SPECIAL From1977 The community paper of the villages of Coltishall, Horstead & Great Hautbois ...\7709 Front C... To2017 Community news produced and delivered by volunteers in Coltishall & Gt Hautbois, Horstead with Stanninghall, Scottow & Badersfield, and Hoveton & Wroxham The MARLPIT The introduction to our Look Back down Memory Lane can best be said by Hazel Grimsdale writing an accolade for the 10th anniversary of the magazine in 1987. On the following pages we remember some of those who helped and if some are not included be rest assured it is not by design but by chance. We have trawled through some of the back copies we have accumulated in The Marlpit archive, scanning and or re-typing as we went along. Near the end of the project from 2003 computerised records helped tremendously. We have created it in good faith and apologise in advance for any errors in content or spelling. Your comments will still be welcome and if necessary we will set the record straight. David & Derek David Pye Compilation Editor Derek Allday Advertising Copy Editor 1 40th ANNIVERSARY ISSUE - CHAIRMAN’S Message. Long live The Marlpit- and can you help us? ● It is 40 years since The Marlpit started. centres for us and always welcome with News, events, information – a smile! opportunities to learn of and enjoy ● As chairman of The Marlpit I am new to activities in our wonderful parishes of the specific task – albeit with a Coltishall, Horstead and further afield! journalistic past. But none of my ● We hope you enjoy and appreciate this publishing background enjoyed quite the special edition but also relish for the charm, history and significance of The future the ongoing education and Marlpit, specific though it is to a entertainment that arises from the relatively small area, and special magazine. We praise the efforts of the readership. wonderful team of several hundred ● The area is unique - Coltishall and people who have worked, totally Horstead and our circulation area, now voluntarily, for The Marlpit over those stretching out to Hoveton and Wroxham four decades. Now today’s team are in the east and for some considerable moving into the future. time Hautbois, Scottow, Stanninghall – ● We still need more volunteers… news and the more recent Badersfield, named gatherers, a content editing apprentice, in 2008 after wartime hero Douglas deliverers of the magazine for example. Bader. If you think you have something to offer ● Norfolk is a wonderful county “on the please contact me at: way to nowhere but the North Sea” as it [email protected] was branded decades ago before the ● At our Oct 15th Anniversary event, it was discovery of North Sea energy products great to meet so many faces that have other than fish. helped over those years. We were ● It became my main home 50 years ago particularly grateful to the Thacker – and Coltishall specifically 30 years ago family for the first edition of The Marlpit with my Norwich-born wife Mary. And hey still had on record – we had not and we have lived here happily ever since… have copied theirs now! But also we were albeit visiting worldwide destinations, so grateful to oldies (they wouldn’t mind some because of my work and career, me saying so) – highlighted by 96-year- some for pure leisure. old Charlie Pike who gave to us generously, and talked of the past when I visited him with thanks after the event. So, be you readers or ● Then so many others, impossible to helpers – our thanks for name you all – so pleased to welcome your interest and you. Others who help us too who were support and long live not at the party – pictured here members The Marlpit. of the Post Office and the Pharmacy staff who stock The Marlpit, are information Paul Thomas Christine and Karen Julie, Robert and Sue 2 After 40 great years - now where are we going? ● Steadfastly over the last I envisage this work pattern forty years the Marlpit will increase in the coming Magazine has continued decades, with our region to provide the Coltishall being the fastest growing in & Horstead parishes with England. an outstanding monthly ● With the Greater Norwich magazine, I can only urban area expanding over congratulate you all for the next 20 years it will be this achievement, which vital to protect local areas of is in my opinion, outstanding natural beauty, unrivalled elsewhere in and although tourism, Broadland. The outdoor pursuits and publication has a great accessibility to the effect on the local Cllr Jo Copplestone countryside will be communities, and Broadland District Councillor essential to the local helps and informs like a signpost as economy, this will need to be to what is going on in the parishes. It balanced with the environmentally certainly is comforting to have this sensitive nature of the River Bure and reliable