Filby in Bloom 2017

Village Portfolio Contents Filby in Bloom 2017 Item Item Page Page Section Section

Cover 1 Trinity Broads A5, B1, B3, 16 Contents 2 Village Ponds B1, B3 Village Map 3 Wildlife Area 17 Introduction Filby in Bloom C1 4 Ormesby Little Broad Viewing Platform & B1 Anglia in Bloom Judging Day 2016 C3, C4 Walkway Open Gardens Weekend C3, C4, C5 5 The Trinity Broads Project 18 Anglia in Bloom Awards Ceremony Clay Pits Project B1, B3, B4 Yarmouth in Bloom Awards Ceremony Nest Boxes B1 19 C4 Anglia in Bloom Seminar 6 Churchyard Project B1, B3, B4, B5 21 Gardening Club Domestic Waste Recycling B - Plant and Compost Recycling Filby in Bloom’s Accounts C5 Environmental Responsibility Garden Waste Composting 22 Spring & Summer Activity B2 Peat Usage Reduction Autumn and Winter Activity 7 Mulching Growing-on Facilities A1, A2 Chemical Treatments Planning for Summer Displays 8 Information Boards B3, B5 Barrels and Planters Cleanliness B4 Kings Head Bed 9 Welcome Signs Village Pound A1, A2, A3, B5 23 A5, B3 Street Furniture Club Room Garden 10 Watering B2 Village Hall Sensory Garden A1, A2, A3, B3 11 Village Hall Energy Usage Queen’s Golden Jubilee Bed Other Activities B2, B4, B5 A - Horticultural Drought Garden 12 Filby’s New Village Hall C1, C3, C4 Achievement Thrigby Road Corner Bed Queen’s 90th Birthday Party C3 A1, A2 24 Filby Close Bed Open Gardens Weekend C3, C4, C5 Filby Flyer Grand Fete Business Premises A4 13 Anniversary of Village Hall Official Residential Gardens A3, C3 Opening Tree Planting Grand Firework Display C4, C5 A1, A2 Hedge Planting Christmas Bazaar 25 Allotments A3 14 Easter Bonanza Wildflower Planting A1, A2, A5 Filby in Bloom Coffee Mornings Rotary Crocus Beds A1, A3 C - The Village Football Pitch C1 15 Community Community Orchard A5, B1 Participation The Press 26 The Filby Flyer Local Radio & Television Contributions from Ken Saul (Nest Boxes), Joan Saul (Wildlife C2 Filby on the Web 27 Garden) Caroline Nicker (Planters & Club Room Garden) Kate Other Means of Publicity Foster (Pound & Queen’s Jubilee Bed) Keith Johnson (Orchard), Gwen Thurtle (Drought Garden), Eilish Rothney (Norfolk Wildlife BID Trust) and Kerry Webb (Gardening at Filby Primary School) are Quiz Night appreciated. Branded Products C5 Sponsorship 28 Village photographs in this Portfolio are from Tom Green, Gwen Nursery Thurtle, Kate Foster, Keith & Leslie Johnson, Ken & Joan Saul C3 and Derek & Caroline Nicker. Some Broads images are from the Filby Primary School Norfolk Broads Authority archives. Scans from the local papers The Future C1 30 are reproduced by kind permission of Archant Newspapers.

Page 2 Village Map Filby in Bloom 2017

Filby Bridge Restaurant Bus Shelter Millennium Clock Playing Field Water Feature

Shop & P.O. Ormesby Little Broad Bowls Club Village Hall Club Room

Boardwalk Ken Martin Memorial

Filby Broad FEPOW Memorial

Staithe Kings Head P.H.

Primary School Village Pond

Jam Shed Wildlife Area Clay Pits Parish Church Village Sign

Unitarian Site Orchard Allotments Thrigby Road Corner The Pound Page 3 Introduction Filby in Bloom 2017

Filby in Bloom - C1 The village of Filby is situated on the edge of the Norfolk Broads, between Filby Broad and Ormesby Little Broad, some 6 miles north-west of Great Yarmouth and 16 miles east of the city of Norwich. The parish has an area of a little over 2.2 square miles (543 acres) and, in the 2001 census, it had a population of 740 in some 308 households. Essentially agricultural in character, until the late 1950s Filby was known for its market gardens. It was never a ‘chocolate box’ village, with cottages surrounding a quaint village green. It remains a succession of dwellings, lining the busy A1064. The village has now, however, become Local Map an attractive base for commuters, to both Great Yarmouth and Norwich. The village entered Anglia in Bloom, for the first time, The Team Key Tasks in 1995, had its first success in 1997 and has participated in the Adrian Thompson Chairman, planting, potting on and watering event every year since. Paddy Hudson Secretary All involved do so to make Filby a better place in which to live, for Joy Baldry Potting on & planting the benefit of residents, businesses and visitors alike. Everyone Jenny Barnes & Tony Elms Fund raising quizzes makes a contribution in the best way that they can. There is no Peter Chapman Water feature maintenance and litter formal ‘In-Bloom’ committee, as such. Instead, everyone has a Nick Dawes Planting & potting on

Amanda Dobson Planting say in the planning. A Chairperson and Secretary are elected for

Barry Forsdyke Planning and potting on the purpose of those meetings that are held but all participate in

Kate Foster Potting on, planting & maintenance the discussions and everyone has an equal vote. Team work is

Les Futter Orchard & Wildlife Garden evident throughout the organisation of the many schemes and

Mervyn & Sandra Gibson Planting, potting on & maintenance, use of greenhouse projects that run every year, to which so many of the residents

Tom Green Display design, planting willingly give their time. Every Saturday morning, a small team is

Percy Hudson Floral displays, strimming and maintenance, potting on

Richard Morris Planting

Caroline Nicker Club Room Project, planting & potting on

Derek Nicker Portfolio & Press Officer

Jeroen Reuvekamp Planting & potting on, maintenance

Ian Richardson Planting & potting on, maintenance

Joan Saul Orchard, Wildlife Garden

Ken Saul Nest Boxes

David Shaw Planting, potting on and maintenance

David Thompson MBE Planting, potting on & watering

Jenny Thompson Fundraising

Gwen Thurtle Potting on, planting & maintenance Our newest recruit (8th October 2016) Victor Tungate Orchard

Gordon & Margery Ward Planning & displays assembled to conduct all necessary clearing, cleaning, planting Sandra Woolsey Garden Planning. and other sundry tasks to ensure that the village stays in great shape. Individuals often initiate their own projects and the sheer number and variety of the tasks undertaken demonstrate the innovation within the village. Its enthusiasm for the In-Bloom competitions and for the overall improvement to the fabric of the neighbourhood, in general, is self-evident. Filby is well known throughout the area as ‘The Flower Village’ and the media pay close attention to activities in the Parish, which are also publicised in a monthly newsletter, the Filby Flyer. Fundraising is a year round activity. A regular income is derived from the collection of recyclables and sponsors are attracted from local businesses. Villagers participate in regular events that raise money for the horticultural front. These include popular quiz nights at a local restaurant, coffee mornings, an Open Gardens Weekend and the Annual Fete. There really is a great community effort, well demonstrated by the projects described within this portfolio. Filby in Bloom is, indeed, “a lovely place to be”.

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Anglia in Bloom Judging Day 2016 - C3, C4 After appearances in a record breaking five successive years, we had a year off Britain in Bloom but were competing, once again, in Anglia in Bloom’s Village (Pop.301-2,500) Category. We were defending our title of Best Village and were judged on Thursday 14th July 2016. Our judges were Brian Thornton from Lowestoft, President of Anglia in Bloom and Phillip Feller from nearby Caister Judging started at 10:00 am with a 15 minute presentation and accompanying the judges on their tour were Filby in Bloom’s

Chairman, Adrian Thompson and its Press Officer, Derek Nicker. Anglia in Bloom Judging (14th Jul 2016) - Judges Brian Thornton A highlight of the Judging Tour was the visit to Filby Primary foreground, Phillip Feller background School, where the Judges were entertained by songs in the school yard whilst, on the gardening front, pupils did not miss a trick, having held back some potatoes to dig up in front of the judges. At Filby Broad, the judges met Eilish Rothney of Norfolk Wildlife Trust who outlined their work, in and around the village. The tour concluded with a buffet lunch, which enabled the judges to meet some of those people involved in village activities, including ladies from the W.I..

Open Gardens Weekend - C3, C4, C5 ‘Open Gardens Weekend’ is the occasion, in July, when the Open Gardens Day (16th and 17th Jul 2016) village ‘puts on its best horticultural bib and tucker’ and lets the world inside. Residents are pleased to make their individual contributions to Filby in Bloom by opening their gardens to the public, who visit from far and wide. Gardens on view range from chocolate box to architectural and from manicured to wild. There is even the odd vegetable patch amongst all those flowers. Holidaymakers mingle with day-trippers, many of whom make an annual pilgrimage to join in the event. Residents, too, like to tour the village and take the opportunity to meet the neighbours. Visitor numbers are very dependent upon the weather and, on fine days, they can be seen, in their hundreds, clutching their maps and wandering the prescribed route, searching out the next little gem. Host and guest compare notes and exchange experiences. Plants can be bought at some of the gardens. There is always a welcome opportunity to rest in the pews of All Saints Parish Church and what village event would be complete without the opportunity for a welcome cup of tea at the Village Hall and a final chat about a great day out. Open Gardens 2016 took place on 16th and 17th July and 18 gardens were opened to visitors. A profit of £603 was made for In Bloom funds. Once again, one of the highlights of the weekend was the presence of a vintage bus offering trips around the village. The bus was a 1950 Bristol L5G 35 seat saloon with Gardner 5LW oil engine and bodywork by Eastern Coach Works of Lowestoft. It was delivered to Norwich, Surrey Street depot in July 1950 and served the Eastern Counties Omnibus Company for 17 and a half years until retirement in January 1968. During this time, it was regularly used on the routes through Filby. It, then, passed via a motor dealer to Simplex of Sawston where it was used as a worker’s bus for a further 7 years, before being rescued for preservation in 1975. It has been owned by Patrick Burnside of Norwich since 1984. He carried out a full restoration which was completed in September 1988. Over the weekend, the bus was driven by its owner with volunteers from the village in the role of conductor. The bus will return for this year’s Open Gardens which will take place over the weekend of 15th and 16th July.

