The insert is shown on here twice as I don't want you to have to stand on your head trying to read the sideways version. Do have a look; there are some interesting trips available, and the care and consideration of passengers is the most important thing for Spratts coaches.

The Tabernacle Baptist Chapel: An early part of Forncett's dissenting past

Merry Christmas to you all

Full to bursting again! Just like Christmas stockings in a few weeks. The editors of the Forncett Flyer would like to wish all our readers a very happy and satisfying Christmas, with plenty of events to amuse and entertain you in the diary column on the front page. We would like to thank all who have contributed to this newsletter over the past year, including the Parish Council and our advertisers who keep us financially afloat: also the team of people who faithfully deliver each edition whatever the weather; well done!    

Please note change of email for your parish clerk: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

A brief history of Forncett St Mary Rectory, by John Webster

This month we have someone very famous* on the front cover, and she is sitting pretty on Alan Gray’s lap. Forncett School’s European Day gets full coverage with two lovely photos of the goings-on, and as usual the ‘Forthcoming’ page has events to please all, from coffee mornings, to ‘Getting the best from your vegetable patch.’ Bob McClenning makes an appeal for fellow thespians, and there’s a petition to sign to help stop thefts from church roofs.

Ethel Coleman writes about the sad passing of Sylvia Holmes, and Suzanna Averill gives us an insight into the character of this lovely and popular lady who will be greatly missed. The back page contains details of the recent Gardeners’ Question Time evening at the Village Hall, with a delightful photo of Sarah House hiding behind a pot plant.
 
* Her name is Pepperpot.

NB. In our haste to pull everything together to get to the publishers on time, we neglected to include Anne Hardestey’s name in the piece about the Harvest Supper, on page 12. Anne worked hard on preparations for the supper (as did all the ladies) and also provided a delicious desert for the diners to enjoy. Without all these ladies the Supper would simply not go ahead, and they earn our respect and genuine admiration.

Well your two months is up, and we are back with you again: our summer events are all here in pictures (except the one of me climbing a scaffold tower to clean out the gutters – what did you spend the summer doing?). Thirty two individuals have contributed to this edition with photographs and text, and I think that may be a record. There is so much going on in Forncett and in neighbouring parishes that the ‘Forthcoming events’ item usually found on page 4 has ballooned into a two page insert that you can pin up somewhere so you don't miss anything – there is even a little space for you to make notes. On page 12 you will find the longest carrot produced in Forncett, and there are some beautiful photographs by Andrew Coleman of flower arrangements (on page 2) together with a report on the past few months at Forncett Church.

There are no letters though.

Our new weatherman tells us what the rainfall has been like (wet) on page 4, and good old Ron has managed to unearth a photo of the Nissen hut in Hapton.

Enjoy!

This edition of the Forncett Flyer is to last you two months as the editorial team take a well-earned break, and I get to spend more time at my allotment. Sadly the picture on page 11 is not of my plot: mine is not anywhere near as neat and tidy. The allotment water supply is imminent – at last, thanks to Waitrose’s green disc scheme for supporting local enterprises (and a bit of our own fundraising). Ironically, parts of Forncett End may lose their water (temporarily) as Anglian Water start work on the leaky old mains pipes.

We have included a story involving Basil, Alison, Chico and some wasps on page 2; and there are more animals on the back page, together with news of an owl baby on page 11. Our local licensed club – the Tas Well Social Club – outlines its plans for the rest of the year, and the now famous (?) Railway Ron continues his story with the war years at Forncett station.

We will see you at the beginning of October. If you want to be included on the E-Notice Board, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and you will receive news of anything interesting that crops up in the interim.

Because of all the photographs, this month’s issue will take a bit longer to download, so make a cup of coffee and read this while you wait!

Seriously - we have 29 super colour pictures and numerous others on the black and white pages (printed version). It feels like only yesterday when having a colour picture on the front of the Village Plan questionnaire (2005/6) involved ‘getting a plate made’ and paying £200 extra. Long live digital! I particularly like the proms photo on the back page, full of life and movement. Also no less than 25 different people have contributed copy and photos for this issue, which is a remarkable number – keep it coming! The Garden Club have been out and about enjoying the summer with their trips and feasts, and of course the annual fete brought hundreds of you together to enjoy the rain! The Flower Festival in the Methodist Church was one of the best I have ever seen, and photos cannot do justice to the arrangements that covered every surface.

