You will find many links on the left hand side. Please use them to move around and you can e-mail me with your comments by clicking on the link below. If you want to start by reading some general information about the village click here.

Peter Steward

LATEST NEWS and FEATURES

March 2010

March News Shorts

Coming up - We visit Hethersett High School to hear about their new wind turbine, how they have raised funds for Haiti and their new Twitter presence. We also meet a young poet who has just been published in a national anthology.

Major New Section 1 - 2010 is building up to be a big year in the history of Hethersett and we will be following progress and the news as it happens. Firstly the village is planning a weekend of celebrations from July 23rd to 25th as part of the London Olympic 2012 build-up. The village is also bidding to have the Olympic torch pass through the village on its way to London in 2012.  We have a special section for all the news regarding the weekend and the bid. To visit this click here.

Major New Section 2 - The special Vision for Hethersett Community Planning Weekend takes place in the Village Hall on March 19th and 20th. We preview the event and will be reporting on this and all the news on future village development in a new section which is accessible by clicking here. Development in the village could see an additional 1,000 homes. Details of the weekend, which is open to everyone, are available by clicking here. In addition you can view a pdf flyer of the weekend by clicking here. We will be attending both days and also the follow up meeting at Hethersett High School the following Tuesday. The special development section of the site will include a section for public comment which can be sent by e-mail by clicking here. A long article previously appeared in local newspapers discussing an additional 4,000 homes for the village. You can read the story from the Wymondham and Attleborough Mercury newspaper by clicking here and see cuttings from this newspaper by clicking here and from the Eastern Daily Press by clicking here. 

Head's Job for Sheila - Former Hethersett Junior School teacher Sheila Greenacre has been appointed headteacher of Wicklewood Primary School. After her stint as a senior teacher at Hethersett, Sheila was appointed deputy head at Costessey Junior.

A Quality Council - Hethersett Parish Council is a quality organisation – and it’s official. For the village council has been awarded Quality Parish Council status. “Parishioners can be assured that the parish council is operating in a professional and effective manner and has now positioned itself to take advantage of any future beneficial initiatives from either the district or county council in terms of service devolution or improvement,” said Hethersett parish clerk Ian Weetman. The Quality Parish and Town Council Scheme was launched in 2003 and lays down minimum standards needed to help cement a position as community leaders. “The award follows a great deal of preparatory work and a rigorous assessment,” Mr Weetman added.

Street Lighting Improvements - Hethersett Parish Council is considering extending street lighting in one of the major areas of the village. Following the installation of improved lighting on the main route through the village in Queen’s Road and Great Melton Road, it is now hoped to extend this into Mill Road over the next few months.

Please Report Potholes -  Hethersett residents are being encouraged to report any potholes caused by the appalling winter weather. The appeal appears in the latest copy of Hethersett Parish Council’s Newsletter which is distributed to homes throughout the village. The recent spells of inclement weather have produced a noticeable increase in the number of potholes in and around the village. The parish council would encourage residents to report both existing potholes and developing potholes to the appropriate authority,” the newsletter states. On trunk roads such as the A11 and A47 the “appropriate authority” is the Highways Agency on 08457 504030. Deep potholes in the village more than three inches in depth should be reported to Norfolk County Council on 0344 800 8009. Shallower holes can be reported via the county council web site which is available by clicking here. 

Emergency Volunteers Needed -  Hethersett is still looking for volunteer emergency co-ordinators to help in a major emergency. “Whereas the effects of most emergencies can be efficiently dealt with by the professional emergency services using the resources normally available to them, there is always the possibility of a disaster of such large proportions that the resources of the emergency services would require additional assistance with local knowledge,” said Hethersett Parish Council clerk Ian Weetman. In the light of this the parish council is looking to set up a team of volunteer Community Emergency Co-ordinators who will work in partnership with the parish council and South Norfolk Council to put together an emergency plan according to the needs of the local community. Anybody interested in volunteering can contact Mr Weetman on 01603 810915.

Unhappy with the Bus Service? - Hethersett Parish Council is collating complaints about the bus service to and through the village. Writing in the latest edition of Hethersett Newsletter, a publication that is distributed throughout the village, parish clerk Ian Weetman acknowledges that there have been a number of complaints recently about the service. “The parish council has received a number of comments that the perception is that the bus service through the village has deteriorated recently, even taking into account the bad weather,” Mr Weetman said adding that residents experiencing problems with the service offered by First Bus should, in the first instance, contact the company. “If residents would also care to copy the detail of the complaint to the parish council, the council will collate the information with a view to meeting the bus company,” he said.

Superb Newspaper Coverage - Hethersett Athletic Football Club has received superb coverage in the Norwich Evening News in the Milton Lindsay column. The article ran across two pages. A pdf file can be viewed by clicking here. Cuttings of the article are available from here and here and the internet version of the article is available by clicking here.

Footballers Do It Again - Hethersett Athletic's Saturday team have reached the final of the Crown Fire Central and South Norfolk Pease League Cup final for the second time. Following the initial 4-0 semi-final victory over Sporle, the club was ordered to replay the tie after fielding an ineligible player. Subsequently they had to switch the tie to Sporle with the Memorial Playing Field waterlogged. Hethersett came through once again winning 4-2 on penalties after the game had ended 1-1 after extra-time. It was a game full of incident and a full report appears on the club's official web site which is available by clicking here. Hethersett will play Castle Acre Swifts in the final at Dereham FC on March 31st with a 7.30 p.m kick off.