Anglia in Bloom Awards Ceremony - C4 The Anglia in Bloom Awards Ceremony, this year, was at the Ocean Rooms, in Gorleston, on Tuesday 6th September. It was Anglia in Bloom’s 20th Anniversary and Filby in Bloom’s 21st year and a very successful one at that. The Saturday Crew were awarded a

Page 5 Filby in Bloom’s Year Continued Filby in Bloom 2017

Anglia in Bloom Awards Ceremony (6th Sep 2016) Britain in Bloom Seminar Debrief (17th Feb 2017)

Gold Medal and carried off the title of Best Village for the 15th time in the past 17 years.

Yarmouth in Bloom Awards Ceremony - C4 Unlike the other In Bloom competitions, with Yarmouth in Bloom we never know when we are being judged and who we are being judged by. Never-the-less, Gold for Filby on Friday 7th October. Congratulations to, nearby, Winterton who also took Gold and Best Village.

Anglia in Bloom Seminar - C4 On Thursday 27th October, Caroline Nicker and Gordon and Gardening Club ‘Question Time’ Panel L to R Ellen Mary, Michael Sowinsky, Brian Thornton & George Dawson (11th Apr 2017) Margery Ward attended the Autumn Seminar and judges surgeries held at Otley College, Ipswich. Judge’s comments were passed on to and discussed by the Saturday Crew at their next session.

Britain in Bloom Finalists’ Seminar Nick and Sue Dawes attended the East Midlands Conference Centre, Nottingham on 2nd February, on behalf of Filby in Bloom. A meeting of the Committee was held on 17th Feb to allow a debrief by Nick & Sue. Relatively new to In Bloom, Nick elected to attend breakout sessions for new entrants. Between them, they produced an extensive written report which formed the basis of discussions on the group’s forthcoming entry.

Gardening Club - C4

Filby & District Gardening Club was established Filby in Bloom Accounts - Jun 2016 to May 2017 - C5 at an inaugural meeting in the village’s new Hall Income Expenditure at 7pm, on Tuesday, 5th April 2016. It has met, Carried Forward £275 Compost, new containers, tomato feed £1,482 monthly, ever since. Mustard TV’s Gardening Parish Council £600 Plants £4487 Expert and Club Patron Ellen Mary, was the Borough Council £250 Bulbs £541 first guest speaker. It has, since, hosted many Open Gardens £603 Calendar / Year Planner £125 interesting speakers including former judges from Anglia in Bloom and Louise Chapman, BID (Tourism Board) £3,400 Moulton Nurseries £4,487 Norfolk’s ‘very own’ lady mole catcher. On 11th Coffee Mornings £354 April this year, Ellen Mary returned to host Restaurant Quiz Nights £870 a ‘Gardeners Question Time’ panel of Brian Mrs Miller (Will Donation) £500 Thornton (President) and George Dawson (Chair Shop Collection £900 of Judges) of Anglia in Bloom with Michael Garage Sale £120 Sowinsky of, nearby, Moulton Nurseries. Donations £969 Total £8,841 Total £8,395 Carried Forward £446

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Spring & Summer Activity 2016 - A1, A2 For very good reasons, for the past four years, Filby in Bloom’s portfolios have recorded In Bloom activities from roughly mid- May of the previous year to mid-May of the current year. This year’s portfolio continues the practise. Working to a tried and tested time table, by mid-May 2016, all the bedding was growing on in the greenhouses, and all the hanging baskets were made up. Planting out started on Saturday 28th May, concentrating on Thrigby Road corner and the Village Pound. Baskets were hung out in the first week in June.

June saw the village’s verges spring into colour as both In- Wildflowers at the Church (3rd Jun 2017) Bloom’s and Norfolk Wildlife Trust’s roadside planting of wildflower seeds started to pay off, backing up the colour from the beds and hanging baskets.

Autumn and Winter Activity 2016 - A1, A2 In September, the work of breaking down the summer displays and recycling both plants and compost for the following year began. This would not be completed until early in the New Year when the last of the flower barrels were emptied and stored away, ready for use later in the year. This year, a particular emphasis was placed upon creating more all-round colour by the purchase and planting out, in autumn, of 5,000 additional spring bulbs. Planting at Filby Close (15th Apr 2017) Over the Christmas period, the team’s basket were, again, put to use as the base for Christmas decorations hung from the village lamp posts.

Growing-on Facilities - A1, A2 Filby in Bloom has a substantial polytunnel at Thompson’s Farm, supplemented by two lean-to green houses built in 2009 and 2010. Anglia in Bloom’s, Gordon and Margery Ward, moved house in 2013 and donated their green house to In-Bloom, enabling some cultivation from seed. A further small greenhouse was added in early 2017 to accommodate the increase in plant plugs to be grown on this year. Hanging basket (27th Aug 2016)

Planting Bulbs (17th Sep 2016) Spring Colour in new Planters (30th Mar 2017)

Page 7 A - Horticultural Achievement Continued Filby in Bloom 2017

It is within these facilities that the In-Bloom year really starts with the assembly of the factory line to prick out and plant on the year’s plug plant purchases.

Planning for Summer Displays - A1, A2 For its summer displays, ordered in January, Filby in Bloom buys plant plugs from Pentland Plants and pots them on. This year’s purchase of 16,946 plugs was 23% more than last year and continues to place a heavy emphasis (70%) on Begonias, which have proven a great success in recent years. Potting on started on 1st April, this year. The Factory Line (8th Apr 2017) A focus of the village’s roadside displays are its Hanging Baskets. Filby in Bloom’s standard Hanging Basket for 2017 is, again, a 450 mm diameter basket containing 15 plants, a colourful mix of Begonias, Petunias, Bidens, Verbenas and Calibrachoas. 40 hanging baskets were prepared by the Saturday Crew, by ‘the numbers’. A further 80 baskets were obtained from a local Garden Centre at Moulton St. Mary.

Barrels and Planters - A1, A2 Roadside display barrels were originally prepared in 2008, as a contingency, to add height to the displays in the event that H&S impositions prevented the village hanging baskets from its lampposts. Their use has continued ever since. Not liked by The Polytunnel (8th Apr 2017) some, their number was reduced, again, during 2015. Those barrels that remained in use were treated to a new coat of paint. The suggestion was made that, in order to introduce more permanent planting and to facilitate Norfolk Wildlife Trust’s wish for a wildlife friendly corridor through the village, the number of barrels should be reduced in favour of planters. Ignoring the option of purchase, In-Bloom opted to build 14 three-tiered planters from re-cycled timber, donated by Norfolk Wildlife Trust, recovered from their 2012 rebuild of the Boardwalk to Ormesby Little Broad. When in-situ, the planters were filled with a mixture of compost and topsoil donated by WT Skips and East Coast Waste. The planters were distributed throughout the village, including replacing a pair of boxes at the boardwalk to Filby Broad that had been criticised in 2014 by Britain in Bloom Judges as ‘not being of the quality of similar containers’. In order to create a bee corridor throughout the village the planters were filled with Lavender angusitfolia, Cheiranthus ‘Bowles Mauve’ and Vinca minor. Later, winter bedding, pansies and violas, were added to provide nectar for pollinators for as long as possible. Bulbs were added this year. A further two sets of Barrels were moved, this year, to be replaced with large raised beds, built by In Bloom, from Railway Sleepers. Filby’s 2017 Display compared with 2016

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Filby in Bloom 2017

Kings Head Bed - A1, A2 That this bed, situated at the corner of Main Road and Mautby Lane, had deteriorated over the years was noticed by Mrs. Lesley and Mr. Mike Smith of Burghwood Landscapes, a local firm, who volunteered to sponsor the bed for the 2015 displays. That rebuild commenced in February and was completed in March, including re-turfing the ‘island’ upon which the bed sits. One of our 2014 judges inferred that there was not too much different to see at that end of the village. Well there is now! Village Pound - A1, A2, A3, A5, B3 The Pound is intended to be the central focus of the village. New Railway Sleeper Raised Bed at Church Lane (21st Jan 2017) Traditionally Pounds were where stray livestock were ‘impounded’ until their owner could be located. Today, it is an area where people may stop for a closer look, an opportunity to sit and take their ease amongst the glorious scents, sounds and colours. It, also, affords a restful space for those who have cause to remember local people lost in times of conflict. However, in 2013, Britain in Bloom judges commented, adversely, that the beds on the Pound were undernourished. At a meeting on 2nd December 2013, In-Bloomers decided to undertake a full ‘makeover’ of the Pound, repositioning and revitalising beds for the 2014 season. Barry Forsdyke, a former professional horticulturist, drafted a rough outline of the new Kings Head Bed after rebuild (14th Mar 2015) Pound that would include a substantial conversion to permanent planting, to be undertaken in subsequent years, as funds are raised to acquire the requisite shrubs. Work commenced in January 2014. New beds were cut in accordance with Barry’s plan and each was rejuvenated with plenty of cow muck. The beds have been reinvigorated, in the same manner, every year since. A pergola was built by Percy Hudson to provide a vista to the Ken Martin Memorial Water Feature, at the rear of the Pound, and the Women’s Institute Bed was repositioned towards the centre, relieving it of shade from nearby trees. New seats were donated by the Parish Council and by the Filby Planting the Pound 4th Jun 2016) Society, a group of people from all over the world who converge on our small Norfolk village, every three years, to meet together in the place with which they share their name. On the Pound is the village’s Far East Prisoners of War Memorial. In January, 1942, the 18th (East Anglian) Infantry Division was diverted, from its intended destination, the Middle East, to Singapore to help defend the city but, after 17 days of fierce fighting, it was surrendered to Japanese forces on 15th February. Included in that Division were the 4th, 5th and 6th Battalions of the Royal Norfolk Regiment, amongst which were men from the village. In 2008, a Memorial Bed, on the Filby Village Pound, was established, by the In-Bloom team, to commemorate their sacrifice. The following year, a permanent memorial was added. Summer Colour at the Village Pound (27th Aug 2016)

