The Welney Website

News - Short reports

this page updated Saturday, 04 October 2008

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Saturday October 4th

Church Autumn Fete at St. Mary's

Only open for 2 hours from 10am, but many more hours in preparation and clearing up by a dedicated team.

Games, competitions, a raffle, books & videos for sale, with all proceeds helping towards the upkeep of our lovely Church.

And of course there is the home cooking.  It's worth a visit for this alone.

Cissie Bedford (next to the font) with Amy Markham OBE at the cake table. The quality and popularity of the home baked goodies offered is evident by the almost cleared display. Its best to get in early!

 On the right, a beaming Sally Kerr welcomes visitors to the refreshments area. (Holly is out of sight, on duty in the kitchen.)

 

Photos by the Webmaster

Beauty and the beasts

The Welney Croft Cricket Club held their annual Presentation Evening at the Lamb & Flag Inn.

Some of this seasons pool of players were unable to attend and missed a great evening, but those who did are seen here with the Club's guests - Charlotte Edwards, captain of the very successful England Women's Test team, and Devon Malcolm the popular ex-England fast bowler.

A splendid hot and cold buffet was laid on by Gina and Dennis and their team.

Photo by the Webmaster

Devon Malcolm needs no introduction, but Charlotte Edwards may not yet be quite so well known outside cricketing circles.  She is a leading batter, and this year captained England in wins against Australia, West Indies, South Africa and India. Very recently she was voted the the top player in women's cricket worldwide, at the prestigious ICC awards ceremony in Dubai. And now guest at Welney Croft's annual awards evening!

After the award ceremonies there was an interesting question and and answer session with Devon and Charlotte fielding written questions collected earlier from those present and pulled out the hat by the club's Chairman and team captain John Loveday.

Photo by the Webmaster

Monday, 21st July 2008

Stolen digger abandoned at Parish Hall.

This JCB machine had been taken sometime during the weekend from a building site in Lakenheath.

The machine was fitted with a tracking device and when the owners, Mervyn Lambert Plant, alerted the Police a helicopter was used to locate it precisely. Another piece of plant stolen at the same time was found in Littleport.

If you saw anything that could help the police, please phone them at Brandon 01284 774100 or Crimestoppers 0800 555 111

Fatal accident on A1101 Wash Road involving a Buell motorbike and a Renault 7.5 tonne lorry. Police have appealed for witnesses.

38 year-old Southampton motorcyclist Darren Mulliner, affectionately known to many as 'Yoffi', died at the scene.

 He was one of a group of 6 riders heading for an annual memorial ceremony at East Kirby in Lincs

We offer our sympathy to his family, fellow riders and his many friends.

The lorry, travelling eastwards, left the road, clipped a tree and ended up in a ditch.

There is a much fuller report in Hampshire paper the Daily Echo, and hundreds of tributes on bike websites e.g. H-D riders club and Magic Group

One post, from the boss of the Harley-Davidson dealership where Mr Mulliner worked, included the sentence "To clear up any rumours, the Police have informed Darren's family that it was a 'no fault' accident and that Darren was in fact going below the speed limit."

The road was closed for several hours to enable scene examination and recovery of the truck.

Mind you, many parishioners asked the engineers to re-align the new bridge before it was built in 1996 to lessen the angle of the bend (and therefore the crash risk) but the designers didn't take any notice.

This machine is powered by a wonder fuel that can be simply dug out of our own British ground and used without any processing - good old Welsh steam coal.

 Surely it must make a come back as an alternative to costly imported oil which is then expensively processed into petrol & diesel.

 If only they could sort our the emissions problem.........

There is no mention of its previous life as a well known public house, The Crown Inn, which was still serving beer in 1968.

It was probably a coaching inn at one time too, and it had certainly been a sanctuary for many of the toll keepers in the days when you had to pay to use the original Suspension Bridge.

May 2008. The gang alleged to have broken into an elderly widow's home in Chestnut Avenue on the 18th of August 2007 have been charged with more than 30 crimes in East Anglia including armed robberies in our neighbouring parishes of Nordelph & Upwell. Two men and a youth from Littleport and a man from Great Gidding have been remanded in custody pending a hearing at Norwich Crown Court on May 16th.

The robbery here in Welney happened after the victim, who lived alone, had gone to bed. The three burglars broke in through the bathroom window and entered her bedroom. One, holding an axe, demanded money. Mrs F (not her real name) described the men as having Irish accents and wearing balaclavas. Apparently £500 was taken and a number of gold rings and jewellery.

