Kirton in 2018
KIRTON IN 2018 – LOCAL HISTORY RECORDER’S REPORT
Another year against a backcloth of Austerity and Brexit, despite which Village life continued to flourish. The Kirton & Falkenham Review addressed a wide range of activities and happenings and constitutes a fine record of village life over the year - copies have been retained as usual.
Kirton in 2017
Kirton in 2016
KIRTON IN 2016 – LOCAL HISTORY RECORDER’S REPORT
VIOLET GARDENS – PADDOCK CLOSE
In August, Taylor Wimpey announced the opening of the show house for the new development of 43 houses. Prices ranged from £220,000 to £375,000 but thankfully the developers honoured their commitment by including 14 “affordable housing rental tenure” properties now under the stewardship of Havebury Housing. Copies of the sales particulars have been retained. Issues regarding footpaths, lighting and gates continued over the rest of the year.
The “Saga of the Three Arrows” provided some light relief for several weeks. When the first large roadside sign was erected down at the Farm Shop it was quite impressive…but…. the arrow was pointing the wrong way – back to the Trimley Roundabout. The sign was also parallel to the road and challenging for drivers to observe. It was moved to a better location, initially with a makeshift arrow but eventually one of a more regular design. Meanwhile another large sign was erected on the Village Green dominating the whole area. It was soon replaced.
Kirton in 2015
KIRTON IN 2015 – HISTORY RECORDER’S ANNUAL REPORT
Violet Gardens & The Paddocks – in June SCDC approved the application by Taylor Wimpey (TW) to build forty-three houses on land to the south of Falkenham Road previously occupied by B&M Concrete. This was despite the opposition of the Parish Council (PC) which had raised concerns about the size of the development, infrastructure, and transport, following a meeting attended by 155 people. Early in the year the PC had declined an invitation to suggest a name for the new road wishing not to give credibility to the application. Soon after the approval, TW sent a glossy leaflet to every house in the village setting out its plans for “Violet Gardens” – the name it had chosen for the development as a whole, reflecting the fact that once upon a time there had been a violet nursery in the vicinity, after various other suggestions had been rejected. In the November issue of the Review the PC made it clear that the road would be named, according to its wishes, “Paddock Close”.
Kirton in 2014
KIRTON IN 2014 – LOCAL HISTORY RECORDER’S REPORT
On The World Stage – perhaps for the first time in its history, Kirton featured on the world stage on Friday 9th May while, in under four minutes, the Friends Life Women’s Tour swept through the village en route from Felixstowe to Clacton-on-Sea on the 56.3 mile, third stage of the cycling event. People gathered on the Green with more on Brook Hill to witness the event. First to appear were the outriders in cars and on motorbikes. The Police bikes caused some alarm as the usual speed limits through the village seemed to be set aside. Then came the “peleton” of 55 riders drawn from countries across the world. Closely bunched and at an impressive speed, they flashed by in what seemed a fraction of a minute.
Kirton in 2013
KIRTON IN 2013 – LOCAL HISTORY RECORDER’S REPORT
The long winter with the coldest March in many years and snow in April, seemed to chime with another year of austerity and unfathomable price increases. Despite the very late spring, nature recovered and blossom and fruit were abundant. The Village year proceeded very much as normal but there were new initiatives showing that people cared about those who may have been struggling.
Kirton in 2012
KIRTON IN 2012 – LOCAL HISTORY RECORDER’S REPORT
Despite the general air of gloom, the Village seemed to make the best of it, culminating in what seems to have been one of the most enthusiastically supported series of Jubilee celebrations for miles around. Read More...
Kirton in 2011
KIRTON IN 2011 – LOCAL HISTORY RECORDER'S REPORT
The sense of foreboding as the year opened proved only too tangible as “austerity” began to bite. The Vat increase in early January, from 17.5% to 20%, set the scene and had an immediate impact. Cuts in public spending were widely anticipated and duly came to pass but people were taken aback by swingeing price increases for everyday goods and services, not least for energy. Despite marginal tax rates for the poor exceeding those of the rich (– an article in the Telegraph referring to it as the age of “post-human politics” -), interest rates at an all-time low, high inflation along with rising unemployment, pay freezes and cuts, people in Kirton, as for the most part in the rest of the country, gritted their teeth and tried to live as normal a life as possible. Read More...
Kirton in 2010
KIRTON IN 2010 – LOCAL HISTORY RECORDER'S REPORT
The political and economic situation set a dark back-cloth to the year. The election in May led to the Coalition – copies retained of all literature. Planned cuts and actual price increases especially in basic essentials – heating oil for example rose from 40p to 70p in a single month – were pervasive. Many people were daunted by the prospect of “The New Strategic Direction” envisaged by SCC. Their apparent relish for the cuts and their plans to shrink the Council to a purely management role in commissioning services from the private and voluntary sectors featured in the national media along with the salary of their Chief Executive. As the year closed, the outlook for 2011, when the cuts would really start to bite, was a gloomy one.
The weather seemed to match the economic climate with heavy snow both in January and December causing the usual chaos and leaving a legacy of potholes. June apart, the summer was unimpressive. Perhaps by coincidence, the catch-phrase “Global Warming” gave way to “Climate Change”. Read More...
Kirton in 2009
KIRTON IN 2009 – Local History Recorder’s Report
Another year where the Village just tried to get on with life as usual against the back-cloth of huge “Development” threats to its rural tranquility, fears of a Swine Flu pandemic, economic recession, and a combination of weather conditions difficult to reconcile with Global Warming. Read More...
Kirton in 2008
KIRTON IN 2008 – LOCAL HISTORY RECORDER’S REPORT
Again it seems there was never a dull moment in this small East Suffolk village. Read More...
Kirton in 2007
KIRTON IN 2007 – LOCAL HISTORY RECORDER’S REPORT
It was another year characterised by concerns over development. On that front and more generally, people seemed powerless to have their views taken into account by the relevant authorities.
