gas of pre - 1800 England". That these in which trees grow when coppiced regularly . When one of these woods wer e alile to go on producing a se: mingly inexhaustib le poles or trunks is cut . a ring -count will tell you not how old the tree Y N 15 �WOODLAND IN TRUST astonished some older conservation bodies. used to repeated is. but when it was last cut. Pollards bear sheaves of branches defeats and lack of funds. The Trust makes its supporters in the beginning about 'eight to 10 feet above the ground. often on immensely broad and gnarled trunks Maidens or standards. area the key to appeals for specific woods. and tops up their intended for heavier or finer quality timber are tall and straight. and locally-raised contributions with money from central government have narrow crowns if they've grown surrounded by other trees. agencies like the Countryside Commission and the National Heritage Fund . Sometimes you may see a short pollard or stub. with a trunk This is how it was able to raise close on a quarter of a million about three or four feet tall. These are just one of a large range of pounds in one month for the 340-acre Wormley Wood in features originally employed to mark boundaries around. or inside. Hertfordshire. Wormley is the largest surviving fragment of the woods . The most conspicuous of these is usually a bank-anddirch. Ancient woodbanks are usually massive and sinuous. Since great oak and hornbeam woods that once covered much of the county. and is of national scientific importance as well as a one of their important functions was to keep grazing animals away beautiful and awesome place to walk in . from the young shoots of regenerating coppice . their accompanyBut although there is a good case for regarding woods like this ing ditch was usually on the outside . A reverse bank. with the ditch as historic monuments. they aren't redundant relics . They are on the inside. is typical of wooded deer park and commons. where living. growing communities whose character and very survival the intention was to keep the animals in. Woodbanks still sometimes carry remains of hedges. and there are some woods in are due in part to their long association with humans. The Woodland Trust recognises that both woods and humans will the Wye valley where the boundaries and internal compartments benefit if that association is renewed So wherever possible It are marked by old stone walls . 1 kinds of ponds occur in ancient woods. Natural ponds are opens its woods to the public normally roughly oval or circular in shape - though so are The Trust has tried to acquire woods evenly over England and the f ishpo nds occasionally found in monastic deer-parks . Wales. in urban areas as well as rural. It is beginning to manage its properties to improve their value to wildlife and people . and is Other artificial ponds include duck decoys (18th-19th century). normally tapering in shape. and dammed ponds encouraging its supporters to act as informal wardens . In Pepper Wood in the West Midlands. for example. all these different associated with forges or furnaces (14th-18th century) strands have been brought together in an ambitious " community Then there is the wildlife. perhaps the most striking of all the woodland" experiment. Hundreds of people from the Bromsgrove special features of ancient woodland. Dormice prefer longarea come to learn traditional coppicing techniques. and take part established woods. So do some of our more glamorous butterflies. in a host of other activities associated with the wood like the white admiral and purple emperor. Something like a It is in this coming together of old almost forgotten traditions hundred species of wild flower. including favourites like sweet and modern enth usiasms that a new and exciting role for our woodruff. wood sorrel and early purple orchid. are more or less valuable ancient woods is gradually beginning to emerge and confined to anciently-wooded sites. One could go on. about the develop lichens and mosses and beetles that are steadfastly attached to 0 these places . . But it should be clear by now how this wealth of detail makes these woods irreplaceable When they are destroyed I it is not just their trees that disappear. but an accumulated ' historical texture that no new plantation can ever "catch up" with What emerges from the history of our woods is that it is not use ' that destroys them but redundancy Woods have vanished in the past when barley or conifers or speculative building has become a more profitable use of the land . It is becau se tradition all y managed woodland is so often not immed i2lSiy seen as a viable commercial use of land that the rate of clearance has become so alarming . At present there is virtually no legislation which can control this inexorable destruction . But last summer the Forestry Commission began making tentative moves towards recognising ancient woods as a special case. and in need of more rigorous fellinglicence arrangements . It remains to be seen what the outco me of this change of attitude will be . But the need to find mO'.l ern roles for ancient woods is likely to remain as urgent as ever The Woodland Trust is outstanding among those conservation bodies , concerned with woodland in exploring this need. as well as fulfilling a purely protective function The Trust was started in 1 972. as a one -man org.anisation based in Devon . Its aims. even at that early date. were not just to conserve exist ing woods and establish new ones but to "secure and enhance the enjoyment of the publ.ic of the natural environment of these territories" . Since then it has recruited 40.000 members. and acqu ired 135 woods covering more than 4.000 acres . These figures alone are an indication of its success. but just as important is the style in which these acquisitions have been made. The Trust understandably sees its chief priority as the purchase of vulnerable woods. and the evocative phrase "Woodland Rescue" it has coined for this operation gives you an idea of how it goes about things . Once the decision has been made to try and buy a wood. the Trust goes ahead with a si ngle-minded comm itment that has /i. 16 �,. SPAB DOMESDAY SURVEY OF BARNS AND THE REEPHAM SOCIETY AWARD SCHEME Members will recall t nat the above items were included in the January News l e t ter , volunteers were requested to assist with the survey of barns and applicat ion s were invited for the Society's award scheme. The r espo~se from members t o both iLems was extremely disappointing, i t lS not too l ate f or members to respond to either one, so I have included them again in t he hope that we are perhaps luckier this t ime . 17 �SPAB DOMESDAY SURVEY OF BARNS The SPAB is the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings and is the oldest national society dedicated to the conservative repair of old buildings. They intend in this survey to try and record the basic details of eve~ traditionally built barn in England & Wales, whether they are still in agricultural use, are converted or derelict. It has been called the Domesday Survey of Barns and is one of the largest surveys of buildings ever undertaken in the country. The target for. completion is 1986 - 900 years after completion of the Domesday Book. The survey is part of The SPAB Barns Campaign which aims to create an awareness of barns and their importance in the landscape. The SPAB believes that wherever possible, barns should remain in agricultural use, and they will be pressing for a change in the grants system to encourage this. To carry out this survey as successfully and as comprehensively as possible, a large number of volunteers are to be sought and to be asked to undertake to survey all the barns in their specific areas. The Reepham Society is interested in assisting with the survey of barns and whilst it would be interested in covering the five parishes within its area of 'benefit', it would like to have sufficient volunteers to cover adjoining parishes, i.e . Bawdeswell, Swannington, Cawston, Heydon etc. The success of the survey will depend upon the goodwill of farmers and owners of barns in allowing access to their property and their verbal help in answering questions about use of the building. (although this may be obvious to the keen volunteer). It should be stressed that the survey can only be successfully carried out with the volunteer first obtaining permission from the owner .. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer and would like to offer your help with this survey, then please get in touch with Mr. Russell Vincent Vale Cottage Hackford Vale Reepham Tel. 870554 or contact the Society's Hon. Secretary (who will pass on your details) Mr. B. Wise 45 Ollands Road Reepham 18 Tel. 870323 �THE REEPHAMSOCIETY AWARD SCHEME Members will recall the last newsletter in which we featured {inside and on the front cover) details of the Reepham Society Award Scheme. Somewhat belatedly we gave details of the 1983 Award which was presented to M.G. Brown and R.J.Chamberlin, Builders, for their rehabilitation work to Birchams Yard, Reepham. The Scheme was started in 1983 and is a bi-annual event; we are therefore inviting nominations for the Award for 1985. Any menber or non-member can submit schemes, and the full details covering the scheme are outlined below. to: I would ask that any nominations you may care to make are sent Mr. Russell Vincent Vale Cottage Hackford Vale Reepham or The Hon. Secretary Mr. B. Wise 45 Ollands Road Reepham by no later than the 31st May, 1985. Please however, do not leave it until the last as all schemes submitted will have to be inspected. It is intended for the Awards to be announced in November 1985 and a pl aque to the successful owner will be presented. Members and non-members of the Society are invited to submit schemes. The following examples are not definitive but include the types of practical work to be encouraged: i) Restoration of old buildings and structures, both internally and externally and, where necessary, their adaptation to a new use. ii) Replacement of obtrusive, excessively large or garish shop and other signs by signs better suited to the character of the surrounding , . iii) Improvement of the surroundings of buildings and areas by landscaping, appropriate lighting and street furniture, and other means to create a more pleasing setting. iv) New construction, the design of which harmonises with the character of the surroundings. v) Repair, 'cleaning and repainting of buildings. vi) Open spaces introducing more trees, grass and flowers. vii) Repair and preservation of vernacular details. 