Fairhaven Garden, Norfolk Broads – Family Events August 2014

There’s a packed programme of Family Events at Fairhaven Woodland and Water Garden, South Walsham, Norfolk Broads, in August, with weekly Wildlife Wednesdays, Robin Hood’s Lost Adventure and the annual Fairhaven Dog Day and Dog Show, along with an evening Forest Adventure and RSPB Butterfly Day.

Robin Hood's Lost Adventure, 24 August

Fairhaven Family August Event Programme

RSPB Butterfly Day, Tuesday, August 5, 11am to 3pm. Make butterfly feeders for your garden and butterfly art, then follow the butterfly quiz trail. Included in garden entry charge.

Wildlife Wednesdays, August 6, 13, 20 and 27, 11am to 3pm. Fun family wildlife activities in the woodland garden. Included in garden entry charge.

Children’s Day – Robin Hood’s Lost Adventure, Sunday, August 24, 11am to 3pm. Family theatre of thrills, fight injustice with Robin, shout boo at the Sheriff of Nottingham and solve the mystery of an ancient, medieval alien invasion. Theatre and craft workshops, magic making and much more. Performances at 11.30am and 1.30pm with free workshops. Included in garden entry charge.

Forest Night Adventure, Saturday, August 30, 8pm to 10pm. Experience the magic of the woodland garden at night with Jon Tyler of Wildforwoods leading an evening adventure of astronomy, wildlife and sensory discovery – rounded off with just a touch of night magic. Ticket £8 adult and £5 child. Age 8+. Booking essential. Sorry no dogs allowed at this event.

Fairhaven Dog Day, 31 August

Fairhaven Dog Day, Sunday, August 31, 10am to 4pm. Fun dog day for all the family, includes a dog show, agility, demonstrations, doggy stalls and games; event in aid of Hallswood Animal Sanctuary. Entry £2 adult, £1 child, dogs £1.50 per dog show category. Garden entry, additional charge.

Fairhaven Woodland and Water Garden is at South Walsham, nine miles east of Norwich, signposted off A47 at B1140 junction, t. 01603 270449, www.fairhavengarden.co.uk.

The garden is open daily all year 10am to 5pm (closed Christmas Day and closes 4pm during the winter), also open Wednesdays until 9pm from May to the end of August. Entry is £6.10 adult, £5.60 concessions and £3.60 child (under 5 free). Free entry to tearoom, gift shop and plant sales.

There is wheelchair access throughout the garden, including a Sensory Garden and boat trips (additional charge). Visitors requiring special facilities are advised to telephone in advance, mobility scooters available.

Dogs are welcome on leads; small charge to cover poop scoop.

Fairhaven Woodland and Water Garden – Summer Music in the Glade – August, Norfolk Broads

Fairhaven Woodland and Water Garden's Summer Sunday Music in the Glade season continues in August with concerts from The Castaways (August 3), Norfolk Jazz Quartet (August 10) and Great Yarmouth Brass (August 17). These open-air concerts are from 2pm to 4pm. Normal admission charges apply, adult £6.10, concessions £5.60 and child £3.60, under five free. There is no additional charge for summer music events.

Fairhaven Music in the Glade August programme – all events are from 2pm to 4pm.

The Castaways, Sunday, August 3, a mix of sea shanties, folk, Irish, Country and Western and old time singalongs.

Norfolk Jazz Quartet, Sunday, August 10, jazz standards and melodic music from the Great American Song Book.

Great Yarmouth Brass, Sunday, August 17, show selections, film music, wartime singalongs and marches.

Fairhaven Woodland and Water Garden is at South Walsham, nine miles east of Norwich, signposted off A47 at B1140 junction, t. 01603 270449, www.fairhavengarden.co.uk.

The garden is open daily all year 10am to 5pm (closed Christmas Day and closes 4pm during the winter), also open Wednesdays until 9pm from May to the end of August. Entry is £6.10 adult, £5.60 concessions and £3.60 child (under 5 free). Free entry to tearoom, gift shop and plant sales.

