Filby in Bloom 2018

Village Portfolio

Filby in Bloom 2018

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Item

Sect

ion

Page

B - Environmental Responsibility

Trinity Broads A5, B1, B3, 18NWT’s Living Landscapes Project B1, B2, B4

19Village PondsB1, B3Ormesby Little Broad Viewing Platform &

WalkwayClay Pits Project B1, B3, B4

20Wildlife Area B1, C1Nest Boxes B1Churchyard Project B1, B3, B4, B5

21Domestic Waste Recycling

B2

Plant and Compost Recycling

22

Garden Waste CompostingPeat Usage ReductionMulchingChemical TreatmentsInformation Boards B3, B5Cleanliness B4

23

Welcome SignsB5

Street Furniture Watering

B2Village Hall Energy UsageOther Activities B2, B4, B5

C - Community Participation

Filby’s New Village Hall C1, C3, C4

24Open Gardens Weekend C3, C4, C5Grand Fete

C4, C5Grand Firework DisplayChristmas Bazaar

25Easter BonanzaFilby in Bloom Coffee MorningsThe Village Football Pitch C1

26The Press

C2

The Filby FlyerLocal Radio & Television

27Filby on the WebOther Means of PublicityBIDQuiz Night

C5

28Branded ProductsSponsorshipNursery C3Filby in Bloom’s Accounts C5Filby Primary School

C3 29Gardening at Filby School

The Future C1 30

Item

Sect

ion

Page

Cover 1Contents 2Village Map 3Introduction Filby in Bloom C1 4

Anglia in Bloom Judging Day 2017 C3, C45Open Gardens Weekend C3, C4, C5

Britain in Bloom Judging Day 2017 C3, C4Anglia in Bloom Awards Ceremony

C46Yarmouth in Bloom Awards Ceremony

Anglia in Bloom SeminarAnglia in Bloom Spring Launch

A - Horticultural Achievement

Our Plans for 2018 A1,A2,B1,C17Spring & Summer Activity

A1, A2

Autumn and Winter ActivityGrowing-on Facilities

8Planning for Summer DisplaysBarrels and PlantersYork Villa Close Rose Beds

9Kings Head BedVillage Pound A1, A2, A3,

A5, B3Village Pound Wetlands Project 10

Village Club Room Garden

A1, A2, A3, B3

11Village Hall Sensory Garden 12Senses and the Sensory Garden

13We got an ‘OrseDrought Garden

A1, A2

14Queen’s Golden Jubilee BedThrigby Road Corner Bed

15

Filby Close BedFilby FlyerBusiness Premises A4Residential Gardens A3, C3Community Orchard A5, B1Tree Planting

A1, A2 16Hedge PlantingWildflower Planting A1, A2, A5

17Rotary Crocus Beds A1, A3Allotments A3

Contents

Contributions from Ken Saul (Wildlife Surveys), Caroline Nicker (Planters & Club Room Garden), Gwen Thurtle (Drought Garden), Caroline Nicker (Sensory Garden), Eilish Rothney (Norfolk Wildlife Trust) and Ruth Peake (Gardening at Filby Primary School) are appreciated.Village photographs in this Portfolio are from Tom Green, Gwen Thurtle, Kate Foster, Keith & Leslie Johnson, Ken & Joan Saul and Derek & Caroline Nicker. Cover - Village Shop and Post Office - Ellen Mary Webster. Some Broads images are from the Norfolk Broads Authority archives. Extracts from the local papers are reproduced by kind permission of Archant Newspapers.

Filby in Bloom 2018

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Village Map

Ormesby Lane

Mautby Lane

Thrigby Road

Pound Lane

Green Lane

Mill Lane

Poplar DrivePaddock

Farm Drive

Filby Close

Church Lane

York Villa Close

Broad Lane

Filby Broad Main Road

A1064

Boardwalk

Staithe Kings Head P.H.

The PoundThrigby Road CornerAllotmentsUnitarian Site

Club Room

Ken Martin Memorial

FEPOW MemorialFilby Broad

Filby Bridge Restaurant

Village HallBowls Club

Bus Shelter Water FeaturePlaying FieldMillennium Clock

Wildlife Area

Primary School

Jam Shed

Village Pond

Village SignParish Church

Orchard

Ormesby Little Broad

Clay Pits

Shop & P.O.

Filby in Bloom 2018

Page 4

Introduction

Filby in Bloom - C1

The village of Filby is situated on the edge of the Norfolk Broads, between Filby Broad and Ormesby Little Broad, some 6 miles north-west of Great Yarmouth and 16 miles east of the city of Norwich. The parish covers an area of a little over 2.2 square miles (543 acres) and, according to the December 2017 Register of Electors it had 664 people, over the age of 18, and 344 dwellings. Essentially agricultural in character, until the late 1950s, Filby was known for its market gardens. It was never a ‘chocolate box’ village, with thatched cottages surrounding a quaint village green. It remains a succession of dwellings, lining the busy A1064. The village has, now, however, become an attractive base for commuters, to both Great Yarmouth and Norwich. The village entered Anglia in Bloom, for the first time, in 1995, had its first success in 1997 and in 2017, achieved the ultimate accolade of Category Winner in the Britain in Bloom Competition.All involved do so to make Filby a better place in which to live, for the benefit of residents, businesses and visitors alike. Everyone makes a contribution in the best way that they can. There is no formal ‘In-Bloom’ committee, as such. Instead, everyone has a say in the planning. A Chairperson and Secretary are elected for the purpose of those meetings that are, occasionally, held but all participate in the discussions and everyone has an equal vote. Team work is evident throughout the organisation of the many schemes and projects that run every year, to which so many of the residents willingly give their time. Every Saturday morning, a small team is assembled to conduct all necessary clearing, cleaning, planting and other sundry tasks to ensure that the village stays in great shape. Individuals often initiate their own projects and the sheer number and variety of the tasks undertaken demonstrate the innovation within the village. Its enthusiasm for the In-Bloom competitions and for the overall improvement to the fabric of the neighbourhood, in general, is self-evident.Filby is well known throughout the area as ‘The Flower Village’ and the media pay close attention to activities in the Parish, which are also publicised in a monthly newsletter, the Filby Flyer. Fundraising is a year round activity. A regular income is derived from the collection of recyclables and sponsors are attracted from local businesses. Villagers participate in regular events that raise money for the horticultural front. These include popular quiz nights at a local restaurant, coffee mornings, an Open Gardens Weekend and the Annual Fete. There really is a great community effort, well demonstrated by the projects described within this portfolio. Filby in Bloom is, indeed, “a lovely place to be”.Current members of the In-Bloom team are listed here but they are ably assisted, on a regular basis, and in a variety of different roles, by other village residents, too numerous to mention.

The Team Key Tasks

Adrian Thompson Chairman, planning, planting, potting on and watering

Paddy Hudson Secretary

Joy Baldry Potting on & planting

Jenny Barnes & Tony Elms Fund raising quizzes

Peter Chapman Water feature maintenance and litter

Susan Chase Orchard

Nick Dawes Rill, planting & potting on

Grace & Pippa Futter Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

Les Futter Orchard & Wildlife Garden

Mervyn & Sandra Gibson Planting, potting on & maintenance, use of greenhouse

Tom Green Display design, planting

Percy Hudson Floral displays, strimming and maintenance, potting on

Richard Morris Planting

Caroline Nicker Club Room Project, planting & potting on

Derek Nicker Portfolio & Press Officer

Ian Richardson Planting & potting on, maintenance, Pound Wetlands

Ted & Julie Roberts Planting & potting on.

Joan Saul Orchard, Wildlife Garden

Ken Saul Nest Boxes, Wildlife Surveys

David Shaw Planting, potting on and maintenance

David Thompson MBE Planting, potting on & watering

Jenny Thompson Fundraising

Gwen Thurtle Drought Garden, Potting on, planting & maintenance

Gordon & Margery Ward Planning & displays

Sandra Woolsey Garden Planning.

Local Map

Grace Futter working on the new Sensory Garden Rill, during her three months work with the Saturday Crew, for the Voluntary Service part of the Bronze Section of her Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Programme.

Filby in Bloom 2018

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Filby in Bloom’s Year

Anglia in Bloom Judging Day 2017 - C3, C4

This year, we were competing, once again, in Anglia in Bloom’s Village (Pop.301-2,500) Category. We were defending our title of Best Village and were judged on Thursday 13th July. Our judges were David White from Manea in Cambridgeshire and Nolan Mills from South Wooton in Norfolk. Judging started at 9:00 am with a 15 minute presentation and accompanying the judges on their tour were Filby in Bloom’s Chairman, Adrian Thompson and its Press Officer, Derek Nicker.A highlight of the Judging Tour was the visit to Filby Primary School, where the Judges were entertained by a song, in Zulu, in the school yard whilst pupils presented Adrian Thompson, who helps out at the school’s gardening club, with a handmade card celebrating his birthday. At Filby Broad, the judges met Eilish Rothney of Norfolk Wildlife Trust who outlined their work, in and around the village. Judges, also, met In Bloomers who were happy to outline work undertaken on projects that they had managed throughout the year.The tour concluded with tea and cake, which enabled the judges to meet some of those people involved in village activities, including ladies from the W.I. and the village’s Gardening Club, whilst allowing a quick get-away, to take lunch with the Mayor of Great Yarmouth.Open Gardens Weekend - C3, C4, C5

‘Open Gardens Weekend’ is the occasion, in July, when the village ‘puts on its best horticultural bib and tucker’ and lets the world inside. Residents are pleased to make their individual contributions to Filby in Bloom by opening their gardens to the public, who visit from far and wide. Gardens on view range from chocolate box to architectural and from manicured to wild. There is even the odd vegetable patch amongst all those flowers. Holidaymakers mingle with day-trippers, many of whom make an annual pilgrimage to join in the event. Residents, too, like to tour the village and take the opportunity to meet the neighbours. Visitor numbers are very dependent upon the weather and, on fine days, they can be seen, in their hundreds, clutching their maps and wandering the prescribed route, searching out the next little gem. Host and guest compare notes and exchange experiences. Plants can be bought at some of the gardens.Open Gardens 2017 took place on 15th and 16th July and 16 gardens were opened to visitors. A profit of £1,500 was made which was divided, equally, between the local church, the village hall and Filby in Bloom.Once again, one of the highlights of the weekend was the presence of a vintage bus offering trips around the village. Between 1950 and its retirement in 1968, it was regularly used on the routes through Filby. Over the weekend, the bus was driven by its owner with volunteers from the village in the role of conductor. Britain in Bloom Judging Day 2017 - C3, C4

Our judging in the Britain in Bloom Competition took place on Tuesday 1st August 2017. Our Judges were Jon Wheatley (Co-Vice Chairman of Britain in Bloom) and Teresa Potter. Jon made

Anglia in Bloom Judging (13th Jul 2017) - L to R, Judges David White and Nolan Mills, Filby’s Derek Nicker and Adrian Thompson.