19 �APPLICATION FORM To: Hon Secretary, The Reepham Society. I wish the scheme. mentioned below to be considered for a Reepham Society Award 1985. I h~:ye . obtained permission from the owner, and occupier where appropriate, for this scheme to be entered. Signed ________________________________________ Dated _____________________ Name Address -----------------------------------------------------------________________________________________________ Telephone ___________________ Please complete accurately the following: 1. Name of Scheme and Address Date of Completion ------------------------------------------ -------------------------- (Schemes must be complete) 2. Name, Address & Telephone No of Owner ________________________________ 3. Name, Address & Telephone No of Occupier ______________________________ 4. Name and Address of Designer/Consultants ______________________________ 5. Name and Address of Builder or Manufacturer 6. Names and Addresses of any Organisation involved (state capacity) 7. Brief Description of the Scheme ---------------------------- NOTE: Any creative ,work which contributes to the quality and appearance of townscape or landscape is eligible. There will be no categorisation of entries. The foll owing points should, however, be noted: (a) schemes must be such that they can be seen by the general public, (b) schemes must be fully completed (or if in several phases this must be defined) and (c) entries consisting principally of landscaping may need to be deferred for assessment if insufficiently mature to allow an impression of the intended ~ffect. There is no limit to the number of entries allowed from anyone source. 20 �REEPHAM MARDLE, SPUFFLE AND SQUIT In the last newsletter I spoke rather unkindly about the garage in School Road (the one on the east side), I suggested rather than the barn next door being demolished and the gar a ge being left standing, it ought to be the other way around. I have been taken to task by Mrs. Batcock of The Hollies, New Road, on this particular issue,in a letter from her she comments that the garage may be in a lamentable state but it does represent an exciting form of architecture developed in the 1920's for a particular use . The stat e of the building should not distract us from its architectural and townscap e value and an example such as this one should be preserved and not be demolished and lost forever as many others have been . As I pass this building twice a day on my way to and from work, I now look at it in a different light, but this light would be greatly enhanced if the building didn't look quite such a mess. It should be realised by readers t1at comments made by the newsletter editor are not necessarily the view of ~he Society's committee or members as a whole. I would like the newsletter to become a means for any member to express an opinion critical or otherwise. I'm sure Mrs. Batcock is not the only person to have strong feelings or comments about items printed in these pages. I do indeed welcome her critical but constructive concern. We are informed (by the Eastern Daily Press) that a film of Reepham was made during the 1930's . We believe that a copy is held somewhere in Norwich. This is really the extent of available information that we have about this film and obviously we are keen to trace and hopefully have a copy of it . Does anybody know anything about this? Even the briefest details would be most helpful, contact with me or any committee member would be most helpful. A planning application has been made for the erection of two dwelling houses at Townsend Corner. Lovers of our current Reepham townscape should make haste with their cameras and photograph an area which is likely to be irretrievably changed (new houses replacing antique shop!) . The Reepham Saturday Spectacular Committee are having a change (and a deserved rest) from their usual two day extravaganze in September. They are holding this year a one day Charter Fair which will be held in the Market Place on Saturday, 29th June. The Society hopes to have a stall to a dvertise its activities etc. 21 • �Broadland has turned down the application for a hot food shop on the end of the ex. Sun P.H. which looks out onto Towns End corner. An application has now been received for the same hot food shop but in a d~fferent part of the building. Many people were concerned at the future of the church railings which were suddenly taken down before last Christmas and although they were not removed from the site r rumour and speculation abounded that they were not going to be returned to their rightful position. A petition for their reinstatement was organised (which I hope you signed), and the Society wrote to the Parochial Church Council stating that they felt strongly that the railings should be returned. The Society asked for repair cost details so that an assessment of help that they may be able to give could be made. After petition, letters and reconsiderations it is now thought th at the cost of restoration may not be quite as excessive as was originally thought and the Church Council have now agreed to positively explore the possibility of putting them back. After being persuaded on more than one occasion not to give up, Mr. Tom Mate has now finally decided to retire from the task of organising the SOCiety's Gardens Competition. This is a great pity as we have no natural replacement to carryon with this. Is there anyone available who would like to take on this summer time (hopefully dry weather) duty? Although giv ing up, Mr. Mate is willing to give every assistance and anyone interested should contact h im on 870439. Did you know that a wel l known heather featured in gardening books and on television is call ed 'Jack Brummage' and that Jack Brummage who raised this variety lives in Tudor Cottager Reepham! 22 �COMPETITIONS TwO competitions are offered in this newsletter, one for the younger members and one for the not so young. The first one has been prepared by Catherine Vert i gan; any child who is no older than twelve years of age on the 1st May 1985 can enter. Entries will be accepted until the21st June and if more than one correct entry is received the winner will be drawn from 'a hat'. The following words are all hidden somewhere in the puzzle, ring round the words as shown with the word 'snow'), tear out the page and send to the editor's address given on the first page. The winner will receive a £2 prize. SUN A S L S E A U S HOTEL TENT Y N I A M Z CIFtCUS SEA BEACH ReCK SANDY SKI -- 1'1 0 U R W Q H 0 L R Y I G D C C U t'I T A I N T N M E N 0 A Y S F 0 R T T G S L B Y A N E X U E E P I C A M P C T /\. • 'E S X D R 0 C L S K I I H H T E N T C A Q 23 S K F K HOLIDAY LICE SNOW CAMP MOUNTAIN SEAM ANT SET FORT �There is no ag = limit for the second competition - entries ' please by the21st J Jne , 1985 and to be sent to the editor's address (given on t he first page) . From Reep ham market squar e travel 23 furlongs to the place where, maybe or maybe not, once l ived the Pied Piper. Proceed then along the ro ad toward s the land of many birds for 53 chains (give o r take a link or two). Her e you should f ind the initials (temporarily whitened with a Polo mint for photographic purposes ). £2 prize for the best explanation of al l this, received before 1 st June 1 98 5. 24 ��CLOUDS Up a hi ll , up a tree Everywhere Clouds look at me. The whiteness, brightness Dazzles me. The blueness, the whiteness Clash together as the Clouds pass by. Catherine Vertigan '. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Reepham Society Newsletters Description An account of the resource A comprehensive collection of newsletters published by the Reepham Society. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Printed and digital Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GB/REE/RS/Magazines Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1983-2000 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Reepham Society Text - printed Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Reepham Society Newsletter May 1985 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource May 1985 Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GB/REE/2105122010 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource A4 29 pages Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Reepham Society 1985 Reepham Society https://reephamarchive.co.uk/omeka/files/original/bcfc102ee904b171b674885f19ac7478.pdf 8c2627929f9d92c67b575b6262ff3819 PDF Text Text 4-2-1 THE AEEPHAM SOCIETY ;;. , , Jonuor-y newsletter . �JANUARY 1985 Dear Member, Another newsletter and another year; whilst this edition may reach you a week or two into the new year, I trust on behalf of the Society's commi ttee that it is not too 1ate to w·jsh you all a happy new year. I hoped in the last issue that we could get back to a regular three monthly issue, I've had my doubts at times but as the last issue came out in October this has been achieved, I keep my fingers crossed that this trend will continue during 1985. Over the past few months I have come across, discovered, been made aware of, or been presented with various ideas and articles which will keep the newsletter a few pages thick over the next few issues. My only disappointment for this issue was the failure to include an article on 'The Woodland Trust' which was recently featured in 'Good Housekeeping'. This is an excellent article which focuses on an enviromental aspect of which many people are keenly interested in, the saving of our "ancient woodlands". It would be an injustice for me to precis the article and so I would like to give you a copy of the full account. This however, introduced me to certain problems concerning copyvwiSJht and whilst the magazine has no qualms about me using the articl~they insist that the final permission rests with the writer. Richard Mabey. I am keeping my fingers crossed (for the second time on this page!) that he will let me have his agreement as I am sure it is something that will interest many of our members. This newsletter includes a variety of items, and whilst everyone will not be of a direct interest, I hope that the issue includes something that you can read for your interest. The 84/85 programme gives details of our first event, a Cheese and Wine Concert in February at Whitwell Hall, and we continue with details om the three Churches talk, this time featuring Reepham. The passing of Kelly's Directory is lamented and Reepham - 1875 is resurrected from it's past pages, history in these pages is continued with an artice on George Reeve (who also features on our cover) . These and the other items will I hope give you a 'part' evening's read and please, if you feel you have an item to offer, let me know. I'm sure that many people in Reep ham would be interested in what the members of the Society may have to offer through these quarterly pages. Michael Black ********** A warm welcome to our new members Mr . and Mrs. OrTell Mr. and Mr's. l3atcock Mr. and Mrs. Mattett Mr. and Mrs. Gates Mr. and My's. Loose Mr. and Mrs. ~Ja i n\'wi ght Mr. May My'. and Mrs. Rogers 1 New Road, Reepham New Road, Reepham Kerdiston Hackford Vale Bawdeswell Wh i hIe 11 Lenwade Kerdiston Road, Reepham �1984j85 PROGRAMME - PAST AND FUTURE EVENTS - MelhbersMeeting - Thursday 22nd November 1984 This Members' evening was held at the Old Brewery House Hotel and was well attended with about 60 members and friends present. The first part of the evening was taken up with the presentation of cups and awards by Mr. R.W. Loose to the winners of the Society's 1984 Gardens Competition, and the second part was filled by Mr. Wesley Piercey who gave a talk on "Old Reepham Continued" . Mr. Piercey delivered an interesting talk, on a subject dear to him, and to an appreciative audience. The Society's Gardens Competition is run each year and our grateful thanks must be offered· to Mr. Tom Mat~ who has organised this (and previous) years' competitions. The judge this year was Mr. Loose of Bawdeswell who many of you will have heard offering his gardening expertise on Radio Norfolk. Not only did Mr. Loose visit all those gardens that were entered (two visits to each garden I believe), but he also came and presented the cups and awards. These were as follows: _~.wing 1st 2nd 3rd Cup for the Best Garden Mr. and Mrs. Kent Mr. and Mrs. Wood Mr. and Mrs. Galley Highly Commended Whitwell Road Ollands Road Bircham Road Mr. and Mrs. Lunn Mr. and Mrs. Wise Ollands Road Ollands Road J. Stimpson Cup for the Best Large Garden 1st 2nd 3rd Mr. and Mrs. Norbury Mr. and Mrs. B. Stimpson Mr . Webb Highly Commended Themelthorpe Salle Kerdiston Road Mr. and Mrs. Bass Mrs. Wyand Dereham Road Sta tion Road Wine and Cheese Evening with Musical Concert at Whitwell Hall on r r TaiiY-T5ln · February 1985 The entertainment at the Society's Annual Cheese and Wine Evening will this year be of a musical nature replacing the light entertainment offered in the past year or so. A concert of Baroque music will be provided by 'Saraband' . Wine will be available before and after the concert and a buffet supper will be provided in the interval. Whilst the evening will be one in which to enjoy the music it is intended for sufficient time to be available before, during the interval. and after, so that members and friends can get together for some wine and amiable conversation. An evening to be enjoyed by the serious and not so serious music lovers of the district , tickets are £2.50 each and are directly available from Mrs. Ivins (Tel.870368) or from The Chimes in the Market Place. 