New Lottery funded project "The Cold War in The Brecks" (Norfolk and Sufolk)

I'm delighted to anounce that The Breckland Society has been awarded almost £10,000 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to support a project entitled "The Cold War in The Brecks".

For those of you who don't know East Anglia very well, Breckland a.k.a. The Brecks is an area of Norfolk and Suffolk roughly centred on Thetford. The area has a rich Cold War heritage, and one that deserves to be better known by the general public in the area.

I'm also delighted that the Project Manager, responsible for delivering what we said (in our Lottery bid) we wanted to achieve, is none other than Ken Delve, the new Editor of "Airfield review"!

We are holding a couple of project kick-off events (at the former RAF Barnham Nuclear Bomb Store, near Elveden, and at RAF Marham) on the last two Saturdays of March. If you live in or near the area, and think you might be able to contribute to the project, please see the end of the press release (below) for details of the events, and of how to contact Ken if you wish to attend.

I'm sure we can find some way for everyone who would like to contribute to do so!

PRESS RELEASE TEXT

Breckland Society’s Cold War Project secures National Lottery support

[Today] The Breckland Society has received a National Lottery Heritage Fund grant of £9410 for an exciting new heritage project, The Cold War in the Brecks. Made possible by money raised by National Lottery players, the project focuses on the dramatic story of the Cold War 1945–1990 from the perspective of local communities in Norfolk and Suffolk.

The Brecks, covering some 370 square miles of inland Norfolk and Suffolk and located within easy range of Continental Europe, played a crucial role in the post-Second World War standoff between the West and the Communist bloc. Many important military activities took place here, from the installation of nuclear weapon bases to the development of Top-Secret bunkers and radar and communications hubs. Yet this unique chapter of local history, characterized by deterrence and defence, has never been systematically researched before.

Supported through The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the project is open to everyone and will explore different aspects of the Cold War heritage. Participants will be able to choose from a range of different activities, including archival research looking for images and documents about the Cold War; learning how to identify and record military structures such as bunkers, both on the ground and from aerial photographs; visiting sites that played a key role in the Cold War struggle; and interviewing Cold War participants, both military and civilian, so that an oral history archive and illustrated report can be produced at the end of the project.

The Cold War Project will be launched in late February; the date and venue to be announced. All are welcome to come and find out more about the project and what opportunities it offers to get involved.

The Society’s project manager, Ken Delve, says: “The Brecks area and its immediate surroundings included a significant number of RAF and American air bases, and as such was very much central to the deterrent nature of the Cold War. Whilst such bases were vital, they had to be protected, as did the general population, and of course there were segments of society that protested the entire concept. The Cold War in The Brecks project will be looking at all aspects of this critical period in European history, in which The Brecks played a central role. The project will provide a broad opportunity for people of all ages and backgrounds to become involved, either as part of the project, providing information on their experiences of this period, or by following the progress and viewing the results.”

Robyn Llewellyn, Head of the National Lottery Heritage Fund East of England, said: “Thanks to money raised by National Lottery players we are delighted to support this project, to enable more people to explore the impact of the Cold War on the Brecks”

Project launch meetings:

An open meeting for those interesting in volunteering to help with the project, or just interested in the project will be held at the following Cold War base locations:

• Saturday 23rd March from 1030 to 1230 at Barnham Camp (Gorse Industrial Estate).
• Saturday 30th March from 1200 to 1400 at RAF Marham Aviation Heritage Centre.

If you would like to attend either (or both) then please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for directions.