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News Cutting of the Week

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LATEST NEWS and FEATURES

Village To Get Faster Broadband - Hethersett has been named amongst 29 Norfolk towns and villages to benefit from increased Broadband speeds in the near future. After years of arduous campaigning, negotiation and preparation, the first communities to benefit from Norfolk’s “Better Broadband” project have been announced and we are amongst them.To read this story from the Wymondham Mercury click here

Looking for Players and Help - Hethersett Athletic Football Club will be running 13 teams in the coming season, covering all ages from Under-7 to adult. The club's highly successful ladies team is also looking for players to add to its squad for its campaign in the Norfolk Premier Division. The club is also looking for a treasurer. Anyone interested in playing for the club or helping in any way should contact chairman Peter Steward on 01603 811052 or via e-mail by clicking here.

Regulars Toast Popular Couple - Regulars at Hethersett King's Head Public House have raised almost £900 to send popular landlord and landlady Adrian Harvey and Sue Whitmore on a short break. The couple, who have managed the pub for four years, are planning to retire but will continue running the pub for a short while. A party at the pub was attended by dozens of villagers and included a presentation, a band and a hog roast. To read more about this visit our cuttings section.

Hat-Trick of Wins - Hethersett are South Norfolk Village Games Champions for the third year in a row. Once again we took the honours in the Active Norfolk area finals at Framingham Earl on June 9th and now go forward to the county finals at UEA Sportspark on July 14th. It was a close run thing this year as we just pipped Diss by two points in the section for large villages and market towns. It is a remarkable achievement for a village of 6,000. We will have photos and a full report of the event shortly.

Bumper Weekend - Hethersett's annual open weekend will be held on Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th July. This year's event will be a mix of the tried and tested alongside some new attractions. It all kicks off on Saturday morning with Sport in the Park and a Village Fete with car boot sale on the Memorial Playing Field from 11 a.m until 4 p.m (the car boot will run until approximately 1 p.m). There will be over 20 sports to come and try free of charge. Hethersett Hawks Cycle Speedway will be holding their annual charity cup competition from 4 p.m and this will be followed by evening entertainment with a licensed bar from 7.30 until 10.30 p.m. Sunday sees a multi denominational church service in Hethersett Social Club at 10 a.m followed by the ever popular two mile run the square funrun at 11 a.m. Throughout the day there will be a major ladies five-a-side football tournament on the Memorial Field. This popular event has already attracted an entry of 21 teams with the possibility of a few more still to be added. There will be a craft exhibition at Hethersett Library from midday until 3 p.m and a photographic competition will run throughout the weekend. Unfortunately due to unforeseen circumstances the Hethersett's Got Talent Show scheduled for July 5th has had to be cancelled. You can read more about all the events by clicking here. Entry forms for Run the Square and the photographic competition are available by clicking here.

Velo Club Set Up - Hethersett has a new cycling club. Hethersett Velo Club has been set-up by cycling enthusiast Martin "Bart" Anderton with the aim of making club cycling accessible for all: "We want riders of all abilities to experience the joys of riding in a group," he said. At present there is a main club ride of 30 to 35 miles on Sunday mornings from 8.30 a.m, a slower and shorter ride of between five and 10 miles on Monday evenings from 7.15 p.m and a more up tempo ride of between 20 and 25 miles on Tuesdays from 7.15 p.m. "The ethos of the club is about enjoyment, confidence and club spirit. The Hethersett Velo Club is designed to encourage people to partake in cycling and build their confidence to ride in a group. It's also a great way to workout and improve personal fitness," Martin added. The club has joined Hethersett and the Meltons Sports Association and has its own web site which can be viewed by clicking here.

Annual Horticultural Show - This year's Hethersett and District Horticultural Show will be held in Hethersett Village Hall on Saturday 7th September from 2 to 4 p.m. There will be special classes for non members and young people. To see more details visit the society's section of this web site by clicking here.

Ben is Top Apprentice - Former Hethersett High School pupil Ben Cooke has been crowned apprentice carpenter of the year. You can read this story from the Wymondham Mercury by clicking on our cutting of the week.

Teenager Hailed a Hero - A Hethersett teenager has been hailed a hero after running to the rescue after fire broke out in a neighbour's house. To read about Braden Taylor's brave action visit our cuttings section by clicking here.

Cricketers are Top - Hethersett and Tas Valley Cricket Club rose to the top of the Norfolk Alliance Division Two after their second win in a row at the weekend. They beat Norwich A by 166 runs to go two points clear of local rivals Great Melton.

Church Open Day - As part of the fundraising appeal for nave and roof repairs, St Remigius Church will be holding an open day on Saturday 22nd June from 10 a.m until 4 p.m. The timetable is still being finalised but there will be refreshments all day, a flower demonstration in the afternoon, the bell ringing chamber in the tower will be open and there will be activities for children along with a number of exhibitions and stalls. Meanwhile the next Messy Church event for children will take place on Saturday 8th June from 4 until 6 p.m. This is aimed at children of Year Six school age and younger. Children must be accompanied by an adult and pre-bookings should be made with Brenda Palmer on 01603 812013 or via e-mail by clicking here.

