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Written Records

June 2006

It finally happened! My computer gave up the ghost and with it an awful lot of irreplaceable material including some family holiday photographs. I had backed up a fair number of files including a lot of Feltwell related material but, just to rub salt into the wound, some of them would not restore! The last major backup was done in December 2004 and, I know, I should have known better. Fortunately the website is its own backup so no damage there. The PC came back from the repairers with a new power supply, a new motherboard, new DDR RAM and a new hard drive. They had tried to rescue as much as possible from the old hard drive but after 4 hours their software reported 147 irreparable bad sectors so they gave up. After being inconsolable for two days I realised that when I moved to broadband I had changed my setting so that emails are not deleted from the BT server after I’ve downloaded them. Consequently I downloaded 750 emails when I got Outlook reinstalled and I’m still working my way through them. They say every cloud has a silver lining and even this one does, albeit a small one. My zip drive is now working better than ever! This means that I’ve been able to restore some of the earliest Feltwell images I ever scanned. The biggest loss, after the family photographs for 2005, has been my email archive and contact list. I’ve rebuilt the Feltwell list by importing all the addresses from the website but I reckon that at least 6 months of Feltwell related email material from my pre-broadband days is permanently lost. I’m now going to buy an external USB hard drive and set up a MS Backup routine – I’ve learnt my lesson the hard way.

As you will be aware I’ve been compiling these Feltwell newsletters into a Word document but, and I bet you can guess what’s coming, I’ve only got a backup of it from April 2005. I order to bring the document up-to-date I am asking any of you who have copies of this newsletter from May 2005 until and including May 2006 if you would kindly email them back to me. This is very important to me so please don’t leave it to another member to provide me with the copies. I would much rather receive 100 emails containing the missing material than none at all. And if you emailed at any time in 2005 and still have a copy please send it again, particularly if it had photographic images attached.

Now for more pleasant things. I spent a very enjoyable Saturday morning on RAF Feltwell in the company of several 75 (NZ) Squadron members and their relatives. This reunion event was organized by an American teacher at RAF Feltwell and his 4th grade class and contained a full Retreat ceremony with the veterans being presented with a flag in honour of their efforts during the war. The event was attended by the 48th Fighter Wing Vice Commander and the RAF Squadron Leader i.c. RAF Lakenheath. Following the Retreat event a wreath was laid at the 75 squadron memorial in the village. The teacher very kindly showed myself, Chris Cock and Dan Engle around some of the Base including the 75 squadron chapel (detail on this will appear on the website eventually, the work I’d already done was a victim of the crash) and the building that was the bombed Sergeants’ Mess. (see the website for this). We were also able to locate the Control Tower. It was pleasing to learn that the 4th grade students had used the website as one of their sources. This is only the second time that the site has been used as an educational resource of which I am aware. If you know of other examples please tell me.

The village is still suffering from minor vandalism as, I have been told, are some of our neighbours. I believe the Police are aware that some groups of youths are travelling between villages and I hope it will not be long before the vandalism stops. This seems to be becoming an annual problem once the lighter nights arrive and it stays warmer for longer. Judging by the number of empty drink bottles on the playing field I suspect that much of the damage is brought upon by the effect of alcohol. I just hope that they stay off the Tennis court once we get the new net installed.

For those of you planning to visit the village please be aware that St Mary’s will be opened and manned every Monday and Friday, 1.30 – 3.00pm, if you would like to look around and partake of a cup of tea and a friendly chat.

Two Feltwell residents took part in the London Marathon this year. Richard Hunt did it in 4hrs 15minutes, 16 minutes quicker than in 2004 and Caroline Wakefield, a teacher at the Primary School did it in 3hrs 36minutes which gives her automatic right of entry next year. Very well done to both of them.

On the football front the Saturday team won their league cup and won promotion to Division 1 and Feltwell Utd F.C. were the Central & South Norfolk League Cup winners and Division 2 runners-up. Well done to both teams.

And that’s it for this month!