From Filey Brigg to Carrow Road, by way of Winfarthing

It was an absolute pleasure to visit De Lucy House Care Home in Diss on Wednesday, to launch our latest creative heritage project, Coins and Crosses.

None of the group had previously heard about the Winfarthing treasure and were amazed that such riches were discovered so close by.

Conversations about why that particular site might have been chosen led to personal revelations about their own favourite places – and the surprising stories behind them.

Using water colour paints and pencils, the residents painted their scenes – but without giving too much away; the postcards were destined for Oak Lodge in Attleborough, where the afternoon participants were to ‘read’ the postcards and draw their own conclusions.

And so they did. Again, most of the group at Oak Lodge Supported Living knew nothing about the Winfarthing treasure or why it was there but, as  Steven pointed out,

“It can’t just be a coincidence, there must be some sort of connection.”

One of the group, however, has been very involved in the Winfarthing Anglo-Saxon project and was able to fill us in with several details about the church and some of the activities she’s been part of there.

We shared the De Lucy postcards and the group made their own, based on special places and events like a graduation ceremony at Carrow Road, a family holiday abroad or a wooded area in Norwich where the leaves rustle and the trees make you feel happy.

We finished the session with a creative writing activity: here’s just one of the marvellous poems created.

I am from watching the heavy rain out of the window in my bedroom

the sound of the ice cream van that plays music and the smell of cut grass.

I am from the taste of roasted carrots; I am from happiness.

Hannah