KETTLESTONE, NORFOLK 1995
EXTRACT FROM THE INVITATION PACK SENT TO EACH PIKE
From the Pikehand Archive (re-constructed for web presentation)
Things to do
before you arrive
Make up ten more!!
speech about your
chosen items for the
time capsule.
There was a young .......... from Fakenham
Jeff and Ray were organisers. Also attending were Alan, Bob, Bryan, Gra, Nick.C, Paul and Pete. So Pikes arrived ready prepared with all organiser requirements. An interesting feature for all Pikes, except Alan was that Norfolk does not have the word vegetarian in its county wide vocabulary.
Where ever we went the response to a request for a veggi meal was, "We can do fish!" This even when the organisers had been assured in advance that they did cater for strange diets. We congratulate Alan on his stoicism. He remained cool at all times with smile and cool remark "(*~@#!^?%**!!)" Our digs was this large isolated farm house located southerly down a track from Little Snoring. Yes, there is such a place. It's not far from Great Snoring referenced above. At the local pub, "The Green Man," the beer was good, so was the company and food for all but one. This is Norfolk after all. Whilst at the pub we were assigned our teams. Our task was to name our team and choose a name for each Pike. Nick and Bryan and Graham, Pete and Alan, Bob and Paul, were the three teams. Nick's team name was, "Royal National Ballet," Pete's team name was, "Spalding Craft Apple Turnovers, SCAT for short," Bob's team name was, "B*~@#!^?%**," which pretty well described their weekend performances. Personal names were Bob - TROG, Paul - BEER BOOSEY JAKE, Nick - STALLION (he always lives in hope??), Bryan - THIGH, Graham - HAIRY ASS (also exaggerated), Alan - SOLE MATE and Pete - HORIFICE. These teams were to be videoed during the weekend discussing an unknown topic. So eventually back at the digs our first assignment was presented by each Pike. Pike defined Norfolk names but not all follow:-- Grate Finely, Little Knownfact, Little Dothenow, Cheesenham, Eyeamwoteyham, Eythinktherforeyham, Pisonham, Loweriching, Dropsonthemount, Tosenham, Scabonham, Littlewilly, Greatdildo, Muchplonka, Feeloffen, Seldomadit, Muchbottom, Tittycup, Nikasoff, Leekinwelly, being rude but only just presentable here. Then we started on the cheese, bread and buscuits. It is a foregone conclusion that there was plenty of beer as well.
After breakfast on Friday morning our cabs took us to Blakeney Point where we
took an open boat ride out to see Seals on a sand bank. The weather was a little breezy chilly and somewhat spray filled as we splashed through the waves. Pikes had some concern regarding those who, could not or preferred not, to acknowledge whether they could swim. The waves were less choppy as we approached the sand banks. Lot of Seals were basking in the chill. Some photo opportunities occured so Pikes were standing and concentrating on pointing their cameras. Suddenly the boat bottomed on the sand bank. Pikes staggered and jostled but none became a man overboard. Our skipper soon re-floated the boat again and headed back to the shore where there was welcome at the Kings Arms to enjoy a liquid inspired lunch.
Feeling refreshed and comfortable we made our way to Blakeny beach area. Well it was the carpark really, sandy with a few trees and an odd stall or two. It however provided some isolation from passers by and other Pike teams as the video camera appeared. Now if you ask a Pike, "What is Piking?" you'll end up with a widely differing, long winded explanation. You'll be none the wiser at the finish though! We had to come up with such an explanation as team assignments. Team B*~@#!^?%** gave a question and response based upon the then popular, "Alias Smith and Jones," TV sketches. SCAT's team did a father and son sketch with the father reponding to his son's questions. There is no record of the Royal National Ballet's team efforts. The videos were played back at the digs. do the recordings still exist? (but only those that can stand public presentation). Recording took longer than expected but whilst one team was being captured for posterity others could wander around exploring and photographing things of interest. However wrapping up but still awaiting our taxis we thought we'd get a cup of tea at one of the stalls. They were all closed except one that was in the throes of closing. However seeing how many we numbered their business brain stepped in and the two women re-opened for us. Not only tea was required but cake and sandwiches as well which made their business decision lucrative. Then it was taxi to digs, wash and become respectable then taxi to Wensum Lodge at Fakenham for an evening meal. Good food, wine and beer. Then to digs for beer, cheese, buscuits and bed.
Following breakfast on Saturday we again visited Fakehenham. Teams were presented with a town map and treasure hunt list. They also each had a sealed envelope. Maximum points would be awarded if your team arrived at the lunch time pub with it unopened. Minus points if opened. Now steaming kettles are few and far between when searching for clues in the Fakenham. The town had changed quite a lot to Pikes who had been there in previous years. Prior knowledge was little help. So the clever ones managed with sealed notes whilst the rest gave up on points. Well lunch in a pub was more inviting. As usual we had several activities lined up but again as usual we did not know what they were. Our tasks were provided thus:-
A:- Find out from Peter and Paul what the time is - and be prepared to tell us how you collected the information.
B:- Purchase a thematic publication. A receipt for this purchase will double your points.
C:- You will be given one of the following subjects for research:-
Fakenham from 1115 to the present time;
Norfolk, its people and its culture;
Norfolkians, their accent and dialect.
Your team must prepare to, "Entertain and Educate," the others on your given subject.
There was also a RIDDLE as follows:-
Now you have to think, if you want a drink
Of the place of the crazy smile
Though it isn't far it's nearly miles
And Opening Times provides the rhymes
For Jeff and Ray are in the ........ pub
This was also the notice in the sealed envelope with the missing word shown. However as a visitor to this site you are challenged to solve it.
Reinforced from food and beer in the pub the entire group of us walked to a sports complex.
Our organisers enticed us to enter an emporium which featured Ten pin Bowling.
Although Pikes were aware of the name, as an experience it was entirely new to some of them. Not to be outclassed by our colleagues novices paid great attention to the advice leaflet the alley provided. None of us were as young as the leaflet presumed but we were flattered even so. Some Pikes were mustard at it. Others were mediocre and others questioned, "What is Ten Pin Bowling?" We all enjoyed the competition as we had adjoining lanes and it occupied us for about two hours. Strikes were few and far between but there was plenty of gutter runs. Our taxis soon arrived and ferried us back to the digs where we prepared for our Pikehands Banquet. Taxis again to the John H Stracey pub and restaurant. This was the pub owned by, "John Boy Stracey," a former British professional boxer who became World Welterweight Champion in 1974. Beer was good and the place was heaving. There was a wide range of food and vegetables but no vegetarian dish. Can you believe it?? However we enjoyed ourselves then departed back to the digs where we were to perform our Limericks. There are only two survivors:-
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There was a young ploughman from Fakenham
Who thought that the horse had forsakenham
So he hitched up the plough
To a pregnant white sow
And tilled all fields far anabakegen
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There was a young lady from Fakenham
Young men to her room she was takin'em
They thought they'd done well
When she started to yell
But her gasps weren't for real she was fakin'em
One final activity was foisted on us on the day of our departure. Armed with garden digging impliment we set off to an isolated woodland. Off the beaten track we dug a hole. Ray produced a biscuit tin. We were charged to place a memorable item each into the tin. The tin was then placed into the hole and ceremoniously buried.The idea was that some time in the future an archeologist would discover our Pike time capsule and discern what the population of our time was about. That would be more than the Pikes can discern now. packing up our gardening equipment we set off for The Featherd]s in holt. had a csual pint and some food then departed for home.