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VideoPUBLISHED: 11:04 06 November 2019 | UPDATED: 11:04 06 November 2019
These are some of the best Christmas markets coming to Norwich Photo: Getty
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It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas and you’re spoilt for choice in Norwich with …
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These are some of the best Christmas markets coming to Norfolk Credit: Getty Images
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1. What: Festive Gift and Food Show
Where: Norfolk Showground, Dereham Road, Norwich, NR5 0TT
When: November 8 to 10, 10am to 5pm, 10am to 4pm Sunday
Cost: At the gate (online), adults £7 (£5.50), concessions £6.50 (£5), children (5-16) £5 (£4.50),, under 5s free, VIP available norfolkfestiveshow.co.uk
Get a head start on your Christmas shopping and enjoy three days packed with Christmas gifts, festive food and fun.
With over 300 exhibitors, it’s the largest dedicated shopping event in East Anglia with an exhibition hall and huge festive pavilion filled with gift ideas, decorations, food and more and new for 2019 are VIP tickets with early access from 9am.
The event will also include live music to really get everyone in the festive spirit.
2. What: Sandringham Christmas Craft Food and Gift Fair
Where: Sandringham Estate, King’s Lynn, PE35 6EN
When: November 15 to 17
Cost: 10am to 5pm, adults £9, over 65s £8, children (5-15) £3, available on the gate or online at livingheritagecraftshows.com, tickets include a mulled wine on arrival
Craft, food, gifts and festive fun are all essential ingredients of a successful Christmas event and they can be found in abundance this November at the Queen’s Sandringham Estate.
Watch artists and craftsmen at work, with regular demonstrations of glassblowing, blacksmithing, chainsaw carving, wood-turning and traditional country crafts.
The fine food halls offer a taste before you buy approach on most stalls and there is also refreshments available including hot coffee, chocolate, mulled wine and cider.
Get some Christmas cooking ideas from the Living Heritage chefs who will be demonstrating their recipes in the Country Kitchen area.
There are also plenty of new attractions including an ice skating ring, the Alternative Cabaret Tent, with a varied bill of magic and illusion, and a Comedy and Balloon Science Show by Balloonatic.
Father Christmas will also be there alongside reindeer unicorns, interactive ice carving, jesters, medieval games and amusements.
READ MORE: Festive afternoon tea launches in Norwich
3. What: Christmas Fair
Where: Holt Hall, Kelling Road, NR25 6RT
When: November 23 to 24, 9.30am to 5pm (last entry 3.30pm)
Cost: age 5+ £3.50, under 5s free, christmasfairatholthall.co.uk
Holt Hall is an impressive house set in 75 acres of parkland and woods and the fair will be in the ground floor of the hall and the stables.
A 15-foot Christmas tree and log fire will greet you in the entrance hall and all the rooms will be decorated with holly, ivy and Christmas decorations.
There will be over 60 stalls showcasing an array Christmas gifts, including locally produced food and drink, clothing, crafts, paintings, jewellery, books, plants and wreaths, decorations, chocolates, prints and even presents for your dog.
4. What: Deepdale Christmas Market
Where: Dalegate Market Site, Burnham Deepdale, PE31 8FB
When: November 29 to December 1, 10am to 5pm
Cost: Free
Head to the north Norfolk coast this winter and shop from over 130 stalls, packed with local and seasonal produce.
There is something for every budget with tasty treats, wreaths, homewares, toys, beer, cheeses and more.
Make sure to arrive on an empty stomach as there will be plenty of food and drink this year including sloe gin, Christmas punch, duck wraps, pizzas and brownies.
There is free parking in the farm yard of Deepdale Farm and in a grass field on Dalegate Lane and the Coasthopper bus also drops off outside.
The festival takes place in three large marquees which are around the Dalegate Market site, in the barn of Deepdale Backpackers and Camping and amongst the pews in St Mary’s Church.
