The clocks have gone back and the autumn half term is underway. With your support (volunteering and consuming) we plan to open the cafe right through the winter; we need to hear what you would like to see to make it your cafe.

Here’s a couple of activities: one this week, and one weekly through the winter. Do let us have other ideas for activities you would like to see.

Voulez-vous parler français?

Merging the cafe culture and our franglais desires we’ll be speaking French in the cafe on Tuesday afternoons from 10th November. Nothing too serious, but a chance for you (and us) to brush up on our language skills. Come along and listen or join in the conversation whether you’re fluent or a beginner. Si vous voulez plus d’informations email comme d’habitude cafe@northlodgepark.org.uk.

To: Cromer Town Councillors
Copy: Julie Chance, John Rest, Hilary Cox, John Lee

Hello

The number and speed of vehicles in North Lodge park continues to be a major concern and risk to the public.

We understand that Cromer Town Council are considering investing in bollards in North Lodge Park at the edge of the land in front of North Lodge, to stop unauthorised parking.

The Friends of North Lodge Park expressed concerns about the proposals to the Policy and Resources Committee before their last meeting. Although our concerns were considered, unfortunately it seems the proposal has moved forward to the next stage.

It is our view that bollards in the Park at the edge of the area in front of North Lodge (where it is proposed to place them) will not reduce the number of vehicles in the Park, nor reduce the speed of vehicles. In addition, it will have the effect of increasing the number of vehicles turning round in the road by the boating lake and move the issue of unauthorised parking to elsewhere in the Park, both of which will cause extra risk to children playing.

The Policy and Resources Committee’s stated priority is the “safety of staff and tenants”. No mention of public safety and the increased risk to the public, including children playing in the Park, has been mentioned in the minutes.

Clearly, as the only beneficiaries of such bollards would be the tenants of North Lodge, funding of any work on such a project – including any preparatory work should be funded by the tenants and not with public money. Feedback we have received from tenants of North Lodge suggests no support for the proposal – in fact the complete opposite – so this funding is unlikely to be forthcoming.

We are very pleased to see that the Policy and Resources Committee agreed to open a dialogue with NNDC to develop a better solution to stop the bigger problem of too many vehicles driving too quickly and fully support this.

Again, we request that you do not further invest time and public money in any short term plan to install bollards, and wait until longer term plans are agreed.

Barry Meadows
Secretary, Friends of North Lodge Park

What a day of fun we had,
Cakes and crepes galore.
Many people came to taste
and some came back for more!

Macmillan’s was our worthy cause
Friends keen to play our part,
Selling sausage rolls and scones,
And famous Bakewell Tart.

With games, a quiz and lots of fun
It was the place to be,
The special Tearooms in the Park
Just beside the sea.

£684.10 raised for Macmillan. Thank you to everyone who supported us, working, buying and consuming in the cafe on Friday. It was a fantastic day…we couldn’t have done it without you.

On Friday 25th September the cafe will be supporting the Macmillan World’s Biggest Coffee Morning. Please come and join us for delicious cakes, crepes and other goodies. We will be running the event all day, from 10 a.m and very much look forward to seeing as many of you as possible. There will be competitions and games throughout the day and we will be making a generous donation to the Macmillan Cancer Support charity, so please come and support us and this very worthy cause. See you then, if not before

We were given a great boost last week when the inspection from Environmental Health gave us the top 5 star (very good) rating for cleanliness. It shows what can be achieved by focussing on operating a really quality establishment – well done to the team for this amazing achievement!

5 star memories

Everyday we hear more of your stories about the Park and the cafe; it seems generations of you have enjoyed the Park, the boating lake and the cafe for many years. Let’s keep those memories alive, and together create new memories.

5 star help

You are key to the success of the cafe. It’s your cafe and we need your help. We’d like to keep the cafe open 6 days a week through the autumn, but the cafe will only be open if you help: in the cafe, baking cakes or as customers. Pop in and discuss how you can help.

If you are baking, please speak to us about what and when you can help – we need to manage the supply of cakes to make sure we meet the demand appropriately – please don’t bring cakes without telling us first as it can be embarrassing.

5 star Park

Taking on the cafe at such short notice in the peak season has been all consuming, and we haven’t thought much about the rest of the Park. Some of you are already helping in the gardens around the cafe (there is always room for more help) and are making a great difference.

We haven’t discussed the future of the Park with the District; following their decision in July to take back the Park; we felt they needed time to think. As the autumnal planting season approaches we need to start a dialogue to optimise developments over the coming months. Should I say watch this space?

5 star events

We’ve got some ideas for events in the cafe/park this autumn and will be sharing these with you very soon. If you have ideas please let us know: cafe@northlodgepark.org.uk.
Hope to see you in the cafe soon.
Barry Meadows
5 Star Barista Trainer

Life was really brought back to North Lodge Park this afternoon with The Jefford Brothers treating us all to some really good music, on one of those lazy Friday afternoons.  We hope all those of you who came enjoyed it as mush as we did.  Many thanks to the great musicians; many thanks to the band of helpers, and (most importantly) many thanks to you for coming.

If you have some pictures of this afternoon that you would like to share, please send them to us at cafe@northlodgepark.org.uk.

