Fenland Oddfellows

15/06/2026

Mind-blowing... and lots of rattling!

15/06/2026

Wait for it - the audience participation is about to happen!

15/06/2026

The Oddfellows Brass Band returned to King’s Lynn for the first time in four years yesterday (Sunday, 14th June) for a magnificent blow-out at the Knights Hill Hotel and Spa.

The society’s proud flag-bearers were invited back to perform in the hotel’s handsome vaulted barn by four district lodges – Oddfellows King's Lynn, Capital of the Fens Oddfellows from Wisbech, Fenland from Manea in Cambridgeshire, and the Heart of Norfolk, based at Dereham.

Everyone there was treated to an afternoon of splendour. The music rang out loud, the cream teas were truly scrumptious and there were prize competitions that simply took your breath away.

Among the performers, there was a special cheer from a packed hall for the youngest musician on the platform - 17-year-old Luuk Wiersema, the band’s principal euphonium player, who came to Oddfellows Brass by way of the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain. Luuk played solo in an item called ‘Peace’ by specialist brass band composer John Golland.

The main raffle – hugely well presented with what must have been hours and hours of work put into wrapping all those prizes - made £320 for the Sheringham Life Boat Appeal, which has been supported by the Oddfellows in the East of England and East Midlands for many years.

A separate ‘100 Squares’ competition raised £100 for Stan’s appeal for the Arthur Rank Hospice Charity, who run the Alan Hudson Day Treatment Centre in Wisbech. They provide free care and ‘Hospice at Home’ services to adults in the Fens who live with life-limiting illnesses. The winning square was bought by a lady from the Heart of Norfolk district who left the concert £100 the richer!

Oddfellows Brass regularly tour the country from their training base in the little village of Markfield, Leicestershire. To find out more details of their performance schedule throughout the year, please visit:

https://www.oddfellows.co.uk/about/giving-back/oddfellows-brass/

Every time they perform, it's to support good causes embraced by local Oddfellows’ districts.

The Oddfellows East Anglian Group Conference
The Oddfellows
Oddfellows Brass Band

11/06/2026

The planned boat trip in Ely has been cancelled. Instead we have an exclusive guided tour of Oliver Cromwell’s House arranged followed by an optional meal at the Lamb Hotel. Would everyone who was booked for the boat trip please contact me as soon as possible to confirm whether you are attending the new event
Karen Merifield-Love 07734138384

31/05/2026

21/05/2026

Tickets for the Oddfellows Brass Band is selling quick! Please do let me know if you would like to attend tea and cake is included in the price of £15 per person.

This event is with 3 other Oddfellow branches Oddfellows King's Lynn Fenland Oddfellows Heart of Norfolk Oddfellows at Knights Hill in Kings Lynn 💙💛

A great afternoon to be had by all and catching up and making new friends too 😊

26/04/2026

The sound balance isn't perfect, and needs a bit of attention, but here's a new 20-minute film made by Simon Knott and Cameron Self about The Fens.

Called "A Fenland Journey", it contains glorious aerial shots and some gentle home truths about our neck of the woods, or what's left of them. The film was released only this weekend.

I hope you think it's time worth spent watching...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlRTWdpfRNk

Great Fen
Capital of the Fens Oddfellows

1 like. "A Fenland Journey with Simon Knott"

23/04/2026

To make it absolutely clear, this is the area covered by Fenland District Branch and where we are most active. Thanks to head office in Manchester for updating our page at the website this morning. Really appreciated!
The Oddfellows

18/04/2026

The Grand Master of the Order, John Mann from South London, was on our patch today - attending a lunch at Thorney Golf Club, near Peterborough.

He was there at the invitation of The Oddfellows East Anglian Group Conference who held their annual lunch to mark the end of their presidential year.

Bro John is pictured with, left to right, the following group conference officers who had served throughout the year - Sis Debbie Cunningham (immediate past president), president Sis Teresa Marrable and Sis Jacky Nunn (deputy president).

John was in fine form, but not platformed as the special guest speaker. That honour went to a non-executive director of the Order, Bro Meirion Edwards, who congratulated Teresa and secretary David Randall on steering the group conference through another successful year.

Attending the lunch on behalf of Fenland District Lodge were Sis Sandra Coxell and Bro Tony Britton who had the privilege of sitting at the Grand Master's table.

*******Who is John Mann? Find out in a compelling Q&A interview with the man himself, which is available to read here:
https://www.oddfellows.co.uk/news/welcoming-our-new-grand-master-for-2025-26/


The Oddfellows

07/03/2026

Oooer! Are we ready for this? | Cambs News | 7 March 2026:
https://www.cambsnews.co.uk/news/local-council/cambridgeshire-and-peterborough-combined-authority/cambridgeshire-and-peterborough-combined-authority-cambridgeshire-and-peterborough-combined-authority/bristow-new-fens-town-manea-growth-podcast/41741/
Just an idea, he says, from the Mayor of Greater Cambridgeshire.
CambsNews.co.uk
John Elworthy
Paul Bristow

In a candid interview on the Eastern Promise podcast, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Mayor Paul Bristow has revealed a personal ambition that could reshape the future of the Fens: transforming the village of Manea into the heart of a potential "new Fens town". Speaking to interviewer Mike Rigby