Hethersett a norfolk village on the web

Youth Club Appeal - A £75,000 appeal has been launched to renovate and rejuvenate Hethersett Youth Club. To read about this and a special information and open day click here

Garage Sale - Over 80 garages were open to the public for the fifth annual sale organised by the Friends of Hethersett High School and Sports College. To read about the event click here.

Final Event - Representatives from the village have met with the judges of this year's Eastern Daily Press pride in Norfolk Community of the Year competition. Hethersett have reached the final for populations of over 5,000 and are being judged alongside Aylsham, Diss and Thorpe St Andrew. We now await the judge's decision. For full details of the judging and the award visit the EDP web site by clicking here.

Players Please - Hethersett Players latest production was two one act comedies at Hethersett Village Hall on 20th and 21st June. To read a review click here.

Council Vacancy - Hethersett is advertising for a new parish councillor. A vacancy has arisen following the resignation of former chair Charlotte Land who has moved away from the village. Applicants must either be on the current voters’ register or have lived in the village or a radius of three miles or have worked in Hethersett for the past year. Anybody interested in applying for the position should contact parish clerk Ian Weetman in writing at 9 Melton Court, Hethersett, NR9 3HE by the closing date of 11^th July.

Ninety Years Young - Hethersett Women's Institute has celebrated its 90th birthday. For a report on this click here.

New Players Needed - Hethersett Athletic Football Club has started its preparations for the 2008/2009 season and will be fielding a men's Saturday team for the first time. The club is looking for players to join. For more details visit the club's official web site by clicking here.

Woodside Fete - Para-Olympian Mel Clarke was guest of honour at the annual Woodside Infants School fete which went ahead despite persistent rain on June 21st. To read about the day click here.

Open Gardens Event - More than a dozen Hethersett gardens will be open to the public on Sunday (29^th June) between 1 and 5 p.m. Entry to the Hethersett Open Gardens 2008 event is by programme, priced at £2 each and obtainable from Hethersett Village Hall and individual gardens on the day or in advance from Hethersett Library or the MacMillan Charity Shop. Gardens taking part will all have a colourful scarecrow at their entrance. Proceeds from the event will go to the Caroline Lindley Trust and Hethersett Parochial Charity. A number of the gardens will also offer refreshments and car parking will be available at the Village Hall.

Library Car Park Out of Action - Hethersett Library Car park will be closed from July 22nd for about 10 days for the installation of a gas supply to neighbouring Hethersett High School. The library will be open as usual during the work and bookworms will be able to park their vehicles in Hethersett Social Club.

How Green Is Your Valley? How green are you? That is the question being posed by a Hethersett environmental group. The Green Village Working Party, an offshoot of the Hethersett Environmental Action Team (HEAT), recently organised a Green Village Day in Hethersett Village Hall and was also responsible for distributing eco-friendly bags to every household in the village. Now the group, which was established under the auspices of Hethersett Parish Council, wants to establish what steps have been taken by local groups and individuals to go green with the idea of building up a picture of how residents are reducing their carbon footprints. The group will be discussing this matter further at its next meeting on July 1^st.

Back on Top - Hethersett and Tas Valley Cricket Club are back on top of the Norfolk League Division One after a comfortable victory over Norwich Thirds that took their record for the season to six wins out of six. The club are also in with an excellent chance of winning two 20-20 competitions. For all the latest results and news click here.

Pranktastic Fun - There was plenty of pranktastic fun at Hethersett Library when dads, uncles, granddads and children came together for a morning featuring children’s book character Horrid Henry. The library was packed for the special “Bring your Dad to the library” event. Horrid Henry helped families to share stories, write jokes, make masks and even take part in a yucky dip. To read the full story click here

Methodist Vision - Hethersett Methodist Church rolled back the years on June 14th for a special day of reminiscences to mark the start of celebrations for the 25th anniversary of Operation New Look which transformed the antiquated chapel into today's modern building. A special section for memories has been set-up on the church's official web site that can be viewed by clicking here.

