This Sunday signals the placement of hanging flower baskets all around the town centre, a sure indicator of sunny days and balmy evenings to come. Most shops and businesses participate in our annual flower-fest, now in its fifth year, and once again the local area partnership is co-ordinating the whole exercise.

In the spirit of co-operation which underlies the initiative, members of Fakenham Area Conservation Team will this time take responsibility for watering the plants week-by-week. Thanks to lined baskets ensuring better water retention, the task will be less onerous than in the past when almost daily soakings were required.

Miller's Walk normally boasts its own very attractive display and there are other businesses – such as solicitors Butcher Andrews and the Hempton Bell – which for years have said it with flowers on their frontages. All-in-all the transformation makes a huge difference to the town's appearance throughout the summer months, a fact which always draws admiring comments from the increasing number of tourists finding their way here.

• After more than six years in the hot seat, Christine Harrow has retired as clerk to the town council. For the time being, her assistant Jan Perfect will hold the fort until a new clerk is appointed.

In a former life I worked in local government and became familiar with this particular territory. And for more than 20 years now I've reported on our council meetings. Which I suppose gives me a bit of an insight into it all.

Christine always said how much she enjoyed the day-to-day aspects of her work which invariably presented her with new challenges. The cut-and-thrust of full council meetings were something else, more to be endured than enjoyed.

Like her predecessor, Robin Roberson, she became an authority over all kinds of parish responsibilities, everything from parks and gardens to cemeteries, planning decisions and street lighting. Few of us appreciate quite how wide the net is spread.

In retirement, the lady will not be putting her feet up just yet. In fact, I can't ever see her doing this. Anyway, there are courses to be tackled at City College and a new allotment waiting to be dug over and planted.

It may not exactly be restful, but so-called retirement looks to be brimming over with possibilities. I wish her the best of luck.

• Every parent wants to be proud of their children. Whether it's first words, a good school report, athletic prowess or simply being a good citizen.

Our eldest son has just made us incredibly proud by obtaining his PhD in Physics from Imperial College, London.

It's been a very long journey for him and while we always felt he would make it in the end, that final phone call of confirmation had us breaking open the champagne.

Looking back on his school career in Fakenham there are so many teachers I can think of who were key players in his development right through the system. Lots of them went that extra mile which, in the long run, made all the difference. Now, we reckon, it's about time he got a job!