The main topic of the evening was, of course, the search and their discovery of The Gloucester shipwreck off the coast of Great Yarmouth in 2007.

Julian went into fascinating detail of the research so far carried out by Professor Claire Jowitt, Dr Ben Redding and their team at the University of East Anglia.

The precious artefacts, which are gradually being brought to the surface, are helping piece together how this terrible tragedy came about, as well as offering a rare glimpse into life in 17th century society.

The event, which was sold out, has enabled Reepham WI to make a sizeable donation to The Gloucester charity headed by Lord Dannatt.

The end goal is to open a dedicated museum to house the many artefacts that still have to be discovered. Fundraising is vital for the project’s ongoing success.

Readers might like to join WI members help this initiative by visiting the forthcoming exhibition that UEA is partnering with Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery, which will showcase some of the fascinating objects to the public for the first time.

The Last Voyage of The Gloucester: Norfolk’s Royal Shipwreck, 1682 runs from Saturday 25 February to Sunday 10 September.

An informative and commemorative catalogue will also be available from the museum. All proceeds will be used to carry out further exploration work.

As well as the monthly meetings on the third Thursday of each month at St Michael’s, the WI looks forward to welcoming other topical speakers to Reepham for open meetings in future months. These are proving to be most enjoyable get-togethers for members as well as the local community.

Dee Taylor

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The hike followed a 26-mile course along the Norfolk Coastal Path from Cromer to Wells-next-the-Sea, then inland to the Holkham Estate, finishing in sight of Holkham Hall.

Team members Joy Pickering, Rosie Humphrey, Michele Savage and Brenda Gostling had trained hard since signing up to the challenge in February – none of them had ever tackled that kind of long-distance hike before.

The walk encompassed North Norfolk’s clifftops, including Beeston Bump, as well as crossing beautiful marshes and reed beds, with a gruelling 3½-mile section along the shingle beach from Weybourne to Cley-next-the-Sea.

It was a gloriously sunny day with a gentle breeze; the gorse was in flower and the team spotted many sea birds, including white egrets.

More than 2,000 walkers were due to walk on the day, some doing the half marathon and others – including the Reepham team – committed to the full marathon distance.

Macmillan provided extensive refreshments at pitstops along the way, including a buffet lunch at Blakeney at the halfway point of the walk and hot food, for those that wanted it, at the finish.

The Reepham WI team raised more than £4,200 for Macmillan through their JustGiving page. Donations can still be made HERE.

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The WI has been meeting on Zoom for several months in the face of lockdown and members have missed the monthly get-together with its promise of tea, cake and chat alongside fascinating talks from a wide range of speakers.

The little bag of eggs, delivered by ladies on the WI Committee to every member, also contained details of plans for activities in April and May. These included virtual meetings of the book club plus socially distanced walks.

Reepham WI plans to meet on Zoom again in May, but is hoping for an outdoor meeting in June.

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On 21 October, the day of the anniversary, members had a pleasant surprise to find a beautifully presented gift on their doorstep.

The cakes were made by a local baker and gift wrapped and delivered by Reepham WI Amazons – a small but enthusiastically received compensation for the planned celebration party.

Thanks to Rosie Humphrey and Helen Bailey for their hard work and Sue Robinson’s donations for the gift wrap.

Manesty Forster

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For our August meeting we were welcomed to the Bircham Centre by the trustees and volunteers. We had short, informative talks on the renovation of the garden, the fascinating history of the building and how it came to be part of Reepham’s heritage 100 years ago, and the Reepham Archive.

We were also able to see parts of building normally not accessible by the public. What a gem this is for Reepham! However, it takes a lot of work and fundraising, especially via the charity shop, to keep it going.

In September, Peter Purdy gave a fascinating talk about the annual Roman archaeological dig at Aylsham, which takes place in August each year by keen volunteers from the community. The site is rich in Roman artefacts and the dig is keenly supported.

In October, members had fun learning Bollywood dancing, wearing saris and bindis (pictured), with a workshop by Jaya Dance.

Meanwhile, 15 Reepham WI members took part in the KindaKafe hidden history tour in September. We ventured underground via the old Pond’s shoe shop on Castle Meadow in Norwich accompanied by an interesting guide, who pointed out the remains of old buildings from the 15th century built in the ditch formed when the castle was constructed in the 11th and 12th century.

There are myths that many tunnels run beneath the city – we saw possible evidence of these, but sadly none could be accessed.

In addition to monthly meetings, other WI groups exist to cater for various interests.

For instance, the walking group arranges a long ramble exploring the Norfolk countryside and a shorter walk each month for members and friends. The final destination is always a café for tea, cake or light lunch – and plenty of chat.

We have a team competing in the county ten pin bowling tournament and they are defending their title as last season’s tournament winners – we wish them luck!

The craft group continues to meet each month producing wonderful handcrafted items. Watch out for their knitted nativity scene on show in Reepham again this Christmas.

Meanwhile, the popular WI book club continues to flourish with a monthly get-together.

Further activities and involvement are also available to members via the county federation.

Our next meeting on Thursday 21 November in St Michael’s, Reepham at 7.30 pm will be a butchery demonstration and talk by HV Graves of Briston, followed by the annual general meeting. Guests are always welcome.

On Thursday 5 December we will again be running our popular chocolate tombola stall at the Reepham Festival of Light.

Thursday 12 December – members’ traditional Christmas dinner at Bawdeswell Village Hall, 7 pm.

Thursday 19 December – monthly meeting and Christmas party at St Michael’s, Reepham, 7.30 pm.

Rita Buxton

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