Newsletter for Winter 2009
The following information has been taken from the Town Council Newsletter which is delivered to the residents of Dereham, every quarter. If you do not receive a copy through your door, then please call into the Council offices to pick up a copy from our reception area, or pop along to the library. The next edition is due out at the beginning of December.
DEREHAM TOWN COUNCIL
NEWSLETTER Winter 2009 ____________________________________________________
Dereham Christmas Lights Night!
On Sunday 29th November, Dereham Town Centre will be having their yearly switching on of the Christmas lights. The Town Council are in the process of putting the Christmas Lights up around the Market Place ready for the event and we are working in collaboration with George Hayes from Dereham Area Partnership and Stephen Cross from Chamber of Trade & commerce.
Last year there was a massive turn out of over 2,500 people and this year we are expecting to see even more people attending this festive event. Even though there is a recession on, this is a completely free event to attend and there will be something to suit all of the family. Not only will the streets be lined with stalls selling Christmas products and playing games, we have also organised a Christmas gift fair upstairs in the Assembly Rooms (opposite the War Memorial), this room will be filled with local crafts people selling Christmas gifts. We have a great line up of local musicians playing their favourite Christmas tunes, local charities will have stalls lining the Market Place, entertaining you with games and raffles, etc. The Fair will be coming to town again and this year, a large skating rink will be set up outside the cinema, so book your time slot as soon as you get to the event, to secure your place. We hope you will be able to join us on the day, as a lot of hard work has gone into the event this year to make it a success. So tell all your friends and family to join us and help us to make it a great day out for all the family!
The Market Place will be closed from 8am and the event will begin at 1pm. The Christmas lights will be switched on at 4.30pm.
We hope to see you all there!
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Christmas Window Display Competition
competition for all the shops and businesses in town. The judging will take place early in December, so if you wish to enter; please contact the office on 01362 693821 with your name and telephone number. The first prize will be a Christmas Hamper and a donation of £100 will be given to a local charity of your choice. There will also be two runners up, who will receive framed Certificates from the Mayor. The winner and two runners up will be announced in the next Newsletter and on our website at;
http://derehamtc.norfolkparishes.gov.uk
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Light Dragoons Welcome Home Parade
As you may already have read in the local papers; Friday 4th December is a very special day for Dereham. The Light Dragoons are returning home from Afghanistan and to welcome them back, we are inviting everyone to join us for their parade through the Town Centre. This will begin at 11am from Dereham Memorial Hall and commence through Cowper Road, down Wellington Road, into the Market Place, then down to St Nicholas Church where a service will be held in their honour. We hope you will all be able to join us for this important event and give them all your very own welcome home.
On Friday 4th December, the Market will be moved back to Cowper Road Car Park. Returning to the Market Place on Friday 11th December.
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Dereham winners of ‘Pride in Norfolk’
In July we received the fantastic news that Dereham had won the ‘Pride in Norfolk’ Community Award in the category of places with a population of more than 5,000. Our Town Clerk Tony Needham, met with the judges and walked them through the town on a warm, sunny, market day. There was a real atmosphere of a busy bustling town and lots of people were shopping on the market,
through town and the judges expressed their pleasure in discovering what it felt like to be in the true heart of Norfolk and meet with the locals and visitors to Dereham. They were very impressed with their tour and said that it was clearly evident that the community involvement spread across the generations and that there was a true sense of pride from the youth through to the older population. Mrs Frances Mobbs (one of the judges) was quoted in the EDP to say; ‘Dereham really seems to care about it’s residents. Opportunities are plenty; from leisure to employment, promoting green spaces and supporting future projects, it is clearly evident that partnership working has been very successful and that the town is a worthy winner of this prestigious award’.
Thank you Mrs Mobbs!
Dereham Town Council have proudly hung the ‘Pride in Norfolk’ plaque above the Dereham Town Council doors on Rüthen Place for everyone to see. We would like to thank the people of Dereham for helping to make this town a great place to live and for your continued support of the Market and the stall holders.
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Memorial Hall Plans
After two public consultations and the plans being displayed in the library and in the Council offices; the new refurbishment plans have been submitted to the Planning Authority for approval. We now await their decision and hope to begin working on the new layout in spring 2010. No confirmed bookings for hiring the hall will be taken after February 2010.
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Newly Elected
On Thursday 29th October, Kate Millbank was voted in as the new Councillor for Dereham Town Council by the residents of Humbletoft Ward. Councillor Millbank who is a mother of two, was
born and educated in Norfolk and has lived in Dereham for 7 years with her partner Deputy Mayor, Councillor Robert Hambidge. Kate currently works as a constituency organizer for the Conservative MP and is very pleased to now not only represent Breckland District Council, but also the Town Council. She commented “I love the fact that Dereham has everything you could possibly need and yet it is only a ten minute walk from one side to the other, it is a really thriving market town and I am proud to have been elected to represent Humbletoft as part of the Town Council. I would like to thank everyone who voted for me”.
