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The Friends of Hardwick Road Cemetery, King’s Lynn have received a grant of £98,100 from the Heritage Lottery Fund for an exciting project ‘Yesterday’s People for Tomorrow’s Society’ in Lynn’s old Victorian Cemetery.

The HLF money will allow the Friends to:

• Conserve a further 7 memorials over the next three years.
• Install interpretation boards giving visitors information on the conserved memorials and the persons commemorated.
• Produce pamphlets describing various aspects of the cemetery and its importance to the development of the town.
• Launch A new website where visitors from further afield can find information on the cemetery.
• Produce an educational pack, for local schools, linked to the national curriculum for history and art.

The Friends of Hardwick Road Cemetery was launched in 2006 and meet at the cemetery on the third weekend of each month to carry out clearing of overgrown graves and the recording of memorial inscriptions. They have already produced a digital database of all the burials that have taken place in the cemetery since 1855 and hold a series of guided walks in the cemetery throughout the summer months.

The Friends are looking for further volunteers to join them and assist in the preservation of this important but under valued local resource for future generations.

Dr Julian Litten, Chairman of the Friends of Hardwick Road Cemetery said “The cemetery was started as an extension of the burial ground of All Saints Church in 1849 and was at the forefront of the development and growth of municipal cemeteries in England. It is a treasure trove of artistic memorial work and, almost uniquely, still displays the original landscaping scheme of its inception.

“With today’s growth in interest in family history it is important that as much of our heritage is preserved for Tomorrow’s people. The cemetery is a gateway back to the past and Yesterday’s People holding links to many important events and characters in the life of the town and its environs”

The Friends host a number of guided walks of the cemetery throughout the year as well as an Open Day in July.

Astrologer Michele Knight has kindly agreed to let us publish her 2013 Horoscope Videos. Michele is a UK based astrologer, broadcaster, TV personality and Sunday Times best- selling author. Currently she is the astrologer for Channel 5’s LIVE with Gabby, a popular daytime show.

Visit Michele’s website at micheleknight.co.uk

Pregnant women and patients with existing medical conditions are being urged to have this year’s flu jab.

Flu is a highly contagious infection that anyone can catch, and it can be a really serious illness for some people. Those at greater risk from flu include people aged 65 or over, pregnant women, and those with health conditions such as severe asthma, chest or heart complaints and diabetes.

Dr Jenny Harries, Director of Public Health at NHS Norfolk and Waveney, said people don’t realise quite how serious flu can be.

She added: “Flu is not like a cold – it can be a really serious illness for some people and it doesn’t just affect older people. If you’re pregnant, have lowered immunity or a long term health condition such as severe asthma, a chest or heart complaint, or diabetes, then you should also get a free flu jab from your GP and get flu safe.

“The flu jab is completely safe, and it can’t give you flu.”

NHS Norfolk and Waveney is encouraging everyone across the area who knows anyone who may be at risk from flu to tell them how important it is that they get protected. People who are carers and frontline health and social care staff are also encouraged to get a jab to protect themselves and those around them.

Dr Harries added: “Flu can increase the risk of developing more serious illnesses such as bronchitis and pneumonia, and can make existing conditions much worse.

“Flu can knock you off your feet and make it hard to look after the kids or go to work. In the most serious cases, seasonal flu might land you in hospital – it can even be a killer.”

The flu vaccine changes every year to fight the latest strains of flu, so even if you had a jab last winter you need another one this year to stay flu safe. The jab doesn’t contain the virus that can give flu to those who are eligible for the vaccination.

If you’re in any of the at-risk groups, the flu jab is completely free and is a safe way of protecting you and your family in a matter of minutes.

The best time to be vaccinated is at the start of the flu season from October to early November, so it’s good to get in early and get flu safe in time for the winter.

Simply contact your GP to arrange a convenient appointment and get your jab. It’s quick, safe and free for those most at risk from the virus.

For more information, speak to your GP, local pharmacist, or visit www.nhs.uk/flu.

All photos supplied by West Norfolk Photography.

The Custom House has arranged a surprise birthday party for King’s Lynn’s most famous sailor, Captain George Vancouver.

The event takes place at the Custom House, King’s Lynn on Friday 22nd June from 2.30 to 4pm.

Everyone is welcome to join in the celebrations, and it’s suggested you bring a card or a little cake perhaps!

Captain George Vancouver was a naval officer who, at the age of 14, set sail with Captain James Cook on his ship the ‘Resolution’ on a four-year expedition which took in the South Pacific, the Antarctic and the South Atlantic.

