New Time for Monthly Meeting

All monthly meetings from January 2024 onwards will be on the 2nd Thursday of the month at 2pm, at Poringland Community Centre.

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May 9th speaker - Sue Sursham - Antarctica

Monday 18 March 2024

Poringland WI Newsletter March 2024

 Poringland WI Newsletter MARCH 2024

This is a few of our intrepid walking group completing the last section of the City Walls in Norwich ‘Over the Water’.  This long section of wall with the remains of a tower, is at the junction of Barrack street and Bull Close road, and is the site of the Pockthorpe gate.  Located not far from the church of St James Pockthorpe (now the puppet theatre). 

 Continued on back page. 

Our events to look forward to:

10 Pin Bowling sessions Namco. Next sessions: Friday 22 March @10am.  

Next Walk:  Tuesday 19 March.  Meet at 11am in the gravelled layby at Topcroft Church, NR35 2BH.  Lunch will be at 1pm at the Dove Inn.  

Directions for those without satnav: from Wootton take the Hempnall road (B1527) after about 3½ miles turn left onto ‘Oxnead road’ this is the second turning on the left after ‘short new road’ and will take you straight to Church road, Topcroft.  

please let me know if you would like to join us for the walk and/or lunch.

Singalong session on Thursday 21 March at 10.30am, @ Pam Lack’s.  Hillcrest, Bungay road, lift available. No vocal ability necessary!

Darts – meet at the Oak on Tuesdays at 2pm. Next date 26th March.

The next Tea/coffee pm is on Wednesday 27 March 2-3pm at the Octagon Barn on the Norwich Road.  Just turn up for a chat and a cuppa.

Scrabble session Friday 5th April at the Feathers 11.30 – 3.30pm. 

 Please confirm attendance with Liz on 558132.

Craft Afternoon Monday 8 April (Second Monday) at Joan’s, 74 Poringland road Stoke HX.  Please contact Joan if you would like to join us – 493036

Gym Sessions.  Would anyone like to join us at the Gym Group (next to Asda on Hall road).  Speak to Pat or Lesley, who currently have an hour long session each Wednesday morning at 10am.  It’s very friendly, with all ages, shapes and sizes so no need to be shy!

Happy Birthday for March to Sue France

Federation Events

LADIES THAT LUNCH on first Friday, enjoy a 2 course lunch for £12.  Single applicants only as spaces are limited.  See board for menus. 

Preloved Handbag sale Saturday 6 & Sunday 7 April at Evelyn Suffield House 10.30 – 3.30pm.  Donations of no longer loved/second hand handbags can be dropped off at the office or handed to Lesley.

Resolutions information meeting Mon 15 April in the office 10.30 – 12.30

WI Advisors quiz night Friday 26 April at Bawdeswell Village Hall. Prompt 7pm start. Teams of up to 6, family and friends welcome.  £10 Per person, includes a ploughman’s supper.

Edible Hanging Basket Workshop. New Buckenham Village Hall Tuesday 30 April 12 – 4.30pm.  Lunch of ‘Build your own ploughman’s’! Dessert Apple crumble & Custard.  Cost £30 includes hanging basket kit - compost & plants.

Lunch with Giggly Pigs! Mon 20 May 12 – 4pm – a Bad Essex girl turned good, from prison to the pig farm.  Norfolk Cricket Club Horsford £30 includes lunch of pasta bake – see flyer.

Murder Mystery Evening with Ploughman’s supper Wed 15 May 6.30 – 9pm at North Wootton V Hall.  £18pp.  Individual or group applications.

National AGM 5 June 2024 at the Royal Albert Hall

Auditions Day at Norwich Cricket club, Horstead, Monday 17 June 10.30 – 4pm.  5 Speakers plus lunch of Quiche followed by Fresh fruit salad. £20.