Anglian Singers in Concert - St Remigius Church will be the venue for a concert by the Anglian Singers on Saturday 15th June at 7.30 p.m. The choir will be conducted by Kate Trett and John Barham and guest accompanist will be Neil Ricketts. The programme will include Puccini's Messa Di Gloria and choral works from the 16th century to the present day. Tickets are priced at £7 and can be booked on 01362 820543 or 01603 810598.

Concert Fund-raiser - A concert by the Hellesdon and Sprowston Brass Band at St Remigius Church, organised by the church choir raised £620 for the church roof repair fund. There was a patriotic Last Night of the Proms style theme to the evening.

Improved Facilities - Improved audio and video facilities have been set-up in Hethersett Village Hall thanks to grants from Hethersett Parish Council and South Norfolk Council. The bodies provided £2,000 each to the total cost of £8,000. A projector system and screen has been installed in the main hall which can be connected to from laptops. The sound system has also been improved so that IPODs, MP3s and CD players can be connected to use the amplifier and loudspeakers within the hall. An induction loop system will help the hard of hearing and a conference type sound system can be used at meetings. It is also hoped to provide Wi-fi in the hall in the near future.

Garage Sale - This year's Hethersett Garage Sale (the ninth) organised by the Friends of Hethersett High School will take place on Sunday 22nd September from 9 a.m until 1 p.m. Further information is available and bookings can be made by contacting Karen Cole on 01603 811543.

Council Vacancy - A vacancy still exists on Hethersett Parish Council. Details of just what the role involves are available from parish clerk Ian Weetman on 01603 810915. To read a report fromm the latest council meeting which took place on May 20th click here.

High School to Become an Academy - Hethersett High School is set to become an academy after being put into special measures by OFSTED. You can read this story from the Eastern Daily Press newspaper by clicking here. See also our cuttings section.

Garden Visits - Hethersett and District Horticultural Society has informed us that they have a few spaces left on its coach trip to Green Island Garden and the Beth Chatto Garden in Essex on Thursday 18th July. Food will be available or sandwiches can be taken. For more information contact Margaret Ford on 01603 811393 or Leslie Dale on 01603 810952

Riding Success - There was a good turnout for the first ride of the recently set-up Hethersett Cycling Club with 18 people taking part. They travelled to Old Buckenham airfield and back and organiser Martin Anderton is hoping social rides will become a regular part of the club’s calendar. Martin and experienced rider Iain Nichols have formed a two man committee and they are looking to start an Over 60s group and also launch some teaching and off road training courses for children. “The aim of the club is to provide a relaxed introduction into riding and road cycling giving people the knowledge, experience and confidence to ride,” Martin Anderton said.

Plant Success - The annual plant sale outside Hethersett Methodist Church raised £236.30 for Hope and Homes for Children. Additional donations of £81.35 brought the total raised for the charity which works with children, their families and communities across Central and Eastern Europe and Africa, to £317.65. The original date of the event had to be changed due to the harsh winter. Local organiser Joan Green said she was delighted with the result: “We are amazed by the result after the prolonged winter weather necessitated a delay in the sale. Strangely this worked in our favour as many people needed to replace plants they had lost in the bad weather and used our sale to re-stock. I am very grateful to everybody who supported and helped with the event,” she said.

They Came and Tried - Hethersett’s annual come and try sports and games evening organised jointly by Active Norfolk and Hethersett and the Meltons Sports Association attracted over 80 people of all ages to the Memorial Playing Field. The event gave the public the opportunity to try their hand at a variety of sports and games including cricket, football, athletics, cycle speedway, petanque, cornboard and handball. Qualified coaches were on hand to help with the fun.

Run the Square Entry Forms - Entry forms for this year's two mile Run the Square Funrun on July 7th are now available on this site. The event will be part of Hethersett Open Weekend. To download this form click here for a word format and click here for a pdf file. Forms for the funrun and other events during the weekend can also be accessed by clicking here. The organisers of Run the Square are also looking for volunteers to help with marshalling the route on the morning. Anybody interested should contact Shane Hull on 07879 628943.

Rays of Sunshine - The sun didn't shine on Hethersett Junior School's annual fair but the event did raise funds towards energy saving solar panels at the school. You can read about this story from the Norwich Evening News by clicking here.

School Deemed "Inadequate" - Hethersett High School has been criticised as inadequate by the Office of Standards in Education (OFSTED). Head teacher Kerry Jordan has hit back at what she has claimed is a "harsh and overly critical report." You can read this story from the Wymondham Mercury by visiting our cuttings section by clicking here.

King's Head in Focus - Hethersett King's Head has been featured in the Norwich Evening News as the newspaper's Pub of the Week. You can read the feature by visiting our cuttings section by clicking here. You can also read the story from the newspaper by clicking here.

