Acle, Norfolk

Acle Society

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HISTORY The Acle Society was formed in 1973 with the aim of fostering the community spirit, and to assist village organisation particularly in regard to publicity. A quarterly newsletter is produced and delivered free to every household in the Parish. The Society has sponsored an annual show of Produce and Craft since September 1973. Every effort has been made to ensure that information given is correct, however, would welcome any correction or additions.

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ACLE SOCIETY NEWS FEBRUARY 2008 ACLE SOCIETY Acle Society were pleased to welcome 60 people to the Autumn Social Evening held at the Methodist Church, which featured an illustrated talk by Phillip West from Hindringham tracking the history of agriculture though the ages. For many hundreds of years, there was little or no change to farming methods with oxen, then horses providing the motive power, but with the coming of mechanical power in the late 19th century, steam at first then the internal combustion engine, things changed rapidly and by the end of the second world war, horses had all but disappeared from farms. This brought changes to rural life as far fewer people were required to work the land and many rural trades such as harness makers and blacksmiths declined and disappeared from villages as was the case here in Acle. The mix of images taken from old postcards gave a fascinating glimpse of rural life in days gone by. Our next event will be the Annual Meeting and Social Evening on Tuesday 18th March at 7.30pm in the Methodist Church. The business part of the meeting will be kept brief, approximately 15 minutes, to give plenty of time to enjoy an illustrated presentation by Max Smith from Norwich entitled "Scenic Utah". This meeting is open to all, admission is free and there will be refreshments and a good raffle. A 3 mile circular walk in and around Salhouse is the venue for our Spring Walk on Sunday 30th March. We follow a village and countryside trail running through mixed farmland, with Salhouse Hall and All Saints Church being points of interest. Please meet at Salhouse Church car park on the Wroxham Road, for a 2.15pm start. All are welcome to join in. Looking further ahead, The Historic Dockyard at Chatham, Kent, is the destination for our Summer Outing on Sunday 29th June. Costings and details are now being finalised and full information will be available at the Annual Meeting and Social Evening on 18th March and from John Harriss 01493 751057. Our 36th Annual Show of Produce and Craft Show will be held at Acle High School on Saturday 6th September. Schedules for this should be available at the meeting on 18th March. Associated with the Show, judging for the best floral display at business premises and the like will take place in July. Over the years colourful floral displays at commercial premises have all helped to create a bright and cheerful environment for residents and visitors alike, and we hope to get good support again. Results will be published in the August Newsletter and certificates awarded at the Show in September. With this newsletter comes your complimentary copy of our Acle Village Directory for 2008. We thank Ray Ashworth for updating this and those friends of the Society who help us with deliveries. Further copies of this Directory will be available from Acle Library. VILLAGE NEWS Acle Fundraisers has been formed, with their first event taking place on the May Bank Holiday, Sunday 4th May, between 11.00am - 4.00pm to celebrate May Day. This is a free entry event with profits supporting local charities. Activities and entertainment that everyone from the village can join in including LIVE bands (playing throughout the event), children's entertainment, maypole dancing, craft and local club stalls, various hot food (including a curry stand), games for both adults and children to participate in, Humpty Dumpty beer; Budgens will be involved; Herondale will be serving teas and cakes; the Acle Library will be open and run a book sale; Acle High School will also be holding a display on further education in the Acle Rec. Club main hall. This event was a BIG success last year so we hope everyone from the village will join in. The second event will be the Acle Beer and Music Festival on Saturday 19th July, Rectory Gardens. This event was so popular last year that we had to turn away people away as all tickets sold weeks in advance. The 2008 event will again have local ales, wine, soft drinks etc., local and popular bands, food and other entertainment and again, the Acle Post Office, will be the ticket outlet for this event. Tickets will go on sale in June. A mystery event is being planned for late September (further details available later in the year) with various coffee mornings in the Parish Hall being planned. If you would like to assist with any event mentioned, or have any input, please contact Angela Bishop or Lynn Kerslake, 750737. YOGA - yes, it is available here in the village, on a Tuesday evening, Parish Hall, 7 - 8pm - come along and really enjoy yourself. A very friendly group welcomes both those new to yoga or those who have tried it before and would like to continue this wonderful form of exercise. Contact Monica Holden on 01493 369208 for further information. Teleshopping - over 65 or over 50 with a referral from Adult Social Services and not able to get out and about to shop? Why not contact Norfolk C.C.'s new incentive - Teleshopping --- A Rainy Day Shopping Service. You don't have to sign up for a regular timeslot; It costs just £10 for them to do six shops on your