The plans for a new waterfront restaurant to replace the King's Head Yard car park at Diss Mere look terrific.
I hope this new development will help revitalise the town centre and boost visitor numbers.
I was pleased to read in the Diss Express about the campaign by Diss Publishing Bookshop director, Birgitte Mager, urging other Diss businesses to highligh
t what the town has to offer. Her message "I can get it all in Diss – bring a friend" is spot on.
Birgitte's own shop and café are an excellent example of how sympathetic design, coupled with high-quality merchandise can enhance an area.
There are lots of other good shops in Diss too. Along with the planned restaurant, they offer a good basis for rejuvenation.
Last Saturday I dropped into the Valentine Coffee Morning at Pulham Market Memorial Hall in aid of two worthwhile causes: Action Duchenne and Hall School in Norwich. Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy is a muscle-wasting disease that affects boys. A number of constituents have drawn my attention to this issue.
Action Duchenne raises awareness of the condition and also raises urgently needed money towards research into the causes and possible cures.
I know from visiting Hall School, a Community Special School, that it achieves some wonderful results with boys and girls aged three to 19 with severe learning difficulties.
Coffee morning organisers Diana Cook and Debbie Mapes worked hard to create a pink hearts theme to the various stalls, including wonderful handmade Valentine's presents, and the event attracted a steady stream of visitors.
To support Action Duchenne call Diana, 01379 608998, and to support Hall School call Debbie, 01379 676759.
Did you know that we rely on part-time or retained firefighters to staff 35 of Norfolk's 41 fire stations, including Diss, Harleston and Long Stratton? Retained firefighters have all the skills of full-time firefighters but, on a visit to Norfolk Fire Brigade's HQ, I was told that it is getting harder to recruit new retained firefighters because fewer people live and work close to their local fire station.
This in turn can make fire engines temporarily unavailable. During my visit, one town's fire engine was unavailable because not all of its crew could turn out.
I urge people who want to find out more about becoming retained firefighters to contact their local fire station for details.
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