School's Busy Summer - It promises to be a busy summer at Old Hall School with a variety of events including the 75th annual school fete and the annual summer picnic concert. To read more about these and other events click here. The fete took place on May 11th and featured the Great Hethersett Bake Off  The fete also featured swing boats, archery, tug of war, coconut shy, barbecue and many other attractions. More details are available on the special Old Hall School Internet Blog which can be accessed by clicking here. You can view photographs from the event by clicking here

Drama Dates - Hethersett Players will be presenting two one act comedy dramas on July 12th and 13th in Hethersett Village Hall. The evening will feature Curses Foiled Again by Evelyn Hood and Bang You're Dead by Paul Reakes. The evening will also include a fish and chip supper. Tickets are £10 and can be ordered by e-mail by clicking here or by phoning 07789 966700. You can also view a poster of the event by clicking here.

Spring Clean - South Norfolk Council has been giving Hethersett a Spring Clean as part of its move to improve the environment in the district. You can read this story from the Wymondham Mercury by going to our cuttings section. 

Nominated for a Tony - A former Hethersett High School pupil has been nominated for a prestigious Tony award. Richard Jordan is in the running for the highest accolade in American theatre. You can read this story from the Eastern Daily Press newspaper by clicking here.

Hethersett Man Charged - A Hethersett man is to face a number of charges when he appears before Norwich Crown Court. David Rope from Ketts Close has been charged with seven offences. You can read more about this by visiting our cuttings service or by clicking here.

Firefighters Needed - Norfolk is looking for more firefighters, including Hethersett. You can read this story from the Wymondham Mercury by visiting our cuttings section or by clicking here.

Man Collapses - A man collapsed and died whilst out walking in the village. You can read about this from the Wymondham Mercury newspaper by clicking here.

Annual Parish Meeting - Hethersett’s annual parish meeting took place in Hethersett Village Hall  on May 8^th with a number of local groups reflecting on a highly successful year for the village which has seen it named Norfolk Community of the Year and receive a National Big Society award. The meeting received reports from numerous local organisations including the parish council, Hethersett Memorial Playing Field Trust, Hethersett Village Hall Management Committee, Hethersett and the Meltons’ Sports Association, Hethersett Parochial Charity, Hethersett Jubilee Youth Club, Hethersett Environmental Action Team, Hethersett Archive Group, Hethersett Olympic Legacy Committee, Police and schools. We will have a full report of the meeting shortly.

Games Morning at Library - Hethersett Library is holding a traditional games morning on June 8th. Board games will include Scrabble, Frustration, Connect 4 and many others and people are also being invited to take their own along. Everyone is welcome, particularly families.

Ringing in the Success - Members of Hethersett Bell Ringers are county champions. The group won the call changers section of the Norfolk striking competition at Weston Longville at the beginning of May with just four and a half faults recorded. The Hethersett Ringers taking part were Rebekah Larner, Rachel Mallett, Chris Denmark, Rebecca Ritchie, Justin Ritchie and Mark Alexander, Mark Larner was the caller. It was a great success for Rebekah and Justin who are relatively new to ringing.

Humbleyard Stays Blue - Judith Virgo has retained her place as our representative on Norfolk County Council. In the Humbleyard election on May 2nd she recorded 1,306 votes for the Conservative party, over 700 votes ahead of her nearest rival. Humbleyard includes Hethersett and the turnout was 33.8%. The full result was: Judith Virgo (Conservative Party) 1,306, Ralph Evans (United Kingdom Independence Party) 577, Victoria Smillie (Labour Party) 390, Andrew Panes (Green Party) 352, Margaret Pitcher (Liberal Democrats) 248. Results for all of Norfolk are available by clicking here.

Church Reaches Out to Youth - Hethersett Parish Church is making a determined effort to appeal to the younger members of society with a number of new initiatives. On May 3rd St Remigius held a special film show of The Life of Pi aimed at youngsters of High School Age from 12 to 16. It is hoped that the film club entitled The Flix@St Remigius will become a regularly quarterly event with the next film in July. Organiser Sara Kenny said the first evening had been a success: "Our First Flix event went very well. The film came across fantastically well in the church, the sound was awesome and atmosphere great. We are hoping that the word will spread and that the next night will be even better supported," Sara said. In addition the church will be holding special youth services entitled "The Soul Session" on the second Sunday of the month, initially for a four month period and aimed at the 11 to 16 age range. This will be a mixture of a spiritual service and worship mixed with team games and activities and will take place in Hethersett Jubilee Youth Club premises in Back Lane. The new events are an attempt by the church to appeal to younger people and in the future could also include live music events.. The very young (up to the age of seven) already have their own regular messy church activities. To see more details go to the dedicated Facebook page by clicking here.

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New Cycling Club for Village - A new cycling club is being launched in Hethersett. The club has been set-up by Martin Anderton who has organised the Hethersett 30/60 event for the past two years. He admits that he has been surprised and heartened by the response to cycling in the village and surrounding area: "When I said there was a lot of interest in cycling I never thought the response would be so great."  It is hoped to have a dedicated website up and running soon along with clothing available to buy. Meanwhile the 30/60 event scheduled for 2014 will be even bigger with more riders and a 90 mile event being added.

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Quiz Time - A quiz is being held in Hethersett Village Hall on June 15th at 7.30 p.m to raise funds for July's Sport in the Park and Village fete. Tables of up to eight people are now available at £5 per person and bookings can be made to Memorial Playing Field Trustees' Chairman Peter Hoult on 01603 811337.

