The Bishop of Thetford, the Rt. Rev. Alan Winston was our first speaker of 2012, introduced by Club member Richard Butler. He is the 14th Bishop, the first having been appointed in 1070 when Thetford was the centre of the Diocese. It was later moved to Norwich when the new Norman Cathedral was built. Alan was previously in Hertfordshire before moving to Norfolk, and he told us of his reminiscences of the people he had met and the places he had been to. Moving up to date, Xmas was partly spent visiting Blundestone and Norwich prisons, and he also spoke of a “café” church in a small village with a very large congregation. Looking forward, Alan said Christians should renew their commitment to service, re-discover a sense of vocation/purpose and reflect and pray. A most apt speaker for the New Year.
Alan Cole of Savilles was the speaker the following week, and he told us of his visit to Petra in Jordan, the “rose red city, half as old as time”. It is accessed, by foot or horseback, through a long (1 mile) narrow canyon. It was built by the Nabataeans from around 350 BC, who were originally a nomadic tribe who lived by plundering caravans and charging a levy on trade goods. They were competent hydraulic engineers who organised a water supply to their city which they had created by hollowing out red sandstone cliffs. The amphitheatre, built in the Greek and Roman style, could hold 5,000 people, and the front of their main temple was larger than that of Westminster Abbey. By 100 AD approx. 35,000 people lived there, but the city gradually declined as trade and trade routes diminished, and the city was not rediscovered until 1812, still amazingly preserved. A truly remarkable place.
Club Member Alistair Dawson was our third speaker of the month, his theme being “my favourite things”, which turned out to be an eclectic mix of physical and spiritual items. Alistair knows how to keep us on our toes!
The Norwich Fringe Project was the subject of our final speaker in January, Matthew Davies. Matthew runs this countryside project which aims to look after the countryside for a four mile radius around Norwich, and is funded by a combination of Local Authorities and the Broads Authority. As well as mentioning, inter alia, work at Carey’s Meadow and Whitlingham, Matthew told us of the work carried out at Marston Marshes near Eaton, where paths had been laid, ditches dug and grazing cattle introduced to clear undergrowth. Volunteers (two of whom also came to our lunch) to help with these types of projects are always needed, and appropriate tools, help and supervision are supplied.
Earlier in the month Sophie Morris of Thorpe St. Andrew School was presented with the Ron Bradley Young Citizen Award for 2011, together with £100 of book tokens, by Club Member Frank James. Ron (now unfortunately dec’d) was a member of our Rotary Club with a special interest in education.