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In association with Fakenham and district Sun - Fakenham's only free paper
Readers of the ‘Fakenham and District Sun free paper’ 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. |
December 2019
Santa Claus
We've found a lovely photo of some very happy children meeting Santa (David Carr, the Mayor) 40 years ago in the middle of the town. We wish a very Happy Christmas to all the people who enjoy coming along to our community archive in person every month and to the many more who browse through our records online. As there is no public session in December, we look forward to seeing you again in the Parish Church on TUESDAY 28th JANUARY from 2-4pm. In the meantime, you can always contact us via this website, or find us on Facebook. Chris Chalk, Secretary, Fakenham & District Community Archive |
November 2019
The Reptiles 1958
We hope this photo of local skiffle group The Reptiles, taken in 1958, will bring back happy memories for many people. The group played at various village dances and pubs and had a large following from Fakenham Youth Club. They travelled to their venues via Frank Gant’s coach. In the 1950s Britain was home to 50,000 skiffle bands, and their music paved the way for bands like the Beatles and The Rolling Stones. This was the first time that young people could take control of their own culture, a generation that left school at 15 and, at a time of full employment, went straight into work. They were the first teenagers, they had money and freedom, and skiffle was their music. To see more old photos of everyday life in and around Fakenham or to donate images to our community archive, do come along to our next public archive session, held in the Parish Church. Please note that the date of our November session will be SATURDAY 16TH NOVEMBER from 10.00 am – 12.00 noon, due to the church being busy with the Christmas Tree Festival preparations at the end of the month, when our normal sessions are held. You can look through the thousands of photos in our archive, watch a slideshow presentation or bring in your photos to be copied and returned. Coffee, tea and biscuits are provided, along with lots of interesting conversation and memories. All we ask is a £1 donation to help keep us going! You can contact us via this website, or find us on Facebook. Chris Chalk, Secretary, Fakenham & District Community Archive |
October 2019
Fakenham High School’s rugby team
With the rugby season upon us, this photo might bring back memories for some of our readers. It was taken in 1984 and shows members of Fakenham High School’s rugby team, along with their Headmaster, Lee Muston. To see more old photos of everyday life in and around Fakenham or to donate images to our community archive, do come along to our next public archive session on Tuesday 29th October from 2.00 – 4.00 pm in Fakenham Parish Church. You can look through the thousands of photos on our archive, which are stored on laptops and in scrapbooks and albums, watch a slideshow presentation or bring in your photos to be copied into our archive. This is a very sociable occasion and is normally held on the last Tuesday afternoon of each month. Coffee, tea and biscuits are provided, along with lots of interesting conversation and memories. All we ask is a £1 donation to help keep us going! Contact us via this website, or find us on Facebook. Chris Chalk, Secretary, Fakenham & District Community Archive |
September 2019
Old Shammer
This nostalgic photo celebrating the end of a traditional harvest was taken in Old Shammer Field, North Creake It reminds us of how labourers and their families worked together to gather in the crops and celebrate the end of the year's toil on the fields. The countryside would be full of sheaves, stooks and stacks, with work for threshers, thatchers and gleaners. This would culminate in the traditional harvest dinner and harvest festival to give thanks that all had been safely gathered in. To see more old photos of everyday life in and around Fakenham or if you’d like to donate images to the community archive, do come along to our next public archive session on Tuesday 24th September from 2.00 – 4.00 pm in Fakenham Parish Church. |
You can look through the thousands of photos on our archive, which are stored on laptops and in scrapbooks and albums, watch a slideshow presentation or bring in your photos to be copied into our archive. This is a very friendly occasion and is held on the last Tuesday afternoon of each month. Coffee, tea and biscuits are provided, along with lots of interesting conversation and memories. All we ask is a £1 donation to help keep us going! Contact us via this website, or find us on Facebook.
