Many thanks to the Three Inch Fools for our final theatre show of the year; a well delivered version of Robin Hood.

It was Boxtree production’s 4th visit to Cromer, and the audience has grown every year. A great performance of Alice in Wonderland,

Photos by Malcolm English

Quill and Inkling brought a great version of Pimpernel to Cromer and almost beat the rain…

If you’re wondering what it’s all about, here’s the Three Inch Fools team to help out

Thanks to Illyria for a great night with HMS Pinafore

Photos by Malcolm English

Thanks to the Handlebards for an excellent production of Macbeth, and to the socially distanced audience

Photos by Malcolm English

The Friends have been talking to NNDC for sometime about making the best community use of the former tennis courts/hardstanding, and last month submitted a nine-page proposal to improve this last major derelict area of the park to bring it back into community use.

A multi-purpose shared space could combine multi-use areas and economic activities, and might for example include a horticultural hub, with a plant growing (and selling) area; pop-up/artisan market area; general leisure activities (eg ice skating); and repurposing the old bandstand, as a community facility and possible performance space.

We are also keen to explore options for developing new public lavatory facilities as well as incorporate some play elements into the area.

We will be working with Cromer Town Council to further develop a proposal, and are interested in hearing from community groups, individuals and businesses who would like to join us.

Hope to see you all at our Plant Fair on the 5th June, 10am – 4pm.

Unfortunately we are unable to hold our full Gardening Festival this year but we will have Stalls selling Plants, Garden Themed stalls, The Peregrine society, Cromer Green Spaces etc.

Plus food by Fat Ted’s and The Banger Box.

Our new history book will be available to purchase.

Come and plant a Sunflower for the park and have a chance of winning our Tallest Sunflower competition (or a prize for the smallest!)

In the last year when open space has been in demand, North Lodge Park in Cromer has really been appreciated by the community. It’s become a “go to place” to meet outside while the pandemic has changed us. The park seating has been in demand, the new benches on the upper lawn sponsored by members of the community have already become a destination for meeting up, whether to play on the slide, nets and swing or look out to sea.

Now Cromer’s Morrisons has donated two picnic benches to North Lodge Park, to provide extra seating for the community to use on the grass area next to the rose garden. “We really support the work of the Friends group in North Lodge Park and wanted to give something practical for the community to use”, said Simon Clipsom from Morrisons in Cromer, “it has been great to see the park so well used.”

Morrisons have been a regular supporter of the volunteers in the park, as well as donating plants, Morrisons sponsor the sunflower competition which this year will start at the Plant Fair on June 5^th, and the October pumpkin carving event. The donation for the benches comes from the store’s glass recycling fund which supports many local causes – money raised from glass deposited in the bottle banks in the store’s car park.

The park cafe, which has been closed all through the pandemic, has reopened. Tuesday 18^th May, re-opening day, also marks the 92^nd birthday of the park which first opened back in 1929. Volunteers have given the outside a coat of paint ready for the summer. As the cafe restarts things will be a bit different for a while to ensure our volunteers and customers stay safe. But we aim to get back to the café we all know and love as soon as it is safe to do so.

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Photo Credit: Malcolm English Photography