There is wheelchair access throughout the garden, including a Sensory Garden and boat trips (additional charge). Visitors requiring special facilities are advised to telephone in advance, mobility scooters available.

Dogs are welcome on leads; small charge to cover poop scoop.

See The Tres Hombres at Great Yarmouth Maritime Festival 6 and 7 September, Norfolk UK

The Brigantine Tres Hombres, the world's only sailing cargo vessel will be at Great Yarmouth Maritime Festival on Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 September 2014.

For more information about  the Maritime Festival see www.maritime-festival.co.uk .

Raveningham Gardens, Norfolk Broads, Special Agapanthus Weeks from Monday, July 28

Raveningham Gardens - Agapanthus

Raveningham Gardens are famous for the large selection of agapanthus cultivars on display. There are special agapanthus weeks this year from Monday, July 28 to   Friday, August  1 and Monday, August 4  to Friday, August 8, open 11am to 4pm (closed Saturdays and Sundays).

See white, blue and dark purple flowers with different sizes and contrasting colours included striped blue and white. The agapanthus varieties are one of Priscilla Bacon’s legacies in the garden; she was a keen agapanthus breeder.

Also enjoy the herbaceous borders, 18th century walled kitchen garden, Victorian glasshouses, orchard, arboretum, herb garden, contemporary sculptures, 14th century church and views across the lake established at the turn of the Millennium.

Admission is adults £4, concessions £3.50 and children under 16 free. The gardens (NR14 6NS) are 10 miles south east of Norwich, signposted off the A146 at Hales, then B1136, tel. 01508 548480,   www.raveningham.com.

Following The Primrose in The Primula - Fairhaven Garden, Norfolk Broads

Following The Primrose, skippered by John Burton on his final day working at Fairhaven Woodland and Water Garden, Tuesday 15 July 2014. John worked on the Norfolk Broads for 60 years. His final eight years on the water were at Fairhaven.

Fourth Generation Broadsman Retires after 60 Years Working on the Norfolk Broads

John Burton on board The Primrose

John Burton (74), one of the boat drivers at Fairhaven Woodland and Water Garden at South Walsham, retired on Tuesday 15 July after eight years at Fairhaven, and 60 years involved in the Broads boating industry, as a boat builder and boat skipper.

He is a fourth generation Broadsman. His great grandfather Tom Burton (d 1895) was a wherry skipper. His grandfather Harris Burton, also a wherryman, was a private skipper working for Dr Day, whose boat was called The Dragonfly. John’s father, Ted Burton, worked for C & G Press and skippered Grey Dawn, a 10 berth motor cruiser.

John Burton completed a boat building apprenticeship with Herbert Woods, worked for Easticks of Acle, returned to Herbert Woods and then went into business with his father, running a hire boat business at Wroxham for four years in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

John’s next move was to return to boat building with Landamores (1972-84), then he worked with Colin Facey at Horning, before going to Norfolk Broads Yachting Company where he skippered the Wherry Yacht White Moth. The White Moth is now owned by the Wherry Yacht Charter Trust.  John managed the yard at Norfolk Broads Yachting Company before returning to Colin Facey again, and after five years, his first retirement.

John Burton said: “Not long after retiring, I visited Fairhaven with my grandchildren who asked to go on a boat trip. We enjoyed the trip and I half jokingly said, ‘did they want any more drivers’. The answer ‘yes’ came back from Louise, the manager, and I started driving the Primrose. I have really enjoyed working at the garden and meeting all the visitors, but the time has come to fully retire. I have renovated my own boat and look forward to having more time to sail it on the Broads.”

Louise Rout, Manager, Fairhaven Garden added: “We are going to miss John and his great knowledge of boats and the Broads. But the good news is that we are going to keep hold of him for occasional car park marshalling duties at our special events! We wish John well and many happy hours sailing his boat on the Broads.”

Fairhaven Woodland and Water Garden is at South Walsham, nine miles east of Norwich, signposted off A47 at B1140 junction, t. 01603 270449.

The garden is open daily all year 10am to 5pm (closed Christmas Day and closes 4pm during the winter), also open Wednesdays until 9pm from May to the end of August. Entry is £6.10 adult, £5.60 concessions and £3.60 child (under 5 free). Free entry to tearoom, gift shop and plant sales.

