Grantchester march 14

VILLAGER The

and Town

Issue 13 - March 2014

Life

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

Inside this issue

Mothers Day

Make your Mothers Day

A Touch

of the Orient

Win £25

in our Prize Crossword

Bringing Local Business to Local People

Bourn, Comberton, Grantchester, Trumpington, Toft, Hardwick and all surrounding villages every month

ur Yo EE y FRcop

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Contents

VILLAGER The

and Town

Issue 13 - March 2014

Life

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

Inside this issue

Mothers Day

Make your Mothers Day

A Touch

of the Orient

Win £25

in our Prize Crossword

Bringing Local Business to Local People

Bourn, Comberton, Grantchester, Trumpington, Toft, Hardwick and all surrounding villages every month

r

u E Ey FRcop

Yo

Take Care of Your Best Friend..................................22 Puzzle Page............................................................24 What’s On...............................................................26 Villager Prize Crossword.........................................28 The Game of Golf....................................................30

Take care of your Best Friend

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Mallard Enters Service with LNER - March 1938.......4

The Game of Golf

Make Your Mother’s Day...........................................6

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Fire Safety Tips.........................................................9 Cambridgeshire Natural Burials..............................13 To Prenup or Not to Prenup....................................14 A Touch of the Orient..............................................18 Take Your Tablets!...................................................21 7,000 copies delivered free of charge in the following areas: Barrington, Barton, Bourn, Caldecote, Caxton, Comberton, Grantchester, Hardwick, Harston, Haslingfield, Papworth and Toft (We also have over 100 distribution points, including pubs, garages, most shops, post offices and Bar Hill Tesco)

Editorial - Ted Bruning , Alex Albrighton, Louise Addison, Fiona McLeman, Pippa Greenwood, Sarah Davey, Susan Brookes-Morris and Adrienne Engleman Advertising Sales - Justine Miller- 07905 063211 justine@villagermag.com Photography - Simon Howden Design and Artwork - Design 9 Tel 07762 969460 Publishers

Villager Publications Ltd 24 Market Square, Potton, Bedfordshire SG19 2NP Tel: 01767 261122 nigel@villagermag.com www.villagermag.com 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.

History

March 3rd 1938 Mallard enters service with LNER

To many people, the story of the 1930s is dominated by images of The Road to Wigan Pier, the Jarrow Crusade, closed factories, crumbling back-to-backs, hungry children and the means test. But while all that is undeniably and horribly true, to most Britons life didn’t feel like that at the time.

Britain in 1938 was the richest and technologically the most sophisticated country on earth, and by a long chalk at that. It had the world’s first national grid. It had the world’s first TV station. It teemed with brand-new factories turning out aeroplanes, cars, buses, tractors, lorries, radios, washing machines and vacuum cleaners surrounded by brand-new suburbs of convenient modern housing where well-dressed, well-fed families gathered round the wireless in a comforting fug of dad’s pipesmoke.

That was the South. In the North there were still mills, mines, steelworks, and shipyards but wages were low, unemployment was high, much of the housing was shocking, and the infant mortality rate was a national embarrassment.

In Jarrow, where the shipyard had closed in 1933, unemployment stood at 73% by late 1935.

To the southern technocrats the north must have seemed a frightening morass of decay, desperation, and red politics: even though the Jarrow hunger marchers of October 1936 wouldn’t let communists join them, Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin still refused to meet their leaders and the handing in of their petition to Parliament earned a single line in Hansard.

It was into this context that Mallard – the most advanced of the LNER’s new fleet of 35 A4 locos – bravely puffed in its bright blue livery on March 3rd 1938. Exactly four months later it clambered up a slight incline near Grantham, cresting the rise at 75mph, and accelerated down the long, gentle slope of Stoke Bank, reaching 125.88mph 9½ miles later, when it had to decelerate for Essendine junction. It had comfortably beaten the 114mph set the previous year by its closest British rival – LMS’s Coronation – but it had also trumped the 124.5mph achieved by the German 05 002 in 1936.

Beating the LMS was probably more important than beating the Germans to the Mallard’s designer, Sir Nigel Gresley. But the reporting of

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Mallard at the National Railway Museum, copyright Adrian Jones. the Mallard’s feat had a strongly nationalistic and patriotic tone because everybody knew that war was coming, and Britain’s technical and material superiority over Germany was the main element in the Government’s strategy. No bloody battle of attrition in the mud this time: the world’s most powerful navy would strangle Germany’s trade while the RAF’s strategic bombers would destroy its industry. Mallard’s speed record emphasised sensationally that Britain was better than Germany at everything – even trains – and would win.

