Sunday 9th February 2025 - Village Anniversaries

For a relatively small village, Overstrand supports a number of clubs and groups, probably more than some towns do.  I have listed those I am aware of, under the Clubs/Groups tab, here on my website.  This year the Gardening Club and The Strand Club are both celebrating significant anniversaries.

The Gardening Club was formed twenty-five years ago by Rosemary and Geoff Reason (they also produced the local Land and Strand magazine.  Over the years, the club’s committee have arranged for a variety of knowledgeable people to speak at the monthly meetings, as well as organising social events and trips to various gardens etc.  I was a committee member and then treasurer a few years ago but now take a back seat, attending meetings with speakers of interest.  Last Tuesday, Richard from Norfolk Owls gave members and guests an informative talk.  You could ask what the relevance is between owls and gardens but there is always an overlap in our gardens between wildlife and that which we introduce to make our garden our special and individual space.  Whether you agree with birds and other animals being kept by collectors or as pets, rather than letting them enjoy freedom and a natural life, is not something I would want to debate here.  What I will say is, I came away far better informed about owls in general and I enjoyed observing the specimens, Richard brought with him.  Full details covering the club’s events for the coming year, can be found on their dedicated page.

The Strand Club was set up thirty years ago.  I believe this was to satisfy a need for a group similar to the WI for those who wanted to meet in the afternoons.  At that time the Overstrand WI group met in the evenings.  I have received the following from the club’s current chairperson which I am pleased to include in my blog, as well as on the club’s reports page.

‘Much to our amazement and delight we find ourselves in a celebratory year! The Strand Club was begun in January 1995 as an afternoon ladies' group, which means that we are now 30 years old. If we were a marriage, it would be our Pearl anniversary.

We are still a small friendly group which meet on the second Wednesday of every month at 2 pm - usually in the Barn at the White Horse in Overstrand. Our programme each year is carefully chosen to encompass as many tastes as possible and we hope to include men amongst our members so try to include items which might appeal to them too.

This new year we have a full and varied programme including speakers from St John Ambulance and the Cromer Community Shed, plus demonstrations form the Sticky Earth Cafe and a Tai Chi instructor. We also like to include plenty of food, so this year we will have a ploughmans lunch in situ at the White Horse and a cream tea at Holt Garden Centre which will double as our outing for the year.

Each August we hold a fundraising event for our chosen charity which changes every year. This year we are supporting Hillside Animal Sanctuary. A local charity is always our preferred option and we invite them to come and speak to us to tell us about their work.

At the beginning of the year, we hold a special celebratory lunch which this year will be at the Roman Camp Inn.

Our annual membership cost is just £12 which I'm sure you'll agree is excellent value. We ask for an entrance fee of just £3 which covers tea and biscuits. A raffle and a sales table are also available.

As you can see, our club is lively and welcoming. Our posters are visible around the village and further afield for more details or phone one of the following:-

Chris, Chairman, 01263 579433

Josie, Vice Chairman, 01263 579748

Jean, Secretary, 01263 578248

We hope to meet you soon!’  

Today’s photo features our cymbidium orchid in flower.  This plant was given to us by a neighbour, not long after we moved to Overstrand, and since then, has bloomed pretty well every year.