Denton a village in South Norfolk, England

Denton Village News Archive for 2016

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DGC - Twenty Years On

Members of Denton's Gardening Club have been celebrating their 20th Anniversary in great style.

The Village Hall was packed last night as over 50 members sat down to an excellent meal prepared by Betty Wilby. Wine and conversation flowed. A highlight of the evening was a screen presentation of pictures of Club events and members' gardens with musical accompaniment created by Johnnie Carslake.

The Club is now looking forward to another 20 years of great success.

Planning Application Refused

The controversial planning application for a dog breeding establishment at Rainbow's End, Chapel Corner has finally been determined.

As previously reported, the application had created major concerns for those living close to the site. They sent 30 objections to the application to the planning authority and received support from the Parish Council.

On 7th December the application came before South Norfolk Council's Development Management Committee. The Council's planning officers produced a detailed report which firmly recommended refusal. During the public speaking session this was supported by speakers representing the Parish Council, the objectors and the local member, Cllr. Murray Gray. Everybody expressed some sympathy for the applicants, who did not attend to put their case, but suggested that it was a totally unsuitable site for large scale dog breeding.

A brief discussion followed amongst the members of the Committee but they then voted, unanimously, to reject the application. They also agreed to take enforcement action, if required, to reduce the number of dogs on the site to a maximum of six.

A Farewell Gift

There was something special, but also sad, about Saturday's Annual Village Supper

Every year in November the residents of Denton come together, historically perhaps to celebrate the end of harvest, to enjoy a good meal in good company.

This year was no exception; 130 people sat down for an excellent four-course supper, the Village Hall was packed, the conversation deafening. However something was different. Jo and David Wright of Fir Tree Farm are leaving the village and, very generously, paid for the wine consumed with the meal.

Bottles of white and red wine were placed on every table and quickly replaced when emptied. Needless to say thanks to them were added to the traditional toast "The Spirit of Denton" by the Sheriff in his speech towards the end of the evening. Of course thanks were also recorded to the many other people who had contributed to the evening.

This was, sadly, Jo and David's last contribution to the community which they have served so well in so many ways. They will be much missed.

The Pirates Win Again

No, not the Baseball team from Pittsburgh, the Foraging team from Denton!

Pete's Pirates, led of course by maestro Peter Grant, triumphed, for the third year running, in this year's Black Hand Cyder Society's foraging competition.

The rules of the competition have changed over the years. This time the critical requirement lay in collecting not just apples, but as many crab-apples and pears as possible. All three teams were scouring local hedgerows to locate the former but the Pirates brought home the most.

Having won the trophy three years in a row, they are wondering if they are entitled to keep it?

Planning Concerns at the PC

October's meeting of the Parish Council was dominated by the consideration of a controversial planning application.

The Council had been asked by South Norfolk Council for their views on an application (2016/2155) for "Retention of use as dog breeding facility and dog agility classes" at Rainbows End, Chapel Corner. The applicants had been invited to attend the meeting and more than a dozen objectors were there as well.

Local District Councillor, Murray Gray, was in attendance but, because he is a member of the Planning Committee, was unable to comment on the application beyond answering some questions on policy etc.

The Chairman of the PC, Peter Hill, invited comments from both sides and a lively debate ensued. The applicants responded to questions and tried to explain how disturbance to their neighbours could be minimised. The objectors were not convinced and pressed the Council to oppose the application.

Eventually the Chairman asked the members of the Council for their views. There was no support for the application and it was agreed to call for its refusal on the grounds of the loss of amenity to local residents due to noise and additional traffic.

It is expected that the application will be determined by SNC's Development Management Committee on November 9th.

Details of the application and the many objections that have been sent to SNC can be seen by going to the Planning Website and entering the application number.

A Defibrillator for Denton

A Defibrillator unit is now available in the village.

It has been installed on the wall in the lobby/entrance of the Village Hall and is ready for use. The unit is designed for use by untrained people and includes both audio and on-screen guidance.

Further details, including a link to a useful demo of the unit, can be found on the Village Hall Page.

Of course, fingers crossed, we hope it will never be needed!

Show Success

This Year's Open Village Show, held on September 3rd, was a great success.

Despite fears that weather conditions might have caused problems for Denton's gardeners there were lots of entries in almost every class from the 43 competitors and standards were as high as ever.