Speedy Move - The parish council is continuing to campaign for a lower speed limit on the B1172 in the vicinity of the village. At present the stretch of road that passes along the outskirts of the village is a 50 mph limit but councillors are keen to see this decreased. The council has written to the Department of Planning and Transportation at Norfolk County Council and been informed that an accident review on the B road network is being undertaken. At present time there are no plans to reduce the speed limit on the B1172 but ways of increasing compliance with the limit are being considered.

Mia's Perfect Attendance - Hethersett High School pupil Mia Living has clocked up a perfect attendance record over four years at Hethersett High School without a single day off through sickness, holidays or unauthorised absence. To mark this achievement Mia was presented with a special reward from head Rosemary Allen. To read the full story click here.

Rainy Funday - Hethersett Athletic Football Club's youth section held its annual funday and trophy presentation event at Hethersett Junior School. Despite the rain, over 150 youngsters of all ages turned up in a fete style atmosphere. Photographs of the day and a full report are available on the club's official web site by clicking here.

Social Update - A new list of attractions for Hethersett Social Club have been announced. To see the latest list click here.

Litter problem - Hethersett Parish Council has expressed its concern at the amount of litter in the village. The council employs a picker with responsibility to pick litter at the Memorial Playing Field and skatepark area and over the past two months an average of 17 sackfulls have been removed from these two areas each week. The council is also concerned that litter bins on the Memorial Playing Field are being used to dump domestic waste and there has been an increase of dog waste being put in ordinary litter bins rather than those specially provided. The council has praised the work of the Hethersett Environmental Action Team which regularly carries out volunteer litter picks throughout the village and which fills up to 18 sacks on each occasion.

Fish and Chip Service - Scotts Traditional Fish and Chips will be serving in Hethersett on Thursday evenings from 4:30 until 7pm. They will be parked in Steepletower, close to the Village Hall. If you would like to pre-order over the telephone for collection, please do so on 07799494478 during business hours.The service has its own website which can be viewed by clicking here.

Methodist Event - This Saturday (June 14th) sees a special vision day taking place at Hethersett Methodist Church. To find out all about this click here.

Tournament Wash-Out - Hethersett and Tas Valley Cricket Club's first ever Under-16s 20-20 tournament was washed out by heavy rain that left the Flordon club pitch saturated. It is hoped to hold the four team tournament later in the season.

News Digest - To read some of the smaller items of news from June 2008 click here

Speed Watch Volunteers Needed - Hethersett is looking for volunteers to carry out official speed checks in the village. To read about this and how you can get involved click here.

Aspiring Artists - Light and shade was the theme of the latest exhibition by the Hethersett Aspiring Artists group held in Hethersett Village Hall. Over 30 budding artists ranging from raw beginners to experienced amateurs were represented by the show that featured over 200 paintings using a variety of mediums from oils and watercolours to pastels and acrylics. Subjects ranged from still life to landscapes, portraits to studies of forms of transport – all with their own interpretation of the theme. Many of the paintings were eagerly snapped up by bargain hunters. The group was formed by a number of retired people in the village: “Several of us had an interest in art and felt that Hethersett was lacking in opportunity to learn about or exhibit art. With a small grant from Social Services we formed the group in 2003,” said one of the organisers Mary Leary. The group meets every Thursday afternoon from 2 to 4 p.m and holds its annual exhibition every June.

New Chair of Parish Council - Fred Watkins has been appointed chair of Hethersett Parish Council in succession to Charlotte Land who has resigned after moving away from the village. Fred spoke to Hethersett on the Web about the main issues surrounding the village. To read about these click here.

Green Day - Hethersett showed off its Green credentials at a special open day in the Village Hall. A steady stream of people attended the event to find out how to reduce their carbon footprint and save energy. To read a report of the event with photographs click here. All households in the village have also received eco-friendly re-usable bags supplied by the Hethersett Environmental Action Team and funded by a grant from Hethersett Parish Council.

Soccer Fun Day - Hethersett Athletic Football Club's youth section will be holding its annual funday and presentation event at Hethersett Junior School this Saturday (7th June) from midday. There will be a fete style atmosphere as individual teams make their annual presentation of trophies. To read more about the day visit the club's official web site by clicking here.

