A Norfolk delicatessen has sparked a village row after frequent helicopter landings brought wealthy customers to its door. Locals in Thornham claim the aircraft disturb the peace, blowing leaves and debris onto their gardens and forcing them to shield food from the rotor wash. The deli’s director, Janie Thompson, insists the complaints are blown out of proportion and that helicopters are legally allowed to land on the private field behind her shop.
On 11 October, seven helicopters landed in the field for brunch, with Ms Thompson posting a video on Facebook captioned: “Just your average deli breakfast…with a casual helicopter flyby.” The post featured Black Sabbath’s Paranoid playing over footage of the aircraft, drawing comparisons to a war zone from some residents. Others joked online about the situation, including one comment: “Get to da choppa. We’re out of focaccia!”
Parish councillor Andrew Jamieson confirmed complaints about noise, low flights over homes and a children’s play area, and safety concerns with unsupervised landings. “We agreed we should liaise with the landowner to review numbers and ensure safety assessments are in place,” he said. Ms Thompson, however, defended the practice, stating: “Surely there’s a lot more going on in Thornham than complaining about this. They need to get a life.”
One diner, who spoke to Metro, described how two helicopters landed close to their table, forcing them to cover their food and leave early. Another former customer criticised the owner’s “entitled and arrogant response” and said it put them off returning. But a regular said the helicopter visits were “exciting” and that they had not experienced any disruption.
Ms Thompson said she loved her local community and that the row had been “taken out of proportion”. She added: “Helicopters are allowed to land. It’s not a regular occurrence, and the field is private so no one should be on it when aircraft are landing.” The deli continues to welcome customers regardless of how they arrive, with a recent Facebook post stating: “TD welcomes ALL customers, whatever their mode of transport.”
