Filby in Bloom 2019

Britain in Bloom Village Portfolio Contents Filby in Bloom 2019

Sub Sub Item Section Page Item Section Page Cover 1 Trinity Broads B1, B2 17 Contents 2 NWt’s Living Landscape Project B1, B2 17 Village Map 3 First Time Volunteer B1, B2, B3 18 Filby - Some History B1 4 Village Ponds B1, B2 19 Introduction Filby in Bloom C1 5 Ormesby Little Broad Viewing Platform & B1, B2, B3 19 David Thompson M.B.E 1929 to 2018 C1 6 Walkway Anglia in Bloom Judging Day 2018 C1, C2 7 Clay Pits Project B1, B2 19 Wildlife Area B2 20 Open Gardens Weekend C1, C2, C3 7 Nest Boxes B2 20 Anglia in Bloom Awards Ceremony C1 8 Filby in Churchyard Project B1, B2 20 Yarmouth in Bloom Awards Ceremony C1 8 Bloom’s Year Domestic Waste Recycling B3 21 Anglia in Bloom Autumn Seminar C1 8 B - Plant and Compost Recycling B3 21 Anglia in Bloom Spring Launch C1 8 Environmental Responsibility Garden Waste Composting B3 21 Britain in Bloom Seminar C1 8 Peat Usage Reduction B3 21 Summer Activity A1, A2 9 Mulching B2, A2 22 Autumn, Winter & Spring Activity A1, A2 9 Chemical Treatments B2, A2 22 Growing-on Facilities A1, A2 9 Information Boards B1 22 Planning for Summer Displays A1, A2, A3, A4 9 Cleanliness B3 22 Nourishment A1, A2 10 Welcome Signs B1 22 Barrels and Planters A1, A2 10 Street Furniture B3 23 York Villa Close Rose Beds A1, A2, A3, A4 11 Watering B3, A2 23 Kings Head Bed A1, A2, A3, A4 11 Village Hall Energy Usage B1, B2 23 A1, A2, A3, A4, Village Pound 11 Club Room Re-thatching B1 23 B1, B3 Other Activities B3 23 A1, A2, A3, Village Club Room Garden 11 A4, B1 Filby’s New Village Hall C1, C2 24 A1, A2, A3, Village Hall Sensory Garden 12 Open Gardens Weekend C1, C2, C3 24 A4, B1 Grand Fete C1, C2, C3 24 A1, A2, A3, We got an ‘orse 12 A4, B1 Grand Firework Display C1, C2, C3 24 A1, A2, A3, Christmas Bazaar C1, C2, C3 25 A - Queen’s Golden Jubilee Bed 12 A4, B1 Horticultural Christmas Party C3 25 Achievement Drought Garden A1, A2, A3, A4 13 Easter Bonanza C1, C2, C3 25 The Percy Hudson Bed A1, A2, A3, A4 13 Filby in Bloom Coffee Mornings C1, C2, C3 25 Filby Close Beds A1, A2, A3, A4 13 The Village Football Pitch C1, C3 25 Poplar Drive Beds A1, A2, A3, A4 13 Filby & District Gardening Club C1 26 Filby Flyer A1, A2, A3, A4 13 C - Community The Press C2 26 Business Premises A1, A2, A3, A4 14 Participation The Filby Flyer C2 26 Residential Gardens A1, C3 14 Local Radio & Television C2 26 Community Orchard A3, B1 14 Filby on the Web C2 27 Tree Planting A1, A2, A3 15 Other Means of Publicity C2 27 Hedge Planting A1, A2, A3 15 BID C2, C3 27 Wildflower Planting A1, A2, A3, B2 15 Quiz Night C3 27 Rotary Crocus Beds A1, A2, A3, C2 15 Branded Products C3 28 Allotments A3, A4, B1 15 Sponsorship C3 28 Living Wall A1, A2, A3, A4 16 Nursery C1 28 A1, A2, A3, A4, Pound Memorial Improvement Plan 16 Filby Primary School C1 28 B1, B3 Gardening at Filby School C1 29 Filby in Bloom Accounts C1, C3 29 The Future C1 30

Page 2 Village Map Filby in Bloom 2019

Filby Bridge Restaurant Bus Shelter Millennium Clock Playing Field Water Feature

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

Green Lane Boardwalk Ken Martin Memorial

Pound Lane Ormesby Lane

Filby Main Road Broad Church Broad Lane Filby Lane York Villa Close Close Poplar Drive Paddock A1064 Farm Drive Filby Broad FEPOW Memorial

Mautby Lane

Thrigby Road Mill Lane 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 2019

Filby - Some History - B1 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. Filby has a long history dating back to the end of the Ice Age when rising sea levels left Britain an island. Local rivers discharged into a large bay occupying much of the land to the west of what is, now, Great Yarmouth. They deposited sand and silt that formed a thick clay deposit over former reedswamp, where, in the absence of oxygen, it would slowly decompose Local Map into peat. The bay was present during the Roman conquest of Britain in AD 43. To guard the entrance, they erected forts at nearby Caister and on the opposite bank, Burgh Castle. There was a further entrance to the bay at nearby Horsey, with the land in between that was to become known as Flegg Island, (Flegg is a Norse word meaning Reeds). The Romans had largely departed from Britain by AD 410 and were replaced, in Norfolk, by Angles from the Schleswig-Holstein area of Germany. It is after them that the region is known as East Anglia. Following the initial violence of conquest, they settled to an agrarian lifestyle, clearing areas of forest to graze their animals. Vikings arrived in about AD800 and Danes occupied Flegg Island. Danish settlements are characterised by a name ending in ‘by’ meaning new settlement. There are some 13 villages, on the island, with a name ending in ‘by’ and Filby was the home of File the Dane. The bay was already draining, as the sandbar reformed at its mouth and reed and Alder Carr was encroaching its banks. (A carr is waterlogged, wooded terrain that, typically, represents a succession stage between the original reedy swamp and the eventual formation of forest.) Filby maintained its access to the bay via a, still present, water course known as Muck Fleet and, at the time of the Norman invasion, the local economy was benefiting from the sale of salt. In the Doomsday book, Filby is recorded as having 3 pans from which seawater was evaporated to leave salt. After the invasion, Filby was given to Rabel the Engineer, the master of the Norman army’s siege engines. Until the 1950s, it had been thought that the Broads were the residuals from the drainage of the bay but, as a result of soil borings, botanist Joyce Lambert, then of the University of Cambridge, established that they were, in fact, former peat diggings. Her contentious proposition prompted a literature search which revealed that there was no mention of any ‘lakes’ in Norfolk until the Elizabethan era! A tentative date for the start of peat extraction is the 9th century. Tangible sources of medieval information on the subject are

Norfolk in AD800 monastic accounts which record their consumption of peat as an alternative fuel to heat their buildings. This was in place of wood as the local area was being subjected to deforestation. The largest consumers were the, now ruined, Abbey of Saint Benedict, near Thurne, and the Cathedral at Norwich, which consumed some 400,000 turves a year. (A turf is approximately 1 cubic foot). Turves were removed in strips following the boundaries of single-family ownership of the open field system of farming of the Middle Ages. The extractions were known as ‘Turbaries’. Turbaries were an important source of income for their owners and, locally, peat had an early use in the boiling of salt. The Ormesby- Rollesby-Filby group of villages, situated about what is now known as the Trinity Broads, were particularly active in peat extraction and were the most heavily populated area in the county, at the time. It is estimated that some 900 million cubic feet of peat were lifted to form the Broads but peat extraction began to decline in the 13th century when demand fell as a result of population decrease due to the great epidemics. Wet weather, brought about by climate change, made extraction more difficult, and records began to refer to ‘peat dredging’ as opposed to ‘peat digging’. Fisheries now replaced turbaries in the monastic record and, in 1574, the Trinity Broads made their first appearance on a map. Until the 1950s, the village’s main claim to fame was its proliferation of market gardens. Kelly’s Directory of 1897 lists the occupation