A Proud Village - Hethersett has once again reached the final of the Eastern Daily Press pride in Norfolk Community of the Year for populations of over 5,000. Hethersett won the award in 2006. This year we will be judged alongside other finalists in the category - Aylsham, Diss and Thorpe St Andrew. For full details of the judging and the award visit the EDP web site by clicking here.

Calling All Dads - Dads are being invited along to Hethersett Library on Saturday 14^th June for a “pranktastic” time. Children’s book character Horrid Henry will be the centre of attention for an hour of jokes, pranks and mask making for youngsters and their dads from 10.30 to 11.30 a.m. The day will be based on the series of Horrid Henry books by top children’s author Francesca Simon. Tickets for the event are free and can be booked on 01603 810188

HEAT Dates - The Hethersett Environmental Action Team (HEAT) has lined-up two more litter picks for the coming months. The first is on Friday 6^th June at 6 p.m as part of the Norfolk Clean-Up weekend. The second pick will be on 14^th July at 6 p.m. New volunteers are welcome with tabards, gloves, pickers and sacks being provided. The picking starts from Hethersett Methodist Church. HEAT’s next meeting will be at 8 p.m on 17^th June in the upstairs room of Hethersett Methodist Church. Judging of the village’s entry in this year’s Anglia in Bloom competition will take place on the afternoon on 15^th July.

High Fives - Hethersett and Tas Valley Cricket Club made it five wins out of five when they beat Acle by 11 runs to stay top of the Norfolk League Division One on a weekend when all three Norfolk League teams won. To see the latest reports and scores click here.

Aspiring Artists - Aspiring Artists in Hethersett will be holding their annual exhibition in Hethersett Village Hall on Sunday (June 8^th) from 10.30 a.m until 4 p.m. The exhibition will feature all aspects of art forms from oils to watercolours and pastels. Members of the public will have the opportunity to both browse and buy the art on display and refreshments will also be available. Hethersett Aspiring Artists was formed by a number of retired people in the village: “Several of us had an interest in art and felt that Hethersett was lacking in opportunity to learn about or exhibit art. With a small grant from Social Services we formed the group in 2003,” said one of the organisers Mary Leary. The group meets every Thursday afternoon from 2 to 4 p.m and holds its annual exhibition every June.

Players Poised - Hethersett Players next production will be an evening of two plays on 20^th and 21^st June in Hethersett Village Hall. The group will be performing the comedies Parentcraft by Stephen Smith and Over His Dead Body by Jack Booth. The evening will also feature strawberries and cream in the interval. Tickets are priced at £7 and can be booked by telephoning 01603 811005.

What a Show - A riot of colourful costumes and over 250 dancers of all ages took part in the bi-ennial Yvonne School of Dance spectacular at Norwich Theatre Royal on 18th May. For a full report and photographs of the show click here.

Old Hall Drama -Hethersett Old Hall School will be winding back the years in an original and entertaining way in June. Dance and drama teacher Suzanne Simpson and pupils from Year Six have written a play to celebrate the school’s last 70 years. “Hoorah for the Old Hall” starts in 1938 when life is “simply topping” for the junior pupils at the school. Then Lottie falls into a time tunnel and stumbles into the future whilst also looking into the past. As she takes her strange time travelling journey, she gains the courage to face the truth and discover the meaning of friendship. The drama will be accompanied by music from Irving Berlin, Cole Porter and Fred Astaire and takes place at Norwich Playhouse on June 10^th and 11^th at 7 p.m. Tickets are priced at £7 and £5 for Under-16s and can be booked on 01603 810390. Further details of the event are also on the school’s web site at www.hohs.co.uk. The school will be holding a 70^th anniversary ball for old girls and current and former staff members on 3^rd July with music from the Mike West Band and the Cheesehunters. Tickets are priced at £30 and can be booked by calling 01603 810390.

Game 'Sett and Match - Pictured opposite are youngsters from an orphanage in Kenya who are proudly wearing football and cycle speedway kit supplied by Hethersett Athletic FC and Hethersett Cycle Speedway clubs. To read about this visit the football club's official web site by clicking here. Read the story as it appears on the Wymondham and Attleborough Mercury site by clicking here.