The winners of the various categories were:

  • Flower Classes (Grant Trophy): Sarah Henderson.
  • Vegetable and Fruit Classes (Skinner Trophy): John Chapman.
  • Domestic Classes (Carden Trophy): Jean Whipps.
  • Decorative Classes (Charnick Trophy): Barbara Spaul.
  • "Gentlemen’s" Class (Godsmark Trophy): Allan Henderson.
  • Overall Championship Trophy: Sarah Henderson.

Further details can be found on the Gardening Club pages.

Boule Championships Decided

From our Boule Correspondent, LD.

Despite concerns about the weather We managed to raise 12 teams for what was a very competitive Annual Tournament held at the Darrow Green Bouledrome on August 4th.

The Plate Trophy final was contested by the Weybread Warriors (Wise Dave, John & Cliff) & Essex Init! (Ronnie, Sara & Terry - next year to be rebranded as Narfolk Intwe!). At the knockout stage both teams were incredulous that they were still in the competition and there were more games to play, neither having won a game in the Group rounds. However they rose to the occasion and battled on with Essex Init! eventually triumphing and winning the coveted trophy, and more importantly the chocolates.

In the meantime the Main Competition Knockout stage was in full swing. Two hard fought matches in the semifinals saw The Unicorns (Ruby, James & Roger) and The Whippets (Jean, Chris & Sue) winners leaving Where's Sarah (Allan, Richard & Anne - hopefully Allan has found her by now!) and Ducks' Delight (Mike, Lynn (sub for Lydia) & Peter B) to rue missed opportunities and curse the groundsman for those uneven bounces.

So the final was eventually played well after the International Space Station had graced us with its flypast.The crowds, as well as the clouds, had thinned but those that did watch the game were treated to a fine spectacle. The 3 generations of Gibsons, comprising The Unicorns, produced a terrific team performance, showing great skill and consistency which very much justified their place in the final. However it was not to be their evening as the spectacular and high risk, but highly effective, bombing strategy of their opposition, proved, in the end, to be irresistible.

So a very well done to The Whippets the very worthy 2016 Blackhand Boules Champions.

Cocktails at Hilary's

A new departure at this year's Cyder Fest was the provision of cyder-based cocktails. They were much enjoyed.

Held at Hillary Kemp's meadow on 23rd July, this years event followed the traditional pattern with a hog-roast, music and dancing, but the early "cocktail hour" added a new dimension. Four different versions were on offer; all were savored and enjoyed by Black Hand members and their guests. Special thanks must go to our expert cocktail shakers/stirrers, Andy and Steve Hipwell.

The weather was gorgeous, the food (and the cyder of course) was excellent and the newly-formed "Sark" band played a good mix of classics old and new. The dance floor was well used.

THE BHCS Committee and their many helpers must be congratulated on another great Fest.

A Festive Festival

Another Successful Beer Festival

This year's Denton Beer Festival, held on Saturday 18th June, was just as successful as the first one, held last year. It looks as though it could become yet another annual event to add to the village calendar.

The official title was "Denton Beer, Pimms and Music Festival" and all three themes were sampled and enjoyed. Six excellent ales were on offer including two from Lacons in Yarmouth and one from the new Lowestoft brewery as well as one from Grain. From further afield, ales from Hook Norton and Robinsons of Stockport were much appreciated.

A wide variety of live music was performed with local talent to the fore though, as usual, the "Tap the Barrel" group were the stars of the show.

Thanks must go to everyone who contributed, producing some excellent food, manning the bars etc. Roll on next year!

A Suitable Tribute

Last Sunday saw the annual cricket match held on the Playing Field in memory of Craig Whipps.

Played on the same day as the celebrations for the Queen's 90th Birthday, it was much enjoyed by all concerned and provided a fitting tribute to Craig's memory.

The two teams "Windsor Wizards" and "Palace Royals" produced a stirring contest with some good performances on both sides. The Wizards batted first and reached 110 for 9 in the 20 overs. For some time it seemed that the Royals would overtake this total but a late collapse saw them all out for 101.

As is normal on such occasions some of the umpires' decisions were somewhat "controversial" but the whole match was played in the best possible spirit.

Birthday Celebrations

Two birthdays were celebrated in Denton on Sunday.

The main objective of the Tea Party, held in two large marquees at the Village Hall, was to celebrate the 90th birthday of HM the Queen. But it turned out that on the same day, June 12th, Tim Thomas of Chapel Hill Farm was celebrating his 93rd birthday. Both events were mentioned in Eddie Winter's speech, with cakes to be cut in honour of both celebrations, HM's by Bubbles Gunton and Audrey Winter, and suitable bubbly wine provided for the loyal toast.

cake cake

These formalities followed an excellent tea with sandwiches, scones and an amazing selection of cakes. Congratulations and thanks must go to all those who contributed to such an enjoyable event.