READ MORE: Westlife to perform at Carrow Road in 2020
5. What: Norfolk Christmas Fayre 2019
Where: Norwich Cathedral, NR1 4DH
When: December 6 to 7, 10am to 9pm/10am to 5pm
Cost: Free
Everyone is invited as the Norfolk Christmas Fayre returns for the second year and this time will take place over two days instead of one.
Come and sample Christmas produce and buy gifts from local makers in the festive atmosphere of the Cathedral Cloisters.
The Cathedral Close will also be lit up and there will also be food trucks with plenty of tasty treats to enjoy and there will be services in the Nave from 5pm to 7pm on Friday.
6. What: Great Yarmouth Christmas Fayre
Where: Great Yarmouth Minster, the Priory Centre and the Market Place NR30 1NE
When: November 29 to December 1, 10am to 8pm/9am to 5pm/10am to 4pm
Cost: Free
Expect a three-day Christmas extravaganza with plenty of stalls to visit and entertainment whilst you shop.
The market place will host a large marquee this year along with wooden chalets selling festive food and gifts, over the road you will find the Minster filled to the brim with unique handcrafted gifts and baked goods and don’t forget to visit the Priory Centre next door, where you can find even more stalls and Santa’s Grotto.
READ MORE: New takeaway to offer Christmas dinner delivered to your door
7. What: Pensthorpe Christmas Market
Where: Pensthorpe Natural Park, NR21 0LN
When: November 24, 10am to 4pm
Cost: Free with entry into the park, reduced to £8pp and free for under 3s
Take a break from the hustle and bustle of the high street with pop-up food, drink and craft stalls.
There will also be live music in the courtyard, which will be covered in thousands of twinkling lights, and bespoke creations from local craftsmen and complimentary mulled wine and mince pies for members.
For those who prefer to do their Christmas shopping in the evening, there will also be four late night events of November 28 and December 5, 12 and 19 at the Pensthorpe shop, which sells a range of gifts, local food, homewatres and nature books.
8. What: Festive Food Fair
Where: Lady Elizabeth Wing, Holkham Hall, NR23 1AB
When: December 14 to 15, 10am to 4pm
Cost: Free
Feast your senses over the Christmas season as the Holkham Festive Food Fair returns for 2019, with a delicious collection of food and drink from some of the best local and regional producers, including Norfolk Brewhouse, The Tudor Bakehouse and Candi’s Chutney.
Stock up on ingredients for your Christmas dinner or find treats for the food lovers on your gift list.
There will also be a live cookery theatre, hosted by Charlie Hodson of Charlie’s Norfolk Food Heroes, with demonstrations from local chefs.
9. What: Winter Gift Fair
Where: Thornham Village Hall, High Street, PE36 6LX
When: November 23 to 24, 10am to 4pm
Cost: Free
More than 20 stallholders will be joining the BagLadies of Thornham at the annual fair, selling seasonal gifts and produce giving you the perfect opportunity to do your Christmas shopping under one roof.
There will be something for everyone including jewellery, Christmas wreaths, household gifts, gin and much more and there is also free parking.
10. What: Christmas Market
Where: Taverham Village Hall, Sandy Lane, NR8 6JR
When: November 16, 9am to 1pm
Cost: Free
There will be festive cakes, savouries, jams and preserves, fresh produce, plants and Christmas crafts available to buy and everything is homemade.
Make sure to head to a cashpoint beforehand as they don’t take card and the cafe will also be open for refreshments at the event.
11. What: Global Village Christmas Market
Where: The Forum, Norwich, NR2 1TF
When: December 5 to 7, 10am to 5pm
Cost: Free
The place to go for amazing Christmas presents from around the world, featuring beautiful gifts, illustrators and local traders with a focus on eco-conscious products.
On Thursday and Friday will be the indoor market and on Saturday there will be an outdoor one too, with hot food, including French crepes, mulled wine and festive music.