Open Gardens Day (15th and 16th Jul 2017). Mrs Helen Plane, a regular participant, in her garden.

Britain In Bloom Judges Jon Wheatley and Teresa Potter at Filby Primary School.

Filby in Bloom 2018

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Filby in Bloom’s YearContinued

it clear, from the outset, that all the participants should relax and enjoy the occasion and not worry too much about time keeping.Judging started at 9:00 am with a 15 minute presentation made in the new Village Hall. The tour itself, which took the full allowance of one and a quarter hours (and some!), started with a visit to Filby Primary School where the judges were staggered to see the turnout of children and parents waiting to meet them. They were treated to a song and saw some of the pupils’ planting. At Filby Broad, Eilish Rothney of Norfolk Wildlife Trust talked about their involvement with the In Bloom group. Other visits were made to the Village Pound, the Queens Jubilee Bed and the Club Room Gardens, where judges talked to In Bloomers responsible for those projects.The tour was followed by a buffet lunch which gave the visitors the opportunity of meeting those involved in village activities. In a concluding speech, Jon Wheatley, emphasised that Filby were a great example of the fun that could be had by participation in the In Bloom movement.

Anglia in Bloom Awards Ceremony - C4

The Anglia in Bloom Awards Ceremony, this year, was at the Ocean Rooms in Gorleston on Thursday 14th September. The Saturday Crew were awarded a Gold Medal and carried off the title of Best Village for the 16th time in the past 18 years! The village itself was named winner of the village category, while Filby Bridge was awarded Best Restaurant and Filby in Bloom’s Chairman, Adrian Thompson was recognised, for long and voluntary service, by his nomination for the Mike Ames Award. Congratulations go to Bury St. Edmunds for Best Overall Entry.Yarmouth in Bloom Awards Ceremony - C4

Unlike the other In Bloom competitions, with Yarmouth in Bloom we never know when we are being judged and who we are being judged by. Never-the-less, it was Gold for Filby and Best Village at the awards ceremony on Friday 13th October. Britain in Bloom Awards Ceremony - C4

The Britain in Bloom Awards Ceremony, this year, was at the Venue Cmryu, in Llandudno, on Friday 27th November. Nick and Sue Dawes, Derek and Caroline Nicker and Kate Foster represented the village. The village received the award of a Gold Medal and in a category that yielded two other Golds, was named Best Village, a testimony to the hard work of all involved in the entry. The party met with the Judges the following day to receive the Judges’ comments.Anglia in Bloom Seminar - C4

On Thursday 9th November, Caroline and Derek Nicker and Gordon and Margery Ward attended the Autumn Seminar and judges surgeries held at the Grove Theater, Dunstable. Judge’s comments were passed on to and discussed by the Saturday Crew at their next session. Anglia in Bloom Spring Launch - C4

On Thursday 9th March, Caroline and Derek Nicker and Gordon and Margery Ward attended the Anglia in Bloom Spring Launch at Scotsdales Nursery and Garden Centre Ltd where Derek delivered a well-received presentation on how Filby approaches the In Bloom competitions.

Britain in Bloom Awards Presentation. Derek Nicker and Nick Dawes with Welsh TV Presenter Iolo Williams. (27th Oct 2017)

Filby’s in Bloom’s Chairman, Adrian Thompson and Scarlett Furby at the Anglia in Bloom Awards Ceremony (14th Sep 2017) Photograph Archant’s Nick Butcher.

Anglia in Bloom Spring Lauch. Derek Nicker presents on Filby in Bloom. (9th Mar 2018). Photograph Nigel Bloxham.

Filby in Bloom 2018

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A - Horticultural Achievement

Our Plans for 2018We cannot enter Britain in Bloom this year as we won, last year, so the aim, this year, is to do well in the regional competition. Our plans include…

•A good clean and trim up at Church Lane and the Church Driveway.

•Village Pond clearance, with the help of Norfolk Wildlife Trust, Peter Flowerdew and local farmer Ed Wharton.

•New Beds and the creation of a Wetland Area on the Pound, to be organised by Ian Richardson.

•New Rose Beds at York Villa Close, to be created working with residents and Peter Beales Roses.

•New Water Feature to be built at the Playing Field, Caroline Nicker’s idea, enhancing the Sensory Bed.

•New floral display using a horse drawn tumbrel donated by Peter Flowerdew

•New Ornamental grass area and extending the Drought Garden on the Playing Field to be organized by Gwen Thurtle.

•The Parish Council to purchase of a Lawn Mower to enable Susan Chase to keep the grass Community Orchard tidy.

•At the School, to double the area for growing vegetables, a new flower bed to be established in front of the School and a wildflower area to be sown near the dipping pond.

Adrian Thompson, Chairman, Filby in Bloom,

January, 2018

Spring & Summer Activity 2017 - A1, A2

For very good reasons, for the past five years, Filby in Bloom’s portfolios have recorded In Bloom activities from roughly mid-May of the previous year to mid-May of the current year. This year’s portfolio continues that practice.Working to a tried and tested time table, by mid-May 2017, all the bedding was growing on in the greenhouses, and all the hanging baskets were made up. Planting out started on Saturday 20th May, concentrating on Thrigby Road corner and the Village Pound. Baskets were hung out in the first week in June.June saw the village’s verges spring into colour as In-Bloom’s, Norfolk Wildlife Trust’s and residents’ roadside planting of wildflower seeds started to pay off, backing up the colour from the beds and hanging baskets. Autumn and Winter Activity 2017 - A1, A2

Amazed by the implication, in the recent BBC2 Television Series ‘Britain in Bloom’, that work on entries starts just a few weeks before judging, Filby’s Saturday Crew know that In Bloom is an all year round, all weather activity. This year’s work started in September of last year, immediately after judging, breaking down the summer displays and recycling both plants and compost for the following year. This would not be completed until early in the New Year when the last of the flower barrels were emptied and stored away, ready for use, later in the year.

Spring Colour. Planters at Poplar Drive (24th Mar 2018) Wildflowers at the School Car Park (28th May 2018)

Spring Colour. The Village Pound. (26th Apr 2018)

Filby in Bloom 2018

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A - Horticultural AchievementContinued

Spring colour, in 2018, was provided by 2016’s planting of 5,000 bulbs which was supplemented by a further 2,000 planted, last year.Over the Christmas period, the team’s basket were, again, put to use as the base for Christmas decorations hung from the village lamp posts.Growing-on Facilities - A1, A2

Filby in Bloom has a substantial polytunnel at Thompson’s Farm, supplemented by two lean-to green houses built in 2009 and 2010. Anglia in Bloom’s, Gordon and Margery Ward, moved house in 2013 and donated their green house to In-Bloom, enabling some cultivation from seed. A further small greenhouse was added in early 2017 to accommodate the increase in plant plugs to be grown on that year. It is within these facilities that the In-Bloom year really starts with the assembly of the factory line to prick out and pot on the year’s plug plant purchases. Planning for Summer Displays - A1, A2

For its summer displays, ordered in January, Filby in Bloom buys plant plugs from Pentland Plants and pots them on. This year’s purchase of 19,911 plugs was the largest ever, at 17% more than last year, and continues to place a heavy emphasis (71%) on Begonias, which have proven a great success in recent years. Potting on started on 31st March, this year.A focus of the village’s roadside displays is its Hanging Baskets. Filby in Bloom’s standard Hanging Basket for 2018 is, again, a 450 mm diameter basket containing 15 plants, a colourful mix of Begonias, Petunias, Bidens, Verbenas and Calibrachoas.40 hanging baskets were prepared by the Saturday Crew, by ‘the numbers’. A further 80 baskets were obtained from a local Garden Centre at, nearby, Moulton St. Mary.Nourishment - A1, A2

Since 2013, when Britain in Bloom judges commented, adversely, that the beds on the Village Pound were undernourished, an annual supply of Cow Manure, has been procured from a local dairy farm. Cow manure is preferred, over the equestrian equivalent, as the ruminants digest and kill off weed seeds. This has been used, ever since, on all of Filby’s displays.Barrels and Planters - A1, A2

Roadside display barrels were originally prepared in 2008, as a contingency, to add height to the displays in the event that H&S impositions prevented the village hanging baskets from its

lampposts. Their use has continued ever since. Those barrels that remained in use are regularly treated to a new coat of paint.The suggestion was made that, in order to introduce more permanent planting and to facilitate Norfolk Wildlife Trust’s wish for a wildlife friendly corridor through the village, the number of barrels should be reduced in favour of planters. Ignoring the option of purchase, In-Bloom opted to build 14 three-tiered planters from re-cycled timber, donated by the Trust, recovered from their 2012

The Polytunnel (14th Apr 2018)

The Factory Line (31st Mar 2018)

Filby’s 2018 Displays compared with 2017

Filby in Bloom 2018

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A - Horticultural AchievementContinued

rebuild of the Boardwalk to Ormesby Little Broad.When in-situ, the planters were filled with a mixture of compost and topsoil donated by WT Skips and East Coast Waste.The planters were distributed throughout the village, including replacing a pair of boxes at the boardwalk to Filby Broad that had been criticised in 2014 by Britain in Bloom Judges as ‘not being of the quality of similar containers’.In order to create a bee corridor throughout the village the planters were filled with Lavender angusitfolia, Cheiranthus ‘Bowles Mauve’ and Vinca minor. Later, winter bedding, pansies and violas, were added to provide nectar for pollinators for as long as possible. Bulbs were added in 2016 and, again, in the autumn of last year.A further two sets of Barrels were moved, in 2017, to be replaced with large raised beds, built by In Bloom, from Railway Sleepers. The size of one of these, opposite Church Lane, was doubled in size, this year.York Villa Close Rose Beds - A1, A2

