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The Voices team wanted to hear from a young family
about what it's like both to bring up children and grow up in Watton
and Wayland.
A lot of people who live in the area will already
know the Burchams because they own the balloon shop in the High
Street.
The Burchams are mum Vikki, dad Peter, Steph, 12,
Josh, 10, Jordan, 6 (who lives with his mother), and Harley and
Chelsea, who are both three. But it doesn't end there.
If you visit the Burcham's house, you'll also meet
Hooch the dog, Fluff the cat and her three kittens, Spike the guinea
pig, three chinchillas and Arthur the hamster!
Vikki and Peter were both born in Norwich, but
have lived most of their lives in Watton. They met while Peter was
working on a pig farm in Necton and Vikki was a personal assistant
at Swaffham Motor Company.
Peter came to buy a car and went away with a job.
He said "They told me that if I could get this car running I could
have a job, and I did."
Vikki and Peter married in January 2000. A grant
from the Princes Trust enabled them to open their first shop, selling
stationery and computer accessories, at the top of the High Street
in February 2002.
But sales were slow, due in part they believe,
to being at 'the wrong end of town'. One
part of the business, however, was thriving. Vikki
had started selling balloons and party accessories from the back
of the shop. When they closed down, she continued to sell them from
home.
Over the next few months, she and Peter decided
to make a go of the party business and three months ago they opened
Balloon Heaven, at the other end of the High Street, opposite the
Christian Community Centre.
Vikki said: "It's going really well. Our only problem
is that we can't get enough of the stuff people ask for."
Steph, Josh and Harley all go to school in Watton.
Chelsea is still too little, but she'll join her brother at the
infant school in September.
On the issue of living in the town, Peter said:
"Watton's all right, but it needs something to liven it up."
Vikki said: "It's OK, but there's not much for
the kids to do."
Bookmark this page now to hear regular updates
of life in Watton with Burchams as they create their Voices audio
diaries between now and the end of July.
To hear the diaries, click on the links above under
watch/listen.
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