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The new work in cast concrete was designed and built by village resident, Tom Green, using the same tile mosaic technique he employed for the build of new village signs, in 2008. That memorial was retained whilst the layout of the Village’s Pound was revamped around it. In Bloom placed a new Information Board at the Pound mapping its layout and outlining a little of the village’s history. The central Filby and District Women’s Institute bed is wholly coordinated by their members. Their purpose is to present a bee friendly garden. In the spring, it is full of Daffodils and Primulas

Spring Colour at the Village Pound (31st Mar 2017) moving to the hotter colours of Euphorbias, Rudbeckias, Roses and other perennials in the summer. The focus of the pergola beds changed in 2014 from using numerous annuals to a programme of planting pollinator friendly perennials, thinning out shrubs to allow more light and air. New additions included Persicaria bistorta superba, Teucrium lucidrys, Geum ‘Mrs Bradshaw’, Papavers, Helenium ‘Helena Mixed’, Hebes and Digitalis. Loniceras and Clematis were planted to climb the pergola. Our scheme for 2015 included the planting of additional perennials and a radical re-shaping of trees and shrubs to better frame the Pound beds. In addition, primulas were planted along the ditch and snowdrops established amongst the beds to give Extra light at the Village Pound (10th Apr 2017) extra spring interest. During 2015, attention began to be paid to the Pound’s surroundings. Ditches were cleared and brush was cut back exposing multitudes of daffodil bulbs which had never been enjoyed before. This allowed the planting of new hedging using a donation from the Woodland’s Trust. The clearance gave more exposure to the unsightly pumping station so Percy Hudson made trellis out of recycled pallets from the New Hall to screen it. The Pound’s back bed was redesigned and the hard edging removed. Climbing and rambling roses, donated by Gordon and Marjory Ward, were planted to cover the pergola. Finally, the annual beds were rotavated in time for planting out early in June. Primulas were planted in the main beds of the Pound to provide spring colour in 2016. For 2017, additional spring colour was provided by a substantial planting of Hyacinths and Alliums. One of the problems with planting the Pound was that it was heavily shaded from the East by mature trees in a neighbour’s garden. As part of that neighbour’s own renovations, those trees have been felled and the Pound is now benefitting from the extra light. Club Room Garden - A1, A2, A3, B3 The Village’s former ‘Hall’ is known locally as the Club Room - it is an eighteenth century thatched cottage, donated to the village to be used as a Reading Room. The suggestion, of the Anglia Judges, in the report on their 2013 tour, that its garden had been neglected, was perfectly valid. Its permanent planting precluded easy access and had become overgrown. It was ‘right under people’s noses’ but nobody had noticed its untidiness. So much so that photographs of it, in its sorry state, were difficult to locate. In Bloomer, Caroline Nicker, volunteered to take on the project. Her concept was to restore it as a Cottage Garden, populated by pollinators, providing easy access for all. The Saturday Crew adopted a ‘scorched earth’ policy and the ground was cleared in December 2013. Roots were dug out and earth turned in January. Large quantities of compost were brought from Thompson’s Farm to create new beds, which were covered with a thick layer of wood chippings, as a mulch, by way of weed control and moisture retention. A shingle path was laid and an entrance created from the adjacent car park. A pergola, seat and obelisks were built and installed by Percy Hudson, who also turned his hand to building a water butt stand.

Page 10 A - Horticultural Achievement Continued Filby in Bloom 2017

Water, from the gutters of the Club Room, was channeled to a butt donated by a resident. Percy built a compost bin that was designed to replicate a traditional WBC bee hive. The WBC was invented by and named after William Broughton Carr. An appeal for plants was made through the village’s news sheet and through the local press. This received a superb response and donations have continued ever since. Having been established during 2014, the garden was to be bisected, to allow drainage works, during the construction of the new Village Hall. To minimise losses, during November 2014, many shrubs and flowers that had been carefully researched for The Club Room Garden excavation (1st Jun 2015) their suitability as perennial, pollinating cottage garden plants, were removed and heeled into two beds at the Millennium Shelter. Access to the site was not restored until June 13th 2015 which was less than 4 weeks from Anglia in Bloom judging on 8th July and only 8 weeks from Britain In Bloom judging on August 11th. It is testament to the sterling work undertaken that complete restoration was achieved before those dates. In the garden is Ellie Beattie’s Water Feature. Ellie Beattie, a student at Langley School, near Loddon in Norfolk, volunteered, as part of her studies, to construct a water feature for Filby. She designed and built the modern looking structure that includes the words ‘Filby in Bloom’ cast in Aluminium that she had The Club Room Garden (3rd Jun 2017) recovered from recycled drink cans. It was originally installed on Thrigby Road corner and officially unveiled by the Mayor of Great Yarmouth, Terry Easter, on 7th July 2008. It was moved to the grounds of the Club Room, in 2010, to allow its permanent connection to power and water. Just before last year’s Anglia in Bloom judging tour, the water feature’s pump failed and a hasty repair was noticed by the judges. A more thorough job was later undertaken by In Bloomer Nick Dawes and its unsightly tank was hidden in March 2017 by fencing built by another In Bloomer, Percy Hudson. Village Hall Sensory Garden - A1, A2, A3, B3 Substantial drainage works were undertaken in front of the new Ellie Beattie’s Water Feature (3rd Jun 2017) Village Hall, which carved a large area out of both the new Club Room Garden and the former car park. Through this, paving and topsoil were positioned to create significant areas of new flower beds. These were hastily planted out on 13th June 2015, during one of the heaviest rainstorms of the year, to make a start on a set of new beds which were planned to become a sensory garden, celebrating the seventieth anniversary of the end of the Second World War, and recognising the part played in it by the people of Filby. This garden was planned and planted by Caroline Nicker aided by other members of the In Bloom team. The planting includes The Village Hall Sensory Garden (3rd Jun 2017)

Page 11 A - Horticultural Achievement The Village Pound Makeover Filby in Bloom 2017

Fatsia Japonica, Euphorbia Characias ‘wulfeuii’, Euonymus alatus, Lonicera nitida ‘Baggersen’s Gold’ and Sarcococca confusa.

Queen’s Golden Jubilee Bed - A1, A2, A3, B3 Originally planted in 2002, in celebration of the Queen’s Golden Jubilee, by 2014, the garden was well past its best and required a thorough overhaul. Closer inspection proved that shrubs had strayed beyond acceptability and labels indicated the disappearance of plants. On the side of the Playing Field, from November 2014 to June 2015, this, too, was split by the boundary fencing of the new Village Hall building site. As it would be very Queen’s Jubilee Bed (24th Sep 2016) close to the new Hall, the decision was made to cut it back and replant it. Kate Foster kindly agreed to take on the project. That winter saw hardy members of the Saturday Crew clearing Hypericum, cutting back woody plants and cleansing the ground of perennial weeds. A two year redesign programme commenced with the planting of new shrubs including Ilex (to frame the stylish commemorative stone), Roses and Honeysuckle, the latter duo to be trained along the back brick wall. Pollinator friendly perennials were added and spring colour comes from narcissi, primulas and snowdrops. To add the WOW, annuals were also utilised.

Queen’s Jubilee Bed (3rd Jun 2017)

The Drought Garden. In 2016 more perennials were added: further rejuvenation The Drought Garden in Filby was started in the included pruning and the training of roses and honeysuckle. autumn of 2016. It is in a hot and sunny part of the village, edging the village playing field and is Drought Garden - A1, A2 backed by a brick wall, which holds the heat in the summertime. The young plants were watered in for In late 2016, it was decided to convert part of the Queen’s Golden the dry part of the autumn, then left to establish on Jubilee Bed into a Drought Garden. This project was undertaken their own. All of the plants used are renowned for by In Bloomer, Gwen Thurtle. their tolerance to dry conditions. Boulders and gravel set off the various colours of Thrigby Road Corner Bed - A1, A2 these drought resistant plants as well as acting as a This bed was enlarged in 2015. Its terracing was replaced by a mulch to retain water. slope, and on the advice of 2014’s judges, during 2015, height The centre piece of the area is planted up using redundant watering equipment; an old standing tap, was introduced into the display with Nicotiana sylvestris at the a soaker hose coiled up to house a plant. A watering can, also planted with succulents, and a disused hose pipe, now supporting plant life by a different means. Plants used to create the garden include Ground cover Sedum, Euonymus Fortunai, Saxafrage, Verbena, Lavender, Ferns (Arabis fern Old Gold), Sedum Joyce Henderson, Miscanthus Sinensis Zebrinus, Campanula, Lychnis Coronaina, Carex Ice Dance, Helianthemum Ben Hope, Molnia Varegata, Penniestenem (Fountain Grass), Hyssop, Sedum Indian Chief, Libertia Peregrinas, Carex Frosted curls, Caerx Ice dance, Black Carex, Arabis Ferdinand, Erigeron Karvinskianus, Cineria Silver dust and Festuca Elijah Blue. Gwen Thurtle 27th December 2016

Drought Garden (11th Apr 2017)

Page 12 A - Horticultural Achievement Continued Filby in Bloom 2017 rear. Millet is used, for the same purpose, this year. Filby Close Bed - A1, A2 A pair of beds, at Filby Close, was extended and replanted to give all year round colour to a plan laid out by local resident and Garden Designer, Sandra Woolsey. Sandra prepared a plan to both increase the amount of permanent planting and year round colour. New Plants included Phormium, Photinia, Malus, Skimmia and Euonymus.

