Filby in Bloom 2017 Village Portfolio Contents Filby in Bloom 2017 Item Item Page Page Section Section Cover 1 Trinity Broads A5, B1, B3, 16 Contents 2 Village Ponds B1, B3 Village Map 3 Wildlife Area 17 Introduction Filby in Bloom C1 4 Ormesby Little Broad Viewing Platform & B1 Anglia in Bloom Judging Day 2016 C3, C4 Walkway Open Gardens Weekend C3, C4, C5 5 The Trinity Broads Project 18 Anglia in Bloom Awards Ceremony Clay Pits Project B1, B3, B4 Yarmouth in Bloom Awards Ceremony Nest Boxes B1 19 C4 Anglia in Bloom Seminar 6 Churchyard Project B1, B3, B4, B5 21 Gardening Club Domestic Waste Recycling B - Plant and Compost Recycling Filby in Bloom’s Accounts C5 Environmental Responsibility Garden Waste Composting 22 Spring & Summer Activity B2 Peat Usage Reduction Autumn and Winter Activity 7 Mulching Growing-on Facilities A1, A2 Chemical Treatments Planning for Summer Displays 8 Information Boards B3, B5 Barrels and Planters Cleanliness B4 Kings Head Bed 9 Welcome Signs Village Pound A1, A2, A3, B5 23 A5, B3 Street Furniture Club Room Garden 10 Watering B2 Village Hall Sensory Garden A1, A2, A3, B3 11 Village Hall Energy Usage Queen’s Golden Jubilee Bed Other Activities B2, B4, B5 A - Horticultural Drought Garden 12 Filby’s New Village Hall C1, C3, C4 Achievement Thrigby Road Corner Bed Queen’s 90th Birthday Party C3 A1, A2 24 Filby Close Bed Open Gardens Weekend C3, C4, C5 Filby Flyer Grand Fete Business Premises A4 13 Anniversary of Village Hall Official Residential Gardens A3, C3 Opening Tree Planting Grand Firework Display C4, C5 A1, A2 Hedge Planting Christmas Bazaar 25 Allotments A3 14 Easter Bonanza Wildflower Planting A1, A2, A5 Filby in Bloom Coffee Mornings Rotary Crocus Beds A1, A3 C - The Village Football Pitch C1 15 Community Community Orchard A5, B1 Participation The Press 26 The Filby Flyer Local Radio & Television Contributions from Ken Saul (Nest Boxes), Joan Saul (Wildlife C2 Filby on the Web 27 Garden) Caroline Nicker (Planters & Club Room Garden) Kate Other Means of Publicity Foster (Pound & Queen’s Jubilee Bed) Keith Johnson (Orchard), Gwen Thurtle (Drought Garden), Eilish Rothney (Norfolk Wildlife BID Trust) and Kerry Webb (Gardening at Filby Primary School) are Quiz Night appreciated. Branded Products C5 Sponsorship 28 Village photographs in this Portfolio are from Tom Green, Gwen Nursery Thurtle, Kate Foster, Keith & Leslie Johnson, Ken & Joan Saul C3 and Derek & Caroline Nicker. Some Broads images are from the Filby Primary School Norfolk Broads Authority archives. Scans from the local papers The Future C1 30 are reproduced by kind permission of Archant Newspapers. Page 2 Village Map Filby in Bloom 2017 Filby Bridge Restaurant Bus Shelter Millennium Clock Playing Field Water Feature Shop & P.O. Ormesby Little Broad Bowls Club Village Hall Club Room Boardwalk Ken Martin Memorial Filby Broad FEPOW Memorial Staithe Kings Head P.H. Primary School Village Pond Jam Shed Wildlife Area Clay Pits Parish Church Village Sign Unitarian Site Orchard Allotments Thrigby Road Corner The Pound Page 3 Introduction Filby in Bloom 2017 Filby in Bloom - C1 The village of Filby is situated on the edge of the Norfolk Broads, between Filby Broad and Ormesby Little Broad, some 6 miles north-west of Great Yarmouth and 16 miles east of the city of Norwich. The parish has an area of a little over 2.2 square miles (543 acres) and, in the 2001 census, it had a population of 740 in some 308 households. Essentially agricultural in character, until the late 1950s Filby was known for its market gardens. It was never a ‘chocolate box’ village, with cottages surrounding a quaint village green. It remains a succession of dwellings, lining the busy A1064. The village has now, however, become Local Map an attractive base for commuters, to both Great Yarmouth and Norwich. The village entered Anglia in Bloom, for the first time, The Team Key Tasks in 1995, had its first success in 1997 and has participated in the Adrian Thompson Chairman, planting, potting on and watering event every year since. Paddy Hudson Secretary All involved do so to make Filby a better place in which to live, for Joy Baldry Potting on & planting the benefit of residents, businesses and visitors alike. Everyone Jenny Barnes & Tony Elms Fund raising quizzes makes a contribution in the best way that they can. There is no Peter Chapman Water feature maintenance and litter formal ‘In-Bloom’ committee, as such. Instead, everyone has a Nick Dawes Planting & potting on Amanda Dobson Planting say in the planning. A Chairperson and Secretary are elected for Barry Forsdyke Planning and potting on the purpose of those meetings that are held but all participate in Kate Foster Potting on, planting & maintenance the discussions and everyone has an equal vote. Team work is Les Futter Orchard & Wildlife Garden evident throughout the