Residents, who undertook to be responsible for their subsequent maintenance, asked that rose beds be established at the entrance of York Villa Close, off Thrigby Road. An outline of the beds, constructed in January, was provided to Peter Beales Roses of Attleborough, in Norfolk, who were asked to provide planting recommendations. They suggested a combination of yellow/orange varieties, Absolutely Perfect, Westerland and red Scarlet Flower Carpet roses, which were purchased. The beds were planted out by the residents, themselves, on 6th February 2018.Kings Head Bed - A1, A2

That this bed, situated at the corner of Main Road and Mautby Lane, had deteriorated over the years was noticed by Mrs. Lesley and Mr. Mike Smith of Burghwood Landscapes, a local firm, who volunteered to sponsor the bed for the 2015 displays. That rebuild commenced in February and was completed in March, including re-turfing the ‘island’ upon which the bed sits.Village Pound - A1, A2, A3, A5, B3

The Pound is intended to be the central focus of the village. Traditionally Pounds were where stray livestock were ‘impounded’ until their owner could be located. Today, it is an area where people may stop for a closer look, an opportunity to sit and take their ease amongst the glorious scents, sounds and colours. It, also, affords a restful space for those who have cause to remember local people lost in times of conflict.In 2014, the Pound was subject to a complete revamp, a project that has continued to this day, with substantial work undertaken on its wetland surroundings by In Bloomer, Ian Richardson. See Page 10.

Kings Head Bed (28th May 2018)

New Railway Sleeper Raised Beds at York Villa Close (6th Jan 2018)

York Villa Close Rose Bed Planting Plan (14th Mar 2015)

Summer Colour at the Village Pound (29th Jul 2017)

Filby in Bloom 2018

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A - Horticultural AchievementContinued

Village Pound Wetlands Project OverviewIn the annual review of the village, towards the end of the summer 2017, it was decided the area to the rear and right-hand side of the Village Pound needed some attention. This area centred around the L shaped dyke that forms part of the village surface water drainage system and an area of waste land behind the Pumping Station located to the rear of the Pound. The challenge faced is shown in pictures taken before any improvement work commenced. See below. The nature of the improvement work and the areas covered are indicated in the Wetlands Planting Plan below. The directions from which ‘Before & After’ photographs were taken are shown.

The Improvement work started in late September 2017 with the clearance of the area, taking out the overgrown scrub. The area covered was approximately 615 m2 including the dyke. This stage was accomplished by the Filby Saturday Crew with assistance from Dave Snuggs. The work took place between late September and the end of December, with over 140 man hours spent in all weathers. The ground was relieved of all plant growth and dug over, removing the accumulated rubble (this area had been used as a rubbish dump in years past).

Twelve hedging plants were successfully relocated to other areas of the village and four old tree roots were dug out and removed. Approximately 152 tons of earth was turned, removing all sorts of debris including an old bicycle!

During this stage eleven trees on the Pound were attended to & pruned, with advice from a tree surgeon. This allowed the raising of the lower canopy to let in more light to both the grass areas and the flower beds.

In December 2017 5 hours of planting spring bulbs took place in very wet conditions, thanks to Piper & Grace Futter and Nick Dawes for their help in achieving this. The weather conditions played a big part in the work on the Pound and like many others we found the planting plan delayed and interrupted due to the extreme weather. This included the dyke filling with over 3 feet of water. Thanks to Mervin Gibson & Tom Green for their help with removing the tree stumps in pouring rain.

The Project Plan - January 2018• To cut out two new flower beds on the front corners of the pound, to be included in the village planting plan. Approx. 12 m2.

• To plant the right back and rear back banks of the dyke with spring bulbs and summer wild flowers. Approx. 128 m2.

• To seed the outer banks of the Dyke with grass when conditions permit. Approx. 104 m2.

• To landscape and seed the inner banks of the dyke with grass allowing for easy maintenance by mowing. Approx. 260 m2.

• To lay a pathway around the Pumping station with seeded grass area. Approx. 24 m2.

• To Plant the area behind the pump station with plants recovered from other remedial work in the village and seed with wild flowers. Approx. 52 m2.

• To Seed the areas under the trees in front of the pumping station with a drought and shade resistant grass. Approx. 72 m2.

The Re-Structuring StageThis stage got underway in January only to be hampered by adverse weather conditions. Approximately 33 hours were spent on digging over and landscaping the banks of the dyke and the planting area behind the pumping station. The last of the donated bulbs were planted so over 3000 bulbs have, now, been planted on the banks of the dyke.

In February, when weather permitted a further 28 hours were spent on digging over and landscaping the banks of the dyke and the planting of re-covered plants behind the pumping station.

In March, we began with heavy snow but finished the month with most of the wild flower seed in and an area of the dyke bank seeded with grass with 30 hours spent.

April, a big month with 59 hours spent, saw the completion of the planned landscaping including the seeding of the dyke banks, all except the grass seed in the dyke area as we had an unexpected rise in the water level in the dyke. The area in front of the pumping station was re-seeded with the drought & shade resistant grass seed. Landscaping and seeding the rear bank work was delayed due to the emergence of bulbs.

In May, attempts to complete the seeding of the dyke were delayed by unexpected water re-appearing after drying out and remedial work was required on the back bank due to some re-fencing work and weeding with 18 hours spent. The seeding of the dyke has, now, been finished.

This season’s project concluded with 308 hour work, leaving just maintenance to be done. It included an area of 627 m2 which is 35% of the total area of the Pound.

Ian Richardson2nd June 2018

Filby in Bloom 2018

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A - Horticultural AchievementContinued

Village Club Room Garden - A1, A2, A3, B3

The Village’s former ‘Hall’ is known locally as the Club Room - it is an eighteenth century thatched cottage, donated to the village to be used as a Reading Room. The suggestion, of the Anglia Judges, in the report on their 2013 tour, that its garden had been neglected, was perfectly valid. Its permanent planting precluded easy access and had become overgrown. It was ‘right under people’s noses’ but nobody had noticed its untidiness. So much so that photographs of it, in its sorry state, were difficult to locate.In Bloomer, Caroline Nicker, volunteered to take on the project. Her concept was to restore it as a Cottage Garden, populated by pollinators, providing easy access for all. The Saturday Crew adopted a ‘scorched earth’ policy and the ground was cleared in December 2013. Roots were dug out and earth turned in January. Large quantities of compost were brought from Thompson’s Farm to create new beds, which were covered with a thick layer of wood chippings, as a mulch, by way of weed control and moisture

Wetlands Planting Plan and Views Before (Top) & After - View 1 Before (Top) & After - View 2

Before (Top) & After - View 3 Before (Top) & After - View 4 Before (Top) & After - View 5

Filby in Bloom 2018

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A - Horticultural AchievementContinued

retention. A wheelchair friendly, shingle path was laid and an entrance created from the adjacent car park.A pergola, seat and obelisks were built and installed by Percy Hudson, who also turned his hand to building a water butt stand. Water, from the gutters of the Club Room, was channeled to a butt donated by a resident. Percy built a compost bin that was designed to replicate a traditional WBC bee hive. The WBC was invented by and named after William Broughton Carr. An appeal for plants was made through the village’s news sheet and through the local press. This received a superb response and donations have continued ever since.Having been established during 2014, the garden was to be bisected in 2015, to allow drainage works, during the construction of the new Village Hall. To minimise losses, during November 2014, many shrubs and flowers that had been carefully researched for their suitability as perennial, pollinating cottage garden plants, were removed and heeled into two beds at the Millennium Shelter.Access to the site was not restored until June 13th 2015 which was less than 4 weeks from Anglia in Bloom judging on 8th July and only 8 weeks from Britain in Bloom judging on August 11th. It is testament to the sterling work undertaken that complete restoration was achieved before those dates. In the garden is Ellie Beattie’s Water Feature. Ellie Beattie, a student at Langley School, near Loddon in Norfolk, volunteered, as part of her studies, to construct a water feature for Filby. She designed and built the modern looking structure that includes the words ‘Filby in Bloom’ cast in Aluminium that she had recovered from recycled drink cans. It was originally installed on Thrigby Road corner and officially unveiled by the Mayor of Great Yarmouth, Terry Easter, on 7th July 2008. It was moved to the grounds of the Club Room, in 2010, to allow its permanent connection to power and water. Just before 2016’s Anglia in Bloom judging tour, the water feature’s pump failed and a hasty repair was noticed by the judges. A more thorough job was later undertaken by In Bloomer Nick Dawes and its unsightly tank was hidden in March 2017 by fencing built by another In Bloomer, Percy Hudson.Village Hall Sensory Garden - A1, A2, A3, B3

Substantial drainage works were undertaken in front of the new Village Hall, which carved a large area out of both the new Club Room Garden and the former car park. Through this, paving and topsoil were positioned to create significant areas of new flower beds.These were hastily planted out on 13th June 2015, during one of the heaviest rainstorms of the year, to make a start on a set of new beds which were planned to become a sensory garden, celebrating the seventieth anniversary of the end of the Second The Village Hall Sensory Garden (28th May 2018)

Ellie Beattie’s Water Feature (15th May 2018)

The Club Room Garden - (28th May 2018)

The Club Room Garden - before (27th Aug 2007)

Filby in Bloom 2018

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A - Horticultural AchievementContinued

World War, and recognising the part played in it by the people of Filby. This garden was planned and planted by Caroline Nicker aided by other members of the In Bloom team. The planting includes Fatsia Japonica, Euphorbia Characias ‘wulfeuii’, Euonymus alatus, Lonicera nitida ‘Baggersen’s Gold’ and Sarcococca confusa.During spring 2018, the sense of noise was added to the garden with a Water Feature built by Nick Dawes, Ian Richardson and Percy HudsonWe got an ‘Orse - A1, A2, A3, B3

With due apology to Billy Fury’s 1965 film, which was filmed in Great Yarmouth; this year Filby ‘got its own horse’. Inspired by

positive comments about one of its smaller displays, a floral spilled handcart, situated opposite the village shop, the Saturday Crew conceived the idea of up-scaling it! A request for the use of an old horse drawn farm tumbrel was publicised. A tumbrel was a two-wheeled cart for carrying dung, especially one that tilts backwards to deposit its load. A cart of this type was used to take condemned prisoners to the guillotine during the French Revolution. Peter Flowerdew, a farmer living in the adjacent village of Fleggburgh, came up trumps. His two wheeled cart was delivered to In Bloom’s ‘headquarters’ at Thompson’s Farm in February where it was given a new paint job by Adrian Thompson and his father, David, aided by some necessary repairs, affected by fellow In Bloomer, Percy Hudson.A suggestion was made that what the display really needed was a horse and local artist, Jim Roberts, agreed to create a two dimensional version. Another suggestion was that In Bloom should have a competition to name the horse for pupils at the village’s primary school.

