BROKEN LEGS!!: Litcham Entertainment Group 
Apologies to those of you, who by the time you read this, may have contacted us or Michael Fuller - our box office, to buy tickets for LEGS pantomime, only to discover that it had to be postponed. This was due to unforseen circumstances. We'd already had a few 'hiccups' along the way but made the decision to carry on, only to realise by early January that it was not possible to continue. Yes, we could have offered you a pantomime but it would not have reached the standards that we have been used to. But... 'the show will go on!' We plan to start rehearsals again in September 2010 ready for our next performance - whatever that might be. But we do need more support; people to help in all sorts of ways - even if you are only able to offer a small amount of time. We need help both on stage and back stage as well as assistance front of house. If you enjoy sewing and could assist with costumes - we need you! If you're good at carpentry and general DIY, we need you! If you don't think you're much good at anything then we could probably do with you too - you'd be surprised at what you could offer!  We will be meeting at Litcham Methodist Church on Thursday 18th March at 7.30pm to discuss the group and develop a more structured committee. If you feel you can help in any way then please come along or contact Ian or Judith on 01362 820750 or 07733 168283. We look forward to seeing or hearing from you!
Ian and Judith Semmons

A Children’s Music Group and Choir will be starting November 2009 on Friday Evenings at The Old School, Gressenhall. If you are aged between 8 and 16 years of age and play a musical instrument or love to sing please ring Judy Richardson on 01328 701893 for more details of this new music group.
Spaces are limited so please book early.

Homewatch Message

Householders are being targeted by people pretending to be from their credit card company, bank or police saying they've seen a faudulent transaction. They're asked to write down their PIN and put it in an envelope with their credit or debit card and wait for it to be collected by a courier who is an innocent party in the fraud. Withdrawls are then made. Asians and pensioners are the main targets at the moment.
Also criminals posing as government workers are cold calling vulnerable members of the public and tricking them into handing over large sums of money by promising to clear their debts or obtain refunds of bank charges.
And finally please tell your members to check the identity of people calling at their homes as there has been a spate of incidents involving bogus police officers. They claim they are examining cash for counterfeits, showing them a new device or checking locks. Police will always make an appointment in these circumstances before visiting. 

Litcham’s  church bells have stood the test of time, ringing out in celebration on numerous occasions over the past 340 odd years. (It would be interesting to know how many people now living in the village had the bells rung at their own wedding. Perhaps not surprisingly, the six bells and their fittings are now in need of a thorough refurbishment and retuning, and the estimated cost of this work is around £30,000. A lot of fundraising will be required, and we are fortunate that to help us get off the ground Norfolk Herbs of Dillington (near Dereham) agreed to grow some Bell Heathers for sale, using cuttings taken from Litcham Common.
Bell heather (Erica cinerea) is one of three heathers native to Britain, and is arguably the most beautiful with its lovely red-purple drooping bells. Bell heather is a lot rarer than it used to be, so we are very fortunate that it can still be found on the common, where it has probably grown since before Litcham even existed as a village. In the past the plant had a variety of uses, ranging from making thatch and rope to dyeing wool.
Many thanks must go to Rosie and Brian Clifton-Sprigg of Norfolk Herbs for propagating the cuttings. Their skill has given us the chance to own a part of Litcham’s natural history, while at the same time supporting the Bell Appeal, which will preserve an entirely different aspect of our heritage. Bell heather is a lovely garden plant that is very popular with bees; it does best in an acidic soil and can be grown in pots.
Only a limited number of plants are available so sales will be on a first come first served basis at a price of £3 each or two for £5. Please speak to me if you want to make a purchase (tel: 01328 700045).

Tim Angell

Next Task
The next Conservation Group task will take place on Saturday 13th February, starting at 10 am and meeting in Litcham Common Car Park. All being well we should be reinstating the bench which had to be taken away for repair last year; this is a job delayed from January due to the snow. New volunteers are always welcome and if you want to find out more please contact me on 01328 700045.
Tim Angell
Read about the ponies on Litcham Common....

The Mobile Police Station: The Mobile Police Stattion will be in Litcham, in Front Street opposite Bevan House between 9.00am and 10.30am on the following Thursdays;
11th February
3rd March
This is the ideal opportunity to raise local concerns and anxieties informally and to pass on information.
Distraction Burglaries
There has been a spate distraction burglaries of across the county, the most common being bogus water board officials. Anyone who has had a cold caller should report the incident to the Police or Trading Standards, so the information can be collated and enqiries made into the people concerned.
Crime Map
For those of you with internet access, if you go to www.norfolk.police.uk and click on Local Crime Mapping, you will be able to see crime statistics for various parts of Norfolk. If you keep clicking on the + sign you can focus down further on the map to street level. You will see that crime in the Litcham Area has increased by 88.9% since this time last year!