2 �However, if you contact any of the committee members listed in this newsletter, 11m sure they will be more than helpful in getting tickets for you. This evening will be the Societyls main fund raiser for 1985, please SUPPOy't us by coming along and bri ng your friends, relatives and anyone else who can h~lp to make th i s evening financially successful for us . Saraband (formerly the Danby Trio) is a group of musicians concentrating mainly on the music from the 17th and 18th centuries for recorders, oboe, bassoon and harpsichord, although a wide range of music for clarinets, oboes, piano and saxaphone is also played. Saraband consists of Richard and Marion Danby from Reepham and Antoi nette Watts from Swannington who between the three of them, will play most of the instruments mentioned above; for this concert they will be joined by Judith Smith (bassoon). The programme will include music by Telemann, Vivaldi and Mozart. \ Sunday 3rd March - Footpath Walk We have been informed that the Norwich and District Footpath Society have arranged to walk some of the footpaths in the Reepham area on the above date. They will meet in the Market Place from where they will commence the walk at 2.30 p.m. Why not make a note of the above date and times, get your walking boots out of the cupboard and join . the Soc iety for the afternoon? In the past these footpath walks have proved to be very popular with up to 60 people turning up . Reepham has some fine country walks and with the Footpa th Society organising it should turn out to be an enjoyable afternoon weath er permitting! I was hoping in this newsletter to let you have a lot of events which the committee has organised for the forthcoming year, but due to difficulties in fixing definite dates this has not been possible. Whilst a number of ideas have been put forward and the Society has written letters in th e hope of arranging items of interest , it is still early days for confirmatory dates to be given. I can confirm that a car treasure hunt will be held on a weekend in mid /late June and we are almost sure that in the autumn we will have an ev ening of films from the U.E.A. Local History Film Archives. It is intended for the Norfolk dialect to be featured possibly combined with the films evening. We were unfortuna te not to secure for an eveningls meeting the company of Lord Melchett, 11m sure a talk on his conservation views would have been worth lis tening to; perhaps we can try again next year. The visit in 1984 to Booton Hall proved a great success and in 1985 in the summer, we are trying to arrange an even ing visit to Mannington Hall. :3 �REEP_HAM_ (KELLYS DIRECTORY) ~_~~ Many people have lamented the loss of Kellys county directories, they, like no other series (except perhaps Whiles directories, which preceded them) give us a comprehensive view of our local society. A series which at the height of its circulation covered the whole of the country, Kelly's were founded in 1799 and according to Phillip Hepworth in a recent copy of Norfolk Fair, their prosperity depended on the now discredited philosophy of the Victorian hymn writer, Mrs. C.F. Alexander (1815-1895): "The rich man in his castle; The poor man at his gate. God made them, high or lowly, and ordered their estate". The first Norfolk directory was issued in 1846 and the final volume appeared in 1937. It is interesting to compare volumes of different years and as a full set of volumes is held in the Colman Rye library it is easy to obtain copies showing the changes over the years that have occurred in Reepham. As we turn in 1985 it is interesting to consider Reepham as it was 100 years ago, 110 years in fact as the nearest copy that I have is 1875. The entry in 1875 begins "Reepham is a small market town and pollingplace in the Northern division of the county. The Town is split into four rateable areas, Reepham with a population of 343 , Hackford-next-Reepham (733), Kerdiston (188) and Whitwell (482). The four separate villages for administrative and religious purposes etc. were paired off and known as , Reepham-cum-Kerdi ston and Hackford-cum-Whitwell . The two pa irs each had their own church and vicarage, school and cemetery . " Kellys inform us that a market for corn and cattle is held every Wednesday and an annual fair is held for the sale of stock and horses. Petty sessions were held every alternate Monday at the Police Station and there were also a well ~upported Reading Room and Library in the Market P"lace. Miss Amelia Sands was the postmistress, and she dispatched at 4.35 pm each day (to Norwich) all letters posted in Reepham. The post box closed at 4.15 pm but letters could be posted until 4.30 pm on payment of 1d. extra. Letters arrived from Norwich at 6.15 am. Reepham cannot consider itself a vital link in Norfolk's public transport system and looking at Kellys of 110 years ago, I wonder if we have progressed very far in that time. Conveyance to Noy'wi ch was the only regul a r journey avail ab 1e, Henry vJith his van left his house (The Black Lion) every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 8. a.m. and carried his passengers to the Duke's Palace, Norwich returning the same days at 5.p.m. Also Richard Badcock left the Greyhound at the same time on the same days and conveyed his passengers to the Moon and Stars also returning home at 5.p.m. (with journeys starting from public houses at both Heepham and Norwich on the three days a week it must have been a welcome service to the travellers). ~1ainford Reepham boasted seven public houses - Black Man, Kings Arms, Greyhound, Sun, George and Dragon , Star and Fall Gate, of these only the Kings Arrnsis still open but the other six are all still standing and identifiable. Although we have lost six , we have gained two, The Crown and Old Brewery House. From the l"ist of cOlllmercial occupations, it would seem that a large output was needed to quench the thirst of the tipplers in Reepham. Apart 4 �from the seven public houses, Bircham and Sons are listed as brewers, maltsters and spirit merchants and there are two retailers supplying beer. Other people also acted as beer retailers in connection with their main business. These included the blacksmith, the watchmaker and the veteri nary sur'geon! The other commercial interests and services available in Reepham in 1875 were 26 Farmers, 7 Grocers, 5 Shopkeepers, 5 Shoemakers, 5 Tailors, 3 Plumbers, 3 Dressmakers, 3 Bakers, 3 Blacksmiths, 2 Butchers, 2 Chemists, 2 Saddlers and one each of the following - Chimney Sweep, Draper and Tea Dealer, Surgeon, Wheelwright, Attorney and Solicitor, Ironmonger, Cabinet Maker, Banker, Fishmonger, Corn Dealer, Carpenter, Accountant, Inland Revenue Officer, Stationer, Basket and Sieve Maker, Hairdresser, Builder, Printer, Boot and Shoe Dealer, Laundress, Watchmaker, Colt Breaker, General Dealer and Scripture Reader, - a comprehensive and somewhat evocative list of services that the residents of 1875 could avail themselves of,lin comparison are we worse or better off in 1985 ? 5 �THE REEPHAMSOCIETY As the Society progresses into another year's activities, I feel it would be useful for members to be reminded of the reasons and the purposes for which it was established. The Reepham Society is a local amenity group registered with the Civic Trust and an affiliated member of the Norfolk Society. The Society is established for the public benefit for the following purposes in the area comprising Reepham, Booton, Hackford, Kerd iston, Salle and Whitwell which is hereafter referred to as 'the area of benefit' - (i) to stimulate public interest in the area of benefit (i i ) to promote high standards of planning and architecture in the area of benefit (i i i) to secure the preservation, protection, development and improvement of features of historic or public interest in the area of benefit (i v) to promote research into subjects directly connected with the objects of the Society and to publish the results of any such research (v) to act as a co-ordinating body and to co-operate with the local authority, planning committees, all other local and statutory authorities, voluntary organisations, charities and persons having aims similar to those of the Society (vi) to promote or assist in promoting activities of a charitable nature throughout the area of benefit (vi i) to publish papers, reports and other literature (viii) to make surveys and prepare maps and plans and collect information in relation to any place, erection or building of beauty or historic interest within the area of benefit (i x) to hold meetings, lectures and exhibitions (x) to educate public opinion and to give advice and information As a member of the Society, you will receive the quarterly newsletter, you can support us in our aims by encouraging your friends to become members so why not show them our "terms of reference", displayed above and ask them to join and take an active part. The annual subscription will be due on the 1st January '85. The membership secretary has the unenviible task of collecting all the annual subscriptions, a task which is completed mostly by personal visits to the homes of t he current members. It would assist the secretary if subscriptions could be sent direct to her, with cheques being made to The Reepham Society. The membersh ip secretary is Mrs. S. Ivins and any money can be sent to her at Hillside , Whitwell, Reepham. 