"Unlucky Lowestoft"
FA Vase Final
11 May 2008
How they got there: all the results
The cards are printed on a stylish textured surface measuring 140mm x 140mm, with envelopes provided.
Click image above to view our leaflet and order form - pdf file
Don't Slip a Disc!
Mike Daniels and AcciDON’T 
A New Bronze Age for Bungay Taekwon-do Club
Clinton Gillett the club instructor and Director of Design Technology at the High School said “the achievements of those at the championships reflect the diligence, commitment and talent that is apparent in the club, everyone supports everyone else and there is a really friendly atmosphere which is always commented on by other instructors from around Great Britain.” 
Bungay Taekwon-do Club
Location: Bungay High School
Tel: 01986 892140 mob: 07970 664965
clintandmickey@aol.com
Training Times:
Tuesday: 7-8pm
Wednesday: 4-5pm
(school students only)
Thursday: 7-8.30pm
www.gt-uk.net
Crusted Marble Cake
New Bungay Black Belt - Freya the Fearless!Bungay Taekwon-do Club
Location: Bungay High School
Tel: 01986 892140 mob: 07970 664965
clintandmickey@aol.com
Training Times:
Tuesday: 7-8pm
Wednesday: 4-5pm
(school students only)
Thursday: 7-8.30pm
www.gt-uk.net
Beccles Helping Hands - A Step Back In Time
Diary of Events 2008
HISTORY WALKS
Adults £4.00 Child £2.00
Leave from outside the Bear & Bells Pub at 7.30pm.
Our 2007 "Step Back In Time" walks were extremely successful and we received numerous accolades from the many members of the public who participated in our walks. We have researched new stories and ideas for 2008 and look forward to another successful series of "Step Back In Time" history walks.
The planned dates for 2008 are the following Saturdays:
31st May
28th June
26th July
GHOST WALKS
Adults £4.00 Child £2.00
Leave from outside the Bear & Bells Pub at 7.30pm.
The planned dates for 2008 are the following Saturdays:
30th August
27th September
25th October (Halloween)
15th November (To be confirmed)
Further information about the club together with photos illustrating the Walks can be found on our website at www.beccleshelpinghands.co.uk
Our luxury day cruiser hire is the ideal way to spend a day on the river - all our boats have a galley, WC and cabin and there are a range of styles, from sporty aft-cockpit models to single level river boats with a sliding roof. Popular day trips include Beccles, Oulton Broad, Somerleyton, St Olaves and Reedham. Prices from just £85 per day.
Please click on image to enlarge views
please click on image to visit our web site
Robin
Characteristics
The robin’s association with Christmas is appropriate, for it is during the winter months that its colours are most marked, with it’s red breast at its reddest and it’s back a rich brown, both contrasting brilliantly with its whitish under parts. Young birds have speckled plumage and look like young nightingales.
Habitat
The Robin is often seen in town and city gardens, and often accompanies gardeners to search for insects and larvae as the ground is dug over. Away from habitation, it is a shy and retiring, inhabiting woodland hedges.
Behaviour
The robin is tame and likes to come close when anyone is digging the soil, in order to look out for earthworms and other food freshly turned up; when the gardener stops for a break the robin might use the handle of the spade as a lookout point.
Robins often approach large wild animals, which disturb the ground, to look for any food that might be brought to the surface.
Males are aggressive and guard their territory possessively.
The song is a high, pleasant warble and the loud alarm call is a penetrating ‘tic-tic’.
B.A.B.
Listen to Robin Call:
We haven't given up on the Norfolk Broads
We want these wetlands to be protected and managed for as long as possible, says Brendan Joyce
Hickling Broad is the largest of the Norfolk Broads and is at threat from sea-level rise. Patrick Barkham's statement that "local environmental groups such as the Norfolk Wildlife Trust have spoken hopefully of valuable new salt water habitats if this part of the Broads is submerged" does not represent our view (Waves of destruction, April 17). We own and manage Hickling Broad and are deeply concerned about its future.
Hickling Broad is part of a unique area for wildlife, valued by many people. The article says: "Even if it is protected with new sea walls, saline intrusion from rising sea levels will irrevocably transform the Broads from a freshwater region into a salty one. Some freshwater species will become extinct in Broadland." The Trust wants to see Hickling and the other broads protected and managed for as long as possible. Concern over the long-term future of the Upper Thurne Broads, however, has to be judged against our attempts to protect this valued wetland. Hickling Broad is suffering from a host of threats, including poor water quality caused by saline intrusion. Progress in tackling these threats, however, is slow and woefully underfunded.