Filby Flyer - A1, A2 In keeping with the 2010 display’s Broads Theme, it was decided to erect a sailing dingy by the Boardwalk to Filby Broad. After Planting at Thrigby Road Corner (3rd Jun 2015) recovering a wreck, In-Bloomer Tom Green rebuilt it and applied a new, white paint job. Netting was originally used for sails to reduce wind damage. Tom christened his craft the ‘Filby Flyer’! This year, the Flyer has had a new paint job and a new set of pennants, courtesy of the village’s Craft Club.

Business Premises - A4 All of Filby’s main businesses are active participants in Filby in Bloom. The Shop & Post Office are the hub of information dispersal in the village and are Filby in Bloom’s de facto headquarters. The Filby Bridge Restaurant is also an active participant in the floral displays, each year. However, the village’s only remaining pub, the King’s Head, closed its doors in 2016. It Sandra Woolsey’s Planting Plan for Filby Close (15th Apr 2017) is, however, scheduled to reopen, mid-year in 2017.

Residential Gardens - A3, C3 There are many beautiful private gardens in the village, some very visible during the judging. As part of the annual Filby in Bloom fundraiser, 16 private gardens were open, again, to the public during the village’s Open Gardens Weekend, 16th and 17th July, of last year. Filby in Bloom is always ready to help any in need and some of the private gardens along Main Road are maintained by the Group. Tree Planting - A1, A2 In 2009 10 trees were planted, along Main Road, close by those put in the previous year by Anglia in Bloom personnel, Gordon Filby Close (15th Apr 2017)

Mr & Mrs Muffit planting Walnut Trees (18th Feb 2017) The Filby Flyer (26th Apr 2014)

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& Margery Ward and George Dawson. Seven of the trees were donated by a local resident to commemorate the life of his late parents. Continuing tree planting about the village, a grant of £1,500 from the Norfolk & Suffolk Broads Authority, in 2010, enabled the purchase of further fruit trees for the Community Orchard and 37 native trees to complete the planting along the village’s roads, the following year. Varieties planted included Cottoneaster, Sorbus, Crataegus, Malus, Pyrus, Prunus, English Oak and Hornbeam. This year, two Walnut trees were planted on the Playing Field by Mr and Mrs Muffitt to mark their 50th Wedding Anniversary. Village Allotments (3rd Jun 2017) Hedge Planting - A1, A2 On Saturday 23rd February 2013, a new hedge was planted along Main Road, near Poplar Drive. The hedge consisted of Rowan, Hawthorn, Hazel, Wild Cherry, Dog Rose and Silver Birch. The plants were a gift from the Woodland Trust, to commemorate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, the previous year. In 2015, gaps, that had developed in the planting, were filled by volunteers from Norfolk Wildlife Trust. A further 420 mixed hedge plants, gifted from the Woodland Trust, were planted on Main Road, the Pound and Filby Common on 15th March 2015. Allotments - A3 With the exception of a couple of plots that subsequently became Root growth research at Filby’s Allotments (6th Jun 2015) the Orchard and the Wildlife Area, the bulk of the acreage, set aside by the village for allotments, was unwanted by residents and was rented out to a local farmer. As a result of some publicity about their availability, 5 plots were brought back into use as allotments in 2010. A total of 18 plots are worked, now. Two drawbacks over the location are the large local rabbit population and the absence of a standpipe. On 27th March 2012, after consultation with the Unitarian Church, Filby Parish Council had agreed new car parking arrangements at the village’s allotments. The Parish Council also hired the village’s historic Jam Shed, nearby, so that allotment holders could use it for storage. (Until the late 1950s, the Jam Shed was used to hold the village’s annual crop of raspberries, from where Wildflowers planted along Main Road during 2013 (3rd Jun 2017) it was collected by lorry and taken to the depot of William Bracey & Sons, Fruit Merchants, in the nearby village of Martham, who would sell them on to canners and jam factories.) During the Britain in Bloom Judging Tour in 2012, allotment holders first revealed their secret of successful vegetable cultivation - the use of a plant feed made from the herb, Comfrey. Judges were treated to the sight and smell of this liquid fertiliser and advised that it was, now, being grown there on an industrial scale. In 2013, a re-interpretation of the rules enabled allotment holders to keep chickens. In 2014, a compost bin was built into hedging separating the allotments from a next-door paddock affording the horse owners easy disposal and the allotment holders easy access to a source of manure. In 2015, one new allotment proved to be very strange! Daniel Evans, a local resident, as part of his degree studies, cut three deep trenches into his plot which he used to do research into vegetable root penetration. Wild Flower Planting - A1, A2, A5 Filby does not have a convenient meadow or roundabout to develop a wildflower planting but it does have plenty of hedges and verges, so, by way of a first attempt at wildflower cultivation, in 2013, it was agreed to attempt a hedgerow mix. Rather than scatter

Page 14 A - Horticultural Achievement Continued Filby in Bloom 2017 seeds about, randomly, it was decided to cultivate them. The seeds were sown, at the right density, into a 3 cm deep layer of potting compost on sections of cardboard placed in Baker’s Bread Trays. The ‘turfs’ were laid at their chosen destination, the verge by Filby Bridge, on 8th June. In spring, the following year, the plants re-emerged in late April. A nice display, they have re-emerged, yet again, this year, as have various plantings by Norfolk Wildlife Trust, at the local restaurant, despite the inattention of the odd strimmer. At another location, In Bloomer, Ian Richardson, has created a ‘lane’ of wildflowers alongside new hedging at the village school’s carpark. Rotary Crocus Beds - A1, A3 Joan Saul at Filby’s Community Orchard (10th Mar 2008) On 2nd October 2011, watched by a contingent of members of the Rotary Club of Great Yarmouth and In-Bloomers, children from the village school had fun planting four thousand purple Crocus bulbs in beds, provided by Filby in Bloom, in front of the village Playing Field. Done in support of Rotary’s ‘Purple Pinkie Power’ programme, this was part of a series of End Polio Now events taking place throughout the UK. The triangular beds, on Main Road, include a small patch of yellow crocuses in the shape of an eye. Community Orchard - A5, B1 The initial idea for a community orchard was floated by village resident Joan Saul, over coffee, in late November 2007. None Filby’s Community Orchard (3rd June 2017) of her listeners had heard of the concept before but it seemed to have great potential and could form a useful part of the village’s ‘In-Bloom’ development. The thought of using native Norfolk varieties of apple was a great motivator. The project was to create and maintain an orchard within the village for the enjoyment of the residents, using local varieties to endeavour to ensure their long term future. The go-ahead for the project was agreed by the Filby in Bloom Committee at a meeting on 11th December 2007. The Orchard was, initially, established on part of an allotment, on Thrigby Road, donated by plot holder, Steven Elderkin. The orchard is approached past the remains of Filby’s former Unitarian Church and the Wildlife Garden. This beautiful and well maintained area is, truly, one of Filby’s Community Orchard (3rd June 2017) Filby’s best kept secrets! The first trees, a selection of seven apple varieties were planted on 1st March 2008. Trees planted included Green Roland (1800s), Norfolk Beefing (1698), Vicar of Beighton (1890), Summer Broaden (1796), Horsford Prolific (1900), Sandringham (1883), and Red Ellison (1948). The size of the orchard was increased, in May 2008, when the remainder of Steven’s plot was transferred to the project. That part of the plot contained a small vineyard of 25 year old grapevines. On the advice of Anglia in Bloom 2008 Judges, the apple orchard was replanted, taking advantage of the extra area to achieve a wider spacing between the trees. Grapevines were retained at the border. In 2009, the selection of apple trees was extended to thirteen varieties, four dual use varieties, four cookers (culinary) and five eaters (dessert). Two varieties of pear tree were also introduced, one culinary variety of Norfolk pear and one dessert variety. In 2011, as part of a grant for permanent planting from the Norfolk & Suffolk Broads Authority, 20 further Norfolk apple trees, 8 Norfolk cherry trees and 3 Suffolk greengage trees were purchased and planted in the orchard. The seventy two trees now fully utilise the space available.