6 �Annual subscription: Life membership: family membership single person old age pensioner married couple single person £ 1.00 75p 50p £15.00 £10.00 For details of membership or of -any function etc. then contact can be made with any committee member, a list of the committee (as at 1st December 1984) is detailed below. - -Chairman - -Vice Chairman Hon~Treasurer Hon ~ -Secretary Mr. A. Ivins Hillside , Whitwell Tel.870368 R. Vincent Vale Cottage, HackfordVale Tel.870554 ~lr. (Vlr. R. Ga 11 ey 47 Bircham Road Tel.870813 Mr. B. Wise 45 0-11 ands Road Tel.870323 ~ Mrs. P. Aitchison Kings Pasture,Booton St. _ Tel.870982 Mr. M. Black Middlemarch, Broomhill Lane S. Ivins Hillside, Whitwell 870936 ~1rs. Tel.870368 Mr . T. Large The Li tt 1e House, Norwi ch Rd 871789 Mrs. H. Pottle Old Lamb Inn, Hackford Vale 870945 Mrs. E. Stuart Broomhill Lane Tel .870806 Mrs. J. Waring 6 Elizabeth Close Tel.870748 Mr. H. Wittall Jordan House, Whitwell Tel. Bawdeswell 287 ********** 7 �TALK ON THREE LOCAL CHURCHES - PART TWO ?T.MARY'SCHURCH, "REEPHAM Many people consider Reepham unique in having two Churches, St. Mary's, Reepham, and St. Michael's, Whitwell, which stand end to end in the churchyard . How many realise that at one time there were three, All Saint's, Hackford was destroyed with the surrounding houses in a disastrous fire in 1543, the tower was demolished in 1790 and today only a fragment remains. A visitor to the churchyard entering from the Market Place will find the ruin on their right hand side between the pathway and the back wall of the Town Hall. ~ There was probably a Church on the site in the 11th century. Certainly a major rebuilqjngtoo_k pJa..ce__iD__.the _ 13th-c.entur-.y~ -Thet..ow.e-r - is -the -eldest -- -- - -- --part o~-the present building, it is believed that it also formed a porch joined to the south wall of the nave by an q.nnexe. A weather-course can be distinguished in the stonework of the tower north wall representing the line of a low-pitched roof from the porch. The door of the present vestry has much decorative work on the nave side and inspection reveals that the hinges have been inverted and refitted, indicating that previously the door faced the other way as it would if it formed the entrance door. The nave piers are octagonal; the arches on the north side are decorated in style - 14th century while the ones on the south side are Early English 13th century. Peculiarly, the southern piers have a mixture of octagonal and circular capitals and bases. This suggests that the mix-match must have occurred during the drastic 14th century remodelling of the Church. st. Michaels Wh i t\vell, SL Marys Reeph arn. 8 �The present south porch is 15th century. In 1790, partly financed by the sale of the Great Bell from the tower, another great alteration was made. The clerestory walls and windows above the aisle roofs on either side of the nave were removed, and a lower-pitched roof, extending right across the aisle walls, replaced the earlier roof. At the same time or afterwards the Church windows were replaced with wooden frames. In 1867 the east window of the chancel replaced an earlier wooden one; and in the 1880s the other chancel windows were re-restored. In Edwardian times stone mullions replaced the 18th windows. Unusually, the chancel is on a lower level than was heavily restored towards the end of the 19th century, chancel arch was introduced, the windows renewed, and the century nave the nave. It when a new floor tiled. On the north wall is a fine canopied tomb of William de Kerdiston II, who fought at Crecy in 1346 and died in 1361. He lies in full armour on a bed of cobbles, this is unusual and there are a number of theories as to the ~use for such a resting place. One theory is that it came from Roman times as Mars the God of War was often portrayed on such a setting. William de Kerdiston III, son of William II, and his wife Cecilia Brewes of Salle, are commemorated by a fine large brass in front of the altar rail. The armour worn by the son differs little from his father's, which seems to confirm that it is the warrior of Crecy who is represented by the sculpted figure of the tomb. The final item worthy of note is the Norman font of purbeck marble, supported by five slim 15th century columns. REEPHAMMARDLE, SPUFFLE ANDSQUIT Whilst appreciating the aims of the Society, which contain no reference to the preservation or study of the Norfolk dialect, I find it difficult sometimes to avoid 'Broad Norfolk'. As soon as I start to delve or consider items of local historical interest it makes me think that those residents of Reepham to whom we now refer and read about probably spoke with the peculiarity of grammar and turn of pharse that make up our local dialect. A dialect much broader than it is today and in much more common use - a dialect which thankfully is still used and heard in and around Reepham and one which must cause amazement and humour to many of the'foreigners ' who now live in Reepham. . Gossip and small talk helps pass the time of day for many people and there is nowhere better to meet people and indulge in this pastime than in and around the Market Place. If walls had ears then the premises around the Market Place must have heard for centuries now all the stories, gossip, tittle tattle, and general nonsense (rightly or wrongly), that Reepham has had to offer. As members of the Society and a resident in Reepham, I, like many others, am interested in odd blts of news, information and gossip which continually abound. I would like in the 9 �next issue or two to introduce a page (near the back away from the more knowledgable and informative items) which will include small items of note or of general interest which do not reasonably fit into any where .else. Have a read and see what you think - if you feel that this is stepping beyond the intention of the newsletter, then let me know. Why - you may ask, did I call it mardle, spuffle and squit IIforeigners (and to a Norfolk person this generally includes anyone who is born outside of Norfolk or Suffolk) will be unaware of the meanings but to those Norfolk born and bred, it means gossip, to fuss or speak pompousiy and to talk nonsense which just about sums up a lot of our spoken word. ll If space permits and the interest is there, then I may develop the theme of local dialect and perhaps include an article or two specifically related to it in future issues. Initially however, you may be interested in some of the current items. Application has been made to convert part of the former Sun Public House into a fish and chip shop. The shop would be situated in the end which looks onto Towns End corner . Application has been made to demolish the barn in School Road (opposite the fire station) and to develop the overall site with housing. The loss of such a builaing would indeed be tragic to the general townscape of this area but what would it do to the garage next door. If the Society issued an award for the building which stimulates the least interest in the appearance of our Town, then the garage in School Road (next to the barn) would win easily. It's a pity that someone wants to demolish the barn and leave the garage, it ought to be the other way around. It would be nice if more colour, in the summertime, could be brought into the Market Place. The committee has cosidered the possibility of encouraging, even perhaps organising a competition for tradespeople and private residents to have flowers in tubs, window boxes etc. to colourfully liven up this area. After the article in the last newletter about Booton Church, it is sad to record the death at the age of 82 of the Rev. Willis Mansfield Feast who was Rector of Booton and Brandiston from 1935-70. He was the last Rector to occupy the rectory built next door and apart from his love for the 'Victorian gothic splendour! next door, he will be fondly remembered for his sport ing interest in cricket, golf and tennis. Planning permission has been sought to turn the farm buildings (including the barn) at Rookery Farm into residential use, it is sad to see these buildings being altered but it does allow them to remain in the overall state for which they were originally built. If you keep photographs of Reepham and its buildings then I would advise you to go out and photograph all the barns you can find in the area. They certainly seem to be having a rough time at the moment and some will obviously not be around for much longer. It is sad, but inevitable that the railway lines (on either side of Reepham) have had to finally go . The lines, and the sleepers have gone and as I write the ba ll ast is now being removed. After 100 years or so, it is 10 �difficult to imagine the cuttings and embankments becoming anything particularly useful and it would be nice if they could be turned back to nature. Having recently walked along the line from Whitwell to Theme1thorpe. It was indeed made unhappy to find that the machinery removing the track ballast had destroyed so many young trees and saplings. Nature, if left, will right this situation, but it is di:stressing to see such wanton destruction in our countryside for the sake of commercial profitability. Let us now be able to walk the lines and enjoy them as nature would want. GEORGE WILLIAM REEVE ~ 11m sure some of you will remember the excellent article "Haveringland and Thereabouts" which appeared in the August 1984 edition of Norfolk Fair. This was written by George Kett who lives in Bircham Road, Reepham. You will perhaps remember my initial comments in the last newsletter when I asked for members and others interested to contribute articles etc. which would be of local interest and could be ~ included in future issues.- The response has not been overwhelming, but 11m aware of a number of items that will be forthcoming and Mr. Kett has made a positive contribution by sending me an article about George Reeve, a local lad who went away and 'made good ' and came back and spent his final years in Reepham .• The print on the front cover is from the nameplate of a George Reeve Oil Burner, which is referred to in the article; At the end of the article is a copy of an American newspaper report dated 18tW May 1918. The death of George Reeve in May 1984, in his 94th year, brings to an end a very acti ve and eventful 1; fe; an apt example of IVi 11 age 1ad makes good ' . He was born at Bawdeswe11, where his parents kept a public house, in December 1890 but about 3 years later the family moved to a house now called Tuctway in Booton, just beyond the beck on the Norwich road. He started his education at Booton school, but, for some reason, couldn't settle down and it seems that the remainder of his schooling took place at Lyng, living with his grandmother. An early job, probably 'during school holidays, was 'odd job boy' at Moor House; one task was attending to the pumping of water to a tank at the top of the house, by a mule driving a pump in the garden. Little is known about the next few years but in his later Iteensl he worked in Lodnon for a corn merchant and even managed to purchase a car, quite an achievement around 1908, although on his own admission he 'had to run it mainly on parafin ' to keep expenses down. While in London he became friendly with some American students who apparently spoke highly of prospects in the States so George decided to go with them when they returned to their homeland, selling his car to pay for his passage, but being completely 'broke ' on arrival. Making use of his motoring experience, he g~t a jo~ wit~ a well-to-do American family acting as their chauffeur and taklng thelr chl1dren to school, 11 �but around 1914 he obtained a job with a Government Construction firm in Washington (New Jersey) largely engaged on war supplies. There he achiev~d remarkable success, becoming Chief Inspector by the end of the war. One of his treasured possessions was a silver cup presented to him in 1918, at a dinner given in his honour, inscribed " ... as a token of esteem by his Inspectors and Checkers". At some time after 1918 he left the Construction Co. and traded on his own in the Removal business, employing several drivers. He also had some connection, manufacturing and selling, Oil Burners with a trade name of 'Islander ' . The Reeve family circa 1900 at Booton. George is next to his mother, the other boy is Walter who lived at Hackford Vale and for many years ran a carr~er business. He was also a J.P. and served on the local bench. In the centre is Violet (now Mrs. Muddle), aged 96 and living in Kent, she drove up to see George early in 1984. We must now jump to 1936 from which time much moving around took place. He first returned to this country in July 1936 but, as he had meantime acqui red American citizenship, was only allowed an 'Alien Permit ' to land for 6 months with no authori ty to enter any employment. 