Chris Chalk, Secretary,
Fakenham & District Community Archive
Chris Chalk, Secretary,
Fakenham & District Community Archive
August 2019
Fakenham Schools Swimming Club 1978
The sheer number of young swimmers in this photo shows the enthusiasm there was at the launch of the Fakenham Schools Swimming Club in May 1978. So many children aged from 7 upwards were keen to join the club that a waiting list had to be started. The club held two sessions a week at the Grammar School pool. To see more old photos of everyday life in and around Fakenham or if you’d like to donate images to the community archive, do come along to our next public archive session on Tuesday 27th August from 2.00 – 4.00 pm in Fakenham Parish Church. You can look through the thousands of photos on our archive, which are stored on laptops and also in scrapbooks and albums, or watch a slideshow or bring in your old or recent photos to be copied into our archive. This is a very friendly occasion and is held on the last Tuesday afternoon of each month. Coffee, tea and biscuits are provided, along with lots of interesting conversation and memories. All we ask is a £1 donation to help keep us going! Contact us via this website, or find us on Facebook. Chris Chalk, Secretary, Fakenham & District Community Archive. |
July 2019
June 2019
Past and Present
If you like playing ‘spot the difference’, then these two photos will appeal to you! They were taken nearly 120 years apart in time, but are of exactly the same spot in Norwich Street, Fakenham. They are part of a growing ‘past and present’ collection of photos we’re assembling in our community archive. The first photo shows Miller’s Bazaar in about 1900, a shop that sold a huge variety of household goods; the second photo shows exactly the same location, now the premises of Lloyds Bank and Scrivens opticians. To see more photos of everyday life in and around Fakenham or if you’d like to donate images to the community archive, do come along to our next public archive session on Tuesday 25th June from 2.00 – 4.00 pm in Fakenham Parish Church. You can browse our full archive, stored on laptops, scrapbooks and albums, watch a slideshow or bring in your old and recent photos to be scanned into our archive (and returned). This is a very sociable occasion and is held on the last Tuesday afternoon of each month. Coffee, tea and biscuits are provided, along with lots of interesting conversation and memories. All we ask is a £1 donation from visitors to help keep us going! contact us via this website or find us on Facebook. Chris Chalk, Secretary, Fakenham & District Community Archive |
May 2019
Early Years
While almost 50 years separate these two photos, both were taken at the same premises in Fakenham. The early photo was taken in the 1920s and shows Miss Emily Tuthill with her young scholars in the back garden of her private school at 14 Sculthorpe Road, Fakenham. The second photo shows Mrs Beryl Pugh and Assistant with their pre-school children, taken in 1973/74 in the same garden. We’d like to hear from anyone who may have memories or other photos of Mrs Pugh’s pre-school or can help identify any of the children in the later photo. Those identified so far are Tanya Smith (middle row, next to Mrs Pugh) and Kieron Scillitoe (front row, second from left). If you’d like to see more old photos of everyday life in and around Fakenham or would like to donate images to the community archive, do come along to our next session on Tuesday 28th May from 2.00 – 4.00 pm in Fakenham Parish Church. You can browse our full archive on laptops, scrapbooks and albums, watch a slideshow or bring in your old or recent photos or cuttings to be scanned into our archive (and returned). It’s a very sociable occasion and is held on the last Tuesday afternoon of each month. Coffee, tea and biscuits are provided, along with lots of interesting conversation and memories. All we ask is a £1 donation from visitors to help keep us going! Chris Chalk, Secretary, Fakenham & District Community Archive |
April 2019
The History of Fakenham Library
Fakenham's first library and reading room was established in the late 19th century and was housed in the Corn Exchange (now the Cinema). It was financed either by membership fees or endowments and contained 3,000 volumes. When the Corn Exchange became a cinema in 1926 the library moved first to the Central School, with the Headmaster, Mr F.S. Wigg, as honorary librarian, and later to the Grammar School, where it came under the supervision of the Headmaster, Mr S. Eckersley. The next move was to the Congregational Church schoolroom, where the library was open for two days a week, then in 1951 the library moved yet again, to a prefabricated building on Holt Road in the grounds of what was then the secondary modern and primary schools. It was open for three days a week with Miss J. C. Houlder of Weasenham as librarian, and was often inundated with eager children at the end of the school day - there were 651 child members in 1953, with a strong junior section. Approximately 8,000 books were kept in stock at the Fakenham library, with an average 4,000 volumes circulated every month. 31 per cent of these were non-fiction, with 69 per cent fiction. |
These numbers were much higher than the average for the county. The library, then as now, served not only the town's population (3,000 people in the 1950s) but also the many nearby villages.The library stayed on the Holt Road site until 21st April 1969, when the new, purpose-built library in Oak Street was opened - so April 2019 is the 50th birthday of Fakenham Library, and celebrations are planned to mark the occasion. These will be held on Thursday 18th April from 3pm - 4.30pm in the Library, which all members of public are invited to attend. The current library was part of a Council development in 1969 of 2½ acres, when the Youth Centre (now the District and Town Council Offices) and Community Centre were also built. This development involved the demolition of The Oaks', a fine Georgian house that stood opposite The Old Rectory, on the entrance to the access road up the steep hill to the Council Offices.
If you'd like to see more old photos of everyday life in and around Fakenham or would like to donate images to the community archive, do come along to our next session on Tuesday 30th April from 2- 4pm in Fakenham Parish Church. You can browse our full archive on laptops, scrapbooks and albums, watch a slideshow or bring in your old or recent photos or cuttings to be scanned into our archive (and returned). It's a very sociable occasion and is held on the last Tuesday afternoon of each month. Coffee, tea and biscuits are provided, along with lots of interesting conversation and memories.
All we ask is a £1 donation from visitors to help keep us going!
