Join us for an afternoon of creative curiosity or a longer stay in an exquisite setting. Discover our latest workshops, signature events and luxury experiences, or gift your loved ones the time to find their Wolterton.

Inspired by Norfolk’s natural beauty and rich heritage, our seasonal workshops and events invite exploration, creativity and curiosity in magnificent surroundings, inside and out.

The Wolterton owners are offering Reepham Life readers a special 10% discount using code REEPHAM10 at the checkout.

Visit our website for full details.

Wolterton Park
Norfolk NR11 7LY
Tel: 01263 768966
Email: info@wolterton.co.uk

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The event will be held on Tuesday 4 February from 2–4 pm at St Peter’s Haveringland (off Haveringland Road, NR10 4PW), including refreshments. Open to all, just turn up on the day.

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Reepham Town Council and the Stimpson’s Piece Charity trustees are eager to make improvements and want local input to steer this process in the right direction.

To achieve this, a survey has been created by the young people of Reepham, in conjunction with Broadland Youth Advisory Board and Resilient Pathways.

They want to hear about what changes would improve the ground and share your experiences, ideas and suggestions.

Whether it is to support the skatepark replacement or not, or to share other ideas, such as adding new benches, outdoor gym equipment or improving the playground, every insight is valuable – and your participation could make a real difference.

The survey can be accessed in two ways: printed versions can be completed at Reepham Library, Market Place, or an online version is available.

In addition, a community drop-in event is planned for Saturday 27 April from 11 am – 1 pm at the Dial House, Market Place, Reepham, where residents can speak with local volunteers and representatives from the town council about the skatepark project or share views and ideas for the local recreation ground.

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David Higgs of Reepham Bike Hire

Reepham Bike Hire started operations at the beginning of May and has so far received “overwhelming positive feedback from everyone”, according to owner David Higgs, who lives locally.

“The location is perfect for cycling the 26 miles of the beautiful Marriott’s Way,” he told Reepham Life.

“You can cycle the Themelthorpe loop to Reepham and Whitwell Station in an hour and then carry on to Lenwade if you are feeling energetic, or you can cycle in the opposite direction towards Aylsham.

“You also have Salle and Heydon close by, two beautiful Norfolk villages – you really are spoilt for choice.”

The bicycle hire business is open from 9 am – 5 pm on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and bank holidays throughout the summer, from 1 May to 31 October. Used bikes are also bought and sold.

At present, only pedal cycles are available to hire, but it is hoped to have some electric bikes (e-bikes) available later in the year.

Adult bikes can be hired from £18 per day or £12 for four hours, and child bikes are from £12 per day or £8 for four hours; a cycle helmet and combination lock are included in the price.

Photo ID (passport or driving licence) and a credit card are required for a minimum refundable deposit (£100) per bike.

Bikes must be returned by 5 pm or additional charges may apply.

Contact: Reepham Bike Hire

Station Yard, Station Road, Reepham, Norfolk NR10 4LJ

Tel: 07974 966837

Email: contact@reephambikehire.co.uk

www.reephambikehire.co.uk

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Serving the communities of Lyng, Sparham and surrounding parishes, the new community hall provides much improved facilities in the heart of the Wensum Valley after the demolition last year of the old, post-war hall that had reached the end of its life.

Work started on the new hall in 2017 and has been completed on time for a launch this weekend. The project was supported with funding from the National Lottery Community Fund, the largest funder of community activity in the UK.

Located in Richmond Place, Lyng, the hall offers modern facilities, including full disabled access, a large hall and a smaller meeting room.

Bookings are already being made, and there is expected to a be a full programme of events and activities on offer for all sectors of the community, including table tennis, badminton, tai chi, Pilates, Zumba, bingo, line dancing, baby yoga, toddler book club, dog training and a family support group.

Peter Lambley, chair of trustees, commented: “We are very proud of what has been achieved and the final result is a great building that will become an essential part of the local community.

“We are particularly grateful to the many volunteers that have provided countless hours of their time and expertise to deliver this great result.

“Equally, we could not have achieved this without the support of our many funding partners, in particular the National Lottery Community Fund. We are extremely grateful to all our funding partners.”

Details of how to book and what events are being run can be found at www.lyngvillagehall.co.uk or email

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In June, Sacha Barbato (pictured) joined Travel Counsellors, which has more than 1,800 people providing advice on travel across the globe.

The independent travel company operates on a home-working model, which enables counsellors to speak to customers seven days a week at a time convenient for them – even when other travel agencies have closed.

Cutting-edge technology allows them to search through thousands of suppliers and holiday products in a matter of minutes to find the best options for the client at the most competitive prices, so they can tailor-make the ideal travel experience.

Mr Barbato, who lives in Brandiston, said travel has been his passion ever since he started travelling around the world as a teenager.

He has now visited more than 40 countries across six continents, including hiking and white water rafting in the Himalayas, skydiving over the Grand Canyon, touring through New Zealand in a motorhome, whale watching off the coast of California, sailing around the islands of Fiji, and visiting iconic buildings and temples from the Taj Mahal to the Statue of Liberty.

