Hope you like some of the street shots from Wymondham along with a few from my own garden. You can tell that I'm missing football by the fact that I have to take photos of signs containing the name of a famous Liverpool striker (Ian Rush). There's also a photo of the Wymondham Ex-Services Social Club. Not the most picturesque of buildings but one with a host of memories for me from its days as the Wymondham Regal Cinema. I have a host of stories from the days when dear old Les King ran the cinema. One day I will put together a blog about Les who I still miss for his larger than life personality. I wonder if plans to build a new cinema in Wymondham close to the railway station are still going ahead?
I can no longer go past Wymondham Abbey without thinking of the part Hethersett landowner Sir John Flowerdew played in ripping the heart out of it in the 16th century. Flowerdew also took the roof off St Remigius Church at Hethersett and seemed to have the support of the king in everything he did (or should that be destroyed).
Yesterday I printed a piece of homespun philosophy taken from a notice on the board outside the PACT charity shop in Hethersett. Today I found another in a window in Wymondham. A simple but inspirational message: "Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations."
I have a small stone Buddha in my garden (you can just spot it in one of the photographs) and have my eyes on a stone badger in a Wymondham shop. I think they would make interesting bed fellows. So went to check out that it was still there to buy when lockdown is over. There was a guy painting the shop. We nodded to him.
"Hello are you Peter?" he said.
"Yes" I replied.
"You used to be my football coach," he added.
So we had a long chat. His name is Simon Furness (so hello Simon).
I can't believe he recognised me as we are talking well over 20 years ago here. So maybe I haven't changed as much as I thought I had!
I coached Hethersett Athletic youth teams from Under-10 level up to adult and before that I ran teams at Hethersett Woodside School, Hethersett Middle School and Hethersett Cubs. So I was involved in coaching and running teams for something like 14 years and then became club chairman for many years. Today I am an honorary life member of the club - something I am very proud of. Again I will write more about my involvement in sport in future blogs.
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In the evening our intention was to get a takeaway pizza from the new mobile hut which is going to be on Hethersett Village Hall Car Park on Saturday from 4 pm until 8 pm. Got there around 6 pm to find a very long queue and to be told they had run out. Obviously an economic case of demand outstripping supply (I remember that one form A' level economics). It is disappointing that they should run out after just two hours but I'm sure they didn't realise just how popular the idea would be.
I am hoping by late tomorrow to have photographs of the Hethersett Art Trail that has been held over the past two weeks.