The Society was founded as a registered charity in 1976 to stimulate public interest in Reepham, Hackford, Kerdiston, Salle and Whitwell.

Although membership had remained consistent and its monthly talks were popular, the Reepham Society, like many other small voluntary groups, had found it increasingly difficult to recruit people to its offices and committee.

At the annual general meeting in April, it was agreed that, rather than struggling on and infringing the requirements of the Charity Commission, the Society would call an EGM to consider closure.

Acting chair Nichola Johnson said it was a sad but inevitable decision, adding: “We all did try very hard to keep it going.” She praised the work and efforts of the Reepham Society over its four decades, in particular the past three chairmen – Jolyon Booth, Kate Nightingale and Mike Cowdrey.

She also thanked everyone who had supported the Society over the past 40 years, adding that its photographs, documents and other objects have been fully integrated into the Reepham Archive, which is housed in the Bircham Centre.

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Created in 2013 and located in the Bircham Centre, the Archive has a large, varied and ever increasing collection of old documents and photographs, and is working to preserve these for the people of Reepham.

Archive volunteer and chairman of the Reepham Society Mike Cowdrey said: “In our first year we’ve achieved a lot. Photographs are being ordered and digitalised, our manuscripts and documents, some more that 200 years old, are being conserved and transcribed so that they can be easily read and searched.

“From these resources we are compiling a searchable index of names and places so that research into family and property histories is made easier.”

With so much going on the Archive has reduced its opening times to the first Saturday and Wednesday of the month from 10 am – 12 noon; at other times by request.

Mr Cowdrey explained that the Archive does not have the specialist archival software that would enable these pieces of Reepham’s history to be organised onto a database that could be searched online from anywhere in the world.

“Our bid for a grant from Aviva is to pay for this, but we desperately need your support,” he said.

Each competing project needs to be supported, and Aviva will only look at projects that have a high number of votes.

Add your support to the Reepham Archive’s bid by registering at: https://community-fund.aviva.co.uk/voting/project/view/3691/

“You will be given 10 votes,” Mr Cowdrey continued. “Please give them all to the Archive project, as we need every vote.

“And if you have already voted, but didn’t give us all your 10 votes, please go back onto the site and give us the rest. Please ask friends and relatives to do the same.

“Putting the Archive online will help to put Reepham on the map and provide a really valuable resource for education and research, but it stands no chance without your 10 votes and those of everyone else who cares about our town.”

The deadline for voting is 30 May.

See our earlier news story:

• Reepham Archive established in the Bircham Centre

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The idea for a Reepham Society goes back 40 years when a few residents decided to work together on behalf of the town and its community. Their aims were to inspire enthusiasm for and knowledge of Reepham to protect the best of the old and to make sure that the new would be to high standards and in the interests of the community. They set out to achieve those goals by working with local organisations, supporting charities, researching and publishing the heritage of the town, and giving talks and exhibitions.

Those aims have not changed. Today the Society has nearly 200 members, whose practical help and subscriptions help to keep Reepham a good place to live in. Members have free entry to the presentations the Society arranges, usually six a year, and priority booking for any events that have limited numbers. Members have their say in the running of the Society, informally and by voting at annual general meetings, or by joining the committee. Volunteers are always welcome to help with the running of the Society and working to develop the Reepham Archive, which is run jointly with the Bircham Centre.

The full list of events in 2015 has not yet been fixed, but the first will certainly be of interest to many people in Reepham. Most of us know only too well the sad state the Old Brewery House had fallen into and now enjoy the sight of the revived Dial House looking out onto the Market Place. Iain Wilson, whose vision and determination made this happen, and Sarah Tribe, who has been his partner in the work, will give an illustrated talk about the Dial House project; how it came about, the aims and standards that have driven it, the challenges of working on the building and what is still to do.

The talk will be at 7.30 pm in the Town Hall, Church Street, Reepham, on Tuesday 10 February. Everyone welcome; entrance is free to members and £2 for non-members. There will be wine and non-alcoholic refreshments and snacks beforehand, so please feel free to arrive from 7.15 pm onwards.

If you’re not a member why not spend £5 and give it a try? You can join on the door, call 07553 149422 or visit the website www.reephamsociety.org.uk and complete the contact form for general enquiries.

Mike Cowdrey, Chairman, Reepham Society

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The view from Salle church tower, one of the highest in Norfolk

The afternoon began with an informative and entertaining tour by churchwarden Jolyon Booth that included the history of the church and its benefactors, the impressive architectural features, and the exquisite and sometimes quirky oak carvings of beasts and birds that the mediaeval craftsmen could never have seen in real life.

