Necton Co-Op Closure Confirmed

The end has come after reports at the end of last year that the local store in Necton would close.

Chris Downer/Geograph

The popular resource, including the adjoined Post Office, will aparently close on Saturday 10th March. The competitive pricing, local welcoming staff and conveniently lengthy opening hours will be much missed but the Co-Operative refused to countenance a 30% rent increase when the lease came up for renewal.

Snow came as predicted

What a difference a day makes.

© J Reed

But it'll be the sludge turning to ice which will prove troublesome.

Miraculous Moisture at Marham

Contrasting Accounts of County Crime

Thankfully Norfolk is a safe place to live with much antisocial behaviour centred in the few larger conurbations and other crime more particular to rural farming locations. Deputy Chief Constable Simon Bailey is pleased, but not complacent, in Norfolk being named the safest place in the country to live.

Google

Indeed today's warning from Norfolk Police in the EDP of a robbery in Merryweather Road, Swaffham, recorded that the robbers, er, stole nothing. Not that East Anglia is free from serious crime. Thomas Curtis was part of a gang that had a total of 32 robberies, 67 cashpoint thefts, 42 smash-and-grabs and 126 vehicle thefts linked to it. Sentenced to 12 years for his part in the crimes, he died in Norwich gaol in January after being returned to prison for breaking parole conditions. His widow reports he was a reformed character having worked in the community whilst in custody, she added:

“You couldn’t ask for a better brother and we feel he should be remembered for the positives, not just the negatives.”

Brian Purdy/EDP

Shame the wreath givers at his recent funeral were not so sensitive to the community he had wronged. I wonder whether the victims of the crimes, where the perpetrators brandished sawn-off shotguns, baseball bats, pickaxe handles and sledgehammers to carry out the robberies during their ram raiding exploits, appreciate the 'humour' of flower arrangements in the shapes of a replica cash machine, a Post Office sign, a can of red diesel and a £20 note?

Shocking Story

Hoping the resident pigs did not escape when electric fencing was stolen earlier this week between the Pickenham and Hilborough Estates.

Roger Gilbertson/Geograph

Rural crime is hard to spot unless you know that it is the wrong people doing the wrong thing at the wrong time, or a mixture of one or more of the three.

Breakthrough Broccoli

The Institute of Food Research in Norwich has developed broccoli with higher than usual anti-oxidant producing properties.

Beneforté

Beneforté, to be sold by M&S in the UK, has three times as much glucoraphanin which the body turns into sulphoraphane and is believed have anti cancer properties.

Beautiful Butterfly Better than a Busy Bee?

Red Admiral (Vanessa Atalanta) photographed on the warmest October day on record.

© J Reed

What season is this?

Seeds are setting, berries are rippening whilst flowers continue to come into bud.

all photos © J Reed 2011

28 centigrade, with a light wind, in Mid Norfolk today - lovely.

Mid Norfolk Train Crash

How fast was the Mid Norfolk Railway train travelling at the Dereham gateless crossing crash?

Evelyn Simak/Geograph

Slowly, of course.

Council destroys Banksy original

Without wishing to start an inter county incident, some may consider this a 'throwing stones and glasshouses' scenario where regional accents are concerned (Boy!), but ripping down an artwork by your most internationally famous living creative must be a bit galling for any cash strapped council.

BBC

Should you wish to speak or understand 'Norfolk' whilst enjoying this fine county, here are a few pointers.

Norfolk a bit backward?

Some might say that Norfolk is a little behind other more cosmopolitan parts of the country and many locals might agree saying that is what they love about it.

BBC

More telling, perhaps, is a more laid back attitude to life. It's not big news that a church clock stops or even that, when it starts again, it goes backwards. But when Norwich's St Clement's Church's clock stopped and started sending Norfolk back in time no one noticed. 'Nobody knows when it happened but it is likely to have been within the last month.'

Even drier Norfolk

Being to the east of England, Norfolk is well used to being slightly colder than the Riviera of the south west counties but, as any visitor to Cornwall will attest, it rains down there and not so up here in England's driest county.