Well, it should have downloaded by now, so enjoy!

It’s early summer and the outdoor events are beginning to increase in number: we have photos of the Auto Jumble at the Steam Museum, and of the beautiful Flower festival at Tacolneston Church, and the forthcoming page is bursting with news of a Proms concert, Thomas the Tank engine, coffee mornings, and a trip to a garden. Both Forncett and Tacolneston have a fete coming up – but not on the same day! The Parish Council has had a re-shuffle and Bob McClenning is back in his role as ‘fully recycled District Councillor’ (his words, not mine). Railway Ron is on the next generation of the Reynolds family, and Dr Willis (demoted to page 6 for lateness in submitting his report) is reminding us not to waste surgery time by making appointments and then not showing up. Quite right too.

I would say ‘do have a lovely summer’ but speaking as an allotmenteer, I WISH IT WOULD RAIN A BIT.

Head teacher Judith Jones is our cover girl this month clad in an appropriate spring-green rainproof coat. Dr Willis blows his trumpet on page 3, and on page 4 there is a last call for the auto jumble (bits and pieces for cars) at Forncett St Mary church. There are photos in abundance on the last two pages, of goings-on round the back of the Village Hall - and elsewhere. Sheep are seen wandering, and there is a scoop picture of Kate and William sitting on their thrones.

Bert Rhodes is remembered with great fondness; and there is also an obituary of Geoffrey Squire who – despite being distinguished in his field – tucked himself away in Forncett End.

Spring is sprung; at last! This month we have reports of a very successful World Book Night at the Village Hall, and the subsequent start of a new book swap evening. The recent Ceilidh is featured with photos of one and all leaping about with abandon. There is a new priest – Andrew - to welcome, and lots of news from neighbouring parishes. The plans for the auto jumble at the steam museum are well underway, as are the arrangements for a hog roast, beer festival, fete and coach trip: Forncett is the place to be this year; evidently.

How I get all the news and forthcoming attractions into 12 pages, I do not know; but it’s all here. Not one but two quizzes; one by the allotmenteers, and one in aid of Little Tractors playgroup. Beyond the Parish boundary on page 5welcomes ‘Tibenham Tidings’, ‘Bunwell Bulletin’ and ‘Wednesday afternoon W.I.’ The kids have taken over the school report, where Owain, Felix and Jake entertain us with football news. For those of you who love reading, see page 4 for an item about World Book Night, and your chance to get a free book.

There is also a word about the very sad death of Hedley Smith, with an appreciation by Bob McClenning; Hedley will be much missed by a large number of people, including me.

As the snowdrops announce the start of spring, we have one last look at the Christmas and New Year’s celebrations in Forncett: the Diggers & Dibblers quiz, Carol singing, Santa at the Village Hall and finally the New Year’s Day walk. Also there is the new exciting layout for the planned development on the Old Sale Yard; news of World Book Night with the possibility of having 48 new books to give away. There is the start up of a new Friends of St Edmunds church group; and pictures of the first new games night at the Tas Well. Otters in Forncett? Check out page 9 for news of them.
And if it’s not too late; Happy New Year to you all.

A brief note on Revd J W Colenso and his church of Forncett St Mary (and a footnote on his cousin William Colenso)

Christmas fast approaches and here is the last Forncett Flyer edition of 2010; where does the time go? This month we have a new item in 'Beyond the Boundary'; Tacolneston Topics. Forncett Garden Club planted some baby trees around the Village Hall and now it is time to forge ahead with the other jobs outside, to enlarge the car park and provide better outside space. The diary dates contain all our Christmas events, from candlelit carols to the New Year’s Day walk. And for the children, there are one or two Santas hiding amongst the pages just waiting to surprise!

The editors of the Forncett Flyer wish you all the best for a warm, peaceful, happy Christmas and a fruitful New Year.

