Year: 2022

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2022 Archives Monthly Retrospective

The Boy Tom – May 2022

Well how are yu all a’gettin on t’gether?

Last time I hed a wurd a’long with yu I hoped that two things would happen afore I hev a wud with yu this month. One were that Russia und Ukraine would sort them selves out und tuther were that old Mother Nature would git har act t’gether und give us some proper weather for the time o’year. Well four weeks arter writin that nothing seem to hev happened on either counts.
Russia und Ukraine are still locking horns, this could last for sum time cos them folk in Ukraine arnt a’goin t’give in, this is suffin him at the top in Russia did’nt recon on happening. Less hope they see sense und stop cos if they carry on there won’t be any country left for anybody to live in.

Old Mother Nature hev tunned the heater dial up a bit so thas warmer but when are we a’goin t’see some rain. When I were out on my old bike a couple o’weeks ago I see a tractor working down a field belonging to the Young Master up at the Hall und the soil were so dry that the dust were blowing behind the cultivator. .Tuther day when I were out with the Missus down near Thetford I see a Farmer were irrigating his winter sown barley crop. Farmers don’t normally irrigate any o’their cereal crops but with prices for wheat und barley going up I recon they think thas worth doin.

Since I last hed a wud along with yu the Missus und I hev bin away with our caravan. No we han’t bin over the water ,we aren’t a’goin t’du that no more cos we are gettin a bit long in the tooth for that caper. any how there a plenty o’places in this country we want t’visit agin. So we hev kicked orf with a trip t’the Yorkshire Dales, we used t’go there a lot sum thirty t’forty year ago with our three children. Thas a fair way t’go, ni on two hundred miles , still once yu git up the A17 t’Newark thas duel carriage nearly all the way. I thought the price of fuel where high down here but in one o’them service areas on the A1 I see that diesel were £1.99p/ litre.
While we were in the Dales we went und had a look at where they meake the Wensleydale Cheese. There were plenty of folk there so arter having a look at how they meake the cheese we drawed inta the shop where they were selling it. My heart there were a rare lot o’different types und they hed cut pieces of cheese orf so yu could hev a taste on it afore yu ha’a buy it. I say t’the Missus that we didn’t ha’a go inta their cafe for sum food , if we drawed round the shop two or three times tasting their samples o’cheese as we went round that’d be the same as a getting some food in the cafe……… The Missus told me t’hold my row cause she recon folk were a’starin at me.
A’drivin round the dales yu could see that they could du with a’rain un all. There wernt a lot o’grass in the fields und the rivers were very low. When we went t’hev a look at the Ribblehead viaduct I see an old ewe havin a drink outa one o’the down pipes on one o’the viaduct pillars. The weather changed the evening afore we come home, that started t’rain und carried on all through the night und stopped just afore I drawed outa bed at seven o’clock the following mornin, that were what my dear old Father would hev called “a growin rain” The trouble was that din’t follow us home to Norfolk when we left at about half arter nine.

I’ll tell yu suffin I hev a’started doing in the garden, I hev started feeding Hedgehogs. I knew hed got sum in the garden und the Missus bought me a hedgehog feeding box. A month or two ago we hed bin to a talk at our Gardening Club from a Mawther who were a telling us all about looking arter hedgehogs, how-sum-ever we put some cat food und clean water inta the box, yu don’t use bread und milk cos that an’t good for um, und I rigged up my camera trap. A Hedgehog found the box on the first night und then the night arter that the box were visited by hedgehogs five times. The trouble is I can’t work out if thas five different hedgehogs visiting once or one hedgehog coming back five times durin the night.

Well them boys up at Carra Rood have fell through the trapdoor back into the Championship League. The trouble is they just hant bin good enough all season. That’ll be interesting to see which players stay und which ones leave cos the present manager, Mr Smith, will want’ta git players who will play for him und the supporters.

They tell me that the village Heritage Group are holding a ‘Tea and Memories’ arternoon at the Village Hall on 20th May from 2 – 4pm. They are looking for folk who hev memories of living in the village und would like t’cum along und tell members o’the group about they’re memories over a cup o’tea und cake. If you hev any photos the group would be interested in looking at these as well. As the Missus und I hev lived here for fifty years I recon we’ll be there. If you are interested in coming along then contact the group on 01953 885353 or Email: [email protected] If yu can’t git there don’t worry cos the group can arrange to come und git yu. Yu never know that might be me who come und fetch you und take you back home agin afterwards!