behalf over any period of time; Ideal for covering sickness, holidays, bad weather, or any unexpected difficulties; Just call the Teleshopping Team on 01603 495139 for further details. Balfour Beatty - with the railway line closed for two weeks between Norwich and Great Yarmouth (re: new track, ballast and metal sleepers being laid) late last year, Acle had been very busy with the contractor, Balfour Beatty. The Acle Lands Trust needed some sleepers for a new bridge to be built near Damgate crossing and approached Balfour for assistance. This month, over 30 sleepers where delivered to the Damgate crossing giving now the Trust the timber in which to proceed with the crossing. Many thanks Balfour Beatty!!! Acle Lands Trust -- Acle Lands Trust have been presented with a cheque for £5,000 by Shell UK. Shell workforce have been busy offshore to change practises to become more environmentally friendly and the workforce was asked to recommend a local charity to receive funds. Andy Brooks of Acle (who works for Shell) suggested the Acle Lands Trust and his colleagues at Shell agreed. The Trust will now go ahead to replace the hump back bridge next to Weavers Way, and along with the railway sleepers donated by Balfour Beatty (see above article). The Trust will begin work on a boardwalk on the marshes which tends to became very muddy. New hogging will be put down to create pathways and new notice boards will be erected. NCC will be assisting with seats. The Trust will announce the dates and times when work will be carried out and will be asking the people of Acle to give them assistance. No Cold Calling Zone - Priory Close Home Watch has linked up with a Norfolk Trading Standards initiative to set up a "No Cold Calling Zone" for Priory Close. This is likely to be the first such zone set up in rural Broadland. These zones are designated areas where the residents declare they no longer wish to accept traders calling at their homes without an invite. It is hoped that the scheme will help to reduce doorstep rogue traders being a nuisance to residents within the zone. This fits in with the aims of Home Watch -- to establish community spirit and to reduce the opportunities for crime and deter criminal activity. Don Wilkins (01493 750364) acts as Acle Home Watch Area Co-ordinator. Love your library, love yourself - If it has been a few years since you last visited Acle Library why not pop along and find out what you are missing? If you join the library during February you will be given a free environmentally friendly Jute library bag and you will be entered into a prize draw to win vouchers for a child or adult bike! You can borrow books, films, and join in events that can inspire you, help you relax, allow you to escape, bring you close to your family, learn something new, bring stories to life for your children. The library website has a wealth of online information on health, sport, travel, the arts, current affairs, local history and much more, including a full list of the Love your Library events and details of all libraries and their opening hours at www.library.norfolk.gov.uk or on the Acle Village Website www.acle-village.info. Please see our events happening at the Library, listed on the last page of this newsletter. PARISH COUNCIL NEWS Acle Parish Council is delighted to announce it was awarded Quality Parish Council status (with a distinction) in November 2007. The accreditation panel were mostly interested in the way the Council conducts its business, communicated with and the provision of facilities for residents. A certificate to mark this achievement will be presented to the Council at the Annual Parish meeting on 14th April by Keith Simpson, MP. Thanks are due to Brian Grint, John Harriss, Nigel Law, the Parish Clerk, and especially Lana Hempsall for the work put into this project. The Parish Council now publishes a regular newsletter on the Acle Village website (www.acle-village.info) or you can access the Council's Minutes at Acle Library or by contacting the Parish Clerk, Mrs Pauline James, 01493 751070 or email paulinejames@aol.com . The next scheduled dates for meetings of the Parish Council, held in the Methodist Church at 7.30pm are: 25th February, 31st March, 14th April (Annual Parish Meeting), 28th April, 19th May, 30th June, 28th July, no meeting in August, 29th September, 27th October, 24th November and 15th December. All residents are very welcome to attend and to raise issues or questions at the beginning of the meeting. Village Survey - The Parish planning group are in need of help collating the replies from the village survey, that took place last year, and are calling for helpers -- it's all done on the computer in your home with the Parish plan group sending the reply sheets via email -- anyone willing to help to please contact Brian Grint 750039. Now for a round of thanks from the Parish Council - firstly to the Acle Society for again arranging for the supply and disposal of the village Christmas Tree; to Halls Group, Acle, for providing transport and labour (free of charge), to collect and erect the tree on the Monument Green; and Tony Hemmingway for installing the tree lights. The new festive lighting along The Street was funded by the Parish Council. CLUB /GROUP/SCHOOL/CHURCH INFORMATION Acle Social Blind Club is a social club for people who are blind or partially sighted and older people with sight problems. The group meets on the last Thursday in the month between 2pm - 4pm, at the Methodist Church in Acle (February to November). For more information, contact Mrs Mary Seward, NNAB, on 01603 715818. Acle & District Carers Support Group meetings are held on the first Tuesday