Tumbrel (10th Feb 2018)Spilled Cart (13th May 2017)

New Rill in Village Hall Sensory Garden (31st Mar 2018)

Senses and the Sensory Garden

Actions on comments by judges and trying to be innovative are important goals for Filby In Bloom and we strive to achieve these objectives on an annual basis. The sound element of our sensory garden needed some reinforcement. Nick Dawes, Percy Hudson and I designed and constructed a rill which has successfully created pleasant “noise”; which is enhanced by the crown green bowlers in summer, crunching leaves in autumn, footballers and their supporters in winter, ever present birdsong and children enjoying the playground.

Scents: Hyacinthus, Chamaemelum, Rosa Rugosa and Jasminum nudiflorum

Sight: Galanthus, Achillea, Japanese Anemone, Cornus ‘midwinter fire’

Taste: Rosmarinus, Chives, Rose Hips, Beta vulgaris subsp. cicla var. Flavescens,

Touch: Stachys byzantina, Lavender, Liriope muscari, Phlomis russeliana

We hope you enjoy a brief sojourn in our happy space.

Caroline Nicker

May 2018

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A - Horticultural AchievementContinued

The school’s 86 pupils took to it in a big way. 42 names were suggested amongst 52 entries. The winner was selected by votes, cast by the public, on a posting on the Filby in Bloom Facebook page. At closure, the page had reached a staggering 10,183 people. 303 votes were cast and the winner with 91 votes was ‘Sir Trott-a-lot’, suggested by pupil, Toby Travis, aged 8. Race commentator, Adrian Thompson, Filby in Bloom’s Chairman said ‘We have a well-deserved winner. ‘Sir Trott-a-lot’ lead from the start and held off a late surge from ‘Filby’s Fortune’. Thank you to all the children at Filby Primary School who provided the entertaining list of names and to all of those who entered a vote. Toby will be invited to commission the display when the planting of the tumbrel spillage is complete.”’

The display was planted up in May and officially opened by Toby Travis on 21st May.Queen’s Golden Jubilee Bed - A1, A2, A3, B3

Originally planted in 2002, in celebration of the Queen’s Golden Jubilee, by 2014, the garden was well past its best and required a thorough overhaul. Closer inspection proved that shrubs had strayed beyond acceptability and labels indicated the disappearance of plants. On the side of the Playing Field, from November 2014 to June 2015, this, too, was split by the boundary fencing of the new Village Hall building site. As it would be very close to the new Hall, the decision was made to cut it back

Expanded Drought Garden (10th Feb 2018)

Drought Garden 2018Following the comments from both Britain In Bloom and Anglia in Bloom judging in 2017, a lot has happened!

2017 was the first year of Filbys drought garden. We started with a small area, and the plants thrived very well, so the judges suggested we make it bigger. We took instant action, and between AIB and BIB judging, we extended another area, in the car park of the village hall, which previously was an unplanted dry area under large trees. We cleared the area, and then planted the various grasses and silver leafed plants and mulched with gravel and rocks.

It was a great transformation and much needed as it is the area visitors see first as they park their cars.

BIB also commented on the size of the original drought garden, so, in September, we trebled the size of the plot!

Fortunately, as the original plants did so well, I have been able to divide lots of them and plant up the new area using plants we already have.

I “Inherited” 2 roses with the extended land, so I have left them in, and am training them up trellis at the rear of the plot, which make a lovely back drop to the greys, greens, blues, yellows and reds of the various grasses.

My planting includes: Carex (several different species including a stunning black species and beautiful soft blue) Euonymus, Sedums, Sempervivum, Stachys, Pennisetum, Miscanthus, Euphorbia, Pheasant grass, Snowdrops and Ajuga.

Gwen Thurtle 28th April 2018

Toby Travis, with his family, at the display’s commissioning (21st May 2018)

Cart’s first public appearance (17th Mar 2018) Jim Roberts creating the horse (16th Mar 2018)

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A - Horticultural AchievementContinued

and replant it. Kate Foster kindly agreed to take on the project. That winter saw hardy members of the Saturday Crew clearing Hypericum, cutting back woody plants and cleansing the ground of perennial weeds. A two year redesign programme commenced with the planting of new shrubs including Ilex (to frame the stylish commemorative stone), Roses and Honeysuckle, the latter duo to be trained along the back brick wall. Pollinator friendly perennials were added and spring colour comes from narcissi, primulas and snowdrops. To add the WOW, annuals were also utilised. In 2017, part of the bed was cleared to make way for a drought garden.Thrigby Road Corner Bed - A1, A2

This bed was enlarged in 2015. Its terracing was replaced by a slope, and, on the advice of 2014’s judges, during 2015, height was introduced into the display with Nicotiana sylvestris at the rear. Millet is used, for the same purpose, this year.Filby Close Bed - A1, A2

In 2017, a pair of beds, at Filby Close, was extended and replanted, to give all year round colour, to a plan laid out by local resident and Garden Designer, Sandra Woolsey. Sandra prepared a plan to both increase the amount of permanent planting and year round colour. New Plants included Phormium, Photinia, Malus, Skimmia and Euonymus. On the advice of Anglia judges, the larger bushes were trimmed in time for 2017’s Britain in Bloom Judging tour. Filby Flyer - A1, A2

In keeping with the 2010 display’s Broads Theme, it was decided to erect a sailing dingy by the Boardwalk to Filby Broad. After recovering a wreck, In-Bloomer Tom Green rebuilt it and applied a new, white paint job. Netting was originally used for sails to reduce wind damage. Tom christened his craft the ‘Filby Flyer’! In 2017, the Flyer had a new paint job and a new set of pennants, courtesy of the village’s Craft Club.Business Premises - A4

All of Filby’s main businesses are active participants in Filby in Bloom. The Shop & Post Office are the hub of information dispersal in the village and are Filby in Bloom’s de facto headquarters (see cover photograph). The Filby Bridge Restaurant is also an active participant in the floral displays, each year, winning the accolade of Anglia’s Best Restaurant, last year. Another active participant in In Bloom is the village’s only remaining pub, the King’s Head, which reopened, mid-year in 2017.Residential Gardens - A3, C3

There are many beautiful private gardens in the village, some very visible during the judging. As part of the annual Filby in Bloom fundraiser, 16 private gardens were open, again, to the public during the village’s Open Gardens Weekend, 15th and 16th July, of last year. Filby in Bloom is always ready to help any in need and some of the private gardens along Main Road are maintained by the Group. Community Orchard - A5, B1

The initial idea for a community orchard was floated by village resident Joan Saul, over coffee, in late November 2007. None of her listeners had heard of the concept before but it seemed to have great potential and could form a useful part of the village’s ‘In-Bloom’

Planting at Thrigby Road Corner (19th May 2018)

The Filby Flyer (28th May 2018)

Filby Close (28th May 2018

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A - Horticultural AchievementContinued

development. The thought of using native Norfolk varieties of apple was a great motivator. The project was to create and maintain an orchard within the village for the enjoyment of the residents, using local varieties to endeavour to ensure their long term future. The go-ahead for the project was agreed by the Filby in Bloom Committee at a meeting on 11th December 2007. The Orchard was, initially, established on part of an allotment, on Thrigby Road, donated by plot holder, Steven Elderkin. The orchard is approached past the remains of Filby’s former Unitarian Church and the Wildlife Garden. This beautiful and well maintained area is, truly, one of Filby’s best kept secrets! The first trees, a selection of seven apple varieties were planted on 1st March 2008. Trees planted included Green Roland

(1800s), Norfolk Beefing (1698), Vicar of Beighton (1890), Summer Broaden (1796), Horsford Prolific (1900), Sandringham (1883), and Red Ellison (1948). The size of the orchard was increased, in May 2008, when the remainder of Steven’s plot was transferred to the project. That part of the plot contained a small vineyard of 25 year old grapevines. On the advice of Anglia in Bloom 2008 Judges, the apple orchard was replanted, taking advantage of the extra area to achieve a wider spacing between the trees. Grapevines were retained at the border. In 2009, the selection of apple trees was extended to thirteen varieties, four dual use varieties, four cookers (culinary) and five eaters (dessert). Two varieties of pear tree were also introduced, one culinary variety of Norfolk pear and one dessert variety. In 2011, as part of a grant for permanent planting from the Norfolk & Suffolk Broads Authority, 20 further Norfolk apple trees, 8 Norfolk cherry trees and 3 Suffolk greengage trees were purchased and planted in the orchard. The seventy two trees now fully utilise the space available. Earlier this year, responsibility for maintenance of the orchard was assumed by village newcomer, Mrs. Susan Chase, after the sad

death of In Bloomer, Victor Tungate.Tree Planting - A1, A2

In 2009 10 trees were planted, along Main Road, close by those put in the previous year by Anglia in Bloom personnel, Gordon & Margery Ward and George Dawson. Seven of the trees were donated by a local resident to commemorate the life of his late parents. Continuing tree planting about the village, a grant of £1,500 from the Norfolk & Suffolk Broads Authority, in 2010, enabled the purchase of further fruit trees for the Community Orchard and 37 native trees to complete the planting along the village’s roads, the following year. Varieties planted included Cottoneaster, Sorbus, Crataegus, Malus, Pyrus, Prunus, English Oak and Hornbeam.