He also led the longest mapping expedition in history. In four-and-a-half years, Vancouver and his crewmen sailed about 140,000 kilometres and mapped the North American west coast from northern Mexico to southern Alaska.

It was George Vancouver who proved that Vancouver Island, off British Columbia was truly an island. It was named in his honour. As was the City of Vancouver in British Columbia and Fort Vancouver in Washington state.

A bronze statue of George can be seen at the quay in King’s Lynn as a tribute to the great explorer. The Vancouver Shopping Centre in the town is also named after him.

It’s Halloween night, and the local museum in King’s Lynn is preparing for an unusual event – the opening of a coffin containing the bones of a medieval bishop. But when forensic archaeologist Ruth Galloway arrives, she finds the museum’s curator lying dead beside the coffin.

Elly Griffiths’ novels are steeped in Norfolk, Norse mythology, superstition, folklore and ruthless murder. She’ll be signing copies of A Room Full of Bones, out for the first time in paperback, on Saturday 12 May at Waterstones King’s Lynn.

Griffiths’ heroine is forensic archaeologist Ruth Galloway. We first met Ruth in The Crossing Places, set in the tumbling cliffs of the North Norfolk coast, the same venue she used for her highly successful last novel The House at Sea’s End.

Considering that Elly has family in this neck of the woods, what is it she has about King’s Lynn that it’s turned into the Norfolk killing fields?

“I love King’s Lynn and its surroundings,” she says. “I love the layers of history which mean that I will never run out of plots.”

So we haven’t seen the last of the corpses then. How about the poor museum curator?

“I also love King’s Lynn Museum which is a far more impressive place than the museum in my book, though just as fascinating.”

“Soon the museum’s wealthy owner lies dead in his stables too…” Let’s call a halt there, shall we?

Elly Griffiths will be at Waterstones Norfolk Street shop at 11.00am on Saturday 12 May 2012.

ellygriffiths.co.uk

Like many shopping centres The King’s Lynn Vancouver Quarter has been a victim of the recession, with a total of seven shopping units now vacant.

The good news is that the Vancouver Quarter have been holding talks with potential new tenants to fill four of their vacant units.

We asked them if they could reveal anything more …

They have promised to keep us informed of developments!

By Luke Goold

The King’s Lynn Youth Theatre opened its doors for the first time, many years ago, under the Directorship of Jenny Duda. Jenny had an almost encyclopaedic knowledge of Dramatists, Theatre and performing arts, and she combined this with an incredible imagination and set about writing original pieces of theatre for young people. The subject matter for the plays was as varying and diverse as the members who attended.

I Joined the Youth Theatre at the tender age of 13, not really knowing what to expect, and I found myself amongst young people who were not afraid of sharing ideas and investing everything they had into their performances, without the fear of being mocked. The Drama I experienced at the Youth Theatre was an entire universe away from what I encountered at school, it was challenging and exciting and it inspired me for the rest of my life. It is safe to say I was hooked immediately.

The first play I was in was called “Polish Hospitality” and it was about the German occupation of Poland during the Second World War. I remember feeling so special, that we as a group were being trusted with such a powerful and complex theme. It was this trust and belief in the capabilities of the Youth Theatre that elevated the students from feeling like mere children and gave them the confidence to be powerful actors. The expectations of the actors in the Youth Theatre were such that you had to rise to the challenge and as a result, the quality of the work would increase with each and every performance.

I spent nine years as a member of the King’s Lynn Youth Theatre and its partner adult company, ‘The Sweet Mongrels’, also directed by Jenny Duda. By the end of my time with both groups, drama was my life and so it was inevitable that I would go to University to study the craft further. I would still return to King’s Lynn to perform with the groups during my semester breaks. While at university, the Youth Theatre closed as the director moved to St Ives in Cornwall, this saddened me because I knew that although there were other amateur dramatic societies in King’s Lynn, none of them were quite like the Youth Theatre, with its eccentricities and originality.

Upon graduating from University, I spent my time teaching in Primary schools, writing, producing and directing original plays for their respective drama clubs and groups. I still missed the unrestricted and innovative nature of the Youth Theatre greatly and with kind permission form Jenny Duda, I took the reins and re-established the group as the new Creative Director. It was my firmest desire that the founding principals of empowering young people and developing their skills, through the medium of original theatre, remained paramount.