Page 4 Filby in Bloom 2019 of 20 out of the 45 property owning residents as ‘market gardener’. That same volume records that the village was one of the country’s main raspberry growing centres. It mentions that the parish is ‘famous for its excellent raspberries, many hundred pounds worth of which are sent to London and other towns during the season’. The 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica even names Filby as a popular summer fruiting variety of raspberry. (Raspberry Filby is also known as Fastolf.) Between the wars, not only were there five large, professional market gardens of 5 acres or more in the village, there were also some 30 or so properties with gardens of between a half and one acre, growing crops that were sold to supplement the incomes of Raspberry picking in the 1920s lowly paid farm worker owners and tenants. Those families not having the advantage of a garden could hire an allotment situated on Thrigby Road. With allotment or garden, their most valuable crop was raspberries! The picking season was relatively short, but intense, just 6 or 7 weeks in mid-summer, during which time family members were roped in to help individual growers, whilst the professionals hired in women from the village to collect the crop. The fruit was transferred from the picker’s wicker baskets to a squat, red stained, half-barrel which could be obtained from a central collection point on Thrigby Road, known as the ‘Jam Shed’. It exists to this day! There was a market throughout the country for the fruit, with some being taken to the nearby station at Great Ormesby, where it would be conveyed north and west by the Midland and Great Northern Railway, or south to the capital, crossing Great Yarmouth to link with the Great Eastern Railway. Most, however, went for jam. During the season, in the interwar years, the barrels would by 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 peak season, the lorry would be laden in two tiers with 40 or so barrels. Via this route, alone, some 30 tonnes of raspberries would leave the village, every year. Others left for the Saturday market at Great Yarmouth. Produce would be collected on a Friday evening by a carrier and 8 or 9 people might be seen sharing the back of the lorry, going into town, early the following morning. Professional growers sent fruit to market in wooden trays, each branded with the grower’s name. As wooden punnets were expensive, fruit would be sliced from the tray into a brown paper bag at the bottom of which was a cabbage leaf to prevent juices leaking into the buyer’s basket. Whilst in the later years, a second raspberry crop could be obtained from an autumn fruiting variety, a more regular income was derived from other seasonal crops. Fruit crops like Red Currants and Black Currants would also be taken by Bracey’s of

Martham. Varieties of Apples were grown that are seldom heard The Jam Shed of today, such as Bismark, Vicar of Beighton and Sops of Wine, and heavy crops of Strawberries were taken on damp land by the Broads, but all were dependent upon the weather. The village’s market gardening heritage is commemorated in the Village Sign, on the Pound, with raspberries illustrated on the main sign supports.

Filby in Bloom - C1 The parish covers an area of a little over 2.2 square miles (543 acres) and, according to the December 2017 Register of Electors it had 664 people, over the age of 18, and 344 dwellings. Essentially agricultural in character, until the late 1950s, Filby was known for its market gardens. It was never a ‘chocolate box’ village, with thatched cottages surrounding a quaint village green. It remains a succession of dwellings, lining the busy A1064. The village has, now, however, become an attractive base for commuters, to both Great Yarmouth and Norwich. The village entered Anglia in Bloom, for the first time, in 1995, had its first success in 1997 and in 2017, achieved the ultimate accolade of Category Winner in the Britain in Bloom Competition. All involved do so to make Filby a better place in which to live, for the benefit of residents, businesses and visitors alike. Everyone

Page 5 Filby in Bloom 2019

The Team Key Tasks makes a contribution in the best way that they can. There is no

Adrian Thompson Chairman, planning, planting, potting on and watering formal ‘In-Bloom’ committee, as such. Instead, everyone has a

Paddy Hudson Secretary say in the planning. A Chairperson and Secretary are elected

Joy Baldry Potting on & planting for the purpose of those meetings that are, occasionally, held

Jenny Barnes & Tony Elms Fund raising quizzes but all participate in the discussions and everyone has an equal

Peter Chapman Water feature maintenance and litter vote. Team work is evident throughout the organisation of the

Susan Chase Orchard many schemes and projects that run every year, to which so

Nick Dawes Rill, planting & potting on many of the residents willingly give their time. Mervyn & Sandra Gibson Planting, potting on & maintenance, use of greenhouse Every Saturday morning, a small team is assembled to conduct Tom Green Display design, planting all necessary clearing, cleaning, planting and other sundry Percy Hudson Floral displays, strimming and maintenance, potting on tasks to ensure that the village stays in great shape. It is during Richard Morris Planting the mid-morning coffee break that most projects are tabled. Caroline Nicker Club Room Project, Sensory Garden Individuals suggest projects and are, usually, quickly delegated Derek Nicker Portfolio & Press Officer to manage them. The sheer number and variety of the tasks Ian Richardson Planting & potting on, maintenance, Pound Wetlands undertaken demonstrate the innovation within the village. Its Ted & Julie Roberts Planting & potting on. enthusiasm for the In-Bloom competitions and for the overall Joan Saul Orchard, Wildlife Garden improvement to the fabric of the neighbourhood, in general, is Ken Saul Nest Boxes, Wildlife Surveys self-evident. David Shaw Planting, potting on and maintenance Filby is well known throughout the area as ‘The Flower Village’ Jenny Thompson Fundraising and the media pay close attention to activities in the Parish, Gwen Thurtle Drought Garden, potting on, planting & maintenance which are also publicised in a monthly newsletter, the Filby Gordon & Margery Ward Planning & displays Flyer. Fundraising is a year-round activity. A regular income is Debbie & Lewis Waldron Planting, potting on and maintenance derived from the collection of recyclables and sponsors are Sandra Woolsey Garden Planning. 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”. Current members of the In-Bloom team are listed here but they are ably assisted, on a regular basis, and in a variety of different roles, by other village residents, too numerous to mention.

David Thompson M.B.E 1929 to 2018 - C1 David Thompson MBE, Filby in Bloom’s Deputy Chairman, died, after a short illness, on Sunday, December 9th at the age of 88. Mr Thompson had served Great Yarmouth as a mayor in 2001 and deputy mayor in 2002. He was also a councillor for the Blofield and Flegg Rural District and Great Yarmouth Borough Council for 46 years. In 2001, Mr Thompson was awarded an MBE - presented by Prince Charles and in 2006 he was honoured with the Freedom of the Borough.

His son, Filby in Bloom’s Chairman, Adrian Thompson said: “He was a man who lived for work and people. He loved what he did and lived a full life alongside his family.” David was born in Filby on December 30, 1929 to Walter and Maudie Lillian Thompson. He attended Filby School from January 1935 to December 1944. He and his wife, Doreen, were married at Martham, on 24th March 1951, and lived at Broad Farm, continuing to work on there. Here, their first son Ivan was born in 1952. David supplemented his farm wage by playing piano accordion in the Eddie Bates Band at many local venues. He moved back to Filby in 1964 and took his father’s job as a local postman. He became a sub postmaster at Filby in 1966 and opened the Post Office and village store on the present site.

