6 August

William Hyde Wollaston (1766)

On 6 August 1766, English chemist and physicist William Hyde Wollaston was born in East Dereham, writes @Robert_Kimbell on Twitter.

Wollaston was one of 17 children and his father was a noted amateur astronomer.

Amongst a significant body of work, Wollaston discovered the chemical elements palladium and rhodium; and also developed a way to process platinum ore into malleable ingots.

He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1793 and served as its president in 1820. In 1822 he was elected a Foreign Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Above: Ladies at Cromer. Credit: Michael Adcock Collection

9 August

Heatwave in Norfolk (1911)

On 9 August 1911 there was a heatwave in Norfolk, writes Derek James in a fascinating and thoroughly researched article in the EDP published on this same day in 2022.

At Hillington, the temperature reached 97 Fahrenheit (36.11 Celsius); while in Norwich 93.7 Fahrenheit (34.28 Celsius) was recorded. It was said to be the hottest day on record.

The hot summer caused riots and strikes nationally, as people were starving; crops wilted, livestock perished and food had to be thrown away. Many didn’t make it, giving rise to a mortality rate of 19 per 1,000.

In addition, and which we can identify with over a hundred years later, there were fires across the county and in Lowestoft, Jewson’s timber yard became a casualty.

The Broads and other coastal destinations, from Hunstanton to Felixstowe, were packed with locals and visitors; while at Great Yarmouth, the new Britannia Pier was celebrating its first anniversary.

The heatwave finally came to an end at the beginning of October, when a savage storm caused widespread damage to fishing fleets and several men lost their lives.

14 August

A Calendar Of Flora (1755)

The entry in Benjamin Stillingfleet’s published botanical journal for 14 August notes a sighting of wild clary sage (salvia verbenaca) and a stone-curlew (charadrius oedicnemus).

He adds that the stone-curlew “whistles at night”.

20 August

Cardinal Wolsey’s Feast (1520)

Stories of Lynn tells us:

On 20 August 1520, Cardinal Wolsey, with an entourage of bishops and clergy, was given a sumptuous welcome feast by the town.

According to the document pictured, written in secretary hand, the repast included:

“20 dozen bread six soys of ale 15 barrels of beer a tun and twelve gallons of wine 2 oxen 20 sheep 10 cygnets 12 capons 3 botores 3 shovellers 13 plovers 8 pikes and 3 tenches”

The faded typewritten transcription accompanying the manuscript in the King’s Lynn Borough Archives tells us that that “botores” are bitterns; and “shovellers” are spoonbills, “which make very delicate eating”.

The cost of the celebration came to £32 and some pennies (the transcript is too blurred to see the detail and the editor’s only modest proficiency in secretary hand has sadly faded with the years).

They gave him an enthusiastic send-off, too:

“And on the next Wednesday after the said Lord Cardinal with the aforesaid Bishops Knights and Esquires departed and the aforesaid Mayor and Commonalty brought the said Lord Cardinal beyond Hardewyk Church and there departed from the said Lord Cardinal with great laud and thanks”.

23 August

Samuel Gurney Cresswell (1853)

Samuel Gurney Cresswell of The Bank House in King's Lynn (now the hotel and restaurant) set sail from the Arctic for Britain aboard HMS Phoenix on 23 August 1853 and became the first naval officer to cross the Northwest Passage.

In the early 1850s Cresswell served under Sir Robert John Le Mesurier McClure, commander of HMS Investigator. McClure was seeking the missing expedition of Sir John Franklin, which had vanished in the late 1840s whilst searching for the Northwest Passage.

Franklin's ships HMS Erebus and HMS Terror were discovered in 2014 and 2016 respectively; and Franklin’s voyage is the subject of the fictionalised BBC2 drama The Terror.

McClure's expedition spent two winters between 1851 and 1853 in the Bay of Mercy, trapped in ice, before being rescued by the crew of HMS Resolute. The Investigator was abandoned and only rediscovered beneath the ice in 2010.

After walking 170 miles to reach their rescuers’ winter camp, Cresswell volunteered to trek a further 300 miles to rendezvous with HMS Phoenix. He was carrying McClure's dispatches to the Admiralty which confirmed not only the crew's survival, but the news that the Northwest Passage had been discovered.

The people of Lynn celebrated Cresswell's safe return with a banquet on 26 October 1853 and the installation of new glass in the east window of King's Lynn Minster.

Our thanks to Marriott’s Warehouse Trust for the details of this piece of local history.

£23,860 Raised for EAAA (to date)

The Adrian Flux Lap of Anglia, raising vital funds for the East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA), came to a close on Sunday (August 21).