Following a further nine crimes between August 29th and Sept 24th, three members of the gang were arrested at their home in Littleport on Sept 26th. Another man was arrested in Welney on Sept 29th after a dramatic chase through flooded land just north of the A1101 after a blue car heading west failed to stop for Police and subsequently overturned.

All four were later released on bail and after a six week lull it is alleged they committed another 18 crimes between Nov 1st and Feb 7th.  What happened from then until late April is unclear, but at two separate hearings at Kings Lynn Magistrates on 27th April and 1st May, the four men were remanded to appear together at the Crown Court.

Don't judge a book by its cover!

After two years hard work by a small number of dedicated residents - a mixture of Parish Councillors and Parishioners - the 'Action Plan' was finally delivered to every household in the Parish in March 2008.

The cover photo - the disused water tower - seems a strange choice, whatever its artistic merit. Not just because the Parish Council had previously said they thought  it was an eye-sore that ought to be demolished, but because it doesn't represent our Parish.

Welney is about the Ouse Washes, the swans, fishing in the Old Bedford and Delph Rivers, the history of life along the Bedford Bank, skating, William Marshall and his legacy (including the School, Church & Almshouses), the Lamb & Flag Inn, the Parish Hall, the Playing Field and Pavilion, flooding on the Wash Road, the clubs and social life, and its people. So why the water tower?

However, it's the content that really matters - what Parishioners want Welney to be, to have. Let's hope the Parish Council make a better job of dealing with that than they did in choosing the cover photo.

 

At about a quarter to eight in the evening of the day before harvesting was due to begin at Ash Tree Farm, the farmer's Massey Ferguson harvester caught fire in the yard.

Fortunately no-one was hurt, but the engine and the body interior and rear left side were badly damaged.

Two fire engines attended, the first just after 8pm when the photo on the left was taken.

 

 

The fire was quickly brought under control and within minutes fire-fighters were able to get on top of the machine. (see below)

The owners managed to obtain another machine on Sunday 29th. We hope to post a full report of the incident shortly.

Our original posting included input from a website junior reporter who must have succumbed to that demon of journalists, too much strong tea, before filing the details. I am sorry we got one of our facts wrong, and as always I am happy to post a correction and apologise to those concerned.

One of the joys of being Webmaster is hearing of people in far flung places viewing the Welney Website. In the last few days we have been contacted by one site visitor in the Seychelles, and learned of another in the Cook Islands.

First was an e-mail from Jon Dale, a South African who worked for the WWT as Senior Reserve Warden at the Welney centre for four years until early 2006 when he moved to the Seychelles to become a wetland Reserve Manager for Nature Seychelles. During his time in Welney he was a keen and valued member of our local cricket club, and he wondered why the current season's match reports hadn't been posted. Prompted by that, I delved into my correspondence files and dug out the reports I'd received some time before from club secretary Tony Smart, and rectified the omission.

Then a few days later we heard that Ed (Edward) Redman, who was born and bred in Welney but who now lives in the Cook Islands (not the Seychelles as reported earlier) had seen the photos and report of the presentation to his parents Wendy and Peter a few days earlier. Ed now co-owns and runs a diving business in Rarotonga.

If Jon and Ed would like to send us news of how you are doing now, or your thoughts about Welney past or present, I'll be happy to post it.

Car goes off Welney Wash Road into ditch, 30^th May 2007

Yet another driver failed to cope with the Wash Road bends, this time on the approach to the Delph Bridge.

Luckily the occupants of the blue Citroen Saxa, a young man and woman, were unhurt but they did get wet.

The incident occurred about 4.30pm and 2 police traffic cars attended. The car was recovered just after 7pm.

Fire in Tipps End, 6^th May 2007

This was the horrific scene that greeted the owners of Sideacre in March Road Tipps End, when they returned home in their horse box just after 7pm. Their barn/stable block was ablaze, and the pall of black smoke could be seen for miles around.

We understand that neighbours rescued a horse and dogs, and that fire appliances attended from Upwell and Manea.

Between 2am and 6.15am on Monday 12th March 2007, a green Nissan Patrol 4x4, index number J6 DST, and a 'Bailey' Paget Bordeaux 4 berth caravan valued at £7,200 were stolen  from a property in March Road, Tipps End, Welney.

If anyone has information please contact PC Lucie Spriggs at Downham Market Police Station on 0845 4564567 

Villagers in Welney turned out in force  to enjoy a colourful spectacle  provided by some expert Molly dancers outside the Lamb and Flag pub.