David’s packed funeral was held on Tuesday, 18th December at All Saints Church in Filby. David Thompson M.B.E.1929 to 2018

Page 6 Filby in Bloom’s Year Filby in Bloom 2019

Anglia in Bloom Judging Day 2018 - C1, C2 This year, we 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 Friday 13th July. Our judg- es were Chris Durham, from Hunstanton and Nolan Mills from South Wooton in Norfolk. Judging started at 2:30 pm 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.

A highlight of the Judging Tour was the visit to Filby Primary School, where the Judges were first entertained by a song, before Anglia in Bloom Judging (13th Jul 2018) - L to R. Chris Durham, Nolan looking at the school’s award winning Norfolk Show Garden Mills, Derek Nicker) about plastic free gardening. At Filby Broad, the judges met Ken Saul and Geoff Hurrell, volunteers from Norfolk Wildlife Trust, who outlined their work, in and around the village. Judges, also, met In Bloomers who were happy to talk about work undertaken on projects that they had managed throughout the year.

The tour concluded with tea and cake, which enabled the judges to meet some of those people involved in village activities, including ladies from the W.I. and the village’s Gardening Club.

Open Gardens Weekend - C1, C2, C3 ‘Open Gardens Weekend’ is the occasion, in July, when the Open Gardens Day 24th Jul 2018 - Mrs Helen Plane, a regular village ‘puts on its best horticultural bib and tucker’ and lets the participant, in her garden. 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. 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. Open Gardens Day 24th Jul 2018 - Daniel Evans (R) buries Filby’s time Open Gardens 2018 took place on 24th and 25th July and 16 capsule assisted by (L to R) Farrah Rowe, Adele Rowe and Toby Travis. gardens were opened to visitors. A profit of £2,184 was made which was divided, equally, between the local church, the village hall and Filby in Bloom. Highlights of the weekend were the burial of a time capsule by children from the local school, organised and collected by village Playing Field Committee member, Daniel Evans, and the unveiling of a mural of village life, which had recently been completed by local artist, Jim Roberts, on a blank wall in the new Village Hall.

Open Gardens Day 24th Jul 2018 - Artist Jim Roberts at the unveiling of his mural in Filby’s new Village Hall.

Page 7 Filby in Bloom’s Year Filby in Bloom 2019

Anglia in Bloom Awards Ceremony - C1 The Anglia in Bloom Awards Ceremony, this year, was at the Apex Centre in Bury St. Edmunds on Wednesday 12th September. The Saturday Crew were awarded a Gold Medal and carried off the title of Best Village for the 17th time in the past 19 years! The village, itself, won the Environmental Quality Award, while Filby Bridge Restaurant and the village churchyard won Gold Medals and Filby School and the Pound were nominated in their respective categories. Congratulations go to Wisbeach for Best Overall Entry.

Filby in Bloom’s Adrian Thompson (L) and Derek Nicker (R) at the Anglia Yarmouth in Bloom Awards Ceremony - C1 in Bloom Awards Ceremony (12th Sep 2018). Judge Melanie Lemon (C). Unlike the other In Bloom competitions, with Yarmouth in Bloom Photograph: carolstreetphotography.com we never know when we are being judged and who we are being judged by. Never-the-less, it was Gold for Filby and Best Village at the awards ceremony on Friday 12th October.

Anglia in Bloom Autumn Seminar - C1 On Wednesday 7th November, the village was proud to host the Anglia in Bloom Autumn Seminar in our new Village Hall. The event was superbly organised for the village by resident Margery Ward, a former Anglia in Bloom judge. Margery, with village Buttonwick Bakery, catered the event, using locally sourced produce, and the hall’s Audio Visual facilities were used to good The Saturday Crew collect their awards at the Anglia in Bloom Awards effect. During the seminar, we were pleased to be able to get Ceremony (12th Sep 2018) feedback, on their award, from our judges who had spotted a number of things about the village that we had failed to notice ourselves.

Anglia in Bloom Spring Launch - C1 On Tuesday, 26th March, Filby’s Saturday Crew newcomers, Debbie and Lewis Waldron, represented the village at Anglia in Bloom’s Spring Launch at Notcutts Garden Centre in Norwich.

Britain in Bloom Seminar - C1 As winners of the Village Category in 2017, we were not in Britain in Bloom 2018. Entered by Anglia for 2019, the seminar at Etc. Venues in Manchester on 8 February 2019 was attended Anglia in Bloom Autumn Seminar in Filby’s new Village Hall (7th Nov by Filby’s Caroline & Derek Nicker. 2018)

Simon Partridge speaking at Anglia in Bloom Autumn Seminar in Filby’s Anglia in Bloom’s Spring Launch at Notcutts Garden Centre in Norwich. new Village Hall on the subject of the Howe Hill Trust (7th Nov 2018) (26th Mar 2019). Photograph Terry Bane

Page 8 A - Horticultural Achievement Filby in Bloom 2019

Summer Activity 2018 - A1, A2 For very good reasons, for the past five 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 that practice. Working to a tried and tested time table, by mid-May 2018, all the bedding was growing on in the greenhouses, and all the hanging baskets were made up. Planting out started on Saturday 19th May, and baskets were hung out in the first week in June. June saw the village’s verges spring into colour as In-Bloom’s, Norfolk Wildlife Trust’s and residents’ roadside planting of wildflower seeds started to pay off, backing up the colour from the beds and hanging baskets.

Autumn, Winter & Spring Activity 2018/19 - A1, A2 Amazed by the implication, in the recent BBC2 Television Series ‘Britain in Bloom’, that work on entries starts just a few weeks before judging, Filby’s Saturday Crew know that In Bloom is an all year round, all weather activity. This year’s work started in September of last year, immediately after judging, breaking down the summer displays and recycling both plants and compost for the following year. 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. Over the Christmas period, the team’s baskets were, again, put to use as the base for Christmas decorations hung from the village lamp posts. Spring colour, in 2019, was provided by 7,000 bulbs planted in the two previous years supplemented by an additional 3,000 bulbs planted this year, together with 1,400 Polyanthus.

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

Planning for Summer Displays - A1, A2, A3, A4 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 21,447 was the largest ever, at 9% more than last year (itself a record), and continues to place a heavy emphasis (68%) on Begonias, which have proven a great success in recent years. In a small way, Impatiens make their first return since the Downy Mildew scare of 2011. Potting on started on 30th March, this year. A focus of the village’s roadside displays is its Hanging Baskets. Filby in Bloom’s standard Hanging Basket for 2019 is, again, a 450 mm diameter basket containing 15 plants, a colourful mix of Begonias, Petunias, Verbenas and Calibrachoas. 40 hanging baskets were prepared by the Saturday Crew, by Cowslips at the Church Car Park (15th Apr 2019)

Spring Colour. The Village Pound. (1st Apr 2019)

Page 9 A - Horticultural Achievement Continued Filby in Bloom 2019

Filby’s 2019 Display Plants compared with 2018 Filby’s 2019 Display Colours compared with 2018

‘the numbers’. A further 80 baskets were obtained from a local Garden Centre at, nearby, Moulton St. Mary. This year’s basket will contain some white elements, on the recommendation of last year’s judges ‘to enable them to stand out more’. In addition to the annuals, a further 448 perennials were purchased as plugs, and grown on, to be used to expand permanent planting throughout the village.