Afterwards, some Society members climbed in semi-darkness up the narrow spiral staircase, past the gloom of the belfry to the sunny roof of one of the highest church towers in the county.

There, the landscape of north Norfolk stretched all around with sister towers rising above the green and gold and, in the far distance, the spire of Norwich cathedral was just visible.

However, one did not have to look across the fields and woods, or even down to the buildings and cricket match below, for interest because etched in the lead roof on which we stood was a wealth of ancient graffiti; the names of folk long gone, dates (the oldest I found was 1702) and the outlines of feet, small and large, scratched into the soft grey metal.

The afternoon ended with tea, cakes and sandwiches and a good deal of discussion about how, as one enters Salle church through the ancient oak door, one steps into 600 unbroken years of English history and heritage.

It is a great place to show friends and visitors and if you do visit there is plenty of good pre-reading online.

Mike Cowdrey, Chairman, The Reepham Society

www.reephamsociety.org.uk

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It is thought that someone may have forced one of the locks and bent the cover to gain unauthorised access.

Subsequently, when an unauthorised commercial notice was removed by Edwin Rose, who looks after the noticeboards on behalf of the Reepham Society, he was allegedly confronted by a second person.

However, the police may be unable to take further action without an independent witness to the criminal damage. The locks have since been fixed.

The noticeboard, one of four around the town supplied and maintained by the Reepham Society, was replaced just weeks earlier at a cost of around £160, most of which was funded by the Town Council.

The new noticeboard includes a “post-box” on the back for submitting event notices, which will be posted if there is room. Priority will be given to notices about events or activities taking place within four weeks of the notice being submitted.

The Reepham Society points out that advertisements for activities or services for private commercial gain will not be accepted unless those activities take place in the Town Hall, the Bircham Centre, Stimpson’s Piece pavilion or one of the churches, from which the community derives income from hire fees.

Meanwhile, with most of the other boards old and rotting, a decision will need to be made soon on whether to replace these or possibly have just one central noticeboard somewhere in Market Place as has been suggested.

However, the Town Council may be understandably reluctant to fund new boards that can be damaged so easily by thoughtless individuals.

In other local crime news, between 23 and 27 May, thieves forced entry into a garage in Wood Dalling Road, Reepham, by smashing a window and removing 10 motorcycles. Another vehicle was also stolen from outside the premises, along with a trailer. The front gate had a thick metal chain removed.

On 25-26 May, thieves entered a field in Old Friendship Lane, Eastgate, and removed diesel from a tank.

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The idea of bringing together these two historic collections that illustrate the history of Reepham and the local area was not new. However, it was made possible when the Bircham Centre, after a large amount of time and effort by the trustees and volunteers, opened the Centre’s archive rooms in October 2013.

This offered, for the first time, the possibility of a permanent home for the Reepham Society’s collection of photographs, maps and documents, some of which date back to the late 1700s.

The three beautifully restored rooms, which are around 400 years old, include items from World War I and many more stretching back to Saxon and even Roman times.

The aims of the Reepham Archive are to nurture interest in and knowledge of the heritage and development of the town and surrounding area among residents, schools and visitors by preserving and making available to the public this unique collection of local history.

As well as preserving the original artefacts and documents, the Archive plans to create a searchable database with digital images. In future, it will be possible to search for an individual document or browse the collection remotely.

The Reepham Archive will also mount exhibitions; the first of these will be held later this summer and will feature Reepham and the surrounding communities during World War I. If you have any material on this subject that you could lend or donate to the exhibition, please contact the Bircham Centre.

The archive rooms are open to the public on Wednesday and Saturday mornings between 9 am and midday; appointments can also be made outside these hours.

Current resources for visitors include a computer and information retrieval facility, a paper room for reading and research, and an exhibition of some of the items in the collection.

Copies of documents or photographs can be requested and made available for a small fee or donation.

Sue Ivins, chair of the trustees of the Bircham Centre, described the creation of the joint archive as a “fantastic asset and one of the most amazing things that has happened to Reepham in many years. The Archive has been made complete with the Reepham Society’s collection and both organisations are now working together as a team.”

Reepham Society chairman Mike Cowdrey likened the Society’s archive to “a homeless family with a suitcase full of heirlooms. We are indeed grateful to the Bircham Centre’s trustees, who provided this marvellous opportunity.”

Both Mrs Ivins and Mr Cowdrey praised the not insubstantial work of Bircham Centre administrator Gill Wheatley, who has “steered the two teams towards this successful amalgamation”.

The formal establishment of the Reepham Archive on 7 May marks an important step in the preservation and promotion of the town’s heritage, but there remains a huge amount of work to be done.

