Four out of the five originalboat figureheads, dating back to the 1950s, have returned to their rightful home of Great Yarmouth’s Venetian Waterways, after being lovingly restored by local restoration expert Kelvin Thatcher.
The figureheads – made of mahogany and in the shape of various animal heads – were added to the gondolas which were used to take families around the Waterways site between the late 1950s and 1980s.The work undertaken was of a delicate nature due to the condition and age of the wood, with many of the boat heads rotten and missing parts, with one boat head damaged beyond repair.
Now returned to their original beauty, the figureheads have been placed on the most Northern island of the recently restoredVenetian Waterways as standalone pieces, where they can be viewed by those who visit the park to stop and relax for a while, to take a ride on the Boating Lake or to enjoy exploring the plant life.
Listening posts have also been recently installed onsite which play recordings of bird sounds and stories. The posts, two of which can be found on the Waterways and one at the Boating Lake, are part of the project which was match funded by the National Lottery through the Heritage Lottery Fund and Big Lottery Fund.
Michelle Burdett, Head of Inward Investment at Great Yarmouth Borough Council, said: “It’s exciting to have the restored boat heads returning to the Waterways and displayed throughout, as they are really interesting pieces of work to look at with a lot of history.
“Now the boat heads are to stay on site permanently, we are working with our partners to bring visitors back to the Waterways for events, such as the upcoming Fire on The Water extravaganza, led by Out There Arts, for them to be enjoyed by residents and visitors alike.”
Designed by the prestigious Great Yarmouth Borough Architect J. W. Cockerill back in 1888, refurbishment works on the dilapidated building which was once the ticket office at Wellesley Recreation Ground are now complete.
The work, which was was carried out by Great Yarmouth Preservation Trust, was funded by a grant from Coastal Revival Fund awarded to the Wellesley project in 2018. The Coastal Revival Fund supports projects which help revive heritage assets that are important to local communities but have not yet reached their full potential or are facing neglect.
Situated to the south west corner of the recreation ground adjacent to the gate on the corner of Wellesley Road and Albermarle Road, the building had suffered extensive rot after falling into a state of disrepair once it was no longer used.
Live music and a virtual reality experience are just some of the additional attractions for this year’s Christmas in The Parks events in Great Yarmouth and Gorleston.
Dozens of stalls will make up Christmas markets on the two sites, offering plenty of opportunities for festive shopping, alongside a selection of food and drink vendors to help make the market’s a treat to visit in themselves.
Now Great Yarmouth Borough Council has unveiled more attractions to keep the whole family entertained.
The newly opened Yare Gallery, on Great Yarmouth’s historic South Quay overlooking the river, opens this week (Friday) with an amazing collection of circus paintings and artefacts from famous artists, many of whom are Norfolk and Suffolk based and internationally known painters of circus subjects – Bruer Tidman, has been painting the Hippodrome circus since 1984, and has over a dozen paintings in the show.
Colin Self an English Pop Artist who has over 30 works in the Tate, will have 6 of his clowns on display and a series of circus themed sculptures created from tin cans , Will Teather a leading figurative artist will have one of his famous spheres and a series of circus paintings, Mark Burrell, a Lowestoft based realist painter who tells great stories through his paintings and Peter Rodulfo, living in Great Yarmouth but who has travelled and exhibited across the world, plus a host of local and national artists who have embraced the theme of CIRCUS for our winter art exhibition.
We also have a display of children’s artworks from a competition held to coincide with this event. With additional props from the Hippodrome Circus here in Great Yarmouth, our entire 3 storey 17th Century Merchants House is a feast for the eyes.
Exhibition will be on from 12 November 2021 – 13 January 2022 and we will be open Tuesday to Saturday 11-5 (last entry 4.30) this free to enter art gallery on the east coast of England is a must visit. With parking available and just a short stroll from the train station. Opening in early summer this year, this is The Yare Gallery’s 4th exhibition and promises a cornucopia of delights for all tastes and pockets – much like the Hippodrome itself.
If you wrap up warm and embrace the fresh North Sea breeze, the rolling sands of North Denes offer up its own barren beauty to brighten the shorter days of winter. This quiet spot, washed in salty mists and dotted with tussocks of marram grass, is a favourite with dog walkers and adventurers who want to get the most out of their day.
Be the first to greet the morning by heading down to the beach before sunlight. If you want to take breakfast with you, a flask of coffee and Pastéis de Nata from one of Great Yarmouth’s Portuguese stores makes a fine treat.
Nestle down in the shelter of the dunes and watch the sun as it rises up and over the sea, full of promise for the new day.
Earlier this year, Great Yarmouth Borough Council funded the necessary improvement required by the Great Yarmouth and District Athletics Club to ensure they met the TrackMark requirements for the athletics track which surrounds the main football pitch at the Wellesley recreational ground.
TrackMark is UK Athletics’ new quality assurance scheme for outdoor Track & Field Athletics facilities. TrackMark was developed in consultation with track operators, track and field athletics clubs and National Sports Councils and is an accreditation process that utilises a simple web-based portal. A venue that achieves TrackMark will be recognised by UKA as having well managed, compliant facilities that are accessible to participants of all abilities.
As England’s stock of athletics tracks age, TrackMark provides venue operators with a professional assessment of their track and field facilities alongside a time phased action plan designed to achieve and maintain the minimum facility and equipment standards required by the sport’s governing body.