Turnstone: Hunstanton writer John Maiden discusses town’s civic society leaders of the past

In his weekly column, Hunstanton writer John Maiden discusses the town’s civic society leaders of the past as well as D-Day celebrations…

There is so much going on just now that deserves a mention in this column, but I am going to start with another look back at the early days of the civic society, which is still going strong today as the Hunstanton Society.

In front of me there is a Draft Parish Plan for Hunstanton, which includes Old Hunstanton, Holme-next-the-Sea and Ringstead. The date on this document is 2004.

It was prepared by Hunstanton Regeneration Partnership and supported by The Countryside Agency; Hunstanton Town Council; and the Borough Council of King's Lynn & West Norfolk.

The Partnership came into being in December 2001, but its constitution was not ratified at a public meeting until its first AGM was held at Hunstanton Town Hall in November 2004.

It was then that Civic Society chairman Patrick Dodson was elected to chair the HRP. This prompted me to warn Patrick of the dangers involved in being a glutton for punishment. He laughed, but sadly he died shortly afterwards.

Without Patrick at the helm the HRP lacked someone in authority who was prepared to obtain background evidence on things such as land ownership.

The borough councillor who took the chair after Patrick did not know that his council had owned the seashore and The Green since replacing Hunstanton UDC under reorganisation in 1974.

Instead of making sure that all members of HRP were properly informed, the borough council decided to dissolve the HRP without it being effected by a vote in favour of at least three-quarters of those present and voting at a general meeting of HRP called for the purpose and of which 28 days notice has been given.

This sounds like legal talk, leading me to conclude that our retired judge, Martin Jeffreys had a hand in its origins.

Unfortunately, his wife Sheila, who had replaced Patrick in the civic society chair, came close to rocking the boat in the next episode of its history.

Having turned a blind eye to encroachment onto a public footpath, the borough council had to deal with a planning application for a hatch from which to sell ice cream outside the CHS building, which had changed hands in May 2007.

The civic committee objected to the hatch, but Sheila did an interview on BBC Radio Norfolk in which she expressed the opinion that the new owner might build a proper pier given time.

It all ended amicably when Sheila stepped down to be replaced by Roy Clark. With his WWII Royal Navy background, Roy turned out to be just the right man to steer the society away from stormy weather.

This brings me to the exciting plans by the town council for using The Green to celebrate the end of WWII. I remember that during an army exercise in the 1940s, cardboard cut-outs of Nazi soldiers, supported on long poles, were paraded along the parapet above the shelters for target practice. For any repeat performance, it might be safer to fire blanks.

With the American President appearing at the present time to have more in common with the Russian President than with most European leaders. It might be a good time to remember the part played by the USA in winning WWII.

With this thought in mind, it is to be hoped that the USAF 67th Special Operations Squadron will be invited to Hunstanton for the VE Day events.