Denton and the Wider World
Denton residents took a close interest in two big national, or even international events this year.
The Olympic Games
Before the start of the Games the Olympic Torch was carried right round the country by a relay of runners. This included crossing Norfolk but the nearest the Torch got to Denton was when it was carried through Wrentham on the A12 on its way to Ipswich.
A group of Denton residents went across to Wrentham to cheer on the Torch and the runners carrying it. The village was packed with enthusiastic spectators celebrating their opportunity to get involved in the games, if only in a very minor way.
Once the Games started the fact that trains from Diss stopped right outside the Olympic Park at Stratford made it very easy for local people to attend.
Unfortunately, not everyone had been successful in the hotly-contested ballot for tickets to the various events, but several Dentonians were able to get day-tickets for the Park and were thus able to enjoy the magic of the Olympic "experience".
The Queen's Jubilee
This year's Summer Ball was turned into a "Jubilee Ball" in honour of Her Majesty's Golden Jubilee and it was attended by 170 people. As usual this was a most enjoyable event thought the weather was unseasonably cold!
Naturally there was a Red, White and Blue theme and, as well as all the usual features, of the Ball a new departure was an “Olympic” table football tournament with some closely contested matches.
After the Ball village residents were allowed a day off on the Sunday, before further celebrations were completed on Monday 4th June, the official Jubilee bank-holiday.>
Activities included a parade of old tractors, tractor-drawn floats and other interesting vehicles all suitably decorated. The winner of the prize for the best display went to the Lambert/Whipps royal trailer, complete with corgis, with a guest appearance by Her Majesty herself.
Games of rounders followed but everybody was really waiting for the tea party at 5 o’clock. Enormous piles of sandwiches, cakes and other delicacies had been prepared and at the appointed hour the locusts descended. While the food was consumed those in the marquee were entertained by the first ever performance by the village’s new Barber-Shop singing group accompanied by Simon Winter and Ken Ashton.
Later the Loyal Toast was proposed by Eddie Winter and, even later, a barbecue was laid on for those who had not eaten enough sandwiches and cakes and a television set up in the Hall so that revellers could watch the Jubilee Concert, the lighting of the final beacon and the firework display.