FREEREEPHAM LIFE YOUR Community Newspaper www.reephamlife.co.uk April 2016 No. 32, Primary school library reopens after makeover by MEGAN BALE ON World Book Day (3 March), Reepham Primary School’s li- brary was reopened as a colourful wonderland thanks to a donation from the school’s “Friends” committee. Local artist Daniel Fromings agreed to paint the once ordi- nary-looking library so the walls are now covered in beautiful masterpieces of many of our favourite books and characters, including The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis, Matilda by Roald Dahl, Percy Jackson by Rick Riordan and Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne. Accompanying each of these heart-warming illustrations is a quote from the book, which has inspired many to pick up a book and read. In addition to the new paintings, a selection Above: Mark Farrar, principal of Reepham High School & College, opens of vibrantly coloured bean bags and a multi-coloured sofa the newly revamped library at Reepham Primary School. Left: Primary have been arranged in the library to make it a more relaxing school pupils relaxing with a good book experience. said Mr Fromings, “but also because I Reepham Primary School acting head teacher just like dragons.” Catherine Ogle made the decision to repaint the He revealed that this is not the first library as she had always wanted book characters time he’s painted the library: in 1998 on the library walls. when he was a pupil at Reepham Pri- “Now that the walls have been painted, the mary School, each class had to vote children are more inclined to come in and pick for their favourite book character and up a book,” she commented. “The children can his class voted for Matilda. relax, be inspired and read.” Each of the classes then got to paint Mr Fromings, the “miracle worker” who painted their chosen character on the library the library, worked with teachers and children walls and so consequently Mr Fromings from the school to put together this amazing project; it took helped paint Matilda. him more than 60 hours to decorate the whole library. Unfortunately, however, when the library was rebuilt, his The Alex Rider (Anthony Horowitz) logo took the longest artwork was painted over. Now he has returned to paint in as there were lots of different tones to use. The Boy Overboard the library once more, replacing what was lost. (Morris Gleitzman) artwork was one of the hardest as there Mark Farrar, principal of Reepham High School & College, weren’t any illustrations he could use from the book. Instead officially opened the library and said he was delighted with the artist had to get images from online sources and put these what he saw. He thought the furniture looked “great and together to make one big picture. comfy” and that there was a “fantastic range of books”. “My favourite picture is the dragon (Beast Quest) because it is really nice and gives a good impression of the character,” CONTINUED ON PAGE 6 4 RPS professionalilitlti print solutionns e: [email protected] 01603 871102 Church St. Reepham Norwich NR10 4JWW ENNJOY THE HAMPTTON’S EXPERRIENCE.... Serving amazing home cookkeed rustic fayree,, daily Special Board(s) and on Sundays a really sppecial slow cookkeed Sunday Lunch from our vintage AGGAA. BRUNCH s served daily from 10-11:30am, offffering eggs benedictt,, QYYJJ¿RWWQSOIH WEPQSR ERH FEGSR XS REQI FYX E JI[ LUNCH AFTERNOON TEA is served 12-2:30pm daily, serving baps, FFrrom 2.30-4.30pm wwe offffer salads, home made a fabulous Afternoon TTeea soups and delicious and a wonderful home-made dailyspy speccials. cakkee selection daily. 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Wee’’rre situated just offff the Dereham Road (10670) at Bawdeswell Hamptons @The Barn, Dereham Road, Bawdeswell, Norffoolk, NR20 4AA Reepham Life, April 2016 3 news Reepham Life is a free monthly newspaper published by Reepham Community Press Mother’s challenge for Birdy’s 10k Run EDITOR Geoff Fisher ADVERTISING Judy Holland A MOTHER from Reepham, whose 19- Award at Reepham College, which helps WEBSITE Jeremy Brockman year-old daughter Katja was killed in a students financially as they apply to Printed by: Colour Print, Norwich road accident in No- university. vember 2013, is to “Thirteen students were helped last EDITORIAL ADDRESS Reepham Community Press compete in the year,” said Ms Livsey, who runs Angelica Homerton House, 74 Cawston Road Grand East Anglia Florists in the Market Place. “Hopefully, Reepham, Norfolk NR10 4LT Run, a 10-km course we will be able to do even more in 2016. Tel: 01603 308158 in King’s Lynn on I’m training for this run and my ambition Email: [email protected] Sunday 1 May. at