This year, an Oak tree was planted on the Village Playing Field in memory of Victor Tungate, an active participant in In Bloom, who helped in maintaining the Community Orchard and the Bowling Green. Victor passed away, earlier this year.Hedge Planting - A1, A2

On Saturday 23rd February 2013, a new hedge was planted along Main Road, near Poplar Drive. The hedge consisted of Rowan, Hawthorn, Hazel, Wild Cherry, Dog Rose and Silver Birch. The plants were a gift from the Woodland Trust, to commemorate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, the previous year. In 2015, gaps, that had developed in the planting, were filled by volunteers from Norfolk Wildlife Trust. A further 420 mixed

Oak Tree planted in memory of Victor Tungate (12th Apr 2018)

Filby’s Community Orchard (28th May 2018)

Edging alongside the repaired hedge on Main Road (9th May 2015)

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A - Horticultural AchievementContinued

hedge plants, gifted from the Woodland Trust, were planted on Main Road, the Pound and Filby Common on 15th March 2015.Wild Flower Planting - A1, A2, A5

Filby does not have a convenient meadow or roundabout to develop a wildflower planting but it does have plenty of hedges and verges, so, by way of a first attempt at wildflower cultivation, in 2013, it was agreed to attempt a hedgerow mix. Rather than scatter seeds about, randomly, it was decided to cultivate them. The seeds were sown, at the right density, into a 3 cm deep layer of potting compost on sections of cardboard placed in Baker’s Bread Trays. The ‘turfs’ were laid at their chosen destination, the verge by Filby Bridge, on 8th June. In spring, the following year, the plants re-emerged in late April. A nice display, they have re-emerged, yet again, this year, as have various plantings by Norfolk Wildlife Trust, at the local restaurant, despite the inattention of the odd strimmer. At another location, In Bloomer, Ian Richardson, has created a ‘lane’ of wildflowers alongside new hedging at the village school’s carpark. He has also seeded alongside the ditches of the Wetland Area of the Village Pound.Rotary Crocus Beds - A1, A3

On 2nd October 2011, watched by a contingent of members of the Rotary Club of Great Yarmouth and In-Bloomers, children from the village school had fun planting four thousand purple Crocus bulbs in beds, provided by Filby in Bloom, in front of the village Playing Field. Done in support of Rotary’s ‘Purple Pinkie Power’ programme, this was part of a series of End Polio Now events taking place throughout the UK. The triangular beds, on Main Road, include a small patch of yellow crocuses in the shape of an eye. Allotments - A3

With the exception of a couple of plots that subsequently became the Orchard and the Wildlife Area, the bulk of the acreage, set aside by the village for allotments, was unwanted by residents and was rented out to a local farmer. As a result of some publicity about their availability, 5 plots were brought back into use as allotments in 2010. A total of 18 plots are worked, now. Two drawbacks over the location are the large local rabbit population and the absence of a standpipe.On 27th March 2012, after consultation with the Unitarian Church, Filby Parish Council agreed new car parking arrangements at the village’s allotments. The Parish Council also hired the village’s historic Jam Shed, nearby, so that allotment holders could use it for storage. (Until the late 1950s, the Jam Shed was used to hold the village’s annual crop of raspberries, from where it was collected by lorry and taken to the depot of William Bracey & Sons, Fruit Merchants, in the nearby village of Martham, who would sell them on to canners and jam factories.)During the Britain in Bloom Judging Tour in 2012, allotment holders first revealed their secret of successful vegetable cultivation - the use of a plant feed made from the herb, Comfrey. Judges were treated to the sight and smell of this liquid fertiliser and advised that it was, now, being grown there on an industrial scale. In 2013, a re-interpretation of the rules enabled allotment holders to keep chickens. In 2014, a compost bin was built into hedging, separating the allotments from a next-door paddock, affording the horse owners easy disposal and the allotment holders easy access to a source of manure.

Village Allotments (28th May 2018)

Wildflowers along Main Road (28th May 2018)

Village Allotments (28th May 2018)

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B - Environmental Responsibility

Trinity Broads - A5, B1, B3

The Trinity Broads are an isolated system of lakes, situated north-west of Great Yarmouth. Despite the name, the Trinity Broads area covers five broads: Ormesby, Rollesby, Ormesby Little, Lily and Filby Broad. Nearby is the very small Little Broad. The village of Filby sits between Filby and Ormesby Little Broads.The area directly managed by the Norfolk Wildlife Trust is 14 sq. miles. It consists of 0.64 sq. miles of open water, about 14% of the open water of the Broads. It is surrounded by 1¾ square miles of fen and wet woodland habitats; this is roughly the size of 600 football pitches. Its catchment area is around 11½ square miles. The area was designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in 1998 and is, now, a part of the Broads Special Area of Conservation (SAC).Essex & Suffolk Water owns the majority of the site from which it draws water for Great Yarmouth and the surrounding area. In 1995, a partnership between the Norfolk & Suffolk Broads Authority, Essex & Suffolk Water, the Environment Agency and English Nature (now Natural England) was formed. The aim of this partnership was to restore the ecological status of the Trinity Broads, reducing

their turbidity, for the benefit of nature conservation, public water supply and recreation. Ormesby and Ormesby Little Broads ranked highly in terms of prioritisation for restoration work, with the others receiving a medium ranking.Aimed at reducing algae by encouraging the growth of daphnia populations, a large-scale demonstration project was undertaken at Ormesby Broad which, at the time, held virtually the entire fish population of the Trinity Broads. About 10,000 kilos of fish were removed over the winters of 1994 / 95 and 1995 / 96. This resulted in the immediate return of clear water in the summer and a rapid recovery of diverse aquatic plant communities across the broad. These clear waters and aquatic plant conditions have remained to the present day, highlighting how such techniques can have lasting positive environmental results. Fish removal, through electrical stunning, continued to 2002 and control of Bream spawning, by netting areas where eggs are laid, to 2006.The removal of fish from Ormesby Broad eliminated their migration to surrounding waters and had a knock on effect for the other Broads. Turbidity reduced and mixed plant life increased in all other linked Trinity Broads but the slowest to improve was Filby Broad. It is speculated that the sediment in Filby Broad, as a result of its East / West alignment with prevailing winds, is subject to more disturbance than other waters. Also the Muck Fleet channel from that Broad to the River Bure, despite isolating the Broad via a sluice, is a fish reservoir. The last few years have been fantastic for water plants in the Trinity Broads system. Rollesby Broad had plants covering 100% of the Broad, in many areas growing right to the surface, and there was, also, a good variety including a large stand of Water Crowfoot. All broads are now, officially, considered to be recovering back to their ideal condition in terms of their wildlife value. This was a central aim of the Partnership’s Restoration project, at its conception, and it has been successfully achieved!

Trinity Broads

Trinity Broads

Filby in Bloom would like to acknowledge the assistance received from Norfolk Wildlife Trust in the preparation of their portfolios, over recent years.

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B - Environmental ResponsibilityContinued

NWT’s Living Landscapes Project - B1, B2, B4

Norfolk Wildlife Trust’s 2015 survey of the parish revealed a population of lovely mature and veteran Oaks, and Oak trees can support over 350 different species of wildlife. Oaks and small leaved Lime trees had been planted by Trinity Broads volunteers along with over 1,000 hedge plants. Hedgerows are very important for wildlife and they provide cover and protection for insects, small mammals and breeding song birds. They act as a corridor for wildlife to move along safely, for example hedgehogs. Bats can use hedges for navigation between roosts and feeding grounds, and hedgerows often act as windbreaks, benefiting crops, people and wildlife. In Filby, hedges provide vital links between wildlife areas such as the Broads, the community wildlife garden and domestic gardens. Villagers’ gardens make up one of the main habitats that has potential for wildlife in the parish. Gardening with wildlife in mind can make a huge difference to declining wildlife such as Hedgehogs, Frogs and songbirds.Village Ponds - B1, B3

The main Village Pond was one of several along the A1064 road through the village. Some were dug to extract Clay to enable the construction of local cottages but most were established to provide water for horses and, more latterly, for steam driven agricultural equipment as the industry became more mechanised. Many now form part of residential gardens. In 2009, the Norfolk & Suffolk Broads Authority volunteered to conduct a survey of the main pond. This was undertaken by Hannah Gray, Project Officer for the Trinity Broads, on 30th April, of that year, who sent a formal report to the village. Hannah, whilst reporting the absence of any particularly interesting features, said that this did not negate its value within the overall landscape of the area. Ponds are few and far between, in the surrounding agricultural landscape, and any pond is valuable for wildlife as part of a network of habitats.From time to time, In Bloom elects to undertake clearance of the Village Pond. Advised by Norfolk Wildlife Trust, working with nieghboring landowner, Ed. Wharton and local farmer, Peter Flowerdew, a major clearance of the pond, and other linking waterways, was undertaken in November 2017.A recent housing development at Grange Farm, on Main Road, has revealed another of the village’s ponds, which the builders have tidied up and have started some tasteful planting.Ormesby Little Broad Viewing Platform and Walkway - B1

A boardwalk to a viewing platform overlooking Ormesby Little Broad, at Filby Bridge, reopened for Easter, in 2012, after six months of renovation and conservation work. Over the winter, a 30 year old rotten boardwalk was replaced by a ½ km hard-surfaced footpath, which is suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs. A dyke, that had silted up completely, was dredged out and thousands of young fish returned to over-winter, there. Plants such as milk parsley and water irises are growing and kingfishers, otters, water voles, bittern, dragonflies and damselflies have been seen there. Some trees were cut down to allow more light into the dyke. At the end of the path, a new wooden viewing platform offers stunning views over peaceful Ormesby Little Broad, part of the Trinity Broads, where rowing, sailing, electric and model boating and angling are permitted.