There is wheelchair access throughout the garden, including a Sensory Garden and boat trips (additional charge). Visitors requiring special facilities are advised to telephone in advance, mobility scooters available.

Summer Fireworks on Great Yarmouth Seafront

Great Yarmouth Summer Fireworks

Greater Yarmouth Tourist Authority is celebrating the summer with six weeks of Wednesday evening entertainment, starting on Wednesday 23 July and ending Wednesday 27 August. Each Wednesday evening culminates in a spectacular fireworks display on Great Yarmouth seafront at 10pm.

Summer Wednesdays are a great time to visit the resort. Seafront attractions stay open until 10pm, so visitors can play crazy golf in the moonlight, wander round the illuminated Merrivale Model Village, enjoy some exhilarating thrills at the Pleasure Beach, or listen to free live music at the Sea Life Centre Gardens from 8pm, before watching the fireworks.

Live Music at the Sea Life Centre Gardens

Wednesday 23 July  
Solo: Emily Creed  Band: The Collective

Wednesday 30 July
Solo: Joanna Power  Band: Midlife Crisis

Wednesday 6 August  
Solo: Annika Rands  Band: Ignite

Wednesday 13 August  
Solo: Chelsea Francis  Band: Claire Barker Band

Wednesday 20 August
Solo: Tamsin Palmer  Band: Captain Scarlet

Wednesday 27 August  
Solo: Gemma B  Band: Joe Ringer Band

For more information contact Great Yarmouth Tourist Information Centre t. 01493 846346, www.great-yarmouth.co.uk.

Rare Visayan Warty Piglets Born at Thrigby Hall Wildlife Gardens, near Great Yarmouth, Norfolk

Visayan Warty Piglest at Thrigby Hall. Photograph Joe Blossom

Four rare Visayan warty piglets have been born at Thrigby Hall Wildlife Gardens near Great Yarmouth. The Visayan warty pig is a critically endangered species and can only be found in the wild on two islands in the central Philippines.

Thrigby Hall is part of an international programme for the conservation of warty pigs, managed by the British and Irish Association of Zoos and the European Association of Zoos. The warty pigs are threatened in the wild by habitat loss, food shortages and hunting. Some 95% of the pigs’ natural habitat has been cleared by farmers who cut down forests to plant crops.

Ken Sims, Director of Thrigby Hall Wildlife Gardens said: “We joined this conservation programme earlier this year and are delighted to have four healthy warty piglets at Thrigby, as well as three adult pigs. This programme is an excellent example of the way that UK and European zoos and wildlife parks work together to conserve threatened species, who struggle to survive in their natural habitat due to human intervention.”

The Visayan warty pig gets its name from three pairs of fleshy warts on the boar’s face. It is thought that the warts have evolved as a natural defence against rival boars’ tusks during a fight.

Thrigby Hall Wildlife Gardens is at Filby near Great Yarmouth, t. 01493 369477. The Wildlife Gardens open every day at 10am.

Organ Recital and Music Premiere at St Nicholas North Walsham, Norfolk, in aid of Church Tower Fund – Saturday, July 26

David Aspinall, formerly organ scholar at Royal Holloway College, University of London and professional musician, but now Executive Chairman of Aspinalls Group Ltd, is giving an organ recital at St Nicholas Church, North Walsham at 7pm on Saturday, July 26. Admission is £5 on the door; all proceeds will go to the Church Tower restoration fund.

The recital features the premiere of Norfolk composer James Kenelm Clarke’s new work in three movements, The Crostwight Suite, and will also include works by Bach, Mozart, Franck, Saint-Saëns and Duruflé. The performance will be shown live on a screen in the nave, via video link from the organ console.

David Aspinall

David Aspinall was a freelance keyboard player and choral conductor before moving into the business world, but remains an active pianist and organist, playing regularly at King’s Lynn Minster and with several chamber music groups in Norfolk and London. Mr Aspinall also stages and plays at charity concerts at his home, Oxnead Hall.  Both he and James Kenelm Clarke are Directors of Norfolk Music Publishing Ltd, which is promoting the concert .

