Recent Events

Paston landscape 

The Reading the Past in the Landscape walk that was postponed because of bad weather in February eventually took place on the afternoon of Saturday, April 28 under a grey sky, driven along by a vigorous, cold wind and with more than a spot of rain. So no real improvement there, but landscape archaeologist Dr Richard Hoggett put a brave face on it, and ten brave souls gathered at Paston Barn and walked from there by the back roads to Lucy's home, Dayspring, where hot refreshments awaited.

The results of the Dig and Sow day at Paston on May 19 have been issued in a Pottery Report from Access Cambridge Archaeology supervisor Catherine Ranson. 

Click on http://www.pastonheritage.co.uk/sites/default/files/PAS12PotReport.doc for the detailed report. Further information is also available on the ACA website at http://www.arch.cam.ac.uk/aca/excavationreports.html

In the warm and welcoming setting of the Ship Inn, Mundesley, the annual general meeting of the Paston Heritage Society heard from its chairman, Jo Berry, on March 29 that more and more interest was being shown in the village, the letters and the Paston family itself.

Highlights of the past year (details elsewhere on this website) included events at Blofield and Dragon Hall and the launch of a new poetry book. More recently working with the Norfolk Coast Partnership led to the Reading the Past in our Landscape project, and now Dig and Sow, involving Carenza Lewis of Time Team fame. 

It was a cold and damp weekend, but Paston Heritage Society members were glowing with satisfaction – and no small exertion – after a successful History Day at Mannington Hall on the last Sunday of October and the first day of British Winter Time. 

The day was set up when four members of the PHS – Jo and John Berry, Lucy Care and Tim Lenton – were invited by Lord and Lady Walpole to Mannington on July 31 to discuss participation in the HIstory Day. We were encouraged to provide re-enactors, an exhibition and two performances of poetry, monologue and dialogue during the event, which took place from 11m to 4pm.

The Paston Heritage Society was delighted to be asked to contribute to a major new television series, which ran on BBC2 for eight weeks (with a five-week break in the middle) from Friday, 25 May 2012 at 9pm. Called The Great British Story: A People's History and presented by Michael Wood, it was made by MayaVision International and looks at the events that shaped us and our nations. 

Several members of the PHS and visitors to one of our events were interviewed and some appeared on the fourth episode of the series, broadcast on June 15. Many other communities, schools, local societies and experts across the British Isles are also featured. 

16/06/13

Trustees Lucy Care and Rob Knee were able to give some strong publicity to the Pastons on Radio Norfolk on May 15. They took part in a live discussion with Matthew Gudgin at 6pm. 

16/05/13

A completely different kind of Paston event was held at Dragon Hall on May 31. Called Reading the Pastons, it concentrated on the literary side of the Paston family and featured talks from three Norwich-based experts – two from the University of East Anglia and one from the Castle Museum.

The Paston Heritage Society celebrated a remarkable year with a gathering for members at Bacton Village Hall on the evening of December 7. 

Happily the hall survived the previous day's storm surge without damage, though just down the road at Walcott it was a different story. As a result routes to the hall were limited (the coast road was closed at Walcott), but this did not deter stalwarts and friends from enjoying the evening, during which we looked back at all the events organised during 2013 as a result of receiving the All our Stories grant. Even founder Lucy Care was well enough to attend, despite her recent problems.

Our members' meeting on March 19 at Bacton Village Hall welcomed author Susan Curran for the first time. Speaker for the night was chair Rob Knee, who gave us an expert insight into Edward and the junior branch of the Pastons.

27/03/14

October 16th & 17th 2010

The Paston Heritage Society made a successful appearance in costume at the 4th Norfolk Living History Fayre at Mannington Hall and Gardens, courtesy of Lord and Lady Walpole. The event featured Black Knight Historical, the re-enactment company led by Ian Pycroft, who arranged a spot for PHS in the Dining Room at the Hall. The Pastons' Country handmade book was on display, as were John Fenn's 1787 transcriptions of the Paston Letters. 

www.blackknighthistorical.co.uk