Filby Village Pond (3rd Jun 2017)

Filby Village Pond (23rd Nov 2017)

NWT’s Living Landscapes Map

Filby in Bloom 2018

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B - Environmental ResponsibilityContinued

Interpretation signs were put up telling people about the area and what wildlife they can see there. The work was carried out by the Norfolk & Suffolk Broads Authority in partnership with Essex and Suffolk Water. Clay Pits Project - B1, B3, B4, B5

The Clay Pits Project was instigated by one of Filby Primary School’s teaching assistants, Wendy Green, who ran the school’s Gardening Club. The suggestion was made that a derelict pond, known as the Clay Pits, situated alongside the school and behind the Thrigby Road Car Park, should be reclaimed as a wildlife area for teaching purposes. The pond was heavily overgrown with trees. It was surrounded by a boardwalk that was in a very dilapidated condition and access from the school’s ground was difficult.The project was started in 2010 by the Norfolk & Suffolk Broads Authority who were succeeded, in 2014, by Norfolk Wildlife Trust. The programme continued in ‘fits and starts’ until, in 2017, when, in response to the R.H.S. Greening Grey Britain Initiative, Filby in Bloom, with the help of parent volunteers from the school, elected to assume responsibility for the project.Public access to the area was provided via a new gate and a specially constructed set of steps down to the pond area. A similar access from the school was built. A walkway around the ponds was created and paved with shingle and bird boxes and hedgehog boxes were installed by In Bloomer, Percy Hudson. Two rustic tables and eight stools were donated by Mr. Steven Hewitt of Maple Tree Services so the children can sit in the new wildlife area and have outdoor lessons.The bad weather, early in the year, saw the ponds fill to an extent not seen since the project started.Wildlife Area - B1

The Wildlife Garden became part of the Community Orchard in 2009 and has been allowed to develop slowly, with the minimum of intervention, although an area has been set aside for soft fruit etc., as a tribute to the earlier use made of this land. This fruit is gathered and processed to benefit village charities.In 2012, an insect hotel was constructed in the Wildlife Garden. It was suggested by Joan Saul and assembled by Joan, Victor Tungate and Les Futter, using natural and recycled materials. The new structure was built to further the aims of the garden to provide a haven for insects, especially bees, and other wildlife. A ‘Stumpery’ was added for the same purpose, early in 2015. Nest Boxes - B1

In February 2009, 40 nest boxes of various types, built by residents Percy Hudson and Ernest Bollington, were distributed about sites in the village, recognising the British Trust for Ornithology National Nest Box Week. In 2013, a further 17 were put up in February, throughout the village, by Ken Saul

Viewing Platform at Ormesby Little Broad (28th May 2018)

Wildlife Garden (28th May 2018)

The Clay Pits (17th Feb 2018))

The Clay Pits (1st Apr 2017)

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B - Environmental ResponsibilityContinued

and Les Futter. These have been monitored, every year since, for occupation. This year, because everything was late, as a result of the adverse weather, no survey was completed by the deadline of this document. Results will be announced, however, in the presentation which forms part of this year’s judging tour. More boxes were added, in 2017, as part of the Clay Pits Project. In addition to this, 15 new boxes were put up this year. Norfolk Wildlife Trust has erected an Owl Box on Filby Common and is monitoring it for accommodation. Churchyard Project - B1, B3, B4, B5

Filby’s All Saints’ Church stands on the site of a much more ancient building of which, today, there is no trace. The present Church dates from the mid-14th Century and is built in the Perpendicular style. It is a fine example of a wool church. East Anglia was the centre of the wool industry in the Middle Ages and many wool merchants gave large donations to the church. It was extensively restored between 1873 and 1879 and this is the period from which the stained glass windows and roof date.The Parochial Church Council was concerned about the muddy approaches to the building and sought In Bloom’s help to improve the access. Early in 2017, the Saturday Crew moved in and enhanced the main access levelling it with top soil donated by British Sugar at Cantley and shingle donated by Essex & Suffolk Water. They also constructed a shingle path from the Car Park to the Church. The opportunity was also afforded to affect a trim up and a general tidy up. That tidy up was repeated in January of this year.In Bloom are helping the Church to raise funds to restore the Church Bells. Some of the structural work has been done during recent renovations, but it is the hope to install a sixth bell and have the bells ringing rather than chiming.Domestic Waste Recycling - B2

Waste collection at the Recycling Centre at the Post Office continues. Newspapers and glass are left there by residents with revenues going to village funds. A more recent contribution to these funds has been the collection of shoes and clothes. The local authority recycles wastepaper, cardboard, Aluminium cans, plastic bottles, garden waste and, now, glass with bi-weekly home collection via wheelie bins. The borough has recognised that there is another income stream to be had from recycled glass and this has resulted in a decrease in glass recycled by the village. This loss has not been totally alleviated by the local restaurant’s donation of their glass waste. Commercial collection of aluminium cans also takes place, at the Post Office. The village also recycles unwanted mobile phones and printer ink cartridges which are passed to the Royal National Institute for the Blind. Dependent upon prevailing prices, Filby typically raises about

All Saints Parish Church, Filby (28th May 2018)

Insect Hotel at the Wildlife Garden (28th May 2018)

Village Council Commercial Charity

Newspapers √ √

Cardboard √

Glass √ √

Aluminium Cans √ √

Plastic Bottles √

Garden Waste √ √

Clothes √

Shoes √

Mobile Phones √

Printer Cartridges √

Filby’s Materials Recycled 2017 / 2018

Filby’s Recycling Weights

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B - Environmental ResponsibilityContinued

£2,500 per year from recycling. Even the recycling area at the Post Office gets the Filby in Bloom treatment with the Filby name, in topiary, in a bed by the bins and a liberal distribution of hanging flower bags placed around the bins during the summer months. Plant and Compost Recycling - B2

When the hanging baskets and barrels come down, during the autumn, Filby’s policy has always been to recycle as much of their content as possible. This includes repairing all baskets and reclaiming the Begonias and Geraniums for the next season. Compost from the display bins is returned to the communal bin where it is mixed with garden waste and well-rotted cow manure for eventual re-use. It has proven to be excellent for digging into and improving the soil quality of our larger bedding schemes.Garden Waste Composting - B2

Until 2007, two readily accessible bins were maintained in the village for the disposal of garden waste. However, abuse occurred, frequently, and the In-Bloom Team was required to devote too much time segregating compostable and non-compostable waste.

The bins were removed and, now, people requiring to dispose of large quantities of genuine garden waste are encouraged to use the In-Bloom bin by the polytunnel. In addition, during 2015, the local council started a garden waste collection scheme.Peat Usage Reduction - B2

At a series of In-Bloom meetings during 2008/9, it was resolved to reduce Filby’s peat usage. Filby aimed to be using composts containing no more than 80% peat by 2011. Albeit a couple of years late, that was achieved! Filby mixes multi-purpose compost with 25% by weight of its own composted material. The peat in the multi-purpose compost is not harvested from areas of scientific interest. The village’s usage of Peat has been stable, at approximately 50% of its 2008 level, for the past 6 years.

Mulching - B2

To assist water conservation and to control weed, all of the permanent beds in the village are mulched with a liberal layer of wood chip donated by a local business, Ormesby Garden Machinery and by local Arborealist, Ashley Clarke.Chemical Treatments - B2

No herbicides are used by Filby in Bloom. The use of pesticides is limited to a few slug pellets and the ‘odd squirt’, here and there, to control local infestations.Information Boards - B3, B5

The village already had three information boards, erected by the Broads Trust, illustrating wildlife to be seen about Filby and Ormesby Broads. A further two boards map public paths and walks in and around the village. In 2009, Filby in Bloom erected an additional three illustrated boards, one on the Village Pound (updated in 2015), another at Thrigby Mill and a third placed in the new sensory garden,

alongside the Club Room, dedicated to the village’s participants in the Second World War. A sign was placed in the W.I. bed on the Pound to commemorate the 75th Anniversary, in 2009, of the W.I. in the village and a notice was placed at the Water Feature, now in the Club Room Garden, recording its creation by schoolgirl, Ellie Beattie. Information illustrating the planting plan of the Community Orchard is positioned on the side of the orchard’s shed.A placque commemorating Filby’s success of 2017 in winning Best in Category in Britain in Bloom has been placed by the door to the village Club Room.

Information Board at All Saints Parish Church, Filby (28th May 2018)

Filby’s Peat Usage Reduction

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B - Environmental ResponsibilityContinued

Cleanliness - B4

Fortunately, in its rural situation, Filby suffers from less than its fair share of environmental quality issues. There are few eyesore properties within the parish and graffiti is largely absent from village life. Paths accumulate weeds and verges become overgrown, at the usual seasonal rates, but all such blemishes are attended to, on a regular basis, by both the local council and by volunteers from the village’s In-Bloom team. Verges are strimmed, hedges are trimmed and grass spaces are mown by those volunteers, frequently, during the summer months. Wheelie bins are provided by the council and household and recycling wastes are collected on alternate weeks. On the odd occasion when bins do overflow, council personnel are very conscientious in removing the surplus, leaving the village its usual tidy self.Welcome Signs - B5

On 14th June 2008, two new signs were erected at the main entrances to the village. Designed and built by In-Bloomer, Tom Green, the signs depict the village’s Grebe logo with a floral surround. Street Furniture - B5

The village’s benches, barrels and boxes are re-painted, regularly, and Ian Richardson has done a fine job taking over the mantle of furniture painting. A renovation of the village sign was undertaken, in 2017, by former In Bloom Chairman, David Thompson M.B.E.. Watering - B2

At the height of summer, In-Bloom can use up to 2,000 litres of water per day when watering its displays. All of this is drawn from a bore hole located on Thompson’s Farm.Village Hall Energy Usage - B2

In February 2017 a set of 40 Solar panels were installed on the East and West facing rooves of the new Village Hall. The power generated is primarily used to heat water thereby limiting LPG usage. Other Activities - B2, B4, B5

Major events in Filby take place on the Playing Field and parking is provided both on the field itself (outside of the football pitch) and in an adjacent field. The village received a donation of road planings to enable a road to be built to the overspill parking. In January 2012, In-Bloom’s Saturday Crew created the new perimeter road on the Playing Field. Filby Bridge received a coat of paint in May 2015.

