The bus company have asked us if we can raise awareness of this proposal to change the 86 bus service from September.
Should you wish to comment you can email yard@ourhire.co.uk
Or call 01493 752223.
Please send comments on the changes by April 17th if you have any.
In a nutshell for our village and Bergh Apton the highlights are:
The early morning bus through the village is proposed to be retimed and rerouted to serve Poringland and Arminghall. Arrive Alpington 07:53 arriving in Norwich at 08:15. This will enable students to use the service to attend Fram Earl high school.
(currently service is arrive Alpington 07:27 arrive Norwich 07:45 – via A146)
There is also an additional service leaving Norwich at 15:00 via Arminghall and Poringland which will ensure students are able to get home again.
Here is a list of times and locations that our local beat officer PC Andy Sneddon will be available for people to chat about any local concerns, on Thursday 23rd March 2023.
09:00 – 16:00
PC Andy Sneddon will be holding street surgeries on Thursday 23rd to chat about local concerns- come along to discuss issues in your area or ask him a question.
Burgate lane in Alpington is closing on 8th to 9th March 2023 for guardrails repair works.
From the official notice:
… affecting the U76372 Burgate Lane from 215m west of its junction with U76373 Reeders Lane for 50m north-westwards in the PARISH OF ALPINGTON to facilitate Norfolk County Council guardrails repair works.
The road will be temporarily closed (except for access) from 8th to 9th March 2023 for the duration of the works expected to be about 2 days within the period.
Alternative route is via: Burgate Lane, Hall Road, Yelverton Road, Framingham Earl Road, Church Road, Wheel Road.
The next Alpington with Yelverton Parish Council meeting will be held at 7.30pm at the village hall, Mon 13th Mar 2023. The agenda is downloadable below.
February is the month which should signal the end of Winter, when we can all start preparing for Spring and enjoy being out in our gardens more often, as the weather permits.
Plants to buy or enjoy this month
Shrubs: Early flowering Camelias, Jasminum nudiflorum (winter flowering Jasmine), Garrya elliptica (also known as the Silk Tassel tree)
Perennials & Bulbs: Hellebores, native Primroses, Pulmonaria. Also early Daffodils, Crocuses and Aconites.
General Garden maintenance
• If snow falls, knock it off evergreen shrubs & conifers to prevent branches snapping or bowing under the weight • Firm back down any plants that have been lifted by frost • Put garden compost or well-rotted manure on beds and fork it in • Clear away old plant debris from pond margins and scoop out any leaves that have fallen into the water • Spread a layer of well-rotted manure around roses and shrubs • Install a nest box with a camera, so you can watch birds raising their young in Spring
Flowerbeds & Pots
• Cut down deciduous ornamental grasses left standing over winter, before fresh shoots appear • Divide large clumps of snowdrops and Winter aconites after flowering and replant to start new colonies • Divide congested clumps of herbaceous perennials and grasses to make vigorous new plants for free • Move dormant deciduous shrubs growing in the wrong place • Pot up containers with hardy spring bedding, such as primroses, wallflowers and forget-me-nots • Sprinkle slow-release fertiliser around the base of roses and other flowering shrubs
Pruning
• Prune hybrid tea and floribunda roses, before growth restarts • Prune late-summer flowering clematis, cutting stems back to healthy buds about 30cm from the base • Trim back ivy, Virginia creeper and other climbers if they have outgrown their space, before birds start nesting • Prune winter-blooming shrubs such as mahonia & winter jasmine after they’ve flowered • Cut back wisteria side shoots to three buds, to encourage abundant flowers in spring • Give winter heathers a light trim after flowering, removing shoot tips but not cutting back into old wood • Prune buddleia and elder down to 1m or to the base to keep these vigorous shrubs to a reasonable size • Cut away all the old foliage from epimediums with shears, before the spring flowers start to develop • Finish winter-pruning fruit trees and soft fruits, including apples, autumn raspberries and blackcurrants
Greenhouse
• Remove any faded or yellowing leaves from overwintering plants • Wash greenhouse glazing inside and out to let in more light • Sow sweet peas in deep pots and keep them frost-free in a greenhouse and pinch out Autumn-sown sweet peas to encourage side shoots • Sow summer bedding and tender annuals, including cosmos, lobelia, dahlias, nasturtiums and snapdragons • Sow tender crops such as tomatoes and chillies in a heated propagator • Plant dahlia tubers in trays to encourage shoots to develop • Start planting summer bulbs in pots indoors, including begonias, gloxinias, lilies and agapanthus • Cut back overwintered fuchsias and start watering them sparingly to encourage new growth
Another mild start to January which has encouraged snowdrops and other bulbs to start growing earlier than usual. While we enjoy some milder dry days there are lots of small jobs to do in our gardens, some ideas are listed below.
Plants to buy this month
• Snowdrops and hellebores. Buy plants in flower, so you can choose the blooms you like
General Garden maintenance
• Clear soggy leaves, algae and moss from paths, patios, decking and steps • Top up bird baths with fresh water and feed birds high energy food to help them through the cold weeks ahead, remembering to scrub the feeders regularly • Repair wobbly or damaged fences • Give your lawn mower a basic service while not in use • Put up bird boxes in sheltered spots, on tree trunks, sheds or walls • Clean and sharpen your tools, including hoes, secateurs and shears. Spray metal tools with oil • Sprinkle an all-purpose fertiliser along the base of hedges and around shrubs • Trim back ivy, Virginia creeper and other climbers • Give empty pots and seed trays a thorough wash and scrub
Flowerbeds
• Plant bare-root roses, shrub & hedging and ornamental trees, as long as the ground isn’t frozen • Clear away and compost soggy, collapsed stems of perennials • Remove larger leaves of established hellebores to reveal the flowers • Press mistletoe berries into the bark of apple trees to establish your own mistletoe plants • Clear leaf debris from small alpines • Move dormant plants that are in the wrong place to more suitable sites • Check for rot on stored bulbs and tubers, and ensure dahlia and canna tubers haven’t totally dried out
Pruning
• Continue pruning climbing roses, while they are dormant • Prune apple and Pear trees
Greenhouse
• Sow winter salads in a greenhouse or on a sunny windowsill, for harvesting in a few weeks • Tidy up the greenhouse, disposing of any broken pots & old compost etc • Move potted strawberry plants under cover to encourage early fruiting • Prepare your greenhouse for spring – look at ventilation, shading & heating • Ventilate the greenhouse on sunny days to prevent humidity building up
Alpington and Yelverton 