Newsletter June 2025

Our oldest and most celebrated active member – Maureen Larkin is taking a breather again this month.

Here are my reflections of moving to Loddon in 1998 and my first pantomine – Jack and the Beanstalk – Panto 1999.

My wife Jackie (current Chair and Resident Director) and I moved to Loddon in 1998, up from Kent where we had, for many years been involved in amateur dramatics. 

I moved up to take over a business in Sprowston in November 1997 – staying in digs in Spixworth whilst we looked for somewhere to live.

We were looking for a house as close as we could find to the Broads. I saw one I liked for sale advertised in the local estate agents advert sheet. It said Loddon. I thought it said Ludham.

My first thoughts were “yes, on the Broads, must take a look”. I got the map out (no sat nav in those days) and checked where I thought Ludham aka Loddon was. It was nowhere near Stalham and the northern Broads. I decided to drive down and have a look.

To my great and happy surprise, it was also a Broadland town. I spotted the house in High Bungay Road. Two days later after a visit, my offer was accepted and, in due course in the spring of 1998, we moved in.

One summer evening – walking back to our house having been showing my Mum and Dad the staithe, I broke out into song (yes I know!) – I think it was a party piece of mine from Gilbert and Sullivan. A voice from behind called out “you should join Loddon Singers”. The lady, Beth, lived across the road.

It was Jackie who joined the Singers not me. After a few weeks she returned to say that some of the Singers were involved in the local pantomime group and there were readings/auditions for the 1999 Pantomime – Jack and the Beanstalk coming up at the beginning of September.

It felt like fate – it was what we both hoped might allow us to resume our love of the stage in our new life in Norfolk.

At the audition, it was clear there were some very strong performers. It seemed that none though had as loud a voice as me!

“Would you read The Giant” said the producer/director Ann.

It wasn’t hard to get the words

“fee, fie, foe, fum, I smell the blood of an Englishman. Be he alive or be he dead, I’ll grind his bones to make me bread”.

“Oooh” cried Ann, “you have a very loud voice” – next thing I knew, I got the part.

For Jackie it was more difficult. All the main parts were already pretty much cast and she was offered a villager role.

I had not met my dear friend Maureen at that audition but the talk was of her and her past glories. Unfortunately she suddenly pulled out because of the death of her beloved father. That required re-jigging the cast. Rosie Kipps who was to play the Giant’s wicked assistant Toxaemia, moved up to play the role that would have been Maureen’s part and Jackie was cast as Toxaemia. 

I did not realise when I accepted the part of the Giant that back in those days, the panto run was spread over three weekends! That was just not possible for me. I owned a retail business that was open on Saturdays and Sundays. Sadly I had to pull out. I agreed to help back stage on all the evening performances.

Here was my first taste of the Loddon Players experience.

Dame Silly Trott, was played by Anthony Bunting, Rosie Kipps – Silly Tilly Trott, Squire Tightfist – Ian Taylor, Adam Taylor and Melvyn Frankland played the Bill and Ben – the village “idiots”, the Giant was played by Ray Lumley and of course Jackie played Toxaemia.

Of Jackie’s performance, The Beccles & Bungay review said: 

“Played by Jackie Bingham, her frightening portrayal of the giant’s right-hand woman was almost too much for some of the younger members of the audience.”

From my vantage point behind the scenes, this was a great introduction to the traditions of a Loddon Players pantomime.

There were continued references to Loddon and to Norfolk life, with a liberal sprinkling of Norfolk sayings. I think I first heard the word bisheebarneebee (ladybird) at this production.

I wished I could have been in it. That became a feeling I had over many years watching and sometimes being a member of the crew.

Apart from a brief understudy appearance in 2013; our children having finally flown the next, I made my first appearance in 2023, some 14 years after Jack and The Beanstalk.

Whilst Maureen was not in that first pantomime, it was my joy to watch her through all of the following years until she retired from a principal role in 2017. 

I am so delighted to have seen the group go from strength to strength, surviving the COVID years and moving forward again.

David Bingham

Here is our archive page

Jack and the Beanstalk 1999