To date, the Youth Theatre is going from strength to strength, with an eclectic troop of actors from King’s Lynn and the surrounding communities, which is growing in numbers weekly. The cast have produced pieces of work that range from the sublime to the down-right ridiculous, from street theatre to full-scale productions. The structure of the Youth Theatre consists of two parts, the first being a series of skills development workshops with a view to casting and establishing concepts that will appear in future productions, the second part is the commencement of rehearsals for the play.

What makes my approach to the development of the actors performing skills different to many other theatre companies is that I write for my actors. In the workshop sessions, I obtain a profile of the abilities of each individual, their strengths and areas where there needs to be further work. I will then write a part for each individual, which will support their abilities and yet challenge them, so the entire process becomes one of continual personal growth and learning.

The King’s Lynn Youth Theatre meets every Saturday at the Red Cross building on Austin Fields, from 1.30pm to 4pm at a cost of £4.50 per session. The Next Youth Theatre Production of ‘A Classic Experience’ will be shown at King’s Lynn Academy’s North Hall on the 16th and 17th of March at 7pm. Tickets cost £5.00. View Poster

If you are interested in coming along to see the show or if you are interested in becoming a member of the King’s Lynn Youth Theatre, please contact Luke Goold on 07760564061 or via email at kingslynnyouththeatre@yahoo.co.uk
Or you can also visit our Facebook page facebook.com/kingslynnyouththeatre

I am proud to say that the Youth Theatre is still a place where any young person can attend and be supported in their work by their peers and professionals alike.

The atrocities of the Holocaust and the courage of those who have spoken out against persecution will be remembered at a multi-faith service in the Tower Gardens at noon on Sunday 29 January.

The service will be attended by Borough Mayor Cllr. Colin Sampson, Leader of the Borough Council of King’s Lynn & West Norfolk, Cllr. Nick Daubney, civic dignitaries, members of the Muslim, Jewish and Christian faiths, KLARS (King’s Lynn Area Settlement Support), the Soroptomists and St Martha’s Roman Catholic School.

Together these individuals and the communities they represent will make a united stand against violence and prejudice and mark Holocaust Memorial Day.

Janie Codona, whose work to promote understanding and raise awareness of issues affecting the traveller community earned her an MBE this year, will give a special reading. Further readings will follow, wreathes will be laid and all those attending will be invited to light a candle in honour of those who lost their lives in the Holocaust and other genocides and as a symbol of their commitment to work towards a democratic society.

St Martha’s choir will perform and the service will end with a blessing in English and Hebrew. Anyone is welcome to attend.

Holocaust Memorial Day marks the anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau on January 27 1945.

Each year the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust encourages people to take the opportunity to reflect upon the terrible consequences of the persecution that led to the Holocaust, remember the victims of this atrocity and more recent genocides and to learn the lessons that these tragedies have to teach us about the impact of intolerance and discrimination of any form.

The day helps to provide a platform to promote understanding of the fundamental human rights that were adopted as a response to the Holocaust and provides an opportunity to celebrate the strength and resilience of the human spirit.

The theme of this year’s Holocaust Memorial Day is Speak Out Speak Up. It invites people to reflect upon the way that silence and complicity allows persecution to thrive and encourages people to have the courage to oppose actions that they know to be wrong.

Borough Mayor Cllr. Colin Sampson said, “I visited Belsen twice in the late 1970s, when my TA unit was on exercise in Germany, and was deeply moved by the atmosphere of the memorial. There really was no birdsong, or even birds, within the site.

“Unfortunately, dreadful events, similar to what we know as the Holocaust, are happening all over the world even now. Many of them barely make the headlines any more. However, that only makes our Holocaust Memorial Day all the more important, especially with this year’s theme of Speak Out, Speak Up. Those that do must receive more support from our supposed civilised society across the world so that one day this is just a Memorial Day as a reminder of the past and not a commentary on current events.

I urge all of you to try to join us in Tower Gardens at noon on Sunday 29 January 2012.”

For more information contact the Civics Officer on 01553 762124, or visit the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust website: www.hmd.org.uk.

About the Photo:

This photo was taken in March 1944. The women are members of the Greek-Jewish community of Ioaninna. There are no men in the picture because they had already become prisoners of the Nazis.

In March, 1944, these women were ordered to pack a bag and leave their homes. The Nazis made them gather together in an open space and here we see them waiting for the trucks that will take them away from Greece and across Europe to camps in Poland, where many of them will be murdered.

Of course, as this picture is being taken, they don’t know that they will be murdered. They only know that they are leaving their homes and community and they have no idea when they will be allowed back home. That is why they are all looking cold and sad and why some of them are crying. They are facing a long journey into the unknown and there is no-one to help them.

