NEWSPAPER ARTICLES

Off With A Bang!

The fireworks display in Norwich organised last Friday certainly went off with a bang! The display was spectacular, lighting up the night sky with the sparkle and myriad colours of the fireworks.

The event took place in the glorious grounds of Broxbourne Hall with the lake providing a spectacular mirrored backdrop to the fireworks. The mild weather helped to foster a strong family atmosphere allowing all generations to attend from toddlers to the grandparents.

Two separate displays were put on by the volunteers, the first starting promptly at 7:30pm and lasting for a good 15 minutes. There was a slight problem with the second display planned for 8:30pm with technical difficulties causing a 20 minute delay. This did not deter the revellers however who were full of cheer and stayed until the end of festivities.

A large bonfire was in evidence fuelled by beams scrapped by the estate from the recent refurbishment of a collection of wooden outhouses. The dry timber provided a roaring flame which crackled with sparks and created a bright centrepiece to warm the revellers hearts.

Lots of refreshment stalls were in evidence providing beverages and burgers. The carnival attractions were popular with the youngsters, which included dodgem cars and the BIG Wheel.

Among the revellers was Tony Hatch of Wroxham who attended with his wife and daughter, her husband and two children. Mr Hatch, 62, commented “we attend every year and always find it a lovely night out which can be shared by all the family with something to enjoy for adults and children alike”.

The organisers stated that generous funds were raised on the night enabling significant contributions to be made to the deserving charitable institutions in Norwich.

Norfolk man receives revolutionary medical treatment

A Norfolk man, Steven Clapes, has become the first man in Britain to benefit from a revolutionary medical treatment for the alleviation of stroke induced conditions. Mr Clapes, 61, a builder from Norwich suffered a stroke in October last year and became the latest victim of an increasing trend of early onset strokes.

After effects of the stroke include difficulties with speech, partial paralysis of one side of the body and impairment of some of the brain cognition functions. Conventional treatments at his local medical centre have provided little improvement to Mr Clapes’ condition leading to frustrations with lack of adjustment to normal life.

Dr Abbey Gilchrist is medical director of Hellesdon Hospital in Norwich, where Mr Clapes was receiving treatment. Dr Gilchrist, 45, previously practiced Neurosurgery at a clinic in South Africa pioneering research into radical new procedures for the treatment of stroke victims. One such technique involved the temporary implant of a small electronic chip into the brain stem of the patient which provides micro electrical signals to stimulate neurological cell nerve activity. Treatment of patients in a five year study programme in South Africa led to significant improvements in the quality of life of stroke victims with a rapid return to almost normal life. She was keen to introduce these developments to Britain and sponsored the treatment of Mr Clapes in his local NHS hospital.

“My former colleagues in South Africa undertook a short but intense training exercise with NHS surgeons enabling Mr Clapes to receive the treatment locally”, commented Dr Gilchrist. “The outcome for Mr Clapes has been a much more rapid improvement than conventional treatment methods would have allowed”.

Local Company Wins National Contract

A local Norfolk Double Glazing company, Spire Windows, has given a boost to the local economy by winning a large contract last month for the refurbishment of Government buildings on a national basis. The contract involves the replacement of existing single glazed windows by double glazing units and associated upgrades to roof fascia and guttering systems.

Currently Spire has a turnover of two million pounds per annum and employs 35 people in Swaffham. The contract is estimated to be worth approximately £10M to Spire over two years and provides a stable platform for growth. Mike Davis, Spire Managing Director commented “this contract represents a major achievement for a small company such as Spire. It is the result of 18 months of hard work by a dedicated bidding team who managed to win the bid against some formidable opposition. The success is no coincidence, here at Spire we run a lean system where our tight cost control has allowed us to make the most cost effective offer to see off the competition. Our quality control system was rigorously tested by the Government Authority and it is encouraging that they have developed the confidence to invest in our company which is relatively untried on a national scale”.

The success is estimated to offer significant benefits to the local community with job opportunities for experienced tradesmen and apprenticeships on offer for school leavers. The indirect benefits will extend to local engineering and parts supply businesses operating in the supply chain to Spire.

Council Approves Northern Distributer Route Plan

Plans for the proposed Northern distributor Route (NDR) took a significant step forward this week as a result of a milestone decision taken by Norfolk County Council.

Well known to citizens of Norwich and North Norfolk, the NDR proposal has been hotly debated over the last 2 years since the idea was first mooted for a ring road to bypass Norwich. You would have had to be immersed in a deep sleep to be unaware of the long standing arguments raging in favour and against the proposal.