Page 15 B - Environmental Responsibility Filby in Bloom 2017

Trinity Broads - A5, B1, B3 The Trinity Broads are an isolated system of lakes, situated north-west of Great Yarmouth. Despite the name, the Trinity Broads area covers five broads: Ormesby, Rollesby, Ormesby Little, Lily and Filby Broad. Nearby is the very small Little Broad. The village of Filby sits between Filby and Ormesby Little Broads. The area directly managed by the Norfolk Wildlife Trust is 14 sq. miles. It consists of 0.64 sq. miles of open water, about 14% of the open water of the Broads. It is surrounded by 1¾ square miles of fen and wet woodland habitats; this is roughly the size of 600 football pitches. Its catchment area is around 11½ square miles. The area was designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in 1998 and is, now, a part of the Broads Special Area of Conservation (SAC). Essex & Suffolk Water owns the majority of the site from which it draws water for Great Yarmouth and the surrounding area. In 1995, a partnership between the Norfolk & Suffolk Broads Authority, Essex & Suffolk Water, the Environment Agency and English Nature (now Natural England) was formed. The aim of this partnership was to restore the ecological status of the Trinity Broads, reducing their turbidity, for the benefit of nature conservation, public water supply and recreation. Ormesby and Ormesby Little Broads ranked highly in terms of prioritisation for restoration work, with the others receiving a medium ranking. Aimed at reducing algae by encouraging the growth of daphnia populations, a large-scale demonstration project was undertaken at Ormesby Broad which, at the time, held virtually the entire fish population of the Trinity Broads. About 10,000 kilos of fish were removed over the winters of 1994 / 95 and 1995 / 96. This resulted in the immediate return of clear water in the summer and a rapid recovery of diverse aquatic plant communities across the broad. These clear waters and aquatic plant conditions have remained to the present day, highlighting how such techniques can have lasting positive environmental results. Fish removal, through electrical stunning, continued to 2002 and control of Bream spawning, by netting areas where eggs are laid, to 2006. The removal of fish from Ormesby Broad eliminated their migration to surrounding waters and had a knock on effect for the other Broads. Turbidity reduced and mixed plant life increased in all other linked Trinity Broads but Filby Broad improved the least. It is speculated that the sediment in Filby Broad, as a result of its East / West alignment with prevailing winds, is subject to more disturbance than other waters. Also the Muck Fleet channel from that Broad to the River Bure, despite isolating the Broad via a Trinity Broads sluice, is a fish reservoir. The last few years have been fantastic for water plants in the Trinity Broads system. Rollesby Broad had plants covering 100% of the Broad, in many areas growing right to the surface, and there was, also, a good variety including a large stand of Water Crowfoot. All broads, apart from Filby Broad, are now, officially, considered to be recovering back to their ideal condition in terms of their wildlife value. This was a central aim of the Partnership’s Restoration project, at its conception, and it has been successfully achieved!

Filby in Bloom would like to acknowledge the assistance received from Norfolk Wildlife Trust in the preparation of their portfolios, over Trinity Broads recent years.

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Village Ponds - B1, B3 The main Village Pond was one of several along the A1064 road through the village. Some were dug to extract Clay to enable the construction of local cottages but most were established to provide water for horses and, more latterly, for steam driven agricultural equipment as the industry became more mechanised. Many now form part of residential gardens. In 2009, the Norfolk & Suffolk Broads Authority volunteered to conduct a survey of the main pond. This was undertaken by Hannah Gray, Project Officer for the Trinity Broads, on 30th April, of that year, who sent a formal report to the village. Hannah, Filby Village Pond (3rd Jun 2017) whilst reporting the absence of any particularly interesting features, said that this did not negate its value within the overall landscape of the area. Ponds are few and far between, in the surrounding agricultural landscape, and any pond is valuable for wildlife as part of a network of habitats. A recent housing development at Grange Farm, on Main Road, has revealed another of the village’s ponds, which the builders have tidied up and have started some tasteful planting. Wildlife Area - B1 The Wildlife Garden became part of the Community Orchard in 2009 and has been allowed to develop slowly, with the minimum of intervention, although an area has been set aside for soft fruit etc., as a tribute to the earlier use made of this land. This fruit is Grange Farm Pond (7th Jun 2016) gathered and processed to benefit village charities. In 2012, an insect hotel was constructed in the Wildlife Garden. It was suggested by Joan Saul and assembled by Joan, Victor Tungate and Les Futter, using natural and recycled materials. The new structure was built to further the aims of the garden to provide a haven for insects, especially bees, and other wildlife. A ‘Stumpery’ was added for the same purpose, early in 2015. Ormesby Little Broad Viewing Platform and Walkway - B1 A boardwalk to a viewing platform overlooking Ormesby Little Broad, at Filby Bridge, reopened for Easter, in 2012, after six months of renovation and conservation work. Over the Insect Hotel at the Wildlife Garden (3rd Jun 2017) winter, a 30 year old rotten boardwalk was replaced by a ½ km hard-surfaced footpath, which is suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs. A dyke, that had silted up completely, was dredged out and thousands of young fish returned to over- winter, there. Plants such as milk parsley and water irises are growing and kingfishers, otters, water voles, bittern, dragonflies and damselflies have been seen there. Some trees have been cut down to allow more light into the dyke. At the end of the path, a new wooden viewing platform offers stunning views over peaceful Ormesby Little Broad, part of the Trinity Broads, where rowing, sailing, electric and model boating and angling are permitted. New interpretation signs have been put up telling people about the area and what wildlife they can see there. The Viewing Platform at Ormesby Little Broad (3rd Jun 2017) work was carried out by the Norfolk & Suffolk Broads Authority in

Page 17 B - Environmental Responsibility Continued Filby in Bloom 2017 partnership with Essex and Suffolk Water.

The Trinity Broads Project This beautiful area of the Broads National Park is owned by Essex & Suffolk Water and used as a potable water supply for 80,000 homes in the surrounding villages and Great Yarmouth. The area is a “Site of Special Scientific Interest” and a “Special Area of Conservation”; these designations highlight its importance of wildlife and landscape. The Nature Reserve management is carried out by Norfolk Wildlife Trust who employs a full time warden. Large areas of Filby Broad and Ormesby Little Broad fall within the Filby Parish boundary and the Trinity Broads Project enjoys an ongoing relationship with the Parish Council and other community groups. Highlights of this over the past year include continued management of Filby Common where a hedge is being restored and the site is managed to produce a flower-rich meadow, Yellow rattle Rhinanthus minor has appeared on site and a southern marsh orchid Dactylorhiza preatermissa as a result of this management. The work on the nature reserve is supported by a dedicated team of around 30 volunteers with a regular “Monday Group” of 10 to 12 individuals including Filby residents. The work of the volunteers includes many different practical conservation tasks such as hedge laying, broad-shore conservation cutting, scrub control and invasive plant control. Over the last year the Trinity Broads Project has become further involved in supporting biodiversity projects in the village. We have been managing the Community Wildlife garden by trimming, weeding, planting wildflower bulbs and seeds and providing amphibian habitat. Much of this work has been funded by an E&SW grant under their “Branch Out” funding. We have also carried out work in the Community Orchard tending the trees. The Trinity Broads falls within the NWT Living Landscapes area, this aims to work with communities and landowners to provide more wildlife-friendly habitat; as a result a kilometre of hedges have been planted in the village. The NWT People and Nature Team are now carrying out a survey of Filby Churchyard and we will be looking at opportunities to conserve and enhance the biodiversity of this lovely old site. The Trinity Broads Project working with the Parish Council and with the support of Norfolk Schools Sailing Association, access for the villagers to the waters of Filby and Ormesby Little has been secured. We hope this will allow local residents to enjoy the broads without harming the wildlife interests.

A major find last summer was the rare stonewort Southern Marsh Orchid (L) and Starry Stonewart Nitellopsis obtusa or “Starry Stonewort” was discovered on Ormesby Little Broad. This plant is only recorded in 14 sites in the UK and hasn’t been seen in the broads for 100 years. Efforts to protect it included working with recreation interests to reduce wash and disturbance. Eilish Rothney, Norfolk Wildlife Trust warden

Clay Pits Project - B1, B3, B4 The Clay Pits Project was instigated by one of Filby Primary School’s teaching assistants, Wendy Green, who ran the school’s Gardening Club. The suggestion was made that a derelict pond, known as the Clay Pits, situated alongside the school and behind the Thrigby Road Car Park, should be reclaimed as a wildlife area for teaching purposes. The pond was heavily overgrown with trees. It was surrounded by a boardwalk that was in a very dilapidated condition and access from the school’s ground was difficult.

Page 18 B - Environmental Responsibility Continued Filby in Bloom 2017

In 2010, the Norfolk & Suffolk Broads Authority adopted the project as a useful training opportunity for Broads Authority trainees and volunteers. A start was made in March, that year, when volunteers from the Trinity Broads Monday Group spent a morning cutting back wood from the pond. Volunteers returned periodically to continue with the recovery project. The authority planned to excavate the pond to make it deeper, as it dries out completely in warm weather. A smaller boardwalk would be built with access to the school playing field to allow the children to go pond dipping. As a result of loss of funding, no work was done on the project during 2013. However, early in 2014, responsibility for it was Norfolk Wildlife Trust at the Clay Pits (25th Mar 2014) assumed by Norfolk Wildlife Trust (NWT) who inspected the site in January. Despite lots of rain, there was very little water in the pond. It was thought that this had been caused by a nearby development. A meeting was held with the developers who felt rain water runoff from the development could be diverted to the pond, which they would assist in excavating. However, after further investigation, the developers said that they had encountered legal difficulties and that they felt the project would be lengthy and costly, so they would have to pull out. NWT felt that some improvements could still be achieved but it left them with no source of water and potentially only manual excavation. In early March, they decided to go ahead with manual Filby in Bloom at the Clay Pits (11th Mar 2017) excavation. It could not do any harm to vary the levels at the site as, at the very least, it would create different conditions of dampness which would attract a more varied flora. It would have to be accepted that any ponds created might well be temporary (i.e. not last all summer, each year) but those ponds would have a distinctive fauna, too, and so were worth creating. Work re-commenced on 25th March 2014 but was suspended later that year in the absence of funding for such works. Early in 2017, in response to the R.H.S. Greening Grey Britain Initiative, Filby in Bloom, with the help of parent volunteers from the school, elected to reinstate the project. Public access to the area was provided via a new gate and a specially constructed set of steps down to the pond area. A Filby in Bloom at the Clay Pits (11th Mar 2017) similar access from the school was built. A walkway around the ponds was created and paved with shingle and Bird boxes and hedgehog boxes were installed by In Bloomer, Percy Hudson. Two rustic tables and eight stools were donated by Mr. Steven Hewitt of Maple Tree services so the children can sit in the new wildlife area and have outdoor lessons. Nest Boxes - B1 In February 2009, 40 nest boxes of various types, built by residents Percy Hudson and Ernest Bollington, were distributed about sites in the village, recognising the British Trust for Ornithology National Nest Box Week. In 2013, a further 17 were put up in Filby in Bloom at the Clay Pits (11th Mar 2017)

Page 19 B - Environmental Responsibility Continued Filby in Bloom 2017

Filby in Bloom at the Clay Pits (11th Mar 2017) The Clay Pits (1st Apr 2017)

February, throughout the village, by Ken Saul and Les Futter. They are still being monitored for occupation. More were added as part of the Clay Pits Project. In addition to this, Norfolk Wildlife Trust has erected an Owl Box on Filby Common and will be monitoring it for accommodation.