Carry On Fridays

The new bin collection system, due to be introduced on June 6th, will not change things in Denton.

Many South Norfolk households will see major changes to their refuse collections under the new scheme. The days their bins are emptied will change, in some cases with different days for black and green bins.

Denton has been very lucky; we are staying with Fridays for both types of bin.

One gain from the new system is that, in future on most occasions, there will be no need to reorganise collection days to fit round bank-holidays.

The Vines Are In

This week has seen a major step forward for the new Flint Vineyard.

More than 12,000 vines have been planted on the slopes overlooking the Waveney. Officially of course the site is in Earsham but, since most of the labour involved, to say nothing of the required expertise and indeed finance, came really from Denton, we can surely claim it as our own.

The two families responsible for the scheme, the Witchells and the Hipwells, are most grateful to the many volunteers helpers who turned up to complete the installation of rabbit-guards etc. It was a great team effort.

We all look forward to the first vintage from Flint grapes in three years time!

Vines

The Stars in Action

The Rising Stars section of the DVC is holding regular Club sessions at the Village Hall

A picture of the latest session is now on the DVC Page.

New Clerk Appointed

The Parish Council have announced the appointment of our new Parish Clerk.

She is Mrs Bernice Higgins of Upland Terrace who takes over from Pauline Sandell on April 1st. Contact details etc appear on the PC Page.

Tributes were paid to Pauline's excellent service over the last 12 years at the recent Annual Parish Meeting.

Compost Scheme Suspended

The village Community Composting Scheme has closed down for the coming year.

Following the unfortunate loss of the site in Darrow Green Road, the scheme has had to be suspended. It is hoped that it will start up again at some point in the future on a new site but there will be no collections this year.

As an alternative, Brown Bins to take green garden waste are available, for an annual fee, from South Norfolk Council. Details are on the Council Website or from: 01508 533830.

Compost is still available for a donation of 50p per bag. Please contact Anne - 788279 or Liz - 788862.

Alburgh Takes The Titles

Last Friday, yet again, Denton's Annual Table Tennis Tournament produced "foreign" winners.

Once again there were Alburgh raiders as Maureen Coe triumphed over Janet Howman in the Ladies’ Open competition which had nine entrants; Doris Lambert pipped Anne Carden for the third place. The Men’s Open was won by Bernard Coe who defeated previous winner David Kemp to provide equal bragging rights in the Coe household. From a field of ten players, Nathaniel clinched third spot with his defeat of Terry Hanner.

After this latest event one previous winner expressed a concern that table tennis was becoming something of a lost art. Alternative attractions and a lack of publicity might explain why so few juniors attended the evening. Perhaps an extended Village Hall may allow for a table to be available on Friday evenings and encourage an increase in numbers of young and older players alike?

AP Meeting Report

This year's Annual Parish Meeting generated some interesting discussions.

There was a good turnout for the Parish Meeting held on Thursday at the Village Hall. The meeting received reports from the Chairman of the Parish Council and from our County and District Councillors, including news of impending increases in Council Tax, but much of the time was spent in discussing some significant local issues.

The Community Composting Scheme has been running very successfully for 12 years. A pioneer in its field, there are now a number of similar schemes running elsewhere in Norfolk and further afield. Unfortunately the scheme has hit two problems at the same time - a change of ownership has forced a move away from the site in Darrow Green Road and the need for more volunteers to work on the scheme has become critical.

It was clear at the APM that most people wanted the scheme to carry on and several offered to contribute their time. The first requirement is to identify a new site. Part of the allotment land behind the playing field has been suggested but it will require improved vehicular access.

A working party to pursue this and to resolve the other issues in establishing the new site is being formed. Regrettably it seems likely that the scheme will have to be suspended for this year.

The meeting received a report from PC Chairman Peter Hill on the prospects of improved broadband in the village. It seems that the County Council's programme for exchange upgrades will not get to Denton until late 2017. However it appears likely that this might involve a new "green box", with a fibre-optic link, located more centrally in the village. This could make a significant difference to the quality of service in some parts of Denton.

One topic raised from the floor was concerns about speeding traffic in Norwich Road and Trunch Hill. It was suggested that the speed limit was regularly being ignored. The PC will be contacting the police to try to improve enforcement. Problems arising from bad parking in Norwich Road were also raised.

Another issue discussed was the management of Rogerson's Wood by the Woodland Trust. It was suggested that after 16 years some significant thinning was required.