Hethersett's Got Talent Entry Forms Available - Auditions for this year's Hethersett's Got Talent, which once again will be part of the village's Open Weekend, will take place at Hethersett Woodside Infant and Nursery School on June 9th at 10.30 a.m. This year's competition is open to those aged between five and 16. Entry forms including terms and conditions are available from Hethersett Library or by clicking here. Details of the event are also available on a poster which can be viewed by clicking here. Closing date for entries is May 31st and more information is available from Joanne Adcock on 07904 802638.

Hethersett are Runners-Up - Hethersett Netball Club finished runners-up after a dramatic end to the latest Active Norfolk Village Games competition. Hethersett reached the final where they came up against Diss and Roydon. The match ended in a draw and went to a golden goal scenario with Diss winning the all important toss and netting first.

Rare Breed Detected - We recently included a story about a new bat survey in Norfolk and a number of people have been surveying Hethersett. As a result a rare Nathusius Pipistrelle bat has been recorded. There are only about 850 recordings of this species of bat in the whole of Great Britain and Ireland. To learn more about the Nathusius Pipistrelle click here. Bat detection equipment is available for hire from Hethersett Library.

Death of Ralph Johnson - Former Norwich City footballer Ralph "Ginger" Johnson has died. Ralph, who has appeared on this web site on a number of occasions, is a former Norwich City footballer who still holds the record for the fastest goal ever scored at Carrow Road. You can read an interview this web site did with Ralph a couple of years ago by clicking here. You can read an Obituary from the Evening News by clicking here. Also see our cuttings section. Ralph's funeral service will take place in Hethersett Methodist Church at 3.30 p.m on May 8th.

Worker in Semi-Final - A Hethersett care home worker has won through to the semi-finals of a prestigious awards scheme. Donna London, a hostess at Hethersett Hall, has been recognised in the Barchester Care Awards in the Hospitality Champion category. The awards are open to employees from all Barchester homes in the United Kingdom. The semi-finalists will be judged over the next two weeks. Donna has been praised by her General Manager Garry Gardiner who said: "We are over the moon that Donna has got through to the next round. Her constantly happy and enthusiastic approach to her job provides our residents and guests with a dedicated professional service of meals in the home."

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Recognition for Hawks - Hethersett Hawks Cycle Speedway Club has been granted the coveted Go-Ride status by British Cycling. The club has been working towards this for over two years and the award recognises Hawks as a well-run and structured club with all policies in place.  The club will now be taking this award forward to the next level which will be Clubmark accreditation.

Quiz was a Whizz - Hethersett and District Lions held a quiz in Mulbarton Village Hall on April 19th and raised over £500 for the Whizz Kidz charity which helps to give disabled children the chance to lead a more independent life. Questionmaster for the evening was Lions' secretary John Hewitt and winning team was Bookworms from Hethersett. For more information on the group visit their web site by clicking here

Running Group Resumes - The Hethersett social running group has re-started under the guidance of qualified coach Maria Alborough. The session starts on Hethersett Memorial Playing Field at 6.30 p.m (meet near the Bowls Green) and will continue on a weekly basis. In addition a group for beginners' is also being held under the direction of coach Paul Evans. This meets at Hethersett Junior School at 7 p.m on Thursday evenings.

Photographic Competition/Open Weekend Update - Entry forms and rules for the village photographic competition which is being held as part of the Open Weekend in July are now available from this site. To view a pdf form click here To view the form in word format click here. Saturday July 6th will be a big day in the Hethersett Calendar with sport in the park and a village fair running from 11 a.m until 4 p.m and then giving way to an evening of music and entertainment. The organisers are also looking for additional help at various events. You can read more about this by clicking here.

For Slimmers - Slimming World will be holding a new members evening on April 30th at Hethersett Methodist Church. New consultant Lucy Williams will be talking about nutrition, healthy eating and losing weight without feeling hungry. New and returning members are welcome and more information is available from Lucy on 078910 70226

Panto Donations - This year's Hethersett Pantomime Group production of Cinderella raised £5,000 for charity. A total of £2,000 has been presented to the Nelson's Journey charity. This included £1888.61 from a bucket collection at the end of each performance. Other donations included: £1,000 to the Hethersett Church Roof Fund, £750 to the Teenage Cancer Trust, £500 to St Martin's Housing Trust and £250 each to Little Melton Church Roof Fund, Great Melton Church and Hethersett Jubilee Youth Club.

New Attractions for open Weekend - A mixture of old favourites and new ideas will feature in this year's Hethersett Open Weekend which takes place from July 5th to 7th. Old favourites such as sport in the park, Hethersett's Got Talent and the two mile funrun will be joined by a photographic competition and craft event. To see what is happening and when click here.

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Community Shelter Consultation - Hethersett Memorial Playing Field is looking to set-up a community shelter for use by all ages. A number of designs are being considered with the cost of the shelter being met from a variety of grants. The Playing Field Trustees are looking for comments on the most suitable structure and are particularly interested in hearing from young people. At the top of this article are examples of the shelters being considered. If you have a preference please let us know by clicking here and we will pass any comments on to the Memorial Playing Field Trustees. Plans are also moving ahead with regards to extensive renovation and extension to the playing field pavilion. We will keep you informed on this.

