New museum, treasure handed over and Badminton Aid: Memories from 1986 and 1992

In our regular On This Week column, we look back through the pages of the Lynn News from February 18 – 24, 1992 and we’re also featuring a picture from 1986…Lynn’s historic past is on the move – to a new museum that is being created in the town hall. This week the last items from the former social history museum that has been in King Street since 1973 will be carefully transferred to 46 Queen Street. This is where the museum service is developing a museum to look at domestic life in Lynn from medieval times through to the 1950s. The exhibitions will occupy a part of the ground floor of the town hall and the Victorian house once used as a rent office by the council. The new museum will be open to the public on May 20.Sparks flew when a Heacham motorist Mr Fred Matthews had his third windscreen smashed by loose stones on the A149 near Castle Rising. He had only just received a letter from Norfolk County Council’s insurers denying liability for the previous two incidents which took place in August and October last year after surface dressing work was carried out on the road. Hunstanton funeral director Mr John Lincoln is equally incensed, pointing out that flying chippings had caused a rash of white scratches on the black paint of his hearses and one windscreen needed replacing because of a scratch.

The closure-threatened Sidney Dye House in Lynn may receive a kiss of life at county hall after being given a dramatic reprieve last week. Members will be asked to vote on a Labour Party proposal that Norfolk County Council does not close any old people’s homes until after its term comes to an end in May 1993. The news comes just days after the council admitted that an estimated repair bill for the home put at £656,300 was more than £200,000 too high. The county council has now launched an inquiry into how the repair estimate figure was arrived at and has not ruled out the possibilities of disciplinary procedures or sackings.There is more gloom on the employment front – and still no light at the end of the tunnel. Latest figures show 4,866 people registered as jobless during January, a rise of 464 on the previous month. Over the last three months, 1,116 people have joined the list. More depressing news is that few vacancies are coming into the Jobcentre and most of those which do are for part-time work.Lynn Corn Exchange is a natural centre for expansion of the arts and should be developed to provide a 750-seat concert hall, says a report to West Norfolk Council policymakers. It also calls for research into holding large-scale musical events in Lynnsport’s main hall, with seating for at least 1,800. The report has been prepared by theatre consultant Mr Martin Carr, who was asked to review local arts venues for the borough council and Eastern Arts. He also says that the Guildhall at Lynn Arts Centre is inadequate and should instead become a community arts and crafts centre with only limited performances.NW Norfolk MP Henry Bellingham and Borough Mayor Mrs Eva Kemp used an excavator to mark the start of construction on the Willows Business Park at Saddlebow. Broadland Properties, of Scarborough, has already sold 16 acres of the 56-acre site to Eastern Generation, which plans to build a £200 million, 380 megawatt gas-fired power station to meet local needs. Chartered surveyor Mr Mark Roche, who is offering the land for sale, said it was the first new industrial park in Lynn for 25 years.It took five matches for Pelicans Ladies to be crowned as Norfolk county champions at Norwich on Sunday. They reached the semi-final round after draws with both Dereham and Watton, then defeated Norwich Union 2-0. Pelicans met Gorleston in the last four match which ended goalless and in the penalty shoot-out they had a 3-0 success. National League side Harleston Magpies provided the opposition in the final and a single goal from Tracy Starling proved decisive. The victory means Pelicans hold both the men’s and ladies’ county crowns.Gold and silver artefacts found at Snettisham’s Ken Hill “treasure field” have been handed over to the British Museum. The torc, coins and metals dated back to 70BC, before the Roman invasion. A Lynn inquest jury declared them treasure trove, which means they are the property of the Queen. The treasure is believed to be the last in a long line found at Ken Hill, where there have been more prehistoric finds than anywhere else in Europe.