Soduko - games
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Wednesday, 11 June 2008
Tuesday, 10 June 2008
RNLI Raft Race Weekend 21st 22nd June at the Waveney River Centre
Raft Race Weekend
21st, 22nd June 2008
It's not too late to enter your raft for the 2008 Waveney Inn Raft Race at the Waveney River Centre - in aid of the RNLI. Or just turn up and enjoy the fun!
The Raft Race and Mini Raft Race (Pooh Sticks) form part of the Waveney Inn RNLI fundraising weekend.There will be numerous stalls open from 12:00 noon on both days. These will include tombola, cakes, second-hand books and raffle as well as games stalls for both children and adults, a bouncy castle and a hot dog/burger stand.
The time-trial Raft Race carries an entry fee of just £5, donated to RNLI. The race runs from one end of the WRC mooring dyke to the other and back, with the crew having to burst a balloon at each end.
Prizes will be awarded for most entertaining crew and most imaginative raft. A shield will be awarded to the raft which completes the course in the shortest time whilst still adhering to the rules.
Spectators are welcome (nay, encouraged) to bring water pistols to ensure that the crew of even the most stable raft get wet. However no missiles of any kind please!
Rules:
- Maximum of 2 crew members to each raft, one of whom must be over 18.
- Homemade rafts and paddles only. (no boat materials to be used)
- No motorised propulsion
- All crew members MUST wear a life jacket.
- No assistance to move the raft forward to be given from the bank
- One balloon must be burst, by a member of the raft's crew at each end of the dyke.
- Keep to the "upstream" side of the dyke away from the moored boats.
- The race order will be determined by a draw.
- Timing will be carried out by an independent adjudicator and their decision will be final.
- Any raft that sinks must be removed from the water.
- All crew take part at their own risk.
There will be a mini-raft race (Pooh Sticks) on the Sunday, entry fee of £1 (donated to RNLI).
- The only propulsion allowed is tide and/or wind.
- Rafts must be homemade (Maximum dimensions = 12 inches long by 6 inches wide).
- Prizes will be awarded for the best design and for the raft that crosses the finish line first. Please ensure that you complete an entry form and have your mini raft outside The Waveney Inn by 2.00 pm so as to be included in the judging of best design.
- Some rafts may sink, be struck by passing boats or be taken by wind or tide, so use only materials that you are prepared to lose.
- Every effort will be made to retrieve boats after the race.
- Whilst we will attempt to stop boats passing by during the race, the organisers cannot be held responsible for rafts being sunk or damaged by skippers who refuse to accept the spirit of "power gives way to sail".
www.waveneyrivercentre.co.uk
Emergency Services Open Day 28 June, Lowestoft
Alerter
All you ever wanted to know about
being a retained FireFighter in Suffolk
being a retained FireFighter in Suffolk
Emergency Services Open Day - Saturday 28th June 2008
There'll be plenty to see and do... tons of equipment and fire engines from Suffolk Fire and Rescue including all three of our appliances, the Turntable Ladder and Operational Support Unit from Ipswich and much more.We also look forward to welcoming our colleagues from Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service with their Urban Search and Rescue team - their kit is well worth the journey to see!
We're also hoping to see Suffolk Police and the East of England Ambulance Service.
There will also be stalls, displays and, of course, Woody Bear to open the whole shebang.
Don't miss this chance to meet your local emergency services!
www.alerter.co.uk
Payment In Kind
Payment In Kind
I'm sure we've all seen, or at least heard of, those "confessions of a . . . " films from the 1970's.
I have no idea if there was one for debt collectors but a question I get asked fairly often is:
"Do you get offered payment in kind?" And in Norfolk the answer is a resounding "Yes!".
But this is Norfolk remember, I had a call in a rural location and went through the visit as normal.
The customer explained that they had no money, "but would I like ..... five calves?"
I'm not sure if this counts as the payment in kind that gets asked about . . .
. . . but it would have been hell trying to bank it.
from:
A weekly feature, but for more stories now, please visit:
the-secret-diary-of-a-debt-collector.blogspot.com
Crabs get distressed over the bacon!