Soap Actor's Story of Drug and Alcohol Addiction - A former soap actor has praised the work of Norfolk's budding health professionals as he visited a Hethersett drama group to share his story of drug and alcohol addiction. To read this story from the Eastern Daily Press newspaper click here.

Safe Leap Into Spring - With the clocks going forward the lighter nights could give opportunist thieves the chance to steal property. Norfolk Constabulary have issued advice to help people keep their property and homes secure. You can read this by clicking here. For other safety information visit our Community Safety section by clicking here.

High Notes Number Eight - The latest edition of the Hethersett High School Newsletter High Notes is now available and can be viewed by clicking here.

Award Winning Village - Hethersett has won numerous awards over the past few years, illustrating that we are one of the most go-ahead and successful villages not only in Norfolk but in the whole of the UK. You can read about our awards in a new section by clicking here. An article on our awards appears as the second item in the March 15th edition of the Wymondham and Attleborough Talking Newspaper. You can listen to this by clicking here.

Sporting Legacy -  Government cash is being sought in order to keep the 2012 Olympic Legacy alive in Norfolk. Hethersett is featured for its legacy work in a story about fitness in the Eastern Daily Press newspaper. You can read this by clicking on the cutting above. You can also read the story from the Norwich Evening News by clicking here.

Open Gardens Update - Plans for Hethersett's Open Gardens  event on Sunday July 14^th  are gathering pace. If you would like to take part please let Heather Williamson (812001) know as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. The deadline for submitting a garden is Friday, June 14^th. The gardens will be open from 10 am to 5 pm and visitors will be charged £3 each with proceeds going to Hedgehog Rescue and Norfolk Accident Rescue Service (NARS).  More than a dozen gardens are already signed up. Maps, tickets, plants, refreshments, facilities and all the excitement of tombola will be available from the Jubilee Hall on Back Lane. Clearing out unwanted Christmas gifts? Potting out some surplus seedlings? How about donating them to the cause?  Contact Jacky Sutton (811170) if you can help out.  

Pavilion Improvements - A number of village groups are working together to improve and extend the pavilion facilities on Hethersett Memorial Playing Field. Hethersett Parish Council, Hethersett Memorial Playing Field Trust, Hethersett and the Meltons' Sports Association and Hethersett Olympic Legacy Committee are working alongside Norfolk County Council, South Norfolk Council, Sport England and other bodies to greatly improve the existing facilities. Plans will include additional sports changing facilities, toilets accessible from the outside, a new kitchen and improved shower facilities and improved access for the disabled. We will keep you updated on progress.

Time for Flowers - The Hope and Homes for Children charity's annual plant sale will take place outside Hethersett Methodist Church on May 11th.

Hunt for New Rector Gathers Pace - The search for a new rector of Hethersett and the Meltons is moving towards a conclusion with the post being advertised on the Norwich Diocesan web site which can be viewed by clicking here. The closing date for applications has passed and interviews will be taking place on April 24th. Even if an appointment is made towards the end of April it is likely to be the summer before a new incumbent will be in place.

A Sporting Line-Up - A number of greatly contrasting sports will be featured in the village's annual come and try evening which this year will take place from 6 until 9 p.m on Wednesday May 22nd. Sports already confirmed are archery, football, rounders, cricket, cycle speedway, handball, petanque and athletics. One or two more may be added. This will be a totally free event organised and sponsored jointly by Hethersett and the Meltons Sports Association and Active Norfolk. Hethersett and the Meltons Sports Association has been awarded a grant of £3,800 to help set up new and support existing sports groups in the villages. The money comes from South Norfolk Council's Northern River Valleys Neighbourhood Board. New running groups and a table tennis club have already been set-up. Groups for rounders and tennis will follow in the Spring.

Lions' Quiz - Hethersett and District Lions Club will be holding its annual quiz on April 19th in Mulbarton Village Hall at 7.30 p.m. Teams of up to six people can take part and the cost is £7 per person to include a ploughman's supper. All proceeds from the event will go to the Whizz Kidz charity. Tables can be booked on 01508 570392.

Barn Dance Success - Hethersett Churches Together organised another successful barn dance on February 23rd with dancing to Shinanikins. The event has been part of the local calendar for a number of years but was held for the first time in Hethersett Village Hall with over 100 people attending.

Pirouettes and Twirls - His pirouettes and twirls won him a handsome collection of trophies and he taught his on-wheel acrobatics to scores of people while working in a Great Yarmouth hotel. But little else is known about the early years of roller skating instructor Wilfred Edward Fox, who ate one point lived in Hethersett. Now his grandson Stewart Revely is trying to piece together the story of his life. You can read this fascinating story from the Eastern Daily Press newspaper by clicking here.

Women's World Day of Prayer - A special service to mark the Women’s World Day of Prayer took place in Hethersett Methodist Church on March 1st. This year’s service was prepared by the women of France on the theme of “I Was a Stranger and You Welcomed Me.” Guest speaker was Joy Southam who has close links with France and its people and who has taught French. 