Of Butchers and Bakers but not candlestick makers!
Part 2 – The bakers serving the locality

November is almost upon us, and we have a host of autumnal events; the Harvest Supper and the Diggers & Dibblers ‘Tools-Down’ meal are both included here – even though our tools will be reactivated later this month on Planting Day; 400 trees and shrubs from the Woodland Trust are to be planted around the Village Hall. There is a sneak preview of Forncett St Mary’s church calendar, a reminder about ordering the Christmas turkey, and a date for the Christmas whist drive. John Webster takes us back to a time to when there were no credit cards or welfare state, to the workhouses and the branding of vagrants. Forncett St Peter church is to be on BBC, and the now famous Railway Ron relates a sad story of tragedy. And finally, but by no means least of all, there is a piece from Canon David Winter, former Head of Religious Broadcasting, BBC suggesting appropriate thoughts to dwell on during the two silent minutes on Remembrance Sunday, and a poem to make you stop and think.

Of Butchers and Bakers but not candlestick makers!
Part 1 – The long tradition of butchers at Forncett End

The members of the team at the Forncett Flyer are glad to be back after the summer break, but deeply saddened by the death of our Rector, Clive Styles. There is a lovely photo and appreciation of him on the front of this month’s edition. He will be missed, and for a long time. On a happier note, I just counted up the number of contributors to this issue (text and photos, but not adverts) and I discovered that there are twenty six of them, including two of the children from Forncett School: this is wonderful! The centre pages are designed to be a pull-out with everything you ever wanted to know about the LDF, and we were prompted into doing this by a gentleman who lives outside the village – so that’s 27 contributors. Circus; classic cars; Nicky and Quill; and a bench seat with two left legs – it’s all here.

Forncett did not lag behind in establishing motorized travel to Norwich and beyond. Two local families made a significant contribution to providing access to the city and more ...

A School at Forncett End: Brief notes on its establishment and demise.

Summer is upon us and what could be better than a paddle in the ice-cold North Sea? Little Tractors did just that and one brave man is shown on the cover trying it out for himself. The printed version this month is in black and white as we try to recover our financial equilibrium – last month’s copy bust the bank somewhat despite the very generous annual allowance from the Parish Council, we still have to curb our extravagance. The mobile police van chart has gone from our pages to be replaced with a monthly caution from SNAP / police / homewatch. Railway Ron gets almost a full page; and the Open Garden event at Four Seasons is depicted in photographs. There’s lots of doggies on the back page, and a llama (really!) on page 3. Dog-show photos by Greg Spencer, Strawberry Tea by Su Leavesley, Little Tractors by Little Tractors staff.

There is no issue next month but the church services will be on this website, and if there is anything really spectacular, I may just run off a page – for the web only.

Rectors of the Forncetts in the Twentieth Century.

What a bumper issue we have this month: you will find coverage of Forncett Fete, an outdoor event where it rained and rained: but were we downhearted? Not likely. Then there is coverage of Diggers & Dibblers third annual show, an indoor event where the sun shone and we all melted in the heat. Typical English Summer! There are photos galore, including some of a recent trip with Sidelines to Langham Walled garden, where a coach-load of people had a jolly nice time. Page 4 might not make sense until you see page 5, but I dearly wanted the picture of Gladys Durrant to be in colour (in the printed version) and Dr Bamber too. I apologise in advance for any errors and omissions and inconsistencies, 16 pages is more than I should be doing at my age.

Houses of note in Forncett
Domestic buildings

More photos this month. ‘Winston Churchill’ pops in for a visit, and Samantha tells us how she beat deep-end-phobia at swimming. Information about septic tank emptying, and Dr Bamber in Lycra! Back page focus on the ever-helpful Humphreys family, and pictures of quiz night at the Village Hall. More from Railway Ron. Items by children of Forncett School and a picture of the new pirate ship.

Our reporters are getting younger! This month we have ‘Will Scarlet’ and ‘Robin Hood’ featuring on the front page, and there is an article inside written by Owain who is 10 years old. Beyond the Parish Boundary starts this month, with room to advertise events over the border. Back page is a poster of events you can expect in Forncett this year, including new Juniors’ night at the Tas Well Social Club.

Photos galore: pamper night; reading group dinner; promotion for Diggers & Dibblers’s show this June, and also for the Antiques valuation event in May. A draft layout of the plans for the old CPS fuel site. New regular feature, Railway Ron telling us about the early days of Forncett Station; a word about potholes, and a photo of Eira biting a police lady at a SNAP meeting!