this point is not to come last!” Web: www.reephamlife.co.uk Hilary Livsey is Money will also be donated to Norfolk The views expressed in Reepham raising money for Police to help promote awareness of Life are not necessarily those of the the Katja Han sen road safety to young drivers. Publishers or the Editor Livsey Achievement http://gogetfunding.com/birdys-10k-run All material is strictly copyright and all rights reserved All material submitted for publication, Station owner says assets must be including letters to the editor, may be edited for reasons of space and clarity used to keep the railway operating WITH plans for the development of mesh fence would also be fitted along proposed for the space between the Whitwell Station under fire from nearby the entire length of the new track along- track and the opposite platform. “And residents and the horse-riding commu- side the Marriott’s Way. to be honest, cyclists are often a bigger nity, the station’s owner says the site’s Whitwell Station said it is working problem to other users of the footpath assets must be used to their maximum closely on these plans with Norfolk than horses,” he said. to enable the railway to survive and County Council, which owns the foot- Whitwell Station has also applied to prosper. path/bridleway. extend the premises licence to midnight Whitwell & Reepham Station opened Mr Urry said that, in recent months, on Friday and Saturday evenings to in 1882 and was closed in 1959, the very few horses came past the station, cater for the growing number of private track-bed being used as part of the pointing out that existing parts of Mar- functions. Marriott’s Way long-distance footpath in riott’s Way are narrower than the gap In particular, the Station has rapidly 1993. become a wedding venue, offering a Having been identified as a possible whole package including arriving on a location for a travellers’ site, local busi- steam train, a wedding breakfast in The nessman and rail enthusiast Mike Urry Sidings function room and the ceremony bought the derelict site in 2007, forming in the old station building, as well as the Whitwell & Reepham Railway Preser- the evening function. vation Society, with aims to restore the With the permanent “marquee” now station, re-lay track and set up a railway completed, 13 weddings have already museum. The station was reopened in been booked this year, as well as several February 2009. 50th birthday parties and a high school The society now wants to re-lay track reunion (the current premises licence on the Marriott’s Way to enable disabled will only permit late closing on up to and elderly passengers to board the 15 nights a year). heritage diesel and steam trains at one Mr Urry stressed that the permanent of the original station platforms. midnight licence on Fridays and Saturdays A revised planning application has would only be used for special events, been submitted which provides for a adding that the functions business had “traffic light” warning system, with all evolved in recent years based on demand train movements to be publicised on the website. A two-metre high wired Mike Urry CONTINUED ON PAGE 6 4 www.reephamlife.co.uk 4 Reepham Life, April 2016 views Home truths about parking fondly remembers, were a menace, too. want to see it die. I HAVE never wholly agreed with Bill Stephen Howard, Church Street, Why should we have to live in a Rose in his heartfelt campaign against Reepham “theme park” to give amusement to vis- motor vehicles. itors? They will not come looking if His “accident waiting to happen” phi- Bigger plan? there are no facilities. losophy smacks of health and safety IS it time our elected representatives And why shouldn’t we have another gone mad, and his role in driving Hamp- stood up to the County Hall mandarins? takeaway? Why shouldn’t we have an- ton’s away from Reepham does not With regard to the Original Country other small supermarket? Why shouldn’t seem to have reduced the number of Cottage Company wanting to use part we have more housing? Everywhere parked cars on Norwich Road. of the fire station grounds for parking, has to grow and develop to survive. Nevertheless, he does point out some Norfolk County Council claim they have Name and address supplied home truths. The breakdown of negoti- to “deliver a proper return” [Reepham ations to convert the rear of the fire sta- Life, March 2016]. Heritage support tion into a car park, which featured What return are they getting for it WE are fully supportive of the proposed alongside Bills’s article in Issue 31 [Reep- now? Surely something is better than plan to extend the railway line to include ham Life, March 2016], is a frustrating nothing.