School Seeks Former Pupils - Hethersett Old Hall School is trying to trace as many of its former day and boarding school pupils as possible to help with its 75th anniversary celebrations on June 16th. The school would like to hear from any former pupils on 01603 810390 or via e-mail by clicking here. The school was established in 1938 as an independent day school for boys aged between three and 11 and girls aged between three and 18.

New Vice-Chair - Vivien Hawes has been appointed vice-chairman of Hethersett Parish Council to succeed Gary Wyatt who resigned recently. To read about the latest decisions taken by the council visit the parish council section of this web site by clicking here.

A Colourful Life - The former owner of Hethersett King's Head, Douglas Brandwood, has died. You can read about his colourful life in an article in the Eastern Daily Press newspaper by clicking here.

GoGoGorillas - Pupils from Hethersett Junior School along with Head Andy Whittle have been featured on video and in the pages of the Norwich Evening News supporting the GoGoGorillas art trail which involves decorating sculptured baby gorillas. You can read about this by clicking here.

Development Makes the Front Page - The granting of planning permission for almost 1,200 new homes in Hethersett and the resignation of Hethersett Parish Council vice-chairman Gary Wyatt was the lead story in a recent edition of the Wymondham Mercury Newspaper. To see a copy of this visit our cuttings section by clicking here.

Fly Posting Concern - Hethersett Parish Council is concerned at the amount of illegal fly posting in the village and the use of event-promoting A frames on pavements. A number of commercial organisations have been using telegraph poles, trees and other areas in the village and not official noticeboards. Organisations in the village such as the Village Hall Management Committee have already warned their users about illegal fly posting.

New Car Park Adopted - The new car park in Great Melton Road has been officially adopted by Hethersett Parish Council for short term public parking and notices to this affect will be erected in the near future.

New Grit Bin - A new grit bin has been purchased and sited at the junction of Park Drive and West Croft. The parish council has also approved the siting of a bin near the bend in New Road, subject to county highways permission.   

Coffee for Charity - A coffee morning at Fitness Express at Park Farm raised £117 for the Wymondham based cancer charity Star Throwers. Home made cakes, along with coffee supplied by Park Farm, were enjoyed by club members. Fitness Express has held a number of events in aid of Star Throwers and the next will be an 11 mile sponsored swim at the leisure club.

Go Ahead for Development - South Norfolk Council has given the go-ahead for 1,196 new homes in Hethersett, ignoring local comments and opposition. To read the story from the Eastern Daily Press and Wymondham Mercury newspapers click here. The application was approved by the South Norfolk Development Management Committee at Long Stratton on Wednesday 30th January. You can read a full report of what went before the council by clicking here. The decision has already caused a stir in the village and we will feature some of the comments made shortly. If you wish to comment on the development or the approval of the plans send an e-mail by clicking here. Your comments will be published on this site.

Parish Opposes Housing Plans - Hethersett Parish Council is one of almost 30 organisations fighting to stop 37,000 new homes being built in and around Norwich. More than a dozen parish councils are opposing plans and you can read more on this from the Eastern Daily Press Newspaper by clicking here.

Possible New Schools - Hethersett has been identified as an area that may need new schools to cope with an increase in population. To read about this from the Eastern Daily Press newspaper click here.

Major Grant for Parish Church - Hethersett Parish Church has received a grant of £42,000 towards the £95,000 cost of making urgent repairs to the roof. To read this story from the Wymondham Mercury click here.

Danger of Drugs Drama - The dangers of drugs and alcohol will be highlighted in a production by Norfolk drama students. Dragon Chaser – a play about the nervous breakdown of a teenager through drug and alcohol misuse – is being rehearsed by DramActive Academy Seniors Group based at Hethersett High School, and takes to the stage in Norwich this June. To read the full story from the Norwich Evening News click here.

Perfecting the Art of Giving - Hethersett and District Lions Club has perfected the art of giving with donations to a number of local groups and charities. The latest round of donations has seen £2,500 given to local causes. This has included £500 to Mulbarton Gym Club to enable the training of an additional coach, £100 to the Grove Cheshire Home at East Carleton, £100 to the Brainwave charity, £500 to the Eastern Daily Press Radiotherapy appeal, £500 to the EDP Normandy Veterans D Day Appeal, £400 to the Edith Cavell Day Centre at Swardeston, £200 for the Norwich Salvation Army and £200 for the St Asaph Flood Appeal. The club has recently welcomed two new female members – Karen Thorpe and Claire Burke – and throughout the summer months will once again be operating its candy floss machine at local functions. It continues to raise funds by staffing a charity car park in Thorpe Road for Norwich City home matches

Tributes to "Inspiring" Teenager - A family has paid tribute to their "inspiring, loving and comical" daughter and sister who has died from cancer at the age of 19. Former Hethersett High School pupil Rosie Van Raalte died on January 12th. You can read the story about this remarkable young lady from the Eastern Daily Press newspaper by clicking here.