Opinion
60th anniversary reunion of previous Anglia employees, presenters etc at the Holiday Inn Norwich Airport. Photo: Brittany Woodman
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So many faces, so many stories, so many grins and waves from across the crowded room: over 200 of us Anglia Relics, relics of the real Anglia TV, marked the 60th anniversary of the first broadcast last Monday.
There were lots of grey hairs, or acres of pink flesh where the hair once was.
Some of the relics had worked in the early days on Anglia’s famous dramas with big names. The original board of Anglia had included Sir John Woolf of Romulus Films, and from the word go he pushed for a significant part of the company’s output to be drama.
And he had the connections to make it happen. He beckoned and the stars came out to Norfolk, stepping from the big screen to the small one. The likes of Margaret Leighton, John Gregson, Edith Evans, Susannah York, Diane Cilento, Kenneth More, Telly Savalas, Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, and many more took trains from Liverpool Street or trundled up the A11.
They found a definite quaintness about their destination, the one-time Agricultural Hall, dating from 1882. The Anglia studios were built inside the shell of the building with its Victorian girders visible, painted blue and gold. People tagged it “Nineteenth Century Fox”. Everybody thought David Niven coined the description but the real credit goes to Bill Brennan, the floor manager who murmured the words to Niven as he sat in make-up.
Day two saw the first edition of The Midday Show which took liberties with the clock by actually going out at two minutes past one. It was a breezy mixture of chat and light music fronted by young Susan Hampshire.
Seventeen-year-old June Kenny had joined the company a week earlier as a junior cashier. “My job was to go and watch the Midday Show,” she says. “Musicians had to be paid every day. I handed the money out and got them to sign the paperwork. It was fantastic. I can’t believe I’m here watching shows and they’re paying me money to do it.”
Later, as June Wright, she became a production assistant, making sure the right equipment and the right people were in the right place at the right time, skills she applied to helping organise this anniversary shindig.
We worked often together on Portrait of a Village, the region’s Sunday teatime treat. That was in the seventies when a crew of twenty-two took to the road with three cameras, a truck full of cables and a recording van. The vehicles were grey and yellow, rather insipid colours; the word was that nobody would want to steal the paint.
Once, this small army and all the kit were set up for an interview beside the level crossing at Downham Market. We were just going for a take when a Land Rover slowed down and the driver leaned out. “I ‘ope this isn’t another repeat,” says he.
My first day at Anglia in 1977 brought convincing proof that I’d arrived in Norfolk. The assignment was an item for that evening’s About Anglia, coverage of the Norwich Union stagecoach’s journey between Eye and Ipswich. In the back of the Volvo estate Dave Atto, the unit’s electrician was doing the Sun crossword. All was quiet until a broad Norfolk voice wondered “Are there two oo’s in igloo?”
News and features were shot on film in those days, and cans of exposed footage were processed and edited in double quick time. Sometimes there could be a hitch, like the time we turned up at Elveden to do a piece on the latest Bond epic, including an interview with Pierce Brosnan. We opened the camera case. It was empty. Waiting for one to be sent from Norwich we had a pleasant time making the most of the catering truck. It could be a tough life.
As the Anglia Relics gathered and milled around the room was noisy with squeals of recognition, a bit of a trial for deaf-aid wearers; so many bridges, so much water gone by, so many hugs and kisses, so many memories. And afterwards many more stories will have been remembered, ones that we forgot to tell on the day. Ten years from now, perhaps? Dave, one of the organisers is already considering reserving the car park for Zimmer frame races and a mobility scooter rally.
A digger loading a gritter in one of Norfolk’s salt domes. Pic: Norfolk County Council.
Norfolk County Council
The county’s gritters have already been out for their first run of the season – treating roads in the west of the county on Monday, October 28.
Last winter saw 13,600 tonnes of specially formulated salt spread over the council’s 49 gritting routes, which includes all A-class and B-class roads and some C-class roads.
Each run covers 2,200 miles of road and takes three hours to complete.