Encore - An evening of classic songs and West End hits will be on the menu when local music group Encore appear at Hethersett Methodist Church on 27^th March. The evening will reflect hits from the past and present West End shows and an eclectic mix of pop and film music and proceeds will go to one of the church’s chosen charities for 2010, the Matthew Rusike Children’s Home in Zimbabwe. The event starts at 7.30 p.m and tickets are £6, available on the door or from Encore’s secretary on 01953 604881.

Hawks Sponsorship Renewed - Hethersett Hawks Cycle Speedway Club has secured another year's sponsorship from local Chartered Accountants, Swinton & Co. It is the sixth year that the accountants, based on Oak Square, Great.Melton Road, have supported the Club, recognising the tremendous success story of such a local club that makes its mark regionally, nationally and even abroad. "This is a big boost for the Club as it approaches its 45th season at the Memorial Playing Field this Spring,” said founder and current secretary Mel Perkins. Hethersett Hawks have their own web site which is available by clicking here. The club's season starts in March.

Jubilee Youth Club News - Hethersett Jubilee Youth Club has a host of coming events lined-up. To read about these click here

Turning Up the HEAT - The village continues to put the emphasis on green issues. To read about some of the Hethersett Environmental Action Team's latest initiatives click here. You can also view the group's latest newsletter in word format by clicking here or in pdf format by clicking here. 

Mission Work - Hethersett Methodist Church has been busy raising funds for two deserving charities thousands of miles from the village. A total of £973.22 was raised over a two year period for the Vidiyal Trust which works with under-privileged children in India and Sri Lanka. Now the church has begun raising funds for the Matthew Rusike Children’s Home in Zimbabwe and to date has raised  over £850 from a number of fund-raising events including a concert by the Norwich Youth for Christ Gospel Choir. A spring concert featuring singing group Encore will take place in the church on March 27^th in aid of the Matthew Ruskike home. Tickets will be £6 on the door. Hethersett Methodist Church member Liz Thetford has been admitted to the Norwich Circuit as a fully qualified local preacher. Liz’s admission was marked at a special service at Chapelfield Methodist Church, Norwich.  

Lions Raise Funds for Haiti - Hethersett District Lions Club have sent £500 for the relief fund to help victims of the earthquake in Haiti. Click here to read President of the Hethersett Club Alistair Mackie's article on how Lions are working both locally and internationally to help the people of Haiti.

Entertainment at Hethersett Social Club - A number of new dates have been announced for Hethersett Social Club. View what's coming on by clicking here

Players Variety Show - Hethersett Players will be starting rehearsals at the beginning of March for their fifth annual variety show. The evening, which will include a fish and chip supper, will include song, dance, monologues and the final play in the Little Grimley series by playwright David Tristram. The variety show will take place over three evenings from 13^th to 15^th May. This is a change of time from the original July dates due to clashes with other events. The group is looking for both on-stage and back stage volunteers. “We would love to hear from people who want to re-tread the boards or have a go for the first time. We like to give anyone who wants to be involved the chance to be and so we don’t have auditions. The only requirement is that people have to be 14 or over,” said Players Chairman Sarah Wright. Rehearsals begin on 4^th March and continue on Thursday nights. Anybody interested in joining the group should contact committee member Caroline Frosdick on 07786 623 335. Caroline can be e-mailed by clicking here or contacted through the group’s web site by clicking here

Saving the Toads -  Residents of Little and Great Melton are working hard to ensure the safety of toads and newts. A Toadwatch scheme has been operating in Little Melton for the past four years and last year Great Melton joined in to ensure the safety of over 500 toads. Toadwatch operates during the spring months with residents keeping a watchful eye on roads to ensure the toads and newts can make it to their traditional breeding ponds. Toads usually move on damp evenings from late February when the temperature is above 9 degrees. 

Financial Office to Close? - It is our understanding that the Hethersett branch of Edward Jones in Great Melton Road will be closing in the not too distant future. Edward Jones' interests in the UK have been acquired by Towry Law and most of Edward Jones’ 300 offices around the country, including our local branch, are expected to be closed down, leaving just 20 or 30 branches. The Hethersett office of Edward Jones opened under two years ago promising to bring a friendly local face to investment. It achieved those aims, but obviously not for the long term investor.

Under-Age Drinking Targeted - Gangs of under-age drinkers in Hethersett have been the target of police raids in the past few weeks. Following complaints from residents, police officers have carried out a number of high visibility patrols and alcohol was seized from youngsters and parents have been informed about their behaviour by police who also confiscated a number of items that could have led to anti social behaviour such as eggs and fireworks. A large quantity of alcohol was seized from a group of about 30 teenagers on Hethersett Memorial Playing Field.

Meet The Lions - Hethersett and District Lions Club is looking to recruit new members. To read about the club and the Lions charity click here.

Rubbish Dump Concern - Hethersett residents are being urged not to dump general rubbish at the village’s two mini recycling centres. The latest Hethersett Newsletter distributed by Hethersett Parish Council points out that arranging removal of general rubbish causes unnecessary work for the Memorial Playing Field and Village Hall Management committees and also additional costs for the district council. “There are mini recycling centres at the Memorial Playing Field and Village Hall which cater for bottle and clothing disposal only. Most visitors use them appropriately but there have been an increasing number of incidents when general rubbish of all sorts has been dumped,” the newsletter states.

Job Search - Hethersett on the Web is pleased to announce a link with leading local job web site My Norwich Jobs. Visit the site to read about local career opportunities in Norwich and also our surrounding area including Attleborough and Wymondham. You can also upload your CV to the site. Visit it by clicking here.

Web Links - We have checked all our links to various other village sites and added some new ones. So if you want to go to a village web site just follow the links by clicking here. We have also updated our archive news section and this can now be accessed 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

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.