A Monthly Publication

 By Martin Chown, Chair.

Far from heading off to the beach in the summer, the Civic Society Committee have come up for air from the dusty documents, and taken themselves out and about in Sunny Hunstanton, or perhaps even Hunstanton St Edmund.

BRITAIN IN BLOOM

We manned various flower beds and the information boards around the town as the judges looked at Hunstanton’s entry for Britain in Bloom. I have never seen so many Borough Council vehicles in one place. Council officers valiantly removed graffiti from a litter bin seconds before the judges walked around the corner, and just in time persuaded skate boarders on the raised flower bed outside the Town Hall to delay their jump from the top. When we arrived at the new garden placed outside the Coal Shed Gallery, purchased from the Sandringham Flower Show, even more council officials arrived out of nowhere. I don’t blame them as, sadly, plants had been stolen the previous day.

Along with the Mayor we showed them the Pier Seedling, now properly installed adjacent to the Pier Entertainments building. When HCS and the Council planted the remnant of the pier recently washed up on to the beach, little did they know what they were starting. Perhaps the purchase of compost will appear as an Agenda item at one of our next meetings – all members are welcome to attend that one! Our grateful thanks to John Maiden whose original thought this is, and to Peter Mallam for his support.

On a more serious note, however, we are very grateful to Canny and David Jones for their hard work in the background for Hunstanton, and their support and inclusion of HCS in the arrangements for Hunstanton’s entry in Britain in Bloom – HCS is hardly constituted as a gardening organisation, but is very pleased to be associated.

JOHN SELBY

Not too many readers will be familiar with John – Hunstanton has benefited greatly from his calm and careful interest in the conservation and heritage of the town. Working for the Borough Council, he has regularly attended our meetings for the past four years. He has listened to all the various concerns, offered helpful advice, and has encouraged HCS in its core principles.

Unexpectedly the Borough Council have offered him early retirement. He will be a great loss not only to Hunstanton but to King’s Lynn and Downham Market

CONSERVATION AREA EXTENSION

John has indicated to us that the extension on the original conservation areas will be presented to Cabinet in October and then to full Council. A conservation area does not prevent development but the design has to be in keeping with the surroundings. Most responses to the consultation have been in support – but some just wish for their own house to be excluded.

His work on the town’s shop front policy also stands, but we will have lost a lot of good and creative ideas that he was keen to promote. We would very much welcome any more ideas to take forward – so if you are interested, and would like to help us,  please phone Andrew our Secretary.

THE FUTURE….

The photographic display, organised by John Smith and Brian Holmes - is now hanging on the wall in the Café of the enlarged Oasis Centre. This gives a humorous and educational look back at Hunstanton’s past. The Railway exhibition ‘ Memories  of Lynn to Hunstanton Railway’planned for the Coal Shed Gallery in September, will now be on September 23 – 27 and also 30 September to October 4.

We hope you will come along to the new Talks series organised by Brian Holmes, starting with a special one on 22^nd September - ‘The Lives of Ken Wallis’ whose aeronautical antics have spanned around 90 years, and continue today, attracting a lively following.

If you can’t wait until then to get involved, the Society welcomes members to come along to our regular committee meetings where you get your chance to make your own views known, and to contribute to the life of Hunstanton. For information please do contact our Secretary, Andrew Murray, 01485 532376.