It was also important that Mallard was built in Doncaster and was a product of the northern heavy industry that so many had written off. When Mallard entered service Jarrow already had a new ship-breaking yard and engineering works; shortly it was to have a steelworks as well. Mallard was a powerful and dramatic symbol that heavy industry had regained its rightful place, that North and South were one again, and that we would face the foe together.

Mallard was retired in 1963 and restored in the 1980s. Its resting place is the National Railway Museum in York. If you’re making the pilgrimage to see the world’s fastest-ever steam engine, remember – you’re looking at a whole lot more than just a train.

By Ted Bruning

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Time of Year

Make your Mother’s day

By Alex Albrighton

From the day you have a baby or adopt a child, your life changes forever. People tell you this when you’re pregnant, but it’s only when it happens that you really understand what they mean. Suddenly there’s someone who depends on you entirely. Every decision you make from now on will be based on their needs or desires.

Being a mother can be the best of jobs and the worst of jobs. For every heart-warming moment of pride and loveliness, there’s a blazing row or slammed door (but hopefully with a hug and a sorry afterwards).

Mums have to take on every role in the family – carer, teacher, agony aunt, sergeant major, personal assistant, taxi driver… And it doesn’t stop when the children leave home. Now approaching 40, I still rely on my mum for advice, friendship, help with childcare, emergency loans and the occasional kick up the backside to get things done.

It’s only as you get older, especially if you have children of your own, that you realise how your

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parents felt as you grew up – why they made you do your homework, go to bed, stop fighting with your brother, eat properly, save money and above all, be careful!

Mother’s Day gives us the perfect opportunity to say thank you to our mums for everything they have done and still do for us.

The founder of Mother’s Day in the US, Anna Jarvis, eventually regretted campaigning to get the day recognised because it became so commercialised.

She hated the fact that people would buy a card with a printed message rather than writing a letter.

It’s lovely to buy or make a card and give flowers and chocolates. You can also do something special to show you care – maybe take on a job that she hates or treat her to a day of pampering.

But this year, why not go beyond the message in the card and write a few personal lines of your own to tell your mother how much you love her. Make sure she knows that she really is the best mum in the world (like mine).

Mother’s Day is celebrated all around the world, usually in March or in May. In the UK, it is a mixture of a Christian tradition, and the celebration of motherhood that began in the USA in the early 20th century. During the 16th century, people in service would return to their home or ‘mother’ church on the fourth Sunday in Lent – Mothering Sunday.

Mother’s Day as we know it became a regular event in the 1950s, largely thanks to businesses to exploit commercial Please mentionkeen The Villager and its Town Life when potential. responding to adverts

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This March, Dragonfly has the perfect Mothers day treat ready and waiting for you …and why not make it the perfect excuse to spend time together and treat yourself at the same time!

All you need to do is pick your perfect combination of treatments from the list below to really spoil your Mum (and yourself).

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Health & Safety

Fire Safety Tips

By Louise Addison

Be a careful cook - Nearly half of all home fires are cooking-related. Never leave cooking unattended and keep anything that can catch fire away from the stove-top.

Be space heater savvy - Space heaters can easily ignite nearby household items. Keep all space heaters at least three feet (1m) from curtains or furniture. Turn heaters off before leaving a room or going to sleep. Never leave pets or children unsupervised with a space heater; in addition to the risk of fire, heaters pose a danger of burns.

Check electrical cords - Faulty, cracked or deteriorating electrical cords can cause an electrical fire. Check all your electrical cords for fraying or other signs of wear, and replace or repair any damage. Don’t run extension cords across doorways or under carpeting, and don’t overload circuits. Plug only one high-wattage appliance into a socket at a time.

Go easy on the candles - Candlelight is romantic

and beautiful, but can be dangerous. Use sturdy candleholders which won’t topple.

Never place candles near anything flammable, like curtains, and never leave them unattended. Consider using battery-operated candles, like LED versions. They flicker and sometimes even smell like the real thing!

Test your smoke detectors - Test smoke detectors and check batteries at least twice a year, when the clocks go forward or backward is a good time.

Install an alarm inside every bedroom, outside each sleeping area, and on every floor in your house, including the basement if you have one.

60%

discount

on vertical blinds Offer ends 31st March QUOTE CTV14 Call today to arrange your free home visit on 01223 460192 or 01954 211037 For every blind, curtain and Roman fold sold in March we are donating £1 to Remember Ryan - Meningitis Research

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Local

CAMBRIDGESHIRE NATURAL BURIALS

Do You Know About Them?