It was a return visit for the Ouse Valley Molly Dancers who had entertained locals back in the summer. The dancers started the day at the Cutter in Ely at 11am, moving on to The Plough in Little Downham at 1pm, before arriving in Welney.

Formed in 1981 the team is one of the longest established dance 'sides' in the county and is considered to be one of the most creative.

After performing several dances the entertainment continued inside with a sing-song.

Want to know more about Molly Dancing?

The 2007 events diary of the Ouse Valley Molly Dancers.

An 44-tonne articulated truck went off the March Road, Tipps End into the ditch opposite Pear Tree Cottage at about 6pm on Thursday 23^rd November 2006. The driver was fortunately uninjured apart from some bruises and a sore shoulder. Apparently he had pulled over to avoid an oncoming car/taxi in the middle of the road.

This stretch of road is very dangerous for trucks, and a similar accident occurred at the same spot 2 years ago. The road surface is crumbling away into the ditch, and the road has been narrowed by an overgrown coniferous hedge on the other side.

The truck, operated by R.W.Simpson Ltd of Ramsey, was loaded with fruit and vegetables which had to be transferred manually to another of Simpson's vehicles before it could be winched out. Two breakdown trucks and a lorry mounted crane from Manchett's attended, and recovery began about 10pm.

Norfolk County Council's Highways Dept sent a crew to put 'Road Closed/Diversion' signs in several places, including, I understand, at the Welney Main Street/New Road junction, but unfortunately not at Lakes End, which caused some problems.

Full report and photos

The Rev'd Kevin Fitzgibbon was licensed as Priest-in-Charge of the parishes of Welney, Christchurch and Manea at a special service at Welney St. Mary's at 7.30pm on Monday 5^th February 2007.

He will also be a Ministry Consultant for C.P.A.S, and we understand he will be based in Manea.

See also article further down this page 'Welney Gala 2004 funds'

According to Welney Parish Council's minutes, entry was gained through the changing room window and the doors appeared to have been opened from the inside. Items stolen include 2 kettles, a tea urn, a dart board & set of darts, first aid kit and some cricket bats. Police attended and fingerprints taken. The first aid kit has been replaced and window secured.

The minutes also say that the Council urge residents to look out for "suspicious persons".

From an article  in the The Cambs Times, Friday 22^nd Sept 2006. We are grateful to the Cambs Times for permission to post this item on the Welney Website.

Celebrity wildlife presenter and naturalist Chris Packham was at a Fenland wildlife trust on Wednesday to officially open its new £3.5m visitor centre.

Mr Packham was joined by a host of dignitaries and officials for the event, which marked the opening of the environmentally friendly centre at the Wildfowl and Wetland's Trust's Welney reserve.

The new centre, which was opened to the public earlier in the year, has a range of hi tech green facilities along with a restaurant, shop, community room and 117 metre footbridge and purpose built education centre.

Mr Packham, a long-time supporter and friend of WWT, unveiled a commemorative plaque to celebrate the opening of the centre

He said: "It is exciting that such a substantial sum has been raised for this important project. I've been coming to the WWT Welney for years and it is an amazing place.

"The new ecologically-built building highlights the importance of managing activities and natural resources sustainably, and further underlines WWT's valuable conservation work."

The centre took 10 months to build and used some of the latest environmentally friendly techniques, energy saving technology and renewable materials.

Martin Spray, chief executive of WWT, said: "Welney provides one of the most beautiful and aspiring wildlife spectacles in the UK. This amazing new centre will enable WWT to welcome more visitors to enjoy the experience and to learn about the history of the fens and their wonderful wildlife".

See also our pictorial guided tour to the Centre

report

Just when we all thought that Welney would be deprived of a summer event again this year came the good news that a new fund-raising group, "Events R us" had organised one for Saturday 12^th August

In the event, (pun intended) a depressingly wet day was an unkind blow for the organisers.

Visitors and stalls sheltered inside the tiny pavilion, the only outside attractions being the burger tent and a solitary car-booter selling mostly teddy bears.

The webmaster enjoyed a freshly cooked burger, excellent value at only £1, and several coffees and a wide selection of the delicious home made cakes, etc, provided, as always on these occasions, by members of the Welney W.I.

There was an extensive raffle offering some nice prizes. Goods on sale included cosmetics (from Avon?); soaps, oils and creams mostly based on locally grown ingredients from Norfolk Essential Oils; and second-hand toys, books and videos.

Holly Goodwin worked hard to put the show together, and a number of single men benefited towards the end by snapping up the cakes and fancies left over due to a disappointingly low attendance.