Fare ye well t’gether und du yu keep a’troshin.

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Heritage-News

Tea & Memories

Celebrate the Queens Jubilee with us, with Tea and Memories.

Friday 20th May 2-4 pm.

Carbrooke Village Hall

Afternoon Tea to celebrate the Queens Jubilee. Hosted by Carbrooke Heritage Group. Come along to chat and reminisce about Carbrooke in days gone by. We would love to see any photos or memorabilia you may like to bring along.

We will have photos and articles on display, and why not take a peak at our plans for the new Heritage Centre.

Everyone welcome. Local transport can be arranged if necessary.

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2022 Archives Monthly Retrospective

The Boy Tom – April 2022

Well how are yu all a’gettin on t’gether?

Well thas a rum old world out there at the moment. The sooner them who are fightin each other stop the better that’ll be for all on us. That must be terrible for then ordinary folk who are caught up in it all. Why can’t folk just earn t’live t’gether. Them farmers in Ukraine are a’gettin plenty o’publicity about towin them damaged Russian tanks away, that were good to see a photo tuther day of um using their tractors for planting potatoes. What ever is a happenin out there the farming cycle ha’a go on. Thas just the same on farms round-about here the planting cycle ha’a go on despite the price o’diesel und fertiliser. Although farmers will hev bought the fertiliser they are a’usin now a’while ago the next lot they buy will be several hundred pounds a’tonne more. Yes I know yu are all a’thinkin well they will be getting more for their wheat und barley to help pay for it but that’’ll also mean that the feedstuffs farmers buy for their livestock will cost more un all.
All that ull mean is that food, milk & bread we buy will cost more. As well as think about all this there is another thing Farmers ha’a think about und thas dear old Mother Nature und what she is a goin t’throw at us.
Last week we hed sum right old warm weather und now they are a’forecastin at the end o’this week (2nd April) thas a’goin t’git suffin cold agin und we could git a snow shower or two. While I get been a’gettin about on my old bike I see folk who hev cut their lawns really short und I am a’thinkin, yu don’t want t’be a’duin that just yet cos we could still git some cold weather. Cos I hev lived a few more years than sum on yu I hev just run the mower of the lawn t’top any grass that hev grown up in sheltered corners or under seats. I han’t got the Missus’s tender plants outa the green house yet cos old Jack Frost could still be leaving us his calling card. I hev bought some sweet Pea plants though cos they can stand the cold weather but I hant bough me tomato plants.
I might hev told yu this before but I remember several year ago when I were planting a field o’potatoes in April that snowed s’hart one day while I were a’goin across the field when I tunned round at the end the snow hed covered up my marker furrow so I din’t know where t’drive.

Yu can tell that old Mother Nature hav got har self in a muddle cos one o’our neighbours were a’tellin me this week that he hev got a robin nest in one o’his shuds und that hev got three chicks in it. Less hope Mr & Mrs Robin can keep them warm und fed during the next few days.

I see they hed got a couple o’old tractors at the auction next week so I ha’a draw there und hev a look at them. One on um were an old Nuffield tractor just like the model I used t’drive in the 1960s. There were an old Fordson Major there und all, Yes I have driven one o’them und all. I were standing there a’lookin at um ……I say the the Missus “yu can see how simple they were to drive compared with todays tractors. Back then everything were controlled by levers un push rods”………….She din’t say anything but I know what she were a’thinkin…… that that would hev to be simple for somebody like me t’drive it.

Tuther week u’group on us drawed up to Wells with our cameras t’hev a look t’see if there were any birds about. We got there as the tide were a’turning und see the birds a’feeding on the mud flats as the water were a running out. Later on a group some on us went und hed a look on a some water scrapes where there were a few Lapwings. There were a Marsh Harrier about but they hev suffin good eye sight und they see you a’fore you see them.