He has also travelled on trains throughout Europe, ferries and cruises around Japan and flights around the world, staying at beach resorts and hotels in the Caribbean, Mauritius, Australia, and across Asia and the Middle East.

Over the past 20 years Mr Barbato has worked in sales and management with a leading high-street travel agent.

He said: “I am delighted to join the team at Travel Counsellors to bring a totally new kind of service to the local area.

“The in-house technology is exceptional – far superior to my previous high-street agency with access to a huge choice of flights and holidays at extremely competitive prices.

“Most people don’t have time to think about their holiday during the working week and that’s where I come in: I can take all the hassle out of the booking process.

“I hope my clients will value the personal service and attention to detail I am able to offer as a Travel Counsellor.”

• For more information contact Sacha Barbato on 01603 360099 or email sacha.barbato@travelcounsellors.com

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Smart Swim School based in Reepham wanted to raise awareness with the children (and their parents) about the effects of plastic in our oceans and how this negatively impacts marine life.

So, over the past few weeks, our swimmer’s parents have been collecting all their plastic recycling for us to put in the pool.

I wanted the children to have first-hand experience of what it might feel like for ocean-going animals to be surrounded by our rubbish.

The lessons have really made a huge impact on the children. We chatted about the importance of each child taking three pieces of rubbish off the beach every time they go.

During the lesson, we went for a little ride in an inflatable canoe and practiced falling in (with our clothes on) and swimming through the rubbish back to the side: our theme this term has been water safety.

We then spent time practicing clearing some of the rubbish out of the pool, to bring home the point of how everyone working together can make a big difference. Training up the next generation is the way to go!

Great fun was had by all and the children learnt a fantastic lesson through this experience.

About Smart Swim

Smart Swim is a small, family-run swim school. The pool is wonderfully warm and clean, and the teachers are all passionate and enthusiastic about what they do.

It offers baby, toddler and after-school lessons from Monday to Saturday. The teachers all teach from within the water and there is a high child-to-teacher ratio, ensuring all children progress beautifully.

The lessons are well planned and fun, focusing on water safety and bonding time with parents in the water.

Owner and instructor Julia de Lucchi also specialises in helping people overcome their fear of water and enjoys working with adult swimmers on a one-to-one basis. Aqua-therapy is also offered.

Unfortunately, the pool is not available for private hire, but feel free to contact Smart Swim regarding lessons for next term.

• Smart Swim School, Little Edgewood, Norwich Road, Reepham, Norfolk NR104NR. Tel: 07795 109291. Email: smartswimschool@gmail.com

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Addressing the annual meeting of the charity on Wednesday 10 May, chairman Les Paterson noted that, in an effort to generate more interest in the pavilion among residents and users, a working group had been established, under the chairmanship of David Loxton, with the intention of taking over the running of the pavilion as a community-centred amenity.

“Unfortunately, because of the lack of adequate support, the working group felt it had no alternative but to leave control with the trustees,” he told the meeting.

“Although the trustees have committed themselves to keeping the pavilion open, this commitment cannot be open-ended and will depend on the cost of any repairs needed to keep the building safe and usable, and continuing to generate sufficient income to maintain it.

“If the trustees are faced with either high costs of repairs to the building or a significant drop in income from hirings, then they will have to review the options open to them.”

Mr Paterson explained that hirings of the pavilion are generally healthy, but “unfortunately, many hirers do not use the pavilion during the school holidays or, in the case of the football club, from May when the football season ends to August when the new season begins.

“Inevitably, this means the pavilion is underused for some three months of the year with the consequent loss of income.”

During the past year the trustees commissioned a legionella and asbestos survey of the pavilion and, apart from a few minor points requiring attention, confirmed the building as a safe environment for users.

Following the survey, a water management agreement with the football club and the nursery school, the two main users of the pavilion, was instituted.

Apart from routine grounds maintenance of the park the trustees have commenced a programme of clearing old, diseased and damaged trees and generally opening up the wooded areas to provide more light at ground level to encourage more diverse plant growth.

A continuing commitment is the maintenance of the skate-park and the children’s play area. The old, dilapidated wooden fence around the toddlers’ play area has been replaced with a metal fence similar to the existing fence surrounding the skate-park.

The wooden play equipment generally is subject to wear and decay, and there is a continuing need for regular inspections and replacement of components whenever necessary. Similarly, the skateboard ramps need repainting several times a year to prevent corrosion.

“In general, the trustees have been fortunate that most residents and users of Stimpson’s Piece respect the facilities and there are relatively few complaints of anti-social behaviour or vandalism,” said Mr Paterson.

“The single most common source of complaint concerns fouling of the area by dogs and despite regular exhortations in Reepham Life and elsewhere, and the erection of notices advising owners where dogs can be exercised, irresponsible dog owners are still allowing their animals to foul the area.

“There have been relatively few cases of vandalism on Stimpson’s Piece, mainly centred on the area around the skate-park and children’s play area, and all such cases have been reported to the police for their attention.

“The trustees are committed to working with the police Safer Neighbourhood Team to control anti-social behaviour by, for example, locking the gate at night to prevent cars congregating in the car park and recording registrations of vehicles left on site unattended.”

See our earlier story:

• Stimpson’s Piece working group currently inactive

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