12 �I! ! Returning to America he again came to England in 1939 with permission to stay for 12 months. , For. a time he stayed with his sister, a Mrs. Muddl e at Lyng, and some time at his parents' house at Booton . . In 1940 he stayed at a Hotel in Thetford which seems to have something to do with the restrictions on his activities as he was still classified as an 'alien'. He had by then managed to acquire another car and, according to an entry on his passport was officially 'allowed to use his car in connection with his business' whatever that was at that time. In February 1941 he was exempted from the 'Alien Restric tion Order' on such occasions when called upon for Ambulance Duties , and unconditionally exempted in October 1941. Soon after the end of the war he started building his house at Moor Corner doing much of the building work himself - even making the tiles one at a time. He moved during 1946 and established a tyre business, in the seperate building adjoining the roadway~ which he carried on until around 1965. On the domestic side of his life it appears that he, at some time, married a British girl who joined him in America but could not settle down to the life there. She returned to this country and they were subsequently divorced. There was one son from that ma rriage. He later married an American girl , his son from that marriage is still in America. For the last 10 years of his life George received devoted care from his housekeeper Mrs. Brett who, incidentally, ha~ given much assistance with the compiling of these notes. One little 'monument' to George Reeve is the ironwork seat standing near Moor torner, which was placed there and cemented in when he heard th at the authorities were planning to widen the road by taking in the wide grass verge which he cla imed belonged to him. Whoever was in the right, the seat is sti ll there and the road not widened! That lad from Booton certainly had an active life. WASHINGTON PARK (N.J.) GOVERNMENT MAN HONOURED ~ 18 -May 1918 A party of 35 men inspectors and checkers from Woodbury and vicinity gave a theatre party Thursday night in Philiadelphia to their chief Mr. George W. Re eve~ After the theatre the gentlemen were escorted to Krugler 's magnificent banquet hall where a well loaded table provided for all the wants of the inner man . Many pleas ant after-dinner speeches were made, Mr. W.J. Charlton acting as toastmaster. Bobbie Nash of the Billy Watson Co., now playing at the Casino·Theatre, was an ho~oured guest and pleased the boys with many anecdotes and stories. Mr. Charles Hill presided at · the piano and with his delicate touch brought fort h melodies that in spired the boys to do the twostep. During the evening Capt. C.P. Budd on behalf of his fellow employees pres ented an inscribed cup to Mr. Reeve who responded with a few we ll-chosen words, heartily thanking everyone for their loyalty and support. 13 I �THE REEPHAM SOCIETY AWARD SCHEME Members will recall the last newsletter in which we featured (inside ' and on the front cover) details of the Reepham Society Award Scheme. Somewhat belatedly we gave details of the 1983 Award which was presented to M..G. Brown and R.J.Chamberlin~ Builders~ for their rehabilitation work to Birchams Yard~ Reepham. The Scheme was started in 1983 and is a bi-annual event; we are therefore inviting nominations for the Award for 1985. Any menber or non-member can submit scheiOes~ and the full details covering the scheme are outlined below. to: I would ask that any nominations you may care to· make are sent Mr. Russell Vincent Vale Cottage Hackford Vale Reepham or The Hon. Secretary Mr. B. Wise . 45 Ollands Road Reepham by no later than the 31st May~ 1985. Please 'however~ do not leave it until the last as all schemes submitted will have to be inspected. It is intended for the Awards to be announced in November 1985 and a plaque ~o the successful owner will be presented. Members and non-members of the Society are invited to submit schemes. The following examples are not definitive but include the. types of practical work to be encouraged: i) Restoration of old buildings and strt,lctures, both internally and , externally and, where necessary, their adaptation to a new use. ii) Replacement of obtrusive, excessively large or garish shop and other signs by signs better suited to the character of the surroundings. iii) Improvement of the surroundings of buildings and areas by landscaping, appropriate lighting and street furniture, and other means to create a more pleasing setting. iv) New construction, the design of which harmonises with the character of the surroundings. v) Repair, cleaning and repainting of buildings. vi) Open spaces introducing more trees, grass and flowers. vii) Repair and preservation of vernacular details. 14 �APPLICATION FORM To: Hon Secretary, The Reepham Society. I wish the' scheme mentioned below to be considered for a Reepham Society Award 1985. I have obtained permission from the owner, and occupier where appropriate, for this scheme to be entered. Signed _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Dated _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Name _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Address _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ ___________ ~ __________________________ Telephone ________________ Please complete accurately the following: 1. Name of Scheme and Address ------------------------------------- Date of Completion ________________---'_ _ (Schemes must be comp~ete) 2. Name, Address & Telephone No of Owner _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ 3. Name, Address & Telephone No.of Occupier _______________ 4. Name and Address of Designer/Consultants 5. Name and Address of Builder or Manufacturer 6. N ames and Addresses of any Organisation involved (state capacity) 7. Brief Description of the Scheme ~_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ----------------------- NOTE: Any creative work which contributes to the quality and appearance of townscape or landscape is eligible. There will be no categorisation of entries. The following points should, however, be noted: (a) schemes must be such that they can be seen. by the general public, (b) schemes must be fully completed (or if in several phases this must be defined) and (c) entries consisting principally of landscaping may need to be deferred for assessment if insufficiently mature to allow an impression of the intended effect. There is no limit to the number of entries allowed from anyone source. 15 �SPAB DOMESDAY SURVEY OF BARNS The SPAB is the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings and is the oldest national society dedicated to the conservative repair of old "buildings. They intend in this survey to try and record the basic , details of every traditionally built barn in England & Wales, whether they are still in agricultural use, are converted or derelict. It has been called the Domesday Survey of Barns and is one of "the largest surveys of buildings ever undertaken in the country. The target for completion is 1986 - 900 years after completion of the Domesday Book. The survey is part of The SPAB Barns Campaign which aims to create an awareness of barns and their importance in the landscape. The SPAB believes that wherever possible, barns should remain in agricultural use, and they will be pressing for a change in the grants system to encourage this. To carry out this survey as successfully and as comprehensively as possible, a large number of volunteers are to be sought and to be asked to undertake to survey all the barns in their specific areas. The Reepham Society is interested in assisting with the survey of barns and whilst it would be interested in covering the five parishes within its area of 'benefit', it would like to have sufficient volunteers to cover adjoining ~parishes, i.e. Bawdeswell, Swannington, Cawston, Heydon etc. The success of the survey will depend upon the goodwill of farmers and owners of barns in allowing access to their property and their verbal help in answering questions about use of the building. (although this may be obvious to the keen volunteer). It should be stressed that the survey can only be successfully carried out with the volunteer first obtaining permission from the owner •. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer and would like to offer your help with this survey, then please get in touch with Mr. Russell Vincent Vale Cottage Hackford Vale Reepham Tel. 870554 or contact the Society's Hon. Secretary (who will pass on your details) Mr. B. Wise 45 Ollands Road Reepham 16 Tel. 870323 �� Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Reepham Society Newsletters Description An account of the resource A comprehensive collection of newsletters published by the Reepham Society. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Printed and digital Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GB/REE/RS/Magazines Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1983-2000 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Reepham Society Text - printed Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Reepham Society Newsletter January 1985 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource January 1985 Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GB/REE/2105122000 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource A4 18 pages Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Reepham Society 1985 Reepham Society https://reephamarchive.co.uk/omeka/files/original/2f0348a5a5de6ca6cf63a61727f728c5.pdf 0e6a03c1cbacc54291a9aec820d9957a PDF Text Text THE REEPHAM -------.-------~-~.