BBC

This year East Anglia is reminiscent of a 1930's US dust bowl with, as near as it makes no difference, no rain for over a month. Unseasonable warmth and sunshine has made everything grow too soon as well, but a below zero night time air frost killed not only tender bedding plants and vegetables plants but also normally totally hardy baby ivy leaves. My neighbour's lawn looks like a Wimbledon centre court after two weeks in a drought. Rain, rain, rain please to return England to a green and pleasant land.

Right Royal Rural Representative

Sure to be best in show, the Princess Royal returns to the Royal Norfolk Show this year.

Royal Norfolk Show

Princess Anne will visit on 30th June 2011 at the Norfolk Showground near Costessey, Cossy to you foreigners, on day two of the annual agricultural show.

Spring definitely reaches Breckland

22 Celcius, warm southerly wind - perfect mid Norfolk day.

All photos © J Reed

Beautiful.

Cats, Bats & Ass Kidnaps

More stories from the wonderful eastern counties of England.

Wikimedia

'BONKERS! More than 20 Suffolk firefighters rescue cat from tree' says the EDP today, which is difficult to disagree with. After reporting the stuck cat, Teresa Saunders from Leiston was amazed that amongst the other fire fighters called was a turntable ladder from Bury St Edmunds some 60 miles away. Day out for the under used piece of high tech kit? No, health and safety. Apparently our fire crews are too clumsy to climb a ladder over a one storey height. Good job that it wasn't needed for a real emergency as the Ipswich rig was out of action. In fact a local retained firefighter shot up a normal ladder and freed the moggy.

Rob Farrow - Geograph

Chris Bishop reports in the EDP that bats can be spotted on organised walks in, er, The Walks and around the Red Mount Chapel in King's Lynn. 

Space-hoppers.co.uk.gif‎ 

Donkeys at the Little Tinkers Donkey Sanctuary in Norwich are at a loss after their space hoppers were stolen, reports BBC Norfolk. Unfortunately they don't bounce on them, which as every child knows is impossible anyway, but pick them up by the rubbery horns and kick them around in impromptu games of footie.

Haw Frost Replaces Snow

Thickest frost I've seen in years lasting all day as the previous night's low of -8C only decreased to -1C even with some early and late sunshine.

All photos © J Reed

Wish you were here?

Norfolk is just a beautiful place. 

© J Reed

Evening walk up to Houghton on the Hill, 3rd June 2010.

Recommended Rural Retreats

Congratulations to all the Norfolk beaches that manage to gain MCS Recommended status in the 2010 Marine Conservation Society Beach Guide. Joining the earlier accolade of having the best beach in Britain, Norfolk beaches are indeed special. The winds can be a little bracing, at times, so don't forget the wind break.

 © J Reed

The sand is so fine at Holkham you will be sweeping it up at home for the coming week, however careful you are to brush everything down. I find dogs especially good at storing sand for many a day following a romp on the beach. But it could be worse, a massive sand storm in the village of Golmud, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China, is a much more imposing prospect!

Picture: BARCROFT

Air Ambulance Beer Boosts Charity Coffers

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the East Anglian Air Ambulance, Suffolk micro Mill Green Brewery is to donate 10 pence for every pint of its special Lifesaver ale to the charity.

Keep up the good work, both of you. Just don't attract the services of one by consuming too much of the wares of the other!

Norfolk has a thriving brewing tradition too, as this CAMRA list illustrates, and many local pubs, like the Blue Lion in North Pickenham, serve local beers to the locals.

State Statistics and Pointless Pictorial Portrayals

Infographics, three dimensional swingometers and election straw polls will burden our lives until the general election on May 6th. Don't be bamboozled with flashy graphics that tell you nothing or figures that prove that women who wear bras are statistically more likely to suffer from hay fever than those that don't (or that girls are, in fact, evil).

Informative and fancy, though, is the constituency map by The Times newspaper. You can view each constituency with a brief description of the local topography and how the constituents voted in the past and the predicted outcome this time round.