1953 Flood Scene
Thursday 31st January 2013 at 6pm at The Flood Memorial in the Market Place.
Posted by Stella Gooch
Photo courtesy of Maria Fountain, Twitchers Retreat B&B in Snettisham
A flock of knots at high tide fly in to Snettisham
Exciting news for nature lovers, especially the bird watchers! It seems the well respected team responsible for the BBC’s Countryfile TV programme have made Snettisham the focus of one of its programmes about the Norfolk coast. Matt Baker and Julia Bradbury visit the RSPB bird reserve at Snettisham to find out about the wonders of this stretch of coast and why it is so popular with tens of thousands of over-wintering birds.
The crew are supported by Autumnwatch photographer Richard Taylor-Jones, who helps captures bird life on camera.
The Countryfile team also chat with the family responsible for maintaining the first ever Wildlife Trust reserve at Cley Marshes and they get to photograph Norfolk’s seals.
The programme on Snettisham is due to air on Sunday, 16 December 2012 at 17.50 on BBC1.
Posted by Stella Gooch
I recently made my first visit to our local hospice, known as The Norfolk Hospice Tapping House, and talked at length with Chief Executive, Richard Shaw and Hospice Ambassador, Peter Parker about the Hospice and the issues it faces in 2012. By the end of my visit I had to change my mind about many inaccurate preconceived misconceptions which I had previously held.
Since 1984, Tapping House has provided skilled Hospice care to people suffering with a number of life limiting conditions. It was a real surprise for me to learn that the majority of patients suffer from neurological as well cancer based illnesses as I thought that cancer would be responsible for more terminal illness than anything.
Consultation at Tapping House
How many of us – like me until recently – think about Tapping House as a fully functioning Hospice equipped with the necessary facilities to meet the needs of the patients who go there? My visit showed me that the reality is quite different. Tapping House has achieved a great deal in the years since its inception but sadly, despite all the good work it carries out,Tapping House is NOT yet fully equipped to provide end of life care for its patients that the operators would wish to offer to the patients who so desperately need it. Indeed, whilst emotional and psychological support has been available for patients, carers and the bereaved for some time, it is only since 1 November 2012 that has the Hospice been able to offer a Hospice at Home service.
At the time of death, legacies and donations are often made to those involved in the care of patients. It is all too easy to forget the (often long term) contribution made by Tapping House in maintaining the quality of life for patients and such bequests are an essential source of funding for Hospice facilities Such legacies usually make up 40% of the income of such charitable organisations but shockingly in the case of Tapping House they achieve only 7%. The NHS, through the West Norfolk Clinical Commissioning Group, increased its Hospice funding from 6.6% to 13%. This is a welcome development but is still way off the national average of 35%.
Other surprising facts that I learned during my visit:
Occupational therapy at Tapping House
The Hospice has many fundraising initiatives running throughout the year but the funds raised from these activities do not really provide enough to make the Hospice a fully operational service provider with the facility to offer patients a bed and full end of life care within the Hospice. Instead, the team of carers and nurses are limited to day care, out-patient care and home care services only.
Tapping House are working towards moving operations to a full service Hospice in Hillington near Kings Lynn in 2013. It is envisaged that this new development will provide 12 desperately needed in-patient beds in the area. The new Hospice, and the Hospice at Home Team will help to offer a more thorough service to more people in need of them within West Norfolk, North Norfolk and some parts of Cambridgeshire too. To achieve this Tapping House needs to raise an additional £750,000 (to the original £1.7m running costs) between now and December 2013 so that they may ensure patients can have the opportunity to enjoy the enlarged facilities at the new Hospice and other services as soon as possible.
Christmas is coming and money is tight but even a small donation by many towards this worthwhile facility would help get them a lot closer to achieving these expanded Hospice facilities as planned in 2013. Another way to help is to use the Tapping House charity shops – buy from the range of goods on offer and make donations of items where appropriate.
