Congratulations to barley champion - A sample of Buccaneer malting barley won the supreme championship for North Norfolk farmer Andrew Ross for the second year in a row. His winning sample will be judged by Rebecca Gee, grain procurement director of the Crisp Malting Group, against the best barley sample from a Stalham member. The inter-club supreme award will be presented at Stalham's annual dinner on Wednesday, March 25, 2026.
Mr Ross, who is a fomer member of the NFU Sugar Board, of Cannister Hall Farm, Houghton St Giles, drilled the crop on stronger land in early October, which fortunately caught a late May rain and again in June. His other crop of the sme variety at Snoring on lighter land did not fare quite so well.
There were 55 samples - 31 winter (mostly Craft) and 24 spring (all but
22 Laureate) - in Holt & District Farmers' Club's annual competition, which was organised by Chris Borrett, of grain merchants Adams & Howling. The reseve supreme, a spring variety, Diablo, was grown by Sam Clabon, of F J Clabon, of North Walsham. It was irrigated twice.
Entries for Stalham's wheat and barley competions are invited - samples may be brought to the first indoor meeting on Wednesday, November 12 or let Mr Borrett know.
Entry added: 15 Oct 2025 |
Fire station visit - Welcome to the autumn season with a visit to Norfolk Fire and Rescue Station at Carrow, Norwich NR1 2EE on Tuesday, October 21 at 6.30pm.
Numbers are limited but there are a few places, so let the secretary know if you'd like to come along. Red Watch crew manager James Hawkins will welcome members and his team will talk about the expanding role of the service's rescue operations including underwater searches.
Please note the visit is on Tuesday. Emil michaelbpollitt@btinternet.com or text 07852 718342 or 01603 486997.
Entry added: 14 Oct 2025 |
Sugar beet competitions - Entries are invited for the club’s key sugar beet competitions – the best two-acres and the best whole crop. It is hoped to inspect the entries and take samples in the next fortnight or possibly early November. Please advise with field location for either the best whole crop or best two-acres. It could be in the same field.
It would be helpful to include the field size (it makes it easier to locate the right crop) – with a google map or OS number. Also a contact number and possible easiest field entrance would assist the judges.
Please send entries to the secretary, Michael Pollitt – and all entries will be acknowledged. If you don’t receive acknowledgment, it hasn’t been received. Again- email is probably easiest – michaelbpollitt@btinternet.com The club greatly appreciates the support of British Sugar’s team for judging the competitions.
Entry added: 14 Oct 2025 |
Congratulations - Belated congratulations to Tim Papworth.
He has been named an NFU Community Farming Hero in recognition of his work to educate and inspire the next generation.
The National Farmers' Union (NFU) asked for public nominations to mark the 10th anniversary of Back British Farming Day.
Tim Papworth, who is a former NFU Norfolk chairman, was nominated for his work to teach children about food and farming as an NFU Farmers for Schools ambassador.
Entry added: 14 Oct 2025 |
Surprise raptor seen - Birders have been excited by the surprise appearance of a black-winged kite at Hickling. This raptor is more usually found in sub-Saharan Africa and India but was first seen in Britain in mid-Wales and then in East Anglia in July 2023. The latest sighting over the weekend was at the Norfolk Wildlife Trust's reserve at Hickling, which prompted the presenter, Tom McKinney of BBC Radio 3's Breakfast programme to play a song from what he described as the "village" of Stalham. At 8.45am on Tuesday, September 9, listeners could hear Ernest John Moeran's Stalham River. If you missed it, go to BBC Sounds Entry added: 09 Sep 2025 |
Winter season provisional programme update Tuesday, October 21 - A visit to Norfolk Fire & Rescue Station at Carrow is planned for Tuesday, October 21, starting at 6.30pm. It was 15 years ago that the Norwich, Bethel Street, fire station was closed and a new £3.4m centre was established on the southern edge of the city. It is also the base for many of the fire service's rescue operations. Further details to follow.
Numbers will be limited but if you'd like to attend, please let the secretary know - 07852 718342 or email michaelbpollitt@btinternet.com For the rest of the programme please see What'sOn (Diary) tab on the left.
Entry added: 05 Sep 2025 |
Cathedral memorial service - There was hardly an empty seat in the nave at Norwich Cathedral for the service of thanksgiving for the life of a longstanding club member David Douglas Moar, MBE, on Thursday, September 4. A total of 550 attended the service, which included the eulogy by his sister Davina Simons, who said that her brother had co-founded the charity in 1980 with a fund-raising event at Claxton village hall. In a tribute by Karen Vincent, chief executive of the Big C Cancer Charity.
it has now raised more than £46m and about £3m a year. His son, James, also read one of the lessons while the other was given by the Lord-Liuetenant of Norfolk, the Lady Dannatt. The club was well represented by about 40 memembers including the president, George Gay. A collection was taken for the Big C.
Entry added: 05 Sep 2025 |
Remarkable career - farmer, broadcaster and journalist David Richardson -Norfolk farmer David Richardson, OBE, who died aged 87 on August 18, was one of the subjects featured on BBC Radio 4's obituary progrmme, Last Word. The club's secretary Michael Pollitt, who was the agricultural editor of the Eastern Daily Press until 2014, was asked by the BBC's programme presenter John Wilson to recall some of the highlights. If you missed the broadcast on Last Friday's Last Word, it can be heard on BBC Sounds - go to Last Word, August 29, 2025. An obituary is also on the RNAA's website. Entry added: 01 Sep 2025 |
Memorial service - A diary note, a memorial service will be held at Norwich Cathedral on Thursday, September 4 (2pm) to remember a long-standing club member, David Moar, who was a co-founder of the Big C Cancer Charity. It has raised more than £46m in the past five decades.
Entry added: 01 Sep 2025 |
Rising to the floral challenge - It could almost be a case of "wedding blues" because of the prolonged spell of hot, dry weather, as the BBC reports. But Louisa Butcher, of Brunstead Blooms, near Stalham, has risen to the challenge of providing top quality, fresh flowers for the wedding season.
As members may recall, Louisa invited members into her flower garden as part of the club's annual farm walk with husband, William (Barney) Sands in 2023.
The full story is on the BBC's website - go to England, then Norfolk and look for "Norfolk florists need to get clever over challenging weather."
Entry added: 29 Aug 2025 |