From disused car park to beautiful BowerA disused car park at the National Trust’s Sheringham Park has been transformed into The Bower, a tranquil haven for people and wildlife, thanks to a Breathing Places grant. From Saturday 19 September, visitors will be able to enjoy this three acre site, ahead of its official opening next year. In 1995 a new visitor centre and car park was opened at Sheringham Park to provide for the needs of increasing visitor numbers. This left the old car park redundant until plans were drawn up to transform it. Breathing Spaces allocated £10,000 to the project and the National Trust put in an additional £12000 to create a space for families and education groups to enjoy.
Rob Coleman, Education Officer at Sheringham Park, explains more about The Bower: “The new area is still a work in progress and will gradually develop over the next couple of years. The bulk of the ground works have been completed, so we are happy to encourage visitors to enjoy The Bower from Saturday 19th September. “The centre piece of The Bower is the pond. Although the water has only been there for a matter of weeks, wildlife has already taken advantage with pond skaters, water boatmen and at least five species of dragonfly making the most of a new habitat. Visitors will also see a wildflower meadow full of colour - and bees, and a sensory garden. The bird feeding area is attracting numerous species of woodland birds.
“We have also created a space for our education activities, including environmental art, mini-beasting and a forest school area. A shelter is being built by staff and volunteers using wood sourced from Sheringham Park to provide cover for visitors in bad weather.” On Saturday 19 September, join the National Trust to celebrate The Bower with some fun free events. There will be Bug Hunting, Crafts and Environmental Art from 10.30am to 12.30pm and 2pm to 4pm, and guided walks around the Park at 11am and 2.30pm. No booking is required for these daytime events. To end the day take a guided bat walk to seek out the seven species of bat that inhabit Sheringham Park. In addition to celebrate National Moth Night moth traps will be set and their contents hopefully identified, not an easy task as over 500 different species have been recorded at the Park. The Bat Walk and Moth Night takes place from 6.30pm to 9pm, please call 01263 820550 to reserve your place. Parking at Sheringham Park is free for National Trust members, £4 per car for non-members. The Park is open daily from dawn to dusk. The Visitor Centre is open daily 10am to 5pm and Refreshment Kiosk 11am to 5pm. Would you like to have fun playing in an occasional wind band?Is anyone out there who can play - or used to play - a wind band instrument, and would like to come and play in an informal group, just for the fun of it? I have conducted many bands over the years, and have just found some sets of band music- of varying degrees of difficulty- which I would really enjoy having a go at with people who’d like to play in a band again once in a while. The only cost would be a share in the hire of a hall. |
Kelling Probus Club - Monthly Luncheon - Thursday 19th August 09.Just thirty members were present at this month's luncheon meeting when Mr John Dunsire, was welcomed by Rohan Fennel), the Chairman, as a new member.The Beef Bourguignon followed by Raspberry and Apple Crumble was good and members Terry Mobbs and John Ourdin were overheard to say the meal was excellent. The talk given by member Clive Mitchell entitled M A very peculiar Holiday" was preceded by a short story of his Whitehall Farce type stay at an hotel in Windsor, where in the night, he let guests into the hotel who had been locked out and then proceeded to lock himself out and he had to climb back in through a window I! The peculiar holiday started when he saw an advert for a garden holiday in the Ribble Valley in Lancashire and decided to take the family. Brockhill village did not appear on the map but eventually they found it and a man operating a barrier let them into the hotel grounds. The place turned out to be the former largest mental institution in Europe with some 3500 patients and was now an hotel with 15acres of gardens. The strange holiday went very well and Clive with Margaret even stayed on for a further 4 days. We learned that when the hospital was in operation, girls who had babies out of wedlock, were sent there. The hotel owner was lucky to buy the former hospital and grounds for just £ 750 because it was full of asbestos. Mr Alan Chapman was called upon to give the vote of thanks. Alan said "it was a
pleasure, since he and Clive had known each other for years" and he thanked Clive for
an entertaining and illuminating talk. We have great friendship and comraderie at our monthly getogether and if you were considering joining,then do give Terry Penrose, our honourable Secretary, a call on 588772 he would love to hear from you and have a chat. GATE OF INDIA OPENS ON POPPY LINEThe Poppy Line is running its first-ever curry dining train on Saturday October 3rd. The fine Indian cuisine will be provided by Aylsham's Gate of India restaurant, so diners will enjoy a true gourmet meal in the comfortable surroundings of the North Norfolkman saloons. Marketing director Colin Borg told us: "Although we won't be allowing passengers, hens and baggage to ride on the outside of the carriages in old Indian railway style, inside you'll imagine you're en route for Bombay, not Holt!" The Gate of India train will leave Sheringham Station at 7.00pm, and the meal and travel is £29.50 per head, drinks extra. Advance booking is strongly recommended - visit www.nnrailway.co.uk or call 01263 820 800. The curry dining train is one of the highlights of the Mixed Traction Weekend on October 3rd and 4th, where vintage diesel locos share the spotlight with historic steam engines. Heading the diesel line-up will be an early post-steam era machine resplendent in British Railways blue, whilst the world's first 100mph steam engine City of Truro will lead the steam contingent. This is a great chance to recall the dying days of the steam age, when the two types of traction worked side by side. And probably the first chance to have a genuine Indian meal served at your train table. Recycle and help fight cancer!Recycling of mobile phones and print cartridges is now even easier for individuals, organisations and businesses around Norfolk with Big C’s new recycling boxes, produced for them by local company RPC of Rackheath, near Norwich. Sharon Hulbert, PR and Corporate Fundraising Relations Manager for the charity said,
“RPC are supporting Big C as one of their nominated charities and have worked closely
with us to produce these boxes which can be delivered anywhere in the county. This is a
really simple way of local people supporting us in the fight against cancer. You can have
these delivered to your place of work or any other central location. Posters and recycling
envelopes can also be supplied. Many of us have old mobile phones sitting in cupboards
gathering dust, so here is a way to really make a positive difference.” |
@ Sheringham Community Paper - Issue 104 - 25 September