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We hope "Events R us" will flourish and eventually provide Welney with spectacular attractions in the future to rival past ones such as the Welney Galas, Tub Races/Water Galas, and Jubilee Celebrations.

They will have learned from this experience that a great deal more preparation is needed, and many more people involved, to make a real success of such events.

We understand that the organising group intended profits to be shared between the following: "Bowls Club, Church, Cricket Club, Friendship Club, Friends of the School, Wash Group, Welney News, WI, WWT and the Youth Club".

The aims are very welcome -  to provide events for the community to enjoy, and raise money for local groups.

Some beneficiaries listed above certainly do deserve some of our cash. But should our money go to a rich commercial organisation such as the WWT who managed to find £3½ million last year to build their new centre, and who charge considerable entrance fees to enter the reserve and already have a strong fund-raising group, the Friends of WWT Welney (which the Webmaster and Mrs Webmaster have supported for many years) ?

And what about the "Wash Group"? Presumably not a laundry concern, but the WASH committee of the Parish Council. That committee have received a grant of over £3,000 from Awards For All and £700 from the balance of the Welney Millennium Arts Project ('MAP') funds. This website was started by the MAP group and financed from those funds until a couple of years ago, but the Council hasn't offered to help with the expenses of running this community facility.  So why give them even more money?

This was also due to be held on Saturday 12th August, but due to the inclement weather was put back at the last minute to Sunday 13th.

A good call as it happened, they were blessed with warm sunshine and it really was a fun day. Good entertainment, junior & adult raft races, a greasy pole competition, bouncy castle, carpet bowls, tombola, face painting, a display of "NORDELPH THEN AND NOW", and refreshments which included locally produced burgers.

Full report on the Nordelph Website

Mrs Wendy Redman has resigned from her unpaid position as bookings clerk. From 1^st August 2006 all enquiries should be made to the Parish Clerk, Mrs P.A.Copeman, tel: 01354 610226

The following is the full text of an e-mail to the Webmaster from the Parish Council on 20^th June 2006.

"Peter

The question of the continued use of the pages on the Welney website was discussed at the Parish Council Meeting held on Wednesday last the 14th June, 2006.

In view of the fact that we have to have our own website for eventual Quality Status, and that we have now enrolled for training and the set up of our website, we shall no longer be requiring the use of the pages on the Welney Website.  I have been asked to thank you on behalf of the Parish Council for your work in publishing the various pages, and the minutes, agendas and accounts for the Parish Council, but we shall not be sending anything else for inclusion.

We trust that the website will continue to thrive for the benefit of the village.

Regards Pat Copeman
Clerk to the Welney Parish Council."

I am grateful to the Council for their thanks. It took me a lot of time and hard work to design and maintain their pages, as they will no doubt more fully appreciate when they have to manage their own site on top of everything else they are trying to do. I wish them well with their endeavours. If they let me know when their site is finally up and running, I will happily put a link to it from this site, and hope they will reciprocate.

September 2006 update: Unofficially, I have learned that the Council have now launched their new Council Website - but I haven't found any links to this site yet. Early days?

Do you know about a German bomber that crashed or landed in Welney Wash in May 1941?

Military historian Derek Hicks has enlisted our help. He is researching this and would like any information you may have - he is even willing to make some payment, so dig out what you can!

Rodney Montague has already e-mailed to say that this was recorded by Michael Bowyer in his book, Air Raid. Apparently a Junkers ju88 had engine failure; 3 crew bailed out and the pilot crash-landed the aircraft.

(Rodney - please contact me again, I have been unable to reply to your e-mail address)

If you have any other information please e-mail

Does Welney Parish Hall have a future?

Most Welneyites will know that there is some doubt over the future of our elderly but much loved Hall.

For over 75 years the Hall has been a focus for social gatherings and public meetings. Its location on the bank of the Old Bedford River, the proximity of two pubs -  the adjacent Three Tuns (now sadly closed) and the Lamb & Flag (happily still going strong), and ample parking courtesy of Elgood's Brewery, have greatly enhanced its appeal.

Only 15 parishioners turned up to the meeting. The Council Chairman, Ken Goodger, at his genial best, gave an able presentation of a computer slide show prepared very professionally by Cllr. Trevor Bray. It outlined the possible sale of the site to Elgoods, and the Council's suggested replacement - a community centre overlooking the Playing Field on land north of  Marifa Lodge, with access from Wisbech Road near Sandgate Corner.