- SOCIETY -- o Mrs. Suzanne IVing, wife of the chairman Mr. Anthony Iving, of the Reepham Society, seen with builders Mr. Maxwell Brown (right) and Mr. Richard Chamberlain with the award won for' . restoring the cottages at Bircham's Yard. OCTOBER NEWSLETTER �OCTOBER 1984 Dear Member, We have in the pa st 12 months or so been slightly erratic in the issue of our news l ~ tter, it is not an easy task to produce informative reports and comment on items on a regular basis and past editors of the n. wsletter will well appreciate the problems involved and will probably afford a wry smile when I comment that as a new editor, I hQpe to return the newsletter to a regular 3 monthly issue commenc i ng with the above month. Over two hundred newsletters will have to be printed and distdbuted each quarter, and I do not expect for a moment to be able to include items that will interest all our members. Whilst I have accepted the post of editor, I have no intention of doing all the work, there are Committee members who have had many more years' experience of the wo r k of the Society than I have, and the many members who have a much greater knowledge of Reepham and it's history, will I hope contribute to future issues. I would like to be able to draw on this experience and knowledge and would hope that this could be put into words with members contributing articles, letters and comments (critical or otherwise) . You may have an idea of something which you feel should be included but you may not have the time or the local knowledge to produce it. If any member has a desire to contribute or an idea which they feel could be developed into something of local interest, then please get in touch with me, please telephone 870936 or call in and see me at "Middlemarch", Broomhill Lane, Reepham. Michael Black. �After introducing myself, obviously the next step is to give a welcome to our new members, not as many as were listed in the last issue, but the summer months do not seem the best time to recruit new ones. Mr. and Mrs. Richetts Mr . and Mrs. Devlin Mr. and Mrs. Raffel Worlds End Whitwell Road Moor House Close 1984 Programme - Past and Future Events Barn Dance This was held in the Town Hall in late June and whilst it was a qualified success from the enjoyment aspect, the_expenditure did outweigh the income by £33. The number who attended was lower than expected, and whilst this is not an event run by the Society specifically as a fund raiser, the feasibility of hav ing a dance next year will be discussed in some detail when the 1985 programme is planned later this year. It was suggested that a major cause for the small attendance was the l ac k of a barn in which to hold the dance . Unfortunately there are very few barns , and certainly not one in the Reepham area that can be found , that meets the sta t utory requirements particularly relating to the fire regula t ions . If somewhe re in the area a barn is available. then we would be interested in heari ng about it. Eveni ng Visit to Booton Hall About 50 membe rs and friends went for a visit on Thursday . 12th July. We were not di sappointed, in fact many members were more than surpr ised at how enj oyable the vi s it turned out to be . We were shown the outside of the house , as ked to appreciate the surrounding par k land , wandered around the walled garden and then finished the outside with a tou r of the farm build i ngs. Our grateful thanks for the 3 �explanations of the exterior given by Russell Vincent and whilst many more members now know what a "ha ha" ie, " ,; d does, 11m sure they will also remember the swarms of flies which decided to visit the grounds the same time as lie did. Whilst the outside proved interesting, the interior of the house was the highspot of the visit. not a conducted tour of a fascinating set of rooms. but a short introduction in the main sitting room and then we were allowed to roam at will. Through all the rooms, big and small, private and otherwise and provided we did not venture into the attics (which were somewhat unsafe) and provided we ended up in the kitchen for coffee and biscuits at about 9.p.m., the house was ours for an hour or so. Members who were unable to attend this evening did indeed miss something special, and although we never saw the ghost which is supposed to visit one particu' ar bedroom there is not a great dea 1 within the house that was not seen. Ollr grateful thanks indeed to Mr. Tom Sawyer who let us have the freedom of hi: house and grounds for this evening, someone who was not concerned that we should see everyt hing. "warts and all". P.S. Perhaps the ~ ommittee should have another try at arranging a visit to Salle Hall and Par~ . M Talk on Three Local Churches A well attended meeting was held at The Old Brewery House on Thursday. 27th September, when we were given three interesting talks on the Churches of Reepham, Salle and Booton. The descriptions of the former two churches being illustrated by some excellent slides, perhaps this is the main reason for fewer people turning up to view the churches on a "site visit" on the following Sunday, 30th September. We are indeed grateful to the three speakers, Mr. Neil Batcock - St. Mary's Church, Reepham, Mr. David Rosenthal - St. Peter and Paul, Salle, and to Mr. Rodney Mason - St. Michael's Church Booton. There could be no greater contrast between three churches. Reepham dates from the early 11th century but no details of its founding or early restoration and alterations have come down. Booton is the Victorian Gothic folly of a wealthy 19th century parson. Salle, a minor cathedral, was built all-of-a-piece by the efforts of four wealthy families in the first half of the 15th century. �I am in the possession of three fine descriptions of these churches and as it would not be in the readers' interest for me to condense them into reasonably short pieces to fit into this newsletter issue, I shall therefore, print a description of each church in this and the following two newsletters something for those of you with an interest in items local ly ecclesiastica l to look forward to. The problem was what to include first and then second and third. The present parlous state of St. Michael's, Booton, and the fact that it needs all the help and publicity it can get, meant this had to be included in this issue. Reepham Church will be featured in January, and Salle in April, (Reepham came second because that's the Church I was married in!). St. Michael's, Booton There has been a church on the site at Booton since the 14th century. The fabric of the original church was not of any great interest in an architectural sense. The nave was perpendicular in style and the chancel was of an earlier date. The windows were filled with stained glass and depicted donors of the church with their coats of arms. The original roof decayed and was replaced with one created bya churchwarden. Unfortunately this work cost the church its four bells, they were sold to cover the cost of the new roof. Various changes to the churcl' during the five hundred years to the mid 19th century and general decay and lack of attention had left the church in an extremely sorry state of repair. 5 �Whitwell Elwin had been rector of Booton for a number of years when in the1870 ' s he began at his own expense a complete rebuilding of his delapidated church. Whitwell Elwin was an amazing man with an output of writing, so prodigous that the letterbox still to be seen in the. boundary wall of the church was put there as he produced so much post. He was editor of the "Quarterly Review" for seven years and was a fri end of the author Wi 11 i am ~1akepeace Thackery. Whitwell Elwin had initially built himself a fine rectory, which stands next to the church, his son persuaded him that since a fine . rectory could not stand next to such a ruin as the church, he should extend the architectural skills he had just used and build another church. The Rector was not trained as an architect or a draughtsman, but he became one through trial, ·error and constant alteration during the 20 years or so it took to complete the church. He depended on a well stocked architectural library, many details of which he had collected from his tour of churches and cathedrals throughout this country and France. If the church is to be given a style then it is basically Early English but jackdawlike he stole designs from other buildinss ~ear and far. The nave was copied from a Warwickshire church, the west window from St. Stephens chapel, Westminster, the north door from Burgh-nextAylsham. Most of the workmen used were employed from local unskilled available labour and they and Whitwell Elwin proceeded to build by trial and error, with many amendments, for 24 years. The slim twin, diagonally placed towers, so striking when seen in the distance over the trees, and possibly inspired by those of Milan Cathedral, had to be re-erected on the stronger foundations. The walls were constructed of knapped flint and Bath stone. All the pinnacles and florid decoration were unfortunately of this soft stone, presumably chosen by Elwin for ease of carving by his workmen. 4 �In the nave the glass of the windows, with greens and blues predominating, represents on the north side female saints and attendant angels, and on the south side angels with musical instruments. The Church is dedicated to Saint Michael, the armed Angel of Light who strikes down the dragon of evil . So he is represented in a niche over the north door, standing on a dragon headed serpent, resheathing his sword in its scabbard, triumphant. The angel theme is continued in the chancel, where the windows depict angel stories from the scriptures, and huge wooden angels with upswept wings launch themselves from the hammer-beams. Above the chancel arch there is an enormous rounded triangle of a window, lighting nothing and giving no light. Whitwell Elwin wanted to build a church which would influence everyone that entered into it that they were in the house of God, the house of prayer. He said he wanted to build a church that "would withstand an earthquake unfortunately the soft stone, which he found easier to use, and the passing of the 20th century has deteriorated the church at an alarming rate. ll , The parish is now faced with a similar task and an appeal for money to repair the worst of the deterioration needs to raise £28,000 the end of the year. Total restoration will cost about £300,000. It indeed sad that the church has recently been closed due to the danger falling masonry, and that the House of God can only now be entered at visitorls own risk. by is of the The late Sir John Betjeman, a great champion of Victorian Gothic (and all things Victorian) became a patron of the restoration appeal, stating of St. Michae l IS "There never was so strange an upheaval on the Norfolk l andscape as that which caused the stones of Booton Church to be placed one on top of the other until they reached the sky. Such a chapel as Booton will never be built again, long may it dominate the East Anglian scene. Long, indeed , may it dominate our local scene, if you can help with the appeal, please do so . 6 �Daily Press Bast Lights: 19.11-06. 