Claxton Village, Norfolk

Claxton came together on Thursday 2 June, to mark The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee as a village.  The events began at the churchyard where a recently-planted hawthorn was dedicated by the Rev Nick Garrard in front of around 30 parishioners, many with young children.  After viewing the beautiful flower displays in the church (photo below) the families then embarked on a hunt for specific letters on the way down to the Village Hall. 

At the Hall there were refreshments while everything was set out for the day’s celebrations.  There was no end of games for the children (and some adults).  Bowls, quoits, Splat-the-Rat (with a new slimline rat), a giant Connect-4, a huge sandpit with toys in which children seemed happy to play for hours.  The weather was superb throughout.  Sandwich lunches, tea, coffee and cake were served followed by afternoon tea for those who had room for it.  It was a chance to catch up with others, and meet new neighbours.

It didn’t seem as if there was a break in the proceedings, as we moved in early evening on to supper which was served from 5.30 (mostly for those with young families) all the way through to 9pm.  It was estimated that upwards of 80 meals were provided, which is no small feat.  Shortly after 9.30 we were treated to a performance by Claxton’s own piper, Ian Cummings, resplendent in kilt and uniform.  Ian then led everyone outside to the beacon which had been created especially for the occasion by Peter Skipper, who took over the lighting to the sounds of Ian playing the tune especially composed for the Jubilee.

Then the fun part – packing away as much of the Hall as we could.  That was still happening when your reporter left just after 1030pm.  He will be back today with others to continue the sorting and clearing.

None of this could have happened without two vital elements – people and money.  The money was easy, with the Village Hall, Social Club, Pits Trust and Parish Council all pledging contributions to support the £200 granted by South Norfolk Council.  It will take a little while for all the bills to trickle in, and further information will follow.

However it has taken a mammoth human effort to stage this event.  The organisation was taken on by the ladies who between them run our monthly Community Cafe, that is to say Janice, Sarah, Rosie, Judy and Sue.  Under Janice’s overall direction they created the trail down from the church, put together the day’s events and handled the catering and endless questions from willing helpers who often just needed to know where to be at any point.  They had lots of help of course.  There are simply too many others to mention them individually.  Everything from baking to sweeping to shifting hay bales and a ton of play sand, to climbing up ladders to string bunting around the Hall and grounds and cutting the grass.  You know who you are.

It was also striking to see around 20 volunteers from Claxton and nearby villages pitch up on Sunday 15 May to help put up the large marquee which hadn’t seen the light of day since the last Fair on the Yare in 2018.  Unfortunately those of us who had put the marquee up in the past were also struggling to remember how everything went together, especially with some important parts missing!  Nevertheless up it went, and to my surprise it is still up, though it needs the pooled water on the roof panels emptying regularly.  Taking it down will be so much easier, though we will do so during a period of dry weather to ensure each panel is in the best possible condition before being packed away.

We shall be assembling photos from the day and adding them to this report as we go.  The contents of this report may also change as more information comes in.  But a big thank you to all those involved in staging our celebration and to those who came along to enjoy it.