Nourishment - A1, A2 Since 2013, when Britain in Bloom judges commented, adversely, that the beds on the Village Pound were undernourished, an The Factory Line (6th Apr 2019) annual 5-ton supply of Cow Manure, has been procured from a local dairy farm. Cow manure is preferred, over the equestrian equivalent, as the ruminants digest and kill off weed seeds. This has been used, ever since, on all of Filby’s displays.

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 from hanging baskets from its lampposts. Their use has continued, ever since, but 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 New Sleeper Bed at Pound Lane (16th Feb 2019) 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 the Trust, recovered from their 2012 rebuild of the Boardwalk to Ormesby Little Broad (Page 19). 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’. Winter colour is obtained from bedding, pansies and violas, and, hyacinth, tulips, muscari and crocus bulbs. A further two sets of barrels were moved, from Main Road, opposite Church Lane in 2017, to be replaced with large raised beds, built by In Bloom, from Railway Sleepers. Three planters, along Pound Lane, were replaced by sleeper beds in February,

New Railway Sleeper Raised Beds at York Villa Close (6th Jul 2018) this year.

Page 10 A - Horticultural Achievement Continued Filby in Bloom 2019

York Villa Close Rose Beds - A1, A2, A3, A4 In 2017, residents, who undertook to be responsible for their subsequent maintenance, asked that rose beds be established at the entrance of York Villa Close, off Thrigby Road. An outline of the beds, constructed in January, was provided to Peter Beales Roses of Attleborough, in Norfolk, who were asked to provide planting recommendations. They suggested a combination of yellow / orange varieties, Absolutely Perfect, Westerland and red Scarlet Flower Carpet roses, which were purchased. The beds were planted out by the residents, themselves, on 6th February 2018. Kings Head Bed (28th May 2018) Kings Head Bed - A1, A2, A3, A4 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 and subsequent displays. That rebuild commenced in February and was completed in March, including re-turfing the ‘island’ upon which the bed sits.

Village Pound - A1, A2, A3, A4, B1, B3 The Pound is intended to be the central focus of the village. 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 Village Pound (6th Jul 2018) 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. In 2014, the Pound was subject to a complete revamp, a project that has continued to this day, with substantial work undertaken, last year, on its wetland surroundings by In Bloomer, Ian Richardson. See also Page 16.

Village Club Room Garden - A1, A2, A3, A4, B1 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 The Club Room Garden (23rd Apr 2019) 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 wheelchair friendly, 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. Water, from the gutters of the Club Room, was channelled 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. 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

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that includes the words ‘Filby in Bloom’ cast in Aluminium that she had recovered from recycled drink cans.

Village Hall Sensory Garden - A1, A2, A3, A4, B1 Substantial drainage works were undertaken in front of the new 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 planted out on 13th June 2015, to become a sensory garden, celebrating the seventieth anniversary of the end of the Second World War, and recognising the part played in New Rill in Village Hall Sensory Garden (31st Mar 2018) it by the people of Filby. This garden was planned and planted by Caroline Nicker aided by other members of the In Bloom team. During spring 2018, the sense of noise was added to the garden Senses and the Sensory Garden with a Water Feature built by Nick Dawes, Ian Richardson and Actions on comments by judges and trying to be Percy Hudson. innovative are important goals for Filby In Bloom and we strive to achieve these objectives on an annual We got an ‘orse - A1, A2, A3, A4, B1 basis. The sound element of our sensory garden needed With due apology to Billy Fury’s 1965 film, which was filmed in some reinforcement. Nick Dawes, Percy Hudson and I Great Yarmouth; in 2018, Filby ‘got its own ‘orse’. Inspired by designed and constructed a rill which has successfully positive comments about one of its smaller displays, a floral created pleasant “noise”; which is enhanced by the crown spilled handcart, situated opposite the village shop, the Saturday green bowlers in summer, crunching leaves in autumn, Crew conceived the idea of up-scaling it! A request for the use footballers and their supporters in winter, ever present of an old horse drawn farm tumbrel was publicised. A tumbrel birdsong and children enjoying the playground. was a two-wheeled cart for carrying dung, especially one that Scents: Hyacinthus, Chamaemelum, Rosa Rugosa and tilts backwards to deposit its load. A cart of this type was used Jasminum nudiflorum to take condemned prisoners to the guillotine during the French Sight: Galanthus, Achillea, Japanese Anemone, Cornus Revolution. Peter Flowerdew, a farmer living in the adjacent ‘midwinter fire’ village of Fleggburgh, came up trumps. His two wheeled cart was Taste: Rosmarinus, Chives, Rose Hips, Beta vulgaris delivered to In Bloom’s ‘headquarters’ at Thompson’s Farm in subsp. cicla var. Flavescens, February where it was given a new paint job by Adrian Thompson Touch: Stachys byzantina, Lavender, Liriope muscari, and his father, David, aided by some necessary repairs, affected Phlomis russeliana by fellow In Bloomer, Percy Hudson. A suggestion was made that what the display really needed was a horse and local artist, Jim We hope you enjoy a brief sojourn in our happy space. Roberts, agreed to create a two-dimensional version. Another Caroline Nicker suggestion was that In Bloom should have a competition to name May 2018 the horse for pupils at the village’s primary school. The school’s 86 pupils took to it in a big way. 42 names were suggested amongst 52 entries. The winner was selected by votes, cast by the public, on a posting on the Filby in Bloom Facebook page. At closure, the page had reached a staggering 10,183 people. 303 votes were cast and the winner with 91 votes was ‘Sir Trott- a-lot’, suggested by pupil, Toby Travis, aged 8. The display was first planted up in May and officially opened by Toby Travis on 21st May.

Queen’s Golden Jubilee Bed - A1, A2, A3, A4, B1 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 Spilt Tumbrel display (6th Jul 2018)

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The Drought Garden. Filby In Bloom 2018-2019 Following comments from the judges, in 2017, regarding the drought garden size, we increased the size so it is now 4 times bigger! I also took on board the dry areas under the trees and hedge around the car park. All the plants from the original garden had taken very well, so I took cuttings or separated them to create repeated planting and to stick to my budget! To compliment the planters made from redundant watering implements, (tap and pipe, watering can and hose pipes), and continue with the dry theme, I made a tortoise from a hanging basket, wire, 4 flower pots and sphagnum moss. I then planted through the holes in the basket with sempervivums to look like the shell. Gwen Thurtle 8th April 2019 Expanded Drought Garden (10th Feb 2018) 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 close to the new Hall, the decision was made to cut it back and replant it. 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 The Percy Hudson Bed under reconstruction (27th Jan 2019) WOW, annuals were also utilised. In 2017, part of the bed was cleared to make way for a drought garden.

The Percy Hudson Bed - A1, A2, A3, A4 On 2nd May, 2019, Percy Hudson retired from the Parish Council, after serving the village for over 50 years. During that time, he has worked with the Filby in Bloom team since we started back in 1990 and each year comes up with ideas for the flower bed on Thrigby Road corner, this year being no exception. To mark his dedication and contribution to the Village, the Bed is, now, to called the “Percy Hudson Bed”, complete with a brass plaque. In proposing this, Adrian Thompson, Chairman of Filby in Bloom said “ It is important to recognize the contribution made to the village and Filby in Bloom by the older generations, they were in at the beginning when things were tough, but with their help we have achieved National recognition”. This bed was enlarged in 2015. Its terracing was replaced by a slope, and, on the advice of 2014’s judges, during 2015, height was introduced into the display with Nicotiana sylvestris at the rear. Last year’s judges thought that the trellis behind the bed needed attention and attention it got. The bed was completely re-built with 17 railway sleepers and the grass fronting was re-turfed.