This proposal would involve the sale & demolition of the Pavilion for housing. Shame it's one of the few areas of Welney at risk of flooding according to the EA. Would anyone get a mortgage for a new house there? We also learned that the Council examined 28 or 29 sites in Welney and have concluded that the only possible site in the Parish for a playing field is - just where it has been since 1971!

The meeting did show that when the Council want to tell us something they can do it very well. Unfortunately, it was all old news.

For anyone who hasn't followed this saga, the background is briefly as follows.

Elgoods Brewery owns two properties in Welney. The Three Tuns, empty and now nearly derelict, and the Lamb & Flag, suffering badly from subsidence.

The Council also has two buildings. The Parish Hall, poorly heated and not complying with legislation, and a Pavilion at the Playing Field, small and basic, and also non-compliant.

The Brewery claim it would be uneconomic to repair the Lamb & Flag, and the Three Tuns site is too small to make re-building viable. The Council consider that the Parish can only sustain one building (backed by results from the recent questionnaire), in both economic and management terms.

So, If the the Hall is sold to Elgoods, the Council will be relieved of one property and get some cash, and the Brewery would have enough space on the river bank to  build a super new pub.

The Council feel confident that revenue from asset sales together with grants and charitable donations will go a long way towards the £150,000-£200,000 they say the new building will cost.

Of course there are some flies in the ointment. The Council do not own the Hall site. They lease it from the EA. The Council say the EA have agreed to let the Council buy it and sell it on at a profit to Elgoods.

Then there is the question of buying and selling land at the Playing Field and getting planning permission for all these proposed new buildings, none of which has yet been sought.

As a member of a previous group that looked into a new Hall a few years ago said, the Webmaster knows there are a lot of hurdles to jump over to obtain grants. Let's hope the Councillors have the stamina to stay the course.

Does Welney Parish Hall have a future? The EA say they will not sell the site until an alternative building is available. We have not been told whether the Pavilion meets their criteria, so we will have to wait and see. But knowing how long negotiations and the legal process can take it will probably see at least a couple more new years in.

When will we see a new Community Centre? Well how many years do you think? Answers please to the Council.

Joel Cox (no relation to the Webmaster!) e-mailed from Dallas for information about his g-g-grandparents, Jacob Cox and Louisa (Phillis) Betts who lived in or near Welney until they emigrated to America in 1856.

If you have any information please e-mail

Phew! "Farm Sunday" a Scorching Success!

350 farmers around the country took part in the LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming) initiative and opened their gates to the public on 11th June "to show what they do to produce wholesome food with environmental care".

Here in Welney, at Pates Farm, Tipps End (or Tipsend if you prefer), it was the Goodger family - Ken & Debra, and their children Sean and Kimberley - who entertained us to an enjoyable and interesting day at their family farm with the aid of various relatives, friends, neighbours, business partners - and the weather.

Our grateful thanks to all concerned for a super day in the sun.

The Goodger's kindly provided a number of information leaflets about their farm and the open day which you can view here.

photo gallery

The Freedom of Information act gives the public a right to see, and Councils a duty to provide, certain Council documents. The documents which Welney Parish Council have agreed to make available are listed in their Publication Scheme. They lodged a copy of that scheme with the Information Commissioner in January 2003.

One of the documents covered by the scheme is the report on the Council's annual accounts by the Council's internal auditor, a qualified accountant living here in Welney. In November 2005 I contacted the Council twice requesting a copy but did not even get the courtesy of a reply. More recently I asked the Council again and was told they had decided not to provide a copy.

But they do not have discretional powers to withhold it. I leave it to you to ponder on what it might be in that report that the Council are so desperate to keep quiet that they are willing to break the law.

The Council has done nothing with almost £4,000 given to them by the Gala Committee in Oct 2004 to help provide new play equipment at the Playing field.

And it seems they do not intend to do so until their plans for a new community centre are finalised (see column on right). If that was on the near horizon, they might be supported. But it is much more likely to be several years to wait, and that is a loss to our current youngsters and a betrayal to those who organised and supported the Gala.

At a Council meeting earlier this year, the Chairman, Cllr. Ken Goodger, got very irritated when questioned by two parishioners about the Council's intentions. He even threatened to throw the money back to the Gala Committee.

That is despite the fact that the Council is responsible for the current equipment, much of which is filthy, badly sited and in a poor state of repair.

Cllr. Mark Brown was a lone voice in agreeing, on reflection, that the money should be used now as intended. All the rest want to wait. By which time today's children will probably be adults.

And the Council wonder why so few people come forward now to help organise things.