Cos that’ll soon be our Queens Golden Jubilee celebrations. I hear that there is a’goin to be a Jubilee Picnic on the Millennium Green, I recon we’ll hear more about it nearer the time. I can remember we ned a party in the village Hall for her Silver Jubilee. I am old enough t’remember the party that were held in the village where I lived for har Coronation. That were a cold wet day un all, let’s hope old Mother Nature play har part better this June.

Cos that were hot last week-end we met some o’our family at that there High Lodge place in Thetford Forest. My hart there were a rare crowd o’folk there. While the Missus und I were sit-in in the sun awaiting for the rest on um t’turn up,(they allus late) there were s’many folk a walk-in past the Missus recon that were like bein on Yarmouth sea-front. When they all arrived we hed a good walk round with the dogs und Grand Children. When we come t’leave I went t’pay at one them machines but that didn’t recognise my car number plate(that were spossed t’be read on the way in) arter a couple o’goes I went t’see a young Mawther in an office nearby, She put my number in und I paid. She recon thas unusual for that to happen…I told har she’d ha’a tell that to the line o’folk behind me who were havin the same problem. Und I’ll tell yu suffin else when we got the barrier t’git out with the car that didd’t wark un all so I ha’a press the button on a nearby post und tell somebody that the barrier weren’t warkin, The fust thing they asked was hed I paid. Arter a minute or two the barrier cum up und we drive out but not before I see that they were havin the same trouble at tuther barrier.

Less hope that next time I hev a wud along w’you the weather will hev settled down and Russia und Ukraine will hev stopped fighting und got round a table t’settle their differences.

Fare yes well t’gether und du yu keep a’troshin,

Categories
Heritage-News

Millennium Village Green

Millenium Green Carbrokke c2000
Millennium Green 2000

Preparations for Apple Day 2000

Millenium Green Website

By late 1990’s Carbrooke had an ancient Church, thriving school and village hall for villagers to meet inside, but no public open space.

For some years the idea of a public playing field had been discussed, the11 acre field behind the village hall being the ideal spot – spacious, central, and with good access. Knowing that keeping  a large public space maintained would be a difficult job, the land owner was not keen to sell it unless a suitable trust could be set up to manage such a project and permanently  maintain the area.

As the millenium drew to a close, a nationwide project to provide the nation with open public spaces, offering assistance and funding  was underway. ‘The Millenium Green Scheme’.

Lesley Kant and Steve Cuneen, village residents, used their business and gardening knowledge along with Jan Godfrey and Geoff Nobes from Norfolk Wildlife Trust,  to form a committee and approach Mr Buscall of Carbrooke Hall, to purchase the land, draw up plans and form a trust to manage it.

The Charity was set up on 9th October 1997, and  work began to-

“PROVIDE AND MAINTAIN AN OPEN SPACE TO BE KNOWN AS CARBROOKE MILLENNIUM GREEN FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE INHABITANTS AND TO BE USED FOREVER FOR RECREATION, PLAY OR OTHER LEISURE-TIME OCCUPATIONS, A MEETING AREA OR PLACE OF COMMUNITY EVENTS”.

The field was levelled and prepared, with the villages turning out to do ‘stone picking’ in May 1998, and much fundraising.

Designs were drawn up incorporating, a large flat grassy area, suitable for general play, gatherings, fetes, football matches and sports days. A pre-school play area, play area for older children, maze, apple orchard, amphitheatre, wildlife meadow, pond, and dog walking areas.

The whole area was planted using native plants, a sculptor  assisted by the school children, created the stone toadstool from the stones picked out of the ground, and the ‘Carbrooke Fox’ wooden sculpture linking the two areas – utility and wildlife.

The Green was officially opened with an Apple Day in September 2000 by TV gardener Bob Flowerdew.

Carbrookew Millenium Green is now fully established, and as with any planted area will continue to grow and change as years go by. It has become a very popular focal point not only for Carbrooke residents, but also in attracting people from further afield, allowing our children an enormous space to play and enjoy the outdoors, as well as folk who would rather just sit and watch the world go by on one of the benches.