Filby Close Beds - A1, A2, A3, A4 In 2017, a pair of beds, at Filby Close, was extended and replanted, 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. This year the beds have been extended to accomodate a greater variety of perennials being grown on in the Village’s Greenhouses.

Poplar Drive Beds - A1, A2, A3, A4 This pair of beds, which housed permanent planting were extended to expand perennial planting about the village. An elderly row boat planting display was removed and re-used at Working at Poplar Drive Bed (5th Jan 2019)

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the entrance to Filby’s Bridge Restaurant. It was replaced by a large white windmill, designed and built by Percy Hudson.

Filby Flyer - A1, A2, A3, A4 In keeping with the 2010 display’s Broads Theme, it was decided to erect a sailing dingy by the Boardwalk to Filby Broad. After 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’! In 2017, the Flyer had a new paint job and a new set of pennants, courtesy of the village’s Craft Club.

Percy’s windmill at Poplar Drive (6th Apr 2019) Business Premises - A1, A2, A3, 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, winning the accolade of Anglia’s Best Restaurant, in 2017. Another active participant in In-Bloom is the village’s only remaining pub, the King’s Head, which reopened, mid-year in 2017.

Residential Gardens - A1, C3 There are many beautiful private gardens in the village, some very visible during the judging. As part of the annual Filby in The Filby Flyer (28th May 2018) Bloom fundraiser, 16 private gardens were open, again, to the public during the village’s Open Gardens Weekend, 24th and 25th 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.

Community Orchard - A3, B1 The initial idea for a community orchard was floated by village resident Joan Saul, over coffee, in late November 2007. None 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 Village Shop & Post Office (6th Jul 2018) 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 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

Page 14 A - Horticultural Achievement Continued Filby in Bloom 2019 orchard. The seventy two trees now fully utilise the space available. Last year, responsibility for maintenance of the orchard was assumed by village newcomer, Mrs. Susan Chase, after the sad death of In Bloomer, Victor Tungate.

Tree Planting - A1, A2, A3 In 2009, 10 trees were planted, along Main Road, close by those put in the previous year by Anglia in Bloom personnel, Gordon & 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. Last year, an Oak tree was planted on the Village Playing Field in memory of Victor Tungate, an active participant in In Bloom, who helped in maintaining the Community Orchard and the Bowling Green. Victor passed away, last year.

Hedge Planting - A1, A2, A3 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. Over the past two years, further hedging was planted, alongside the Village School Car Park, by In Bloomer, Ian Richardson.

Wild Flower Planting - A1, A2, A3, B2 Edging alongside the repaired hedge on Main Road (9th May 2015) 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 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. Wildflowers have been planted at the Church car park. At another location, last year, In Bloomer, Ian Richardson, has created a ‘lane’ of wildflowers alongside the new hedging at the village school’s carpark. He has also seeded alongside the ditches of the Wetland Area of the Village Pound. Rotary Crocus Beds - A1, A3, A3, C3 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. Allotments - A3, A4, B1 With the exception of a couple of plots that subsequently became 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 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 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. See Page 5) 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

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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.

Living Wall - A1, A2, A3, A4 Inspired by David White’s talk, at the Anglia in Bloom 2017 Seminar, Filby has decided to have a crack at its own wall. Started in March, plants to populate the wall will be supplied, later in the year, by local Moulton Nurseries.

The start of the Living Wall on Filby’s Jam Shed (6th Apr 2019)

POUND MEMORIAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN September 22, 2018 Project Overview Following a review of the improvement work carried out on the Pound during the previous year, it became evident that the memorial garden had become overgrown to the point, that people passing by the Pound were not aware of its presence. A plan to improve this situation was proposed, accepted and implemented; the work started in September. The photographs included in the proposed plan show how the memorial stone had become enveloped. The plan called for the planted area to be re-cut, to be widened and moved back, opening the front in a fan shape, relocating all of the plants. The building of two Pergolas using the reclaimed wood from dismantling the rose arbour, replanting the roses around the pergolas. The post ground spikes from the arbour were used with new posts and the reclaimed timber. Each plant was numbered and moved to the new position with the corresponding number. The re-cut beds were refreshed with manure and compost. Over 1,110 mixed bulbs including Daffodils, Tulips, Bluebells & Snowdrops, were planted in the new beds. Two new flower Existing Layout beds were cut in front of the re- designed planted area A local tree surgeon advised the team on the condition of the trees within the garden area. The previously damaged Cherry and Larch were removed and the Plane tree had the lower limbs removed, raising the canopy thus letting more light to the garden. The granite stone and its water feature were cleaned and a new nozzle fitted. The sump and pump were cleaned and the pump serviced. Previously installed but damaged flood lights, highlighting the memorial stone were replaced with new coloured lamps on a timer, lighting the stone after dark. Proposed Layout Lastly the recovered grass area was landscaped and seeded. The project took 11 of the Bloomer’s 131 hours to complete with 94 hours spent on preparation and landscaping, 16 hours revamping the memorial stone, 15 hours building the Pergolas & 6 hours planting the bulbs. During this work we were blest with favourable conditions and appear to have only lost two plants in the re-planting. Most shrubs are now showing leaf and the grass is well established. Ian Richardson April 2019 Proposed Layout Completed

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Trinity Broads - B1, B2 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, reduc- ing 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 Trin- ity Broads. About 10,000 kilos of fish were removed over the winters of 1994 / 95 and 1995 / 96. This resulted in the immedi- ate 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 the slowest to improve was Filby Broad. It is specu- lated that the sediment in Filby Broad, as a result of its East / West alignment with prevailing winds, is subject to more dis- turbance than other waters. Also, the Muck Fleet channel from that Broad to the River Bure, despite isolating the Broad via a 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 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 Trinity Broads Restoration project, at its conception, and it has been success- fully achieved!

NWT’s Living Landscapes Project - B1, B2 Norfolk Wildlife Trust’s 2015 survey of the parish revealed a population of lovely mature and veteran Oaks, and Oak trees can support over 350 different species of wildlife. Oaks and small leaved Lime trees had been planted by Trinity Broads

