Through the hesitant sunshine we headed to the picturesque and newly-thatched King’s Head, in another foray into the south of the county, this time to North Lopham. The spacious bar given over to us proved to be a perfect place, with its low ceiling and wooden floor. The bar filled up and we had a pleasant mix of familiar faces and new, our ranks being swelled by several singers and musicians from across the border. This gave great variety to the usual programme of local song, music and step dance. Highlights, as ever, were the dulcimer duets of Richard Blake and Tom Knight, and the varied instances of step dance, from four practitioners, all with their own unique styles. There was also a great selection of songs, including some wonderful harmony singing. Special mention must be made of Michael Czarnobaj, not only for coming all the way from Ely, as he does so regularly, but also for performing the broom dance, with a broom borrowed from the pub for the purpose. 

In all, it was an enjoyable occasion, with our usual traditional fare, and great to see some new faces amongst the stalwarts. It would be great to give the pub a return visit at some point in the future. In the meantime, the “Tune-Up” events continue monthly, with dates being finalised for 2027. Catch us at the Trust’s Traditional Music Day on 19th September, in the British Legion, with a tune workshop preceding it for those wishing to have a run through a selection of tunes of different types from our repertoire – see the programme for full details. Our next ‘stand-alone’ event follows that, at Dereham Cock on Sunday 18th October. As ever, we hope to see you then. 

Chris Holderness August 2026