There are concerns over the sustainability of the existing sea defences and some form of managed retreat may be inevitable. Barkham reports that "the government still won't contemplate the question of compensating our climate change refugees of the future". As well as the impact on people, their lives and livelihoods, what happens about compensating for the loss of existing freshwater habitat? We would say that habitat has to be recreated, which is not an easy task. One might find that the costs of actually doing all that are not too far away from the cost of defending the existing line for as long as possible.
The article mentions another of our nature reserves, Cley Marshes on the north Norfolk coast, claiming: "A protective shingle bank is being allowed to fall into disrepair." In reality it is being allowed to re-profile itself naturally and will no longer be artificially managed, which had continually weakened its integrity. While the frequency of seawater overtopping the ridge is likely to increase, the lower, wider profile is expected to absorb more wave energy. Coupled with this, improved drainage of the marshes behind the ridge and a new tidal channel have been created, which should provide continued drainage for approximately 200 years.
Whether we believe in climate change or not, the evidence is that a significant impact could potentially occur over a large area of land. We do not currently have the research that will tell us exactly what we can expect or what we can do.
Steve Hayman, the Environment Agency coastal manager for East Anglia, is quoted as saying: "In the longer term there are really difficult questions to answer here and it may not be possible to maintain the coastline as we know it today." In the meantime our trust believes a huge amount of work is required. We face some very serious issues, and decisions will need to be taken soon to avoid catastrophe.
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Brendan Joyce is director of the Norfolk Wildlife Trust
Peregrine Falcons are breeding in Suffolk again - for the first time in a staggering 200 years.
The sensational birds of prey, which can hit 200mph in a dive, last thrived in the East Anglian county when King George III was on the throne and Napoleon was rampaging across Europe.
Now a peregrine is sitting on four precious eggs under the Orwell Bridge - just feet away from an endless stream of lorries and cars thundering along the A14.
The fastest living creature on earth last bred in Suffolk in the steeple of the parish church at Corton, near Lowestoft, in the early 1800s as Beethoven finished his first symphony.
Steve Piotrowski, (CRRCT), president of Suffolk Ornithologists Group and ornithological adviser to the Suffolk Wildlife Trust, said he was delighted the supreme predators had finally returned.
He said: "Peregrines normally nest on sheer rock faces in mountainous areas. But in recent years, with better protection and conservation measures in place, they have been increasingly venturing into towns and cities to nest on high-rise buildings, power stations, electricity pylons and the like.
It is perhaps not surprising they have chosen to nest on Suffolk's highest structure - the Orwell Bridge. A pair began to spend the winter on the bridge in 1991 and there have been peregrines in the area ever since."
He added: "The view from the bridge gives the falcons a distinct advantage and they are able to swoop down on unsuspecting pigeons and wading birds that feed on the mudflats below. Their prolonged stay raised speculation among local ornithologists that breeding would soon take place.
The birds' presence caused great excitement locally and their spectacular displays became a feature of a day's birdwatching on the Orwell estuary. The Suffolk Ornithologists Group campaigned tirelessly to have a nest box erected in the hope that breeding would take place and one was put up on the bridge in the early 1990s. The group's success was largely down to one of our members, Gary Lowe, and we and the birds are now indebted to him."
Gary, of Boyton, near Woodbridge, worked for Ipswich Borough Council's estates department at the time but was also a council park ranger.
He negotiated with the Department of Transport over the provision of the box as a compensatory measure for a compound placed on the council's Pipers Vale public open space related to works on the bridge.
A peregrine is sitting on four precious eggs under the Orwell BridgeThe nest box the peregrines are using is the original one, paid for by the department.
Mr Lowe, who now works for NPS property consultants, said: "The news that the peregrines are breeding in the box is fantastic. It has been a long wait but it's worth it, especially if the peregrines manage to raise some young to the fledging stage. I hope it's the start of a more widespread recolonisation in Suffolk as peregrines are such magnificent birds and they have had some lean times in the past."
The birds have been studied closely by bird-of-prey enthusiast Rod Plowman, of nearby Chelmondiston. Rod said: "It is really exciting to think that peregrines are breeding with us again after such a long absence. They are spectacular birds and seem to be feeding mainly on the feral pigeons around the Ipswich docks area and the numerous wading birds that use the Orwell estuary."
The peregrine chicks are due to hatch any day and conservationists expect many members of the public will want to see the adults hunting to feed them.
