Dear Sirs

I would like to thank, through your paper, two very kind people.
On a Saturday afternoon during December I was walking my dog (a Golden Retriever) in the woods at the Roman Camp, Sandy Lane Sheringham and found myself thoroughly lost. I met a lady and a gentleman, both out separately, and asked if they could direct me to the car park near the tearooms. By then I was a long way away from my car. They stayed with me and walked me back to the car park, even though it was well out of their way.

It was so kind of them. I really do not know what I would have done without their help. I do hope they didn't get lost going back to near the water works.
Many thanks once again. Mrs D G Edmunds. HORNING.

Luke Durbin

There has been no further news of Luke and although Luke's case remains open it is not active due to the lack of information coming into the police. My family and our friends remain in the nightmare limbo we have been in since I reported Luke missing in May 2006, we will remain in this state until a new piece of information comes in and Luke is found.  Over the last twenty months I have had a lot of contact with other families of missing loved ones, two mums in particular have helped me retain my sanity, Sandra Flintoft, mum of Craig Hetherington who has been missing since 2003 and the other mum, Val Nettles, whose son Damien has been missing since 1996. I am able to talk freely with them about my more sinister fears and they have made me feel normal in the most abnormal circumstances.  Through talking to other people with missing people in their lives, our feelings seemed to be echoed, there is very little support for the families left behind. There is only one charity for 'missing' and the families left behind, Missing People. They helped enormously with publicity but they are limited in their resources in being able to offer coping strategies, counselling and a basic support group facility.   I have learnt to live my 'parallel lives', as all families of the missing have to but at times I have felt so desperate in not being able to deal with the overwhelming despair, I have called all number of organisations but I don't fit their criteria. There is nothing conclusive to suggest Luke is dead or alive, so we as families and friends of missing loved ones are expected to just get on with it.  After many conversations albeit via email, Val Nettles and I decided something had to be done, for the families who have already lost someone and for the families who will sadly unbeknown to them, maybe in our nightmare world in the future! We are planning a march in London for families and friends of the missing and their supporters.

The aims of the march are:

to highlight all missing people in the UK
to lobby the Government in either establishing a support group for families of the missing or giving restricted funding to a charity such as Missing People so they are able to establish a support group for families of the missing
to lobby the Government to establish a designated Missing Persons Team within every police force in the UK, thus guaranteeing a uniformed service and support network to each family that reports a missing family member, regardless of the age, class or gender of the missing person.

For anyone who maybe interested in joining families, friends and supporters of the March for the Missing, it is being held on Wednesday 12th Mach 2008, at 10am. Starting at 32 Gt. Cumberland Place, London. If you are able to attend please email themissing@hotmail.co.uk as we will have to go through official channels and contact the police with expected numbers so the march can be risk assessed.

If you are unable to attend but feel you maybe able to support us in other ways, please, please email and let us know. With heartfelt thanks to all of you who have taken the time to help in whatever way over the last 20 months". Nicki Durbin

CHARITY GARDEN OPENINGS 2008

CHESTNUT FARM, WEST BECKHAM, HOLT, NORFOLK, NR25 6NX
(BETWEEN HOLT AND SHERINGHAM)
Follow the WHEATSHEAF Signs from Sheringham Park (A 148)

Feb 24th Sunday 11.00am to 4.00pm St Helen and All Saints Church West Beckham
See over fifty varieties of Snowdrops in a garden setting. Interesting Spring flowering shrubs and bulbs     £3.00

March 24th Monday (Easter) 11.00am to 5.00pm All Saints Church Bodham
Several varieties of daffodils and narcissi, together with many Spring flowering bulbs and shrubs            £3.00

VISITING NURSERIES AT ALL EVENTS with TEAS COFFEE AND LIGHT LUNCHES

Three acre garden, including herbaceous border, woodland walk, traditional kitchen garden, pond and small arboretum.
Plant collection built up over 40 years by a keen gardener and plant enthusiast which includes many rare and unusual trees and shrubs surrounding C16 farmhouse (not open) lots of free parking and toilet.

We endeavour to have something of interest all the year round: parties of 10 by appointment

FURTHER INFORMATION FROM JUDY WILSON 01263 822241

THE ROYAL BRITISH LEGION

SHERINGHAM & DISTRICT BRANCH

We have a change of venue for our Monthly meetings, from 3rd March, we will be meeting at The Morley Club. If you would like to join us, please come along, everyone is more than welcome. We meet on the first Monday of the month at 7.30pm, unless it is a Bank Holiday and then it is the second Monday. We do not have a meeting in August. Even if you are not interested in joining us, there is something that you can do to help Service personnel.

A career in the Armed Forces differs from all others. Service personnel agree to sacrifice certain civil liberties and to follow orders; including orders to place themselves in harm's way in the defence of others. In return, the Nation promises to help and support people in the Armed Forces and their families when they need it most. This mutual promise is enshrined in the Military Covenant, which is acknowledged by all Services. The Military Covenant does not have the force of law, but has been enshrined through convention, custom, and contemporary application, and it represents the Nation's moral commitment to its Armed Forces. While we acknowledge that significant efforts have been made in recent years, we believe that certain aspects of the Military Covenant are not being delivered and that the Nation must now bring about change to ensure that our Service people and their families get the support they deserve. It is time to Honour the Covenant.

The Legion believes:

1. There should be a just compensation scheme which recognises the commitment and sacrifices made when serving the Nation.
2. There should be a greater commitment to support the physical and mental health of Service people and their families.
3. There should be more support for bereaved Service families.

Please lend us your support, send your MP a letter - MPs will sit
up and take notice if they receive large numbers of letters on the same subject. We owe it to our Service personnel. It is time to Honour the Covenant.

For more details please visit www.thecovenant.org.uk.