Terrington St Clement technology, Gaywood wives, Fakenham football, Houghton Hall, a King’s Lynn architect and Fakenham students back in 1994
In our weekly feature, reporter Chris Hornby looks through the pages of the Lynn News to the week of August 20-26, 1994...
Caravans should be banned from West Norfolk roads between dawn and dusk over the Bank Holiday weekend, says the Anti-Caravan Club. The protest group says people in this area face a “siege-like” weekend because “cream-coloured convoys of caravans” will be causing traffic tailbacks on the roads. The group also points out that tractors and farm vehicles – part of an industry vital to the local economy – have to pull off the road when a queue builds up behind them, adding: “But caravans carry on regardless and all they bring is pollution and their entire supplies for the week and all they leave behind is their rubbish”.
Technology costing £224,000 is about to be launched in Terrington St Clement. Tomorrow (Wednesday, August 24) phone users in the village are being switched over to British Telecom’s new digital telephone exchange. At 7am, about 2,000 customers in the area will have their phone cut off for a few minutes while engineers disconnect the old equipment and reconnect lines to the computerised exchange. Customers will notice a more high-pitched dialling tone, faster connection times, clearer lines and fewer faults, BT says.
Seabirds in the North Sea could be at risk unless marine pollution is halted, the RSPB has warned. Oil pollution is one of the biggest threats to seabirds, with guillemots and razorbills particularly at risk. RSPB figures taken each year show continuing widespread deaths from oil and the charity has highlighted the problem of ships deliberately dumping oil and chemicals in the sea rather than disposing of them safely in ports.
Gaywood Methodist Wives group is appealing for more members to help bring it a breath of new life. The group was set up more than 20 years ago and has around 30 members on its books from all over West Norfolk. Committee member Doreen Fowler said the group had a low profile and many women failed to realise it even existed. She added: “It doesn’t matter if you don’t live in Gaywood or you’re not a Methodist; you don’t even have to be a wife – you can be single or divorced.”
Professional football is looming again for Fakenham Town striker Luther Blissett. The former England star is favourite for the vacant AFC Bournemouth job, especially as he is a former player for the club and starred in the side’s famous 2-0 FA Cup victory against Manchester United in 1984. Blissett signed for the Ghosts in the close season and scored twice in his side’s latest 3-1 win over Cornard.
Major restoration is to start at the 18th century Houghton Hall as soon as planners approve the work. The refurbishment coincides with the long overdue replacement of the old-fashioned plumbing, which in itself will entail fairly extensive structural work. The hall, between Anmer and Rudham, is the home of the Marquess of Cholmondeley, and was built in the 1720s by Sir Robert Walpole. The Grade 1 listed building and a popular tourist attraction, it has been closed this season in preparation for the work, but will reopen in Easter.
Well-known former Lynn architect and building contractor, Keeble Allflatt, whose family firm has been working in the town since the early 1800s, has died at the age of 87. Mr Allflatt, of Ashwicken, designed many of Lynn’s buildings and houses, including the former Pilot cinema and the Theatre Royal, which were both constructed by his father. A keen sportsman, he played for the Pelicans hockey team in its early days and was a popular member of Lynn Golf Club for around 30 years.
Fakenham police and Fakenham High School worked together for 19 young people to visit RAF Marham as part of the Splash programme (Schools Police Liaison Activities in Summer Holiday). The youngsters tried out the Tornado cockpit for size, were given a demonstration of police dog handling and had the opportunity to try their hands as firefighters at the base.
