On this week: Taking a look back at news from 2005 in King’s Lynn, Downham Market and Swaffham as well as picture from 1998
In our weekly on this week feature, we take a look back at what was hitting the headlines in 2005, as well as a picture from 1998…
On this week: June 16 – 22, 2005
Motorists are now able to head into Lynn via a new route following the opening of the South Lynn relief road. The new road and the new Saddlebow link road are the first steps in the multi-million pound Nar Ouse Regeneration Area (NORA) project, which will see around 900 homes, community buildings and a business area built in South Lynn. The roads take traffic travelling from the A47 Saddlebow interchange down to South Gates roundabout and they have been built using a £7.7 million grant from the Government Office for the East of England. At the southern end of Saddlebow Road a bus gate will be installed to restrict access for only buses and emergency vehicles.
Disgusting public loos in Swaffham, dubbed “the world’s worst” have been redecorated and steam cleaned – and they may even be refurbished in the winter. Breckland Council, which is responsible for them, say the toilets are due for a revamp and have also pledged that the loos will be deep-cleaned and serviced every three months. Once the toilets are up to scratch, it is understood that the town council will take over responsibility for them.
The possibility of radioactive waste being dumped in West Norfolk cannot be ruled out, chiefs at nuclear waste agency Nirex, have admitted. A report, made public under the new Freedom of Information Act, reveals that five West Norfolk sites were among the 537 considered as possible areas for disposing of nuclear waste in the 1980s. The Ministry of Defence training ground at Stanford was among 12 sites country-wide on the shortlist put together by the Nuclear Industry Radioactive Waste Executive (Nirex). Marham, Sculthorpe, Denver and a site at Feltwell have also come into consideration.
Golden jubilee celebrations have taken place at Howard School in Lynn to mark the 50th anniversary since the school was first founded. Howard School was actually launched in April 1955, but the school delayed the special day so that parents could also get involved. Children from both the infants and junior schools took part in a number of golden-themed events and they were asked to wear golden colours. Selected children were chosen to put their work into a golden book, and they will be invited back to the school to take part in the 100th year celebrations.
Popular Scottish actor Tom Conti – who has been dubbed ‘the thinking woman’s crumpet” – has been named as the guest speaker for this year’s Lynn Festival literary dinner to be held on July 22. His roles have included the Greek seducer in the film Shirley Valentine, which starred Pauline Collins in the title role. Festival organisers say that only a few tickets remain for three of the biggest events, for singer Aled Jones, journalist John Simpson and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Also featuring in the programme will be the world-famous Black Dyke Band and distinguished historian David Starkey, who is a vice-president of the festival.
Foster Refrigerator, based on the Hardwick Industrial Estate at Lynn, has become the first European fridge manufacturer to win a coveted environmental award. It beat strict pollution limits to achieve the internationally recognised standard in environmental management systems (EMS). Foster Refrigerator employs around 300 staff at its base on Oldmedow Road. John Savage, food service director at the business, claimed the award was “great news” for Foster and its customers.
A motorbike-mounted speed camera has joined the fleet of vans already monitoring West Norfolk’s roads for speeding motorists. It is the first of its kind to be used in East Anglia and will be sent to 20 hotspots around the county where the five existing vans are unable to park. These hotspots include Dersingham, Lynn and Grimston, which have been chosen due to a high number of accidents in those areas. Due to their smaller size, the bikes will be able to park in gateways and areas where there is not enough room to put a van.
More than 1,600 lots of furniture, fittings and antiques have been sold in an auction marking the end of one of West Norfolk’s best-known stores. The auction was held at the premises of Reeds of Downham, which traded for almost a century until it closed down this year. Furniture retailer Reeds closed after the owner Jeffrey Reed was unable to find someone to run the store when he went into retirement; he has spent the last two years trying to find a buyer for the Bridge Street shop.