We’ve only just got over the heatwave, but Norfolk is already preparing for an early onset of wintry weather after long-range forecasts warned of an increased risk a colder than average November.

The restocking of seven salt storage domes and two strategic reserves in Swaffham and Norwich is well underway. Once complete, nearly 20,000 tonnes of treated road salt will be ready for use when temperatures fall.

Last year (2010) the county was in the grip of ice and snow before the end of November, and the extreme weather lasted until the end of the year. Nationally, road salt supplies ran low, but Norfolk was better placed than most counties thanks to reserves stored at Swaffham and Norwich.

Graham Plant, Cabinet member for Planning and Transportation, said: “Last winter our gritting crews did a fantastic job keeping the priority network treated and useable throughout the worst of the weather. It is not widely recognised that these crews are drawn from our normal daily road maintenance operations, yet they are out there in the evenings or early hours of the morning making sure roads are treated.

“In severe weather, especially heavy snow, they have to concentrate on the priority network of just over 2,000 miles – a third of the network – so we are encouraging local communities to do what they can to help. We are very pleased that the town councils at Wells, Diss, Aylsham and Holt have agreed to take on winter gritting duties on pavements and other areas which the gritting lorries don’t reach. Other local councils have bought grit bins which the County Council fills so that people can treat local trouble spots.

• Last year the cost of gritting Norfolks roads came to over £4 million.
• Off-highway gritting is carried out at important sites such as hospitals and park and ride sites.

Credits. Photo: Ian Britton, FreeFoto

KL Magazine is a free magazine highlighting events and goings-on in the King’s Lynn and West Norfolk areas.

View online here, or scroll down to find out where you can pick up a copy.

KL Magazine Main distributors:
Sainsbury’s, King’s Lynn
Marks & Spencer, King’s Lynn
Knights Hill Farm Shop
Waitrose, Swaffham
Aldiss, Fakenham
Reeds, Downham Market
Tesco, North Wootton
Queen Elizabeth Hospital

Also available from:
Amaze Blinds, AT Johnson, Bearts of Stowbridge, Beautique, Black Horse Inn, Bodylines, Boldero and Filby, Borough Council Offices, Bradleys Wine Bar, Caithness Crystal, car garages, Church Farms, CITB Bircham Newton, College of West Anglia, Congham Hall, Deers Leap, Denver Golf Centre,Dentist surgeries, Doctors surgeries, Downham Clinic, Downham Market Library, Downham Market Sports and Leisure Centre, Duke’s Head Hotel, Freebridge Housing, Gala Bingo, Gaywood Library, Green Quay, The Hare Arms, Heacham Manor, Hollies Vets Clinic, Hunstanton Library, Hunstanton Tourist Information, Jolly Sailors, KES, King’s Lynn Academy, King’s Lynn Arts Centre, King’s Lynn Golf Club, King’s Lynn Library, King’s Lynn Masonic Centre, Kings Lynn Tourist Information, Knights Hill, La Fitness, Le Strange Arms, London Road Vets, Lookers Hair Salon, LynnSport, Market Bistro, Middleton Golf Club, Morris Armitage, Nags Essentials, Norfolk Lavender, Old Granary Antiques Centre, Sandringham Visitors Centre, Searles Hunstanton, Stuart House Hotel, The Bank House, Thaxters Garden Centre, The Corn Exchange, The Lodge, The Swan Inn, The Wish, Thornham Deli, Titchwell Manor, Town and Country Kitchens, Waterstones, West Norfolk Arts Centre, Wrought Iron Bed Company and many more….

Local residents will soon be able to vote “yes” or “no” on council plans to build a waste incinerator at Saddlebow.

The local poll, organised by the Borough Council of King’s Lynn & West Norfolk, will take place later this month.

Papers for the all-postal ballot, will be delivered from Friday 11 February. Ballot papers will be sent to all eligible electors, registered as at 4 January 2011.

The question for the poll is:

‘Do you support the construction of a Mass Burn Municipal Waste Incinerator on the Willows Business Park, Saddlebow, King’s Lynn?’

Ballot papers must be returned to the Returning Officer by 28 February 2011. The result of the poll will be available on 1 March 2011.

The decision to organise the poll was taken on 25 November 2010, by Full Council, to ascertain the views of borough residents on the proposal to build an incinerator in West Norfolk. The results of the poll will be made available to Norfolk County Council, the responsible planning authority for the proposal.

Kings Lynn residents resist incinerator from Adrian Cousins on Vimeo.

