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In association with the Wensum Advertiser - Fakenham's only free paper
Readers of the Wensum Advertiser, formally the Fakenham and District Sun, will be familiar with our regular Local History Corner articles which have appeared each month since December 2011.
For those who may not receive a printed edition, there is an opportunity here to view the current article as well as those from previous editions |
April 2024
In 1961 Teddy Carr, a 12-year old schoolboy from Little Snoring, entered a painting competition called ‘Fun in the Sun’. He won first prize for the Norfolk area, and here’s a photo he sent us recently. It shows him in his school uniform admiring the prize he won - a very nice box of oil paints - with Mr. R C Edmondson, owner of the Ford dealers in Fakenham, who sponsored the competition. Teddy’s artistic success encouraged him to take up a career in art, and he went on to become a freelance visualiser/ illustrator, eventually working for the advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi in London. Now retired, he lives in Buckinghamshire.
To see these and more local history photos, why not come to one of our community archive public sessions? They’re usually held on the last Tuesday of every month. Our next public session will be on Tuesday 30th April from 2.00 – 4.00 pm. PLEASE NOTE; While Fakenham Parish Church remains our usual meeting place, ongoing building work there could see our public sessions continue next door in Fakenham Community Centre. If you have any photos that could be added to the community archive please bring them along to be scanned – they’ll be returned to you the same day. At our monthly sessions you can watch a video or slide show and look through our huge collection of photos on display boards, laptops, albums and scrapbooks. There’s always lots of enjoyable chat over tea, coffee and biscuits, so you are welcome to come and join us. A donation of £3 would be much appreciated to help cover our expenses. Chris Chalk, Secretary, Fakenham & District Community Archive |
March 2024
This photo of draft horses pulling a drill plough was taken on a farm near North Creake. The field was being prepared for cultivation, the seed being set into the drills. Ploughing was a very skilled job and hard physical work in all weathers, and the ploughman would have been very aware that his work would be open to loud criticism from his fellow workers if he didn’t plough the field straight!
The photo is one of a large collection of photos of farming life in the first half of last century that we have in our archive and were taken by Peter Beales, who was born in North Creake and spent his working life as an agricultural worker on Shammer Farm. He also farmed small plots of land in North Creake which he leased from the Althorp Estate. Peter’s collection is a wonderful photographic record of farm life dating back to before the First World War, when horses provided the power to work the land. Although most of the people and locations in his collection are unidentified they were taken on tenant farms in and around the Creake area, namely Shammer, Compton, Egmere and Quarles. Chris Chalk, Secretary, Fakenham & District Community Archive |
February 2024
This Month’s photo shows the unveiling of Hempton village sign in 1974, which was performed by the Marquis Townshend of Raynham (standing first left on the photo). His wife, the Marchioness Townshend, is fifth from the left, just to the right of the sign. The parish priest is the Rev R. N. Stranack, who was vicar of Hempton from 1972 – 1981. Others present are the President of Hempton Women’s Institute Mrs Giles, Brenda Utting and Val Meek,
The sign was presented by the Women’s Institute, whose members also collected the flints used for the base from the ruins of the ancient Hempton Priory over the road. The sign, made by Harry Carter of Swaffham, was emblazoned with the name ‘Hempton Green’ rather than ‘Hempton’. Also ‘Hamatuna’, the name by which the settlement was recorded in the Domesday Book, appeared on both sides of the sign rather than just one as it does today. Although the current sign is a replacement, the images on it are very similar to those that appeared on the original. Under ‘Hamatuna’, one of the incumbents of the priory sits reading a religious tome. He is perhaps one of the original four canons. Hempton Priory itself dominates the background. The animals and their drover, who is carrying a lamb, represents the livestock that used to be brought to Hempton Green to be traded at the livestock fairs held there. Chris Chalk, Secretary, Fakenham & District Community Archive |
January 2024
It’s hard for the passer-by to believe that the large empty space of Hempton Green, just south of Fakenham, was once the site of one of the most populous and popular sheep fairs in England. In the 13th century King John granted to the canons of Hempton Priory three fairs to be held annually. The sheep fair was held on the first Wednesday in September, and it is recorded that in 1848 between 5,000 and 6,000 sheep were penned.
This photo of Hempton Sheep Fair was taken over 100 years later, in 1958, when about 12,000 sheep were sold. The fair, attended by farmers, dealers and auctioneers, was still held on Hempton Green on the first Wednesday of September every year and was one of the biggest in the country, the final one being held in 1969. So far we have identified the auctioneer Hugh Beck (standing in the pen); the two lads seated behind him are Ivan and Jimmy Jonas; at centre back (without a hat) is Dr Bruce Arthur; and the lady wearing a white jumper and sunglasses is Sylvia Flashman (nee Giles), next to Silvia, wearing a cap, is Alfred Johnson and in front is Susan Graver. If you recognise any more people, please let us know. Chris Chalk, Secretary, Fakenham & District Community Archive |
© 2011 Fakenham & District Community Archive.
Created in-house by Fakenham & District Community Archive
Created in-house by Fakenham & District Community Archive