Poringland WI Newsletter March 2023

Spring is nearly upon us and February has not lived up to its name of Fill Dike. So, apparently, we are still in a ‘drought’ situation and need to keep an eye on the tubs in our gardens. If you need more flowering bulbs for those tubs or borders, why not take a look at our catalogue and order through the WI?

Local Events

The next Tea/coffee pm is on Wednesday 29 March 2pm at the Octagon Barn on the Norwich Road. Join us for a chat and a cuppa.

Singalong Next session 10.30am on Friday 17 March, @ Pam Lack’s. Hillcrest, Bungay road, lift available. No vocal ability necessary!

Bowling sessions at Namco – 10am Friday 10th & 24th March.

Next Walk of Tuesday 21 March. Meet at the ‘George and Dragon’ in Thurton. at 11am. Lunch at 1pm. Any members who would like to join for the walk or just for lunch, please let Lesley know for lunch numbers.

Darts – we meet at the Oak on 2nd and 4th Tuesday afternoons 2-4pm. Next will be on 14 March everyone is welcome to join us if only for a chat and a giggle at our ineptitude – no previous experience or ability necessary!

Scrabble session next one has been booked for Wednesday 15th March at the Feathers 11.30 – 3.30pm. Put the date in your diary and let Liz know you will be attending (phone 558132).

Craft group Next session 2.30pm on Monday 20 March at 74 Poringland Rd SHX (opposite the penguin/pylons) Parking in Joan’s or her neighbour’s drive for 4 or 5 cars. Bring along your current project or we can find you something to do, or just come for a chat.

Happy Birthday for March to Sue France and Jean Waters

Federation Events

Lots to choose from whatever your interests:

Women Walk the World in April. In aid of ACWW (Associated Country Women of the World) supporting projects for women in need around the world. We propose to have sponsors for our April walk to raise money towards this fund. Watch this space for details.

Quiz Night Bawdeswell Village Hall NR20 4RU, Friday 28 April prompt start 7pm. £8 pp includes ploughman’s Supper with choice of cheese, ham or Paté.

Canasta Day – Thursday 4 May 10.30 – 3.30 in the Office, cost £10, bring a packed lunch. Spend a day with a friendly group to learn or refresh how to play Canasta using 2 packs of cards.

GLIDING DAY at Tibenham Airfield on Friday 19 May or 2 June (fall back day as flight is weather dependent). Cost £60 includes the flight and a picnic lunch. Family and friends welcome to come along to support and enjoy a picnic lunch for £10. This is so popular that a second date is offered Friday 21 July (back up 28th).

Get Comfortable online – Thursday 15June 10.30 – 12.30 in the Office £7.50, bring your ipad/tablet/laptop or phone and your questions.

Federation Evening Garden Party at Peter Beales Roses Attleborough. Two evenings choose between Tues 13 or Thurs 15 June 2023. 6pm – 9pm. The evening includes a buffet and glass of wine and a tour of the rose gardens. £25.

Hand Embroidery with Shells. Saturday 24 June, or Friday 30 June 10.30 to 3.30 at the office (coffee and welcome at 10). At the Office, £25 bring a packed lunch, coffee and cake provided.

Federation Annual Meeting at the Theatre Royal on Tuesday 23 May 10.45 – 3.45pm. Afternoon guest speaker will be Esme Young – Judge on ‘The Great British Sewing Bee’. She will be talking about her life as a fashion designer, her ground breaking shop ‘Swanky Modes’, the Amorphous Dress which she designed and isnow in the V&A collection. She also designed costumes for films and is currently teaching at the Central St Martins. We need one delegate (free ticket) plus anyone else can attend as a visitor for £11.00. Tea and Coffee (£2) available on arrival and lunch boxes for £12, or you can book lunch in the Prelude restaurant 2 courses £21, 3 courses £24 or sandwiches can be ordered on the day or you can take a packed lunch. See Notice Board for details of all these events.

