On this week in 1990: Queen slashes tourist season at royal estate for prince’s party and medical technology presented to surgery

In our regular On This Week feature, we look back at what was making the headlines in 1990…On this week: April 8 – 14, 1990The Queen is slashing her money-spinning tourist season at Sandringham by five weeks this year so that Prince Charles can entertain his friends during a spring holiday at her 274-room Jacobean-style mansion. She is opening her private house and gardens for a five-month summer season on April 29 instead of the usual March start. The delay will cost thousands of pounds in takings. The prince is to hold a house party on the 20,100-acre Royal Estate later this month when Ex-King Constantine of Greece and his Ex-Queen Anne Marie may be among the guests. But it is not yet known if Princess Diana and the Royal couple’s children Prince William, 7, and Prince Harry, 5, will join him.

Chief Supt Ted Worby, Lynn’s new police chief, has pledged to fight the area’s escalating crime problem. He said efforts were being made to eradicate crimes such as burglaries and thefts from vehicles – both on the increase in the last year. Mr Worby also voiced deep concern about the Lynn police division’s high tally of road deaths this year. Twin priorities in policing West Norfolk roads would be catching drivers who exceed speed limits and ignored traffic signs.West Norfolk dustmen who were shocked to learn that Warrington-based firm Waste Management Ltd would be taking over the service from August 1 are now feeling a little more optimistic about the future. At a meeting with the company last week the men were able to have many of their questions answered. It is understood the firm may streamline the service, but Waste Management has emphasised there will be very little change.Campaigners who say they are prepared to buy Reffley Wood rather than see it fall into the hands of developers are this week meeting West Norfolk Council’s borough secretary, Mr Mike Burniston. He is seeking further information on the wood – up for sale at £120,000 – for discussion by the full council. Also attending will be a representative of the Woodland Trust, which is considering paying 50 per cent of the cost. Reffley Wood is just one of several areas of West Norfolk woodland on sale including South Wootton, Pott Row, Grimston and Hillington. Unanimous support for keeping open family planning clinics in Lynn and Wisbech has been expressed by members of West Norfolk and Wisbech Health Authority’s family planning sub-committee. Members agreed to recommend that the full authority should keep the clinics but look at ways of broadening their funding base. Family doctors may also be asked to contribute to the funding of the clinics, under the new GPs’ contracts which came into force at the start of the month.The next tenant of the Queen’s grace and favour residence, Anmer Hall, which was occupied by the Duke and Duchess of Kent for 17 years, will not be a member of the Royal Family. Racehorse owner Hugh Van Cutsem is reported to have accepted the Queen’s offer of a three-year lease while he has a home of his own built in East Anglia. The elegant country retreat set in 60 acres of parkland, three miles from Sandringham, has been the subject of much speculation. A convoy of removal vehicles have taken away the Kents’ furniture as they move to a new £2 million home in Oxfordshire. Lynn’s fishing community is in mourning for one of the last of true Northenders, Frank Castleton, who has died at the age of 86. Mr Castleton was chairman of the North End Trust, which was formed to restore True’s Yard at Lynn, and put much energy into the project. During his life he had been a fisherman, publican, boat-builder and latterly an author, having witnessed the changes from sail to steam and then modern-day methods of fishing. The Trust has already announced that work on the True’s Yard project should start shortly with an opening in the spring of 1991 projected.Swaffham Road Safety Committee is pressing for newly qualified young riders and drivers to be limited on the engine size of their vehicles and on their speed. Members decided on this move having heard from the Department of the Environment which is making consultations on these matters. The committee is also pressing for a pedestrian crossing, preferably opposite the Pightle, where the library is situated, after receiving 11 written requests for the crossing.