The meeting closed with a vote of thanks and a presentation to the Parish Clerk, Pauline Sandell, who is retiring after 12 year's service, and thanks to the Chairman of the PC, Peter Hill.

Mobile Library Changes

Major Changes to the Mobile Library service have been announced.

The day on which the Library visits Denton has changed, from Wednesday to Friday, and the times at each of the the four stops in the village have changed as well.

Full details can be found on the Libraries Page and on the Diary Page.

Hall Extension in Use

The new extension to the Village hall was used for the first time last week.

This year's DVC production, a revue - "Denton Leaps", seemed to have been much enjoyed by everyone who saw it. The cast certainly had a good time both on the stage and, especially, in the new "Green Room".

Replacing the old bus garage, the latest extension to the Village Hall was (if not quite finished) ready for use and proved ideal. Not having to brave the elements on the way to perform was much appreciated by the members of the cast.

A review of the show can be seen on the 2016 page of the DVC History section of the website.

It's A Festival Again

Beer will flow again at the Village Hall on June 18th.

It has been decided to repeat last year's very successful Denton Beer Festival.

Once again a wide selection of different ales will be on tap, barbecued food on offer and a variety of musical performers on view. The last will include "Tap the Barrel" who entertained us so well last time.

Further details will appear in "Coming Events" in due course.

Show Named at Last

This year's DVC production now has a name.

Work on a time-travelling review, to be performed on February 18th - 20th, has been under way for some time but the actual name of the show generated some debate amongst DVC members.

Now, recognising that 2016 is a Leap Year, the name "Denton Leaps" has been chosen.

Tickets go on sale from Saturday 6th February. Further details are on the DVC Page.

The Bone of Contention

This year's annual Village Quiz included a new special award - a Bone!

The Quiz Night, held at the Hall on Saturday, was, as usual, a most enjoyable evening. Quizmaster Denise Grant produced a good selection of interesting questions and the half-time food was excellent.

The "Brain of Denton" trophy was won by the "Northern Lights" team but the new departure this year was the award of a new trophy "The Bone of Contention" presented to the person who challenged the answers etc most. The name of the winner is perhaps best left anonymous!

Shall We Dance?

Dancing classes are to be held in the Village Hall.

The first of what could become regular Sequence Dancing sessions is to be held on Tuesday 26th January, 7.30 – 9.00 p.m. Provided there is enough interest further classes will follow on the 4th Tuesday in each month. There will be a small charge depending on numbers.

Further details are available from Linda Le Masurier - 789179.

Council Tax Up

The Parish Council have announced a significant increase in their share of our Council Tax.

In order to balance their books DPC have decided to increase their precept for the coming 2016/17 tax year. The charge for a Band D property will go up from £20.41 in the current year to £21.94, an increase of 7.5%. This is the first significant increase for many years.

It must be stressed that this forms a very small part of the total tax bill; £1,504.96 for a Denton Band D property in the current year. The amounts charged by the other authorities, the county and district councils and the police authority, and their impact on the total CT bills are not yet known.

Further information about the Council Tax system can be found on the PC Finance Page.

Parish Clerk Standing Down

At Tuesday's meeting of the Parish Council it was announced that the Clerk, Pauline Sandell, would be standing down in April.

The Chairman of the Council, Peter Hill, paid tribute to Mrs Sandell's excellent work over the last twelve years.

The Council will shortly be advertising the vacancy in order to recruit a replacement.

Big Switch Deadline

Save energy costs with Big Switch and Save - deadline 2nd February

Big Switch and Save is a Norfolk-wide collective energy switching scheme which offers residents the chance to save money on their energy bills.

In South Norfolk it is being led by Community Action Norfolk (CAN) and supported by the District Council.

Big Switch and Save invites people to sign up to take part in a ‘reverse auction’ in which energy suppliers compete to offer competitive tariffs to anyone who may be considering changing their supplier. People who find they are offered a better tariff than their current rate can then switch suppliers through the scheme, to save money on their gas and electricity bills. By grouping households together it's possible to negotiate much lower energy tariffs than an individual switching supplier on their own.

It’s simple to take part, it’s free of charge and no commitment is required. If you’re not happy with the new tariff offered, you simply continue with your current supplier.

Registration is quick and easy. You’ll need to have details of how much gas and electricity you currently use. This can be found on your annual statement from your energy supplier or on your energy bills. You can register online at www.bigswitchandsave.co.uk Up to five households can register from the same e-mail address. If you don’t have e-mail yourself you can ask a friend or family member to register from their e-mail address. For help registering on-line, call 0800 0488 285.

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