A number of years ago I was approached to see if I would take on the editorship of the society's magazine Norfolk Ancestor. I had been vaguely aware of the society's building which stuck out at the top of St Giles in Norwich. I had made a mental note to visit sometime and possibly join the society but had never got round to it.
The request to take on the editorship came via a friend of a friend of an acquaintance (how many times does that kind of thing happen). Not to put too fine a point on it I think I was the last chance saloon. People weren't lining up to take it on.
For the first two or three editions I was struggling with problems like where the information came from and how it was presented. Gradually I found myself embedded in the project. Next decision was what kind of content was needed. Should the magazine lean more towards family history of history of Norfolk and then how could the design and look of the magazine change for the better.
I didn't want to re-structure it immediately but to over a number of editions help it to find its own level and gradually make some changes. Today I think we have a reasonable balance and I enjoy editing and designing the magazine which goes out free to society members four times a year.
Membership of the society is excellent value for money. If you live in the UK it's just £15 for the year if you want a printed magazine delivered to your door. If you are happy with an online edition the annual fee is just £10. Members who opt for a printed magazine also get access to the online one as well.
For those very small charges you get access to our website and the Norfolk Record Search (NORS) which has millions of Norfolk records on it. Members and non members can also visit the headquarters in Kirby Hall free of charge on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10 to 4. There you will find shelves full of records and information as well as free access to computer genealogical resources such as Ancestry and Find My Past. Recently over 2,000 family trees were scanned in and are available via NORS.
The society relies on an army of volunteers to transcribe records and do all the other things that are needed in what is essentially a small business.
You can visit our website at https://www.norfolkfhs.org.uk/
We also have a Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/familyhistorynorfolk
The Facebook page is free to join and is open to members of the society and also non members. We have well over 3,500 members and this is increasing daily. It is a place where information can be exchanged and many people have had those horrible brick walls broken down by being able to help each other. Do give it a look and think about joining if you have Norfolk ancestors.
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Do you miss the post? I don't mean physically as we still have deliveries daily. No I'm talking about receiving exciting or meaningful post through the door.
Nowadays, anything important comes via electronic means and what we are left with on the doormat is a series of holiday brochures, usually trying to entice us to take another cruise.
These usually come under the heading of flash or time limited sales. You know the kind. Sign up before Sunday. These prices cannot be held for long. These are selling fast.
It always amuses me when you have sales adverts on television. Everything Must Go in our biggest sale ever. The problem is the everything usually refers to things that they can't sell and you know that the biggest sale ever will be replaced by an even bigger sale in a couple of weeks time.
So now when I see the postie delivering to my door I just leave the mail laying there for some time rather than picking it up immediately. I do that because the stuff that comes through the letterbox is now by and large useless tat.
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The population of our village of Hethersett according to the 2011 census was 5,691. Assuming that natural growth would have taken that to about 6,500 in the latest census, I was pondering on how big our population will be when the planned 1196 new homes are built. It could well take us to over 10,000.
To put that into some kind of perspective. The city of Norwich only had 6,000 inhabitants at the time of the Domesday Book and it took until the 14th century to reach 10,000 - the level at which Hethersett now is.
Our villages, towns and cities are growing out of all recognition and that takes me to one of my hobbyhorses. Facilities are not keeping up with the development.
In Hethersett, our medical facilities are at bursting point and we are in a chicken and egg situation. What should come first, the development or the facilities?
Let's face it, developers come into an area, build their properties and then move on. The facilities never, or very rarely, keep up with the developments. I believe the facilities should be in place before development is allowed but then I'm just a naive commentator and activist who wants the best for my village and all those living here.
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It's good to see that Hethersett Pantomime Group have begun rehearsals for their version of Aladdin next January. This year's production had to be cancelled due to COVID. It's another example of a return to normality (oh yes it is).
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You may have noticed earlier that I talked about posties. This seems to be a new word in our language. We no longer refer to postmen or postwomen. We have de-genderdised the postal world.
They've done the same in cricket. We no longer have batsmen or even batswomen. We have to refer to them as batters.