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North Sea wind farm baffles farmers

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North Sea wind farm baffles farmers

By Ivor Traktor
Farming Correspondent (intern)

East Anglian farmers have been thrown into confusion over plans for a huge North Sea wind farm.

They were baffled about how to grow and harvest wind, while the thought of using their beloved machinery out on the water sent them into a panic.

Beccles potato mogul Maurice Piper said the idea was half-baked. “We are pleased that the government is expanding Suffolk farming further into the sea, a strategy that has not been applied since the 17th century.

“But we are concerned they have forgotten about the drainage bit. You can imagine our surprise to hear they were intending to leave the sea where it was.”

north sea wind farmWaves of protest: Farmers have concerns over North Sea wind farm plan

ScottishPower Renewables revealed this week it had finalised funding for the 102-turbine East Anglia ONE wind farm off the coast of Lowestoft in Suffolk, and work would begin next year.

It said 714 megawatts of wind energy would produce enough for all East Anglia households – especially as most north of Colchester uses Rayburn woodburners anyway.

The megawatt bit confused Mr Piper even more. “No one even knows how many tons of wind a megawatt is, and what size hopper is needed to store it in. Obviously the plans will also raise concerns over the volume of wind traffic on the A146 in the summer.”

He said farmers were also worried about working conditions offshore, and the costs of converting and running a maritime Massey Ferguson. Attaching lifeboats, life rafts, a rudder, a brass bell and brass polish would all eat into profits, he warned.

The Suffolk branch of the National Farmers’ Union said they are expected to test out a floating tractor on a village pond at Westleton next month.

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Train fleet scrapped for faster replacement bus service

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Train fleet scrapped for faster replacement bus service

By Casey Jones, Railways Correspondent

Greater Anglia is to scrap its entire fleet of ancient trains after realising the replacement bus service is faster and more reliable, the Suffolk Gazette can reveal.

Bosses of the under fire rail company, voted one of Britain’s worst in a recent Which? survey, are buying hundreds of colourful second-hand buses to run the mainline route between London and East Anglia, as well as all the branch lines throughout the region.

Weary passengers appreciate the punctuality, cleanliness and speed of the replacement bus service, which has been called on more often in recent years, particularly over weekends.

And it didn’t take long for Greater Anglia statisticians to work out the buses were faster, never broke down – and were cheaper to run.

Now they have agreed to replace all their trains with a fleet of 400 second-hand buses imported from Central America, while a Suffolk scrap yard is in negotiations to break up and dispose of the train rolling stock.

replacement bus service Greater AngliaAll aboard: colourful bus service will replace all Greater Anglia trains
The bus services, which will add a delightful splash of colour to the region’s roads, will run from the current railway station network, although changes will be needed to improve road access in some cases.

A rail insider said: “Rail passengers were beginning to notice that the replacement bus service was quicker, reliable and much more pleasant way to travel.

“Greater Anglia decided to latch on to the sentiment to try to gain some customer satisfaction, which recent surveys have found to be lacking.

“But because the buses they are buying are so old, the rail company has promised a very expensive improvement programme, including new seat covers, carpets and toilets that do not flush directly onto the road below.”

Regular commuters are looking forward to the change. Jeremy Shanks, 41, who commutes to London every day from Sudbury in Suffolk, said: “It will be a novelty being able to get a seat, and the bus ride to and from London will be reliable, relaxing and fast. It will be cheaper, too.”

Suffolk and Essex county councils were this week discussing the plans, and whether they could turn the slow lane of the A12 dual carriageway into a bus-only lane to improve the bus journey times even more.

Norfolk Police hunt man with 28 fingers and toes

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Norfolk Police hunt man with 28 fingers and toes

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By Hugh Dunnett
Crime Correspondent

Norfolk Police have released a photograph of a man they wish to question over a series of burglaries.

Using the latest fingerprint and footprint technology, forensics teams confirmed a thief with 28 fingers and toes was responsible for dozens of break-ins in the Norwich area.

But detectives warn that the description only narrows down the list of Norfolk suspects to around 12,000 men.

They have now published a CCTV image from one of the crime scenes of the man they wish to speak to, and have appealed for anyone who knows him to come forward.

norfolk-manFinger of suspicion: have you seen this Norfolk man?

