On this week: January 1-7, 1989

In our regular On This Week feature, we look back to January 1-7, 1989…Local residents, who are extremely worried about the danger facing motorists on the A47 Swaffham by-pass, have enlisted the support of South West Norfolk MP Mrs Gillian Shephard. Thanks to her efforts, a meeting is to be held this week to discuss the safety aspect of the notorious A1122 Downham Market turn-off, which has recently claimed two lives. Swaffham residents have put together a petition which they sent to Norfolk County Council, but Mrs Shephard pointed out it was the Department for Transport who were responsible for trunk roads and she has arranged for a roads expert to attend the meeting and she added: “I want to convey how strongly I feel about the matter.”The popular Castle Rising freehouse, the Black Horse, has been sold to brewing giants Whitbreads, it has been revealed. Proprietors Pat and Rod Day exchanged contracts a week before Christmas and will be leaving the pub-restaurant later this month. The pub was never on the market, but Whitbreads had been interested in the 18th century pub for several months and it is believed the company plans to turn the inn into a Beefeater outlet. Mr and Mrs Day have been at the Black Horse for five years.

Following the results of a survey which revealed a skill and labour shortage in Lynn, new initiatives will take to the road to help unemployed workers from rural areas catch buses into the town. West Norfolk Council is subsidising two new bus services in the south of the borough – both taking in the Hardwick Industrial Estate – which will leave Shouldham Green at 6.40am and Southery at 7.10am. The first bus run by Glebe Taxibus will stop at Marham, Fincham and Crimplesham before finally arriving at the North Lynn Industrial Estate at 8am; the other bus, run by Eastern Counties, takes in Southery, Hilgay and Denver and finishes at Lynn bus station at 8.05am.After a season extended by popular demand, the gates have now closed for the winter on Pensthorpe Waterfowl Park near Fakenham. More than 39,000 paying customers visited the 200-acre site, which opened in March, with an official opening taking place in the summer with Prince Philip as guest of honour. More than 1,400 schoolchildren had also made educational visits to the park. Among the rare winged arrivals recorded at Pensthorpe was a young long tailed duck from the Arctic, while a flock of goldeneye duck had also taken up residence.Efforts to clean up the notorious rowdy image of the Eagle pub in Lynn’s town centre have been stepped up and it is hoped the latest moves will make it one of the area’s most popular and stylish spots. The pub is now owned by Mr Stephen Thomas, who also runs the Manhattan Skyline and LA nightclubs. Doormen will be in position at the Eagle and customers asked to dress smartly, with major refurbishments planned for the new year including the possibility of renaming the pub Chicago, to continue the American theme of the two nightclubs. Lynn’s park-and-ride experiment may become a more permanent feature once the results of the trial runs, conducted over the festive period, are evaluated. Lynn Chamber of Trade and Commerce had jointly funded the scheme with West Norfolk Council, with shoppers parking free on the Cattle Market and using regular shuttle buses into the town centre. One suggestion to be looked at will be to provide a park-and-ride during the Lynn Festival and when the Mart was in town and there was pressure on available parking spaces.Plans to develop popular parkland at North Wootton could be under threat if no-one volunteers to take over responsibility. Years of work by Wootton Park Recreation Association have already achieved several features on the attractive 17-acre site. However, the chairman, Mr Nick Gooding, says a working committee and new leadership is necessary to make sure future plans for the park can go ahead. The association is about to lose three key officials who are stepping down and there had been no volunteers willing to take on the roles of treasurer, secretary and vice-chairman.Lynn Stars speedway boss Bill Barker has sent an open letter to the Lynn News and other media outlets expressing his concerns for the future of the sport and the club. He said: “At King’s Lynn we could certainly do with a cash injection to maintain what has been achieved this year. It’s been no secret that we over-spent last season on riders as well as paying out on the stadium and drainage for the track surface.”