Our main Village Fete (at the Village Hall and on Jubilee Green) on 23rd June was blessed with perfect weather ... and the crowds came out in force to show their appreciation!  A report and some photos are in the July 2018 edition of the Forncett Flyer (available via the 'Forncett Flyer' menu) but the slide show below has some more photos which wouldn't fit in the Flyer.

( Photos by Phil Whiscombe
  Click pic for slideshow )

As usual, the number of people who helped in practical ways on the day or donated items is far too many to list, but special mention must be made of Sally Hibbler, Carole McClure and Gill Starkie who did the overall planning and ensured that everything came together on the day.  A total of £2982 was raised for our three good causes - Friends of Forncett School, Little Tractors Playgroup and Forncett Village Hall.  Fantastic!

We enjoyed a well-attended December meeting when Christine Hewson, Chelsea Medallist and Chairman of Breckland Flower Club, demonstrated stunning Christmas Flower Arrangements, all of which were later Raffled. With six new ladies expressing their wish to join us in 2016 it was a very enjoyable afternoon. The following week we went to The King’s Head at New Buckenham for our Christmas Meal. We were so well looked after by owner Barry Tunmore and his team of staff that various members have since returned for meals. Delicious food and a very convivial time was had by all. We shall surely repeat the visit in the future.

Our January meeting was very well attended despite the cold weather, helped by bright sun streaming into the Hall. A welcome return visit by Rachel Rusholme Pilcher, Norfolk WI representative for Science, saw us ‘Discovering Genes and DNA’. Not a dull subject at all as all was explained in a fascinating way, followed by the extraction of DNA from two samples of Blueberries. A delightful afternoon with lots of questions.

Our meeting on 17th February at 2pm in Bunwell Village Hall will be a short talk about Bread making by the President, Chris Potter, with lots of different types to sample, and with a demonstration of the making and baking of one particular loaf. Here’s hoping it rises to the occasion!

All our meetings are held on the third Wednesday of each month (apart from December when it is the 2nd Wednesday), at 2pm in Bunwell Village Hall. Visitors are always welcome.

CRAFT DAY
Saturday March 5th sees our Craft Day in the Village Hall, when Tutors will teach their individual craft. The sessions are from 1000-1600. Participants choose one of 5 crafts.
Cost £20 per person, to include materials, drinks throughout the day and a light lunch of Baked Potato, various fillings, salad and desert.
Crafts:
Jewellery, Blackwork Embroidery, Greeting cards, Patchwork or Stained Glass.
For more details or to book a place, please contact either:
Veronica Pell 01953 603708
Christine Potter 01953 788792
Experience from our Craft Day 2 years ago shows that places fill quickly!

PLEASE NOTE: The information given below is believed correct and updated when we learn of changes or errors, but no responsibility can be accepted for any outdated, wrong or missing information.  Please contact Brian Frith () if you discover anything in need of attention.

Services

Doctors – Long Stratton Medical Partnership – 01508 530781 www.longstrattonsurgery.nhs.uk

Wymondham Medical Centre ('Postmill') – 01953 602220 www.wymmed.co.uk

The Windmill Surgery, Wymondham – 01953 607607 www.windmillsurgery.co.uk

DEFIBRILLATOR. One is located at the bottom of Mill Lane, near Forncett school, in a red phone box. Another is on the outside wall of Forncett Village Hall and another is in the old phone box on Long Stratton Road, near the junction with Tabernacle Lane (near to St Edmunds Church). Also there is one at Tacolneston Village Hall.

Pharmacy – 'Well' Pharmacy, Long Stratton 01508 530303

'Well' Pharmacy, Wymondham 01953 602115

Boots Pharmacy, Wymondham 01953 601772

Vets  - Chapelfield Veterinary Partnership – Long Stratton 01508 530686 or Wymondham 01953 602139 www.chapelfieldvets.co.uk

Wymondham Veterinary Clinic Ltd – 01953 600066 www.wymondhamvets.co.uk

Schools & Nursery

Forncett C E V A Primary School – 01508 530506 https://www.forncett.norfolk.sch.uk

Tacolneston V C Primary School – 01508 489336 www.tacolneston.norfolk.sch.uk

Long Stratton High School - - 01508 530418 www.lshs.org.uk

Wymondham High School – 01953 602078 www.wymondhamhigh.co.uk

Shops

Nearest Small Stores – Bunwell Stores (inc Post Office), Bunwell Street 01953 788066