A detective working on the case told the Suffolk Gazette: “You’d have thought that finding someone with 28 fingers and toes would be quite easy. But it’s normal for Norfolk – and this thief could be blending in with any community in the county.”

Police yesterday released a man they had arrested in relation to the burglaries. Billy Bob Spuckler, 24, of Downham Market, was found to have been in custody at the time of one of the break-ins for posing as a rich businessman on dating sites, so could not have been responsible.

Newmarket could lose out after new TV deal is signed

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Newmarket could lose out after new TV deal is signed

When the big bosses of horse racing in the UK announced that from next year ITV would have the rights to broadcast races on TV, many thought Channel 4 would be the big loser of the new deal. But after looking closely at exactly what deal has been signed with ITV, many people fear that smaller racecourses like Newmarket could lose out on a lot of publicity.

Although ITV regularly attracts more viewers than Channel 4 on its main channel, there are reports that only 34 of the year’s fixtures will be broadcast on ITV1. The rest will be shown on ITV4, which often struggles to reach even a fraction of the viewership that Channel 4 gets for its horse racing. That means that some of Newmarket’s big races, including the 1000 Guineas, could see a big fall in viewers as it’s predicted that the races will be shown on ITV4.

The 1000 Guineas race already struggles to market itself as a big event on the ever busy racing calendar, but moving the race to ITV4 could mean that even fewer people see the race. Only the big races like the Grand National and the Cheltenham Festival will gain the benefits of the wide-reaching audience power of ITV1 when the contract comes into force on New Year’s Day. The move down the channel listings from Channel 4 to ITV4 could really impact on the profitability of the race.

newmarket-race-courseNewmarket racecourse

Although there are still a few weeks away, the attention of the horse racing betting market is already firmly focused on the Cheltenham Festival. It’s expected that more money will be placed on the big races like the Gold Cup over the four-day event than Newmarket sees in months of race meetings combined. Even some of the festival’s lesser known races like the JLT Novices Cup are attracting a lot of attention. At the moment, horse racing betting site Coral have seen a huge amount of interest in the race after the second favourite Bristol De Mai put a good performance in the recent Novices Chase at Sandown. The horse is currently 10/1 to win the Novice Cup, but those odds could easily fall in the weeks, days or even hours before the big race. Luckily Coral will have all of the latest horse racing betting news in the lead up to the festival on their blog, with a handy ‘bet now’ option if you agree with the horses they’re tipping for success.

The bosses of Newmarket are still hopeful that the new deal will see even more viewers witness their races on a regular basis. In a recent interview with The Guardian newspaper, the regional director of the Jockey’s Club Amy Starkey said that they’re seeing it as an opportunity rather than a down grade to a lesser known TV channel. She said that the deal is “fantastic for the sport, in terms of the reach and exposure that ITV can provide.” She says that they are still in discussions with ITV about what races will feature on what channel. But it’s likely nowhere near as many as the 17 races broadcast on Channel 4 this year from Newmarket will be shown on ITV’s main channel next year.

Ryanair to launch budget space flights

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Ryanair to launch budget space flights

By Izzy Jett
Aviation Reporter

Ryanair is to launch no-frills commercial space flights to rival Virgin Galactic, the Suffolk Gazette can reveal.

The airline believes it can tweak its winning low-cost flights formula to grab out-of-this-world business from Richard Branson’s Virgin empire.

Ryanair has identified the RAF Mildenhall airbase in west Suffolk as the likely HQ for its space enterprise once the U.S. Air Force leaves the site in 2020.

An insider revealed the airline was interested in undercutting Virgin Galactic by hundreds of thousands of pounds a flight.

Savings would be made by cramming more passengers onto each trip into orbit, and making them pay a premium for drinks and snacks on board.

“While Virgin Galactic will only attract the very wealthy, our plans will open space travel to the common man,” the Ryanair source said.

