Harleston Primary pupil given honour of naming Norfolk County Council's new gritter

A primary school pupil from Harleston has been given the honour of naming one of Norfolk County Council’s new gritters.

Earlier this year, Bev Beaumont, a reception teacher at Harleston Church of England Primary Academy, asked her class to think up ideas after seeing the council had organised a competition asking youngsters to put forward possible names for the vehicle.

To her delight, council officials decided to bestow the gritter with the name ‘True Grit’ – thought up by one of her pupils, six-year-old Jacob Earl.

Due to the pandemic, there was a delay on Jacob getting to see the gritter in the flesh, but, on last week, the youngster, who is now in Year 1, finally got to lay his eyes on and even sit behind the wheel of the truck, which has its name adorned on the underside of the driver’s window, along with the name of his school.

“Jacob was so proud and excited to see the name on the gritter, and so was I,” said Mrs Beaumont.

“The rest of the class were super excited to see the gritter up close and especially happy when Andy the driver put on the flashing lights and beeped the horn.”