Council killjoys warn children of dangers of crabbing - the CRABS get distressed!
For generations youngsters have lined up on seawalls and quaysides to dangle a hook and line in the water in a bid to tempt a crab to take the bait.
But now the harmless waterside pursuit has fallen foul of the health and safety brigade amid claims that the crabs may be distressed if they are kept for too long in small buckets in the sunshine.
Warning: Leaflets issued along the North Norfolk coast said not to keep more than 10 crabs in a bucket.
One council is now handing out thousands of advice leaflets to children planning to catch a crab at Wells on the North Norfolk coast.
The move follows a study by zoology students at Cambridge University who discovered that over-crowding in buckets could cause stress for smaller crabs and lead to fights among them.
Graduate Will Pearse said: 'We are not saying people shouldn't go crabbing which is fun - but there are concerns at the way in which they are treated.
'We want people to learn about crabs and understand their captive needs. If you are going to spend the day with something that is naturally beautiful then show it some respect.'
The leaflets - 10,000 have been printed and may be handed out at other resorts and harbours along the North Norfolk coast - warns crabbers not to keep more than ten crabs in a bucket.
Mr Pearse added: 'One of the main problems is that people put too many crabs in a bucket which results in some at the bottom asphyxiating through lack of oxygen in the water and males damaging each other in fights.
'In the sea, males grapple with each other and the weaker one retreats. But they cannot run away in a bucket and keep fighting leading to limbs being torn off or shed as a defence mechanism.'
According to the leaflets, water should always be sea water, not fresh water and should be changed every hour to keep oxygen levels up.
In addition, buckets should be kept in the shade - crabs naturally head for the shadows in estuaries and shore pools.
The crabby health and safety move has surprised the organisers of the British Open Crabbing Championships 50 miles along the coast at Walberswick, Southwold Suffolk.
Committee member David Webb said: 'It does seem rather extraordinary that they are having to do this. They must treat crabs more harshly in Norfolk.
'Here when we hold the championship - which attracted a record 760 entries last year - we insist on a maximum of two crabs in a bucket. We have a vet in attendance who measures the temperature of the water in buckets to ensure it is not too warm.
'All the crabs are put back in the water after they have been weighed - the longest they would have been out is around 90 minutes.'
Last year's winner was eight-year-old Oscar Kane from Kent. He won the £50 first prize with a crab that weighed just five and three-quarter ounces.
Mr Webb added: 'If this continues, I suppose we could be in trouble for not measuring the crabs in metric grammes.'
The £200 cost of the leaflet has been met by the Norfolk Coast Partnership and the Wells Fields Study Centre and the scheme is likely to be widened to include neighbouring resorts.
Local crab fisherman John Davies said: 'Caring for crabs is a good message to send out - but this could be a little over the top.
'The crabs the youngsters catch are tiny and much more resiliant than the edible ones we catch, besides which they must benefit from the extra food that they get from the crabbers.'
Source: www.dailymail.co.uk
Monday, 9 June 2008
Hot, sweaty and smelling like kippers! - Alerter
Alerter
All you ever wanted to know about
being a retained FireFighter in Suffolk
being a retained FireFighter in Suffolk
Hot, sweaty and smelling like kippers!So here we were, eight of us from Normanshurst to do our hot fire training - BA Risk Critical 2 to give it its proper title. We had four from Green Watch - Mel Buck, Pete Brown, Al Soards and Chris Randall and then the rest of the motley crew made up from the retained section - myself, Richard 'Shambles' Lambert, Jason Balls and Howard Clarke.
George was giving us a lecture in a style that only George can deliver. It's to the point, there's no waffling and you feel like you've been told 'as it really is'.
After the lecture we made up our BA sets and then had a quick tea break - the ubiquitous cheese and onion sandwiches making their usual appearance!
We divided up into pairs, one wholetime firefighter with one retained firefighter. A good idea as we can all learn from each other whether wholetime or retained. We all work with each other regularly anyway as three of the Green Watch members are also retained firefighters at Normanshurst.