Every Picture Tells A Story - Pictured opposite is Hethersett artist Jo Cole who paints under her maiden name of Jocelyn Jacobson. Jo took part in the Norfolk Open Studios event which was held over three weekends when her studio was open to the public. Hethersett on the Web met Jo and talked about her life in Africa and her paintings. To read the story click here. You can also visit her official web site by clicking here

Casting Their Net - Hethersett Methodist Church has been casting its help net far and wide in recent weeks in order to help under-privileged children throughout the world. Proceeds from the church’s annual plant sale will go to the Hope and Homes for Children charity which is based in Wiltshire and works with orphaned, abandoned and vulnerable children in central and eastern Europe and Africa. In addition £160 was raised at a shoppers coffee plus morning and this will be divided between church funds and the Vidiyal Trust which helps children in India and Sri Lanka. The next shoppers’ coffee plus event will be on 26^th July. The church’s next ladies breakfast will be held on 7^th June when Jenny Smith will talk about her experiences teaching in a township school in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.

Blood Donor Sessions - Regular sessions for blood donors are held in Hethersett Village Hall. The next two will be on Thursday 3^rd July and Thursday 20^th November between 1 and 3 p.m and 4.30 and 7 p.m. Appointments are advisable and can be booked by telephoning 0845 77 11 711

Champions Again - Hethersett Hawks Cycle Speedway Club has retained its British Under-16s title. For a full report visit the Hawks' section on this site by clicking here.

Sun and Fun - It was sun and fun all the way for the annual Hethersett Junior School Spring Fair. A good sized crowd swapped the usual hot drinks for ice creams. For photographs and a report of the event click here. News Update: The highly successful event raised £2,665 towards improving the school's outdoor play area.

Golden Oldies Return - Over 40 past and present Hethersett footballers returned to the Memorial Field on May 11th for a special match in memory of Lee Thompson who died in a road accident in 1999. For a report on the day with photographs visit Hethersett Athletic's official web site by clicking here.

Hot Stuff - Champion environmentalist George Beckford writes an exclusive article on the history of the Hethersett Environmental Action Team and the efforts to turn Hethersett into a green village. Read his article by clicking here

Scarecrow Competition - Pupils from schools in Hethersett have been taking part on a scarecrow competition organised by Hethersett Environmental Action Team. To read more about this click here

Extended Schools Co-ordinator - Fiona Whiting from Hethersett has been appointed extended schools co-ordinator for seven schools in Hethersett, Little Melton, Cringleford and Mulbarton. We spoke to Fiona about her new role and you can read the story by clicking here.

Bunches of Awards - Hethersett's Bunches and Munches shop has won a top local award for diversification. We meet mother and son partnership Caroline and David Reynolds and find that the generation gap can be a myth. To read about this click here

New Business Opens - A new stockbroking and financial advice business has opened in Great Melton Road. To read about this click here

Players Needed - Hethersett Playing Field Bowls Club is looking for new members irrespective of their standard. The club play their matches at Hethersett Memorial Playing Field with the onus on friendship and enjoyment. Members of the Norfolk Federation, the club play competitively in the City League and the afternoon Age Concern League. There is also plenty of opportunity for social bowls with roll ups every Wednesday and Saturday afternoon during the season which starts in April. “We are looking for new members who would like to try the sport. We are a friendly club, although there is a competitive edge for those that want it. We would like to hear from people of any age and any level of experience from beginners upwards,” said club vice-captain Tony Dunton. The club also organisers social evenings and events and work has been carried out during the winter to improve the playing surface. Anyone interested in “having a go” can contact Tony Dunton on 01603 811712 or turn up at the roll up afternoons.

Social Club Open Day - Hethersett Social Club's open day will be on August 9th when everyone is welcome to look round. New photos of the club are available by clicking here.

The Work of Street Pastors - Hethersett resident Martin Nisbett is a volunteer street pastor working in Norwich clubland at weekends. In a special article Martin looks at the work of the pastors and how it is making a difference on the streets of many cities in the United Kingdom. To read his article visit Hethersett Methodist Church's official web site by clicking here

Changing Face of the Village- Eighteen new homes, along with play space and public car parking, are being built on this land in Great Melton Road in the centre of the village. Planning permission for the development was granted despite objections from local residents. Planning permission was subject to trees being protected and the inclusion of the play area and pubic car parking. The former house and outbuildings on the site have been demolished.

