I recently created a couple of websites for those two ‘happenings’ - pop along to www.fakenhamfair.co.uk and www.plubfest.co.uk to keep up to speed with what’s being planned.

If you’re a trader who’d like a stall at Fakenham Fair, you’d better book up now – I’ve been reliably informed that the number of booked stalls has already reached last year’s total. The Carnival Procession is being planned as we speak and bookings are being taken for that too. Get in quick if you’re a business or local organization who wants to be in the procession. You’ll find the appropriate entry documents for download on the site.

As for Fakenham Plubfest, we’ve had a pretty good response from the town’s ‘boozers’ – there are just two or three pubs who haven’t quite made up their minds yet, and just one social club which is yet to respond – I’d class that as a bit of a success. We have the Prize Draw all but sorted – the ticksheets are on the website to download, the venues’ ink and stamps are ready to go and some nice prizes have already been donated. Almost good to go!

The Garden House in Fakenham could have its licence removed  

The pub has gained a reputation for drug use, violence and high noise levels and is to have its licence reviewed at the request of police. In a report by the Police Licensing Team, it says that  the venue presents “a high risk to its patrons and the wider community that use and live in the area of Bridge Street“.  

The District Council are currently holding a public consultation regarding the pub in Bridge Street. People have until 15th June to make their views known.

The Licensing Team have requested that the management at the pub be removed and the premises closed for three months for staff training. If that happens, I hope the police will support the other pubs in town, as the Garden Room’s clientele will obviously be looking for somewhere else to frequent. It would be pointless if the trouble just moved elsewhere. Other options include the imposition of licence restrictions (eg closing at 11pm instead of opening as a club until the early hours) or removing it completely.

I’d never been in the pub before a week or two ago, when I popped in with my fellow conspiritors in Fakenham Plubfest to see if the venue would be doing anything for the festival. I was surprised to see the appearance of the interior (it’s a vast cavern of a place) and was interested to hear the manager, who seemed a pleasant enough guy, describe the current noise restrictions they’ve had placed on the site. Apparently, when the sound levels reach a certain pre-set level, they trigger a switch which completely cuts out the sound system! However, I think some of the noise problem stems from the fact that you can’t fit those kind of switches to the customers!

Peter Finger – Wishbone Ash
Tom Petty – Free Fallin’
Rodrigo y Gabriella – Stairway To Heaven
Carol of the Bells (John Williams, from the film Home Alone)
Eric Whiteacre – Sleep
Hilliard Ensemble – O Lord, in Thee is all my trust
Vaughan Williams, Fantasy on a theme of Thomas Tallis

The Leisure Society – Last of the Melting Snow

This is the best contemporary band I’ve found out about for a while. Their viral marketing is nice too! Here’s a Youtube video of them performing in one of a series entitled ‘bandstand busking’ (proving they can do it live as well as in the studio).

Clever lyrics, great playing and a style reminiscent of… well, perhaps a cross between Penguin Cafe Orchestra and Elbow. I’m a fan now – remarkable, as I was drawn in by a simple one-off ad on Spotify!