Mel and I paired up with Mel going as No.1 for the first drill. Our brief was to enter the building at ground floor, advance up the staircase and carry out search and rescue on the first floor and the mezzanine floor.
Just to back track, I'll explain how this is hot fire training. There's a room on the ground floor of the smoke house that has a fire set in it. It's literally a couple of bales of straw in a cradle which has water sprayed on every so often just to keep the smoke going. You wouldn't think that this would create much heat but temperatures can reach 200oC. In fire terms that isn't very hot but it's plenty hot enough for dragging hose around and dragging dummies out!
Anyway, back to the drill. After doing an initial search just inside the door we advanced to the first floor. I swept out to the left on reaching the landing and immediately found a casualty - a tiny baby sized dummy. So back down the stairs and leave the casualty outside. We then resumed the search on the first floor and up onto the mezzanine floor. It's just a tad warm on that mezzanine but thankfully no casualties to manhandle down the Vertical Metal Ladder (VML).
We continued on the first floor until we found a second casualty literally at the end of where we could get to. As Mel had the most air he took the casualty and I led the way out.
We had our debrief which was very positive especially about our communication with each other.
A quick change of cylinder and we were out for our second wear. I was No.1 this time and our brief was to enter the smoke house at first floor level and carry out search and rescue. We took the left hand wall and searched a number of 'rooms' finding two casualties. Again, we had a good debrief followed by copious amounts of water to try and rehydrate ourselves.
The final drill of the day took place after lunch and was a combined drill using all four BA teams. The first team (Pete Brown and Jason Balls) entered the smoke house on the first floor (from the drill tower) carrying a charged 45. Their brief was to advance through the building and find the main staircase (situated on the opposite side of the smoke house). They were to descend to the ground floor and start a search as this was a 'persons reported' incident.
The second team (Al Soards and Shambles) were committed soon after the first team to assist with getting the hose through the building and down the stairs. Al and Shambles were volunteered for this job as it was felt that their strength and destructive powers would undoubtedly clear a path straight through the smoke house!
Next in were Mel and myself. We made it to the top of the stairs where we were informed by one of the other teams that more hose was needed. So we retraced our steps and dragged through another 30 foot or so. By now both previous teams had passed us on there way out, each with a casualty.
When we arrived on the ground floor we started searching off the left hand wall and then entered the fire compartment. We could see most of the room from the glow of the fire and sure enough there was a casualty tucked away behind the fire! Mel led the way out with me bringing the casualty. We stopped for what seemed an eternity to brief team four (Chris Randall and Howard Clarke). Standing there, directly above the fire and carrying the dummy I could feel my legs starting to cook. And with legs like mine they wouldn't have looked out of place as a bit of KFC!
And that was that...
As George had said, "It's all in the mind...". He was right. If you started to think how hot it was then strangely it seemed to get hotter. While I was stood there waiting for Mel to brief team four, I had the chance to let my mind wander and, yes, it started to think "f**k me it's getting hot in here!"
The debrief for this drill and the whole day was very positive - nobody had cocked up...
Just clearing and cleaning up lweft to do plus the hour and a half drive back to Lowestoft with a bunch of weary firefighters and the very strong smell of kippers!
www.alerter.co.uk
Sustainable Bungay Film Shows June 2008
Sustainable Bungay Film Shows
With the twin issues of climate change and declining oil reserves becoming ever more urgent, Sustainable Bungay was formed to see what we in Bungay can do to reduce our collective carbon footprint and enjoy a lifestyle that is less dependent on oil.
To understand just how serious the issues are, Sustainable Bungay will be showing four important films at the Fisher Theatre, Bungay, during June.
The programme is:
Tuesday 10th June:CRUDE IMPACT
To promote a positive and hopeful change in the way we source and use energy.
Wednesday 11th June:POWER OF THE COMMUNITY
In this film Cubans tell how they moved from a highly mechanized industrial agricultural system to one using organic methods of farming and local, urban gardens in the wake of the collapse of the USSR.
Tuesday 17th June:THE 11TH HOUR
Narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio, this documentary explores the perilous state of our plant, and the means by which we can change our course.