The proposals relate to the construction of a dual carriageway road network running from North to West of Norwich, linking up with the existing Norwich southern ring road thus forming a North – South city bypass. Benefits include the relief of traffic on the Norwich city outer ring road and the significant reductions in travel times between opposite end of the county. Related developments include the zoning of land to the perimeter of the road leading to the construction of 500 homes crucial to the alleviation of local housing shortage problems.

Proponents of the road point to economic gains and the creation of new jobs by attracting industry to the north of the county, an area previously perceived as having poor transport links to the rest of the country. Opponents point to the necessary destruction of wildlife habitats on the route and extra traffic spoiling the charm and tranquillity of a traditional holidaying area.

Inevitably, following the lengthy public consultation exercise carried out by the council involving the compilation of comprehensive information packs aired and debated at ‘town hall’ meetings, the council finally convened last Thursday to exercise their mandate and undertake the democratic voting process. The session started mid-morning and the debate raged long and hard with emotional pleas on both sides. Protestors convened outside the council building creating a vibrant, noisy, but good natured atmosphere displaying placards expounding the views of both sides.

A motion in favour of the plan was eventually carried by a majority vote of 42 to 27. In formal terms this decision ratifies the proposal for the NDR, considered ‘a nationally significant infrastructure project’, under the terms of the Planning Act (2008). Councillor Norma Davis, who supported the proposals, commented “this brings to a conclusion the greatest period of local public engagement since the historic support in his home county for Horatio Nelson’s seafaring exploits”.

Food Banks Report Increased Demand

The Terence Russell Trust, the charitable organisation dedicated to improving living conditions of families experiencing difficult economic conditions, has reported a 30% increase in demand during the last 6 months for its support services in Norfolk.

The increase has been particularly evident in the charity’s food bank site in Norwich. Families at the bottom of the economic scale are struggling to make ends meet as the recession conditions continue to bite in this earnings sector. Mike Davis is the co-ordinator for Norfolk county operations: “we provide the basics for families in trouble but we rely on donations and can only provide non-perishable bulk foods and tins which fall short of providing healthy nourishment and a balanced diet”.

The trend is primarily due to local firms cutting back on operations meaning workers have to deal with conditions of unemployment or the need to accept zero hour contacts as an alternative to full employment. The large factory farming enterprises in Norfolk traditionally provide high levels of employment but only at the minimum wage levels. There has been considerable debate in recent times about the need to increase the level of the minimum wage to that of a ‘living wage’. This proposal reflects the research carried out by the Institute of Economic Affairs which has established that the current level of the minimum wage falls short of that required to support the broad range of expenses experienced by these families in current UK economic conditions. Richard Evans, MP for Norwich North claims that a change is long overdue: “whilst firms are conforming to the letter of the law in providing the minimum wage there is clearly a need for action to set the legal threshold at the living wage level to help families survive and prosper”.

Campaigners Demand Reduced Train Journey Times

Commuters who regularly use the Norwich to London train are agitating for an improvement in services and shorter train journey times. Abellio Greater Anglia currently holds the franchise which runs hourly services to the capital with average journey times of 1 hour 50 minutes either way.

Jeremy Handley is secretary of the Norwich Train Commuter group and has been using Abellio services on the London route since their franchise began 9 months ago. Mr Handley, 49, is a freelance journalist whose work base is at home but needs to visit his employers’ head office in London up to 3 times each week. He said: “The high cost of living in areas close to London has driven commuters further afield to seek locations such as Norwich which offer more affordable housing. The current journey time of 1 hour and 50 minutes means that commuting to London is not practical on a daily basis and works only for people like me who benefit from more flexible working arrangements. We know that research by rail transport industry bodies has shown that a journey time of 1 hour and 15 minutes is achievable on this route by investment in rail infrastructure and train rolling stock. Just imagine what a boost this would bring to the local area with the influx of daily London commuters and their spending power”.

Local Norwich South Opposition MP Amanda Jones supports her constituents’ campaign and has lobbied at Government level for investment funds to be allocated for rail infrastructure improvements on this line. She has also chaired joint meetings between campaign members and representatives of Abellio to highlight the benefits which increased commuter traffic could bring with investment in faster trains to reduce journey times. “We have seen these kinds of developments undertaken in France and Spain where so-called ‘Bullet’ trains have been brought into service to significantly shorten train journey times on important intercity routes. These investment schemes, albeit involving significant up-front capital sums, have proved to offer long term economic gains to the train companies and increased convenience to customers. Britain, which has a proud track record of innovation since the inception of rail services, is in danger of being left behind by our continental partners and risks being labelled the ‘slow man’ of Europe”.