The Bircham Centre trustees and the Reepham Society executive committee will jointly manage the development of the Archive, but they will need volunteers to carry out a wide range of interesting and rewarding tasks, from manning the archive rooms on Wednesday and Saturday mornings to digitalising the collections and helping to mount exhibitions. “You don’t have to be an expert to get involved,” Mrs Ivins stressed.

If you would like to join the team and be a vital part of this work, please call the Bircham Centre on 01603 879242, email thebirchamcentre@gmail.com or visit the Reepham Archive during opening hours.

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Proposed floor plans: ground floor (left) and first floor (right)

The building was the first Wesleyan Methodist chapel in Reepham, built in 1842. From 1935 to 1967 it was used as a fire station. This required enlarging the entrance, which was subsequently bricked in to take smaller doors when it became a youth hall.

The applicant is David Huggins of Leigh on Sea, Essex, whose agent, Mark Ashurst of A Squared Architects, Norwich, explained that the proposal submitted in December 2013 is for a change of use of from a hall to a dwelling, including alterations to the roof and front elevation.

Currently vacant, the building would become a three-bedroomed residence. This would include part demolition to facilitate the conversion, provide amenity space and restoration of the façade, and proposes using brick, stone and tiles to match. There is no parking, however, and the only provision to be added is one bicycle space.

The building became a youth hall in 1971 for the Reepham Associated Youth Service (RAYS) and the local Scouts and Guides. However, by July 2010 the Scouts had moved to a purpose-built headquarters on Smugglers Lane, and since then, the building has been vacant and unused; the Rayzone youth club now holds activities in the Methodist Chapel and St Michael’s, as well as the local schools.

The hall sits on a small plot on the southeast corner of the grounds of Eynsford House. There is a narrow passageway between the hall and a house to the eastern elevation. To the south is a small strip of hard-standing, a footpath and then Dereham Road.

In December 2011, permission was refused to convert the building to a dwelling. A new owner has since acquired the site and appointed A Squared to develop a more sympathetic response.

To overcome the lack of amenity space outside the building, a courtyard is proposed within the centre, of around 3 metres by 5 metres. An atrium will bring in light without the need for adding windows to the outside.

Meanwhile, the three-arched windows on the front of the building will be restored in painted timber and the infill removed to resemble the Chapel before it was altered for use as a fire station.

The design statement continues: “Due to the limited extent of external space, no car parking will be provided. There are public car parking spaces in the Market Place, which could be utilised if required.” Further, the narrow passageway will be gated and used for refuse and cycle storage.

The Reepham Society supported the planning application. Speaking on behalf of the Society’s planning advisory group, Jolyon Booth commented that conversion to a dwelling seems the only possible use for this building.

“We supported it last time in 2011,” he said. “One of the reasons why Broadland District Council turned it down was because it meant the loss of a community facility that was not being replaced – ignoring the fact that Reepham already had a surfeit of public halls.”

Mr Booth continued: “We admire the measures to overcome the lack of outdoor amenity space and we are pleased that the design will also restore the front elevation. We think the eventual occupiers of the building will easily find a satisfactory way to overcome the lack of immediately adjacent parking space.”

Reepham Town Council, which discussed the planning application at its January meeting, made no objection to the planning application, but thought there needed to be consideration for the lack of adequate parking and storage of fuel.

The Town Council was also concerned with the suggestion that residents would park their vehicles in the Station Road car park, which is already full to overflowing on a daily basis.

Karen Brockman

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The meeting was called after the Annual General Meeting in May failed to vote in new executive officers and faced being wound up under Charity Commission rules.

Mike Cowdrey was elected chairman of the Society, Jan Henry as vice chair and Jo Tym as secretary, while Ian Boldero will continue as treasurer.

Nichola Johnson, who chaired the SGM, Ann Middlemas and Kevin Penney were also elected as committee members.

The Reepham Society was founded more than 30 years ago to protect, research and present the town’s heritage.

Mr Cowdrey, who is also a Town Councillor, said: “I’m very privileged to have been elected as chairman of the Reepham Society and very reassured by having such an outstanding committee to work with.

“I’m also grateful to the previous chairmen and committees for the extraordinary foundation in understanding and promoting Reepham’s heritage that they have laid down to the benefit not just of Society members but of all residents of our town.

“Ross Ingham, one of the expert consultants driving the Reepham Economic Strategy study, believes that the achievements of the Society have been truly remarkable.

“I‘d like the Society to continue to reach out to everyone in Reepham; to those who were born and bred here and have a story to tell, and to newcomers like me who have much to learn.

“We’re all of us woven into the fabric of this special town and the more we know about its heritage the more we’ll all share a common sense of belonging and pride.