That was down on the 25,000 tonnes which were used over the previous winter, when the Beast from the East brought heavy snowfall across the county and meant gritters had to go out 113 times.
While 16,000 tonnes is stocked through a long-term contract with supplier Compass Minerals, Norfolk County Council says that will be replenished .
The salt used to treat roads works by reducing the freezing point of water on the surface.
However, bosses at Norfolk County Council say even when roads are treated there is no guarantee they will be completely clear of ice or snow.
For example, in severe cold weather (below approximately minus seven degrees Celsius) even salt will not prevent the roads from icing over.
A change means this year, the gritting will be done by Norse Highways, on behalf of the county council, although decisions on mobilising crews will still be taken at County Hall.
Martin Wilby, Norfolk County Council cabinet member for highways and infrastructure, said: “The recent move of the day to day highway maintenance operations, including gritting, to Norse Highways, will see some efficiency savings made, but for Norfolk’s roads this winter it will be business as usual.
“The fleet of gritter trucks and the dedicated crews are prepped and ready to grit roads and clear any snow as and when needed.
“I’d urge everyone to take care when roads are cold and wet over the coming months – it’s very important to always drive to arrive, so please do make sure you drive to the road conditions at all times.”
Gritting the A47 and A11 is not the responsibility of Norfolk County Council.
They are treated by Highways England.
Danielle Easton and her family were headed for Disneyland but were stolen from while they ate breakfast at a hotel. Photo: Danielle Easton
Danielle Easton
Danielle Easton and her partner had planned to take their two daughters, aged two and four, to Disneyland Paris to celebrate her 30th birthday – a holiday they had all been looking forward to for months.
The family had set off from Norwich to catch the Eurostar at Ebbsfleet and decided to stay at the nearby Marston’s Spring River hotel in Kent overnight for convenience.
On the morning of October 16, they loaded their luggage into their truck and went for breakfast at the hotel’s restaurant before embarking on the short drive to the station.
But when Miss Easton’s partner went to get the family’s suitcases from the back of the truck, he realised the lock had been broken and their belongings had been stolen.
Miss Easton said: “I thought he was joking with me at first when he said it was all gone.
“The luggage had all my birthday cards in it and Disney costumes for the girls, as well as other personal belongings.
“We drove straight back to the hotel and they didn’t seem shocked, eventually they said it had happened there before.
“We still had our passports but we’d just been robbed and it made us panic.
“We only had about half an hour to get the train after that and we felt like we just couldn’t, and we ended up driving home.”
Miss Easton went on to explain that while she was “sad and disappointed” about what happened, what she really wants is for the hotel to make future guests aware of the risk of theft.
She added: “I know worse things happen and I don’t want people to feel sorry for us but I really think the hotel should warn guests to leave their bags inside if they are having breakfast – I just don’t want it to happen to anyone else.”
“My cards had our address on and that particularly is a horrible feeling, that the thieves have that.”
Kent Police confirmed they are investigating the incident and another break-in that occurred around the same time.
One of Miss Easton’s suitcases has since been recovered.
The hotel, which is owned by Marston’s Inns, has been approached for comment.
The A10 at West Winch where a car has collided with a lorry. Photo: Google Maps
Google Maps
The A10 at West Winch was closed after a lorry and car collided at a junction with Long Lane at around 10:30am.
Police, fire and ambulance services were called to the incident. Emergency service workers have now left the scene.
The driver of the car has been injured however it is not thought to be serious.
The road has now reopened as of 12:10pm.
For the latest travel information visit the EDP24 traffic map.
The final journey of the lorry at the centre of the Essex murder investigation was captured on CCTV.
The footage shows the vehicle arriving at the industrial estate where it was found just half an hour later with 39 dead bodies inside.
The red and whit…
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Spooky City 2018 in Chapelfield Gardens, Norwich – from left, Mathilda Gerrard and her brother Finley, Frankie McBride and Millie Dunne. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY
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Norwich will be transformed on Halloween night as the popular event returns for the seventh time and includes a parade and family activities.