22 FRIDAY, ~EPTEMBER 28, 1984 Bright spells ~~============~------------ Urgent plea to save church A CRUMBLING Norfolk church will close unless £ 7~OO can be raised in a . yea to save it. A war in& ~ign has been erected outside the church of St. Michael and All Angels. Booton. near Reepham. because of falling masonry. The rector. the Rev . Michael Stallard. said yesterday that the church would close if £75.000 could not be raised in a year. An appeltj fund has been launched. )41 A total of £300.000 is needed for a complete renovation of the church. which was rebuilt in . the late 19th century. "Despite the warning signs we still get people coming in to see the church." he said. "Also three to four hardy villagers brave the danger each week to take High Mass every Sunday morning." Many people visit the church because of its architecture. which dates back to the 18705. when the rector. the Rev. Whitwell Elwyn. decided to rebuild parts of the original structure. very pro ud of. There is great opposition to its closure." The church stands on the site of the ori ginal churCh . dating back to the Domesday Book. and incorporates some of the original features. Mr. Stallard said: "Anyone wishing to contribute to the Booton church appeal fund should contact the treasurer. Mrs. M. .......~E~.~H:.:.!!RI u l:.:in:.:;s::.• .:.,;N:,:;0:.:,rw=.::,ic.:Jh..l:,:7.""......'_·-J -~==--=~,...--------------------------------..---"'t Styles He travelled to many churches and cathedrals in England and France and his design was based on styles he had seen. Mr. Stallard said: "We believe that sections of the church were based upon the styles seen by the rector at Notre Dame. It is a very individual church. which. villagers art' '" .. --' The Rev. M I c h a e I Stallard with a piece of his crumbling chulCh at Booton. �Thursday 22nd November 1984 I 1m sure many members will remember the excellent talk given by Mr. Wesley Piercey in September 1983 on the subject of Reepham Past, this is a subject dear to the heart of the narrator and we have acquired his services again. A talk entitled "Old Reepham Continued" will be given by him at The Old Brewery House Hotel on the above date . I am unsure whether the talk will commence at 7.30 pm or 8. p.m. so would members please check the Society Notice Board situated just to the right inside the main door of the Bircham Institute. An evening not to be missed by anyone who has even the mildest interest in the hi story of our town. 1985 PY'ogramme Details will shortly be offered and considered by the Committee for the Soci ety s programme for next year. T hope that ali ~t of events can be included in the next newsletter. I If yo u have any particular ideas that you feel could be included, then we would like to hear from you. The Reepham Society - Post Cards A year or two ago the Society decided to issue as postcards four of the photographs (of Reepham past) from within the large collection that they hold. The original choice printed in black and white proved very popular, not just to visitors to the town, but also to many people in the town who bought them to send not only to friends and relatives, but to keep as a reminder of the times past. The cards proved to be popul ar to the extent that most were sold and the Soc iety contemplated another issue. A number of photographs (there was to be a new set not a re-issue of the others), were considered and eventually it was agreed t hat six would be printed. It was felt that they would be more effective if printed in sepia, but 7 �judge this effect for yourselves as the cards are now available at lOp each, from a number of businesses in the town including The Chimes and ' the Fast Bat Press (both in the Market Place), Ardan Hair Fashions ' in the Back Street, and the Cottage Gallery, Booton. A reasonable number of the postcards have been printed but obviously interest will be stimulated by this new issue and there is little doubt that many will be bought not just as souvenirs but to add to collections or to be framed or mounted, there will be a demand so if you wish to purchase a set, don't leave it too late! 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. The latest set printed consists of:circa 1912 The Saddlers Shop 1900 Reepham Market Place South Reepham Market Place West 1900 Reepham Church Street 1900 " Togo Eglington with Traction Engine and Plough 1914 " The Ollands (Built 1932 Demolished 1972) - to those of you who are unsure this last one shows the house which formerly occupied and dominated the area now covered by the Ollands Park development. It has nothing to do with "shrouds and nightingales" and we sincerely hope that the house used for the television series does not suffer the same fate. If any of our members are stirred to buy the second set and would also like to obtain the first set, some are still available in the shops. I would venture to suggest that you ask at The Pos t Office counter at Johnsons, as I know Mr. Johnson still has quite a few sets available. Whilst I would in no way wish to be accused of inflaming interest in collectable items, l t must be remembered that original post cards of local places (from 1900 onwards ) are items of memorabilia that now change hands at l ocal auctions and fairs for many pounds. The Society, as I mentioned earlier. has an extensive collection of photographs, and when thlS current set is sold out I' ve no doubt that consideration will be given to another issue. These photographs remind us of a time past, a ti me which to our memory and reflection always seemed brighter and somehow more idyllic , when life was taken at a slower easier pace. 8 �11m sure that to those people whose faces look at us from these postcards, life today would be pleasurable in comparison. Whilst many of us today would envy the traction engine and machinery used by Togo Eglington, lim sure he would be more than envious to be the owner of one of today's machines now ploughing the fields he knew so we 11 . 9 �THE. AWA~O SCHE.~e:. - If' st I~t-e irY' { :n :. rrv-ied re- i",t_erest., ,;.., t~e V'.pper.A"-"'''' c c · 0 ';:: ec'un!:.rys ,de; t o ('"re?l..te V\. greater .:::>-Wo..re""~s'S of the ,",.v, por-/-.orce of. enllit-onrv->enct:t.1 design ,~ ,;<11 c:<Spec-ts, IncludinSj a. ..chitecwre 1 pIOJ"\t"");"''3 0lf\GJI our ;owr- o.nd Co lovodsC4..pe, o.nd d,...VUAJ o..H.-e"/::.;on to /:he b~ sf:. cnnt."-; bub or>:; be~ "''3 rn~e in thes~ hel d',:> . Me/'>'\bers o-.nd nr>V\- n--eW\bers of CJ-;e. :'3o c "e f:.i:J are in\,iled 6 .sub",,; ( , SCheh'\C'-s. 1he f'o\lo",-,~"3 exo..01pks ult-e, not. def1rt;tive. bot inc/ode tJl~ t:Lfpe5 of' pr-V'Ctic,,'""-1 WDt"!c to be e.Y\courc<-~e.d:.,) F?,esl::or""hon or old bu; Idiv"\Cjs cJ..r-,.J 5tl-1.X'.tvres J bobf.,-, ,;"1:en""-,,,-lkJ it) VU1 L-1 exrc.rY\ai I Lj , !A ) i.--er~ >'"Ieee. 5 0', ;vtJ' t heir M CLpt-; orl ~6 .-:l .... e /A' u se Ii) p..<:-p/c:lcerY\e¥\ i~ ,,";' t;k-.tq ·.:;:ve, 1 excessivt> !,. , L~,~ ,, ~. :': '(clrlSI" :",lAcp < ~d oti-1er sui t~d .,~ ; ~1V\~? b~ :;!. I '! r \$ ~.t.ter t.b t.he (" h<,,-,- , "-,-+~r ;-of c.he, ill) .1...... p""vetvle>"t ,,.,.;" :: ;"'e.. 3L.t'"'Ouncl'~·:T~ r.t' 6,; ;(-J;v':Js Of\ci· ..:".-e""s b::J i ~~~ 5C?t.p; "" -j I _<rr~rn pr-'/' "",.te. Ii g h l: ; "-3 ~U"d 5rred. ':=;'),-",;6 ;-" . "~ ,-,~; 5(.>rJ-Dur.di"3S, )'Y)t:..<:tn5 ~ L .:r-- e""-Le: .:;:r. IY1cr~~ .,--.le.c:l;;;V'.o.1 5e.l.t.;,-,,+ i 'J) NelAl ,~51:r-t·cl:_ ;"".I:j,-,e d ~ 5 ; ' Jn c,: ,';::lh',c>, .~ PLAG. lJ E. ~ Gre~r'l Dc:.si"l"" ~ Wy, ;Ce. D~ckc"-o u,,,d . AILl"""r" VrT> iv1<'V>uf",c/:.lJred by The f-o 'i'" I :....a.b~ 1 F""ctor ':j Gsl i>~s;'3.-.e..l r bej »",-,5561: V inc"'-"'t . r. .~ ir~ '5e , OM ~. s , :' 1/ ::"/1 1., .h e , . . .-: h ,-;;*.f ~ C::. ," r I" ('~ .. r t,.,..1 (' ::;' _.(T"'t )(,.. )vAd r>~:JS. c.t ~" d re-pa'~t . ; ,'\':'l ou. (d ;r> ,:}S' V I ..' C) pe.y·' :;pc:tee 5 i" i:-< d u c: .', a rv>or<:" i: rees , :. ,r'C-A S .'> """", d -;~ : c <..c , er- e.l I,' [ i','1 P1ep:;c.. if .:..:l...1"i.-J PI e 5 r.r r lj t:'( t~ !' C , r ) ~.,..r." 'v/e.r- r'" A (- I. ... ~ --teL::.r ; ~ ~ ., 'v) P-p.P<1l ,,' , . -.:~ : ~_ a.n ; Y\':3 The.. A""'.:::It.rd ~, ;!l ~- e. et; . pr e::, e, -, t e.d -,' . l f;>i.,Anru...."...lJC;j 1,)3 3 , iSl A5 ,10P.:;r . . (we.r i ec;(T-'. _ _ _ ... j/"I,: 5 Bastern Daily Press SATURDAY . AUGUST 18, 1984 Thls 15 to arti6' iha't:\ h~ 'DrC"\\'\1 g'R l · clum'lxn.:nn,'Bui~~;ruvc­ sat~a ~ awara tOr 1hz r~l­ ttaticn work to~irChams )':lr~ M~am. ~'Sn¢C. bs'RiChard , !· award FoW' renovated cottqes in ReepbanI have won the firsl pveft by the Reepham Society for improyemenlJ 10 ; the town.. The..", 19th century " ' _ j in ftllrlwD" Yard.. Rte"pbam. had I br:t~ utoed u. ItonIt bW.kIlftP for i Ala,s. : I number 0( ytjlf1,. h lOOk thra yelrs of .... Of ' b! burlden Mr · MuworiJ Bro-n and Mr. R Ic".rd ! C1um~rl. of P\.Ilham \4arhl : It) 'urn tht lite I nto an . .... ard ) l .1 .\ .. ; ., c'> ' D~J1,n (' -. .~.. ·~l~ i !'-J '-' ; 7 . Tht lt ec p hl m $OCH1l' pltn. 10 a..-,ard 0 " , other yar. ~ I~: ~1 l..~ T ~, . • boiJt S--~,. cotta, et Wn t comp l ~ted ytat IfIO aNS tJl a rt now f;. ~~~l~ad~n~~o~ ~ . rchneC'tu". C[. ~TIF IC AT E. · D/"""" k "''''''''' F'> ed D ~5' C,,-, ~ ",-,, 01 P,.. ; ... t.-c'd D~.'5 '''lr) o ',~~rC' ''' M ~I("'l ru'~ 1.1 1 A .-.d re,,,, of t he .dame ., · Rldard .-'Vdb., of MlIfturton. The (onnn chl.rm.&tI 01 \be Reoepham SO ( ltl ... , Mr T 0 11l S.,.cr , .... ho l'I el!) ed lI'H r Qd uct tht ,ward Kh~. ~ted Mr. Aldil and lht budden ..... tb lM .....n1. , pUlque .,0 'be placed Oft 1M "II of ')01 of the COtUr,fa. ~. ­ ~- Renovations WIn award rre~"""e-<-t 10 . ��[?@ @f5[ft)@g UlJ Wroafr~ ~@D1J From Reepham Square, take footpath through loke (at side of Butcher's Shop) to Station Road, cross into Kerdistone Road (signposted Guestwick). Just before junction with Stony Lane, turn left along Catchback Lane (Bridlepath). After about ~ mile, go through field gate on right, cross small stream by tiny brick foot-bridge, then make for right hand corner of field, through field gate into next meadow, following line of footpath alongside hedge to Rookery Wood. Climb over stile and keeping wood on your immediate right follow edge of field to railway line. Cross railway, descend banking on opposite side over small stream by footbridge. Diagonally cross meadow to near corner of orchard and path then follows roughly line of hedge enclosing orchard to gate of Old Hall Farm. f?.EEPHAM " I, ,/ , � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Reepham Society Newsletters Description An account of the resource A comprehensive collection of newsletters published by the Reepham Society. