HTG provides this service when you need to attend an NHS-funded appointment or clinic, are discharged from hospital or need to transfer between centres, and because of your medical condition, you are unable to make your own way.

How to book transport

To receive NHS-funded transport, patients must telephone the booking and enquiry line on 0345 2413012, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The call handler will check eligibility against the nationally defined criteria and book appropriately.

You will need the following information to hand when speaking to the booking team:

• NHS number
• date of birth
• GP surgery you are registered with
• full address with postcode
• mobility/support needs
• access details of your property

Once your transport is booked, you will be given a booking reference number.

To find out more please refer to the NHS website.

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The Old Man of Hoy, pictured from the Scrabster to Stromness ferry. Photo: Gerald Axelrod

The journey is all the more impressive because while Sarah believes strongly in sustainable transport, she doesn’t describe herself as a hardened cyclist.

The weather was chilly, navigation was challenging and ashes are surprisingly heavy. In her own words:

I have recently returned from an adventure that took me on holiday to the Orkneys and back on my electric bike.

The idea of a bike touring trip came to me a few years ago after getting my first electric bike and realising what a game changer it was for cycle journeys.

Last year my father passed away and as he had believed he was immortal, no plans or advice regarding what he wished to happen were given and as he was quite a heroic man in his way I wished to acknowledge this.

He was a climber all his life, one of his significant achievements, at the age of 67, being to climb the Old Man of Hoy, a windswept pillar of rock in the North Sea.

I had never visited the Orkneys so a holiday there to take dad to one of his great moments struck me as a fine plan.

So I booked a ferry from Scrabster to Stromness for 27 June, and on 8 June I pedalled away from Reepham, rushing to get to the King’s Lynn foot ferry as my route over the River Ouse.

It was the start of a marvellous trip, meeting so many interesting people: a retired tour guide provided me with a full itinerary of what to see and do on Orkney (and what was essential to book in advance) and a posse of Polish motorcyclists shared their supper with me in the wilderness of Forsinard.

I chatted to cyclists travelling from Land’s End to John O’Groats and cyclists who had just returned from trips to the continent or were planning to go on an insane road race (by bicycle) from France to Turkey in 10 days.

So many beautiful landscapes; particular highlights were:

• Lindisfarne, with its sparkling seascapes and ancient buildings;
• the walk to the Old Man, with its red cliff faces and my first ever sighting of puffins;
• astonishing Neolithic relics all over Orkney, uncovering a sophisticated society with highly developed skills and a much wider global outreach than ever imagined;
• the Flow Country, a unique environment with a vegetation and watery pattern all its own;
• Loch of the Lowes near Dunkeld was a garden of delight with nesting osprey, great crested grebe with their humbug-striped chicks being piggybacked around the loch by their parents, beaver and red squirrels.

Dunkeld itself was a gem with a thriving scene of music/culture as well as fantastic food. I ate one of the most imaginative and delicious meals of my life at The Taybank.

Moving at speeds of around 15 mph gives one a great opportunity to appreciate the species we share with. I saw many birds such as curlew and oystercatcher, as well as red squirrels, red deer and stoats playing.

What a fantastic experience it was. I am thinking of Mid Wales for the next one…

The vital statistics

Miles ridden: 1,313

Days ridden: 30

Minor accidents: 1

Bike shop repairs: 2

New batteries bought in dodgy roadside deals: 1

Read a full account of Sarah’s journey HERE.

The post Honouring the Old Man: local vet in epic e-bike pilgrimage to Orkney appeared first on REEPHAM LIFE.

As a result, the floodwater has receded enough for Highways to reopen the road, which is planned for Friday 12 January. The potholes have also been repaired, after damage was caused to tyres and vehicle suspensions.

The police had earlier put up barriers to prevent vehicle access after “road closed” signs had been moved by motorists, who continued to use the road, it is reported.

The post Local fire crew pumps out Norwich Road puddle’ appeared first on REEPHAM LIFE.

Image: Cawston Parish Council

The Temporary Traffic Regulation Order to restrict parking will allow the safe passage of HGVs related to the Ørsted Hornsea Three offshore wind farm project through Cawston village, along the B1145 and surrounding roads, unobstructed during working hours.

Traffic on certain sections of High Street and Chapel Street will be prohibited from parking, stopping and loading/unloading between 9 am and 6 pm (Monday–Friday only) for the duration of the work, which could last until 11 August 2028.

The traffic order specifically affects:

• B1145 High Street (northern side) from its junction with Chapel Street for 32 metres westwards;
• B1145 High Street (northern side) from 92 metres west of its junction with Chapel Street for 79 metres westwards;
• B1145 High Street (southern side) from its junction with Booton Road with for 30 metres eastwards;
• B1145 High Street (southern side) from 41 metres west of its junction with Booton Road for 60 metres westwards;
• B1145 High Street (southern side) from 102 metres west of its junction with Booton Road for 14 metres westwards;
• Chapel Street from its junction with B1145 High Street for 20 metres northwards.

The penalty for contravention of this order is a maximum fine of £1,000 and/or licence endorsement.

A temporary 20 mph speed limit through Cawston is also in force until March 2027.

The team dealing with enquiries at Norfolk County Council is North Area Streetworks (Community and Environmental Services Department), contactable by telephone 0344 800 8020 or email streetworks@norfolk.gov.uk. Details are also available HERE.

The post Parking restrictions in Cawston to last up to five years appeared first on REEPHAM LIFE.

The aim of the plan is to enable increased levels of cycling, walking and wheeling across Norfolk, helping to create a modern, well-connected transport network that gives people more alternatives to travelling by car.

