Forthcoming Events
The next major event for PHS is the Arts Alive in Churches Weekend the following days:
Saturday 29th 10.30 am - 4 pm
'A celebration of Rood Screens' with workshops in paper, calligraphy, willow, letters and poetry with an invitation to learn about the Pastons and the uses of flax and herbs in the 15th Century.
Sunday 30th May 10.30 am - 4 pm Music and Musical Instruments in the Time of the Pastons - workshops hourly with Minstrels Gallery.
Sunday 30th May evening 7 pm
Latin Compline.
Minstrels Gallery will again
be delighting audiences
with their medieval music
on Sunday 30th May
Monday 31st 10.30 - 4 pm
'Rood Screen workshops' (as Saturday).
Refreshments will be on sale throughout the weekend the workshops etc are free. Donations to the Paston Heritage Society are invited.
Any member who would like to help would be very welcome!
Specially Protected Place
Over 450 sq km of the Norfolk Coast is nationally protected as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It’s looked after by the Norfolk Coast Partnership which brings together over 20 groups that care for the coast from local parishes to central government, from interest groups to national charities.
The wide range of partners creates understanding of the issues involved in looking after this rare and precious place, and protection for its valued qualities. The area has many facets, from unique wild habitats like saltmarsh to rural farmed landscapes and villages. It is also a much loved and visited holiday destination with a dynamic coastline which changes year by year. The challenge is to balance these facets, working together to ensure a healthy future for the environment and communities of the area.
Norfolk Coast Partnership
The Old Courthouse
Baron’s Close
Fakenham
NR21 8BE
Tel: 01328 850530
Fax: 01328 850546
norfolkcoastaonb
Crustacean Crawl
Naomi Care and Lucy Care have painted the Paston Heritage crab and lobster for Cromer and Sheringham's Crustacean crawl. This will culminate with a charity auction on May 30th where we hope to raise more funds for the Heritage society. The crab is called Sir John Paston (the younger) and the lobster is Agnes Paston. The inspiration was the fierce ways Agnes had with her children and grandchildren. She owned five manors in Cromer and instructed Sir John and his brother to collect the rents from sometimes reluctant tenants.
Arts Alive in Churches
As part of the Art Alive in Churches weekend on May 23-25 2009, the Paston Heritage Society, with the help of a grant, scheduled a weekend of exciting events at Paston Church.
Lucy Care and Jo Berry of the Paston
Heritage Society receiving Phippo
On the Saturday re-enactors encouraged people to have a go at papermaking and calligraphy. There was also a print workshop with Annette Rolston and an exhibition including the unique handmade book, The Pastons' Country, and its accompanying prints and poems. A new book by Lucy Care and Jack Earl, Exploring Paston Country, was launched in the evening. The book details walks from St Margaret's Church to Bromholm Ruins, Bacton, and to Mundesley. A film, Paston Country - Pathway Through Time, was also shown. On the Sunday and Monday there were more workshops and poetry walks with poet Lisa D'Onofrio. Paston Church was open from 10.30 am to 5 pm.
On Sunday there was a Service of Holy Communion in the Church at 9.30 am. Also on the Sunday and Monday a Shuttle Bus was provided free from North Walsham, Mundesley and Bacton.
Arts alive 2009 - visitors enjoy the
herb stall
Arts alive 2009 - Mistress Berry
introducing visitors
to the delights
of papermaking
Competition Winners
The winners of the 'Design a Hippo' competition were invited to receive their prizes at Dayspring, Paston on Saturday 28th March. The competition was judged by Norfolk Artists who were involved with the making of 'The Pastons' Country'.
First prize of a £10 book token was awarded to Grace Digby who lives in Cromer and whose Grandmother is a member of the PHS and lives in Paston.
Joint second prizes were awarded to Nemi Walding who lives in Caerphilly, South Wales, Jacob Dickerson and Joshua Hall who live in Paston. Jacob and Joshua were given a medieval style sward and shield each. Unfortunately Nemi, whose Grandmother is a member of the PHS, couldn't receive her prize in person. She is being sent a medieval style quill. Jacob and Grace were able to attend and started to paint 'Phippo' with their designs. Joshua was playing football that morning.
Grace Digby winner of the Design a Hippo
Competition being presented with her prize
by Jo Berry of the Paston Heritage Society
Jacob Dickerson with his sword
and shield and Phippo
Below are two haiku's from the Poetry Walks.
Silk field smooth edge sky
Lark flies low under the wind
Three people watching
Olwen
Sunshine green wheat field
Birdsong, warm calm breeze blowing
Sea lapping on shore
Valerie
THE PASTONS' COUNTRY PROJECT
Handmade Book
Artist and Project Coordinator
Annette Rolston, photo Tim Lenton
Over the last few months, as part of the Pastons' Country project, writing and printmaking workshops have been exploring the world of the Paston letters and the landscape and buildings of Paston today. Resulting in a wonderful limited edition hand-made book.
An Amazing Weekend
The "amazing weekend" forecast for the Paston exhibition turned out to be exactly that, with the sun shining brightly throughout, and medieval characters to be found enjoying the unexpected warmth of the sun in the graveyard, as well as fulfilling such functions as scrivener and paper-maker inside. In the normally cold church the atmosphere was temperate, even for the Latin Compline on the Saturday evening, when fog paid a fleeting visit outside.
The Private View on the Friday evening was a big success, with a fascinating film of the project being followed by a poetry reading, in which InPrint poets Caroline Gilfillan, Lisa D'Onofrio and Tim Lenton took part.
Annette Rolston
showing
the book,
photo by Tim Lenton.
The handmade, leather-bound book had centre stage, with InPrint's Annette Rolston turning the pages and explaining the background (see photo below). Prints and poems from the book were on display. Small facsimiles of the book were very popular at £10 a time, and two copies of the big book were ordered during the weekend.
On the Saturday Annette and Lisa offered a workshop, and bookbinder Judith Ellis from Aylsham demonstrated her skills. There were further poetry readings from the InPrint poets and from the other Paston poets – Dot Cobley, Kay Riggs, Rob Knee and Adrian Ward. Natural England organised a couple of visits to the Great Barn, which is rarely accessible. Visitors to the exhibition were augmented by a large party of ramblers who happened by and who found the whole project fascinating, especially Annette's description of the book's contents.
Sunday was dominated by the visit of medieval music interpreters Horses Brawl, who rehearsed during the afternoon and put on a concert of 18 songs in the evening, interspersed by readings from the Paston Letters. One of the pieces, sung by Jennie Cassidy, was from a manuscript found in the church in the 1920s and dating back to the time of the Pastons. It was believed to be the first time it had been heard since that time, and it was beautifully sung by Jennie.
InPrint were proud to be part of the project, which owed much of its sucess to Annette's determination to master the innovative non-toxic intaglio process and produce excellent prints. Lucy Care, from the Paston Heritage Society, had the vision for the whole thing and worked closely with Annette to bring it to fruition. Part of the exhibition will now go on show at Nottingham, and at the North Norfolk District Council offices in Cromer. The book itself will be on display in the Millennium Library in Norwich in December, and more exhibitions are lined up for the New Year. The Eastern Daily Press recognised the importance of the project by devoting two full page threes to it – one on the Friday and one on the Monday.