He added: “We see space flights being a viable alternative for stag parties who currently fly out boozed-up to Poland, Czech Republic or Amsterdam.”

ryanairVirgin on the ridiculous: Ryanair to rival Branson’s space travel programme

Virgin Galactic has been working on developing its space flights for years. Its US-based program suffered a major set back in November, 2015 when a test flight crashed, but that has not deterred the hundreds of people who have already stumped up the $250,000 price to go to space when the first flights are expected in a few years.

Ryanair expects to develop its craft within months. Passengers will be expected to pay just £1,000 for the chance to go into orbit, a significant saving.

But they will not be allowed to take any baggage on board unless they pay £50,000. Nor will there be any reserved seats. Instead, passengers can pay £10,000 for priority boarding.

That has not deterred some from signing up for Ryanair low-cost flights already. Barry Smith, 43, a plumber from Haverhill, said: “I’ve signed up – the chance to fly into space is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

“I am over the moon.”

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‘I’ve got world’s oldest Polo, and it’s in mint condition’

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‘I’ve got world’s oldest Polo, and it’s in mint condition’

image

A Suffolk man claims to have the world’s oldest surviving Polo mint, it has emerged.

Roger Mottram, 49, says the rare sweet is from 1948, the first year they were produced.

He keeps it in a display case on his sideboard along with a note from makers Rowntree confirming its age.

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“It was found in my great grandfather’s trouser pocket when he died and it’s been passed down the family over generations,” Mr Mottram said.

“He never had much money, so this was seen as a great family memento.”

Mr Mottram, who works in a newsagent in Brandon, said he had been tempted once or twice to eat it.

“I quite like Polo mints, and several times curiosity has nearly got the better of me. I mean, did they taste the same in he 1940s as they do now? Luckily I thought better of it.”

He now intends to take the minty treat to the Antiques Roadshow when the series is filmed next in East Anglia.

“I expect it’s worth a lot of money – it’s a unique piece of confectionery history,” he said. “But I’d never sell it; it will go to my son when I’m gone.”

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Polo mints have been produced by Rowntree’s since 1948.

The company confirmed Mr Mottram’s Polo was the oldest they had seen.

“It’s in mint condition,” a spokesman said.

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‘When she gets randy, her extra finger comes in handy’

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‘When she gets randy, her extra finger comes in handy’

By Ivor Traktor, Farming Correspondent (intern)

A man with a banjo has created a music video to offer useful advice about dating Fenland women.

With his band, the Ouse Valley Singles Club, he says it is difficult to understand the speech of a woman from Wisbech, but that “when she gets randy, her extra finger comes in handy”.

The video, shown below, portrays life in rural Cambridgeshire very accurately, and confirms how closely related they must be to people from Norfolk.

You’ll enjoy this if you like country music or a ukulele band.

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Sat Nav pensioner drives into River Deben

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Sat Nav pensioner drives into River Deben

By Courtney Pike
Angling Correspondent

A Norfolk pensioner drove her car into the River Deben after her Sat Nav sent her to Waldringfield instead of Great Waldingfield.

Betty Hampton, 79, from Norwich, decided to pay a visit to her twin sister, who lives in a pretty cottage in the small village of Great Waldingfield near Sudbury in Suffolk.

But she got a little confused when using her new car satellite navigation device for the first time – and mistakenly keyed in Waldringfield, the riverside hamlet near Woodbridge, as her destination.

Betty headed off happily enough down the A140 and then dutifully followed the Sat Nav instructions to head east to Woodbridge, rather than west towards Sudbury.

She trundled along the windy country lanes near Waldringfield, went down Cliff Lane towards the river – and kept going at 20mph, straight into the water.

car-in-debenMaking waves: Betty Hampton’s car stuck in the River Deben

Luckily, her car was not completely submerged in the River Deben, and the landlord of the nearby Maybush Inn heard her cries for help and managed to pull her out.

“She was wet, cold, and a little dazed, but otherwise unhurt by her ordeal,” a local fisherman said. “She told us she thought she was in Great Waldingfield, and that there is no river there, so she was a little surprised to drive into one.

“She was able to have a chuckle about it while she dried out next to the fire in the pub, and staff allowed her to ring her sister to tell her she wouldn’t make lunch.”

Mrs Hampton’s car was written off, and a kindly police officer gave her a lift to Ipswich Railway Station, from where she was able to get a train back home to Norwich.

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