Page 18 - Hunstanton Town & Around - January 2016

18 Hunstanton Town & Around January 2016 Tel: 01485 533422 email: editor@townandaround.net
A Page from The Sage popular in the community; it's Hunstanton it then made it's way
through the valley by the A149
1,800 readers include a Baron in
Dick Melton his sixties and children as young then through the Downs and on
as six, out of it's stock of 8,500 to Ringstead, near where the
books, 6,000 were borrowed in river flowed into the Downs just
Well here we are again it will November. past Downs Farm there is a
soon be the New Year and spring The holiday season was about Chalybeate Spring. The word
is on the way so here is the boy average; some blame the Festival chalybeate means spring water
Dick with another load of fact, of Britain exhibitions in London that contains iron, some of the
fiction and good old Norfolk others say it was because money more elderly people of the town
squit for the January issue of the was tighter. The Council’s sea have told me that when they
Hunstanton Town and Around. front undertakings were more went for a walk on a Sunday
A year or two back a lady gave successful than originally afternoon (as was the done thing)
me a bundle of old newspapers anticipated, but it could not be they would stop at this spring
and amongst them was a Lynn called a good season, some of and drink the water as the iron in
News and Advertiser dated 28th the high-lights of the summer it was very clear and good for
December 1951 and in it was the were the championship sailing you. When I was last over the
following report about week, the visit of the New Downs about two years ago this
Hunstanton. The report is Zealand bowls team, the Open water was not for drinking.
entitled Looking back, looking Tennis Tournaments and the Now as I said the Ringstead
forward at Hunstanton. Inter-county Tennis river ran into the sea with a
‘With 1951 drawing to a close The Council plan for a sea-wall Championships, the Inter-county beach near to the
Hunstanton can look on a year to close the 300 yard gap and the Open Tennis Hunstanton/Heacham boundary;
not without it's achievements, between Hunstanton and Tournaments will be held in this beach could still belong to
the town has progressed in Heacham (fairground to power Hunstanton again next year so Ringstead.
several ways during the last boat slipway) has been submitted considering the war has only In 1862 the Hunstanton
twelve months and looks like to the ministry and this scheme been over six years so railway company had to pay
progressing further in the is likely to come into being Hunstanton as a small seaside Ringstead Parish Council £20 for
coming year. The Urban Council during the coming year, (in fact town is not doing too bad also the rights to lay their railway
has continued with it's housing it was not built until after the taking into consideration that a tracks through their land, so it
plans steadily during 1951, ten great flood in January 1953 if it lot of things are still on ration.’ looks like maybe some of the
more houses were completed and had been built in 1952 maybe not In his notes in the December people who buy property on the
occupied on the Hill Street so many people would have lost issue of Town and Around new Hopkins site at the bottom
housing estate and another 14 are their lives). Richard Bird mentions that of Redgate might have a
well advanced and will be ‘Private builders have also Ringstead has three churches Ringstead postcode.
completed by March 1952 if been busy during the last year, (two in ruins). As you all know I was asked the other day if
everything goes according to six new houses were completed when you go down Redgate Hill there was ever a fire station at
schedule and a tender for 14 two on the Cliff Estate and with some on the A149 in the direction of Old Hunstanton, well yes there
bedroom on the estate has been of the controls on private Heacham you can see one of was, in 1939 at the start of the
accepted. Building of these building lifted recently by the the ruins over to your left in the Second World War Hunstanton
houses will probably start in government this number looks middle of a field, many people had a fire station behind the
January 1952 and they will be like being substantially increased say to me how can that church be Town Hall, the fire station at Old
completed before the end of in 1952. The past year has also in Ringstead, well I will try to Hunstanton was behind the
1952. (These houses mentioned seen the work started on the new explain. Lodge Hotel. Both these fire
were all on what is now called modern secondary school; this Ringstead is really spread out; stations were closed down and a
the Waveney Road estate). building work will continue there are two Ringsteads: new one was built in 1970 beside
‘The Council is looking steadily during the next 12 Greater Ringstead and Ringstead the A149 where it still is today.
forward to the completion of months but it will be 1954 before Parva or Barrett Ringstead At the Old Hunstanton station
arrangements for buying 12 the building of this school will Parva, spreads from the Downs there were seven full time
more acres at the Hill Street site, be completed. right over to the A149 and it firemen and eight auxiliary
(land to the south of Willow ‘An increasing number of includes Downs Farm and Lodge firemen, Hunstanton had eleven
Road) when this land becomes Americans have moved into the Farm. Believe it or not when full time firemen and also eleven
the Council’s it will be able to town from the nearby air base at the Smithdon School was built it auxiliary firemen. During the
build up to another 100 houses Sculthorpe, this has increased was in Old Hunstanton, and a Second World War an auxiliary
on this site; another big step the pressure on housing, several lady once told me that when she engine was kept at Hunstanton
forward by the Council. private houses have been turned lived on the new housing estate behind the old British Legion
‘In the matter of into flats to accommodate them. on Downs Road opposite the Club in Westgate.
accommodation has been the The influx of Americans has school, when she voted in the Just to finish off with for this
conversion of the Sandringham seen a large number of high- town elections she had to vote at month, by the time you read this
Hotel into a block of offices and powered cars parked about the Hunstanton, but when she voted Christmas could be over. If we
flats they will all be occupied streets and some shopkeepers are in the General Election and the do not get a white Christmas in
next month, the Council will making the best of this American Borough she had to go to Hunstanton do not be too
occupy some of the offices and invasion, one bar has installed a Ringstead to be able to vote. disappointed as the last time we
the rest has been let to various juke box. Now as I have said before in had snow on Christmas Day in
private firms. An advancement in the the sixteenth century Ringstead Hunstanton was way back in
Tenders for the sewerage cultural side of town life was in was called Port Ringstead and 1970.
scheme for Old Hunstanton will July when the Norfolk County ships of up to 20 tons would use All the best to you all for the
be accepted up until the last day Library opened a permanent the port, they got to Ringstead by New Year,
of the year and it is hoped work branch at the old Sandringham way of a river that came in from The Boy Dick, Sunny Hunny.
will start before the end of 1952. Hotel, this library has proved the sea between Heacham and