Norman Dixon was the star of the show on Wednesday 24 May 2023. He had kindly agreed to talk about the history of Honing village during his lifetime in the twentieth century, in conversation with William Cubitt. The Village Hall was packed with over 100 people, including those connected to Norman as family or long-standing friends, some of who had travelled from afar to attend. Prompted by a stream of photographs, both old ones (many from Sheila Dunning’s photo albums) and brand new ones of the same sites to illustrate the changes (or sometimes not!), Norman spoke of his life in the parish.
He was born in 1942 and has lived in the local area ever since: in Honing, East Ruston and Worstead. He was born in a now-demolished cottage at St Villiers Farm, after which his family moved to a cottage next to Osbourne’s in the village, then one of the Lock Cottages, Heath Farm, and finally Bush Farm before he moved to Worstead on retirement.
It was fascinating to see and hear how much the village and parish has changed during his life. He could remember the village having three shops, two pubs, a Post Office, the primary school, two shoe menders, the forge, a bicycle repairer, a fish smokery, the Methodist chapel, a woodyard on The Street, and several farms. This was a time when families could have no running water yet could travel by train from Honing Station to North Walsham and Stalham (and the rest of the world) every hour. He recalled the annual treat of the Sunday School outing to Great Yarmouth.
After his marriage to Joan at Honing Church in 1964, they lived in East Ruston before moving to Bush Farm and taking over from his parents. His son, Gary, now farms there with his family. Norman, aided by the assembled audience, recalled many long-departed characters from the area and he judged that, though life was harder in his younger days, there was a supportive sense of community. His memories of life at home, at the village school, on the farm and in the village were crystal clear and he imparted them with a wonderful and witty delivery.
It was marvellous for so many people to get together on a beautiful sunny evening, to have the chance to hear and recall so many stories from the past, and everyone enjoyed themselves…so much that there is clearly enough support to have a “Part Two” evening one day. Huge thanks go especially to Norman, and to all who helped with the event preparing the village hall and producing refreshments for the evening. A valuable £525 was raised for Honing and Crostwight church funds for the upkeep and running of the two churches in the parish, with which Norman has been associated his whole life, and he is still on the Parochial Church Council and Parish Council in his ninetieth decade.
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