Tracy O’Leary, Independent Green Funeral Director from Woodland Wishes explains more.

Apart from the ever increasing cost of funerals, have you ever considered a burial in a beautiful woodland setting - simple, natural and affordable?

In the UK there are now over 300 natural burial grounds. One of the three local grounds lies on the outskirts of Cambridge, a peaceful woodland and a serene final resting place. There are no neglected graves and no burden on family members charged with the responsibility of grave visiting and maintenance. Instead of headstones, wild flowers, meadows and trees mark the grave, providing a symbolic celebration of life. Few are aware of this or indeed of the concept of natural burials in the area.

I only made this discovery whilst promoting willow coffins for a local charity in Cambridge. Visiting natural burial grounds in England and listening to bereaved families who wanted something simple but special gave me a surprising insight into alternative funerals. The personalisation and simplicity of ‘greener’ funerals without all the fuss, environmental damage and expense of mainstream funerals often appeal to those that hear about it.

I’d like to raise awareness of alternatives to the traditional coffin; alternatives such as cardboard, woollen and willow coffins that are woven locally.

Families can get involved in weaving part of a coffin if they so wish here in Cambridge. A simple cardboard coffin can be personalised with drawings, adding photos and messages as well as decorating with favourite flowers from their own gardens. Things that can all help with the grieving process.

For those wanting something less formal than a traditional black hearse or pall bearers dressed in black, a more subtle and practical vehicle is available and guidance can be given to families wishing to carry a coffin themselves if they so wish.

Through helping families and individuals plan their farewell I now find myself being called a ‘green funeral arranger’ rather than a traditional funeral director and I am privileged for a family or an individual to let me be part of something so personal to them.

I am passionate about helping and giving as much or as little practical guidance and a totally personal service to get exactly what you want from a funeral and am happy to offer any advice and information on natural burials, home funerals and simple cremation services at any time.

Woodland Wishes is independent, honest and ethical, founded to carry out simple and meaningful funerals in tranquil landscapes using locally made ‘earth friendly’ coffins and is also a Natural Death Centre recommended Funeral Director and is part of the Association of Green Funeral Directors.

Tracy can be reached on: 01223 651653 www.woodlandwishes.co.uk tracy@woodlandwishes.co.uk

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Family Law

To Prenup or not to Prenup That’s the Question

In our last blog, we referred to Prenups. We thought we would pick up from there and look at what they are. A Prenup is a formal agreement entered into by a couple before a marriage or civil partnership setting out who owns what and how the couple envisage that the assets might be divided in the event of the relationship permanently breaking down.

Are they legal?

The short answer to this question is no. Prenups are not automatically legally binding in this country (unlike in other parts of the world such as Australia, Canada, Germany and France However, there have been court cases when prenups have been upheld by the courts. In a recent decision by the Supreme Court it ruled that as a general principle pre-nups in England and Wales could and should be upheld by the courts in England and Wales provided that: 1. It would not be unfair to do so. Each party’s needs must be provided for. This is especially the case for any children involved 2. Both parties had had legal advice on the pre-nuptial agreement prior to signing it which would usually include each party disclosing their financial means to ensure the agreement was being signed by everyone in full knowledge of the facts.

3. The agreement must be freely entered into by both parties well ahead of the wedding.

Do I need one?

Statistics tell us that 39% of people marrying will sadly end in divorce. Every case is different however. Yours may be a first marriage, you are young and you and

Fiona McLeman Tel: 07894 095775 www.fmfamilylaw.co.uk 14

your intended spouse have the same financial standing and envisage having a family. A prenup may not be for you. If you are a second time around spouse, perhaps in your later years, and you have some assets whereas your spouse may not, you may want (or need) to think about this.

I’m already married! Is there anything I can do?

Yes there is. You can enter into a post-nuptial agreement. These work in exactly the same way as Prenups but are entered into after the marriage rather than before.

Isn’t a Prenup terribly unromantic?

Life is full of many unromantic, but sensible, things such as life assurance, car insurance etc.

The best start is to discuss with your future spouse how you will organize your finances together and discuss your views on issues that may crop up during married life. We think a Prenup is similar to holiday insurance. Everyone hopes they will have a wonderful, trouble-free holiday, but taking out travel insurance to assist in the event of illness or theft is sensible. It’s the same for a Prenup – it helps you and your spouse determine for yourselves what could happen in the event that the marriage sadly breaks down. That’s got to be better than having lawyers or the court work it out for you at a time when it’s probably the last thing you would want to do.