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

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First Time Volunteer; tending the local landscape with the Norfolk Wildlife Trust. I first heard of the Norfolk Wildlife Trust (www.norfolkwildlifetrust.org.uk) and the local volunteer group that meets every Monday when we moved to Filby over two years ago. Pressure of work, however, precluded further investigation at the time… … until, that is, retirement beckoned last October when I looked up my contact, got in touch and found myself at Fleggburgh Village Hall at 10:00 the following Monday - “bring your wellies” was the sole instruction! So there I was, along with a dozen or so experienced hands, equipped for anything that the elements could chuck at us, preparing to head off to the Fleggburgh end of Filby Broad to begin work clearing impenetrable reed and brush from a large segment of the shoreline. I learned quickly how to correctly stack cut wood, how to rake cut reeds into neat rows for drying and how to watch my step so as not to sink to my knees in the boggy ground whilst carting haystacks of cut reeds on a fork to those entrusted with tending the fire. Fire- poker in chief is a much coveted position, especially on inclement days, however lesser mortals should ensure they work upwind or their clothing will forever reek of burnt reed. As day one drew to a close, I thought of an old Yorkshire saying; “goin’ ‘ome, Black bright, tired as ten colliers”. What a day, but it was worth it. As the last of the reeds were cut away as in a great ‘reveal’, the sight that greeted us was truly stunning. The view across a glittering Filby Broad, bathed in the fading late autumn sunshine, is one I shall never forget. Home at last, I sank gratefully into a piping hot bath convinced that I’d never be able to walk again. Since that day, nearly six months ago, I have worked on several sites around Filby Broad, clearing areas of reed and brush allowing a more diverse flora and fauna to flourish. This new habitat allows for a more varied ecosystem, one which may sustain wildlife once abundant in Norfolk’s Broadland yet currently all too scarce. Such an outcome lies at the heart of the Trust’s work, that and the rediscovery of the traditional land management skills employed by our forebears which helped shape the environment in which we live today. In addition to basic clearance work, the working group also undertakes activities such as hedge laying, coppicing, fencing and ‘ligger’ (small footbridge) maintenance. Next time you drive up to the Acle roundabout from Acle Bridge, look left and you will see a fine example of our excellent work! (I did some of the weaving on top, with a little help from my friends…) Training and learning new skills is of course high on the NWT agenda and this brings me neatly to the topic of scything! Before you conjure up an image of men of a certain age stripped to their britches a la Poldark, working themselves into a glistening muck sweat, however, think again. It is all to do with weight transfer. As the gentleman who joined us for the training day insisted, scything has much in common with wielding a Old English Broadsword! Just transfer your weight rhythmically from one leg to the other, using the arms solely to guide the blade deftly through the reeds and they fall neatly to one side… effortless! Next time you are up in the community orchard, check out the new living Willow fence along the field-side. We learned to do that in a day and how to prune all the fruit trees as well. So many new friends made, so many traditional skills learnt and work that always delivers such pleasing results. Above all volunteering with the NWT is a community endeavour. It is both highly satisfying, and an opportunity to make new friends and enjoy some excellent craic along the way. I calculate that however demanding the work, Mondays are without fail a calorie neutral day! The mountain of cake and other home made delicacies consumed by the team during our regular breaks has to be seen to be believed! Should this brief outline of NWT derring do foster some enthusiasm to join our select little band of volunteers, ladies welcome, please let me know or contact our friendly gaffer, Eilish Rothney on 07711439180. Bernard Chase 6th April 2019

Page 18 B - Environmental Responsibility Continued Filby in Bloom 2019 volunteers along with over 1,000 hedge plants. Hedgerows are very important for wildlife and they provide cover and protection for insects, small mammals and breeding song birds. They act as a corridor for wildlife to move along safely, for example hedgehogs. Bats can use hedges for navigation between roosts and feeding grounds, and hedgerows often act as windbreaks, benefiting crops, people and wildlife. In Filby, hedges provide vital links between wildlife areas such as the Broads, the community wildlife garden and domestic gardens. Villagers’ gardens make up one of the main habitats that has potential for wildlife in the parish. Gardening with wildlife in mind can make a huge difference to declining wildlife such as Hedgehogs, Frogs and songbirds. Village Ponds - B1, B2 NWT’s Living Landscapes Map 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, whilst reporting the absence of any particularly interesting features, said that this did not negate its value within the overall landscape of the area. Filby Village Pond (23rd Nov 2017) 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. From time to time, In Bloom elects to undertake clearance of the Village Pond. Advised by Norfolk Wildlife Trust, working with neighbouring landowner, Ed. Wharton and local farmer, Peter Flowerdew, a major clearance of the pond, and other linking waterways, was undertaken in November 2017. 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. Ormesby Little Broad Viewing Platform and Walkway - B1, B2, B3 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 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 were 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. Interpretation signs were put up telling people about the area and what wildlife they can see there. The work was carried out by the Norfolk & Suffolk Broads Authority in partnership with Essex and Suffolk Water. Clay Pits Project - B1, B2 The Clay Pits Project was instigated by one of Filby Primary School’s teaching assistants, Wendy Green, who ran the school’s Viewing Platform at Ormesby Little Broad (28th May 2018)

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Filby in Bloom 2019

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. The project was started in 2010 by the Norfolk & Suffolk Broads Authority who were succeeded, in 2014, by Norfolk Wildlife Trust. The programme continued in ‘fits and starts’ until, in 2017, when, in response to the R.H.S. Greening Grey Britain Initiative, Filby in Bloom, with the help of parent volunteers from The Clay Pits (17th Feb 2018)) the school, elected to assume responsibility for 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 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. The bad weather, early in 2018 saw the ponds fill to an extent not seen since the project started. Wildlife Area - B2 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 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. Nest Boxes - B2 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 February, throughout the village, by Ken Saul and Les Futter. These have been monitored, every year since, for occupation. This year’s results will be announced in the presentation which forms part of the judging tour. More boxes were added, in 2017, as part of the Clay Pits Project and still more in 2018. Norfolk Wildlife Trust has erected an Owl Box on Filby Common and is monitoring it for accommodation.

Wildlife Garden (28th May 2018) Churchyard Project - B1, B2 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. Early in 2017, the Saturday Crew moved in and enhanced the main access levelling it with top soil donated Insect Hotel at the Wildlife Garden (6th Apr 2019)

Page 20 B - Environmental Responsibility Continued Filby in Bloom 2019 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. That tidy up was repeated in January of this year. In-Bloom are helping the Church to raise funds to restore the Church Bells. Some of the structural work has been done during recent renovations, but it is the hope to install a sixth bell and have the bells ringing rather than chiming. Domestic Waste Recycling - B3 Waste collection at the Recycling Centre at the Post Office continues. Newspapers and glass are left there by residents with revenues going to village funds. A more recent contribution All Saints Parish Church, Filby (28th May 2018) to these funds has been the collection of shoes and clothes. The local authority recycles wastepaper, cardboard, Aluminium cans, plastic bottles, garden waste and, now, glass with bi-weekly home collection via wheelie bins. The borough has recognised that there is another income stream to be had from recycled glass and this has resulted in a decrease in glass recycled by 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 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 £2,500 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. Plant and Compost Recycling - B3 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 Village Council Commercial Charity eventual re-use. It has proven to be excellent for digging into and Newspapers √ √ improving the soil quality of our larger bedding schemes. Cardboard √

Garden Waste Composting - B3 Glass √ √ Until 2007, two readily accessible bins were maintained in Aluminium Cans √ √ the village for the disposal of garden waste. However, abuse Plastic Bottles √ occurred, frequently, and the In-Bloom Team was required Garden Waste √ √ to devote too much time segregating compostable and non- Clothes √ compostable waste. The bins were removed and, now, people Shoes √ requiring to dispose of large quantities of genuine garden waste Mobile Phones √ are encouraged to use the In-Bloom bin by the polytunnel. In Printer Cartridges √ addition, during 2015, the local council started a garden waste collection scheme. Filby’s Materials Recycled 2018 / 2019 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, at approximately 50% of its 2008 level, for the past 7 years.

Filby’s Recycling Weights

Page 21 B - Environmental Responsibility Continued Filby in Bloom 2019

Mulching - B2, A2 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. Chemical Treatments - B2, A2 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 - B1 Filby’s Peat Usage Reduction 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 Information Board on village walks at the Church (4th Jun 2018) is positioned on the side of the orchard’s shed. A plaque commemorating Filby’s success of 2017 in winning Best in Category in Britain in Bloom has been placed by the door to the village Club Room. A new, highly visible information board has been established at the Village Hall to publicise village activities. Cleanliness - B3 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 New Information Board at the Village Hall (15th Apr 2019) 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 in removing the surplus, leaving the village its usual tidy self.

