On Saturday 5th June the Bawdeswell Garden Centre was in carnival mood, celebrating 21 years under the ownership and direction of Peter and Judy Underwood.   When they took it over in 1983 from the Bennett family, it was a plant nursery and very much smaller than it is today.  At the time they talked of developing it as a Garden Centre and would be expanding it to include the sale of garden and conservatory furniture, quality gifts, outdoor clothing, books and even a Coffee Shop.  It all seemed very ambitious.

21 years on they are to be congratulated on the magnificent job they have done, creating one of the best Garden Centres in Norfolk, and one which people all over the county  know of and visit.  It is one of the few in the whole country that also has demonstration gardens to enjoy, and on special occasions like today the pleasure of relaxing and enjoying Dixeyland Jazz from the Red Bean & Rice Jazz Band.

The recent building has provided new office space, a garden design office, and on the ground floor a smart new Entrance  which now contains the book and card department. 

Under development at the moment is a perennial garden, beyond the Millennium garden.  A reminder that the coffee shop prepares light lunches, and serves refreshments and delicious cakes during the rest of the day.  
If you live locally, it makes a very pleasant outing, but don’t forget your purse, you’re sure to see something you must buy or even just enjoy a cup of coffee on the patio!

May Field Trip to Sparham Pools for the Dawn Chorus
We met  at the car park at the unheard of time of 4.15 a.m. Although not quite light the  birds  were already  in  full  song,  especially the Garden Warbler and the Chiff Chaff.  Overall  we saw,  or heard,  57 different species  which included the Tawny Owl, Blackcap,  Black-crowned Night-Heron, Barn Owl,  Tree  creeper,  Goldcrest, Osprey, Sedge Warbler, Willow Warbler, Reed Bunting, Whitethroat, Sand Martin, Reed Warbler, Cetti's Warbler, and Nuthatch. Well worth getting up for – especially the hot bacon butties for those who stayed the course.

At our indoor meeting Peter Ransom gave an interesting and beautifully illustrated talk on ‘Birds and other wildlife of East Anglia’. 

Indoor meeting on Thursday July 15th at Lenwade Village Hall is a  talk by Steven Spawls on ‘ Birds of South East Africa’.

Outdoors during 23rd  to 25th  July there will be a demonstration of Bird Ringing at Boughton  Fen  performed  by  club  members  who  are  licenced  to carry out this specialised and vital task. Since this is weather dependent, please contact Ray Gribble on 01603 872709 a few days before for the exact dates. 
 Colin Wright: 01603-740548      [atomic.colin@virgin.net]

BECK WI

"My Life in Crime"
I am sure several of us went along to the June meeting wondering whatever we would be told about "My Life in Crime" - the subject of our speaker's talk. Mr. Patrick Monaghan arrived early but was kind enough to let us get the business of the evening over before introducing himself.

Ruth read the Minutes of the last meeting and spoke of forthcoming events, reminding us of the Woodford Group Meeting at Elsing on 17th November.

Mr Monaghan then held the floor for three quarters of an hour - we could have listened to him for longer. An ex-Army man, in 1970 he changed course (and uniform) and became a Judge's Clerk. He worked well with his Senior Judge for nine years then became a Judge's Secretary, which meant dealing with correspondence, legal matters and being Social Secretary when the Judge was on circuit. Lastly he took on the duties of Court Clerk. We all enjoyed listening to his stories, both serious and amusing, of life in and around the various Courts. He was thanked by Carol. 

The raffle was won by Jean. Exhibition 1st Audrey, 2nd Ruth Clarke.

The subject of next month's talk is "Age of Innocence" and the exhibition is a Personal Childhood Photo. We meet on 12th July at the Old School Room, Sparham, at 7.30 p.m. and as always, new members are most welcome.