Granchester April 2013 by debi1977

VILLAGER The

Issue 2 - April 2013

and Town

Life

LOCAL NEWS • LOCAL PEOPLE • LOCAL SERVICES • LOCAL CHARITIES • LOCAL PRODUCTS

7,000 copies delivered to Bourn, Comberton, Granchester, Trumpington, Toft, Hardwick and surrounding villages

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VILLAGER

In this Issue

The

and Town

Issue 2 - April 2013

Life

LOCAL NEWS • LOCAL PEOPLE • LOCAL SERVICES • LOCAL CHARITIES • LOCAL PRODUCTS

Bourn Windmill Here to Listen... 7,000 copies delivered to Bourn, Comberton, Granchester, Trumpington, Toft, Hardwick and surrounding villages

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Advertising Sales Christa Hallam - Tel: 07868 369257 Christa@villagermag.com

Hi-Fi Lounge Here to Listen...

Wildlife Wanderings

Additional Editorial Dean Dunham, Fiona McLeman Bruce Edwards, Christine Donnelly

Wildlife Travel

and Debbie Singh-Bhatti

Front Cover Photo:

£25 could be yours!

Cambridge Past, Present & Future Design and Artwork Design 9 - Tel 07762 969460 Publishers Villager Publications Ltd 24 Market Square Potton, Beds SG19 2NP Tel: 01767 261122

Prize Crossword Town Planning and the Price of Parking...........................6 Reduce you Electricity Bills....................................................9 St. George’s Day...................................................................... 13 Common Law What?............................................................. 14 Get Composting..................................................................... 18 Children’s Page........................................................................ 20 Seasonal Delights................................................................... 22 Puzzle Page............................................................................... 24 What’s On.................................................................................. 27 Book Review............................................................................. 30

Email: nigel@villagermag.com

VILLAGER The

and Town Life

Disclaimer

All adverts and editorial are printed in good faith, however, Villager Publications Ltd can not take any responsibility for the content of the adverts, the services provided by the advertisers or any statements given in the editorial. No part of this publication may be reproduced or stored without the express permission of the publisher.

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BOURN WINDMILL

CAMBRIDGE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE

Bourn windmill in documents of old is noted to be “closer to the parish of Caxton than Bourn” and it remains a fantastic reminder of the rich heritage of these two charming Cambridgeshire villages. The earliest record of the mill is from 1636, but it may predate this as this type of windmill has hardly changed since the 13th Century. This remarkable building, one of the oldest surviving mills in the country, was given to the local charity Cambridge Past Present & Future in 1932. It is a ‘Scheduled Ancient Monument’ and has undergone many repairs and rebuilds during its working life, and thanks to funding from various grants is in good order today. Inside the mill much of the historic fabric is there for us to see today. Bourn Mill is said to have inspired the work of one of our most eminent contemporary architects, Lord Foster, OM. The mill is noted in an old Deed of Sale as being “situated upon a piece of ground abutting upon ye Mear Way which lies betwixt ye fields of Bourn and Caxton.” This is an ancient track that runs along the village parish boundaries, which Cambourne residents can now enjoy thanks to the new linked footpath through the countryside. The exterior of this wonderful historic building can be enjoyed all year round. Bourn Mill is an ‘open trestle post mill’ i.e. the weight of the mill body is supported on a central post, which in turn is supported by a trestle. The whole body of the mill can be rotated around the central post using the tailpole. It has two floors, which contain the grinding stones. The upper stone is turned by energy provided by the huge

sails, when they are faced squarely into the wind. Why not come to one of our Summer Open Days and join a tour between 2 and 4pm? Visitors can try their hand at turning the mill on its post and our knowledgeable team of local volunteer guides will tell you more about the mill’s history and operation. If wind conditions are right, you may also see the sails clothed and turning. This year’s Open Days are: 12 May and 30 June, 28 July; 25 August and 29 September. Home made teas will be served on the first two open days. Entrance Fees: Adults £3, Children £1. The windmill will also open on The East Anglian Mill Society’s Open Day on 8th September from 2-5 p.m. with some additional children’s games and home made teas. www.millsofeastanglia. org.uk The mill is managed by local volunteers of Cambridge Past Present and Future - the local charity working to keep Cambridge special. Please join us – see our notice boards and the website for more information about the mill. www.cambridgeppf.org. Bourn Post Mill is located off Caxton Road, Bourn CB23 2SU

