Working to make Martham a greener, safer and more attractive village for all
At the September Parish Council meeting we said thank you to Councillor Paul Hooper. Paul was the previous Chair and he has taken the decision to stand down after over twelve years of service on Martham Parish Council, working for the community.
Paul was presented with a tankard as well as a little something to fill it!
Paul expressed special thanks to both the previous Parish Clerk, Sarah Hunt, and the current Clerk, Stacey Kent.
Wishing Paul a happy retirement from Parish Council work.
We were delighted to present Belinda Durrant with our Village Hero award for her hard work on and fundraising for Martham Carnival during one of her popular Carnival quiz nights at the Village Hall.
Belinda thanked all those who have volunteered to help her coffee mornings, quizzes, afternoon teas and seasonal
events. She also thanked fellow Carnival volunteers for their hard work.
Every quarter we want to celebrate the efforts of the many people who make Martham the marvellous village it is.
It’s no longer secret! A once hidden historic gem in Martham has now been brought back into focus. It’s time to explore Martham Baptist Graveyard on Oak Tree Close.
You’ll find all sorts of information about the site’s importance to wildlife and Martham’s history on a new information board installed at the site.
Local historian Ann Meakin with the help of Chris Harrison tracked down the details of those buried at the site, once the site of Martham’s first Baptist Church.
Martham’s wildlife volunteers, led by Stephen Pinnington have rewilded the site, creating paths and habitats to attract a richer variety of species.
Ann Meakin and Councillor Vick Smith officially opened the graveyard on Sunday 27th October and unveiled the new information board. Also in attendance was Paul Hooper from Martham Boat Dyke Trust who provided funding to the project and the group of dedicated volunteers who have given their time to maintain the wildlife area.
We’re extremely grateful to everyone involved for bringing this site back to life and raising awareness of this important part of the history of our village.
Join Stephen Pinnington and Martham’s wildlife volunteers to mark the new information board installation on the Baptist Graveyard site at 2.30pm on Sunday 27th October- everyone is welcome.
Parish Councillors, Martham History Group and Martham Boat Dyke Trust – who funded the project will also be in attendance.
The graveyard is on Oak Tree Close which is accessed down the footpath opposite St Mary’s Churchyard car park on the other side of Black St so there should be enough parking.
Very rarely we move our meetings however owing to staff availability we’re announcing this change online, in newsletters and via noticeboards.
It is with deep sadness that we mark the passing of our longest serving Parish Councillor Bob
Huxtable.
Bob was dedicated to the village, volunteering for all the little jobs which the Council does
around the village. He turned up to every litter pick and was part of the team that revamped
the pond by the chip shop. He took part in a survey of Elm trees around the village to map
them for a UEA research project and was the tree officer for the Parish.
No Council meeting was complete without Bob’s catchphrase of “Through you Mr
Chairman…” and his wit and humour always brightened up a dull meeting. He served the
council in many different roles over the years including a brief spell as Chairman. He was
also active in local politics as a Labour Party activist.
I’m Sure we all have our memories of Bob, a good old school Norfolk boy with that wit that
he put to good use.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Bob’s family and friends.
Paul Hooper