The funeral service for Brian Denmark took place in St Remigius Church. It was one of those happy/sad occasions, bitter-sweet in many ways.
I had lunch with Brian a couple of years ago when I met up with him and Barney Platford and Mel Perkins to talk about the birth of cycle speedway in Hethersett. We met with Brian at Janey's café in Mill Road where his granddaughter Emma works.
It was a very convivial lunch and I garnered plenty of material which formed the basis of an article for Hethersett Herald and which I have repeated in the current edition. It was also the basis for a chapter in a book we are working on about the history of cycle speedway in Hethersett.
Brian obviously got a lot of pleasure reminiscing on the early days of the sport. Sadly he succumbed to Alzheimer's in the last few months of his life. Many people will remember Bryan from his many years with Harvey's Garage on Old Norwich Road. The garage is long gone and had been replaced by blocks of flats but Brian will be remembered by many of us from the days when a member of staff filled your car up before automated pumps took over.
The service remembered Brian as a friendly and caring man who would do anything for other people and of course a champion onion grower.
* * *
At last the announcement has been made that Norfolk Constabulary has bought the former Old Hall School on the B1172. Most people knew this weeks ago but the official announcement only came today.
It seems to have been met with positive comments all round and a thankfulness that the buildings won't end up as some kind of housing development and, of course, it will be good to have a regular police presence on the B1172 - that's if they can get to the new training facility through the interminable and never ending traffic lights.
* * *
I was asked the other day if there is anywhere decent to eat in Hethersett and the answer was a very easy one. There are plenty of places. Today I lunched at Cafe Kin in Rowan House and the food was excellent as always. Very tasty vegetarian.
I also like going to Janey's cafe in Mill Road if I need something a bit more extensive. Then there's Church Farm tea rooms on the B1172 (always worth a visit) not to mention good food at the Queen's Head and Park Farm. Add in Tasty Bites and the Chinese in the centre of the village and there really is something for everyone.
From next Monday there will even be a fish and chip van outside the village hall from 4.30 to 8 pm. I will be trying this next week.
* * *
I expect the fall out from the coronavirus will be felt in the village over the next days and weeks. Today we heard that Hethersett Hall Care Home is cancelling its first dementia cafe on Tuesday week. At the present time the monthly dementia cafe in the Methodist Church Hall is going ahead as usual next Tuesday. It's a difficult decision whether to go ahead or cancel local events. Hethersett Hall has also cancelled a presentation by Dawson's Law on Power of Attorney scheduled for March 25th.