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3 for 2 on selected blinds Offer ends 30th April QUOTE CLM13 Call today to arrange your free home visit on 01223 460192 or 01954 211037

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Town Planning

and the price of parking Come April, the start of the new financial year, and everything goes up. Including, in many towns across the country, the price of parking. Well, you may say, these are hard times and local councils have to fund their activities somehow. But the cost of town-centre parking is more than just a nuisance: it’s slow poison for high street retailers whether they’re independent or branches of national chains. Town-centre planning is an incredibly abstruse art with an infinite number of variables and nobody, not even the professionals, really knows what works and what doesn’t. A new supermarket in a Hampshire high street – was it responsible for killing off the independent traders, or did it increase footfall and keep them on life-support, allowing them to absorb high rents for a few years longer? A new Waitrose in a Cambridgeshire town centre: yes, the butcher and the greengrocer couldn’t compete, but on the other hand an independent wine merchant set up shop directly opposite because Waitrose people are his people too, and as a specialist he feels he can do the job better. These two examples give just a hint of the complexities involved. But there’s one constant

that separates all high street retailers whether chain or independent from all out-of-town retailers: free parking. And it’s not just Tesco and B&Q that have moved out of town centres and settled in car parks the size of small farms: why are franchises like Fired Earth and Cotton Traders generally sited in garden centres and farmyard malls? Plenty of free parking! A case in point: Beers of Europe is located in an old grainstore down a track outside King’s Lynn. It has unlimited parking. Shoppers can, and do, fill the boots of their cars with beer, and Beers of Europe is thriving. But town-centre beer shops in Bury St Edmunds and Lincoln went under because the most a customer could physically carry away was five or six bottles. And it’s worth remarking that nearly all of the spectacular retail collapses of recent years – Woolworth’s, HMV, Clinton Cards – were primarily high street operators. Campaigns to ‘shop local’ are commonplace, but convenience is the order of the day. If intown parking has limited availability and means shoppers must carry loose change, but have to cut their shopping trip short for fear of a hefty fine, they will vote with their tyres and head straight to the big free car parks. Persuading local councillors who need income that providing plentiful free parking is in their interest is a very hard sell. But a high street populated with charity shops isn’t good for the council either. Charity shops don’t pay business rates and they rely on volunteers: they don’t hire unemployed people whose housing benefit is funded by the council. Surely carting all the unpopular and inconvenient pay-and-display meters off to the scrapyard is a measure that would encourage local shopping. The trouble is that so many town-centre independents have already gone to the wall that their political voice is very feeble. Many towns no longer even have a chamber of trade. One answer to that would be to persuade the high street chains – Iceland, Boots, M&S Food, Costa etc – to permit and indeed encourage their store managers to get involved. A chamber of trade that represented more than just the last independent optician and the last independent jeweller would be an energetic and influential lobby group that local councils would have to listen to.

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Reduce your Electricity Bills

Are you paying too much? Are you paying too much for your electricity bill? Firstly: Compare, compare, compare. There is always a supplier that has a better pricing structure for your individual needs. The best and easiest way to compare all of the prices is to use a comparison website. However one important point to note: when you find what you consider is the best deal for you DON’T go direct to the supplier, but instead link through to the supplier via the comparison site. By doing this you will probably get a cash back deal and therefore earn some money! If the comparison site that you use does not have this offer, look at another one. Key comparison sites • Energyhelpline.com • Simplyswitch.co.uk • Moneysupermarket.com • Uswitch.com Secondly: once you have grabbed yourself the best bargain on the market so far as the prices that you will pay for your electricity, you need

to consider what you can do to keep your bills down. Keeping your Electricty Bills down • Make sure that your home is properly insulated – the better your insulation the more electricity you will save. There are various government grants available to help you with this. • Replace your light bulbs with energy saving bulbs and switch off lights and electricity when you do not need them and only turn the heating on when necessary. • Pay by monthly direct debit – many suppliers will give you a discount for paying like this • Take regular meter readings. If you don’t do this your supplier will estimate your usage until they next take a reading and this may cost you more. • Unplug your electrical appliances when not in use For more information visit consumer champion and legal expert Dean Dunham’s website www.youandyourrights.com

