News and Events

Road Closure – Framingham Earl Road next to the pond 16-23 Jan

This work will allow a new short section of footpath (and refuge for pedestrians) to be built adjacent to the Pond. Once complete, it will serve as a starting point for future improvements to access and seating at the Pond. More details on this will follow later this year as designs are developed for consideration.

Verbatim from the official notice:

To allow footway construction work at 76369 Framingham Earl Road, Yelverton to be carried out, it will be necessary to close the 76369 Framingham Earl Road from its junction with C374 Church Road, westwards for a distance of 55 metres. The work is expected to take 7 days to complete, weather permitting. The road will be closed from 16 January to 23 January.

Due to the nature of the work there will be no access past the works for vehicles, cyclists, horse and riders and pedestrians while the work is underway.

A fully signed official diversion route will be provided.
The County Council thanks people for their patience while this essential work is carried out.
For Further Information
Gary Overland (Highway Engineer) highways@norfolk.gov.uk
Up-to-date information about roadworks in Norfolk is available on the County Council website at http://www.norfolk.gov.uk/roadworks

Gardening Tasks – Dec 2022

With so much rain in November, most of our gardens are very wet underfoot so working in them has been a challenge on most days! Early December is meant to be drier and more settled so are likely to have our first serious frosts to welcome the start of Advent, which will certainly help conjure up more festive spirits leading up to Christmas.

Although there isn’t the urgency to do things in the garden, we can continue with some tidying up, protecting any tender plants and ponds and helping the wildlife in our gardens.

Watering

Plants need less water at this time of year, however, check regularly to ensure that any container plants and pots in the greenhouse don’t dry out completely.

Plant Protection


Protect tender palms and tree ferns. Pack a few handfuls of straw into the crown, tie up the leaves or fronds and wrap the whole plant in horticultural fleece or hessian tying it off securely at the bottom. Try not to use bubble wrap for this purpose as on warm days, your plants will sweat and rot.

Houseplants

Move houseplants away from warm radiators and into a sunny, cool place where they will be happier in the Winter months.

If very severe frosts are forecast, float a football on the water in concrete lined ponds. When the water freezes, the ball will absorb the ice pressure rather than cracking the concrete sides. Fish may suffocate if ice persists for long, so melt a hole by standing a metal pan on the surface filled with boiling water. Try not to break up the ice as when the broken ice falls into the water, this lowers the water temperature further and cancels the insulating effect of the frozen surface.

Feeding Birds

Keep your bird feeders topped up with a variety of seeds, nuts and suet products to give our garden birds a boost through the cold Winter days and ensure that water is available.

A coal tit facing right on a tree stump

Relaxing and planning for next year

Even with the run-up to Christmas and New year, hopefully you can find some quieter times where you can perhaps read some of the gardening magazines you never found time to read earlier in the year and look at those seed catalogues and planting ideas for next year.

Happy Christmas!

Road Closure – A47 near Acle and Great Yarmouth in the evenings 14-18 Nov

The A47 will be closed at various times and locations in the evenings 14-18 Nov. Roughly between Blofield and Great Yarmouth. The diversion is huge, and traffic will be diverted along the A146. See the full post below for a diagram and full explanation.

Verbatim from the official notice:

We plan to carry out surveys to assess the condition of the A47 at various locations between Lingwood Lane and Great Yarmouth. 

We plan to complete this work over 5 nights between Monday 14 November and Friday 18 November. We will work between 8pm and 6am, weather permitting.

Closures and diversions

To carry out the work safely, we will need to close the A47 and divert traffic as detailed below:

  • A47 Acle Roundabout to Vauxhall Roundabout both directions – Monday 14 November
  • Lingwood Lane to Acle Roundabout eastbound – Tuesday 15 November and Wednesday 16 November (No access will be available from Brundall / Cucumber Lane Roundabout)
  • Acle Roundabout to Lingwood Lane westbound – Thursday 17 November and Friday 18 November. (No access will be available from Acle Roundabout)

Whilst the A47 is closed, eastbound traffic will be diverted off the A47 at Norwich onto the A146 and A143 to re-join the A47 at Great Yarmouth. Westbound traffic will follow the same diversion but in reverse.

How to find out more

To find out more about road improvements we’re carrying out across the East of England, please visit our website at https://nationalhighways.co.uk/our-work/east/.

If you would like more information, please contact us on 0300 123 5000, or by email at info@nationalhighways.co.uk.

Call for volunteers – from a lifelong Alpington resident

Call for volunteers!

The BUILD Charity provides social, leisure and learning opportunities for adults with disabilities in Norfolk. Lara, a lifelong Alpington resident, has just started working with them and she needs your help!

Do you have a couple of hours spare a week to attend a social activity of some of the members? This could be a Sunday roast in Norwich, a Saturday afternoon walkabout, a gardening session, a cinema trip, ten pin bowling, or even at the Wednesday Club Social! All the volunteer expenses are covered and by becoming a volunteer with the BUILD Charity; you receive your disability awareness and safeguarding training.

If this volunteer opportunity is of interest to you then either call the office on 01603 618029, email Lara at projects@buildcharity.co.uk, or check out the website for our sign up forms and donations https://www.buildcharity.co.uk/. 

It is a charity with such a great cause but they need volunteers for this fantastic work so I am calling on my local community for your help, thank you!