On this week in Necton, King’s Lynn, RAF Marham, Snettisham, South Wootton and Titchwell: October 22-28, 2006
In our weekly On This Week feature, we look back through the pages of the Lynn News from October 22 -28, 2006...
Yobs have been abusing the remembrance gardens around Greyfriars Tower, less than a week after the Tower Gardens at Lynn were officially reopened following a £1.3million refurbishment. Finishing touches are still being put to the remodelled gardens, but already police have been called to reports of youngsters skateboarding across the new stone pews surrounding the historic Lynn monument. Skateboarders rubbed wax all over the seats, leaving a thick residue on them and now there are fears they could cause permanent scuffs and scrapes. When confronting one gang of teenagers, a local resident was told: “We don’t care about the past; we are the future.”
Fish and chip shop owners Douglas and Marry Shanks had a “miraculous” escape when a 4x4 vehicle ploughed through the wall of their shop in Alma Road, Snettisham. They were serving their first customer of the evening when the vehicle smashed through the wall and ended up three-quarters of the way through the shop. Mr Shanks was unharmed but his wife was trapped between the counter and the scalding hot chip-fryer. The car driver was taken to hospital with head injuries.
The Royal Air Force is continuing to piece together clues to find out what caused an RAF Marham Tornado to crash into The Wash. The two-man crew of the GR4 ejected to safety moments before the 1,400mph aircraft plunged into the sea off Lincolnshire, and smashed into pieces on impact. It had got into difficulties while on a routine weapons training exercise at Holbeach bombing range. Salvage teams are still recovering parts of the £20million Tornado for clues as to what went wrong.
Stationery and art products manufacturer, Tollit and Harvey, has stepped in to rescue Caithness Glass in Paxman Road on the Hardwick Industrial Estate, Lynn, from closure and saved the jobs of its remaining staff. Just a few weeks ago the Lynn News had revealed that 11 employees of Caithness had been made redundant and five put on a month’s notice after the business fell into administration in August. Tollit and Harvey says it will refurbish the retail showroom and expand the products available to offer a wider range of quality glass and china.
The future of South Wootton Village Hall still hangs in the balance after it was declared unsafe in August. Workmen found a structural problem in the roof as they added the finishing touches to a renovation of the hall. The building is now fenced off with scaffolding and tarpaulin covering the roof. The hall’s committee is in negotiations with the building’s insurers, but is concerned that bookings are being lost.
Trading standards officers are out and about to crack down on rogue firework sellers who allow under-age teenagers to buy them. Operation Good Guy has been launched this week and is run by the county’s Trading Standards with the fire service and police, and is designed to reduce the number of injuries and incidents of anti-social behaviour caused by fireworks.
RSPB staff at Titchwell Marsh nature reserve are waiting to hear whether their attempt to set a Guinness World Record for the biggest bird feeder on the planet has been successful. They crafted the 7m 14cm (23ft) tall feeder to mark the RSPB’s Feed the Birds Day. Up to 20 tits and finches can use the feeder at the same time to get access to 14,000 cubic centimetres of sunflower seeds during the cold winter months. Despite its size, staff expect they will have to refill the feeder up to three times a week over winter.
The completion of a £750,000 building project was celebrated during a service of dedication at Necton Middle School. The school has been extended and remodelled in preparation for becoming a primary school, accommodating youngsters from the first school in the village as well as older pupils. The dedication was performed by the new rector of Necton, the Rev Stephen Thorp.
