Old Buckenham blog

It's time for some exercise

Bring plenty of change to put in the pot for donations after you have had your homemade soup and rolls. A chance to meet your friends for a natter and maybe meet new friends too. See you there for the start of 2024.

Now circulating

The January 2024 newsletter arrived from the printer yesterday and copies have started being distributed around the village.Thanks to our printer working yesterday we are in time for you to read about the New Year's Day walk and the pantomime happening later in the month. Read and enjoy.

The Old Buckenham

Christmas Eve Donations for St Martins

Donations of non-perishable foods (tins, etc.) for St Martins Housing Trust very gratefully received – anytime during the day on Christmas Eve

Please leave inside the church this year – not at the Bookshop/Church Rooms

THANK YOU

and Happy Christmas to you all

Good news

If you find you have forgotten some vital ingredient or need to restock your drinks, help is at hand. If you are wondering how you will manage to get by this Christmas, Krishna has told me the village shop will be open for you on both Christmas Day and Boxing Day from 10am to 12 noon.

The Old Buckenham

NEW YEAR’S DAY WALK

…calling all those keen to stretch their legs and walk off a little of that ‘slightly over indulged’ feeling!

The walk will start at the Village Hall this year – setting off at 10.30am. Dogs on leads welcome.

On return to the hall there will be the usual homemade soup and rolls

No charge but generous donations welcome for St Martins Housing Trust

or if you prefer

The main change this year is that we will be leaving from the village hall at 10.30am and not the church rooms. Why not come out and enjoy some fresh air with family and friends and maybe make new friends? The walk will be approximately 2 to 3 miles walking on fields and roads, dogs on leads will be welcome. After the walk you are invited back to the village hall for homemade soup and rolls etc.

Report on latest Council meeting.

These notes have been written by the blog editor from the draft minutes and so may contain information that is amended at a later date.

Old Buckenham Parish Council met on Thursday 7 December at 7pm in Old Buckenham Village Hall. Those present were councillors Naomi Bailey (Chair), Pete Twissell, Stan Burton, Steve Gowers, Lesley Evison and David Taylor. Apologies for not being able to attend had been received from Doug Irons and Ali McWilliam. Also attending were Jonn Hicks (Clerk) and three members of the public. The minutes of the meeting held on Thursday 2 November were approved (5 in favour).

Financial matters. The Community Account balance was currently at £26,815.44. Payments of £1188.99 were approved (4 in favour). These included £262.1 for the community car drivers, £495.33 for the salary of the Clerk and RFO, £62.20 for new bulbs for the Christmas tree on the Green, £125 for electrical services and £30.95 for batteries to go in the defibrillators.

Councillors' reports. Naomi Bailey reported on problems at both schools regarding cars parking on footpaths. She has spoken to all parties involved and both agreed to send letters to parents asking for this to cease. Naomi Bailey had also received a letter from a resident regarding the over flowing water at the Ottomer Pond and she will write to the resident. Steve Gowers will speak to John Frost to investigate where the overflow pipe for the pond is, if there is one.

Naomi Bailey then made a statement regarding the picnic benches on the Green outside the Ox and Plough. These have now been removed from the Green for the winter as the correct paperwork was not submitted for them to remain there for the winter. She also asked that if any resident has an issue with this, that they attend the Parish Council meeting (which is held the first Thursday of every month) and not voice their anger via social media. They can then give their opinion so that any questions they may have can be answered.

Lesley Evison reported that Prince Harry’s Wood has a large amount of rubbish to be cleared. Steve Gowers now has the correct number of volunteers to enable the Speedwatch group to restart. More are still required so he can set up more than one group to enable the a larger presence in the village. Also there are an increasing number of HGVs flouting the weight limit on Hargham Road. The Clerk to write to local companies to make them aware we will be watching and reporting to the authorities.

Pete Twissell has completed the hedge planting on the recreation ground. He also confirmed the Village Hall Management Committee will allow the Parish Council to open an office within the Village Hall in January. The Clerk and the Parish Council would like to thank Norwich Lighting Centre for the donation of 50 clear LED bulbs for the Christmas tree.

Green Report. The Green has had its final cut for 2023 and also the areas around the trees have been cut back. Thanks to Suggitts for their service again this year.

Planning applications. There were no new planning applications, no amended applications, no planning decisions by Breckland and no planning appeals to be reported or considered.

Precept Grants. After discussion, the following awards were made:

Monday Mardle, applied for £125, granted £125.

Almshouses Trust, applied for £1000, granted £500.

Pre Loved, applied for £200, granted £200.

Fawns Playgroup, applied for £468, granted £200.

Old Buckenham Windmill, applied for £1000, granted £1000.

Open Produce Show, applied for £500, granted £250.

Primary School Families Association, applied for £500, granted £250.

Old Buckenham Village Hall, applied for £1000, granted £1000.

Public participation. Nothing from the public.

Items for next agenda. These included the Precept, current situation with solar farm, Green issues update and footpath from Village Hall to Chapel Green School.

The next Parish Council meeting will be on Thursday 4 January at 7.30pm in Old Buckenham Village Hall.

Festive refreshments and more

A week ago an event was held in our Village Hall to raise some funds for All Saints Church. There were lots of stalls and plenty of visitors. It is understood that over £400 was raised during the afternoon.

Words needed for January 2024

Our village newsletter is one that does produce an edition every month of the year. January needs that extra bit of effort from the editor and the printer to do their best to ensure it gets out on time. Copy date for this next issue is Wednesday 20 December so please send any contributions to the editor as soon as you can. Thank you.

Schools plant very young hedge

When the old fence started to fall down, it was decided to replace it with some proper hedging. The tiny plants and their protective shields are now in and hopefully starting to grow.

More details to come later

It started fifteen years ago

At the beginning of December 2008 this blog was launched. 151,028 visitors recorded so far. That's not many, popular blogs could get that number of hits in a day. Visitors come from all over the world but 85% are from the UK with the United States (6%) and Norway, France and India all around just 1%. Seventeen countries like Senegal, Angola and Malawi have only made a single visit in fifteen years.

At the moment the blog editor publishes around ten posts per month. Hardly anybody has bothered to put on any comments even thought it is easy to do. Will we make twenty years of blogging?