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Printed and digital Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GB/REE/RS/Magazines Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1983-2000 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Reepham Society Text - printed Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Reepham Society Newsletter October 1984 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource October 1984 Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GB/REE/2104292035 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource A4 14 pages Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Reepham Society 1984 Reepham Society https://reephamarchive.co.uk/omeka/files/original/bbd7731abbde1e41a459e600535c2924.pdf 86fc0b978028c65d068b7a5f37a7e2c5 PDF Text Text THE REEPHAM SOCIETY -~ WHITWELL HALL COUNTRY CENTRE �Dear Member • I Our 90ver on this issue shows Whitwell Hal], from which the walk was organised earlier this year • NEW M:E.tI'BERS Mr Mr Dr Mr Mr Mr Dr Mr Mr Mr Mr Mr Mr Mr & Mrs Large, Little House ~ Nor,dch Road & Mrs G & L Kirk (Life Mem~ers), The Anti que Shop, Towns End Corner & Mrs D Leiberman, 2 Nelson Cottages Mrs D Richa.rdson, Birchams' Yard & Mrs R Danby, ~tation Road, Reepham & Mrs Baker,· Avenue House, Reepham Ruth Roseveare, 8 Kerdiston Road & Mrs Dunn-Baker, 47 Richmond Rise & Mrs R Smith, 70 Richmond Rise & Mrs L Blackeby, 10 Stewa.rd Q s Glose & Mrs D Flugge, New House 1 Broomhi 11 & Mrs V Lynn, 18 OHands Road & Mrs C Brooks, Melbourne House, Whitwell Common B Rackam (Life Member), Dormer Cottage, Ollands Road & We certainly seem to be a growing Society! The Chairman has kindly written a report on the Cheese flnd Wine evening. The ReeT)ham Society held its seventh Cheese and Hine evenil}g at 'tlhjtwell Hall on Friday, March 16th~ Of those present many told us afterwards that they were most impressed by the f riendly and hap py atmosphere generated among the members B.nd friends of the Society. This is as it should be in a Society which aims to int'eTest and involve all sections of local people. are mo:::;t grateful to the Reepham Players who gave us a lively a.nd talented entertainment and particularly to the art iste who r1rew a raffle prize for the Society's Vice Chairman~ ';Ie We ha.d a good evening together, but, we must not forget the other purpose of the Ghee~e and Wine evening which is to raise funds for the Society. We offer our grateful tha.nks to those members <lnd friends who gave time, ski 11 and mnteria.ls for the buffet and to the many generous donors of ~affle prizes which made the eveninF a financial success and benefitted the fund s of the 30ciety by £217 ,,()(; after all expenses had been settled w �As promised, 1 enclose a shortened ver~n of the talk given by ~ it ties u n with Wesley PiercWRt 'Ou r September mee·ting last year the map given in the la8t issue of the news letter. ~r REEPHAM SIXTY YEAR!) AGO • I 60 years ago Reepham \iaS a busy market to\om (not vi 11.ap:tt) '" 'rhe po pulat ion of the four parishe s - ReeDham st rfary, Hackfo rd, \>JhitweU rlnd Kerdi st olil - gave Reepha.m a total population of 1.1 0(,. Most of Reepham l;:, the old Hackford Pari.ih. ReephAm~ s market dates fro m the 13th ~entury G The medieval market was probably bigger than the exi~ting Market Place, round which the buildings are la.rgely 18th GenturY9 althollf:h most, such a.s the Brewery ·House, are obv iou;Jly older ~ at 1 east in part ~ In the 1880 0s the cominf~- of the raihmys (Heenh<im :3tation~ 1.. &- N.E.R.) and Whitwell 3tation (M.&G.N.Rc) made Reepham0s weekly cattle market the biggest in thi s area of Norfolk. On Wednesdays the tOt'in wa;:; cro wded wi til dealers a.nd farmers and their ·w ive s. The pubswere open from l (iam to lOpm; and as many deals were done in the pubs as in the m'lrk.t. Heroes "nd carts were put up in the public house ya rds. Bullocks~ sheen and ni~ s WE.-re drive n -througl: the streEts, and to a.d from the stations. Sainsburys van stood on the market to buy egp;s from the far mers wives, who also bought butter to sell to the shops, which they would natronise while their husbands attended the cattle-aucti nn9 run b.v Irelands, the auctioneers, d id deals~ and vi~ited the ironmongerH? seed-merchants Rnd s~ddlers. Around the market pla.ce from To.·m ~~nd Corner, the shoP ~3 were ?. :3 folloN s . On the North side wa.s the shop of l<.:dward Gibbs and 30n, ironmongers and seed-mercha.nts. Thia was the oldest ironmonrrers in Norfolk; therf' had b ee n an ironmonger in the~H~ premises since the middle of the 18th Century when ~dward Gibbs took over t he business 'in 1888. The next block of buildings housed De arcy Collyer ~ a s01 ici tor and Jewell, thE· drugp'ist, whose shop ran round the cornero After Jewe ll's shop there was Barclay Bank , Manager He T. Owen. Over the bank was the office of Purdy a nd Holley, solicit ors ( ..tho are now in Ivy House across the market place) Origini'i lly a chemist, Johnson Cripps, had acted as the lo~al agent for Gurneys Bank and on the amalgamation of Gurneys Bank t'll'ith Barclays, the Reepham branch of Barclays Bank came into beingo Adjoining FPS a cott age; and then came the shop and wo:r'k:shop of .I ., Hall? saddler and. harnessmaker, who also ha d a branch cd: Briston where he did all the harnesswork for the Mel tOll Constable E;st a.te? (Attfields occu.py th;:: prem i s(>s today) Across the narrow gap of F1she~s Alley was the grocers And drapers shon of G. Fiaher (now the Chimes)o li'tm.aJ.13' a striped bArbers pole denoted the shop of a barber named Swoish. Q 0 On the north side of the market place , Mrs R Bircham lived in the Brewery House, with the old well in the yard and the Volunteers Dr-ill Hall behind (which now forms the banqueting room of the Hotel). Next c ame .10 •• ..;f_ 1, �I I two houses9 the second occupied by W Ford, a baker, who was reputed to make the best bread in the district , with his bakehouse UP the adjoining yarde The next block comnrised the house and shop of G Cocking (now Gwen's' greengrocers shon); with 8 private house next door. 3t John's AIlE;Y is named after a tallow-ch,'lndler, not fl saint: many years earlier a man of that surname made candles in the sheds behind the shop and house.. W Bishop, watchrnc.ker, had the first shop on the east side of the Alley? a.djoininp.: the newspflper, sweets and tobacconists shon of B Miller. Another nrivate hou s e senarated the newsagents from the corner shop of A. King - 'breeches a sneciality' - the tailor. Further' along, at the OllA.nds Road corner was J Rumn, a butcher. On the south side of the market place, a.djoinine the churchyard was the high class grocers shop of LoR. Riches. The next range of buildings with the Corner shop belonged to Hilton Brothers, Cfl3h Grocers. A small group of non-conformists, Plymouth Bretheren, were allowed to hold meetings in an unstairs room over a warehouse on the premises. The large house now forming the Bircham Institute has an interesting history. Until 1873 it was the Old Hackford Vicarage.. Later it hpd more than one private owner, and was called Hackford House. Then in 1919, Mr S Bircham gave it to the Hackford parish council as a war-memorial; ~nd it became the Institute, with Dr Perry of Eynesford House as the President, and Chute Thompson, headmaster of the elementary school and captain of the local cricket club, as librarian. Pudding Pie Alley is obviously v.ery old: I have an idea that the n9me might be a corruption of 'court of pie powder', which Wa.3 the title of a .:.>ummary court, held by an official in charge, on the snot to sett Ie disputes between market traders in medieval markets. ('Pie powder' was a corruption of the old Norman-~Tench nRme). The 'King's Arms was thf- premier pub - the only one called a t{ote1 - and was popular with commercial travellers, who would stay for C\. week and go round ihe neighbouring villages in a horse and tra.n, hired from the nroprietor, G Hubbard. Over another bootshop, run by T ~;oe, ~;ns the di~trict office of the 0ddfellows Friendly Society, where on Saturdays the members would pay their ~' (8dy dues. With a private house in between, next came the projecting shop front (now Diane':3 Pantry) of W. Utting, butcher. He had te.ken over the business from Watts Austin, whose ff-\mily had been butchel'~3 since the middle of tht· last century. D Kendall ChapmClnos post-office and statior,ers shop was alongside. Between Chapmans a.nd the 'Sun' stf!.nds Ivy House, ;:t If!ree double fronted h (luse, occupied by Mrs Ir!il ton, who oper'fl.ted the Re<=;lharn rrmnual telephon<: exchange ~n the porch. Only a few private residents ann some of the more enternrising tra.despeople had the telephone. Kelly's Directory in 1925 listed the telephone numbero on the Reepham Exchange as: 2 :3i1' Woolmer White, Salle Park; 3 Dr PerrJ', Eyne:;ford House; 4 E Gibbs &- son 5 L R Riches, grocer; 6 J white, ~r~ge; 7 Mrs Ryder Smith, Reepham House; 8 Eglington & Beaver, agric. engrs (later taken over by P Randell & Co); 9 E Barclay, Whitwell Hall; 11 R Coller & Sons, Coal Fnd Corn mrchts; 12 Stimpsons, Corn &: Coal Merchts; 13 Barclays Bank; 111 H Frost, garage; l~. Cross &: Co corn merchants; 16 Purdy &: Hollfl1Y, 301 icitors. 7 �, I Later Ivy House was taken over by Mr Jewell; he lived in the nart of the house nearest the 'Sun', and in the other ~" ection he h;jd his druggis1B shop, which he moved over from what is nOH the Bank corner. Barc]ays at the same time incorporated Jewell's old shop into an enla.rp:ement of the Bank premises. The telenhone exchcmge moved across to a part of Gibb's block of buildings onposite. Later Purdy & Holley moved into Ivy House. F'inally the'Sun t public hOllse And run by C Watson. The 'Sun' was patronised by the lOCAl tri'l.desmen; And hnd it sown bOlf/ling green across School Road, now u<;ed by thp. Reejlh<"m Bowls Club. The 'King's Arms' also had a bowljng green, "lone the Dereham Road. Wesley Piercy. �• / / ,, Total of 108 entrants in the competion. Reepham placed in the group of villages of over c::,OO popul?t ion. There were 52 in this group. The County was divided into 5 <'1rea.s for judging by teams. Reepham was placed 5th out of the 19 entrants in its area. Overall winners in the class of villages with over 500 population: 1. Cringleford 2. Ludham 3. Little Walsingham 4. Necton. Judges report on Ree',h::m In village centre buildings were mainly well kept And there was an absence of litter. Outlying estates were mostly eood. ;jhops were average [lnd hotel and chapel were good. Churchyard was well maintained and grass well cut. Church hall was reasonable . Parish Council notice boards were not very attractive. Village Hall (? Town Hall) was not very attractive. The recreat ion ground had nice trees and pavil ion - gr<l.. ;s wa s we 11 cut t but weather seemed to have taken its toll at the entrance. Village sign was very goode War memorial good but notice board needed raintin~. Kiosk tidy, apart fr0m broken glass. Bus She lter was untidy. Cemetary was good. 3chools were usual County standard. Council gardens were average. Report provided by County Planning Officer. 28th November 1983. Didn't we do well! On reading the comments thoueh, we certainly need to take a closer look at our town, and :.,;ee what we can do t o improve it. Hoping to see you at further functions this year. Sincerely GRACE DRURY �-' � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Reepham Society Newsletters Description An account of the resource A comprehensive collection of newsletters published by the Reepham Society. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Printed and digital Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GB/REE/RS/Magazines Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1983-2000 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Reepham Society Text - printed Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Reepham Society Newsletter June 1984 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource June 1984 Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GB/REE/21292020 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource A4 7 pages Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Reepham Society 1984 Reepham Society