Wednesday 18th June:ESCAPE FROM SUBURBIA
Declining world oil production has already begun to affect life in the USA. Expert scientific opinion is blanced with views from an emerging global movement of groups who are confronting peak oil.
All films start at 7.30pm and admission is free, although donations will be welcome!
Each film will be followed by a short discussion of the issues they raise.
For further information or to join Sustainable Bungay call
Didy Ward on 01986 893 824
or
Josiah Meldrum on 01986 897 097
or email sustainablebungay@gmail.com
For more on Transition Towns visit www.transitiontowns.org
Sunday, 8 June 2008
Jack and the Pirate School Part 4 - Audio Story
From Prince Bertie the Frog
14 mins
(Read by Natasha - who really enjoys doing Captain Blackheart)
Recruitment drive for Exercise Scheme
Recruitment drive for Exercise Referral Scheme
A campaign is under way to make more people aware of an exercise scheme designed to help improve the all round fitness of people with a variety of medical conditions.
The Exercise Referral Scheme, run by Great Yarmouth and Waveney PCT, is specially designed for people with a medical condition who would benefit from moderate levels of physical activity. In the ten years which it has been running, over 2,000 people between the ages of 16 and 86 have taken part and benefited from the scheme.
Mark Nussey, exercise referral coordinator for Waveney, said the scheme benefits a wide range of people, including those with bone and joint problems, heart conditions, depression, arthritis, back pain or weight problems.
“With the right kind of exercise, done at the correct intensity, almost every body can benefit and most of those who take part are amazed at the results,” said Mr Nussey. “The more unfit you are, the more exercise referral staff help you as it’s often the small changes that can make the biggest difference to your life.
“The staff on the scheme have a great understanding of people’s lifestyles and how difficult it can be to make the first step to fitness. The instructors have considerable experience to know how best to support anyone taking part and will be sympathetic to their needs helping them to become a healthier, happier person.”
To take part, patients have to be referred onto the scheme. Anyone interested in taking part should speak to their GP, practice nurse, dietitian, physiotherapist or occupational therapist and ask if a lifestyle change may help stop them having to rely on medication for their condition.
“The type of exercise we prescribed is about moderate activities such as gentle cycling and walking, “added Mr Nussey. “Our staff are all highly qualified, and know how to help you get on the move again. This is a really excellent scheme and there is a mass of evidence that shows it really does work.”
The Exercise Referral Scheme started six years ago in Lowestoft and now involves seven centres throughout the area, with facilities in Lowestoft, Beccles and Southwold. In addition to local gyms, patients can also be referred to community-based exercise classes such as tai chi, Pilates, chair-based classes and general fitness classes. These are delivered by self-employed exercise professionals under the banner of the Exercise Referral Scheme.
People who are referred on to the scheme have the chance to sit down and discuss their wishes with their instructor. The instructor will then design an exercise programme tailored to the person’s individual needs.
Those taking part will need to attend a series of sessions and are also encouraged to exercise between sessions and maintain their levels of activity after finishing the programme.
Les Chapman is one of the Exercise Referral Scheme’s success stories. Case study
One of the Exercise Referral Scheme’s success stories is Les Chapman, who has recently completed a twelve-week physical activity course as part of the Great Yarmouth and Waveney scheme.
Mr Chapman, who is 71, was referred to Spirit Fitness Gym at Lowestoft’s Water Lane leisure centre after suffering lower back pain. His instructor developed a personal exercise programme for him, made up of some resistance training alongside light cardiovascular exercise, such as cycling, rowing and walking.
Now Mr Chapman, who in the past occasionally had to walk with a stick, is feeling more mobile than ever after visiting the gym three times a week for the last eight months.
“The scheme is excellent and I have noticed a huge difference in my all round fitness,” he said. “I wanted to be more mobile and be more like other people, and this has given me much more freedom.
“A few years ago I was told I’d be in a wheelchair by now, but instead I go to the gym three times a week and to bowls twice a week. It has changed my lifestyle completely.”
Mr Chapman has vowed to continue his exercise regime and has become a member of Sprit Fitness Gym to help him maintain his fitness.
