Thetford Society - Past Activities & Events

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Past Activities and Events

Broads Outing, 19th June 2007

Strawberry Tea, 19th June 2007

We were lucky with the weather for the Strawberry Team. Entertainment was provided by Martyn Williams.

Thomas Paine’s 270th Birthday Dinner, February 2007

Thirty eight people attended a dinner at The Thomas Paine Hotel, Thetford on Saturday 3rd February 2007 to celebrate the 270th anniversary of Thomas Paine’s birth. The dinner was jointly organised by the Thetford Society and the Thomas Paine Society.

The speakers were Basil Abbott, Curator at Diss Museum and Thomas Paine Society Chairman, Chad Goodwin. Basil Abbot spoke about the plans that are being made for celebrating the forthcoming bicentennial of Paine’s death in Thetford in 2009. Locally organisations such as Thetford Town Council, Thetford Library, the Ancient House, Museum of Thetford Life, the Charles Burrell Museum, the Thetford Society, Thetford Grammar School other local schools and the Thomas Paine Society are all working to put together a series of events to bring Paine to the fore in two years time. Chad Goodwin gave the assembled guests an insight into why Paine was still relevant to today’s world and brought along copies of some recently published books about Paine, proving that despite being dead nearly two hundred years, interest in the man and his works continues today.

Thomas Paine Society Treasurer, Stuart Wright organised the event and put on a display of recent press coverage about Paine and Thetford as well as reproducing a Thetford Society article by former town clerk, Mr Ellis-Clarke’s recollection of the furore Paine’s Thetford statue caused in the 1960’s.

Thanks to all Thomas Paine Society members for their support as many travelled a considerable distance to join in the evening. Following the success of this year’s event it is hoped that the dinner will be repeated again next year.

Christmas Party, January 2007

The Christmas Party and Social Evening was held on Saturday 6^th January in the Carnegie Room, and was attended by 115 people. As usual the caterer, John Groom Catering & Carriages of Bungay, provided an excellent meal and Mrs Pat Pearson supplied the lovely table decorations. Music, both during the meal and for dancing afterwards, was by the popular David Freeman. There were three quizzes; two were won by Harold Preston’s group and the other by the Wilson’s table.

Visit to the International League for the Protection of Horses, 9th April 2006

A group visited the ILPH at Snetterton on 9th April. The ILPH is a caring and practical organisation which relies totally on the support of the general public to continue their work 'towards a world where the horse is used but never abused'. The premises at Hall Farm, Snetterton, is open to the public on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays from 11 am - 4 pm.

Visit to the Eastern Daily Press (Archant) Printworks, 23rd February 2006

A small group of people toured the EDP printworks to see the presses in action. We were lucky to be able to see all the processes working.

	The presses are fairly new, and can print a huge number of papers.		When we visited, we were lucky enough to see all the presses running.
	There are enough rolls of paper in the storeroom to last for approximately ten days. Each roll is 11 miles long!		The printed papers come from here into the next room, where they are
	Rolls of paper are moved from the storeroom to the presses along channels in the floor.		The paper being moved into place so the presses can run continuously.
	The papers and magazines are stored on these massive reels before being packaged for delivery to individual newsagents.

Christmas Party, January 2006

The Christmas party was held on Friday, January 6th in the Carnegie Room on Friday. About 100 people attended for a meal of cold meats, quiche and salads and a variety of desserts, provided by John Groom Catering & Carriages. There were three quizzes on different subjects and varying in difficulty - two general knowledge quizzes; one with 40 questions and a quiz about the Thetford Society's own magazine. Music was by Mr David Freeman and there was dancing after the meal.

Thetford Community Dig, Summer 2005

During the summer this this exciting project saw children and adults helping to excavate part of the town's Saxon defences, thought to be under Redcastle Furze school playground. Click here to see more pictures of the action on the Norfolk Museums site.

Each day both adults and young people excavated alongside trained archaeologists from the Norfolk Archaeological Unit and took part in linked activities such as object handling, coin striking and pot making.

Activities were organised and run by the Ancient House Museum, and there was an opportunity to find out what was discovered with a free on-site talk every day.

The 'Bring to light - Thetford's community archaeology week' was a joint project between The Thetford Society and the Ancient House Museum. It was made possible by the Local Heritage Initiative, which is a partnership between the Heritage Lottery Fund, Nationwide Building Society and the Countryside Agency. The LHI awarded the Thetford Society a grant of £17,820 to run the event.

As a separate 'My Thetford' project the Society and the Museum worked together to produce a calendar for 2006, using photographs taken by local teenagers.

Supporters of the 'My Thetford' Project