Mr Aspinall is founder and Executive Chairman of Aspinalls Group Ltd and Managing Partner of Aspinalls Family Office LLP, a financial planning and wealth management business .

He is a trustee of the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain and, as Chair of the Peter Sowerby Foundation, oversees a substantial grant programme in the fields of primary care related medical research, local communities, education and the arts.

St Nicholas Church Tower, photo from St Nicholas Church 

David Aspinall said: “It is an honour to give the first performance of James Kenelm Clarke’s new piece for organ, The Crostwight Suite, and at the same time to be able to support the important tower repairs project at North Walsham’s magnificent parish church, just a few miles from my home at Oxnead.  The organ at St Nicholas is a splendid instrument under the expert care of Norfolk organ builder, Richard Bower, and I very much look forward to getting to know it.”

Wymondham Music Festival Norfolk 2014 Success

The 19th Wymondham Music Festival Fortnight drew to a close on Sunday, July 6 with a special Family Finale featuring Norwich favourites, The He Hews. 

Building on the success of previous years, a vast range of music was enjoyed during the festival by all ages, from a rain spattered Teddy Bears’ Picnic, to the Balkan sounds of Arhai, the Baroque mastery of London Telemann Collegium and the beautiful voice of singer-songwriter Edwina Hayes.

Dixiemix, Wymondham Music Festival Jazz Picnic. Photograph Anna Meek

The Jazz Picnic, which featured Dixiemix at their homecoming gig following their stadium tour supporting Rod Stewart, was enjoyed by 1100 people who braved an early downpour. Pasadena Roof Orchestra played to a sell-out crowd at Central Hall and Norfolk bluegrass exponents, Feral Mouth, also packed them in.

Around the World Through Music and Dance, a new innovation this year, which launched Festival Fortnight, was enjoyed by an audience of more than 300. The open-air event, located at the west end of the Abbey grounds, showcased the African rhythms of Sokoshumba, Indian classical and Bollywood dance, Strictly Flamenco and the Eastern European music of Moxy Garbanzo.

Sokoshumba - Around the World Through Music and Dance. Photograph Anna Meek.

“Around the World was a great success”, said Richard Elliott, Festival Chairman, “bringing old and young together to enjoy colourful dance and a wonderful mix of musical styles on a sunny Wymondham morning.”

“We have had some superb concerts in the Abbey. London Telemann Collegium is an outstanding Baroque group. The Abbey setting was perfect for their authentic Baroque instruments. We also enjoyed the versatility of Bella Tromba, the vitality of cellist Joy Lisney, the humour and musicianship of The Goldman Ensemble, the exceptional talent of John Law and Iain Ballamy, as well as a very well attended lunchtime recital programme and our special Wymondham young musicians concert.”            

London Telemann Collegium, Wymondham Abbey. Photograph Anna Meek

Doug and Pat Dale, from Doncaster, stumbled on the second week of Festival Fortnight during their holiday last year. They enjoyed themselves so much that they immediately booked to return for the whole of Festival Fortnight 2014 and brought four friends.

Doug and Pat said: “We discovered the festival by chance. There’s nothing like this where we live. We stayed at Rose Cottage Caravan & Camping Site at Wicklewood and before we went home last year, we checked the dates for the 2014 festival and booked the whole fortnight. We also arranged for four friends to join us. We have had a great time and were lucky enough to get tickets for Pasadena Roof Orchestra, just before the concert sold out!”

Richard Elliott added: “I have met Doug and Pat and their friends several times at events. It makes it all worthwhile to get this type of support. Let’s hope they bring even more friends in 2015! As well as serving the local community, we are very keen to extend our reach and get more of a travelling audience.”

Feral Mouth, Central Hall Wymondham. Photograph Anna Meek

“I would particularly like to thank all of our volunteers who give thousands of hours in the run up to and during Festival Fortnight, along with our patrons, sponsors and supporters who play a vital role in making it possible to stage such a diverse programme of music. We’ll take a well-earned breather before planning for the 2015 Festival begins in earnest in August.”