Chris Chalk, Secretary, Fakenham & District Community Archive
If you'd like to see more old photos of everyday life in and around Fakenham or would like to donate images to the community archive, do come along to our next session on Tuesday 30th April from 2- 4pm in Fakenham Parish Church. You can browse our full archive on laptops, scrapbooks and albums, watch a slideshow or bring in your old or recent photos or cuttings to be scanned into our archive (and returned). It's a very sociable occasion and is held on the last Tuesday afternoon of each month. Coffee, tea and biscuits are provided, along with lots of interesting conversation and memories.
All we ask is a £1 donation from visitors to help keep us going!
Chris Chalk, Secretary, Fakenham & District Community Archive
March 2019
St Trinian’s ?
This is a great photo of some keen supporters dressed as St Trinian’s schoolgirls at a hockey match between staff and students at Fakenham Grammar School on 9th April 1963. From left to right, the names are:- Pat Codling, Libby Freeman; Chris Sellars (kneeling); Meg Ives; Diana Watts; (with bottle of gin) Margaret Wurr (kneeling); Jenny (?); Pat Pipes. If you’d like to see more old photos of everyday life in and around Fakenham or would like to donate images to the community archive, do come along to our next session on Tuesday 26th March from 2.00 – 4.00 pm. PLEASE NOTE A CONTINUING CHANGE OF VENUE: this session will again be held in the First Focus Building, to the left of the Council Offices at the top of the hill behind the Library. This is due to electrical work taking place in Fakenham Parish Church. |
During your visit you can browse our full archive on laptops, scrapbooks and albums, watch a slideshow or bring in your old or recent photos or cuttings to be scanned into our archive (and returned). It’s a very sociable occasion and is held on the last Tuesday afternoon of each month. Coffee, tea and biscuits are provided, along with lots of interesting conversation and memories. All we ask is a £1 donation from visitors to help keep us going!
Chris Chalk, Secretary
Fakenham & District Community Archive
Chris Chalk, Secretary
Fakenham & District Community Archive
February 2019
St John's
This is a photo from the 1960s of a demonstration by the local St John Ambulance Brigade in Fakenham Market Place. We don’t have the names of all the people featured, so if you can help put a name to a face please contact us via this website, or find us on Facebook. We’ve been given many more photos of people, places and events in and around Fakenham dating from recent times to more than a hundred years ago. If you’d like to see them, do come along to our next community archive session on Tuesday 26th February from 2.00 – 4.00 pm. PLEASE NOTE A TEMPORARY CHANGE OF VENUE: This session only will be held in the First Focus Building, to the left of the Council Offices at the top of the hill behind the Library. This is due to electrical work taking place in Fakenham Parish Church. |
You can browse our full archive on laptops, scrapbooks and albums, watch a slideshow or bring in your old or recent photos or cuttings to be scanned into our archive (and returned). It’s a very sociable occasion and is held on the last Tuesday afternoon of each month. Coffee, tea and biscuits are provided, along with lots of interesting conversation and memories. All we ask is a £1 donation from visitors to help keep us going!
Chris Chalk, Secretary
Fakenham & District Community Archive
Since this article was published in the local Sun Newspaper we have had a terrific response from our readers who have identified everyone in the picture. They are; from the left; Peter Green, Mrs. V. Lewis, Stanley Hipkin, Mrs Finn and Jack Drewell. In the ambulance are cadets Michael Edgeley and Paul Sayer and far right Robert Loads and Jean Sayer. Fakenham St John HQ was on Bridge Street; the ambulance was based at Massey Bridges.
Chris Chalk, Secretary
Fakenham & District Community Archive
Since this article was published in the local Sun Newspaper we have had a terrific response from our readers who have identified everyone in the picture. They are; from the left; Peter Green, Mrs. V. Lewis, Stanley Hipkin, Mrs Finn and Jack Drewell. In the ambulance are cadets Michael Edgeley and Paul Sayer and far right Robert Loads and Jean Sayer. Fakenham St John HQ was on Bridge Street; the ambulance was based at Massey Bridges.
January 2019
Local Posties
This is a photo of the last letter collection from the East Barsham post box. The man in the photo is David Utting, but we don’t know the identity of the very smart postlady nor the date. Can anyone help us? You can contact us via this website or find us on Facebook. ARTICLE UPDATE; David Utting and Jenny Newstead makes the last letter collection from East Barsham. If you’d like to see many more photos of people, places and events in and around Fakenham from recent times to more than a hundred years ago, you’re invited to come along to our next community archive session on Tuesday 29th January from 2.00 – 4.00 pm in Fakenham Parish Church. You can browse our full archive on laptops, scrapbooks and albums, watch a slideshow or bring in your own old or recent photos or cuttings to be scanned into our archive (and returned). It’s a very sociable occasion and is held on the last Tuesday afternoon of each month. Coffee, tea, biscuits are provided, along with lots of interesting conversation and memories! 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