For further information: Contact Mark Nussey on 01502 719500.
Are you doing it with your eyes shut? - Driving hints
Driving hints by Mike Daniels
Dip Di Consultant for Driving to the Corporate Industry
Are you doing it with your eyes shut?
Researchers have just released that one in ten people driving for work have admitted they fall asleep at the wheel. This is a very serious statement, just to nod off for a second or two while driving CAN KILL.
Just remember if you are travelling at 60 m.p.h. your vehicle will travel 88 feet per second. Six people die every week in the UK in road collisions caused by tired drivers.
Just try walking 88 feet with your eyes closed - not a nice feeling, is it.
'BRAKE' the Road Safety Charity and Brakedown Specialist Green Flag who carried out the survey states one of the main causes is drivers not getting enough sleep the night before, they are urging companies to make sure all drivers set realistic times to get to appointments and deliveries, ensure they are fit, had enough rest and have regular breaks, such as 20 minutes in every 2 hours of driving.
During the working week I am fortunate to sit with Company drivers to assess their drivers through Health and Safety at Work, this WILL be a legal requirement from the 6th April 2008 that all Company Directors and Managers are aware of their drivers abilities, taking care of them, making sure they have a Safe Driving Policy in place protecting themselves from Corporate Manslaughter if ever any of their drivers are involved in a road traffic collision.
The drivers and companies I meet are lovely people, very much aware, but many drivers are pushed to their limits to make more calls per day, more paperwork, more targets, more stress, more hours behind the wheel, making them very tired (these are car and van drivers).
Surely there is just another day tomorrow, lets all reduce the pressure and slow down.
As you drive home from work in the evening, just think how many hours has the driver been behind the wheel coming towards you. That could be frightening.
Mike Daniels AcciDON'T - Making drivers safer world wide.
Retraining Drivers for Insurance Companies,
please don't let us meet you by Accident . . .
Mike Daniels and AcciDON’TD.S.A. Registered Instructor, Awarded Highest Grade 6
Saturday, 7 June 2008
Giant Stuffed Mushrooms - Susie’s Favourite Recipes
Susie’s Favourite Recipes
Giant Stuffed MushroomsServe 6 people
6 Large flat mushrooms
2 Slices of Bread, crusts removed
2 Tablespoons of Milk
Pepper
Large bunch of flat leafed fresh Parsley
2 Garlic cloves
50g (2oz) freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
2-3 tablespoons Brandy (optional)
* Wipe the mushrooms and remove the stalks.
* Soak the bread in the milk.
* Heat 2-3 tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan.
Add the whole mushrooms and fry for 5 minutes or until just tender, sprinkle with pepper and turn them over once.
* Arrange the mushrooms, stem side up, in a flame-proof dish.
* For the stuffing finely chop the mushroom stalks and parsley
(or if you prefer use a food processor).
* Squeeze the bread dry and add to the mushroom mixture and mix well (or process a little longer).
* Put the mixture into a bowel.
Crush the garlic and add with the Parmesan cheese and pepper.
* Moisten with brandy to taste with 2-3 tablespoons of
olive oil and mix together.
* Pre-heat the grill.
* Press a little stuffing mixture into each mushroom cap
and grill for about 5 minutes until golden.
* Serve hot and enjoy!
Chaffinch - Waveney Wildlife
Chaffinch
Characteristics
The colouring of the male Chaffinch at rest is unmistakable; its large double white wing bars, white tail edges and greenish rump easily identify this 14-16 cm long species.
The breeding male is unmistakable, with his reddish under-parts and a blue-grey cap. The female is drabber and greener, but still easily recognisable.
Habitat
The Chaffinch uses a range of habitats, although open woodland is favoured, it is also common in gardens and on farmland. They build nest in hedges and in tree forks; forming a cup of grass, moss and lichens and lining it with hair.
Behaviour
The Chaffinch seeks seeds and insects for food from gardens, parks and farmland.
The powerful song starts slowly, accelerates down the scale and ends up with an exuberant flourish, it is repeated up to five or ten times a minute. The alarm call is very well known, and its ‘fink’ or ‘vink’.