On August 22nd, the Memorial Hall was packed with approximately 30 veterans from the Second World War and their immediate families. All 150 guests gathered at the Memorial Hall for this emotional dedication ceremony to bless the new FEPoW flag. MP Keith Simpson and Mayor Ann Bowyer both attended and spoke. A service was then taken by Rev. Pauline Simpson Lay Chaplin of COPEPoW and Rev. Jenny Taylor. Some of the congregation then assembled at the War Memorial in the Market Place for the raising of the new FEPoW flag.
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The Recreation Ground
Proudly, over the last two years, Dereham Town Council have installed lots of new equipment at the Recreation Ground. Extra play equipment, benches, a youth shelter and more litter and dog bins. As we only have a small yearly budget for our park maintenance, any minor acts of vandalism can affect future work that we would like to do at the park. We have been working closely with the local police to try and deal with the small amounts of anti-social behaviour that does occasionally occur at the Recreation Ground and we have noticed that the increase in police presence at the park, has had a positive impact. However, we still do need your help to keep the equipment safe. If you see any acts of vandalism or any other type of anti social behaviour. Please call the police on 0845 456 4567 to report it.
As for dog fouling; If you are a dog owner, please do use one of the 53 bins that we have installed around the town (9 on the Recreation Ground). Or If you see someone not picking up after their dog; either on the park or any where else in town; then please report it to the dog warden at Breckland District Council on tel; 01362 656340. Your help is appreciated. Thank you!
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Projects by the Town Council
The Assembly Rooms & Flag Pole
The Assembly Rooms wall on Ruthen Place has had the old flag pole removed and the wall has been repaired. The new flag poles have been situated next to the War Memorial on the Market Place and are regularly used for special events such as the Battle of Britain, the Queens birthday, Trafalgar day and St Georges day. The Town Council now also fly the flag at half mast, on the funeral day of any fallen soldiers who have links to Norfolk.
Neatherd Pond
Due to the lack of rain throughout the summer, water levels at the pond had become dangerously low for the fish living there. Town Council staff spent a weekend refilling the pond and while working, a new occupant was discovered, a terrapin was found to be living there amongst the fish and ducks. The RSPCA were contacted and they stated that it would be better off left undisturbed.
Church Yard Wall
The wall around the churchyard at St Nicholas Church is in the process of being repaired. An archaeological study is being carried out while the work is done, just in case any objects of interest are found.
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DEREHAM TOWN COUNCIL’S RESPONSIBILITIES
We are responsible for:-
Allotments Markets Cemetery
Closed Churchyard Memorial Hall Etling Green
Abbots Field Assembly Rooms Town sign
Recreation Ground Vicarage Meadow Market Place
Bishop Bonner Cottage War Memorial Gardens Toilets
Dog and Litter Bins
Address; Assembly Rooms, Quebec St, Dereham. NR19 2DJ
Tel: 01362 693821 web: http://derehamtc.norfolkparishes.gov.uk
All other responsibilities are shared between Breckland District Council and Norfolk County Council. For more information please visit their websites; www.breckland.gov.uk tel; 01362 656870
www.norfolk.gov.uk tel; 0344 800 8020
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Events at Dereham Memorial Hall
Christmas Gift Fair &
Santa’s Grotto
28th November 10am - 3pm
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Dereham Lions Bingo Night
13th December 7pm - 10pm
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Dereham Band Christmas Concert
19th December 7pm - 10pm
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Aladdin - Christmas Pantomime
27th December - 2nd January
Please remember that the Memorial Hall will be closed for refurbishment in spring 2010 for some time and that no confirmed booking will be taken from February 2010 onwards. For more information please call the office on 01362 693821.
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No parking!
on the Market Place Tuesdays & Fridays & the 2nd Saturday
of every month for the Farmers Market
6am until 4.30pm
Being a Market town, the Market days are very important to the residents and the market traders, and on occasions they have been unable to set up their stalls due to cars being parked in their allocated spaces. If you are visiting or shopping in town on those days, please use Cowper Road or Cherry Tree car parks, both are within a two minute walk from the town centre. Your continued support of the markets is very much appreciated and helped us to win the Pride in Norfolk award, as the busy market impressed the judges on the day that they visited. Thank you!
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Dereham Community Car Scheme
As many of you may know, we have a fantastic car scheme for the parishioners of Dereham. Its for those who do not have access to public transport and are in need of a lift to medical and other health related appointments. This scheme is run by our fantastic volunteer drivers and Mr and Mrs Blackmore who coordinate the scheme. Dereham Town Council would just like to thank all of the volunteers for their continued dedication to the scheme and for the fantastic job that they do.
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Dereham Allotments
Summer proved to be very successful for all 7 of our allotment sites this year, as they are now full, with waiting lists on all 7 sites.
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This Newsletter is Published by Dereham Town Council
The articles and views expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily the views of all Councillors, if you have any comments or questions about the contents in this issue, please contact the office on: 01362 693821 or e-mail; generalenquiries@derehamtowncouncil.org
