Chair's Report, 2022

Chair's Report – 2022

Noel Mitchell, Chairman

This time last year I was reporting on how we were coping with the assault of the Covid pandemic on our 2020 and 2021 programmes and wondering what might be in store for us in ensuing years. In the event, things seem to have settled down, although I personally believe that we still have to be prepared to take precautions.

We have been able return full-time to the Methodist Church and have conducted a full programme of meetings and outings. Among the talks, three have remained particularly in my mind.

First, the visit by Neil Storey in October to deliver his sometimes chilling Ghost Hunter’s Guide to Norfolk, this time at short notice to help complete our programme when speakers were difficult to obtain. He addressed a full Methodist Church, in that Covid restrictions allowed us only some 50 in the audience at that time. We had to insist on advance bookings and take a list of names to make sure that we did not break the rules!

Then came Matthew Champion’s talk in November on “Mediaeval Graffiti – lost voices of English Churches”. I remember it as a touching address.

And in January we heard local research-based talks by members Peter Lavender and Janet Edwards. Their titles pretty well tell the stories: “Rogues, tyrants and vagabonds” and “Body-snatching in Great Yarmouth”!

I am sure that you all had your favourites.

I was unable to attend any of the three coach outings on health grounds, but understand that they all went well, except for the unexpected meeting with rainy weather during a record-breaking drought! The evening car-sharing visit to Burnley Hall in Somerton was something that many members had been hoping-for for some time! Very well received.

Janet has been working with Ann and between them they have prepared a draft programme of talks and outings for next year, of which you will hear more later in the meeting.

Peter Lavender led further progress in the development of the Archive and managed the Website. I am far away from being an expert in these matters, but I understand that most of the large number of documents, maps and photographs held in our possession have been catalogued and digitised, especially by by Sharon Coates and Chris Harrison and will in due course become accessible to all. I understand that lives have been risked as members perch precariously above huge maps photographing them down to manageable sizes.

Now that Peter has moved away, the website has been passed into the capable hands of. Mike Swallow.

Ann Meakin put many hours into writing the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Booklet, Martham 70 Years of Change. A worthy task for our President, in which she was assisted by Chris as Editor and by various distributors and local outlets, of which the principal was Chapman’s Butcher. The most noteworthy individual distributor was committee member Ann Johnson who visited many village social groups as well as personal contacts and was constantly returning to Ann for fresh supplies of booklets.

Being, apparently, unable to rest, Ann (Meakin this time) also set up a past photographic exhibition, “Martham in Times Past”, in the Parish Church, alongside the Primary School’s attractive Platinum Jubilee display of pupils’ work.

So, I believe we have had a successful year. Attendance has sometimes been lower, for obvious reasons, and some members have left us. However, a gentle flow of new members has kept our numbers up well.

My thanks go to each member of the Committee for their work, ideas and support. In particular, I remain fortunate in being supported, helped and encouraged by my wife, Pat – the best secretary I could ever have.

Noel Mitchell
Chairman, Martham Local History Group
September 2022