Carbrooke History Millenium GreenMillenium Green establishment committee c1999

Carbrooke History MG Fox‘The Carbrooke Fox’

Planting the maze c1997

Carbrooke Fete 2013

Page last Updated 22.03.2022

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Heritage-News

Using Computers & Breaking through ‘Brickwalls’ in Family History Research

Thursday March 27th 2022,

Carbrooke Village Hall 7pm,

with Mark Ward.

No charge, donations welcome.

Please bring your own charged laptop etc to work on.

Categories
2022 Archives Monthly Retrospective

The Boy Tom – March 2022

Well how are yu all a’gettin on t’gether?

Thas a rum old time at the moment, That there man in charge Russia recon he want t’free them folk in Ukraine cos their polatitions are actin like them folk in Germany did durin the Second Wold War but them folk in Ukraine recon they are alright uz they are und don’t want him a’movin in und are a’putti up a fight. I recon we’d du the same if that happened over here.

Yu hev gotta field sorry for all them folk who are a’tryin t’get away, the look on some o’their faces is enough to bring yu to tears. One thing I hev got t’say is that all them reporters & tv cameras don’t help. I know thas terrible was a’happenin but if you are a tryin t’move out of danger with yar family the last thing you want is somebody a’tryin t’interview you. I think them tv stations are a’havin a competition t’see who can have the most reporters in one country.

They were sum rare storms we had tuther week-end, I drawed round the garden afore them winds started t’meake sure we hant got anything that could take orf when the wind started t’git up. I told the hins t’stay inside or they could end up in next door’s garden. With this here Bird Flu still about yu can’t be to careful I hear today (2nd March) that there hev bin another outbreak of it on a farm down near Diss. What surprised me durin the high winds were that the little old garden birds kept a cummin arter the food in the bird feeders even though they were a swingin about like bells bein rung. The power went orf three times so we ha’a git our old picnic stove out t’hev a cup o’tea und I lit the fire for the fust time in several years, I hev allus kept sum coal und wood in the shud just in case. The only thing I ha’a du was chop sum kindlin, that took me a rare long time t’find my little axe t’do this , cos I hant used it for a while that hed got right t’the back o’cupboard, I ha’a give that a sharpen up with my old rub afore I used it. I remember an old fella a’showin me how t’sharpen a axe und scythe in the late 1950s, un I can still remember how t’du it. Although I still hev an axe or two I dout I could buy a scythe now to sharpen

I hev heard that the village’s History Group are a’goin t’hev a permanent home in the village. They are a takin over the old porta’cabin next t’the village hall. That used t’be used by the play group but since they hev moved over the rood to be nearer the school that hev bin redundant. There’s a bit o’wark t’du to meake it right but I recon the group will be able to tricoliate it up so thas right for their needs.

That were nice t’see sum sheep down in the middle o’the village tuther day. I hed drawed down Drury Lane t’where that meet Summer Lane und on one side o’the road there were a flock o’sheep folded on a crop o’turnips, then I tunned round und on the tuther side o’the corner were a flock o’ewes with sum lambs a’foot grazin on sum grass. Cos years ago folk would hev seen a lot more sheep about as nearly every farmer hed a flock. Cos that were when most farms were what they called mixed farms, that meant that they hed both livestock & arable crops. That way they recon that there would be a profit in when that cum to sell either fat cattle, sheep or pigs or if the prices for livestock were down there would be a profit in the arable crops when they cum to be sold. They used to call it Up Horn down Corn or Up Corn down Horn. Yes I know pigs don’t hev horns but they were rolled in w’sheep un cattle.

I’ll be a watchin the TV t’night cos Norwich City are in a FA Cup game agin Liverpool. If they play how they played last time they were on the TV they don’t need to be a’watch the draw for the next round. I recon they could du with a bit o’luck so I told the Missus I were a goin t’send the Manager a rabbit’s foot cos if he kept that in his pocket while watching the team play that would bring them a bit o’luck. The Missus din’t say anything……….she just gi me one o’har looks…She also recon that she din’t know where I were a’goin t’git a rabbit’s foot from.
I just see that their last manager (Mr Farke) hev left his new managers job in Southern Russia. I don’t know if that hev anything t’du with what I were a talkin about earlier but I recon that might.