Occupational therapy
Manicure
The Norfolk Hospice, Tapping House Shops and their Opening Hours (Sept 2012):
Dereham - 8 High Street, Dereham, NR19 1DR - Tel: 01362 693902
Opening Hours: Mon – Sat: 9am – 4.30pm
Downham Market – 8 Wales Court, Downham Market, PE38 9JZ – Tel: 01366 381472
Opening Hours: Mon – Sat: 8.30am – 4pm
Fakenham – 30 Upper Market, Fakenham, NR21 9BX – Tel: 01328 855464
Opening Hours: Mon – Wed, Fri, Sat: 9am – 4.30pm, Thu: 8.30 – 4pm
Holt - 5 Bull Street, Holt, NR25 6HR- Tel: 01263 710627
Opening Hours: Mon – Sat: 9am – 4.30pm
Hunstanton – Unit 3 Le Strange Court, St Edmunds Terrace, Hunstanton, PE36 5EH – Tel: 01485 534446
Opening Hours: Mon – Sat: 10am – 4pm
King’s Lynn – 26 Norfolk Street, King’s Lynn, PE30 1AL – Tel: 01553 766564
Opening Hours: Mon – Sat: 9am – 4.30pm
King’s Lynn Furniture Store – 26-28 Broad Street, Vancouver Centre, King’s Lynn, PE30 1DP - Tel: 07570 917857
Opening Hours: Mon – Sat: 9am – 5pm
Snettisham – 41 Lynn Road, Snettisham, PE31 7LR – Tel: 01485 543250
Opening Hours: Mon - Sat: 10am – 4pm
Swaffham – 75 Market Place, Swaffham, PE37 7AQ – Tel: 01760 720323
Opening Hours: Mon – Sat: 10am – 4:30pm
Wisbech – 12 Union Street, Wisbech, PE13 1DJ – Tel: 01945 466527
Opening Hours: Mon – Sat: 9am – 4.30pm
Snettisham-On-Line has been advised by Snettisham Parish Council that the beach car park which was recently closed will RE-OPEN on Thursday, 29 November.
The current dispute about rights of way, car parking and access to the beach at Snettisham has elicited an “open letter” from Snettisham Parish Council.
Click here to read the Snettisham Parish Council open letter 14 Nov 2012
Coasthopper on the road
Snettisham residents will be pleased to hear that the new Coasthopper route through the village will continue through the winter, Monday to Saturday. With the exception of the 10.33 am service to King’s Lynn all other journeys will operate, although please note that the times have been changed slightly
• Buses from Poppyfields towards Lynn will be at 9.13 am and 12.28 pm
• Buses from Poppyfields towards Hunstanton will be at 9.54 am 12.54 pm
• Saturdays only service from Poppyfields to Hunstanton 3.54 pm
As before, these buses are “hail and stop” which means there are no bus stops – just hold out your arm anywhere along Poppyfields or Strickland Avenue and they will stop to pick you up. Likewise they will drop you off wherever you request on these roads.
For a full list of buses which serve our village, please see their latest timetables.
We all love ducks and feeding ducks and chickens is very popular in Snettisham. However, encouraging them in this way can cause real problems in residential areas. The population of birds in the village and the food supply are very closely linked. Some points to be aware of:
The ducks and chickens do not need more food – they are wild birds and can get all they need naturally. To protect your health and your children’s health as well as theirs, please don’t feed these birds.
By Stella Gooch
Snettisham Beach
For those who enjoy walking, John Kingham, of Kings Lynn Ramblers, has added two Snettisham Wash walks to their programme as part of the Ramblers, “One Coast for All Campaign”. Both walks will start from Snettisham Beach car park and be some 8 miles long. Everyone is welcome, even if you only walk a
short way along the footpath and return, you will still be supporting the Ramblers campaign. The dates are Saturday 8th December and Saturday 23rd February next year. Further details can be obtained from John Kingham on 01553 674262.
A good turnout is needed to help support keeping this wonderful walk open to all so please pass on to your friends and family as widely as possible.
Adding more weight to this right of way being kept open, Norfolk County Council has now made the decision to make an order for the beach footpath along the beach sea wall to be made a Public Right of Way. Once the order is publicised and becomes legal this footpath will join up the public footpath from Heacham with the public footpath from Dersingham providing an unrestricted footpath around this part of the Wash coastline.
So please help keep up support for this wonderful cause.
Posted by Stella Gooch
John Kingham of King’s Lynn Ramblers has confirmed that walks from Snettisham Car Park are now eing added to the King’s Lynn Ramblers walking programme. The Walk is to be named Snettisham/Wash Walk. The walk will be 8 miles and John is looking for local people to join in and support so please tell your friends and pass the word around.
Further details may be obtained from John Kingham on 01553 674262.
Walk 1 on on 8 December 2012
Walk 2 on 23 February 2013
Please attend if you only walk part of the way to support Snettisham’s ancient footpath.
This is an important walk to be added to the ‘One Coast for All Campaign.