The event was held at the Park Hotel, which felt warm and cosy, with the new owners making a real effort to offer a quality venue.

This ties in nicely to a key Cittaslow goal to encourage good provision of services and hospitality for all visitors.

One idea from the event was the suggestion that we use the Norfolk dialect word for snail (Dodman) in our new Cittaslow publicity, so we'll do our best to try this. So hold yew hard! The Diss Dodman cometh!

Cittaslow wants to increase visitors to the town but without ruining the atmosphere and quality of life here. Part of the ethos of a market town is that it enjoys vigorous trade occasionally.

In times gone by, the population in the town centre increased substantially on market days without detrimental effects.

Because of the funding we have received, I am tasked with increasing the number of tourists in Diss by 10,000 over the lifetime of the LEADER+ project, which works out roughly at 20 new tourists per day. I am sure our local traders would be pleased if this happens.

To enable this we are currently preparing a host of initiatives including a new 3-D map of Diss, a new visitor leaflet and new Cittaslow Snail Trail and new signage around the town.

I have a strong view that we need lots more events in Diss to attract visitors.

I went to the Ludlow Food festival this summer which was fantastic, especially their sausage and beer trail. Ludlow is the base of Cittaslow UK.

I would like to see an annual large scale food and drink festival within the centre of the Diss because we would be able to showcase so many of our local producers.

Another result of the brainstorm was a new strap line for the Cittaslow Diss programme 'Making local life even better', I would be interested in what readers think of this and if you feel it puts Cittaslow in a nutshell?

Thanks for all those readers who contacted me about the proposed Ban the Plastic Bag campaign in Diss. The proposal continues to gather support.

I must also mention there will be a chance for local artists to exhibit small pocket-sized works of art, in any media, at the new Winter Art Exhibition to be held at the Cittaslow Centre, starting next month.

Work will be received at the Cittaslow Centre from 10.30am to 12.30pm on November 1.

Please contact me for further information or Jean Page, 01379 898338.

To kick start the Winter Art Exhibition we will be having a free drop in and meet the artists event at the Cittaslow Centre on November 3, noon-2pm – coffee, locally made cakes and some of the delicious white wines from the local Wyken Vineyard will be on offer to sample, so please come along, should be fun.

All are welcome.

Cynthia Schears is Diss Cittaslow co-ordinator. She can be contacted on 01379 642002