B.A.B.
www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife
Friday, 6 June 2008
The scandalous neglect of our flood defences
We only have to look across the Channel to the Netherlands to see how to protect a coastline properly.
Thanks to a team of underwater archaeologists from the University of Southampton, we should soon be able to sense the bustle of medieval Dunwich. At the current rate it won’t be too long before the archaeologists are called to do the same for Norwich.
In April the Government’s nature quango, Natural England, revealed that it is thinking of letting the sea reclaim 25 square miles, and six villages, of Norfolk.
The story of Dunwich, or rather a misreading of the story, is frequently cited as justification for the Government’s policy of abandoning sea defences – or “coastal realignment”, as it is euphemistically described. Look at Dunwich, goes the argument, to see the futility of trying to hold back the waves.
In fact, the story of Dunwich is far more complex than that. The burghers of Dunwich, whose skulls still occasionally wash ashore, were not fools. Had the same efforts been put into defending Dunwich as have been put into defending Portsmouth, Felixstowe or any other great port that would be submerged were it not for sea defences, it would still be a large town today. It was allowed to fall into the sea because the silting-up of the docks ruined its economy and made it not worth defending.
The wealth of medieval Dunwich was reliant on its harbour on the Dunwich river. Long before the great storm of 1287, which caused the collapse of a stretch of cliff, the river had been blocked by a spit of land called the Kingsholme and diverted three miles to the north, to join the River Blyth. Dunwich gradually declined because at that point Walberswick and Southwold became much more attractive ports.
Had Dunwich survived, it would probably by now be hosting ferries to the Netherlands. There you can see what happens when a government really puts its mind to defending the coastline. Millions live quite happily on land that in places lies 15ft below sea level. There is no talk of abandoning Rotterdam; just great vigilance and superb engineering.
The difference between the polders and our crumbling cliffs and creeping saltmarshes is not that the North Sea is wilder on our side. It is that our Government is tight-fisted on flood defence, spending just £470 million a year on rivers and coasts across the whole country – compared with £9 billion on the Olympics.Moreover, in the Netherlands the business of coastal defence is in the hands of civil engineers, whereas in Britain it has been trusted to a bunch of birdwatchers who see the defence of property as less important than creating homes for warblers.
Either we take Natural England and the Environment Agency off the job or the story of Dunwich will become the story of the whole of the East of England.
Ross Clark - www.timesonline.co.uk
FALLEN ANGEL (12) - Diss Film Society
Next Screening:
9th June 2008
9th June 2008
The Park Hotel, Diss
Film Starts 8pm
Members £3 Non-Members £4 Students £2 (under 21)
FALLEN ANGEL (12)
Origin: USA
Year: 1945
Running Time: 98 mins
Director: Otto Preminger
Cast: Alice Faye, Dana Andrews, Linda Darnell
The classic film noir scenario - poor man develops obsession with femme fatale. Dana Andrews’ character falls in love with beautiful waitress, Linda Darnell, and marries rich Alice Faye for the money he needs to woo her. When the waitress is killed, Andrews investigates the murder on his own, eventually discovering the shocking identity of the killer.
The incisive acting and shadowy world of midnight rendevous make this one of Preminger’s early masterpieces.
* * * * * *
What's On in Diss? visit
for a list of Diss Events
* * * * * *
Film Starts 8pm
Members £3 Non-Members £4 Students £2 (under 21)
FALLEN ANGEL (12)
Origin: USA
Year: 1945
Running Time: 98 mins
Director: Otto PremingerCast: Alice Faye, Dana Andrews, Linda Darnell
The classic film noir scenario - poor man develops obsession with femme fatale. Dana Andrews’ character falls in love with beautiful waitress, Linda Darnell, and marries rich Alice Faye for the money he needs to woo her. When the waitress is killed, Andrews investigates the murder on his own, eventually discovering the shocking identity of the killer.
The incisive acting and shadowy world of midnight rendevous make this one of Preminger’s early masterpieces.
* * * * * *
What's On in Diss? visit
for a list of Diss Events* * * * * *