To celebrate a whole week of ‘crepes and cakes’ in North Lodge Park there will be live jazz with your tea from 3 on Friday 14th August 2015.

Yes, it is only a week, but it already feels like the new community cafe has always been there!

Crepes and Cakes in your cafe

Emma Dale and Wally Webb

North Lodge Park Community Cafe open for business

Your support, individuals and businesses, has allowed us to bring you your community cafe – from a dirty empty shell to a fully fitted and working cafe – in a week, opening last Friday 7th August.

It was an early start on Friday when Wally Webb (BBC Radio Norfolk) came at 7.30am to interview us, followed by an interview with Dick Hutchinson from Radio North Norfolk.

After the opening drinks (Elderflower champers),

Jack formally opens the cafe

opening speeches were followed by the formal tape cutting by Jack and we were up and running and haven’t stopped since. Drinks, Cakes and Crepes have been flying out the door. The team are learning fast how hard it is to run a cafe!

It’s very hard to believe that it was only 10 days ago that we had the keys and started the painting – so much has happened in that time. As well as the cafe, the gardening volunteers have tidied up the gardens around the cafe, and in the Rose Garden.

We hope to open the cafe 7 days a week, but that needs your support – helping in the cafe or baking cakes for the cafe – come in and talk to the team to discuss how you can help your cafe work. Without your continued support it’s going to be hard work for the few.

In addition, the gardeners need your support – if you can help – or if you have some good tools to donate – get in touch friends@northlodgepark.org.uk or speak to someone in the cafe.

Jazz and Tea at 3 on Friday

To celebrate the end of the first week, this Friday afternoon (14th August) we will be in party mood with live jazz music at the cafe – do come and help the celebrations.

If you have other ideas for special events do let us know.

We had an amazing amount of crockery and cutlery donated by you, and we are really grateful – without it we wouldn’t have been able to open the cafe so quickly – we really were overwhelmed. However, the cafe is only big enough for a selection of your donations. Those items we are unable to use, we intend to sell from a stall outside the cafe next weekend (Friday to Sunday) with any money made going towards the Park. After Sunday we will donate any remaining items to a local charity. (If you would rather retrieve your donations please let us know before Friday.)

I really hope to see you soon in the cafe, either as a customer, or as one of the growing team of helpers.

 
Barry Meadows
Barista in training

Friday 7th August started early with a 7.30 visit from Wally Webb (BBC Radio Norfolk), an 8.30 interview on Radio North Norfolk, and some final preparations.

Tony Knight kicked off the formal opening at 10.15, with Tom Fitzpatrick (Leader on North Norfolk District Council and John Rest (also from NNDC) saying a few words. Emma Dale finished off the speaches before Jack formally announced the cafe open and cut the Ribbon.

Please send us any pictures you have of the opening day and we’ll add the best ones to the gallery.

North Lodge Park Cafe

Crepes and Cakes to open 10am 7th August 2015

There is only one word for how you have responded to our call for help in getting the cafe open: amazing.

You have responded with enthusiasm and energy – both the local community and visitors, many of whom come regularly to Cromer and North Lodge Park.

The number of you who have donated the contents of your cupboards (and dining rooms) shows your passion for the Park.

After an unbelievable week your cafe in North Lodge Park will open this FRIDAY 7th AUGUST at 10am and then daily from 10am (we’ll probably shut Monday’s for a breather!)

To manage the opening on Friday (we’ll ‘cut the ribbon’ at 10.15), for the first hour we will not be serving the usual fare, but will serve opening drinks and samplers outside, with the cafe opening at 11am.

Whilst the cafe has been overhauled ready for the opening, we still need to establish some of the working processes so please be gentle!

Many of you have offered to bake for the opening – many many thanks; please can you let us know tomorrow what you are baking, and deliver your cakes, labelled, as early as possible.It would be very helpful if some of you could bake your cake(s) not for Friday but for either Saturday or Sunday to help us cover this first weekend.

We need to establish longer term plans for baking. Those of you who would like to become part of the baking team (we will pay for all ingredients), please let us know so we can establish a proper system that conforms to the regulations within which we need to operate, and maintain appropriate supplies to the cafe. Whilst this has to be a fun project for us all, it needs to be fit and proper.

If all goes well over the coming weeks, we will establish proper commercial systems to reward our baking team. Let’s get the cafe open and the summer rush behind us to give us some space to think.

Many of you have offered to help by working in the cafe, again we need to establish a proper process (and rota), for this and ensure you are all upto speed with the regulations and processes. We have some of your names already, we need to formalise this quickly to ensure you all know what you are doing when. Please come and talk to us as soon as you can.

In some ways the excitement of the last week will, in hindsight, be the easy part – we now need your help to keep your cafe open for the next 4 months (the length of our current licence) and hopefully beyond. As well as your custom (I’m sure the Crepes and Cakes will keep you coming) we will need your ongoing help running the cafe – you wanted the cafe, we now need your help to keep it.

We are discussing with NNDC parts of the Park for us to manage – we are already giving the once over to the gardens around the cafe, we will need your help (and donations of good useable gardening tools) on this as well. This week we are focussing on the cafe and this has shown what a positive change you can make.

Hope to see you soon.

Barry Meadows