Welcome Signs - B1 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.

Filby’s Welcome Signs (14th Jun 2008)

Page 22 B - Environmental Responsibility Continued Filby in Bloom 2019

Street Furniture - B3 The village’s benches, barrels and boxes are re-painted, regularly, and Ian Richardson has done a fine job taking over the mantle of furniture painting. A renovation of the village sign was undertaken, in 2017, by former In Bloom Chairman, the late David Thompson M.B.E.. Watering - B3, A2 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. Watering is supplemented with a Tomato feed. Watering (24th Jun 2018) Village Hall Energy Usage - B1, B2 In February 2017 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.

Club Room Re-thatching - B1 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. It continues to be well used as a meeting room for small groups. The building is the responsibility of Filby’s Playing Field Commmittee who, at a cost of approx. £6,500, arranged for the thatched roof to be tidied up, earlier Solar Panels installed at Filby’s new Village Hall (17th Feb 2017) this year.

Other Activities - B3 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.

Contributions, to this portfolio, from Ken Saul (Wildlife Surveys), Caroline Nicker (Club Room & Sensory Gardens), Gwen Thurtle (Drought Garden), Bernard Chase (Norfolk Wildlife Trust) and Ruth Peake (Gardening at Filby Primary School) are appreciated. Village photographs in this Portfolio are from Gwen Filby’s Club Room re-thatched (5th May 2019) Thurtle, Keith & Leslie Johnson, Ken & Joan Saul and Derek & Caroline Nicker. Some Broads images are from the Norfolk Broads Authority archives. Extracts from the local papers are reproduced by kind permission of Archant Newspapers. Cover - Springtime at the Village Pound.

Jim Robert’s mural of village life in the Village Hall (2nd Jun 2018)

Page 23 C - Community Participation Filby in Bloom 2019

Filby’s New Village Hall - C1, C2, C3 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 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 New Car Parking Filby Village Hall (15th Apr 2019) 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 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. After comments about the difficulty moving wheel chairs and kids’ buggies across the shingle car park, it was resurfaced, during 2017, at a cost of around £17,000. In 2018, the Playing Field Committee commissioned a mural to be painted on the south wall, inside the hall. Local artist, Jim Roberts was co-opted to undertake the work, a depiction of life in the village. See photograph Page 23.

Open Gardens Weekend - C1, C3 This year’s Open Gardens will take place on Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st July, again avoiding the Wimbledon Finals Weekend that have often affected attendance. It raises money for the Church, Village Hall / Playing Field and Filby in Bloom. Filby in Bloom provides a cup in memory of the late Mrs Jean Green who was a great supporter of Open Gardens. It is presented, each year, to the best Open Garden. The competition is judged by Mrs. Green’s children. This year, Radio Norfolk’s programme ‘Garden Party’ will be broadcasting, live, from the Playing Field on Saturday 12 noon - 2pm. Filby Fete (27th Aug 2018) Grand Fete - C1, C3 Filby’s 64th Annual Fete was held on the playing field, on last year’s August Bank Holiday Monday. It was the third successive fete blessed with good weather. Crowds turned out in their hundreds and, again, nearly £4,000 was raised for village funds that include those of Filby in Bloom.

Grand Firework Display - C1, C3 In 2017, we were the victim of our own success. In addition to advertising through the normal channels, the use of social media, particularly Facebook, paid off, bigtime! Our Facebook page reached over 10,000 people. Watching messages being passed, back and forth, by ‘young mums’, you sensed that we should expect a large attendance. It transpired that, as a result Firework Display (4th Nov 2018) of prior successful displays in the village, we were the only local

Page 24 C - Community Participation Continued Filby in Bloom 2019 event, on the day, and we had good weather. Even the overspill car parking quickly filled and we were forced to put cars on our beautifully maintained football field. Queues formed for 3 miles at both entrances to the village and many abandoned their cars, at the roadside, to walk to the event. Clearly lessons would have to be learned about event management. After expenses, the event raised over £6,000 for village funds, about four times that for a ‘normal’ display. In 2018, we tried to do better. Overspill car parking was widely advertised and queueing was reduced by a slicker and quicker gate. Again, we had fine weather and, despite the absence of a bonfire, due to insurance considerations, and the added expense of a professional display, the event raised over £7,000, a new record. Christmas Bazaar - C1, C3 The Christmas Bazaar, held in the Village Hall on Saturday 18th November 2017, raised £1,160 for village funds.

Christmas Party - C1 The Anglia in Bloom Judging Tour takes place during school time so it is not too difficult to set up an audience of children for the judges. Britain in Bloom Judging, however, takes place during the school holidays and, on occasions, it has proven difficult to get an attendance. For the 2017 Britain in Bloom Judging, we resorted to bribery! We told the children that, if they could persuade their mums and dads to bring them to judging, we would give them a free Christmas Party in the Village Hall. Originating as a Halloween Party, the kid’s party has become an annual event. The expense of around £1,000 is funded by donations from In Bloom, the Playing Field Committee, the Parish Council, residents and the village’s Poor Fund. It is organised by a committee of mums and a great time is had by all, concluding with a visit from Father Christmas and more fireworks. The organising committee now participates in other village events. Village Party (9th Dec 2018)

Easter Bonanza - C1, C3 On Saturday 24th March 2018, 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. £574 was raised for the village.

Filby in Bloom Coffee Mornings - C1, C2, C3 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 £300 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 but this team, though determined to reform, will not be playing in the forthcoming season. The pitch is used by youth teams from nearby Caister, their Gladiators U15s and U11s. 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 March 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 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. At a second seminar, The Playing Field (30th Mar 2019)

Page 25 C - Community Participation Continued Filby in Bloom 2019 it was intimated that, as any grant money would be focused 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 2016. It includes a grass collector, scarifier and brush. It has been used since then and the pitch condition is much improved, despite being used for emergency car parking during the November 2017 Fireworks Display.

Filby & District Gardening Club - C2 Many surveys, as to what residents wanted from a new village hall, were undertaken as part of our BIG Lottery Grant Application. High on the list was a Gardening Club! Such a club was formed during the winter of 2015. It would be chaired by Fleggburgh resident, Kate Foster, backed up by fellow In-Bloomers, Nick Dawes and Caroline Nicker. At the inaugural meeting on 5th April 2016, a presentation was given by Ellen Mary on her work as a Gardening Presenter for Mustard TV and as an active Garden Blogger. Ellen subsequently acccepted an invitation to become the Club’s patron. The Club meets on the second Tuesday of each month, with a typical attendance of around forty people who have been entertained by many speakers including one from Filby in Bloom giving the low-down on the group’s activities. It has also drawn heavily of the judges of Anglia in Bloom at what has become its annual Gardeners’ Question Time. 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 both of the village’s 2019 Judging Tours.

The Filby Flyer - C2 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 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 lived at nearby Ormesby. Eastern Daily Press 2018 & 2019 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 focused 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. On Sunday 10th February, Radio Norfolk’s Sunday morning ‘Treasure Quest’ Programme visited Filby. ‘Treasure Quest’ explores all corners of Norfolk with the listener as the vital contributor, helping to solve clues to work out where the radio car should head next! The programme’s presenters, Sophie Little and David Whiteley, met with In-Bloom Chairman Adrian Thompson and ‘horse namer’, Toby Travis &

‘Treasure Quest’ in Filby (10thy Feb 2019) Photo: BBC Radio Norfolk

Page 26 C - Community Participation Continued Filby in Bloom 2019 family at Sir Trott-a-lot.

