Supermarket giant takes over Rainbow store and youth centre reopens with disco: Memories from 1992 and 2011

In our regular On This Week column, we look back through the pages of the Lynn News from April 14 – 20, 2011 as well as a picture from April 1992…Lynn company Norfolk Green will be taking over the town’s bus routes after its rival First East England agreed to sell its operations. From early in June, Norfolk Green will take on an extra 12 vehicles and all 34 First drivers who work in the Lynn area. Norfolk Green managing director, Ben Colson, said there would be some changes to timetables, but it was hoped these would be kept to a minimum. Cutbacks in central and local government funding were challenging, he added and he could not guarantee that prices would remain unchanged. First East England said it would continue to have an operating centre on the Southgates roundabout to support the flagship XI route which travels from Peterborough to Lowestoft, through Lynn, Norwich and Great Yarmouth.Supermarket giant Asda has taken over the Rainbow store in South Wootton. The surprise announcement was made this week when Anglia Co-operative said it had reached agreement to sell the foodstore in Langley Road, although the transaction still has to be approved by the Office of Fair Trading. The aim will be for Asda to take over the store in the early summer, with the current seven full-time and 80 part-time employees transferring to the new owners. The Shell petrol station will be rebranded to become an Asda filling station.

The marriage of its namesake to Prince William next Friday [April 29] should be a particular cause for celebration in the parish of Middleton. But people who spent months planning a party to mark the wedding of the future king to Catherine Middleton have had a royal let-down after residents failed to support it. A celebration organised by the Jubilee Committee of Blackborough End – which is in the parish of Middleton – has been cancelled at the last minute after too few ticket sales meant it wouldn’t be viable. The party at Blackborough Manor Farm would have included live music, food and fancy dress, with games for the children.An adult greater flamingo has made a surprise visit to the RSPB Titchwell Marsh nature reserve. It was spotted by RSPB warden Paul Eele when he was walking along the east bank of the reserve and it has now been established that the exotic bird had escaped from Marwell Zoo in Hampshire last year. After the bird’s visit to Titchwell, it continued to tour East Anglia stopping off at RSPB Ouse Washes, Cambridge, and RSPB Minsmere in Suffolk. Lynn pub Ye Olde Mayden’s Head has officially re-opened after an extensive refurbishment costing £100,000. Performing the honours was West Norfolk MP Henry Bellingham, who joined customers in a celebratory toast. The Mayden’s Head building on the Tuesday Market Place is mainly 18th century, but is based on an Elizabethan structure. Previously called the Maids Head, the pub was given back its 16th century name in 1980.West Norfolk Borough councillors have given a resounding “no” to controversial plans for a wind farm on land at Chiplow, near Syderstone. E-ON Climate and Renewable Energy wanted to build five 100-metre high turbines which, it said, would generate enough electricity to power around 5,600 homes. But councillors on the Development Control Board turned down the application with just one member abstaining from the vote. Objectors voiced concerns about the impact turbines would have on the economy, landscape and pink-footed geese which regularly use the site.Children and staff at Fakenham Day Care Centre have celebrated its £120,000 refurbishment. The building was opened in 1993 and supports children from birth to 16-years-old. Norfolk County Council awarded the centre with the full amount of money and Fakenham was one of about 50 early years providers in the county to receive a cash boost. The centre provides respite care for children with disabilities during the holiday periods, as well as providing nursery, breakfast and after-school places.West Norfolk pigeon fanciers have been honoured at various club presentations evenings across the borough. Among those picking up trophies and awards were The Queen’s loft manager Carlo Napolitano, who bagged three wins at Gaywood and two at North Lynn PFC; Gerry Knights from the Clenchwarton club, whose birds secured four wins throughout last season, and Tony Mitchell from the Gaywood Club who enjoyed an extremely successful campaign with nine wins.