Well thas all for now cos thank time for me fourses (tea und a biscuit) thas nearly light enough to git back out in t’the garden arter m’fourses, there’s plenty d’du out the but thas still a bit dauby underfoot.

Du yu all keep save und i’ll hev a word along with yu next month. I were a’havin a look back tuther day und I recon I hev bin havin a wud along with yu all for ni on ten years. I don’t know if I can keep a’goin for another ten years but God willin I might be able t’put a dent in it.

Fare ye well t’gether und du yu keep a’troshin

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2022 Archives Monthly Retrospective

The Boy Tom – February 2022

Well how are yu all a’gettin on t’gether?

Thas suffin cold out there today (31st Jan) so I thought I’d draw inside und hev a wud a’long with you all.
That old north wind thas a’blowin straight from the North Pole, I recon that’d be fit t’flare yu if you were walkin on Holkham Beach this afternoon.

Yesterday morning the Missus und I were countin the birds that cum inta our garden for the RSPB GardeN Bird Watch. There din’t seem to be s’many about this year. There were plenty o’Blue Tits un Long Tail Tits but not s’meny Finches or Starlings. We hed plenty o’Gold Finches last year but they all seem to hev disappeared along with the Black Birds und Robins.
The old Cock Pheasant hev started drawing into the garden for sum feed, tuther day he und another black cock pheasant , who I han’t seen a’for ,were havin a scrap. I recon the gold one must hev won cos I han’t seen the black one any more. Over the month I hev bin getting in my old bird hide down at the bottom o’the garden t’see if I can git a few bird photos. I hev bin puttin a bit o’feed down t’see what I can draw in. Cos there hev bin plenty wood pigeon about, they hev bin on the young Master’s crops over the road but he keep them on the move with one o’them gas bangers. I managed to git a photo or two of a Jackdaw und Jay but I missed a Magpie . You hev goota be suffin quick to get a photo cos they swoop down und crab a beak full o’food with-out really landin. I like a’gettin in my old hide cos the Missus know she mussant come und disturb me down there, if she do that’ll frighten the birds. Just in case she think o’ringing me my mobile phone I turn that off un-all.

Them up at Whitehall are a’gettin in a rare old muddle , when is a party not a party? I recon if you the one who meake the rules you can’t very well say yu don’t know what they are. They recon they were taking drinks inta Number 10 in a luggage case. If that were true what were them security folk thinkin when they opened the case at the entrance to Downing Street und saw that were full of drink.

They recon that the price o’houses are a going up, I’ll tell yu suffin, so is the price o’farm machinery. I see that there were a demonstration on a farm near Norwich tuther day o’the latest sugar beet harvesters. Folk cum from all over the country t’hev a look at um. if yu wanted t’buy one yu hev gotta hev a deep pocket cos they started at £500.000. Thas more than most folk pay for a house. The difference is a house ull last yu a lifetime but a sugar beet harvester won’t. arter five t’ten years you’ll ha’a buy another one cos the old one ull be worn out.

Hev any on yu bin a watching that TV programme about an Actor (I think he won Strictly a year or two ago) und his family moving onto a farm. They hev always lived in a town und now nothin about farming. That hant stopped them a’buyin sum sheep und pigs. He recon he thought you just turned the sheep inta a field und let them get on with it. There’s a mawther who farm next door who keep a comin in t’give him a bit of advice. The fust time he went und hed a look at har sheep one on um hed a touch o’foot rot so she got him t’help har deal with it; he recon he couldn’t do it cos that made him feel ill, then she showed how to give the sheep a dose o’worm drench. Arter he hed done a few he ha’a stop cos he come over all tired.
When you turn sheep out to grass und afore the adult sheep are shorn they git a bit dirty round the back-end so you ha’a clip that orf t’stop the old flies a’layin eggs on it ,these will then hatch out into maggots. Well boy he recon he’could’nt do that either. This week they got sum pigs, when they went to collect them they asked the folk who were a’sellin them how much feed the pigs should hev they dint write the answer down. But I recon the best one is training their sheep to be halter led at a local show. Two days afore the show they han’t even put a halter on some of the sheep they hev entered. Now afore I retired I used to show sheep at the Norfolk, Wayland & Aylsham Shows und I used to start Halter training eight to ten weeks afore the fust show und they were led every week-day right up to the show I could keep a runnin on but the Missus hev told me t’stop watching the programme cos she recon I’ll hev a heart attack. All I’ll say is that int the way t’treat sheep or pigs just fore the sake of’a tv programme.

