Howdy doody old hands of Sheringdom.  How's it all hangin'?  Please excuse my introduction my head's still a little fuzzy after a night out at the Cromer Carnival tent.   Thus the post traumatic roof blowing off incident seemed to be quickly forgotten.   Well, as ever Cromer Carnival like most of the rest of North Norfolk's residents, enjoyed the Red arrow's airborne display at Midday.  At least no small boys managed to climb into any RAF cockpits in a truant act of defiance I'm glad to say.  And, the only see through bags in sight was the candy-floss sort, the like of which mine waistline is no longer allowed to indulge.  Anyway, I hasten to endeavour to continue my commentary after my indulgences of my three B's, beer, Big brother and bath.  In that order. Ah yes, the beer being cold, Big Brother being wet and my bath even wetter!   Now talking of wet let me cast your minds back to Sheringham Carnival day.  Oh yes, when you could go scuba diving in Beeston Road.  Do a channel-crossing swim at the golf club entrance.  Dodge pea size hailstones and cloud burst monsoon conditions with a year's rainfall in an hour.  Yet, you could, amid the swampy everglade of the car-park, get a waltzes ride for three quid and a 50p discount if you bailed out your own ride with a bucket before hand.  What a shame!  But in good old-fashioned British spirit this didn't put off the true hardened carnivaler.  Oh no.  The show surely did go on and good on them.  I was glad to see, like in the good old days three million folks trouping up towards the Rec. following on from the procession on the Sunday.  It reminded me of the corned beef queues during the war.  Or lately the body search facility at most of the British airports.  How we live in difficult times.  And no more so for our councillors, who have to, in their wisdom, decide upon whether or not to allow doggy woos down on the prom.  Well what can I say?  For a while now this issue has been a bit of a sore point.  And, quite frankly I don't know what all the fuss is all about. I mean just what is so special about allowing little Fido to poo on the prom anyway?  As if that has special credence or something.   I mean there's always been plenty of other fouling hot spots where irresponsible owners have always allowed the little pooches to do their stuff.  And, one doesn't have to look far to find that evidence.  If you really think about it this ruling was inevitable.  As many owners still after all this time do not clear up after Butch has done his business or Fifi for that matter.  Just what do you naughty doggy owners out there expect?  After all it's no good crying over spilt milk or in this case something a little nastier.  In fact it's the drunken cyclists that career about on the prom at night I feel sorry for, sliding about in a dollop of yesterdays Pal is no joke!  It won't only be yesterday's Pal that is left steaming will it?  So think on.  Have a thought for all the other illegitimate users of our seafront promenade with out them there'd be hardly anything to moan about.  Still all is not lost there's still Tesco's !

Never mind eh, summer arrived and along with the school holidays so too did the bad weather.  And, some poor folk instinctively know just when to come to North Norfolk to camp.  Just a word or two for that group of our society.  STOP IT!  You do it every year and every year it's the same!  Wind, rain etc. etc.  It's as if the weather knows you're going to do it.  I've no sympathy for you.  As anyone who gets a thrill out of travelling half a day to kip under a big plastic hankie and lying on comfy (not) mattresses the width of a Hovis thin slice sandwich, must be barking.   Me personally would get more fun having my thumbs ground off on a knife sharpener.   Still, it takes all sorts which is precisely what our town has been full of.    I can only guess that they were all on their way to visit our newly opened museum and Shell Gallery.  But as usual most seem intent on parking on every available yellow line they can find.  This year has been worse than ever.  It's as though there's some non-written law that requires any blue badge holder or otherwise to abandon your vehicle as and where you like and especially if it's in a long line of other dodgy parked cars.  It's like they attract each other as if to perform some strange mating ritual especially prolific in the summer months when most of the other park spaces are taken up by the fare paying Grockle.  Even if it has only spent ten pence for a quickie in and out of the Whistlestop.  I hope they never intend on visiting the Post Office!  As it would require the assistance of an armoured vehicle and a police escort to do that gauntlet in less than an hour.  And that's just to the door let alone queuing up for the new letter size guide and a stamp. 

Oh well, like all good things my Gran used to say it will, like wind , pass.  And I guess the old dear was right.  After all no one likes to hold on to old wind for very long do they.  Likewise nor can I carry on scrawling out drivel like this forever so at that I fear I must bid you all farewell for know.  I will return next month when the longer nights will really start to have an impact on all those greenhouse quiet times you lads like to have away from the one indoors and the more serious gardeners among you will start to think about next years composting.  For me, I guess it's time to settle down to the X Factor on the box, dust off the fondue set and polish up my cocoa mug for the inevitable onset of winter.  After all, most of us by now should have had their Xmas card brochures through the post by now.  So on that note, take care now, Vic.

NEVER TOO OLD FOR A VIP VISIT & A NEW KITCHEN

Kitchens were a little different in 1906 - ask Eva Baker, one of North Norfolk Housing Trust's oldest tenants.  There were no "mod cons" in those days, no easy clean surfaces and no labour saving appliances.

But you are never too old to be given a little bit of luxury, in the shape of a brand new kitchen or a VIP visit from the landlord, which is exactly what Eva, now aged 100, of Masters Court, North Walsham, received today Friday 11 August.  To celebrate the occasion and to mark her centenary, North Norfolk made sure that appropriately it was the 100th new kitchen to be installed by NNHT since they were formed at the beginning of the year.

Jacky Howe, Chair of North Norfolk Housing Trust, together with Chief Executive John Archibald, were present to witness the 100th installation and offer their congratulations.   The occasion was further marked by a giant bouquet of flowers for Eva who will be 101 years young in November.

"We are particularly delighted that our 100th kitchen should be installed in the home of a tenant who is 100 herself.  We wish her many more happy years to enjoy it," said Jacky Howe.  "Eva's kitchen is part of a programme to improve the housing stock in North Norfolk after it was acquired from the local authority and this has been very successful," explained John Archibald.  "We are now moving to the next stage, to make improvements to a further 1,500 homes with new kitchens, bathrooms, central heating and UPVC doors."

And it will not stop there.  NNHT has major plans to develop affordable homes across the region and to bring all existing housing stock up to decent homes standards over the next five years.

HISTORY WEEKEND
BACONSTHORPE VILLAGE HALL
16th & 17th September from 10 am - 4 pm

Old photographs, newspaper cuttings and old magazines.  Old documents on show covering a wide range of topics of local interest.  There will be light refreshments and a raffle.  No admission charge but donations will be gratefully received.

50/50 AUCTION

Viewing from 11.30 am on Saturday 23rd September.
Sale at 1.30 pm.
Light refreshments on sale.  Open from noon to 4 pm on Friday 22nd September to take in 'GOOD LOTS'.  No lots taken in after 4 pm but unsold lots must be taken back after the auction.