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Hifi Lounge

Here to listen…

Based near the village of Dunton, in the heart of rural Central Bedfordshire is an unparalleled Hifi business offering something very different from that of its competitors. Set in a beautiful converted granary building and with spectacular countryside views, Hifi lounge is certainly an eye opener. With ample parking and easy access from the A1, it is the nicest and most convenient way to shop for that extra special piece of audio equipment. The ethos behind Hifi Lounge is to only stock a reasonably small portfolio of brands, but brands that Husband and wife team Paul and Wendy

Clark are passionate about, thus creating a shared enthusiasm with their clients and a genuine passion about the brands they supply. Hifi Lounge has lovingly created a listening environment within their showroom, where they have emulated an atmosphere like you would have at home. Paul and Wendy never wanted to create a retail shop with just demo rooms. “We believe when demoing Hifi, you should have the opportunity to hear the equipment as close as you would at home. We understand that all rooms are different but hopefully we have fulfilled our original goal as best we can”. When purchasing something as important as quality hi-fi equipment, you need time, demonstrations and most importantly, a member of staff on hand when required to answer those all important questions about the latest goings on in the world of Hi-Fi. There are no pressured sales here, you can stay as long as you want, listen to whatever you like and never feel rushed. Hifi Lounge have never tried to portray a business that will stock every brand on the market to suit every budget and taste, on the contrary, but to

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specialise in a few key brands and offer a very friendly, personable service. They are almost trying to turn the clock back to a time when the customer always came first, to a time before retail parks and the internet. OK they can’t do anything about the dreaded MP3 but Hifi Lounge can guarantee that they will always return your call, answer your e-mails and will always be available to speak to you personally. Brands you can expect to see at Hifi lounge include PMC Speakers, Naim, Rega, Bryston, Spendor and JVC to name but a few. They are all products that Paul has been a long-time advocate of, especially PMC and Bryston which he first encountered when working for another Hi-Fi retailer. Commenting on the above Paul says “As a PMC and Bryston owner for the last few years it was an easy decision to offer these amazing brands to our customers, to be honest if it wasn’t for my love of both PMC and Bryston I don’t think there would be a Hifi lounge as together they re-ignited my passion for hifi and music in general and that inspired both my wife and I to start our own hifi Shop. Having Naim on board was the icing on the cake though as Naim make fantastic equipment that just sounds so musical and involving, they offer a range that covers all bases and budgets that will appeal to most music lovers, whether that be an all in one unit, a streamer, a CD player or a big separates system, and better still, Naim sounds just beautiful with PMC speakers. But at HiFi Lounge our real love is Vinyl, you can’t beat the convenience of streaming music but for really sitting down and enjoying your music we still feel that vinyl offers the most realistic and natural sound around and that is where Rega come in, offering a great range of turntables as well as speakers, amps, CD players etc., Rega always offer fantastic value for money as well as extremely musical equipment”. Hifi Lounge will be running music evenings and events so visit the website regularly to see what they are planning next. Should you be interested in streaming, vinyl, headphones or even the occasional movie, there will be something for everyone to enjoy.

For more information or to experience what Hifi Lounge has to offer, please feel free to call us on 01767 448 121 or even better, come in and say hello. Don’t forget to check our website regularly on www.hifilounge.co.uk.

HiFi Lounge, 4 The Granary Buildings, Millow Hall Farm, Millow, Dunton, Bedfordshire, SG18 8RH Tel: 01767 448 121 Website: www.hifilounge.co.uk To advertise in The Villager and Townlife please call 01767 261 122

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St George’s Day

by DEBBIE SINGH-BHATTI He’s most famous for slaying a dragon, but how much do we know about St George, the patron saint of England? Born in Eastern Turkey in AD 270 to Christian parents, George later moved to Palestine where he became a soldier in the Roman army. He subsequently rebelled against the Roman Emperor for his persecution of Christians. Imprisonment and torture followed, but George refused to denounce his Christian faith. Enraged at this, the Emperor had George dragged through the streets, and beheaded him on 23rd April AD 303. George’s alleged encounter with the dragon occurred in Libya. The dragon is said to have built its nest by a fresh water spring and was offered sheep by townsfolk to distract him whilst collecting water. With all the sheep gone, they decided to offer a maiden instead. The lot fell on the poor crown princess, but at the moment of offering, George supposedly came by on his white

stallion, dismounted and slew the beast with his sword. George is identified with English ideals of charity, chivalry and courage, and thus symbolises the very essence of ‘Englishness’. Campaigners are currently working to get St George’s Day recognised as a national holiday, but for now, it is traditionally celebrated by flying the English flag, wearing a red rose and singing ‘Jerusalem’ on the Sunday nearest the 23rd April!