From 5.50pm outside The Forum there will be live performances and you are then invited to join stilt walkers and giant puppets, inspired by Tim Burton’s weird and wonderful characters, around Norwich Market and finishing in Chapelfield Gardens.
READ MORE: All you need to know ahead of Spooky City 2019
In Chapelfield Gardens there will be live music, Truck or Treat street food and the chance to cast a spell in a real cauldron.
READ MORE: 7 places you can pick your own pumpkins in Norfolk
During the event, there will be road closures in the city with St Peters Street closed from 5pm to 6.45pm, Gaol Hill, Gentleman’s Walk and Brigg Street from 5.30pm to 6.45pm and Rampant Horse Street and Theatre Street from 5.45pm to 6.45pm.
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18 October, 2019 – 14:00
Spooky City returns to Chapelfield Gardens in Norwich this Halloween Credit: Norwich City Council
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The event will take place on Thursday, October 31 and there will be an array of family-friendly activities in the city based around this year’s theme of director Tim Burton and his creepy creations.
This year marks the seventh Spooky City event and is expected to be bigger and better than ever and grows in popularity every year, so make sure to arrive early to get the best spot.
Councillor Alan Waters, leader of Norwich City Council, said: “This event has proved to be real hit with all ages for a number of years, and is always a great opportunity to share your creativity.
“I’m looking forward to seeing Chapelfield Gardens filled with families in their finest fancy dress, enjoying lots of spooky fun.”
READ MORE: 7 of the best places to see fireworks in Norwich
When does the parade take place?
The fun will begin at 5.50pm at Millenium Plain outside The Forum, where there will be a performance created by The Garage theatre.
You are then invited to join stilt walkers, giant puppets and characters inspired by Tim Burton and it will travel around to Norwich Market finishing in Chapelfield Gardens.
What will be happening in Chapelfield Gardens during Spooky City?
On arrival at the park, a host of weird and wonderful sights and entertainment will greet you.
Local band Blood Shake Chorus, will begin proceedings, ahead of performances from Lost in Translation Circus and The Garage.
READ MORE: 7 places you can pick your own pumpkins in Norfolk
Whilst you’re there make sure to grab a warm snack from the Truck or Treat street food providers and there will also be the chance to cast a spell in a real cauldron.
What else is there to do at Spooky City 2019?
Thanks to a new partnership with Cinema City, fans of the big scream can enjoy a special viewing of Tim Burton’s ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’ to get in the mood for make-believe, which begins at 4.30pm and tickets cost £8 for adults and £5 for children.
Christmas Market Credit: Getty Images
The Festive Gift and Food Show returns to the Norfolk Showground Credit: Supplied
The Festive Gift and Food Show at the Norfolk Showground Credit: Supplied
Sandringham Christmas Craft Food and Gift Fair Credit: Supplied
The first Norfolk Christmas Fayre at Norwich Cathedral. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY
Pensthorpe Christmas Market Credit: Supplied
Holkham Hall ready for Christmas. Picture: Ian Burt
Helen McDermott at the 60th anniversary reunion of previous Anglia employees, presenters etc at the Holiday Inn Norwich Airport. Photo: Brittany Woodman
Norfolk county councillor Martin Wilby. Pic: Norfolk Conservatives.
Danielle Easton and her family were headed for Disneyland but were stolen from while they ate breakfast at a hotel. Photo: Danielle Easton
Danielle Easton and her family were headed for Disneyland but were stolen from while they ate breakfast at a hotel. Photo: Danielle Easton
Spooky City returns to Chapelfield Gardens in Norwich this Halloween Credit: Norwich City Council
Spooky City 2019 in Chapelfield Gardens – from left, Mathilda Gerrard and her brother Finley, Frankie McBride and Millie Dunne. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY
Spooky City 2018 in Chapelfield Gardens. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY
Spooky City 2018 in Chapelfield Gardens Picture: DENISE BRADLEY