Powerful Role for Former Hethersett Woman - Groceries code adjudicator does not sound like the most glamorous position. Yet the person who will fill it, Christine Tacon, will wield power that can cow the mightiest businesses in Britain. Christine is originally from Hethersett. You can read about her new role in a story from the Eastern Daily Press by clicking here.

Dog Mess Problem - We have been contacted by a local resident complaining about the increase in dog mess around the village. This was a subject also brought up at the latest meeting of the trustees of the Memorial Playing Field and has once again become a problem. The resident states:  "I have a one year old daughter so in the last year have found that I walk more around the village and to the amenities. Unfortunately in the last month I have experienced and noticed the more frequent occurrences of dog mess on the pavements. In the course of just two days I had ridden my pram through dog mess no less than three times. This is something that in the past I have not even had to think to look out for on the pavements as I hadn’t come across it as people are “meant” to pick it up.  This was absolutely awful for me to have to clean up and fortunately my daughter doesn’t walk yet so wouldn’t have trodden in it."

Village Praised for "Can Do" Attitude - Hethersett has been praised for its can do attitude in a special feature in the Eastern Daily Press newspaper on winners of Pride in Norfolk Community of the Year (see above). You can read the article by clicking here.

Review of 2012 - 2012 was an outstanding year in the history of Hethersett. Throughout the year this web site has covered events of all kinds. Click here to see our review of the major events of 2012.

Award for Football Club - Hethersett Athletic Football Club has been awarded £3,780 for new equipment from the South Norfolk Renovation Project Fund. To read about this from the Eastern Daily Press newspaper click here.

High School Hits the High Notes - Edition Seven of Hethersett High School High Notes is now available on-line by clicking here. This edition covers business mentoring, school news and details of a re-design for the school web site which is now available by clicking here.

Open Gardens Date - Hethersett Open Gardens 2013 will take place on Sunday July 14th and will once again be organised by the Hethersett Environmental Action Team (HEAT). A number of gardens have already been lined-up for opening to the public and proceeds from the event will go to the Norfolk Accident Rescue Service (NARS) and Norwich Hedgehog Rescue. More information is available from Heather Williamson on 01603 812001 or Anne Edwards on 812309. You can also e-mail for more details by clicking here.

Memories of a Gamesmaker - Hethersett's Ollie Armstrong has been featured on the Yahoo web site, giving a unique insight into what it was like to be a Games Maker at London 2012 Paralympic Games. You can read about Ollie's memories as he had "the time of his life" by clicking here.

Helping to Avoid a Clash - We have received comments about how sometimes events in our village clash with others - making it difficult for people to support so many groups and good causes. If you are organising an event why not check our What's On section to see if there are any similar events taking place at the same time. Obviously our section can only cover some of the events that we know about but, as they say, every little counts (or in this case helps).

In Memory of George - Children in Hethersett are being invited to take part in a nature-themed competition in memory of environmentalist George Beckford. George championed the cause of nature in the village as chair of Hethersett Parish Council and the Hethersett Environmental Action Team until his death a few years ago. "Hethersett Society would like to encourage the interest of young people in the natural environment in memory of the work done by George Beckford in Hethersett," said Hethersett Society chairman Chris Barringer. The George Beckford Environmental Award is open to young people aged between six and 16 who live in the Hethersett area. A shield and book token will be awarded to the best entry of a piece of writing or illustration of something the entrant has watched from his or her garden, school playground or around Hethersett. The closing date for entries is July 31st, 2013. More information is available from Chris Barringer on 01603 810557 or he can be e-mailed by clicking here. Next year's Hethersett open gardens event organised by the Hethersett Environmental Action Team (HEAT) will take place on Sunday July 14th.

Hethersett Players - Hethersett Players will be performing two one act plays on 12th and 13th July of next year. The group are at the early stages of play reading and would love to hear from anyone who may be interested in being involved either on or off stage. More information is available from Sarah Wright who can be contacted via e-mail by clicking here. We will let you have details of the plays as soon as we have them.

Remembrance Idea - Hethersett residents are being given the chance to leave a lasting memory of a loved one in the village. Hethersett Memorial Playing Field Trustees have launched a scheme to provide benches on the field featuring a plaque with a dedication to friends or relatives that have passed on. “We already have a number of seats available on the park but are looking to add more. We want to give local people the chance to remember a loved one in a practical way and at the same time provide a village amenity that can be used by everyone,” said chair of the Playing Field Trustees Peter Hoult. Anyone interested in finding out more about the scheme can contact Peter on 01603 811337. The Trustees are also looking to provide a teen shelter on the field. It is hoped this will be financed from grants and donations. Safety matting has been placed around the entrance to the play equipment and also underneath the play hut and additional rubbish bins have also been put in place.

Horse Racing Memories - The Eastern Daily Press Newspaper has put together a gallery of archive photos reflecting horse racing's past in the county. Two of the featured photographs feature racing at Hethersett. You can view the 1969 Ladies open race in Dunston Harriers Point to Point by clicking here and the 1968 Norfolk and Suffolk Fox Hounds Point to Point by clicking here

Storm Memories - Former Police Officer John Gross from Hethersett has given his memories of the 1987 storms in a special article in the Eastern Daily Press Newspaper which you can read by clicking here.