£20 Cut and Finish (normally from £34)

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Common law what?

FIONA MCLEMAN FAMILY LAW Filling out a motor insurance proposal form, I noted that one of the options as to ‘status’ after the usual “single”, “married” “divorced” and “widowed” read “common law”. It’s alarming that many unmarried couples who live together under the same roof are under the mistaken assumption that they have rights if they separate. In short, there is no such thing as the common law husband or wife. An unmarried couple who live together do not have the same rights if the relationship ends as they might do if they were married and got divorced. An unmarried couple have no rights to ask for a share of pension assets. Married couples have the right to ask for pension sharing orders as well as other arrangements with pensions. Unmarried couples have no right to ask to be financially maintained. Married couples have the right to ask for spousal maintenance. Unmarried couples have no rights to ask for a financial settlement on separation. Married couples have such rights, which can also include an arrangement for a sum of money to be paid on divorce. If an unmarried couple own property together, they will each have rights in respect of that property. There may be an argument as to whether the equity should be divided equally or in other shares. If the property is in one of the couple’s sole name, the other party may have no rights at all even if they have been paying towards the household expenses. It gets more complicated if the couple have children. It is

possible to bring a financial claim against the other party on behalf of the children. The claim might be for child maintenance, either through the Child Support Agency and possibly the Court. It is also possible to apply to the Court for money to help meet children’s costs, such as school fees or child care expenses. At worse, the court could order that a property is provided to the parent with care of the children, which will probably be returned to the other parent when the children are grown up. If you are thinking of moving in with someone, why not take advice to find out what rights you do or don’t have and to see if it would be a good idea to draw up an agreement about who is going to pay for what and what will happen if the relationship ends. If you are already living with someone it’s not too late to find out where you stand and whether there are things you might want to do to protect your position. And if you are already separated, it may be a legal minefield but sensible legal advice can help you get out of the mess amicably with your ex-partner.

After 14

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ARCHITECTURAL DRAWINGS AND BUILDING DESIGN SERVICES

INDOOR CAR BOOT SALE WILL BE HELD IN PAPWORTH VILLAGE HALL ON SUNDAY 12th MAY 2013

All proceeds to MAGPAS the emergency medical charity and Papworth Hospital Charity

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WILDLIFE WANDERINGS

Christine Donnelly - Wildlife Travel

Fieldfare, one of our ‘winter’ thrushes

Oxslip at Hardwick Wood

At any time of year, there is always plenty of wildlife to be seen in our local area. The woods, fields, river valleys, and even the towns, are home to many different types of animals and plants. Towards the end of winter it is still possible to see some of the birds that visit the UK in the colder months. This winter you may have seen flocks of redwings and fieldfares (both related to ‘our’ song thrush that lives here all year) and also of the exotic looking Bohemian waxwings which have a distinctive crest and eye-catching colours. In the snowy weather many birds normally seen out on the Washes and in other more remote areas took shelter in some of the local grassy areas. Did you see the lovely group of snipe on a green patch not far from Morrisons at Cambourne whilst doing your weekly shop in January? March sees the start of the main flowering

time for several beautiful woodland flowers including wood anemones, primroses and violets. You can also see oxlips, relatives of primroses that are found in a few woods on the ‘western plateau’ of Cambridgeshire, an area of higher land formed by clayey deposits from the ice ages. Before the leaves appear is a good time to look for woodpeckers on the trunks and thicker branches of trees. The great spotted woodpecker is a black and white bird with a flash of red on the head. It is usually just seen in woods or nearby gardens and its display is a distinctive hammering, whereas the green woodpecker can often be seen on grassy ground looking for ants. Listen out for its laughing call. Further afield, March and April are the best months for seeing orchids and many other spring flowers in the Mediterranean area of Europe. If you take an early holiday to any of the islands, look out for the wild daffodils, gladioli, grape hyacinths, anemones and irises that can often be seen growing in fields or at the sides of paths. Gardeners will recognise many of them although different areas often have their own local species. You may be surprised that there are hundreds of species of wild orchid that grow in Europe, in places as diverse as the cold expanses of the north to the beaches of the Mediterranean. Good islands for early orchids include Cyprus, Crete, Lesvos, Rhodes and Sardinia.

