Pupils' fishing project

Pupils from a Wells school have been taking part in a major community fishing project created with the help of £13,500 of grants and national lottery cash.

A whole host of activities, based around the town's rich fishing and maritime history, have been organised at Wells primary school and head teacher Carol Jennings has spoken of the great success of the project.

On Wednesday retired Wells fisherman David Cox spent some time showing a group of children how he used to mend broken whelk pots and talking to them about his experiences as a fisherman in the town.

The whole school has been involved in the project during this summer half-term. Cash was awarded through Norfolk County Council (£10,000) and the Lottery's Awards for All (£3,500).

The cash allowed the school to appoint project co-ordinator Jane Wells who is a freelance musician and who is familiar with Wells and its fishing heritage.

As part of the project people from the community were brought into the school and they have been talking to the pupils about their own experiences.

Folk group, Rig-a-Jig Jig have been working with the children and giving public performances on board the Dutch clipper, the Albatross, berthed in Wells harbour. The next session is on July 9 at 8pm.

An exhibition of the children's art work based on the fishing project is to be held at St Nicholas Church at Wells from July 12 and it will be on show during the town's summer carnival at the beginning of August.

All the various threads of the project will be brought together on July 15 and 16 with public performances at the school featuring drama, dance and singing.

“The whole project has been fantastic and a wonderful experience for the children, particularly with people from the community coming into the school and talking directly to the children. It has all been really exciting and the children have loved it,” said Mrs Jennings.