Head to Fairhaven Garden in the Norfolk Broads for The Great Bear Hunt

Families are invited to visit Fairhaven Woodland and Water Garden, at South Walsham in the heart of the Norfolk Broads and go on The Great Bear Hunt.

Fairhaven volunteer Andy Usher has carved six bears out of wood from the garden and hidden them next to trees. Armed with a trail map, showing location clues, families can have fun hunting the bears, learn about the trees in the garden and make up names for the bears.

Andy Usher with one of his bears

Andy Usher explained: “I have volunteered in the garden for the last four years. I am chainsaw qualified, bought a carving saw and began experimenting with creating animals. This led to my idea to carve the bears out of Fairhaven wood and give families a fun summer activity. All the bears are next to well-known trees and the idea is for children to discover some of the species that make up the woodland garden, as well as enjoy hunting the bears.”

On The Great Bear Hunt

Andy is also carving children's picnic tables and chairs for the garden.

Louise Rout, Fairhaven Garden Manager said: “Thank you so much to Andy for developing such a creative family activity for our visitors this summer. It's a great way to get out and explore the garden.”

Fairhaven Woodland and Water Garden is at South Walsham, signposted off the A47 at B1140 junction, half way between Norwich and Great Yarmouth. Garden entry is adult £6.85, concessions £6.60, children £3.95 and free for Fairhaven members and under 5s.

The garden is open daily all year from 10am to 5pm (closed Christmas Day), and on Wednesdays until 9pm to the end of August. Free entry to tearoom, provisions shop, gift shop and plant sales.

There is wheelchair access throughout the garden, including a Sensory Garden and an accessible boat for trips on the broad from April to October (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.

T 01603 270449 or see www.fairhavengarden.co.uk.

Wymondham Music Festival Norfolk, Friday, June 22 to Sunday, July 1

Jazz Picnic with DixieMix

Wymondham Music Festival in South Norfolk returns for the 23^rd year from Friday, June 22 to Sunday, July 1. Favourites like Town Busking Day (June 23), the Jazz Picnic with DixieMix at Becketswell (June 25) and Teddy Bears' Picnic for the under fives (July 1) are back, along with a new free open-air event, Sounds of Summer at Becketswell on Saturday, June 30 from 12 noon to 6.30pm.

Wymondham Ukulele Group - Town Busking Day 2017

Sounds of Summer is being organised by Wymondham College student, Suzie Heylings, with support from Wymondham Town Team and a grant from the John Jarrold Trust. The line up features Victoria Louise, who was a finalist on The Voice 2017, along with alternative rock and indie pop band Red Wine Talk, plus singer songwriters Jordan Baker and Anna Carter, and Fingers Crossed, a five-piece rock band from Wymondham High School.

Victoria Louise - Sounds of Summer - photo Victoria Louise

Concerts at Wymondham Abbey include lyric soprano Jessica Robinson (June 27), Jazz at the Abbey (June 28), with Gilad Atzmon and The Orient House Ensemble and lunchtime recitals featuring Archie Bonham (piano), Norfolk Young Musician of the Year on June 25, Rob Goodrich (organ) and Katie Schutte (violin) on June 26, Julian Haggett (organ) on June 27 and Matthew Wadsworth (lute) on June 29.

Gilad Atzmon and The Orient House Ensemble

The Annual Music Lecture, Silent Films with Bruce Vogt is at The Regal (Wymondham Ex-Services Club) on June 24. Bruce Vogt will accompany silent films from Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton on the piano and will give a talk ‘Music and the Silent Clown'.

Other highlights are The Opera Dudes (June 22) and Bowjangles Comedy Orchestra (June 29), both promoted with Wymondham U3A, and Cavick String Quartet (July 1).

The Festival also stages three concerts for local young musicians, including the annual Young Musicians’ Concert at Wymondham Abbey on June 26. 

For the full Festival programme and to buy tickets for concerts see www.wymfest.org.uk. Concert tickets are also on sale at Puff's Toyshop in Wymondham Market Place.

Festival Chairman Richard Elliott said: "We have an exciting programme for this year's Festival, featuring regular favourites like the Town Busking Day and Jazz Picnic, along with our new event at Becketswell, Sounds of Summer, organised by Wymondham College student, Suzie Heylings. We also have three concerts featuring local young musicians including our annual Young Musicians' concert at Wymondham Abbey. I would like to thank our volunteers who make the Festival happen and our sponsors for their invaluable support."

Maids Head Hotel Norwich Head Chef in Semi-Final of National Chef of the Year Competition

Marcin ‘Magic’ Pomierny, Head Chef at the Maids Head Hotel in Norwich and Chef of the Year in the EDP Norfolk Food and Drink Awards 2016, has reached the semi-final of the Craft Guild of Chefs National Chef of the Year competition.  

Marcin 'Magic' Pomierny - photo Maids Head Hotel

Forty chefs, split into four semi-final heats, will be competing this month for a place in the final. The winner of each heat, plus the six best runners up, go through to the final which is at The Restaurant Show on Wednesday, October 2.

Magic’s semi-final heat is at Le Cordon Bleu in London on Tuesday, June 19.  The brief for the chefs is to create a menu, which focuses on the provenance of the food and gives a modern interpretation on classic dishes.    

Magic, who was a finalist in the 2008 Craft Guild of Chefs Young Chef of the Year competition said: “I am really excited to have reached the semi-final of the National Chef of the Year competition. The menu that I will be cooking on June 19 will feature English dishes using the best of East Anglian produce. I will do my very best to secure a place in the final for the Maids Head and Norwich.”  

Christine Malcolm, General Manager, Maids Head Hotel said: “Magic has worked very hard over the last five years to raise the profile of the hotel as a fine dining destination. We achieved a second AA Rosette in 2016 and Magic’s ambition is to raise the bar further and achieve a third AA Rosette. His summer a la carte menu has just been released this week, offering an excellent opportunity for hotel guests and local residents to sample Magic and his team’s current work.”

 “We wish Magic all the best for the National Chef of the Year competition,” added Christine Malcolm, “and will have our fingers firmly crossed.”    

Marcin ‘Magic’ Pomierny comes from near Krakow in Poland. He trained as a chef in Poland and studied catering for diabetics as an additional subject. Magic moved to Norwich in June 2005; his brother and sister were already in the city.

He spoke little English at the time and his family helped secure him a job as a kitchen porter at Tatlers, where he did washing up and food preparation for one year. Then Magic worked for Pulse and The Library for 18 months, followed by McIntoshes Kitchen for another 18 months. 

His next job in 2009 was Sous Chef at Rare Steak House and he moved on to The Mad Moose where he was Sous Chef for two years and Head Chef for one year. Magic arrived at the Maids Head Hotel as Sous Chef in May 2013 and was promoted to Head Chef in September 2013.