Green Woodpecker at Cambourne 16

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One of the signs that summer is approaching in many areas of Europe, although sadly no longer in England, is the arrival of white storks, which often nest on chimneys, roofs and even telegraph poles. You may see them early in the spring feeding up in wetlands along the coasts after their flight north from Africa. Amongst other wildlife you may see, there are many different lizards that live on walls and rocks and, if you are lucky, you may even see a wild tortoise in the sand dunes at the back of the beach or crawling through the drier, shrubby areas. For the more adventurous, our late winter is a good time to take a trip to see wildlife in the tropics, although some areas are better than others depending on when they have their wet or dry season and the type of wildlife you want to see. A tour around Costa Rica is an ideal introduction to the wildlife of rain forests, cloud forests and dry tropical forests. Macaws, toucans, hummingbirds, monkeys, crocodiles, anteaters and amazing butterflies live in the many nature reserves that protect much of the land in this small county in Central America.

Butterfly in Costa Rica

A ‘butterfly’ orchid, Sardinia If you would like to see more local wildlife, join one of the local events run by The Wildlife Trust. Our local Trust covers the counties of Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire and has its main office at The Manor House in Cambourne. It has several local nature reserves, nearly all accessible to the public and with free entry, where you can take a casual walk anytime or join one of the guided visits. The Wildlife Trust also has local groups in Huntingdon, Cambridge and Cambourne who organise monthly talks or walks which anyone can attend. Membership of the Wildlife Trust enables you to support conservation and provides you with newsletters, magazines and information on local wildlife and events for all the family including children’s WATCH groups. Details can be found at www.wildlifebcn.org or on 01954 713500. If you would like to join a guided trip to enjoy wildlife, look at those offered by Wildlife Travel, which was set up by The Wildlife Trusts 25 years ago to support conservation by organising wildlife watching holidays in the UK and worldwide. They are based at the Trust’s offices in Cambourne. Details of holidays are on www.wildlifebcn.org/wildlife-travel or on 01954 713575.

Wildlife Travel Tel: 01954 713575 Website: www.wildlifebcn.org/wildlife-travel To advertise in The Villager and Townlife please call 01767 261 122

Get composting this spring

and save a little more As spring approaches and our thoughts turn to our gardens, make sure you take advantage of a limited offer to get a discounted compost bin. Central Bedfordshire Council has teamed up with www.getcomposting.com to help you beat the price increase at the start of April. Composting is a great way to help our gardens bloom and more than a third of household waste is made up of organic material which can be composted at home. Grass cuttings, hedge trimmings, unwanted plants, fruit and vegetable peelings, tea bags and even the contents of the vacuum bag are all ideal for composting. Cllr Brian Spurr, Executive Member for Sustainable Communities Services at the council said, “We want to encourage you to reduce the amount of waste that is sent to landfill. Composting selected kitchen and garden waste is an easy and effective way of recycling some of the waste we produce every day, while putting nutrients back into our gardens and the wider environment. It is simple

to get started and you may be surprised at how empty your black bin is when you compost at home and use all the recycling services. “While the new deal will still offer superb value, I’d encourage anyone thinking of getting into composting to buy a bin before the end of March to save that little bit extra!” Prices for compost bins start at only £9 with a £5 delivery charge and a range of accessories to choose from. There is also a ‘Buy one get one half price’ offer for residents with larger gardens. For further information about these products, call 0844 571 444 and quote reference CBC01L. Alternatively, you can order your home compost bin and composting accessories online: www.cbc. getcomposting.com

J.R. Bibby Turf Supplies Quality Turf with a Quality Service

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Saturday 20th April 2.00 pm WALK FOR RIDING FOR DISABLED CHARITY Barrington Village Hall Car Park (Dogs on Leads Welcome) £5 to include tea and cakes Children Half Price, Under 5’s Free Competitions, Prizes, Raffles

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Specialists in Childcare Solutions At AJJ Recruitment we specialise in offering the very best tailor-made, flexible, childcare solutions with qualified, experienced, caring staff. If you need a nanny or maternity nanny, please call or email us to discuss your childcare needs. We also provide emergency and event childcare.