“The Society’s role in our community is vital because an understanding of the past helps explain where we are now and can guide us in the future.

“I’d encourage anyone who cares about our town to join the Society or, even if they don’t become members, to come along to the regular talks by excellent speakers and learn a bit more about where we live.

“The Society has started a blog in the Reepham Life newspaper online and we shall post news and information about forthcoming events on it.”

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Normally, the existing officers are voted back on to the committee for a further term, but this year, most unusually, none of them wished to stand again.

Nichola Johnson, acting chair of the AGM, explained: “Of course, they all had personal reasons for stepping down, but it is also the case that recent committee meetings were increasingly dominated by personal concerns, which the majority of the committee felt were distracting from its core responsibilities both to the Charity Commissioners and to the Society’s wider membership’s interests.

“Unfortunately, none of the new people nominated were elected at the AGM, which left the Society potentially without officers. Under such circumstances, the ‘old’ executive committee is required to call a Special General Meeting (SGM) so that additional nominations may be received and voted on by the membership or, failing this, that a motion to close the Society be tabled.”

Ms Johnson said that since the Society’s foundation an enormous amount has been achieved by successive members and officers. “Research has been conducted, publications produced, an impressive archive of photographs and related items has been amassed, and a consistently watchful and well-informed eye has been applied to hundreds of planning applications,” she said.

“We cannot think that members who have supported and contributed to the Society for many years, or those who have moved to Reepham more recently and joined the Society through a genuine interest in our local heritage, would wish to see the Society disbanded.”

Ms Johnson said the hope is that all members will help to ensure its survival by encouraging others to come forward as nominees for the officer positions at the SGM to be held on 4 June, so there will be a wider “slate” of candidates to add to the names of those who stood at the AGM. All nominees will be invited to speak briefly about their interest in the Society and about any particular skills and/or experience that they feel they can contribute, and asked to declare any vested interests they may have.

“Once we have successfully elected new officers, the Reepham Society can embark, re-energised, on the next phase of its existence,” said Ms Johnson, who will also chair the SGM.

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Reepham’s bowling green at Townsend Court was purchased by community fundraising and entrusted to the Reepham Society in 1989.

In late summer 2012, a member of the Reepham Society did some research about Fields in Trust having read about it in the newspaper.

She discussed it with others, and together eight people wrote in October to the Society’s committee to ask if they would consider the bowling green being dedicated a Field in Trust.

They thought that it would have many benefits for the Society, the Reepham Town Bowls Club and the wider community. No decision has yet been received.

Founded in 1925, Fields In Trust is a charity that safeguards all kinds of outdoor spaces “to ensure they are still there for future generations to enjoy”.

There are many benefits of land becoming a Field in Trust.

Legal officers of the Fields in Trust charity would complete the deed of dedication to achieve Field in Trust status for the land used by the Bowls Club at no cost to the Reepham Society. Fields in Trust would then protect the land as a precious green open space, one of very few in the centre of the town.

Registering the land would be beneficial to the Bowls Club as it would entitle them to apply for money from Sport England, among other organisations, for funding to help them maintain the grounds and make improvements; it could also mean that the council tax was reduced.

The Charity Commission had no objection to this dedication occurring.

The Reepham Society is an “amenity society” and has among its objects a commitment “to secure the preservation, protection, development and improvement of features of historical or public interest in the area of benefit”. It is also a member of the Campaign to Protect Rural England.

Ensuring that the bowling green remained a green space would fit well with these objectives, as the land has been used for bowling since 1895 and is a wildlife habitat.

The Reepham Society would also be honouring the fact that the land used by the Bowls Club, as well as the clubhouse and toilets built on the site, was bought by donations from the community.

In 2011, more than 200 people signed a petition to keep the land as a green space used by the Bowls Club.

The Fields in Trust charity would be sensitive to the needs of the local community should it need to raise capital: if circumstances changed in the future they would consider the sale of the land as long as the capital was used to enhance the local community by substituting land of equivalent size elsewhere.

The land would still remain in trust with the Reepham Society so it could continue to rent the land to the Bowls Club.

It seemed to those members of the Reepham Society who made the request that this was a win-win situation with everyone benefiting: it could bring money to the Bowls Club, it would still remain in the trust of the Society and it would be respecting the historical reason for its purchase in the 1980s.

As the person who negotiated the sale of the land by the brewery who owned it said: “It [the land] was purchased as an amenity for the people of Reepham, to prevent unwanted development and maintain an open green space in the town. Please do not forget why the [Reepham] Society was formed in the first place.”

What are you views on the bowling green? Should it become a Field in Trust? Please contact Reepham Life with your comments.

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