Filby on the Web - C2 Filby relocated and remodeled its website during 2014 and 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 page https://www.facebook.com/filbyinbloom/ and Twitter feed https:// twitter.com/filbyinbloom. 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 FiB’s Derek Nicker ‘door stepped’ by ITN at the AiB Launch (10th Mar 2018) and ITV web sites.

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, C3 BID (Business Improvement District) is a levy 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 Filby in Bloom’s website 8th Apr 2019 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 19% 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 between £2,000 and £3,500, over the past five 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 BID (23rd Apr 2019) Bloom Judges suggested a floral trail mapped through 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. Participating in BID, at the Greater Yarmouth Tourism and Business Awards Ceremony, held at the Assembly Rooms in the Town Hall on Wednesday 27th March 2019, Filby in Bloom was represented by Nick and Sue Dawes and Derek and Caroline Nicker.

Quiz Night - C3 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 in Bloom’s own, devilishly difficult seasonal quiz sheets also make a regular appearance at the local shop.

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Branded Products - C3 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 clotted cream fudge, shortbread, mint humbugs, chocolate chip and lemon crisp cookies was launched in March 2018. Filby in Bloom has its own local, real ale, brewed in the nearby village of Hickling by the Yaarbrew Microbrewery. This is a rich golden beer that has been created with the finest amber and crystal malts, which gives it a light golden colour. Sterling, Crystal and Cascade hops Filby Brochure (8th Jun 2015) provide that citrusy balance, complemented with the aroma of Amarillo hops, all balanced together to create a lovely beer. An innovation for 2018 was a 500-piece Jigsaw depicting sixteen pictures of Filby in Bloom. Sponsorship - C3 Many companies and individuals have contributed financial and material support to Filby in Bloom over the years, some of whom are recorded here. Others have contributed their time, effort and expertise to particular projects and the In-Bloom team are grateful for all support given, in whatever form. Nursery - C1 Following the closure of Stepping Stones Nursery in the grounds Filby in Bloom’s New Jigsaw (26th Mar 2018) of Filby Primary School, in 2017, the village was pleased to welcome Little Blossoms Nursery to the same premises. Ashley Clarke Filby Primary School - C1 Anglia Mowers Ben Burgess Arborialist On May 8th 2008, the staff and pupils at Filby’s only education Broadland Burghwood Land- Can Man Nurseries scapes establishment celebrated the official opening of their school’s £1M transformation from an aging Victorian first school, catering Colin Smith C.Warton & Monumental David Hunt for pupils aged five to eight, to a modern primary school for five Partners Mason to eleven-year-olds, which, now, typically, number about 80. It East of England has a school garden and an oversubscribed gardening club. It Filby Bridge East Coast Waste Apples & Restaurant actively supports Filby in Bloom and is happy to show off its Orchards Project achievements to In-Bloom judges, each year. Participation by Filby Parish Filby Residents Filby W.I. pupils has been encouraged by the use of a greenhouse at the Council school. The greenhouse, a gift from the In-Bloom Committee, in Great Yarmouth Martham Halls Builders 2009, was re-glazed with plastic paneling, in case of accident, Council Hardware Merchants and erected on site by members of the Saturday Crew. In-Bloom Horse and Groom Kings Head P.H. J&M Edwards P.H. Rollesby Filby makes an annual gift of seed supplies to get the pupils into the ‘growing habit’ for the year’s events. The In Bloom team makes Norfolk Records Maple Tree Lotus Cars Office Services one of its early tasks, each year, to go into the school’s garden Norfolk Waste to make them ready for planting during the forthcoming terms Norfolk Square Moulton Nurseries Management and, as part of its regular maintenance of the school’s gardens, Breweries Services this year In Bloom has expanded the raised beds for the pupils Ormesby Garden Norfolk Journal Original Organics to grow their own vegetables. In Bloom supported the school’s Machinery gardening display at last year’s Royal Norfolk Show on 27th and Pan Publicity PKM Studios The Tea Junction 28th June 2018, a demonstration of gardening without plastic, Target Double Thurton W T Skips which won a gold medal and was voted ‘Best in Show’. Glazing Foundries Ltd. Some of Filby’s Sponsors (2008 to 2019)

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Gardening at Filby School Spring and Summer 2019 It is always an exciting time of the year for our children when the school garden springs into life. It is great to observe the children talking about their plants, monitoring their growth and identifying the enormous variety of fruit and vegetables that we are fortunate enough to grow. Filby School at the Royal Norfolk Show (27th Jun 2018) As and when the produce is fit and harvested by the children , they either take some home to share with their families or try some in the classroom. It is always a delight when the children (and parents) report how much they enjoyed the food – especially if they have never tried it before. Healthy children are happier children . Thank you, Adrian and the Filby in Bloom Team. Ruth Peake, Filby Primary School

Potato planting at the school - 1 (29th Apr 2019)

Filby in Bloom Accounts - Jun 2017 to May 2018 - C1, C3

Income Expenditure

Carried Forward £177.00 Compost, pots £1,779.65

Parish Council £600.00 Plants £6,598.00

BID (Tourism Board) £3,500.00 Polyanthus £200.00

Coffee Mornings £300.00 Baskets Moulton £1,600.00

Potato planting at the school - 2 (29th Apr 2019) Restaurant Quiz Nights £900.00 Plant Food £374.40

Shop Collection £1,600.00 Bulbs £392.66

Sales Plants & Products £1,500.00 Insurance £329.97

Open Gardens £728.00 Perenial Plants £381.73

Ceilidh £400.00

Donations £2,000.00

Total £11,705.00 Total £11,656.41

Carried Forward £48.59 Potato planting at the school - 3 (29th Apr 2019)

Page 29 The Future Filby in Bloom 2019

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 to their sacrifice, within the village. 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, now take place, there. Frequent fitness classes are held in the main hall including Pilates, Zumba and Yoga. Ballet Barres have been installed to facilitate these. A Cinema Group, which holds screenings of new releases every month, is proving very popular with audiences increasing, month on month. In all of this, the village’s treasured Club Room, retained for meetings and small activities, has not been 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. In addition to updating equipment in the children’s play area, a ‘Trim Trail’ is planned by positioning adult gym equipment around the Playing Field. Filby’s future is further fundraising for more such 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’. Unfortunately, Filby, in becoming a popular venue for developers, is a victim of its own success. In the Borough Council’s 2015 new housing plan, over the following 5 years, Filby, a secondary village, could expect to increase its 316 dwellings by 5%, just 16 new houses. In practise, 60 new houses were started by February 2019. On Tuesday 25th September 2018, in the New Hall, a packed public meeting approved the Parish Council’s positive response to the Borough Council’s Draught Local Plan Part 2, which limited development to infill and would commence in 2020. As expected, since then there have been a flurry of planning applications, all outside the proposed 2020 plan, attempting to get ‘under the wire’ before its implementation. Our council has a history of being unwilling to fight appeals against its planning decisions and, if all succeed, a total of 103 houses will have been built in the village since May 2015. With a 33% increase in its housing stock, will Filby still be such ‘a lovely place to be’? The village is, however, fighting back by establishing its own ‘Neighbourhood Plan’, formalising and documenting the views of current residents on the village’s development. It is hoped to be able to present to the Council within the space of one year.

Filby Planning Submissions to Sep 2018 Filby Draft Plan Sep 2018

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