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SEASONAL DELIGHTS

SPICED RACK OF LAMB WITH FRAGRANT RICE

Perfect for a spring Sunday lunch or stylish supper this quick and easy lamb dish is full of flavor. Choose a couple of meaty racks of lamb from a good butcher and score the layers of fat before spreading with the harissa paste. Serve with a cooling garlic and mint yoghurt sauce. INGREDIENTS 1 tbsp harissa paste (see Tip) 2 trimmed racks of lamb, each with 6 bones 2 red onions, peeled and cut into slim wedges 50g butter 225g basmati rice, rinsed and drained 1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed 750ml vegetable stock Generous pinch saffron strands 50g sultanas 40g flaked almonds, lightly toasted 2 tbsp pomegranate seeds Tip Harissa paste is a fiery hot North African blend of red chilli peppers and spices – just a little goes a long way so use sparingly. You’ll find it in small jars near the dried herb and spice sections in most large supermarkets.

Serves 4 Ready in 1 hour 1 Preheat the oven to 200C, 400F, Gas 6. Spread the harissa paste over the lamb racks. Place the racks in an oiled roasting tin and add the onion wedges. 2 Roast in the preheated oven for 25-35 minutes depending on how pink you like your lamb. Remove from the oven. Cover with foil and leave to rest for 10 minutes – the lamb will be juicier and easier to carve. 3 Meanwhile, heat the butter in a heavy-based pan until melted and foaming. Add the rice and garlic. Fry gently for 1-2 minutes, stirring until the rice is translucent. Pour in the stock. Add the saffron and bring to the boil, stirring. 4 Cover the pan with a tight fitting lid. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting and cook for 15-20 minutes without removing the lid until the rice is tender and all the liquid is absorbed. Remove from the heat. Fork through to separate the grains. Add the sultanas, flaked almonds and pomegranate seeds. 5 Carve the lamb racks into individual cutlets and serve immediately with the fragrant rice and roast onion wedges.

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Market Square Potton 01767 260221 www.coachhousepotton.co.uk To advertise in The Villager and Townlife please call 01767 261 122

CODEWORD

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9 X 9 PUZZLE

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ROOFING & SCAFFOLDING LTD 01223 207586 Fax: 01223 750203

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Established 1985

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what’S ON?

IN APRIL

8 April The Wonderful World of Galaxies by Elias Brinks 7.30-9.30pm Visitors Centre, Paxton Pits Nature Reserve, Little Paxton St Neots Astronomy Association. A fun and informative talk about Galaxies and how there formed. We are a small, friendly club - always looking for new members. Contact a Committee member for more information: David Roberts 01480 212960 david@snaa.co.uk Nick Maudlin 01767 315678 nick@snaa.co.uk Web: www.snaa.co.uk 10 Apr Wildlife Wander Join us for a relaxed stroll to enjoy and learn more about the wildlife of Fen Drayton Lakes. With spring on its way, in March, we’ll look out for great crested grebes performing their dancing courtship rituals, early butterflies and maybe a toad or two on the move. April promises a rich variety of bird song, wildflowers and butterflies. Our paths may be muddy so wellies or waterproof boots are recommended. Please observe any flood warnings or signs. Walk from 10.15 am until 1 pm. Adults £4, children £2 (RSPB members half-price). No need to book but check by phone or website in case of cancellation due to local flooding. For directions see our website. www.rspb.org.uk/fendraytonlakes. Contact telephone number: 01954 233260. RSPB Fen Drayton Lakes nature reserve Cambridgeshire 10 April ‘Springtime Serenade’ Flower Demonstration Doors open 1pm, starts 2pm Kimbolton Castle Tickets £12.50 including light refreshments Kimbolton Flower Club presents Michael Bowyer, MBE, international demonstrator presenting a ‘’Springtime Serenade’’. Tel: Mo Brown 01480 860202 for information 13 Apr Bumps in the night 8.15-9.45pm. Adults £4, children £2 (RSPB members half-price). Paths may be muddy so wear suitable boots or wellies please. RSPB Fen Drayton Lakes nature reserve Cambridgeshire What goes bump in the night on a nature reserve? Venture out to hunt for bats, owls and other creatures of the shadows with us - a last half-term adventure! If it’s clear we’ll turn our eyes to the skies for some stargazing too before bringing you down to Earth with hot chocolate and marshmallows. Recommended for ages 7+. Booking essential. Call: 01954 233260.

