Traditional Building Methods of Wayland- Talk 2nd March 7.30pm Wayland House Watton

Tomorrow night there will be a talk Dirk Bouwens on the 'Traditional Building Methods of Wayland' - Talk 2nd March 7.30pm Wayland House, Watton. This evening will be expecially interesting for those of you who have clay-lump houses. Mr Bouwens is a national specialist on the history and care of clay and earth buildings, you can read an artical by him on the link below
http://www.buildingconservation.com/articles/earth/earth_buildings.htm 

The talk is free to the community of Wayland, come and find out more about the area's Vernacular buildings.

The evening talk on 17th Feb on 'The Poor Law in Rural Norfolk' has been Postponed until 17th March

Talk due this week on Thursday 17th Feb by Bron Tyler on the 'Poor Law in Rural Norfolk'  has been postponed until Thursday 17th March.
It will look at the life of the parish poor and the effects of the Poor Laws, fuel allotments, charity, emigration and the workhouse system. If you are studying your parish history it will give you pointers of things to look for and the resources available. It is free to all those in the Wayland area, if you would like to come please email me sue@wayland.org.uk  to book a seat.

Heritage Events in Feb and March 2011

We have 2 Heritage Research drop-in days on the 9^th and 24^th Feb from 10.30 - 4.00pm at Wayland House, Watton. 

There are also three evening events at Wayland House, Watton - 7.30pm

17^th Feb - ‘The Poor Law in Norfolk’ - Bron Tyler

2^nd March - Dirk Bouwens will be speaking on ‘The Vernacular Buildings of Wayland’

5^th March - ‘Wayland in Words’ this event is a part of national World Book Night celebrations http://www.worldbooknight.org/, also see below..

If you want to attend please let me know as we can only fit 40 people in the room.

Wayland in Words

For the event on March 5th we are asking Wayland people to choose their favourite passages of text that reflect the character of Wayland. It could be modern poetry (as in the Wayland Word Journey’), part of a press cutting or old document, parish record, a quote from a local history, landscape or wildlife book, fact or fiction, past or present. 

It would be wonderful if you would be willing to read your selected passage/s out on the night as part of the event.  Even if you do not want to read out your passage on the night, please do select a passage or two, someone else could read them or they may be used in a printed version. 

If you want to take part in ‘Wayland in Words’ please email me (send a copy of your proposed passage of text, and any images you think would complement it) it should be a very interesting and memorable evening.

Heritage Events in January 2011

We have a variety of heritage events to offer you during the rest of January:

The date of the next project Focus Group meeting is 18^th Jan at 7pm Wayland House.

There will also be four Heritage all day drop-ins at Wayland House, High St., Watton on Tue 18^th Jan, Mon 24^th Jan and Wed 26^th Jan all from 10am – 3.30pm, and the morning of Fri 21^st Jan from 10-12.30. Please pop-in for help with research or to talk over any heritage projects you are working on etc.

There is a writing/editing workshop, for those producing text and images for the final project publications, on 26^th Jan at 7pm – 9pm at Wayland House. It is important that those involved come if they can, so that we can all get an over view of what everyone is doing, and feel comfortable that we are all happily on the same track. It will be a chance to swop ideas and get practical advice.

Don't miss your chance to come to the ‘Wayland Tales’ storytelling evening event at the Chequers Inn Thompson on 27^th Jan you need to book now as there are only 7 places left. 

Today is Plough Monday - Molly Dancing Tradition at Hockham Green Tonight 7pm

Today is Plough Monday,  the first Monday after Epiphany (The 12 days of Christmas). In the past on Plough Sunday it was common for the vicar to bless the plough...the men who will use it...and the work it would accomplish in the coming year. Farmers resumed their work on the following Plough Monday. It was a day when ploughmen traditionally marked the end of the Christmas period for the agricultural communities. The first records of it date from the 1300s.  Before the reformation there are records of the burning of plough lights, maintained in churches by guilds of dancers, in several Norfolk  churches. There is also the Norfolk 'Plough Pudding' which is a boiled suet pudding, containing meat and onions which was traditionally eaten on the day.

As agricultural work was scarce in the winter, farm labourers disguised themselves, by blacking their faces with soot, to get money by dragging a decorated plough around the the village. As they dragged the plough they would shout out "Penny for the ploughboys!". In east Anglia molly dancers often accompanied the plough, with the farm labourers to dance and entertain for money, they also blackened their faces with soot to disguise themselves so they could not be recognised by their future employers. This tradition is still kept alive in Wayland at Great Hockham, tonight it starts from the village green at 7pm, with the blessing of the plough and  molly dancing by the Hockham Clodhoppers. All the money collected on the night goes to charity.

You can find more information on Plough Monday on the following links:
http://www.ploughmonday.co.uk/
http://freespace.virgin.net/peter.millington1/PloughMonday/Origins.htm
http://greathockham.org/MollyDancers.aspx 

Book now for 'Wayland Tales' - Storytelling Event - 27th Jan, Chequers Inn, Thompson

Come and join us for a winter evening of curious 'Wayland Tales',  listern to traditional local tales of all kinds that have been passed down the generations, stories of ghosts, legends, crime, funny events and tragedy. The tales will be told by members of the project's workshops and the well known storyteller and researcher of Norfolk Folklore - Theo Fanthorpe.

Places are free but limited, you will need to book a ticket, priority will be given to those who have been researching local tales and/or taking part in the workshops. Please book your ticket from:  sue@wayland.org.uk,  tel; 01953 880216 or pop-in to Wayland House and speak to the Heritage Officer, Sue White.

The tales will be recorded at the event to form the base for a DVD that will be bound into an illustrated book of the 'Wayland Tales'. If you have any local tales that you would like to contribute to the book, please get in touch with us.

Radio Norfolk Turn's Back Time in Watton Today - Listen Live

Go along to Adcock's in Watton High street this morning and share your memories and images of Watton High Street in the past, with Karen Buchanan. Visit http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/norfolk/hi/people_and_places/history/newsid_9233000/9233873.stm  to see videos of Richard Sample well known master butcher and Chris Edwards' of Edwards Newsagent's.