Invitations Board circulating tonight

Thurton Ashby WI for their open evening at 7.30pm on Thursday 6 April. Speaker David Carver on East Anglian Pawnbrokers.

Ditchingham WI at 2pm on Wednesday 12 April in their village hall to hear Charlie Haylock talking about his involvement with the filming of ‘the Dig’ about the Sutton Hoo discovery. He was dialect coach to Ralph Fiennes, expect plenty of laughter. Entrance £4 including a buffet.

Concert in aid of EACH in Brooke Village Hall Saturday 18 March with the Waveney Concert Band. Cost £8. Refreshments and Raffle. If you put your name on the board last month, I now have the tickets.

Poringland Community Cinema at Poringland Community Centre

SEE HOW THEY RUN

FRIDAY 10th March Cert 12A Comedy/Mystery

Stars Sam Rockwell & Saiorse Ronan

Tickets £5 (includes tea or coffee) on the door Doors open at 6.45pm, Film starts 7.30pm

Please wear a mask when moving around the centre.

Last month a nearly full house enjoyed the comedy.

Why not put it in your diary for March?

Next month’s film is LIVING on FRIDAY 21ST APRIL Cert 12A Drama

Stars Bill Nighy & Aimee Lou Wood

The Federation Bulb scheme has been restarted

Lovely bulbs at reasonable prices and help to raise money for the Federation. This scheme is through Taylors Bulbs of Lincolnshire and I have catalogues and forms if you would like to purchase. The usual tulips, Daffs, crocuses, but also bulb collections, double snowdrops, wild garden collection, bees and butterfly collections and loads more. Why not have a browse, you may come across something you must have, like I did!

Resolution for this year’s AGM will be “Clean rivers for people and wildlife”. This was the one most people chose but was our second choice. We shall be discussing this again nearer to the AGM date in May.

Walking Group February

This month’s walk was in the city, walking along part of the route of the city walls. This is the most impressive part of the City Walls next to Carrow Hill. Showing the arcading which supported a wall walk, and the black tower which marks the start of the steep hill down to King Street.

We began at the top of St Stephen’s street, where the main gate was situated, visitors from London would enter the city here and it was decked with bunting for many Royal visits, including that of Queen Elizabeth I in 1578. The walls were originally 2?miles long and the inner ring road is built on what was the ditch along the walls from Queens road right round to Barn road. After crossing the road to look at the mural depicting the gate on the Coach makers pub. We made our way on the line of the wall along Queen’s road passing the site of Brazen door (or gate) which was pedestrian only. The line of the wall is marked outside the restaurant on the corner of Finkelgate and as it then passes behind the Victorian terrace we cut through the churchyard of the redundant St John de Sepulchre church to the portion of wall at the entrance to Ber street. This is the site of the Berstreet gate which is depicted in a mural on the wall of the pub. The most impressive section of wall drops down the steep hill next to Carrow Hill and includes 2 tall Towers. The first is the Black Tower which was used at different times to house plague victims, as a thatched house and as a Snuff Factory.

This section of wall ended with 2 boom towers either side of the river. The tower on the opposite bank housed a winch to raise and lower a chain which was stretched across the river to control shipping entering the port. We walked back along King street which has some lovely old buildings, including the oldest inhabited house in Norwich, built by Jurnet the Jew in the 12th Century (now part of Wensum Lodge). Of the 8 churches and 2 priories that were once along this street, only 3 churches remain, all of which have very different uses. The first, St Etheldreda is an art studio, St Julian’s which was rebuilt in 1953 having been demolished by bombing in the second world war is still a place of worship and quiet meditation, and St Peter Palmentergate at the city end is now a skate park.

All 8 of us then sat down to lunch in the Bella Italia before making our way home by bus. If you would like to walk the whole wall, I have a little booklet explaining where you can see any remains or where the line is marked. It makes an interesting walk, and is partly along the river as from Barrack street to the boom towers, the river was the defence instead of a wall. See this month’s walk under Local Events.