organisation of the many schemes and Mervyn & Sandra Gibson Planting, potting on & maintenance, use of greenhouse projects that run every year, to which so many of the residents Tom Green Display design, planting willingly give their time. Every Saturday morning, a small team is Percy Hudson Floral displays, strimming and maintenance, potting on Richard Morris Planting Caroline Nicker Club Room Project, planting & potting on Derek Nicker Portfolio & Press Officer Jeroen Reuvekamp Planting & potting on, maintenance Ian Richardson Planting & potting on, maintenance Joan Saul Orchard, Wildlife Garden Ken Saul Nest Boxes David Shaw Planting, potting on and maintenance David Thompson MBE Planting, potting on & watering Jenny Thompson Fundraising Gwen Thurtle Potting on, planting & maintenance Our newest recruit (8th October 2016) Victor Tungate Orchard Gordon & Margery Ward Planning & displays assembled to conduct all necessary clearing, cleaning, planting Sandra Woolsey Garden Planning. and other sundry tasks to ensure that the village stays in great shape. Individuals often initiate their own projects and the sheer number and variety of the tasks undertaken demonstrate the innovation within the village. Its enthusiasm for the In-Bloom competitions and for the overall improvement to the fabric of the neighbourhood, in general, is self-evident. Filby is well known throughout the area as ‘The Flower Village’ and the media pay close attention to activities in the Parish, which are also publicised in a monthly newsletter, the Filby Flyer. Fundraising is a year round activity. A regular income is derived from the collection of recyclables and sponsors are attracted from local businesses. Villagers participate in regular events that raise money for the horticultural front. These include popular quiz nights at a local restaurant, coffee mornings, an Open Gardens Weekend and the Annual Fete. There really is a great community effort, well demonstrated by the projects described within this portfolio. Filby in Bloom is, indeed, “a lovely place to be”. Page 4 Filby in Bloom’s Year Filby in Bloom 2017 Anglia in Bloom Judging Day 2016 - C3, C4 After appearances in a record breaking five successive years, we had a year off Britain in Bloom but were competing, once again, in Anglia in Bloom’s Village (Pop.301-2,500) Category. We were defending our title of Best Village and were judged on Thursday 14th July 2016. Our judges were Brian Thornton from Lowestoft, President of Anglia in Bloom and Phillip Feller from nearby Caister Judging started at 10:00 am with a 15 minute presentation and accompanying the judges on their tour were Filby in Bloom’s Chairman, Adrian Thompson and its Press Officer, Derek Nicker. Anglia in Bloom Judging (14th Jul 2016) - Judges Brian Thornton A highlight of the Judging Tour was the visit to Filby Primary foreground, Phillip Feller background School, where the Judges were entertained by songs in the school yard whilst, on the gardening front, pupils did not miss a trick, having held back some potatoes to dig up in front of the judges. At Filby Broad, the judges met Eilish Rothney of Norfolk Wildlife Trust who outlined their work, in and around the village. The tour concluded with a buffet lunch, which enabled the judges to meet some of those people involved in village activities, including ladies from the W.I.. Open Gardens Weekend - C3, C4, C5 ‘Open Gardens Weekend’ is the occasion, in July, when the Open Gardens Day (16th and 17th Jul 2016) village ‘puts on its best horticultural bib and tucker’ and lets the world inside. Residents are pleased to make their individual contributions to Filby in Bloom by opening their gardens to the public, who visit from far and wide. Gardens on view range from chocolate box to architectural and from manicured to wild. There is even the odd vegetable patch amongst all those flowers. Holidaymakers mingle with day-trippers, many of whom make an annual pilgrimage to join in the event. Residents, too, like to tour the village and take the opportunity to meet the neighbours. Visitor numbers are very dependent upon the weather and, on fine days, they can be seen, in their hundreds, clutching their maps and wandering the prescribed route, searching out the next little gem. Host and guest compare notes and exchange experiences. Plants can be bought at some of the gardens. There is always a welcome opportunity to rest in the pews of All Saints Parish Church and what village event would be complete without the opportunity for a welcome cup of tea at the Village Hall and a final chat about a great day out. Open Gardens 2016 took place on 16th and 17th July and 18 gardens were opened to visitors. A profit of £603 was made for In Bloom funds. Once again, one of the highlights of the weekend was the presence of a vintage bus offering trips around the village.