Buttercross
Swaffham
I know I keep cranking on about the speed at which time passes us by, and I also know that as you get into your more senior years it appears to fly past even quicker.
It only seems five minutes ago that I was storing our Christmas decorations in the shed and here I am thinking of pulling them all out again and dusting them off ready for action.
Our little fairy that sits atop our Christmas tree is getting ready to do her yearly balancing act, and this for at least the 41st time. She wears well.
This is really a magical time of year and especially for youngsters, but it should not just be about the thought of presents hopefully headed their, and our, way. Christmas is so much more than that.
Swaffham had its Christmas lights switch-on last Friday amid great excitement and expectation. I read recently that a neighbouring town is not having any festive lights this year as nobody would take responsibility for them. How sad that is.
People here may well remember it was only a couple of years ago we had a similar situation. This led to two prominent businesswomen getting together and very quickly organising something before last year’s festive celebration.
Our business forum was in its infancy then, but with its considerable input as well we had quite an event to enjoy and for which our town was grateful. After that effort, it was promised that this year’s celebrations would be even better with obviously more time available to plan matters.
Fundraising events were held and hard work undertaken through the year, and finally volunteers and members got to work, sometimes in appalling weather, to get decorations and lights up.
Our town council also chipped in with a grant towards the cost of it all and council labour and transport to help complete the work. Our community working together for the good of our town, and especially its youngsters.
The town council also approved the setting-up of a small funfair away from the main event, organised by Stuart Bell, one of our well known councillors.
The positioning of the fair was a master-stroke, as it was set up on the north side of the Market Place, screened from the main events on the market square so that it did not interfere unduly with them.
This fair brought that side of the town more into the swing of things whereas previously nothing was planned for this area.
Returning to the main events, I thought it would have been helpful to have added lighting where the many activities were set up, and especially on Richmond Plain. It all seemed a bit too dark.
Adding more lighting would have brightened these areas up and put a few more smiles on faces on a chilly evening. Good lighting and colour is what the funfair had in spades, as borne out by the numbers of children and teenagers squealing and shouting all night long.
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Weather for King's Lynn
Thursday 23 May 2013
Today
Light showers
Temperature: 5 C to 10 C
Wind Speed: 20 mph
Wind direction: North west
Tomorrow
Heavy rain
Temperature: 5 C to 11 C
Wind Speed: 25 mph
Wind direction: North east