Filby’s Welcome Signs (14th Jun 2008)

Painting Filby Bridge (7th May 2015)

Watering (13th Jun 2015)

Solar Panels installed at Filby’s new Village Hall (17th Feb 2017)

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C - Community Participation

Filby’s New Village Hall - C1, C3, C4

No document, focusing on Filby, can ignore the biggest event occurring in the village in the last decade, the opening of a new Village Hall!In 2006, when closure of the village’s Church Hall was inevitable, Filby’s only remaining meeting place was its ‘Club Room’, a small but picturesque thatched cottage donated to the village in the 1800s. The Club Room could accommodate no more than forty, very cramped people at best.It, therefore, became clear that Filby was in need of a new, modern communal building if the growth of the village’s community spirit was not to be stifled. It was agreed that a project to acquire new facilities would be best undertaken by the Playing Field Committee, which includes a significant number of In-Bloomers. The village has been fundraising since then and had raised close to £200,000, to such an end, through donations, small grants, income derived from recycling newspapers, glass, clothes and shoes and holding events such as our Annual August Bank Holiday Fete.Over the years, a number of grant applications have been made, principally to the Reaching Communities Building Fund of BIG Lottery and, so far, our track record is Played 8, Won 5, Lost 3! The last was made to a very small fund, available for new village halls, which was announced in November 2010. The building would cost £629,000 against which the village sought

£500,000 from BIG Lottery, with the remainder to be met from village funds. After a long and arduous application procedure, we learnt of our success on 2nd October 2014. The new Village Hall was completed on 19th June 2015. A further £50,000 was spent on equipment and the Hall was available in time to be used by both Anglia in Bloom and Britain in Bloom judging parties, that year. It is, now, the focal point of the village, hosting the major events that take place in the village throughout the year.After comments about the difficulty moving wheel chairs and kids’ buggies across the shingle car park, it was resurfaced, during 2017, at a cost of around £17,000.In 2018, the Playing Field Committee commissioned a mural to be painted on the south wall, inside the hall. Local artist, Jim Roberts was coopted to undertake the work, a depiction of life in the village. See photograph Page 30.Open Gardens Weekend - C3, C4, C5

This year’s Open Gardens will take place on Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd July, avoiding, for the first time, Wimbledon Finals Weekend. It raises money for the Church, Village Hall /Playing Field and Filby in Bloom. This year Filby in Bloom will provide a cup in memory of the late Mrs Jean Green who was a great supporter of Open Gardens. This will be presented, each year, to the best Open Garden. The competition will be judged by Mrs. Green’s children and In Bloom will have a stand in the Hall over that weekend to encourage her enthusiasm for organ donation. More Page 5.Grand Fete - C4, C5

Filby’s 63rd Annual Fete was held on the playing field, on last year’s August Bank Holiday Monday. It was the second successive fete blessed with good weather. Crowds turned out in their hundreds and £4,000 was raised for village funds that include those of Filby in Bloom.

Grand Firework Display - C4, C5

Wow! What an event this was! In addition to advertising through the normal channels, the use of social media, particularly Facebook, paid off, bigtime. Our Facebook page reached over 10,000 people. Watching messages being passed, back and forth, by ‘young

Filby’s Village Hall in the snow (28th Feb 2018)

New Car Parking Filby Village Hall (7th Jul 2017)

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C - Community ParticipationContinued

mums’, you could get a sense that we should expect a large attendance. It transpired that, as a result of prior successful displays in the village, we were the only local event, on the day, and we had good weather. Even the overspill car parking quickly filled and we were forced to put cars on our beautifully maintained football field. Queues formed for 3 miles at both entrances to the village and many abandoned their cars, at the roadside, to walk to the event. Clearly lessons must be learned about event management. After expenses, the event raised over £6,000 for village funds, about four times that for a ‘normal’ display.The bonfire was built by In Bloomers who incorporated Hedgehog barriers which were monitored for the presence of wildlife, on a daily basis.Next year, as a result of the retirement of our normal firework supervision, we plan to have professional display with music and, perhaps, lasers!Christmas Bazaar - C4, C5

The Christmas Bazaar held in the Village Hall on Saturday 18th November 2017 raised £1,160 for village funds. Christmas Party - C4, C5

The Anglia in Bloom Judging Tour takes place during school time so it is not too difficult to set up an audience of children for the judges. Britain in Bloom Judging, however, takes place during the school holidays and, on occasions, it has proven difficult to get an attendance. This year we resorted to bribery! We told the children that, if they could pursuade their mums and dads to bring them to judging, we would give them a free Christmas Party in the Village Hall. (In any event, a free party has been an annual event since the opening of the hall in 2015 - we just shifted it from Halloween to Christmas!). The party expense of around £1,000 was funded by donations from In Bloom, the Playing Field Committee, the Parish Council, residents and the village’s Poor Fund. It was organised by a committee of mums and a great time, concluding with a visit from Father Christmas and more fireworks, was had by all. The newly formed committee is to participate in more village events. Easter Bonanza - C4, C5

On Saturday 24th March 2018, another of the village’s regular fund raisers, an Easter Bonanza, was held in the Village Hall, where Easter eggs, flowers, cuddly toys and local produce were on offer. £620 was raised for the village.

Filby in Bloom Coffee Mornings - C4, C5

First held on 9th January 2014, monthly Coffee Mornings were established to raise funds for the Village and for In-Bloom. They continue to be held in the Village Hall on the second Thursday of every month. This year, they have raised £363 for In Bloom.

The Village Football Pitch - C1

In years gone by, the village did support a cricket team until it felt that it could not maintain its pitch, on the Playing Field, to an adequate standard.The pitch, however, continues to be used for football. It is the home of Filby & Runham men’s team and Caister Roma U13 boys.

Firework Display (5th Nov 2017)

Childrens’ Party (10th Dec 2017)

Grand Fete (28th Aug 2018)

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C - Community ParticipationContinued

Another Caister Roma side will use the pitch later this year.The pitch is maintained at the cost of the Parish Council who pay for its mowing but its condition had been criticised. As a result, to determine necessary action, Filby’s Playing Field Committee contacted Norfolk F.A. to arrange a pitch inspection as part of the Football Association’s Pitch Improvement Programme. That inspection was carried out on 23rd March 2016. They reported that the pitch, in addition to severe compaction issues, had a very low percentage grass cover and was mainly weed grass.In June, Norfolk F.A. held a seminar on Pitch Maintenance at their headquarters in Norwich. It was attended by In Bloomer, Derek Nicker, on behalf of the Playing Field Committee. The importance of the removal of thatch and scarifying was emphasised. The prospect of a grant from the F.A. for equipment and materials was held out but the programme would not start until July 2016. At a second seminar, it was intimated that, as any grant money would be focused on heavily used pitches, Filby would be an unlikely recipient.On that basis, after the managers of the football clubs undertook to handle their own pitch maintenance, the Playing Field

Committee elected to acquire their own tractor mower which was delivered on 28th Oct 2016. It includes a grass collector, scarifier and brush. It has been used since then and the pitch condition is much improved, despite being used for emergency car parking during the November Fireworks Display.

The Press - C2

All aspects of activity in Filby feature, each week, in the ‘Village Life’ section of the local newspaper, The Yarmouth Mercury, published by Archant and In-Bloom news continues to appear, regularly. Sporadic press releases are issued by the In-Bloom team, highlighting items and events that it considers newsworthy. Filby in Bloom is, also, prominent in the regional paper, The Eastern Daily Press (EDP - also published by Archant). Where possible, during their tour, judges are interviewed and photographed by Archant staff. If this does not occur, photographs and judges’ comments are submitted, by Filby in Bloom, to the local press. Filby’s results in the regional and national competitions are usually well reported. Coverage is to be arranged for Anglia’s

2018 Judging Tour.The Filby Flyer - C2

This, Filby’s own monthly A4 news sheet, has been circulated to all residents since 2005. The succinct newsletter summarises key village events. It keeps everybody up to date with what is happening, locally, and it provides a good channel to call for extra help when needed. It is an essential part of village life and is central to the In-Bloom message. A survey, conducted in 2009 as part of the project to acquire a new Village Hall, revealed the Flyer ‘in top spot’ with 88% of respondents registering it as their most used source of information on activities within the parish.Local Radio & Television - C2Filby’s successful floral displays are an annual feature in the press, on local radio and, occasionally, on television. 2014 saw another

The Playing Field’ (29th Oct 2016)

EDP (2017 and 2018)

The Playing Field’s Tractor Mower (28th Oct 2016)

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first when Britain in Bloom Judging featured on Norwich based Mustard TV as part of their weekly gardening slot, presented by Ellen Mary - who lives at nearby Ormesby. Ellen was back to film, again, on 7th July 2016, as part of a programme featuring towns and villages participating in the 2016 Anglia in Bloom Competition. It focused on Filby in Bloom’s work with local school children. Our segment of the programme can be seen on YouTube at... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b29O0jJTtBIFilby on the Web - C2

Filby relocated and remodeled its website during 2014 and now it can be seen at http://www.filbyinbloom.org.uk. New features include video clip links and the ability to download prior year’s Portfolios. News about Filby in Bloom can also be found on the Village Hall’s website http://www.filbyvillagehall.org.uk. In terms of Social media, Filby in Bloom has its own Facebook https://www.facebook.com/filbyinbloom/ and Twitter https://twitter.com/filbyinbloom feeds.Filby’s activities regularly appear in on-line versions of local and regional newspapers and re-runs of appearances in the broadcast media can be seen on local BBC and ITV web sites.Other Means of Publicity - C2

Awareness is raised in a number of other ways including In-Bloom signs posted within the village, notice boards provided by the Parish Council and posters displayed in the local shops and garden centres.BID - C2

BID (Business Improvement District) is a levy now imposed by the Greater Yarmouth Tourism and Business Improvement Area (GYTBIA) on all businesses within the borough. The levy is based on rateable value. It was introduced in 2014 after a postal ballot of those businesses and GYTBIA says the money raised benefits all businesses by increasing local employment and local spend. However, the ballot attracted just a 19pc turnout, one of the lowest on record in the country. More than 250 traders have continued to insist they were never sent information about the BID or ballot forms, and that the results of the vote were never published in accordance with regulations.Notwithstanding this controversy, BID money is, now, supporting 30 projects in the borough and Filby in Bloom has had grants of between £2,000 and £3,500 over the past four years, to help foster tourism to the village. This seems to have been successful as tour operators, now, divert their coaches from the A47 to the A1064 to bring visitors to the Borough through the village.In 2014, Britain in Bloom Judges suggested a floral trail round the village and the production of a heritage leaflet. A glossy 24 page pamphlet, Filby, History, Walks and Wildlife, was produced during 2015, using some of Filby’s BID Fund and, at a price of £1, this is now on sale at outlets in the village, with profits going to village charities.Participating in BID, at the Greater Yarmouth Tourism and Business Awards Ceremony, held at the Assembly Rooms in the Town Hall on Tuesday, 13th March 2018, Filby in Bloom was represented by Nick and Sue Dawes.