Mick Wright, Suffolk Wildlife Trust's officer for the Orwell estuary, said the best vantage point would be the nearby Piper's Vale country park on the north bank of the river.
He said: "There is plenty of car parking space there and the park offers good views of the bridge and the estuary. It would be wonderful if this pair of peregrines help to show people how important the Orwell estuary is for wildlife and encourages them to show respect for the area while enjoying its natural spectacle."
Source: www.dailymail.co.uk
Services at Harleston Library
Lowestoft sea glass found
My friend Flik and her 10 year old daughter Chloe agreed to collect some sea glass for me when they were visiting Grandma in Lowestoft. Grandma is Lowestoft born and bred and her grandfather was a well know skipper who participated in the storming of the beaches of Normandy on D Day. She very kindly donated all of her grandfathers things to the local Maritime Museum so do go and visit there as well.
Flik and Chloe started their hunt for Lowestoft sea glass at the South Pier. They walked all along the sea front and spent some 6 hours out on a windy cold April day. The haul was fairly small - only 5 pieces and so it would appear that Lowestoft sea glass is a rare find indeed. Flik said it was a great way to keep a 10 year old busy (after they have been told to only pick up the nicely smoothed pieces, of course). Most of the sea glass was found in the sandy places. Even though it was cold and windy Flik said it was great fun.
The romantic in me would like to think that Chloe found a piece of a bottle that was lost over board by her great great grandfather in the seas around Lowestoft. The little blue pebble is destined to become a special gift and Chloe has a promise of a little pendant of her own next time they visit Grandma.
Lowestoft sea glass transformed
You can see what I’ve done with these three pieces of Lowestoft sea glass.
The Blue pebble shaped one is enclosed in a sterling silver cage of wire and was chosen to be a very special gift.
The green teardrop shape was a tricky piece and I had to cheat a bit to bring the shape into focus with a grinder. Why did I do that? I only had 5 pieces to work with and I was determined to give Flik some choices. I think this one is less than a decade old as sea glass. I’ve called it ‘Stella Tear Drop’ because I’m fairly certain this is part of a beer bottle. It has a square profile wire to give a basic hold to the glass and then a round profile silver wire to stabilize it.
The slightly luminous yellowy greenish pebble I managed to set in sterling silver. I used glue to hold it still so I could push the sterling silver band to the pebble.
What is sea glass
Sea glass is ordinary glass that has found its way into the sea and over the years (decades and sometimes hundreds of years) the power of the sea smooths the surface of the glass transforming it.
How do you know if a piece of sea glass will make a nice piece of jewellery? Obviously it should be a nice smooth shape and the test is to imagine it hanging from your neck with no adornment at all. If it looks beautiful all on its own, it will probably be a nice subject for wire wrapping or setting.
Michele Bailey – aka HedgelandsGlassLass
I got into jewellery design through stained glass and my love of dichroic glass. I’ve widened the materials I use to include sterling silver, artisan made glass beads and semi precious gem beads and very occasionally sea glass.
my blog hedgelandsglassgems.blogspot.com
my website www.hedgelandsglassgems.co.uk
HARLESTON MAGPIES U18 GIRLS and U18 BOYS in NATIONAL FINALS
Harleston Magpies Under 18 Girls and Under 18 Boys teams have both reached the National Finals taking place at Canterbury this weekend in a tremendous double achievement for the Club.
The U18 Boys have reached the Finals with some fairly comfortable results whilst the U18 Girls have had some very tight games. The U18 Boys are making their first appearance in the outdoor National Finals but also reached the Indoor National Finals this season, which is a great achievement for Coach Leigh Sitch and his squad. The U18 Girls are making their second successive appearance in the National Finals having finished third at Birmingham last season.
SATURDAY 10th MAY
11.30 U18 BOYS v BOWDON
14.15 U18 GIRLS v CHELMSFORD
16.30 U18 BOYS v BEESTON
SUNDAY 11th MAY
10.15 U18 GIRLS v BELPER
13.00 U18 BOYS v READING
14.00 U18 GIRLS v LEICESTER
The U18 Girls reached the Finals with the following results:
Round 1 - Bye
Round 2 - Ipswich Drew 2-2 won on pen strokes
Round 3 - Saffron Walden Won 4-0
Round 4 - Dereham Won 2-1
Semi Final - Exe Won 4-3
U18 Girls Squad for the weekend
Jess Hull (Capt), Becky Marshall,