Petrol – Day’s of Bunwell, Bunwell Street, Bunwell

One Stop Store, Swan Lane Long Stratton 01508 530451

Larger Supermarkets – Co-op, Long Stratton 01508 536109

Morrisons, Wymondham 01953 828879

Waitrose, Wymondham 01953 607772 (With Shell garage)

Lidl, Wymondham

Sainsbury, Attleborough

Churches

Forncett, Ashwellthorpe, Fundenhall, Hapton, Tacolneston & Wreningham group 

Churchwarden Forncett St Peter Church: Gilly Barnes 01508 813055

Forncett St Edmund Church

Forncett St Mary Church – May and Graham Prior 

Clubs and events

Forncett Allotment Association, Richard Allard 

Forncett Archive and Local History Group – Secretary, Mike Merrick 

Forncett Bowls Club – Mike Smail 01508 489501

Forncett Steam Museum 01508 488277  www.forncettsteammuseum.co.uk

Diggers & Dibblers (Garden Club): Peter Schmidt-Hansen 

Reading Group – April Carlin 01953 788775     Reading Group 2 - Lin Whiscombe 01953 788302

Sunny Patches Sewing Group: Gill Coleman 01379 677502 

Tharston & District W.I. – Gill 01508 532468

Leisure Centres – Wymondham 01953 607171, large gym, wide variety of classes, group activities and a pool

http://www.south-norfolk.gov.uk/leisure/639.asp

Long Stratton 01508 531444, classes, group activities and a gym: http://www.south-norfolk.gov.uk/leisure/634.asp

If you prefer somewhere smaller, slots are sometimes available at Roseacre swimming pool, Ashwellthorpe, contact Mr Derek Downes 01508 488106 or, during the summer months, at Bridge Farm swimming pool, Station Road, Forncett – contact 07762 203022

Council Contacts

Your local MP is Ben Goldsborough: https://members.parliament.uk/member/5205/contact

Norfolk County Council www.norfolk.gov.uk 0344 800 8020 – the County Council deal with highways, education and school transport, public footpaths and rights of way, trading standards, libraries, adult and children’s social services and recycling centres. Your current County Councillor is Catherine Rowett;

South Norfolk Council (www.southnorfolkandbroadland.gov.uk; general phone 01508 533701) is your local district council (very 'conveniently?' based at Horizon Centre, Broadland Business Park, Peachman Way, Norwich NR7 0WF). They will collect your council tax and deals with refuse, recycling and garden waste collection, planning applications, leisure centres, environmental issues, support for local businesses, street cleaning, housing advice and homelessness and licensing. Your current District Councillor is Kim Carsok  ;  phone 07941 514766. You can register on the “My South Norfolk” section of this website for useful information about bin collections and nearby planning applications.

Forncett Parish Council – this is the first tier of local government. Your parish council deal with local issues such as bus shelters, litter, commenting on planning issues, grit bins and any general enquiry that a parishioner may have. Anyone is welcome to attend a parish council meeting, these are held on the third Thursday of each month (no meeting in August) at 7.30 pm at the village hall. There is a dedicated slot near the beginning of the meeting for members of the public to speak. Contacts are Anne Rayner, Parish Clerk, 07540 065782  or  . The official Parish Council web-site is at http://forncettparishcouncil.norfolkparishes.gov.uk   or Chairman, Brian Frith 01953 789882.

Ways of staying or becoming involved in village life:

You can sign up to the village e-noticeboard by contacting Su Leavesley at This will keep you up to date with village events, as well as police crime prevention information, lost or found animals and a wide variety of other useful information, by email to your inbox

The facebook page for Tacolneston is quite active, this sometime includes items for sale or wanted, including baby and children’s goods.

Forncett Flyer – Lindi Staunton, Richard Ball, Martin Lander, Anne Lander.  email

Unwanted items can be put to good use .

Items suitable for raffle, tombola, or the bric-a-brac stall is always gratefully accepted by any of the local churches or volunteer user groups who are always raising funds. Please contact the ‘good cause’ of your choice with details. 

Help can be given if you would like to set up a new group or activity. There are a few slots available at the village hall, mainly in the afternoons, evenings and weekends. Please contact Anne and Brian Frith (01953 789882 - ) to find out more or see the Village Hall section of the www.forncett.info web-site