The cycling event, which has been running since 2013 and in that time has raised over £185,000, started at the EAAA headquarters in Norwich and pursued a 435-mile lap round East Anglia, finishing back in Norwich four days later.

The challenging itinerary encompasses:

• Day 1: Norwich to Ipswich (107 miles)

• Day 2: Ipswich to Luton (102 miles)

• Day 3: Luton to King’s Lynn (124 miles)

• Day 4: King’s Lynn to Norwich (102 miles)

No “flat Norfolk” jokes, please — the route also encompasses 14,167ft of climbing!

Generous supporters have contributed £23,860 to date and there’s still time to donate on the EAAA Lap of Anglia 2022 fundraising page at JustGiving.

Picture credits: Adrian Flux Lap of Anglia

New Sponsor: Gasway Heating

Norwich City Women have recently announced a new partnership with Gasway, who are the heating provider for Flagship Group, a company working in the community to provide and maintain homes, and who are one of the sponsors of Platinum Jubilee Norfolk.

The Gasway logo will be placed on the back of the women’s first team shirts for matchdays.

Nick Bartram, managing director of Gasway said: "As a local heating specialist, Gasway is in a male-dominated industry, but we’re committed to changing this. And as a founding partner of the women’s team, we’re hoping that we can help to highlight the importance of gender inclusion both in sport and our own industry.”

Platinum Jubilee Norfolk wishes Gasway, Flagship and, of course, Norwich City WFC all the very best.

The Cuppa Care Bus

On 22 January 2022 the Rotary Club of Norwich celebrated the 100th Anniversary of its founding.

To commemorate the first one hundred years, the club initiated a long-term project, the Cuppa Care Bus, focusing on “preventing and reducing social isolation and loneliness in Norfolk”. They have partnered with local charities who share this common goal.

The charities involved are: Hear for Norfolk (Norfolk Deaf Association), Vision Norfolk (NNAB), Age UK Norwich, Norfolk LGBT+ Project, Norfolk Citizens Advice Bureau, Norfolk & Waveney Mind and Age UK Norfolk

A full list of dates, times and destinations can be found in the Lily Online Directory and on the websites of the individual charities. Or you can contact Cuppa Care on cuppacarenorfolk@hearfornorfolk.org.uk and 01603 404440

Creatures of the Night

Fridays 9 and 16 September, 7.30-10.30pm

The nocturnal tour returns this year at Pensthorpe, starting at dusk and with plenty of time to see the moths, bats and owls who have made the nature reserve their own.

You will meet in the car park and then head out alongside their bat detector expert to try and spot some of the 10 species of bat found there:

“Previously we’ve seen Daubenton’s bat skim over the lake to catch its prey and pipistrelles roosting in the trees- it’s not all about the bats though. We’ll be listening out for owls, watching out for deer and hares and looking deep into the water to see fish such as pike and minnow.”

They say it’s one of their favourite events of the year. Tickets available on their website.

Hillside Avenue Primary Brings Awards to 1500

Patrick Peal MBE DL, who is the leading light in the organisation of the ongoing Platinum Jubilee Awards, sent us a triumphant update entitled Past the 1500!:

“Just to let you all know that thanks to two more group submissions, including Hillside Avenue Primary School, we have now passed the 1500 total!”

Activities undertaken by the children to earn their Challenge Awards included:

Being Active in Norfolk

• Sponsored 25km Dog Walk for Macmillan

• Football training, swimming and karate

• Maypole dancing

• A Park Run

• 6 mile cycle ride

• Walk around Blickling Estate

Protecting Our Environment

• Planting cornflower seeds for wildlife

• Planting beans and peas

• Litter picking

• Building a bug hotel

• Helping to water plants at grandparents’ house

Learning Legacy

• Visit to Norwich Castle

• Read a book all about the Queen

• Learning times tables at home

• Visited Buckingham Palace

• Learnt about the Commonwealth

Celebrating the Jubilee

• Jubilee street party

• Celebrated the Jubilee in Norwich city centre

• Wrote a rhyme about The Queen

• Made a crown for a Jubilee party

• Made cakes as part of a Jubilee picnic

Congratulations and well done to all 30 children who took part!

Vigil in King’s Lynn

Team Rector at King’s Lynn Minster Canon Mark Dimond wrote on Twitter on August 24, the anniversary of Ukraine’s Independence:

“Hundreds of people came together in King’s Lynn to reflect upon the tragedy in Ukraine after six months of war. We prayed for the Ukrainian people, that they may endure and keep the light of hope burning in their hearts. We prayed for peace. Slava Ukrayini!”

Dr Dimond’s byline on Twitter includes his mission: “To be a joy-bearer and a joy-giver”.