King's Lynn Gang Show, Hunstanton car parks, Snettisham Tapping House Hospice, Tilney St Lawrence Riding Club, St Nicholas’ Church, Dersingham, Swaffham’s Northwold Pool, Terrington St Clement hall: look back to 1985 and 2004
Step back in time to 1985 and 2004 for our nostalgia round-up...
Nappy days are here again – for some of the cast of the Lynn Gang Show held in April 1985. Parents, relatives and friends crowded into the Fermoy Centre to see a cast of about 75 Cubs, Scouts, Venture Scouts and leaders stage an enjoyable and nostalgic evening’s entertainment.
One of the amusing comic sketches was a number called The Baby Show, as shown in this Lynn News picture. The choreographer was Pearl Grummett and in preparation for the four performances, the boys were put through their paces at no less than 28 rehearsals. Photo: MLNF-852731
Car parking attendants in Hunstanton have been accused of heavy-handedness over the bank holiday weekend. Traders in the town say giving out so many parking tickets on the first bank holiday weekend of the season gives the wrong message to potential tourists.
Mike Large, chairman of the Hunstanton Seafront Traders’ Association, claims that 33 tickets were given out by one attendant alone on Good Friday, adding that West Norfolk Council was looking to accrue up to £20,000 from fines this year. He added: “We want to be seen as a friendly resort and we want tourists to come back.” The council denied the claims, pointing out notices on car parking changes had given throughout March and that the number of parking tickets issued had not been excessive.
Three charities in West Norfolk will benefit from a £156,000 windfall, courtesy of the National Lottery’s Community Fund. Snettisham’s Tapping House Hospice is among those celebrating having been awarded a grant of £106,383. Awards of £25,000 were given to Tilney St Lawrence Village Committee and the 3rd Lynn (Marshland) Scout Group based in Terrington St John.
Tilney St Lawrence Riding Club can go ahead with its monthly shows this summer – thanks to the Lynn News. After we published a story about a shortage of helpers threatening the future of the club, several people volunteered to step in and to save the summer programme. This means the monthly shows will continue at Walpole St Andrew and the club will be able to celebrate its 25th anniversary.
Officials at St Nicholas’ Church, Dersingham, have apologised to relatives upset by action which left 40 memorials flattened in its graveyard. The vicar, Ron Elverson, is visiting families in the village to personally apologise for distress caused after headstones were pushed over during a “health and safety” survey.
The church has also sent out letters apologising for the upset and explaining the action had been taken by the Parochial Church Council for safety reasons and to satisfy church insurers. The PCC has also agreed to pay for repairs to memorials damaged during the survey.
Swaffham’s Northwold Pool is slowly refilling with rainwater after the recent pollution incident that caused hundreds of fish to die. The pool was drained of thousands of gallons of contaminated water last month after a blocked pipe caused sewage to overflow into surface water and discharge into the pool. No decision has yet been taken on whether the pool will be restocked with freshwater fish.
Celebrations marking the 800th anniversary of the granting of a Royal Charter to the borough of Lynn are to be officially launched on Civic Sunday, May 23. The day will include a civic and community procession through the town and the Mayor, Michael Langwade, is encouraging local voluntary community, charitable, youth, church and other groups to come and take part. A specially commissioned flag showing the logo for the 800th anniversary celebrations will be flown from the town hall.
Hospital Radio Lynn is now broadcasting 24 hours a day, instead of just four, thanks to a new computer system which enables it to pre-record broadcasts. Staff celebrated the good news – and the radio station’s 30th birthday – with a fundraising party.
The Old School Community Project in Terrington St Clement is officially launching a fundraising campaign with the aim of collecting enough cash to buy the former church hall and refurbish it as a community asset. The hall, part of which dates back to 1818, has been unused for four years.
Tenpin bowling ace Al Bessey scored a perfect 300 game – the first one recorded in the Lynn Strikes Tuesday Mixed Doubles League. Al, playing for Hook ‘n’ Knot, has been a bowler for some 42 years and has been a member of the England veterans’ scene. His perfect game has been officially sanctioned with the British Tenpin Bowling Association.
Lynn construction firm Chalcroft has secured two new multi-million pound contracts. Between them, the projects at Wisbech and Hull are worth around £7.5 million and follow hard on the heels of an £8 million project at Newark and another valued at £11 million at Dorchester. The Wisbech job involves building a warehouse extension at the Nestlé Purina factory.
The company employs about 115 people including administration staff, surveyors, its own health and safety officers and around 65 on-site workers. The firm has had a presence in the Lynn area from the early 1990s and moved into its base at the Hardwick Narrows Industrial Estate in 2000.