Hampton Court Palace Visit.  Friday 21 June £65 includes a 2 hour private tour of house and free access to the Palace gardens

Watercolour Workshop.  Friday 19 July at Evelyn Suffield House 10am to 3.30pm.  £30 includes materials.  Coffee from 9.30, bring a packed lunch, tea and cake provided.

Design a Card for any occasion.  See board for entry details.  Winning entry to be reproduced and sold for Federation funds.

Back by popular demand:  Gliding Days are here again!  At Tibenham Airfield on Friday 10 May and Friday 30 August picnic lunch included.  Winch launch £65 or Aero Tow (goes up to 2000ft) £140.  Open to family and friends.

SEE BOARD FOR DETAILS.  Application forms for all these available from Lesley or in your magazine.

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Invitations

Ditchingham WI invite you to a silent auction on Wednesday 20 March 2pm £2 including light refreshments.  Also Wed 8 May to hear Jayne Hogger and Memoirs of a Bluebell Girl.

Denton WI would like to invite you to a meeting Tuesday 2nd April 7.30pm at Denton Village Hall.   Speaker is Richard Powell OBE. He was previously Regional Director for the RSPB and National Trust. Talk about setting up a reserve from scratch and his role at the RSPB.  £4pp. including refreshments.

Thurton Ashby and District WI would like to invite you to an Open Evening on April 4th 2024 at 7.30 pm at Thurton and Ashby Village Hall.  Speaker Mel Sambells who is the publisher of Mardle Books.  Followed by tea and coffee with refreshments plus a raffle and trading stall.

The Boudicca’s Way Group invite you to a meeting at St Andrew’s church Scole on Thursday 18 April 7.30pm to hear Charley Haylock on the History of Surnames. <><><><><><><>

Did you identify the origin of the quote from last month?

‘All that glitters is not gold’

The Bible, not in so many words but many warnings are given against the lure of material things.

‘All that Glisters is not gold, often have you heard that told?’

Are the first lines of a poem which appears in the Merchant of Venice.  When Portia’s suitors have to find a picture of her hidden in one of 3 caskets (Gold, Silver and Lead) to see if she will marry them.  That poem is in the gold casket, but her picture is in the lead one.

‘All that is gold does not glitter’

Is the first line of a poem in the Lord of the Rings – The Fellowship of the Ring and is left by Gandolf for Frodo.  It foretells the return of the king (Aragorn) and sets him on his quest with the ring.

This is the full poem:

All that is gold does not glitter, Not all who wander are lost

The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost

From the ashes a fire shall be woken, A light from the shadows shall spring

Renewed shall be blade that was broken, the crownless again shall be King.


Completing our City wall walks.


We began our third walk at the Adam & Eve pub and crossed the river by the new pedestrian bridge.  There is a newly exposed section of wall between the river and Barrack street which was previously within Jarrold’s factory site but now has been cleaned up with a pleasant walk beside it.  From the site of the Pockthorpe gate on Barrack street, Bull Close and Magpie roads follow the line of the wall, with several sections visible.  

The only occasion when the walls were called upon to provide a defensive barrier for the city was during Ketts rebellion and Magdalen gate was one site where gallows were erected for the execution of hundreds of men who had taken part in the uprising.  Justice was brutal in those days!

This part of the wall ends back at the river behind the ‘Old Dun Cow’ Pub in Oak street (now a house), which is built over the wall.  We completed the walk, returning along the river and Colegate, visiting St George’s Church on the way.  Unfortunately, the Adam and Eve do not take bookings so we adjourned to the White Horse pub in Trowse for lunch.


This was the first and most impressive section of wall we investigated when we started our trio of City wall walks.

It is located at the top of Carrow hill and goes all the way down to King street and the river. Why not take a look yourself.  But be warned there are a lot of steps!

That tower was at one time used to house plague victims.

Compare this with the other picture – wouldn’t it have been impressive if we still had the complete wall around Norwich?


See April’s Norfolk Magazine for full report of our city wall walks.