Traffic Hazard - Cars being parked on roads in the centre of the village are proving to be a hazard with people seeming to dump them at will. At times the centre of the village is becoming gridlocked. With additional development on the way it is time people wised-up to the problems and left vehicles at home wherever possible. Read our comment on this by clicking here. What do you think? If you have views or concerns on this subject why not share them. Just e-mail comments by clicking here and we will publish them on this site.

A Green Future - Hethersett on the Web is delighted to support the villages attempts to "go green". We have set-up a special section on this site to give news, views and information on how to make our village a greener place and how to conserve energy. We will be updating the section regularly. Visit it by clicking here. Also visit our comment section by clicking here.

Special Youth Club Feature - In a special feature for Hethersett on the Web, Colin Wilson looks at the past, the present and the future of Jubilee Youth Club both in words and pictures. To read the article click here. (posted 6th February)

New Look Anniversary - Hethersett Methodist Church will this year be celebrating the 25th anniversary of Operation New Look which transformed the building from an antiquated chapel into the bright modern building of today. You can read the latest news on this and other Methodist items by visiting the church's official web site by clicking here. To read this story in the Wymondham and Attleborough Mercury click here.

From Little Acorns - From little acorns mighty oak trees grow. Saplings grown from acorns from the famous Kett's Oak tree, which is situated between Wymondham and Hethersett, are being sold to raise money for a children's hospice charity. To read the story from the Wymondham and Attleborough Mercury Newspaper click here.

The Second Man in History - Hethersett Old Hall School is to have a male headteacher for only the second time in its 70-year history. Stephen Crump will succeed Janet Mark on her retirement next summer. To read the full story visit the Wymondham and Attleborough Mercury by clicking here

A Safe Place to Live - Crime levels in Hethersett are low and the village continues to be a very safe place in which to live, according to the latest Hethersett Parish Council newsletter. To read this and other latest news in brief click here.

War Memorial Research

A Hethersett historical group is looking for photographs of men featured on the village war memorial for a special booklet it is hoped to publish in time for Remembrance Day 2008. The Hethersett Archive Group is delving into the history behind the names of those commemorated from the First World War on the memorial which is in the grounds of the parish church. “The research is progressing well and plans for the booklet are taking shape. However, we do not as yet have any photographs of the men from the First World War who are remembered on the memorial,” said archive group member Bea Ewart. The names are: Sidney Livick, Ralph Buckingham, William Bringloe, Arthur Ninham, George Moore, Harry Sergeant, Robert Bartram, Frederick Bennett, Frederick Blake, Harry Childs, Arthur Shorten, William Bishop, Horace Beaumont, Benjamin Joy, Frederick Curson, Arthur Hubbard and Frederick Harvey. “We would love to be able to copy any photos of these men, in or out of uniform, for use in the booklet,” Mrs Ewart added. Bea Ewart can be contacted on 01603 811352. Bea has kindly given us permission to re-print some of her war poetry. You can find this by clicking here.

Genealogy and a New Section

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.

Founders of the New World

Records show that the first white baby to be born in the new world of Australia may well have been to a Hethersett woman who was transported to the colony after a life of crime in England. Come with us into the fascinating 18th century world of Elizabeth Pulley. To read this historic story click here.

Reminisce 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.

New Groups Added

Over the coming months we will be featuring more and more of the village groups and organisations. You can now read the monthly reports from Hethersett Horticultural Society by clicking here and the Women's Institute by clicking here. Don't worry if you missed any of the stories or information as we have set up a news archive which can be accessed by clicking on the appropriate link below.

We are in the process of setting up a new community section of Hethersett on the Web where various groups from the village will have their own presence. The first to be set-up will be Woodside First School. If you wish to have your group or organisation represented in this section just contact me via e-mail by clicking here. You can go to the community section by clicking here.

For archive news from 2004 onwards click here.

Parish Council Meeting Dates