Report to the Parish meeting

May 2014

Soon after the last Annual Parish Meeting – on Friday 24th May a large audience gathered at Flegg High School to watch the film ‘Martham Stories’.  This work was the culmination of many weeks of hard work by the pupils of Flegg High, Media Projects East, local historians and members of the History Group.  The response by the people of Martham to take part in this film was remarkable. Copies of the film on sale on the night rapidly sold out, with orders for more being taken. If you haven’t seen the film, I think there are still a few copies at the Post Office and it can easily be found online.  Click here to see all the films!

The membership of our Group continues to grow – we now have 50 members - so we must be providing something for everyone in our programme.  Look out for the Posters and find our website.  Our annual subscription is still only £10, which includes reduced entry to most meetings and free tea and biscuits at those meetings.  Membership is open to everyone and visitors are always welcome. 

We meet once a month in the winter either in the Methodist schoolroom or the village hall to listen to talks ranging from Postcards as a Source of Local History to The Friendly Invasion of the Yanks in East Anglia during World War 2. With the First World War very much in peoples’ minds this year we had a welcome return from Neil Storey who spoke about Norfolk in early months of that World War. Some of the stories from these speakers were amusing others very sad and thought provoking.  Following on from these talks a gentleman in the village came round with some old WW1 photos that he had inherited.  He was unsure of the people in them and any other information about them so we took them to the Regimental Museum at the Castle Museum in Norwich.  The curator there will be writing to him with any information she can discover.

In the summer we ventured further afield - a coach trip to Bury St. Edmunds and Ickworth, the Garden Club joining us for this event.  We also enjoyed two local visits, one to West Somerton Church and Hall and another to Moregrove.

We held our Annual Dinner in the Kings Arms in January, which was enjoyed by all who attended.  Our AGM was held in September when our founder member and Chairman, Ann Meakin, decided to step down.  In recognition of all her hard work we decided to make Ann our first President.  She remains on the Committee as Programme Secretary and Noel Mitchell is now the Chairman. The rest of the Committee remains the same but we are always on the lookout for new blood and new ideas.

Lastly, we are grateful to the Parish Clerk and all those businesses who display our posters, and to Chapman’s butchers who also act as our booking office.

Our thanks to all of them.

Pat Mitchell

Secretary