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My piece on Ivy Thraxton appeared on the EDP 24 website yesterday at:
https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/obituaries/obituary-ivy-thraxton-of-hethersett-dies-at-103-8668262
Ivy was one of the first residents to move into Woodcote Sheltered Housing complex in the village when it opened 36 years ago. She died recently at the age of 103. I did an article on Ivy when she celebrated her 100th birthday back in 2018 when I was kindly invited to join her for a celebration tea. I'm not sure that she was the oldest Hethersett resident but I certainly don't know of anyone more senior. My aunt is in a care home in Newton Flotman and will be 106 in June and that must make her one of the oldest people in Norfolk. My grandmother on the paternal side lived to be just three months short of her 100th birthday. She tried to change her age as she just didn't want to be 100, but we rumbled what she had done and knew her real age.
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Spent a lovely morning yesterday with Pam and Alan Mann in their relatively new home at Wymondham. I have known them for many years. Alan is a staunch rock n' roll fan with a particular love of Elvis Presley and Buddy Holly. He is also an accomplished author on rock n roll with books involving the two already mentioned.
Many moons ago I helped in a very small way with a biography Alan was writing on Tony Sheridan. Sheridan is a name that probably won't mean anything to most people but he did play an important part in the evolution of rock music.
Sheridan was known as The Teacher. Born in Norwich he was at the forefront of the Hamburg rock music scene of the 1960s which just happened to also feature a band by the name of The Beatles. Sheridan teamed up with the Mop Top Four for the song that first made them popular. It was a re-working of My Bonnie as in My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean. Which reminds me of an old rhyme I remember from the comic Buster (this has nothing to do with Tony Sheridan and the Beatles but here is that rhyme).
My Bonnie Leaned over the gas tank
The height of the contents to see
He lighted a match to assist him
Oh bring back my Bonnie to Me.
I have no idea how or why I remembered that. Another one from the same comic (does anyone else remember Buster) was
The forward thundered down the pitch
The ball well in control
He beat three men without a hitch
And scored a perfect goal.
But no-one cheered the silly clot
For his awful crime
The stupid forward had forgot
They changed ends at half-time.
Anyway back to more serious matters (one of my readers actually likes the way I move from one subject to another in rather a disconnected way. It's a bit like Ronnie Corbett who used to spend ages telling a story that went all over the place before returning at the end for a punchline. Being a short person he did this whilst curled up in a very large chair).
Tony Sheridan was born and brought up in Norwich and went to the City of Norwich School (Eaton CNS) and was a friend of Alan's. Anyway Mr Sheridan agreed to co-operate with Alan on the writing of a biography, only to later change his mind after openly answering many many questions in depth. As a result Alan brought out a book that consisted of questions and answers. It did, however, add to the history of the Beatles as well as the history of rock n roll. I loved being part of that project. The book is still available as is a website I put together for Alan at
https://alanmannauthor.weebly.com/
Do give it a look if you are interested in rock n' roll. Incidentally Sheridan was cited as a big influence on George Harrison and many more.
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Also today I have submitted an article to the media on plans to turn a disused school field into affordable housing for people with care and support needs to help them to live independently in the community. The development would include a mix of apartments to support independent living for older people along with housing for people with disabilities.
I think most of us always knew that the land would be sold for housing of one kind or another and this would be a decent use of it. Only problem is the school building itself which isn't in a good state of repair and which is currently used as a store by Norfolk County Council. This is not part of the package and will be dealt with separately. If the county council fails to get approval for the plans from the Secretary of State for Education, the land will be offered on the open market.
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Turmoil seems to be the in word at the moment. The news has told us that Downing Street is in turmoil, Northern Ireland is in turmoil and Raith Rovers Football Club is in turmoil.
Here I made a very bad joke about the situation at Raith Rovers which I have withdrawn as it was in bad taste.
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Is there anyone still watching the awful Apprentice show on the BBC? Lord Sugar (who probably should be called Lord Sour) has just become a caricature with his ridiculous pointing finger and even more ridiculous catchphrase "You're Fired."
As for the airheads who are taking part. Well one of them couldn't even spell the word Arctic. The whole programme seems to consist of young people arguing and having a go at each other (bit like Eastenders really).
Contestant number one - "I have done really well here. My ideas are the best."
Contestant number two - "No you haven't. All the good ideas were mine."
Contestant number three - "No they weren't. I had all the good ideas."
Contestant number four - "Actually you are all wrong as I've been the leader here."
Contestant number five - "Actually you're all wrong. Everything was my idea and you are all useless."
Contestants one to four - "No it wasn't all the great ideas were ours."
And so it goes on ad nauseam. Is this really the kind of programme we want to see at peak times?