Filby Bird Boxes 2017 Filby Churchyard This is the fifth year of the project which commenced in 2013. Sixteen bird nest boxes, constructed Box 7 – no activity recorded by Percy Hudson, together with a further donated nest box, were then erected by Les Futter and Box 13 – Blue Tits feeding recently fledged young Ken Saul. These have subsequently been monitored for use each year, with all the boxes being Box 9 – no activity recorded inspected and cleaned out every winter, prior to the next nesting season. Box 15 – no activity recorded; damaged entrance hole. As might be expected, those boxes where definite breeding had been noted the previous spring Box 6 – Great Tits nest building; later observations of nest material contained old nests, usually with a few droppings etc. among the material. Six of the boxes where blocking entrance hole. no obvious activity had been recorded the previous spring, were found to contain remains of old nests. Three of these showed signs of actual breeding (eg. droppings, infertile eggs), while one also contained mouse droppings and another, a dead Wren. The latter probably succumbed while Footpath using the box as a winter roost. The others with some nest material may reflect the cool weather Box 8 – no activity recorded conditions and a lack of suitable food. Box 11 – Great Tits feeding young Two of the boxes had fallen from their positions and required repair during the winter. They were then repositioned in the same locations. Box 17 in the Wildlife Garden had also fallen again and Wildlife Garden has been relocated on the side of the shed once more. A new box (25) from the Trinity Broads Box 17 – colonised by Tree Bumblebees, with lots of activity around Project has recently been erected on the tree where box 17 was originally sited. Box 17 itself has the box. provided an additional point of interest this year, as it has been colonised by Tree Bumblebees (Bombus hypnorum). Box 5 – no activity recorded The activity at each box was again monitored during April and May 2017, utilising the same technique of observing either nest-building and/or the feeding of nestlings. As usual, some of the Filby Common boxes used last year were active again, others were not. This mirrors observations in previous Box 4 – Blue Tit; adults feeding young in the box years too. Only box 15 in the churchyard has remained unused in all five years of the project. This Box 1 - no activity recorded box also has damage around the entrance hole and should perhaps be repaired or replaced in the future? Box 16 – no activity recorded. Broken hinge on lid requires repair Box 14 – no activity recorded The cool weather earlier has undoubtedly had an influence again this spring. It is possible that, like last year, some birds may have made a second attempt following initial failure, so it will be Box 3 – no activity recorded interesting to see whether the winter inspection again reveals more clues. The observed activity at Box 10 – Great Tit; adults feeding young each box is listed below. Box 2 – no activity recorded The maps show approximate locations of the nest-boxes, but are not to scale. Box 12 – no activity recorded K.G. Saul, May 2017

Page 20 B - Environmental Responsibility Continued Filby in Bloom 2017

Churchyard Project - B1, B3, B4, B5 Filby’s All Saints’ Church stands on the site of a much more ancient building of which, today, there is no trace. The present Church dates from the mid-14th Century and is built in the Perpendicular style. It is a fine example of a wool church. East Anglia was the centre of the wool industry in the Middle Ages and many wool merchants gave large donations to the church. It was extensively restored between 1873 and 1879 and this is the period from which the stained glass windows and roof date. The Parochial Church Council was concerned about the muddy approaches to the building and sought In Bloom’s help to improve the access. The Saturday Crew moved in and enhanced the main access levelling it with top soil donated by British Sugar at Cantley and shingle donated by Essex & Suffolk Water. They also constructed a shingle path from the Car Park to the Church. The opportunity was also afforded to affect a trim up and a general tidy up.

Filby Church before (4th Feb 2017) Filby Church (4th Feb 2017) Filby Church after (18th Feb 2017)

Filby Church before (11th Feb 2017) Filby Church (11th Feb 2017) Filby Church after (11th Feb 2017)

Page 21 B - Environmental Responsibility Continued Filby in Bloom 2017

Village Council Commercial Charity Domestic Waste Recycling - B2 Newspapers √ √ Waste collection at the Recycling Centre at the Post Office Cardboard √ continues. Newspapers and glass are left there by residents Glass √ √

Aluminium Cans √ √ with revenues going to village funds. A more recent contribution

Plastic Bottles √ to these funds has been the collection of shoes and clothes. Garden Waste √ √ The local authority recycles wastepaper, cardboard, Aluminium Clothes √ cans, plastic bottles, garden waste and, now, glass with bi-weekly Shoes √ home collection via wheelie bins. The borough has recognised Mobile Phones √ that there is another income stream to be had from recycled Printer Cartridges √ glass and this has resulted in a decrease in glass recycled by Filby’s Materials Recycled 2015 / 2016 the village. This loss has not been totally alleviated by the local restaurant’s donation of their glass waste. Commercial collection of aluminium cans also takes place, at the Post Office. The village also recycles unwanted mobile phones and printer ink cartridges which are passed to the Royal National Institute for the Blind. Dependent upon prevailing prices, Filby typically raises about £4,000 per year from recycling. Even the recycling area at the Post Office gets the Filby in Bloom treatment with the Filby name, in topiary, in a bed by the bins and a liberal distribution of hanging flower bags placed around the bins during the summer months. Filby’s Recycling Weights Plant and Compost Recycling - B2 When the hanging baskets and barrels come down, during the autumn, Filby’s policy has always been to recycle as much of their content as possible. This includes repairing all baskets and reclaiming the Begonias, and Geraniums for the next season. Compost from the display bins is returned to the communal bin where it is mixed with garden waste and well-rotted cow manure for eventual re-use. It has proven to be excellent for digging into and improving the soil quality of our larger bedding schemes. Garden Waste Composting - B2 Until 2007, two readily accessible bins were maintained in the village for the disposal of garden waste. However, abuse occurred, frequently, and the In-Bloom Team was required to devote too much time segregating compostable and non-compostable waste. The bins were removed and, now, people requiring to dispose of large quantities of genuine garden waste are encouraged to use the In- Bloom bin by the polytunnel. In addition, during 2015, the local council started a garden waste collection scheme. Peat Usage Reduction - B2 At a series of In-Bloom meetings during 2008 / 9, it was resolved to reduce Filby’s peat usage. Filby aimed to be using composts containing no more than 80% peat by 2011. Albeit a couple of years late, that was achieved! Filby mixes multi-purpose compost with 25% by weight of its own composted material. The peat in the multi-purpose compost is not harvested from areas of scientific interest. The village’s usage of Peat has been stable for 5 years. Mulching - B2 To assist water conservation and to control weed, all of the permanent beds in the village are mulched with a liberal layer of wood chip donated by a local business, Ormesby Garden Machinery and by local Arborealist, Ashley Clarke.

Filby’s Peat Usage Reduction

Page 22 B - Environmental Responsibility Continued Filby in Bloom 2017

Chemical Treatments - B2 No herbicides are used by Filby in Bloom. The use of pesticides is limited to a few slug pellets and the ‘odd squirt’, here and there, to control local infestations. Information Boards - B3, B5 The village already had three information boards, erected by the Broads Trust, illustrating wildlife to be seen about Filby and Ormesby Broads. A further two boards map public paths and walks in and around the village. In 2009, Filby in Bloom erected an additional three illustrated boards, one on the Village Pound (updated in 2015), another at Thrigby Mill and a third placed in the new sensory garden, alongside the Club Room, dedicated to the village’s participants in the Second World War. A sign was placed in the W.I. bed on the Pound to commemorate the 75th Anniversary, in 2009, of the W.I. in the village and a notice was placed at the Water Feature, now in the Club Room Garden, recording its creation by schoolgirl, Ellie Beattie. Information illustrating the planting plan of the Community Orchard is positioned on the side of the orchard’s shed. Cleanliness - B4 Fortunately, in its rural situation, Filby suffers from less than its fair share of environmental quality issues. There are few eyesore properties within the parish and graffiti is largely absent from village life. Paths accumulate weeds and verges become overgrown, at the usual seasonal rates, but all such blemishes are attended to, on a regular basis, by both the local council and by volunteers from the village’s In-Bloom team. Verges are strimmed, hedges are trimmed and grass spaces are mown by those volunteers, frequently, during the summer months. Wheelie bins are provided by the council and household and recycling wastes are collected on alternate weeks. On the odd occasion when bins do overflow, council personnel are very conscientious Filby’s Welcome Signs (14th Jun 2008) in removing the surplus, leaving the village its usual tidy self.

Welcome Signs - B5 On 14th June 2008, two new signs were erected at the main entrances to the village. Designed and built by In-Bloomer, Tom Green, the signs depict the village’s Grebe logo with a floral surround.