Fare ye well t’gether und du yu keep a’troshin

Categories
2022 Archives Monthly Retrospective

The Boy Tom – January 2022

Well how are yu all a’gettin on t’gether?

Here we are t’gether then , 2021 hev shut it’s door und 2022 hev opened it’s door for us to step through. We’ll ha’a see what this year will throw at us, I’ll tell yu suffin that ain’t a’goin t’be easy, Covid ull still be with us which won’t meake anything we want t’du easy. I’ll recon that folk ha’a gotta start thinkin about how what they do will affect other folk, every-one hev gotta ’pull t’gether in the same direction t’keep us all safe und healthy.
During the end of the year I met a’couple o’folk from separate families who aren’t a pullin in the same direction as the rest on us. I aren’t a goin t’tell yu who they are but one couple ,who between um are now a’goin t’five different clubs, don’t do any covid testin und another fella told me he han’t had any covid jabs even though his very elderly mother were a’comin t’stay for Christmas.

Durin December the Missus und I did get out und go und see them lights they had rigged up at Sandringham. My heart they were a rare sight, that were ok until we got about half way round und then Old Mother Nature pulled har chain und the heavens opened.
That were the same tuther day when I went for a walk in the Forest with my Son-in-Law t’hev a look at them Highland Cattle they hev got a’drawin about in there. That started a’rainin hard just as we were a’gettin out of the car, My Son-in Laws dog din’t even want t’git outa the car at all und ha’a be persuaded t’git out inta the rain und go for a walk und see the cattle which were,when we found them, a sheltering under sum trees un were’t a’goin t’move out for us so I ha’a photograph them where they were. I see some o’the cows were a’wearin what looked like cow bells a’hanging round their necks. Now I know they are aren’t bells but are a tag that give orf an electric signal which the farmer use to find um. I’ll tell yu suffin else I lean’t whlle out in the forest …..that my old wax coat want re-waxing cos that were lettin the water in.

If any on yu hev bin through the village arter dark durin December you’ll hev seen the old Church Tower und a Christmas tree all lit up. That were a lovely site as were the houses in the village that folk hed tricolated up with lights.

Them boys up at Carra Road still aren’t playin well, I know that injuries und covid mean that a’lot of the team aren’t fit the play but the thing is some o’the other teams in the same league hev got sum of their players unable t’play but they keep a’winnin a few games. Less hope them canaries hev made the right new years resolutions. Cos folk keep a’sayin that the club orta be a buying some new players during January, the trouble with that is that other clubs at the bottom of the same league (Newcastle) hev a bigger cheque book than Norwich.

I know that I were talkin about the door of 2022 bein open und how the year will go on for us, Cos them farmers will be wondering how thas a goin t’be once they start a’plowin a furrow across 2022. Pig farmers with them gret old herds you see when drivin about still hev plenty o’fat pigs a runnin about cos there’s still a shortage of slaughter house staff und lorry drivers. Farmers with sheep that lamb in the spring will be a wondering what the lambs will be worth later in the year when they cum t’sell them. Arable Farmers will be looking at the weather hoping that mother nature will help them with the right weather at the right time to help them sow, grow ind harvest their crops. I know a’lot on yu who read this aren’t anything to du with farming but I recon buying food grown in this country is part of “all on us a’pullin in the same direction”

At the moment thas to dauby (wet) for me git on the garden but there are still one or two jobs I want t git on with, The roof is a’leakin on one o’my shuds so I want git up the sale yard t’buy some wood so I can re-roof it with new wood und felt. Cos thas still warm out them spring bulbs are a poking their heads through, though I recon thall wish they hant cos they talk of there bein sum cold weather at the end o’the week. (I’ll ha’a check the heater in the green house ) cos thas where I keep the Missus’s tender shrubs durin the winter. If anything happen to them the Missus will only start a mobbin me und I’ll ha’a replace them later in the year.

Fare ye well t’gether und du yu keep a’troshin.