wwwwww..mmnnrr..oorrgg..uukk
Enjoy a train
journey on Norfolk's
Longest Heritage
Railway through
22 miles of scenic
countryside
Dereham Station
Station Rd, Dereham
Tel: 01362 690633
Tel 01953 608547
Email track@lotuscars.co.uk
Web www.lotusdrivingacademy.com
Serious. Fun.
The Lotus Driving Academy will equip you with
a powerful combination of theoretical training
and practical experience � it's the perfect driver
training programme and a fantastic gift!
Tourist Information
Wymondham Tourist Information Centre:
The Market Cross, Market Place, tel 01953
604721
AN ATTRACTIVE, historic market town with its
red roofs and the massive towers of the Abbey
church, Wymondham is both a thriving communi-
ty and a fine place to visit.
Pronounced `Win-dum,' it is set against green
fields and the gentle slopes of the River Tiffey
valley.
A great fire in 1615 destroyed many of the
buildings in the town, including the Market
Cross. As a result much of what can be seen in
the town centre today dates from the 17th
Century, particularly in Market Street and
Damgate Street.
The distinctive Market Cross Building dates
from 1617-18 and was built at a cost of �25 and
seven shillings. Repairs and restoration in 1989
cost nearly �95,000.
It houses the town's Tourist Information
Centre, and makes a fine setting for the many
events which take place in the market place.
TAKE a trip this summer on the Mid-Norfolk
Railway, East Anglia's longest Heritage Railway,
with a journey of eleven miles through peaceful
countryside linking the market towns of
Wymondham and Dereham.
Dereham Station was the subject of a
European Objective 2 grant, which has seen the
fine Victorian railway station restored to the way
it would have looked in the late 1950s when
Dereham was still an important railway junction.
The work includes a period ticket office, tearoom,
souvenir shop and small museum.
At Wymondham, the station is located close to
the beautiful Abbey church and adjacent to the
River Tiffey. The main line station is a 20-minute
walk away and is home to the Brief Encounter
restaurant and excellent displays of railwayana.
Wymondham itself has a number of beautifully
preserved historic buildings including the timber-
framed Market Cross and the Green Dragon inn.
The train ride offers extensive views of the sur-
rounding countryside.
Wild flowers are in abundance in the spring. In
October, the trains are ideal for enjoying the
autumn `tints' of the leaves.
Deer and owls are seen throughout the year
THE all-new Lotus Driving
Academy has been developed
to link Lotus' adrenaline-fuelled
track experiences and it's
hugely successful driver train-
ing to create an unrivalled pro-
gramme that creates better
drivers.
Mike Kimberley, CEO of
Group Lotus Plc, comments:
"Lotus cars have been
designed to be fun to drive,
exciting and offer phenomenal
performance with excellent
safety. The Lotus Driving
Academy gives participants the
skills to extract the best out of
their cars, improving the own-
ership experience and becom-
ing better, safer drivers."
Courses with the Lotus
Driving Academy are designed
to give drivers both practical
training and a theoretical
appreciation of driving,
enabling them to learn at a
steady and affordable pace
through a license system. The
Lotus Licence is a structured,
competencies based pro-
gramme, drivers qualify by
achieving three awards;
`Bronze', `Silver' and `Gold',
with an optional `Platinum'
stage for tailored personal
tuition.
This tiered system allows
drivers to embark upon each
stage as an individual course, a
unique and practical way to
steadily evolve experience,
technique and confidence.
FRANSHAM FORGE, where William Crane
started his cart and trailer business in 1865, is
now the workplace of artist blacksmith Nigel
Barnett.
His work ranges from large public commis-
sions to unusual hand-forged items for the
home and garden.
Visit the forge and you will see forge ham-
mers in action going back to the 1860s, red-
hot metal moving like playdough in his hands.
There is a small museum dedicated to the
Crane family history and a display of carts.
An area for picnics is next to the forge stream
in the heart of Norfolk countryside.
Moving to modern times, the forge has a
gallery of works for sale ranging from small
knick-knacks to large forgings of wonder-
ment.
Nigel will gladly give forging demonstra-
tions on request for a small fee and you will
be able to take home the piece you see made.
We are very proud of our English craftsmen
and most large items bear our stamp.