Stuck for something to read? Lunchtimes far too short? No time to choose a book?

Then why not bring your lunch along to King’s Lynn Library and choose a book at the same time? Their express shelves have the latest selection of new paperback titles ready and waiting for you.

If you are not a library member then joining is free and easy. Just bring proof of your address and you can borrow books straight away.

 

 

 

Lunchbite days are 12.30 – 1.30pm on:

Wednesday 9 March
Tuesday 15 March
Friday 18 March
Monday 21 March
Friday 25 March

King’s Lynn Library is located at:

King’s Lynn Library
London Road,
King’s Lynn,
PE30 5EZ.

Map

This year’s Bespak Grand East Anglia Run, the town’s popular 10k road race, will incorporate a new 1.2-mile fun-run. This will be open to anyone over 6 years of age, meaning that many more people will now feel able to participate in the event.

Joe Barry, Managing Director of Bespak, said: “When the idea of incorporating a new mini fun-run was put forward, we could see the benefits immediately. This will broaden the appeal of the event and enable families to take part together as well as encouraging less confident runners to give it a go.”

Borough Council Race Director Harry Collins explained: “We want to encourage more people to take up running as part of a healthy, active lifestyle. Having an event like GEAR to aim for really helps to motivate people to run regularly and people quickly start to feel the benefits.”

The Grand East Anglia Run, organised by the Borough Council of King’s Lynn & West Norfolk and sponsored by Bespak, takes place at 10.30am on Sunday, 1 May 2011. Starting in the Tuesday Market Place, the course takes runners on a loop through the town centre, through The Walks and along the waterfront, showcasing some of the town’s key heritage and retail areas.

The event routinely attracts 1,500 runners and many more spectators from all over the country. In its five-year history, the race has attracted athletics legends, including Ron Hill and Dame Tanni Grey Thompson, and has supported the development of a series of beginners running clubs as well as helping people to raise much-needed cash for their favourite causes.

Entries for the event can now be made online at www.grandeastangliarun.co.uk. The cost of entry for this year’s Bespak GEAR is £18.00 (£16.00 for those attached to a UKA running club) and the cost of entry for the Bespak Mini GEAR is £5.00 for adults and £4.00 for under 16s and £3 for under 8s. To enter the Bespak GEAR, runners must be aged 15 or over on race day. To enter the Bespak Mini GEAR, runners must be aged 6 or over on race day (under 8’s must be accompanied by an adult).

Running Fact File

* Interested in getting into running?

Beginners’ running courses for women are taking place in Hunstanton, King’s Lynn and Downham Market, starting in the last week of January. For more information contact the Borough Council’s Sports Development Unit on 01553 818017.

* Ladies only

Lynnsport Ladybirds and Downham Dollies are established women’s running clubs. To find out more contact Sharon at Lynnsport Ladybirds on 01485 543096, Amanda at Downham Dollies on 01366 388136 or Lou Mayer at Up and Outs (Upwell and Outwell) on 07733 105048.

* Serious runner?

West Norfolk has a number of athletics clubs, to get details of clubs near you visit www.west-norfolk.gov.uk/sportsdirectory.

* Training for the event?

Former Olympian Paul Evans will be running his popular training courses again this year. Dates will be announced on the Bespak Grand East Anglia Run website www.grandeastangliarun.co.uk.

Yes it’s that time of year again.

If you are planning to raise money for Children In Need, and your event is in the West Norfolk area, please contact us and we will give you some free publicity on this page.

Lynnsport’s Fundraising Fun Day begins at 9.30am and finishes at 6pm. During the day visitors of all ages can take part in a huge range of activities, including a penalty shoot-out, an assault course, giant board games and even a special N.I.A class.

After all the activity people can sit back and relax with a pampering treat. Hairstyling, provided by a local stylist, will be available in the Sandringham Suite from 10am.

It’s free to take part in the fun day activities, but participants will be invited to make donations to Children in Need. All donations collected on the day will be forwarded to the charity.

There’s also the chance to win some great prizes in the charity raffle, including shopping, hairdressing, beauty and restaurant vouchers and an iPod shuffle, generously donated by local companies. Tickets cost £1 per strip. All money raised through the raffle will be donated to Children in Need.

The usual Gym Pit Fun Time session for the under 5s held on 19 November will be extended so children will have twice as much time to enjoy it. (The standard charge applies to this activity. This will not form part of the donations.)

Lynnsport Supporting Children in Need

More details about Children In Need, and how to get involved can be found at www.bbc.co.uk/pudsey. Help raise those all important pounds!