Street Furniture - B5 The village’s benches, barrels and boxes are re-painted, regularly, and Ian Richardson has done a fine job taking on the mantle of furniture painting. A renovation of the village sign was undertaken, this year, by former In Bloom Chairman, David Thompson M.B.E.. Watering - B2 At the height of summer, In-Bloom can use up to 2,000 litres of water per day when watering its displays. All of this is drawn from a bore hole located on Thompson’s Farm. Village Hall Energy Usage - B2 In February of this year, a set of 40 Solar panels were installed on the East and West facing rooves of the new Village Hall. The power generated is primarily used to heat water thereby limiting LPG usage. Photo Page 24. Other Activities - B2, B4, B5 Major events in Filby take place on the Playing Field and parking is provided both on the field itself (outside of the football pitch) and in an adjacent field. The village received a donation of road planings to enable a road to be built to the overspill parking. In January 2012, In-Bloom’s Saturday Crew created the new perimeter road on the Playing Field. Filby Bridge received a coat of paint in May 2015. Painting Filby Bridge (7th May 2015)

Page 23 C - Community Participation Filby in Bloom 2017

Filby’s New Village Hall - C1, C3, C4 No document, focusing on Filby, can ignore the biggest event occurring in the village in the last decade, the opening of a new Village Hall! In 2006, when closure of the village’s Church Hall was inevitable, Filby’s only remaining meeting place was its ‘Club Room’, a small but picturesque thatched cottage donated to the village in the 1800s. The Club Room could accommodate no more than forty, very cramped people at best. It, therefore, became clear that Filby was in need of a new, modern

Filby’s new Village Hall (13th Jun 2015) communal building if the growth of the village’s community spirit was not to be stifled. It was agreed that a project to acquire new facilities would be best undertaken by the Playing Field Committee, which includes a significant number of In-Bloomers. The village has been fundraising since then and had raised close to £200,000, to such an end, through donations, small grants, income derived from recycling newspapers, glass, clothes and shoes and holding events such as our Annual August Bank Holiday Fete. Over the years, a number of grant applications have been made, principally to the Reaching Communities Building Fund of BIG Lottery and, so far, our track record is Played 8, Won 5, Lost 3! The last was made to a very small fund, available for new village Solar Panels installed at Filby’s new Village Hall (17th Feb 2017) halls, which was announced in November 2010. The building would cost £629,000 against which the village sought £500,000 from BIG Lottery, with the remainder to be met from village funds. After a long and arduous application procedure, we learnt of our success on 2nd October 2014. The new Village Hall was completed on 19th June 2015. A further £50,000 was spent on equipment and the Hall was available in time to be used by both Anglia in Bloom and Britain in Bloom judging parties, that year. It is, now, the focal point of the village, hosting the major events that take place in the village throughout the year.

Queen’s 90th Birthday Party - C3

Queen’s 90th Birthday Party (11th June 2016) On Saturday 11th June 2016, a 1940s & 1950s Theme Party was held in the Village Hall to celebrate the Queen’s 90th Birthday. Well attended, it was a great night, the highlight being Filby’s own ‘Last Night of the Proms’, hosted by the village’s football team manager, Ross Stanton.

Open Gardens Weekend - C3, C4, C5 Open Gardens 2016 took place over the weekend of 16th and 17th July. Fine weather brought in many visitors. More Page 5. Grand Fete - C4, C5 Filby’s 62nd Annual Fete was held on the playing field, on last year’s August Bank Holiday Monday. After an unprecedented two successive years with the fete having to be cancelled, due Grand Fete (29th Aug 2016) to heavy downpours, at last, some decent Bank Holiday weather

Page 24 C - Community Participation Continued Filby in Bloom 2017 and the crowds turned out in their hundreds with the food all sold out by mid-afternoon! A highlight was ‘Brave the Shave’ when Filby in Bloom’s Chairman had his head shaved for charity. A very successful day with profits of around £3,750 being made for village funds that include those of Filby in Bloom.

Anniversary of Village Hall Official Opening - C4, C5 The new Village Hall was officially opened on 31st October 2015 by In-Bloom Chairman, Adrian Thompson, after a Halloween Party, for the children, had been held, earlier that day. That turned out to be a riot and was enjoyed by all. So much so that the

Village’s Playing Field Committee decided to make this free kid’s Halloween at the Village Hall (30th Oct 2016) party an annual event. It was repeated on 30th October 2016.

Grand Firework Display - C4, C5 We ‘got lucky’ with the weather at this year’s fete but not so with another of the village’s big fundraisers, its Fireworks Display. It was held on the 6th November, after a very heavy downpour, but to the great relief of the organisers, the rain stopped briefly to enable the bonfire to be lit and the fireworks let off. The event was very well attended and £1,700 was raised for village funds. The bonfire was built by In Bloomers who incorporated Hedgehog barriers which were monitored for the presence of wildlife, on a daily basis. Christmas Bazaar - C4, C5 Firework Display (6th Nov 2016) The Christmas Bazaar held in the Village Hall on Saturday 19th November 2016 raised £1,160 for village funds.

Easter Bonanza - C4, C5 On Saturday 8th April 2017 another of the village’s regular fund raisers, an Easter Bonanza, was held in the Village Hall, where Easter eggs, flowers, cuddly toys and local produce were on offer. £720 was raised for the village.

Filby in Bloom Coffee Mornings - C4, C5 First held on 9th January 2014, monthly Coffee Mornings were established to raise funds for the Village and for In-Bloom. They continue to be held in the Village Hall on the second Thursday of every month. This year, they have raised £354 for In Bloom. The Village Football Pitch - C1 In years gone by, the village did support a cricket team until it felt that it could not maintain its pitch, on the Playing Field, to an adequate standard. The pitch, however, continues to be used for football. It is the home of Filby & Runham men’s team and Caister Roma U13 boys. Another Caister Roma side will use the pitch later this year. The pitch is maintained at the cost of the Parish Council who pay for its mowing but its condition had been criticised. As a result, to determine necessary action, Filby’s Playing Field Committee contacted Norfolk F.A. to arrange a pitch inspection as part of the Football Association’s Pitch Improvement Programme. That inspection was carried out on 23rd Mar 2016. They reported that the pitch in addition to severe compaction issues, had a very low percentage grass cover and was mainly weed grass. In June, Norfolk F.A. held a seminar on Pitch Maintenance at The Playing Field’s Tractor Mower (28th Oct 2016)

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The Playing Field’ (29th Oct 2016) their headquarters in Norwich. It was attended by In Bloomer, Derek Nicker, on behalf of the Playing Field Committee. The importance of the removal of thatch and scarifying was emphasised. The prospect of a grant from the F.A. for equipment and materials was held out but the programme would not start until July 2016. It has yet to start at the time of writing (May 2017) and, at a second seminar, it was intimated that, as any grant money would be focussed on heavily used pitches, Filby would be an unlikely recipient. On that basis, after the managers of the football clubs undertook to handle their own pitch maintenance, the Playing Field Committee elected to acquire their own tractor mower which was delivered on 28th Oct 2017. It includes grass collector, scarifier and brush. It has been used since then and the pitch condition is much improved. The Press - C2 All aspects of activity in Filby feature, each week, in the ‘Village Life’ section of the local newspaper, The Yarmouth Mercury, published by Archant and In-Bloom news continues to appear, regularly. Sporadic press releases are issued by the In-Bloom team, highlighting items and events that it considers newsworthy. Filby in Bloom is, also, prominent in the regional paper, The Eastern Daily Press (EDP - also published by Archant). Where possible, during their tour, judges are interviewed and photographed by Archant staff. If this does not occur, photographs and judges’ comments are submitted, by Filby in Bloom, to the local press. Filby’s results in the regional and national competitions are usually well reported. Coverage is to be arranged for the 2017 judging tours.

The Filby Flyer - C2 Adrian Thompson with EDP photographer James Bass and Judges (L to R) Roger Burnett, Kim Parish and Martyn Hird (11th Aug 2015) This, Filby’s own monthly A4 news sheet, has been circulated to all residents since 2005. The succinct newsletter summarises key village events. It keeps everybody up to date with what is happening, locally and it provides a good channel to call for extra help when needed. It is an essential part of village life and is central to the In-Bloom message. A survey, conducted in 2009 as part of the project to acquire a new Village Hall, revealed the Flyer ‘in top spot’ with 88% of respondents registering it as their most used source of information on activities within the parish.

Local Radio & Television - C2 Filby’s successful floral displays are an annual feature in the press, on local radio and, occasionally, on television. 2014 Yarmouth Mercury (22nd Jul 2016)

Page 26 C - Community Participation Continued Filby in Bloom 2017 saw another first when Britain in Bloom Judging featured on Norwich based Mustard TV as part of their weekly gardening slot, presented by Ellen Mary - who lives at nearby Ormesby. Ellen was back to film, again, on 7th July 2016, as part ofa programme featuring towns and villages participating in the 2016 Anglia in Bloom Competition. It focussed on Filby in Bloom’s work with local school children. Our segment of the programme can be seen on YouTube at... https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=b29O0jJTtBI

Filby on the Web - C2 Filby relocated and remodelled its website during 2014 and Mustard’s Ellen Mary interviews Adrian Thompson (7th Jul 2016) now it can be seen at http://www.filbyinbloom.org.uk. New features include video clip links and the ability to download prior year’s Portfolios. News about Filby in Bloom can also be found on the Village Hall’s website http://www. filbyvillagehall.org.uk. In terms of Social media, Filby in Bloom has its own Facebook https://www.facebook.com/filbyinbloom/ and Twitter https://twitter.com/filbyinbloom feeds. Filby’s activities regularly appear in on-line versions of local and regional newspapers and re-runs of appearances in the broadcast media can be seen on local BBC and ITV web sites. Filby in Bloom’s new website 3rd Apr 2017 Other Means of Publicity - C2 Awareness is raised in a number of other ways including In-Bloom signs posted within the village, notice boards provided by the Parish Council and posters displayed in the local shops and garden centres. BID - C2 BID (Business Improvement District) is a levy now imposed by the Greater Yarmouth Tourism and Business Improvement Area (GYTBIA) on all businesses within the borough. The levy is based on rateable value. It was introduced in 2014 after a postal ballot of those businesses and GYTBIA says the money raised benefits all businesses by increasing local employment and local spend. However, the ballot attracted just a 19pc turnout, one of the lowest on record in the country. More than 250 traders have continued to insist they were never sent information about the BID or ballot forms, and that the results of the vote were never published in accordance with regulations. Notwithstanding this controversy, BID money is, now, supporting 30 projects in the borough and Filby in Bloom has had grants of £2,000, £3,000 and £3,400 in successive years, to help foster tourism to the village. This seems to have been successful as tour operators, now, divert their coaches from the A47 to the A1064 to bring visitors to the Borough through the village. In 2014, Britain in Bloom Judges suggested a floral trail round the village and the production of a heritage leaflet. A glossy 24 page pamphlet, Filby, History, Walks and Wildlife, was produced during 2015, using some of Filby’s BID Fund and, at a price of £1, this is now on sale at outlets in the village, with profits going to village charities. As a result of its participation in BID, at the Greater Yarmouth Tourism and Business Awards, attended by Caroline and Derek Nicker, held at the Assembly Rooms in the Town Hall on Tuesday, BID (14th Mar 2017)

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14th March 2017, Filby in Bloom were one of three nominees for the Community Contribution Award which was won by Martham Scarecrow Festival.