The forge is open Mondays-Fridays 9am-
5pm and most Saturdays 9am-4pm. There is
ample parking.
If you wish to phone to make sure Nigel is
there, please leave a message as it is a loud-
working forge and sometimes they do not
hear. Call 01362 687116, or email fransham
forge@uwclub.net
YOUR MID-NORFOLK
RAILWAY SUMMER SAVER
VOUCHER IS ON PAGE 42
YOUR LOTUS DRIVING ACADEMY SUMMER
SAVER VOUCHER IS ON PAGE 15
and the lakes at Whinburgh and Thuxton provide
an ideal habitat for swans and geese. The sta-
tions at Yaxham, Thuxton, Hardingham and
Kimberley Park (all privately-owned) are all being
tastefully restored and retain many original fea-
tures.
Most of the Mid-Norfolk Railway's services are
operated using heritage diesel railcars and loco-
motives, although regular steam services are
confirmed to operate on the line at weekends
from July 4th until August 31st using Western
Region 0-6-0 Pannier Tank No.9466 (subject to
availability).
The railway is almost entirely staffed by volun-
teers who will be happy to answer any questions
you may have about the line during your visit.
Train services operate most weekends from
mid-March to December and on Wednesdays
and Thursdays during the summer. The railway
also hosts a number of special events to suit all
ages and interests from a Model Railway
Exhibition, Jazz trains and a Classic Transport
Day to Hallowe'en and Santa Specials.
For train times, ring 01362 690633 or 01362
851723 (Talking Timetable), or visit the website
at www.mnr.org.uk. Timetable leaflets are also
available from Tourist Information Centres and
other outlets.
Six miles to the north of Dereham, the Mid-
Norfolk Railway also operates County School
Station as a tea-room and visitors' centre. The
restored station, built in 1886, is open on
Sundays and Bank Holidays from Easter to the
end of September and is a good all-year starting
point for walks and cycle rides.
Not only will drivers
get the opportunity of
driving the much-loved
Lotus Elise but they
will do so on the famous Lotus
test-track.
A challenging circuit, the
Lotus test-track is the perfect
environment in which to
improve driving skills and safe-
ty, while learning more about
the character and DNA of
Lotus cars; Jim Clark, Graham
Hill, Ayrton Senna, Nigel
Mansell and Mika Hakannen
are just some of the F1 leg-
ends that have driven the 2.25
mile Lotus test-track.
Training in the areas of trail
braking, heel and toe, gear
changes and gaining a better
understanding of handling
dynamics and reading the road
ahead are just some of the
skills drivers will acquire
through the Lotus Licence pro-
gramme.
For training, the track will be
split into a number of circuits
to add variety and a chance to
apply knowledge and develop
skills in different situations and
on complex corners. The Elise
S, Elise R and Exige S are
used to develop experience of
cars with different handling
characteristics, braking per-
formance and power.
Since 1984, Lotus has been
employed to deliver Driver
Training and Vehicle
Assessment Training for major
motor manufacturers, and in
1998 started to offer Lotus
owners the opportunity to
hone their skills through a pub-
lic driver training scheme. The
new Lotus Driving Academy is
open to anyone with a driver's
licence and promises to be
fun, informative and good
value; the Lotus Driving
Academy offers the most
unique training on the market!
Chris Arnold, Head of Lotus
Sport said: "Holders of each of
the coveted Lotus Licences
will benefit from their newly
acquired skill levels and be
able to get so much more out
of their cars. In many respects
the Lotus Driving Academy is
the best performance upgrade
available."
The courses are run using
the latest Lotus models and
focus on developing skills and
understanding, then exploiting
these skills in a progressive
manner.
Many of the driving instruc-
tors at the Academy are Lotus
Engineers who literally know
the cars inside out.
The Lotus License courses
are priced as follows:
Bronze Licence �299
Silver Licence �499
Gold Licence �799
Platinum Licence �1299
(Price may vary depending
on individual requirements)
For full details, dates and
availability please visit;
www.lotusdrivingacademy
.com or call Lisa Dann, track
and events coordinator 01953
608547
FRANSHAM FORGE
Peaceful country journey by rail
Distinctive
market cross
Serious
fun with Lotus
Test your skills at the Lotus Driving Academy.

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