• Defibrillator Campaign Gains Momentum

    Last night, 10th October, at the Tunstead Village Hall Committee evening, the “Defibrillator for Tunstead” campaign got a little closer to its fruition. Gilly Foulds, the owner of the Horse and Groom (our village pub) made a donation to the fund.

    Every fourth Tuesday of the month, the Horse and Groom host a quiz night. The prize of 50% of the total entry fees collected, going to the winner, and 25% to the runner up. Gilly then donates the remainder to the village funds. Currently, the village is focusing upon the purchase of a defibrillator to be installed within the phone box opposite the primary school. An article published on the parish council web site describes a defibrillator and its use, and can read by following this LINK .

    The next quiz night to be held at the Horse and Groom is 24th October at 8:00pm, teams can enter for a small fee. So come along and exercise your brain cells as well as exercising your right arm (lifting glasses of delicious ale). You will have an entertaining and challenging evening, and would be contributing to the current campaign of getting a defibrillator for the village.

  • Photo Competition

    Hurry! Competition entry closes soon!

    Competition entries close at the end of the month.

    Photo Competition (click to enlarge)

    The Tunstead Village Hall Committee are sponsoring a photo competition this summer. This annual event is used to encourage photographers to look around the village and take a few snaps that can be included in the following year’s village calendar.

    This year’s theme is “Totally Tunstead”. This theme will emphasise recognisable views and subjects as being in Tunstead. A fee of £1 will be charged for each photo entered. The closing date for the competition is 31st August 2017. The entries will be judged by a local professional photographer, and the winning entries will be published in a month-to-a-page calendar for 2018. These calendars will be on sale towards the end of 2017, just in time to send to loved ones in far-flung places to help remind them what a lovely and interesting place Tunstead is.

  • Village Fête – June 11th – 11:00am

    The 5th Annual Tunstead Village Fête will be held on Sunday 11th June 2017, opening at 11:00am, with the Fun Dog Show starting at 1:15pm. The event will be compared by local boy Graham John (or as some of you know him – Graham Bailey).Graham Johns

    This year’s special offers are: World War II vehicles, a Fire Engine, the local Vintage Tractor Club, and of course our Fun Dog Show.

    There are 12 classes in the dog show:

    1. The Prettiest Bitch
    2. Handsomest Dog
    3. Best Crossbreed
    4. Golden Oldie over 7 years
    5. Waggiest tail
    6. Snip & Stitch neutered/spayed
    7. Under 15 inches
    8. Over 15 inches
    9. One coloured coat
    10. Particoloured coat
    11. Scruffiest dog
    12. Smartest dog

    As usual owners will pay £1 per class entry and can enter as many as they qualify for, rosettes given to 4th place.

    We also have “the old favourites”

    • Tombola – where tickets ending with ‘5’ or ‘0’ win prizes.
    • Name the Teddy
    • Number of Sweets in the jar
    • Delicious homemade cakes!
    • Plant sale
    • Panning 4 Gold – always great fun and messy. There’s a coin in every cup of sand- but how much?
    • Face painting for the little ones.
    • Bouncy Castle

    Of course a fête wouldn’t be complete without Ice Cream, and when that’s all done how’s about a cup of tea and cake while you watch the dog show.

    We also run a raffle: prizes include tickets to Thrigby Hall Wildlife & Gardens, Broads Tours boat trips, bottle of drink, fruit basket etc.

    Parking is on the field – entrance is 50p PER PERSON of 16 years and OVER.


    On Saturday (10th) we shall erect the ring and mark off parking areas etc. The time for starting this will be arranged at the special meeting Tunstead Village Fête Volunteers to be held on Tuesday 30th May at 7:30pm in the village hall.

    New volunteers are very welcome to attend this meeting, or turn up to help prepare for the Fête.

    reviewed 30/5/17
  • The Swallows have returned to Tunstead

    One of our keen-eyed residents has spotted the return of the swallows. She said that they have started repairing their nests in preparation of the breeding seasons.

    These blue, streamlined, forked tailed aerobats can be seen swooping low over open grasslands, or stooping down on muddy puddles to gather material for their nests.

    Like a number of other birds, these creatures are endangered and protected by British Law. But people are encouraged to support them by providing artificial nest boxes in outbuildings. The RSPB offer advice for anyone wishing to know how to go about nest-box provision. They suggest using ice-cream tubs as a substitute nest.

    The arrival of the birds is around the occurrence of the Vernal Equinox; mid-March. So, the birds take advantage of the lengthening daylight hours and the increase in the insect population, upon which they feed.

    The breeding season in Britain enables the parents to attempt to raise chicks from a clutch of 4 or 5 eggs. So, you will see swallows at their busiest in the early part of their time with us. If they are not collecting mud to build or repair their nests, they are gathering insects for their brood. Later on, after the fledged young fend for themselves, you will start to see them gather in large numbers, usually on telephone wires (where they are most visible) chattering about the migration ahead of them back to Africa. The pre-migration roosts of the now larger flocks around here, is usually the reed beds of the broads. The swallows migrate to areas around South Africa travelling among the African West coast. Years ago, it was thought that swallows hibernated locally. Some people believing that they slept under water for the winter. This supposition was supported through observation by the locals; probably seeing them roosting in the reeds as part of the pre-migration activity.

    So keep a lookout for these agile flyers as they swoop low over water or pasture in search of their favourite insect food.

    published 11/4/17
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