Quiz Night - C5 A major contributor to Filby in Bloom and other local charities is the popular monthly quiz at the Filby Bridge Restaurant. Participants, who need to book well in advance to secure a table, also enjoy a great meal and a raffle for donated prizes. Host and Quiz master Tony Elms entertains, in particular, when he tries to wrap his ‘estuary’ accent around some of the local dialect. Filby

Filby Brochure (8th Jun 2015) in Bloom’s own, devilishly difficult seasonal quiz sheets also make a regular appearance at the local shop.

Branded Products - C5 Filby in Bloom branded products are on sale at the local Shop & Post Office. Available are garden apparel, including polo shirts, sweat shirts, fleeces and baseball caps, together with postcards and calendars. A new range of Filby in Bloom biscuits, fudge, toffee and shortbread was launched in March 2017. One of the most popular items was Filby in Bloom’s own award winning, local, real ale, brewed courtesy of Norfolk Square Brewery. Sadly, that company is no longer in existence but In Bloom has licenced another fine offering, Filby Ale, brewed in the nearby village of Hickling by the Yaarbrew Microbrewery. This is a rich golden Filby in Bloom’s New Branded Products (30th Mar 2017) beer that has been created with the finest amber and crystal malts, which gives it the light golden colour. Sterling, Crystal and Ashley Clarke Cascade hops provide that citrusy balance, complemented with Anglia Mowers Ben Burgess Arborialist the aroma of Amarillo hops, all balanced together to create a Broadland Burghwood lovely beer. Can Man Nurseries Landscapes Sponsorship - C5 Colin Smith C.Warton & Monumental David Hunt Many companies and individuals have contributed financial and Partners Mason material support to Filby in Bloom over the years, some of whom East of England are recorded here. Others have contributed their time, effort Filby Bridge East Coast Waste Apples & Restaurant and expertise to particular projects and the In-Bloom team are Orchards Project grateful for all support given, in whatever form. Filby Parish Filby Residents Filby W.I. Nursery - C3 Council Great Yarmouth Martham Halls Builders Following the closure of Stepping Stones Nursery in the grounds Council Hardware Merchants of Filby Primary School, the village was pleased to welcome Horse and Groom Kings Head P.H. J&M Edwards Little Blossoms Nursery to the same premises. P.H. Rollesby Filby Filby Primary School - C3 Norfolk Records Maple Garden Lotus Cars Office Services On May 8th 2008, the staff and pupils at Filby’s only education Norfolk Waste establishment celebrated the official opening of their school’s Norfolk Square Moulton Nurseries Management Breweries £1M transformation from an aging Victorian first school, catering Services for pupils aged five to eight, to a modern primary school for five Ormesby Garden Norfolk Journal Original Organics to eleven year-olds, which now, typically, number about 80. The Machinery school, along with six other local schools (Costessey Junior Pan Publicity PKM Studios The Tea Junction School, Costessey Infant School, Dell Primary School, Eaton Target Double Thurton W T Skips Primary School, Elm Tree Primary School and Wensum Junior Glazing Foundries Ltd. School) is, now, part of the Evolution Academy Trust. It has a

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Gardening at Filby School Spring and Summer 2017 Every week ‘Ducklings’ have had the wonderful opportunity of gardening with Mr Thompson . The children have planted a wide variety of fruit and vegetables including, beans, peas, lettuce, radishes, raspberries, potatoes, tomatoes, and strawberries. They have enjoyed watching the plants grow and have greatly broadened their knowledge and understanding of where some of the their food comes from and what it actually looks like as it is growing. The Ducklings always love sharing their gardening experience with Mr Thompson , telling him what they are growing or planting at home. The first crop of the season has been radishes. The children loved pulling up them up and they each took a bunch home to share with their family. Children’s comments:- “I tasted radish and it was good, it was spicy” “I’ve started planting with my Nanny in her garden” “I’ve learnt how to bury seeds” “I’ve learnt how to plant stuff properly” “Planting is very nice” school garden and an oversubscribed gardening club. It actively supports Filby in Bloom and is happy to show off its achievements to In-Bloom judges, each year. In 2008, the school enrolled in the RHS Campaign for School Gardening, which aims to encourage and support schools to develop and actively use a school garden. Participation by pupils has been encouraged by the use of a greenhouse at the school. The greenhouse, a gift from the In-Bloom Committee, in 2009, was re-glazed with plastic panelling, in case of accident, and erected on site by members of the Saturday Crew. In-Bloom makes an annual gift of seed supplies to get the pupils into the ‘growing habit’ for the year’s events. As part of its regular maintenance of the school’s gardens, this year In Bloom has built new raised beds for the pupils. In addition, a new border has been put in at the front of the school creating a new planting area to replace root bound boxes and much of the unsightly hedging has been cut back from the adjacent car park to improve its appearance.

Page 29 The Future Filby in Bloom 2017

Study the past if you would divine the future. K’ung Fut-Tzu [Confucius]. All who participate in In-Bloom do so not for the ‘glittering prizes’ of the competitions but for the good of the community and the most welcome reward is always the positive feedback received from members of the public. All mention how good the village looks, especially so during the summer. Many express this in letters which find their way to the village Post Office. In-Bloomers do take the competitions seriously and endeavour to follow judge’s advice, where appropriate. Committee members attend the awards ceremonies, seminars and surgeries of both Anglia in Bloom and Britain in Bloom, whenever possible. Feedback from the surgeries is reported and discussed at some length. Judges’ comments are analysed and most, if not all, of their recommendations are put into practice. In the summer months, Filby remains faithful to its floral displays but less visible, however, are some of the longer term projects being undertaken by the In-Bloom team. These include the Community Orchard for the preservation of threatened varieties of apple that used to be grown in Norfolk. In conjunction with Filby Parish Council and Essex & Suffolk Water, access to the Broads has been improved by the provision of boardwalks onto both Filby and Ormesby Little Broads and, together with Norfolk Wildlife Trust, In-Bloom works closely to monitor and foster the local wildlife. In 2010, Filby had a grant of £1,500 from the Broads Authority for planting schemes within the village. Roadside planting of trees and hedging continues and Filby’s commitment to the environment is further reflected by its adoption of the RHS initiative to reduce its usage of Peat based composts. Filby in Bloom has developed a close relationship with the local Far East Prisoners of War Association, as part of their joint two year project to establish a permanent memorial within the village to their sacrifice. The community had worked, tirelessly, from 2006, to acquire funds to build a village hall and a notable achievement was to gain a grant of £500,000 from the Reaching Communities Building Fund of BIG Lottery, in 2014, to enable it to be built. Construction started in November 2014 and it was completed on 19th June, the following year. The building has a main hall with a fully equipped stage and an advanced Audio Visual Display System. Full advantage of these facilities has been taken by local acting company, the Broadlands Theatre Group, who have put on major plays and shows. There are sports changing rooms that have drawn local teams to make more use of the Playing Field and the condition of the Playing Field pitches has improved as a result of the use of a new tractor mower. Local reaction to the hall has been very positive and many activities, new to the village, have started to take place, there. Frequent fitness classes are now held in the main hall including Pilates, Zumba and Yoga. Ballet Barres have been installed to facilitate dance. A Cinema Group, which holds screenings of new releases every month, is proving very popular with audiences increasing, month on month. The hall is used by a local craft collective for monthly sales events throughout the year and it has proven a popular venue for many other types of sale including Jumble Sales and similar. Monthly Coffee Mornings are well attended and are a useful source of income for village charities. Some of the special ones, such as the Marie Curie Big Birthday Party, now, bring in several hundreds of pounds to their beneficiaries. A Gardening Club has started at the Hall. It meets on the second Tuesday of each month. Its first speaker was Ellen Mary, who in her capacity as Gardening Presenter for local station, Mustard TV, had featured Filby in Bloom’s activities in her programmes. The Club is already running plant sales and exchanges and is planning garden visits and other social activities later in the year. The prospect of Gardening Lessons at the Hall is being discussed. In all of this, the village’s treasured Club Room, retained for meetings and small activities, is not being neglected. Sufficient funds remained from the main building project to tidy up the thatching and to renovate both interior and exterior in order to make it a more attractive venue. Filby’s future is further fundraising for more small projects to improve the residents’ quality of life so that it remains a pure pleasure to live in a village with such a great community spirit. It is, indeed, ‘a lovely place to be’.

The new Village Hall (4th Jun 2015)

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