source of information the fens and marshes of the Broads. delivered straight to your homes. ● Lastly I think in the future your ● The key assets in our local area are, parishes will continue to be an our Heritage, an outstanding Natural exceptional place to live, work and Environment and a growing retire, and I feel privileged to be ‘Knowledge’ economy. involved in your community. Communications are now an essential ● Please do not hesitate to contact me part of modern living, and even in with any concerns you may have on rural Norfolk, with continuing regional matters, I am only too happy improvements to digital technology it to help! is becoming much easier for Jo businesses to thrive and people to 01603 860840 work from home. New micro [email protected] businesses are becoming popular and Jon prints The Marlpit and gets it to you so quickly ● The Marlpit depends on many people to bring you the information and entertainment, events and news of our area that we believe it reports so thoroughly. ● As you, our readers and advertisers, leaders of organizations we report on, spokespeople, etc send us your information, key to Marlpit’s delivery of that content to you depends on the swift and excellent printing of our 40 pages, or occasionally 44. ● That printing role falls to an excellent organization called ECO Print of Norwich and in particular its operator Jonathan (Jon) Cheswick. ● Our Compilation Editor is David Pye, gathering your news, chasing some of you for it, editing, headlining, 3 ● presenting in page layouts, plus all the advertising finalized by Derek Allday and now being sought by Trevor & Tina Goddard (and our thanks to [Margaret Woodham who performed the task until this year). ● David liaises with Jon, providing him with content in final artwork format – and which Jon and Eco print in a day or two, ensuring the magazine’s availability within two to three days for Bernard Mann and the team of about 40 deliverers to get The Marlpit through your letterbox so fast. ● Jon has been with ECO eight years. Born in Sheffield, he has had 15 years here in Norfolk and two in Canada. He and Suffolk-born partner Claire were invited to our celebration party – and we all toasted its future, including by ECO’s first- class print performance, over the next years. From Church Room to Tithe Barn Horstead Church Rooms - Jan 1978 Horstead Tithe Barn - Jan 2018 ● The Church Room comprised two make over in order for the scheme to thirds of the existing space without be attractive to the MSC, and an the front extensions and with a built- application was made and accepted. in flat ceiling hiding the timber ● We needed finance to buy materials underside of the roof. It had a small etc. And Richard and Diana Wilson kitchen and a single toilet. The rest gave us a substantial grant that we of the building comprised the Rector's were able to use to get further garage and storage space. funding. Broadland District Council ● The Government, through the helped us by arranging the payment Manpower Service Commission, of the wages for the workforce introduced a scheme whereby they through their books, and also took paid for up to six unskilled workers care of all the other statutory with a skilled, unemployed foreman requirements. John had a weekly to carry out building work on meeting at their offices to report on approved schemes. The then Rector, progress. John Towler, contacted John ● On completion of the structural work Grimsdale to see if use could be it was left to the Association, via a made of this legislation to improve small band of local residents, working the Church Room. evenings and weekends, to put the ● Firstly it was necessary to form an finishing touches to the building and Association to take over the eventual raise the additional funds to bring the running of the premises, and then to premises up to standard that it arrange for the transfer of ownership enjoys today. from the Church to the Association. John Grimsdale Plans were drawn up for a complete 4 ● Our Trip down memory lane contains snippets from old copies of The Marl pit, articles and photos submitted by readers as well as old cuttings, the majority from Vernon Bunn of Coltishall . ● He has several scrap books sometimes available to peruse at the Pop up Cafe on the 1st Tuesday of every month at the Tithe Barn in aid of Horstead Church funds.. See you all there! Sep 1977 Mar 1977 Michael stocking up for the next attempt 40 years on! Jun 1977 5 Coltishall 1977-2017 business. HMP Bure is now well established and is a secure facility. ● As a child I remember visiting RAF ● The challenge at Coltishall has been to find Coltishall in the 1950s for their open days sufficient interested parties to slowly and my uncle was based there during the develop the whole of the base.