19th April Music in Quiet Places - 7.30pm, in Bourn Church, with the Sirocco Saxophone Quartet (www.siroccosax.co.uk). Music includes Dvorak, Piazzolla, Romanian dances, Swedish folk songs and original works for saxophone. For more information please go to www. cambridgesummermusic.com. Tickets can be booked online through the above link or by phone from the ADC Theatre Box Office on 01223 300085. Cam Sight Rural Support Group - Haslingfield Cambridgeshire Celebrates Age - South Cambridgeshire Haslingfield Methodist Church, High Street, Haslingfield, CB23 1JW Ongoing regular activity. First week of the month. On Tuesday. 14:00-16:00. People from neighbouring villages are most welcome http:// www.cambscelebratesage.org.uk/index.html 28 April The Beautiful Bluebells of Brampton Wood 7.30pm Brampton Wood Suggested donation Adults £2, Children free The Huntingdonshire Local Group of the Wildlife Trust invite you to enjoy this ancient woodland, which lies on our doorstep. George Cottam, warden of Brampton Wood, will lead the walk with local botanist, Lynne Farrell. Please meet at Brampton Wood Car Park, Grafham Road, Brampton at 10.30 am, GR TL 184698. Park in the Trust car park. Web: www.wildlifetrusthuntsareagroup.org.uk Tel: Phil 01487 822835 29 April-3 May Aviation and Railway Art of Keith Hill 10.30am-3.30pm daily Coffee House, The Racehourse Inn, Catworth Keith’s work is internationally known with his work in many military establishments worldwide including The Pentagon. In 2002 he was commissioned by the Daily Mail to produce a painting of a ‘Spitfire’ in order to raise money for the Battle of Britain Memorial on the Thames Embankment. All 2000 copies of the Limited Edition print sold out within twenty hours raising thousands of pounds for the memorial. Web: www. keithhillstudios.com or www.theracehorsecatworth.com

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Ty Interiors Prize Crossword 1st Prize £25 Name:

Sponsored by Ty Interiors, The Olde Watermill Shopping Village, Faldo Road, Barton Le Clay, MK45 4RF

Complete the crossword, fill in your details below, cut out this section and send to the address below before 19th April 2013. Prize Crossword, Villager Publications Ltd 24 Market Square, Potton, Beds SG19 2NP Tel:

Address:

Please enter me into the prize draw to be drawn at end of 3 months for £1000 off a fully fitted kitchen. T&C’s apply. (Please tick) Last Month’s Crossword Winners. Congratulations to: 1st prize - Mrs Edwards from Bedford and 2nd prize - Claire Curzen from Langford For last month’s solution please visit www.villagermag.com Across 1 Jewels (4) 3 Allowed in (8) 9 Worried (7) 10 Annoy (5) 11 Fading away (12) 13 Deny (6) 15 Interfere (6) 17 Directions (12) 20 Ships load (5) 21 Vital part of healthy diet (7) 22 Enjoyed (8) 23 Repair (4) Down 1 Protecting (8) 2 Blends (5) 4 Dismiss (6) 5 Crossroad (12) 6 Taught (7) 7 Deceased (4) 8 Contests (12) 12 Flavoured (8) 14 Army rank (7) 16 Flexible (6) 18 Overweight (5) 19 Mark left by wound (4)

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Rural Flying Corps at Bourn Airﬁeld Cambridgeshire CB23 2TQ Trial Lesson Gift Vouchers available

Tel: 01954 719602 email: rfcbourn@btconnect.com / web: www.rfcbourn.ﬂyer.co.uk

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BOOK Review

by Bruce Edwards The Gilded Fan Christina Courtenay Published by Choc Lit Ltd in paperback at £7.99 It takes a goodly amount of courage to spin a romantic fantasy with historic settings as diverse as the characters, but Christina Courtenay is not one to shirk her responsibilities at the challenge. Midori, an intelligent young girl, half Japanese, half English, has to leave her birth country in the 1600’s to avoid the routinely applied death meted out to anyone of an ‘impure’ race. The understandably reluctant Captain of the ship on which she chooses to escape to England battles with his conscience, his duties and his inclinations to become the likable male protagonist (of course!) and the story then takes on the irritating (for some) ‘push-pull’ romance with an ultimately predictable ending. There’s a horrible lecher amongst the crew to deal with during the voyage and his punishment is not for the squeamish though our girl takes it in her stride, grateful for the unbiased support of another veteran crew member who serves her well in later months. Ultimately taking the English Civil War as backdrop, our feisty and rather too militarily efficient girl’s conversion to Puritanism and with the odd skirmish or two skilfully included for good measure, the tale has an enjoyable golden thread clearly discernable amongst some intriguingly random distractions. Full of detail, an admirable mixed collection of personae and an obvious though understandable aim, this, the latest from a Romantic Novelist Association vice-chairman could well appeal to many.

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