of each month, 1.30pm-3.30pm at the Kingfisher Rooms, Age Concern Herondale, Bridewell Lane. For further information please contact Mrs Joy Salter (07765104526). Acle & District Royal British Legion's meetings are held at The King's Head Inn, Acle, at 2.30pm on the second Monday of each month. A full schedule of all events and meetings are available on the Acle Village Website. Acle Forget-Me-Not Club members meet on the second Wednesday in the month at 2.00pm in the Parish Hall and all are welcome. Contact is Chloe Ecclestone, 01493 750964. Acle High School are running free taster sessions on a variety of subjects on February 12th, call Gilly or David on 01493 856647 for further details. The school's production of High School Musical will be at 7.30pm on the 27th, 28th and 29th February. Tickets £6 or £4.50 concessions available from the school; CIEH Level 2 Award in Food Safety in Catering runs for three weeks starting Monday 3rd March. 7-9pm. Course fee £30 plus £10 for the CIEH certificate. Coming Soon: Dr Andrew Wilson from the UEA will be talking about allergies and why some people, particularly children, seem to be more susceptible than others. Date to be confirmed. Call Janis Austin on 07776462214 for more details or to book. Acle and District Flower Club - our next event is an outing to Anglesey Abbey on Tuesday 19th February to see the snow drops. There are seats available on the coach so if anyone would like to join us, please phone Margaret on 01493 750172 for details. The AGM will be held on Tuesday 26th February; on Tuesday 25th March our demonstrator will be Crystal Dyball entitled "Inspirations with Glass" and then on April 22nd we have Barbara Harrold coming to give us a talk and demonstration on how to do a pedestal entitled "A Flower Arrangers Garden". All meetings start at 7.30pm and are held at the Methodist Church Room. Everyone is welcome. Entrance fee is £3.00 plus 20p for tea and coffee. Acle & District 49+ Club - this friendly club meets on the first Tuesday of each month at 2pm in the Parish Hall and new members are always welcome. The membership fee for 2008 is £3 per person and an entrance charge of £1pp for each meeting, which includes refreshments. The entrance fee for visitors attending the Club is £2pp. The programme for the next four months is as follows: 5th February - the Club's annual meeting and social afternoon; 4th March - Tina Chamberlain makes a welcome return visit with "Move Norfolk Poetry"; 1st April - "Behind the Scenes at Crown Court" is the subject of a talk by Mrs Marial Acton and on 6th May, Malcolm Metcalf's talk features the "Last Train to Gainsville". Contact for the Club is Don Wilkins, 01493 750364. AVA provides day care for 20 people on Tuesdays at the Methodist Church, Acle, where many facilities are available. They also provide a lunch club on Wednesdays for up to 30 people. If you would like to see the care the volunteers provide, do come in on a Tuesday for coffee between 10-11.30am. AVA also provides equipment on short term loan and much more. There are leaflets in Acle Library and Acle Post Office or call Betty Shasdell on 10603 270240 or Valerie Knights on 01493 750471. If you are interested in being a volunteer, the Group would be pleased to hear from you. Vacancies are available on Tuesday and Wednesdays for the Day Centre and Lunch Club. Acle Allotment Association - The Allotments went from strength to strength during 2007. The waiting list for allotments grew and to ease this, six new allotments were created with the help of the Parish Council and Lands Trust, bringing the total to 32 allotments. Also, during the year, the Association held their first social event, a barbeque, that was such a success that they hope to repeat it during 2008. The Association also regularly attends the annual Acle Society Craft and Produce Show, held at Acle High School each year, early September. The Association are considering opening some small starter plots for beginners, or those who would like a small plot to learn how to use an allotment and then hopefully progress to a larger plot. Help is always available. At the time of being given this notice (late 2007) there were a small number of plots still available. If you would be interested in a normal allotment or a beginner's plot, please contact Peter Barrall on 01493 750636. Don't delay as allotments are not often vacant! ELCA Ladies meet on the second Tuesday of the month in the Methodist Hall at 8.00pm. Meeting topics and dates include: February 12th - George Debbage talking about Fairhaven; March 11th - Bead Stringing Mediums with Eliz Dwyer; April 8th - Life Poems of a "Norfolk Gal" by Tina Chamberlain; May 13th - Connie Burgess will talk on "My Love of Shoes". New members are always most welcome. Acle & Brundall Lions would like to thank everybody who assisted in fundraising activities over the Christmas period (which already seems so long ago). During the festive season more than £1200 was raised from a stall at Acle Street Fayre (£152), Brundall Christmas Festival (£180), a collection outside Budgens, Brundall (£301), a bingo evening at The Ram (£99) and from our annual Christmas Draw at The Ram (£475). More event in 2008: Sports Quiz in March or May, Quiz & Chips in April and again in October, Cycle Marathon, Garage Sale, Car Treasure Hunt, and stalls at local summer fetes. Details of all Acle & Brundall Lions events can be obtained from Stuart on 07920281008 (evenings only please) and soon readers will be able to access a website which will have further information. As always, Stuart would be pleased to hear from anybody with fundraising ideas and the time to assist us in any way.