Kett's Oak (Or Not) - Kett's Oak may not be all it is cracked up to be if a new book is believed. The so called Kett's Oak in Hethersett where the rebel Robert Kett was said to have addressed his supporters ahead of their march on Norwich in 1549 may be a fake. In their book "Ancient Trees in the Landscape," UEA based landscape historian Tom Williamson and former Norfolk County Council Environmental Manager Gerry Barnes shed serious doubt on whether this was in fact Kett's Oak or has just become a symbol of the Rebellion over the centuries. You can read the full story from the Norwich Evening News by clicking here.

Post Office Featured - A photograph of Hethersett Post Office from the 1970s has been featured in an article in the Eastern Daily Press Newspaper. You can view the photograph and read the article by clicking here

Talking Newspapers - Do you know someone who is visually impaired and who is interested in their local community? The Wymondham and Attleborough Talking Newspaper provides a free audio local news and information service for blind or partially sighted people. Items from local newspapers are recorded onto a memory stick each week and sent to the listener via a freepost facility provided by the Royal Mail. They are returned by the same means. Equipment on which to play the stick can be provided free of charge, if required. The organisation also produces a monthly audio magazine. For more details and to access the service direct visit the talking newspaper's web site by clicking here.

Web Site Links - If you have a web site that you would like mentioned on this site please e-mail details by clicking here. We are happy to feature and link to sites from Hethersett and the Meltons. 

Sporting Chances - Hethersett and the Meltons will once again illustrate their commitment to sport and fitness over the next 12 months with entries in a variety of Active Norfolk organised events. Hethersett and the Meltons Sports Association will be overseeing entries from the villages in a number of competitions.Next on the Hethersett and Meltons agenda will be a county netball competition at Dereham Neatherd High School on April 28^th and the South Norfolk Village Games at Framingham Earl on June 9^th where Hethersett will be defending the title in the large villages section which they have won for the last two years. If they are successful again they will take part in the county finals at the UEA Sports Park on July 14^th. Other sporting events lined-up in Hethersett include a come and try event for all ages on the Memorial Field on May 22^nd

Wedding Albums - Why not use this site to make your wedding day/civil ceremony even more special. We will shortly be launching a new section dedicated to weddings. To be featured all you need to do is e-mail us up to 10 photographs of your special day with a few basic details of the date of the ceremony, where it took place, names of those involved and any other interesting snippets you would like to have featured. The only criteria is the event must have a Hethersett connection.

Award for Anne - Hethersett's Dr Anne Edwards has been honoured with a Norfolk Community Biodiversity Award for her outstanding conservation work in Hethersett and Wymondham. You can read this story from the Wymondham Mercury by visiting our Media Watch section by clicking here.

Flood Picture - A photograph of a Hethersett road flooded in 1968 has been featured in an article in the Eastern Daily Press newspaper. To view the photograph click here.

Rounders Club for Village? -  Following the success of Hethersett’s new social athletics club, the village is looking to start a rounders club aimed at all the family. The idea has come from Hethersett and the Melton’s Sports Association which meets quarterly to set up new groups and promote sport, health, fitness and well being in Hethersett, Little Melton and Great Melton. Rounders is one of the sports featured in the Norfolk Village Games and a number of people have asked about the possibility of setting up family rounders sessions. The association is looking for somebody to organise the new group with the onus on family participation for all ages. Anybody interested should contact Peter Steward on Norwich 811052 or via e-mail by clicking here.  

Life in 100 Years Time - Young and old alike have been imagining what Hethersett will be like in 100 years time. To read this story from the Norwich Evening News click here.

New Photographs - A new gallery of photographs taken on a walk around Hethersett and the surrounding countryside is available by clicking here.

Genealogy 

We receive lots of requests for information on family names. There is a special genealogy section on this site where you can read some of this research and also help people to find their ancestors. To access this click here. New postings include research into the names of Reynolds and Flowerdew. We have also started a new section called Can You Help where we are looking for help with queries sent to us. The section kicks off with a gentleman wanting details of Hethersett Races and another asking for information on a song that includes the immortal line "There was an old woman from Hethersett." To read about these queries click here. Genealogy Help - Julie Harold who is the FreeREG Norfolk Genealogy co-ordinator has been in touch to say the site now contains Hethersett Registers from 1615 to 1900 and she has provided a number of links that could prove vital for anybody researching the village for ancestors. Just follow the links here - List of Parishes, Search the database, FreeREG Home Page

Coming Events

Want to know what's going on in the village. Then go to our What's On section which you can access by clicking here. If you have an event you would like to be featured just send details of place, time and any other relevant information via e-mail by clicking here.

We are always looking for memories of the village and its people. So if you would like to be featured in a new section being built, please contact the editor by phone on 01603 811052 or by leaving an e-mail by clicking here. We are hoping to introduce a number of sections for memories and would be particularly interested in hearing from anybody with memories of the Methodist Church or its people for a project being organised by our sister site which can be viewed by clicking here. A new section of this site for reminiscences has been set-up and this can be viewed by clicking here.