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CELEBRATION
OF NORFOLK DIALECT
THAT
WUZ A NIGHT FOR CELEBREARTIN’...
At
the same time as Norwich City Football Club were celebrating
their highly successful season another celebration was taking
place in Cromer Parish Hall – that of the Celebration
of Norfolk Dialect.
The
annual event, held under the umbrella of Cromer & North
Norfolk Festival of Music, Dance and Speech (in association
with Friends of Norfolk Dialect), once again attracted a large
following.
This
year FOND played a big part in the organisation and my thanks
go to Norman Hart and Rosemary Cooper for all their help,
and to the rest of the members who came along to assist on
the night. Thanks are also due to those who took part on the
evening, especially Ted Peachment and Alan Smith, who, I understand,
had their arms twisted to take part at the last minute.
There
were distinctions for Muriel Blowers, Alan Smith and Diana
Rackham, who has participated regularly from the early days
in the Junior section.
Commendations
went to Anne Hawkes, Heather Parle and David Yaxley, while
there was a merit for Ted Peachment.
Harry
Varden, in his ninetieth year, graced the stage once again
to recite a piece of John Kett prose, performing this completely
from memory and to great applause from the audience.
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| NORMAN
HART |
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RIGHT:
ROSEMARY COOPER AND COLIN BURLEIGH |
In
his fourth year as adjudicator, Colin Burleigh commented on
the high standard of the performances, which seems to improve
each year, he told the audience.
Musical
entertainment was provided by Danny Platton with his own arrangement
of songs – serious and humourous.
Thanks
to FOND, after more than twelve years as organiser of this
event, I am now able to take a back seat and hand over the
reins to them, and I am confident they will preserve this
special evening – which has taken place for over forty
years – and that it will continue for a great many years
to come. DEREK
PAUL
...AN’
WHAT A NIGHT THAT WUZ ANORL!
This
is the second year that FOND has helped to organise the dialect
element of the Cromer & North Norfolk Festival of Music,
Dance and Speech. Happily, Derek Paul is still very heavily
involved, keeping us on the right path.
Of
course arranging the competition for the same evening as Norwich
City’s triumphant parade could have caused real problems,
especially knowing how big a City fan adjudicator Colin Burleigh
is! However, after an early glitch when there weren’t
many entrants, on the night there were seven people in the
competition who entertained the audience of nearly 100!
Our
chairman, Norman Hart, acting as compère, introduced
the contestants as well as the acts in the second half.
The
selection of readings were varied, with entrants performing
alphabetically. This meant Muriel Blowers started the evening
with her reading of John Kett’s Harry the Horseman
for which she received a distinction.
The
competitors and entertainers
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|
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| MURIEL
BLOWERS |
|
ANNE
HAWKES |
|
hEATHER
PARLE |
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| TED
PEACHMENT |
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DIANA
RACKHAM |
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ALAN
SMITH |
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| DAVID
YAXLEY |
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HARRY
VARDEN |
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DANNY
PLATTON |
Anne
Hawkes followed this with her version of Pam Ayres’ I
wish I’d looked after me teeth in Norfolk dialect,
which converted very well. Heather Parle, most appropriately,
read John Kett’s Lazy Wind set on Cromer Pier,
whilst Ted Peachment then chose Colin Riches’ Daniel
an’ them Lions.
Diana
Rackham chose Sidney Grapes’ writing about The Census
and ‘newcomer’ Alan Smith read from Broad Norfolk
about hosses, receiving the evening’s second distinction.
The competition ended with David Yaxley reading a story by
Mary Mann.
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| COLIN
BURLEIGH |
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A
popular local entertainer, Danny Platton, performed at the
beginning and end of the two halves of the evening, and, in
view of the special night, appropriately he performed his
Delia’s Dumplings.
The
second half is always entertainment which includes some of
those who were in the competition, with the oldest performer
being Harry Varden.
Colin
Burleigh again showed his versatility by keeping the audience
in stitches with his jokes. We don’t think there were
any visitors from ‘over the border’ in attendance,
as one or two jokes at the expense of ‘that other team’
were made during the proceedings. ROSEMARY
COOPER
PHOTOGRAPHY
BY ALAN COOPER
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