Launched on 18 May, the online survey will be open for eight weeks until 13 July, asking for residents’ feedback on the suggested proposals outlined in the plan.

Online surveys will be available for each of the 20 locations outlined in the plan, as well as for improvements to the Norfolk Trails and the National Cycle Network.

To find out more and have your say click HERE.

The post Have your say on the future of cycling and walking in Reepham appeared first on REEPHAM LIFE.

Some short delays to travel and intermittent noise are likely while the surveys are being carried out.

The works involve excavating in the highway and associated verge to identify utility services and are being conducted as part of the council’s Norwich Western Link project. The works are due to start on Monday 27 March.

A1067 Fakenham Road and Broadland Northway/Fakenham Road roundabout

From Monday 27 March to Wednesday 29 March, a short section of one lane of the A1067 Fakenham Road near to the Broadland Northway roundabout will be subject to a single-lane closure with two-way lights to protect workers carrying out the surveys between 8 am on 27 March until 5 pm on 29 March. Traffic will be controlled by temporary traffic lights and some short delays are likely.

Then from Thursday 30 March to Friday 31 March, the surveys will be centred on the roundabout that connects Broadland Northway to the A1067 and short sections of the approaches. This will also involve a single-lane closure to protect workers carrying out the surveys between 8 am on 30 March until 5 pm on 31 March. Some short delays are likely.

Weston Road, Ringland Lane and The Broadway

Each of these roads between Weston Longville and Ringland will be closed to through traffic at different times. Works are scheduled as follows:

• Weston Road closed from 8 am on Wednesday 5 April to 5 pm on Thursday 6 April.
• Ringland Lane closed from 8 am on Tuesday 11 April to 5 pm on Wednesday 12 April.
• The Broadway closed from 8 am on Thursday 13 April to 5 pm on Friday 21 April.

The road closures will be in place from 8 am on the first day and are due to remain in place for the duration of the surveys, finishing no later than 5 pm on the final stated day.

However, there may be an opportunity to finish the surveys early and remove the road closures sooner.

Access to properties will be maintained and a signed diversion route will be in place throughout the road closures.

For further information contact: Norwich Western Link project team 0344 800 8020 or norwichwesternlink@norfolk.gov.uk

The Norwich Western Link is a new 3.9-mile dual carriageway road that would connect the A1270 Broadland Northway to the A47 west of Norwich.

As well as improving travel between these two major routes, the new road would tackle traffic congestion and delays on the local road network and in communities, and prevent them from worsening due to planned housing and job growth in Greater Norwich, says Norfolk County Council.

The post Survey works ahead of proposed Western Link appeared first on REEPHAM LIFE.

Anyone who may have witnessed this accident, or have any information that might help identify the vehicle, is asked to contact the town clerk by telephone 01603 873355 or email.

Reepham Town Council said it is continuing efforts to restrict heavy goods vehicles from the Market Place, Church Hill and Norwich Road as far as the junction with The Moor.

See our earlier story:

• More damage to churchyard wall after another hit-and-run

The post Latest damage to churchyard wall raises call for traffic restrictions appeared first on REEPHAM LIFE.

The planned dates will be one or two days in the week commencing Monday 7 November.

If you can spare a couple of hours in the daytime to help with this survey, please email cawstonpc@yahoo.co.uk to volunteer.

More detailed information will be available nearer the time.

The post Volunteers sought to monitor HGV traffic on B1145 appeared first on REEPHAM LIFE.

Residents posting on Facebook commented on the dangers now posed by inconsiderate parking, with one criticising “lazy” parents who live in Reepham and brought their car to do the school run, parking on the children’s play area on Sun Barn Road.

“I have witnessed cars driving up from the bottom to the top [of the play area] even when children are playing there,” he said. “They have damaged the area, making it unsafe to play on, causing trip hazards where their wheels have dug into the grass.”

Another local resident, Simon, Nelson, who has been in touch with the town and county councils, the police and the local MP about the safety issue, said: “The town council has been most helpful but their hands are tied to an extent.

“All that can be done currently is to report any awful parking/near misses to the school as we are collecting as much evidence of irresponsible driving/parking to highlight the issues.

“I’m still working on getting all relevant parties to meet and witness the schooltime ‘carnage’.”

Meanwhile, Reepham Town Council is lobbying Norfolk Highways to reinstate the crossing patrol person outside the primary school and/or install a zebra crossing.

Town council clerk Kirsty Cotgrove confirmed that she had received more than a dozen complaints in recent weeks concerning road safety outside the school.

The traffic issue is likely to get worse with the relocation of the nursery school to the primary school as well as the recent planning approval for 141 residential homes on nearby Broomhill Lane, which is expected to increase traffic on School Road in the longer term.

Stuart Beadle, district councillor for Reepham, said an improved crossing outside the primary school was part of the planning application for the housing development.

The post Child safety fears after school lollipop lady’ won’t be replaced appeared first on REEPHAM LIFE.

The group has thanked all those who responded to the call-out last month.

Bikes could be taken to Welcome Wheels at the Quaker Meeting House in Wells-next-the-Sea, where nearly 40 bikes were delivered, and also to a location in Foulsham, where another 40 arrived.

The bikes were collected and taken to Bicycle Links in Norwich to be checked and made roadworthy before being handed over to refugees and asylum seekers in the area.

Some of the bikes were sold locally with the money raised also going to the Welcome Wheels project.

All recipients of the bikes are being given road safety training together with donated high-viz gear, panniers and lights, which will enable them to travel safely to work, school, college and English classes.

See our earlier story:

• Bikes wanted for refugees

The post Bike appeal generates wonderfully generous’ response appeared first on REEPHAM LIFE.