On this week: Stolen rose plant and bus trouble in King’s Lynn as well as Downham Market Carnival drama in 2011
In our regular On This Week column, we look back at the headlines from June 1-8, 2011 as well as a picture from 1998…
The new Bishop of Lynn, the Very Rev Jonathan Meyrick, was consecrated by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, at Westminster Abbey. Borough Mayor and Mayoress, Colin and Susan Sampson, travelled to London to join about 1,500 people to watch the 90-minute ceremony. The new bishop and his wife, Rebecca, a specialist palliative care nurse, will be living in Castle Acre. They have three grown-up children. Mr Meyrick replaces the Rt Rev James Langstaff, now Bishop of Rochester.
A rose named after a retired Lynn hospital porter was stolen from his own garden. A bush featuring the bloom was one of dozens of plants to be taken as thieves ransacked the garden of David and Hilda Moulton, at their home on the Springwood Estate in Lynn. A keen gardener, Mr Moulton was presented with the rose – which has since been named Moulton’s Marvel by colleagues at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital – to mark his 65th birthday last October. A hanging basket and 26 goldcrest plants were also stolen.
South Wootton couple Garry and Trudy Cannon came worryingly close to the most destructive tornado to hit America in more than half a century. The 200mph “twister” levelled entire neighbourhoods in Joplin, Missouri killing about 150 people and injuring nearly 1,000. Garry and Trudy passed through Joplin just 30 minutes before the tornado struck, when travelling south from Kansas towards Arkansas. They were being driven by Garry’s brother, Jason, who realised a tornado was approaching because of the unusual cloud formations – and in his haste to get away, received a $140 speeding fine.
Shop workers are upset because a bus timetable change means they cannot get into Lynn in time for opening on Sundays. Bus operator Norfolk Green is taking over the services of First from June 12 and has amended the Hunstanton to Lynn Sunday timetable to mean the first bus will arrive at 10.09am instead of 9.40am. Managing director Ben Colson said he will look at changing the bus back to an earlier time now the issue has been raised, but cannot do anything until new timetables are printed in September. He also pointed out that Norfolk Green could not replace like for like, simply because if it was unaffordable for the First company then it would also be unaffordable for him, but he had not been aware of the impact it would have on shop workers.
Whitefriars Primary School in Lynn, a voluntary aided Church of England School which was judged outstanding by Ofsted, has now been given a matching accolade for its Christian ethos. A team of church inspectors looked at the school’s Christian ethos, collective worship and teaching of religious education, looking in detail at how effectively Christian values were promoted. The church inspectors found the distinctiveness and effectiveness of the school was outstanding.
Paralympic cyclist Jody Cundy paid a flying visit to his West Norfolk roots as he continues his preparations for London 2012. Jody, a five-time Paralympic champion in swimming and cycling, was in East Winch to thank his sponsors Adrian Flux, where his younger brother Ashley works in IT. The 32-year-old will be defending the track cycling titles he won in Beijing and Jody may also take part in the track pursuit and two road events. Also closely following the progress of the amputee athlete are his parents who live in Walpole St Andrew.
Community spirit is alive and well in Downham – even though rain put paid to the latter stages of Carnival Day events on The Howdale. There was even a bit of drama at the other end of town when the Slimming World float lorry broke down in the run up to the parade. Festival secretary Carol Williams, a member of the Slimming World float team, said: “It had taken us four hours to put the float together and then we only had 15 minutes to transfer it to another lorry, but it was amazing how people pitched in and helped out.” The town’s new Citizen of the Year is town councillor and former mayor John Doyle, taking over the mantle from Tinker Taylor.
St Germans Women’s Institute has marked its 50th anniversary with a celebration held at the Ffolkes Arms, Hillington. It was attended by dignitaries including federation chairman Sally Paramour and included an anniversary cake made by a member. Vice president of the WI branch, Heather Davison, said she felt the varied programme and friendliness of the group were two keys to its success.