FiB’s Derek Nicker ‘door stepped’ by ITN at the AiB Launch (10th Mar 2018)

Filby in Bloom’s website 14th May 2018

BID (13th Mar 2018)

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C - Community ParticipationContinued

Quiz Night - C5

A major contributor to Filby in Bloom and other local charities is the popular monthly quiz at the Filby Bridge Restaurant. Participants, who need to book well in advance to secure a table, also enjoy a great meal and a raffle for donated prizes. Host and Quiz master Tony Elms entertains, in particular, when he tries to wrap his ‘estuary’ accent around some of the local dialect. Filby in Bloom’s own, devilishly difficult seasonal quiz sheets also make a regular appearance at the local shop.Branded Products - C5Filby in Bloom branded products are on sale at the local Shop & Post Office. Available are garden apparel, including polo shirts, sweat shirts, fleeces and baseball caps, together with postcards and calendars. A new range of Filby in Bloom clotted cream fudge, shortbread, mint humbugs, chocolate chip and lemon crisp cookies was launched in March 2018. Filby in Bloom’s has its own local, real ale, brewed in the nearby village of Hickling by the Yaarbrew Microbrewery. This is a rich golden beer that has been created with the finest amber and crystal malts, which gives it the light golden colour. Sterling, Crystal and Cascade hops provide that citrusy balance, complemented with the aroma of Amarillo hops, all balanced together to create a lovely beer. An innovation for 2018 is a 500 piece Jigsaw depicting sixteen pictures of Filby in Bloom.Sponsorship - C5

Many companies and individuals have contributed financial and material support to Filby in Bloom over the years, some of whom are recorded here. Others have contributed their time, effort and expertise to particular projects and the In-Bloom team are grateful for all support given, in whatever form. Nursery - C3

Following the closure of Stepping Stones Nursery in the grounds of Filby Primary School, in 2017, the village was pleased to welcome Little Blossoms Nursery to the same premises.

Filby in Bloom Accounts - Jun 2017 to May 2018 - C5

Income Expenditure

Carried Forward £446 Compost, pots £1,320

Parish Council £600 Plants £6,598

BID (Tourism Board) £3,500 Polyanthus £200

Coffee Mornings £300 Baskets Moulton £1,600

Restaurant Quiz Nights £840 Plant Food £300

Shop Collection £1,100 Bulbs £426

Sales Plants & Products £1,500 Insurance £365

Open Gardens £600

Donations £2,100

Total £10,986 Total £10,809

Carried Forward £177

Filby Brochure (8th Jun 2015)

Filby in Bloom’s New Jigsaw (26th Mar 2018)

Anglia Mowers Ashley Clarke Arborialist Ben Burgess

Broadland Nurseries

Burghwood Landscapes Can Man

Colin Smith Monumental

Mason

C.Warton & Partners David Hunt

East Coast WasteEast of England

Apples & Orchards Project

Filby Bridge Restaurant

Filby Parish Council Filby Residents Filby W.I.

Great Yarmouth Council

Martham Hardware

Halls Builders Merchants

Horse and Groom P.H. Rollesby J&M Edwards Kings Head P.H.

Filby

Lotus Cars Norfolk Records Office

Maple Tree Services

Moulton Nurseries Norfolk Square Breweries

Norfolk Waste Management

Services

Norfolk Journal Ormesby Garden Machinery Original Organics

Pan Publicity PKM Studios The Tea JunctionTarget Double

GlazingThurton

Foundries Ltd. W T Skips

Some of Filby’s Sponsors (2008 to 2018)

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C - Community ParticipationContinued

Gardening at Filby School

Spring and Summer 2018

Our children were excited to get back in the garden after the long, cold winter. Friday afternoons, when Adrian comes in to school to work with the children , are always a highlight of the week. The children’s enthusiasm for gardening is boundless with them all keen to ‘have their turn’.

The children have sown many seeds, planted out a huge range of vegetables and set potatoes. Alongside this we are encouraging the children to be gardening scientists. This involves investigating, exploring, comparing and thinking ‘outside of the box’ as well as being aware of current issues that affect the environment we all share . Having been fortunate enough to receive an invitation to exhibit at the Royal Norfolk Show we have created a mini garden that combines straw and hay bale gardening whilst going ‘plastic free’.

We have all become more creative in what and how we use our resources. The children are inquisitive, asking questions and predicting which plants will grow best where and why. We are all enjoying watching our plants grow in straw bales, hay bales and in the ground and of course we are looking forward to eating the fruits of our labour.

Heartfelt thanks to Adrian and all the Filby in Bloom team for their constant support and hard work.

Ruth Peake, Filby Primary School

Filby Primary School - C3

On May 8th 2008, the staff and pupils at Filby’s only education establishment celebrated the official opening of their school’s £1M transformation from an aging Victorian first school, catering for pupils aged five to eight, to a modern primary school for five to eleven year-olds, which now, typically, number about 80.It has a school garden and an oversubscribed gardening club. It actively supports Filby in Bloom and is happy to show off its achievements to In-Bloom judges, each year. Participation by pupils has been encouraged by the use of a greenhouse at the school. The greenhouse, a gift from the In-Bloom Committee, in 2009, was re-glazed with plastic paneling, in case of accident, and erected on site by members of the Saturday Crew. In-Bloom makes an annual gift of seed supplies to get the pupils into the ‘growing habit’ for the year’s events. In Bloom is supporting the school’s gardening display at this year’s Royal Norfolk Show on 27th and 28th June. As part of its regular maintenance of the school’s gardens, this year In Bloom has extended raised beds for the pupils. In addition, a new border has been put in at the front of the school and much of the unsightly hedging has been cut back from the adjacent car park to improve its appearance.

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The Future

Study the past if you would divine the future. K’ung Fut-Tzu [Confucius].

All who participate in In-Bloom do so not for the ‘glittering prizes’ of the competitions but for the good of the community and the most welcome reward is always the positive feedback received from members of the public. All mention how good the village looks, especially so during the summer. Many express this in letters which find their way to the village Post Office. In-Bloomers do take the competitions seriously and endeavour to follow judge’s advice, where appropriate. Committee members attend the awards ceremonies, seminars and surgeries of both Anglia in Bloom and Britain in Bloom, whenever possible. Feedback from the surgeries is reported and discussed at some length. Judges’ comments are analysed and most, if not all, of their recommendations are put into practice. In the summer months, Filby remains faithful to its floral displays but less visible, however, are some of the longer term projects being undertaken by the In-Bloom team. These include the Community Orchard for the preservation of threatened varieties of apple that used to be grown in Norfolk. In conjunction with Filby Parish Council and Essex & Suffolk Water, access to the Broads has been improved by the provision of boardwalks onto both Filby and Ormesby Little Broads and, together with Norfolk Wildlife Trust, In-Bloom works closely to monitor and foster the local wildlife. In 2010, Filby had a grant of £1,500 from the Broads Authority for planting schemes within the village. Roadside planting of trees and hedging continues and Filby’s commitment to the environment is further reflected by its adoption of the RHS initiative to reduce its usage of Peat based composts. Filby in Bloom has developed a close relationship with the local Far East Prisoners of War Association, as part of their joint two year project to establish a permanent memorial to their sacrifice, within the village. The community had worked, tirelessly, from 2006, to acquire funds to build a village hall and a notable achievement was to gain a grant of £500,000 from the Reaching Communities Building Fund of BIG Lottery, in 2014, to enable it to be built. Construction started in November 2014 and it was completed on 19th June, the following year. The building has a main hall with a fully equipped stage and an advanced Audio Visual Display System. Full advantage of these facilities has been taken by local acting company, the Broadlands Theatre Group, who have put on major plays and shows. There are sports changing rooms that have drawn local teams to make more use of the Playing Field and the condition of the Playing Field pitches has improved as a result of the use of a new tractor mower.Local reaction to the hall has been very positive and many activities, new to the village, have started to take place, there. Frequent fitness classes are now held in the main hall including Pilates, Zumba and Yoga. Ballet Barres have been installed to facilitate dance. A Cinema Group, which holds screenings of new releases every month, is proving very popular with audiences increasing, month on month. The hall is used by a local craft collective for monthly sales events throughout the year and it has proven a popular venue for many other types of sale including Jumble Sales and similar. Monthly Coffee Mornings are well attended and are a useful source of income for village charities. Some of the special ones, such as the Marie Curie Big Birthday Party, now, bring in several hundreds of pounds to their beneficiaries. A Gardening Club has started at the Hall. It meets on the second Tuesday of each month. Its first speaker was Ellen Mary, who in her capacity as Gardening Presenter for local station, Mustard TV, had featured Filby in Bloom’s activities in her programmes. The Club is already running plant sales and exchanges and is planning garden visits and other social activities later in the year. The prospect of Gardening Lessons at the Hall is being discussed. New activities for 2018 are weekly Music Bugs Sessions for Pre-School Children which started in April and a Bootcamp Fitness Class. for adults which is starting later this year.In all of this, the village’s treasured Club Room, retained for meetings and small activities, is not being neglected. Sufficient funds remained from the main building project to tidy up the thatching and to renovate both interior and exterior in order to make it a more attractive venue. Filby’s future is further fundraising for more small projects to improve the residents’ quality of life so that it remains a pure pleasure to live in a village with such a great community spirit. It is, indeed, ‘a lovely place to be’.

Jim Robert’s mural of village life in the Village Hall (2nd Jun 2018)