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www.yourfootclinic.co.uk Also Bedfordshire Foot Clinic Tel: 01767 681 704

Dedicated support for clients in relationship breakdown:

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Burwash Manor is a group of converted farm build and a day spa, plus a tea-room with both indoor s Situated on a working organic farm, complete with Burwash Manor provides fantastic variety and a fr With plenty of free parking, it’s the perfect antidot The shops at Burwash Manor are all small indepen complimentary range of goods and produce.

Whether you’re after outdoor, lifestyle or designe wine, gifts, toys and childrenswear or looking to d got it covered!

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dings housing fifteen independent, unique shops seating and an outdoor terrace. h several enjoyable farm walks of differing lengths, riendly, peaceful shopping experience. te to the crush of the High Street. ndently owned businesses offering a wonderfully

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Garden

A Touch of the Orient

By Pippa Greenwood

As the new gardening year is under way, is it time to embark on a new era in your garden? It can be really refreshing to have a change of style, not necessarily in your whole garden but perhaps you could create a different and contrasting feel in a small part of your plot to the rest of your wellloved garden?

The Japanese style is largely very simplistic and aims to create a relaxed, calm environment. In any garden you’re going to need walls, fences, pathways and so forth, and if you use natural materials such as wood or of course bamboo, they blend in better with the surroundings of an existing or a newly planned garden and instantly help to create that oriental feel. Provided the surface is made relatively slip-proof, a small bridge can be created quite easily using a simple plank of wood, allowing you to cross over an existing or new pond or other water feature. Stain the wood an interesting colour: perhaps even bright Japanese-style red if you’re feeling daring.

Thinking of water, why not create your own ‘deer chase’? All you need to set up is a source of water powered by a pump, then allow the water to pour out from a bamboo spout and then into another hollowed out piece of bamboo. As the weight of the water increases in the hollowed out bamboo it causes it to tip and to swivel around slightly.

Once filled up it then tilts downwards and pours its water into the basin or bowl beneath. When empty it clunks back into position. If you want something even simpler, then buy some wide diameter bamboo canes, hollow one out, cut the end at an angle and simply create a trickling water spout.

Provided you fix everything up with a pump, the water can then be recycled around from the bowl

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or basin and back into the trickling pipe.

Gravelled areas raked into simple patterns resembling waves or entire circles also help to create a Japanese feel. These can take up the majority of the garden space, be a relatively small area or perhaps link your existing garden into the Japanese ‘room’ that you have created. Concentric rings of raked gravel or sand look particularly dramatic if you place a sizeable, interestingly shaped boulder, stone or specimen plant in the centre of the middle circle.

When it comes to plants there are several which instantly help to evoke that Japanese effect. The so-called Japanese maples with their intricately divided leaves epitomise Japanese gardens and many will turn brilliant shades in the autumn.

Japanese azaleas too can be used to great effect and can bring in some of those really bright colours which look so good for the relatively simple garden surrounding them. Pine trees may be too large for most gardens, but you can gradually bend the stems of a smaller one to create a bonsai effect. Of course, if you’re a collector of bonsai then most of these trees actually enjoy spending the summer outside in a garden and provided they are kept adequately maintained, will look great in your Japanese garden.

A trip down to your local garden centre is bound to supply you with a few oriental-themed containers. Plant one or two of these up with a small acer, camellia, miniature azalea or miniature bamboo and you will really help to complete that oriental touch.

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Technology

Take your Tablets!

By Sarah Davey

My father, a lively Septuagenarian, bought himself a tablet recently and my teens have been training him to use it. They have discovered that nothing highlights the differences between the generations more than electronic equipment.

These are a few things they’ve discovered, which might prove useful for anyone else about to drag their elderly parents into the 21st Century.

Granddad did not know that ‘Dot’ means full-stop,” My eldest son found him trying to get to wwwdotrspbdotorgdotuk, to renew his membership online!

Downloading apps was not a problem. Closing them though was not intuitive. ”Granddad had 83 apps open at once!” My daughter marvelled. “And 25 browser tabs.”

Gnarled, insensitive arthritic fingers make for tricky tapping and zooming, so Granddad bought a chunky stylus, which can be used like a pen, and is more controllable.

He was very naïve when it came to internet security and had to be taught about fraud, passwords, SPAM and phishing.

Now I’m certainly not suggesting that all 70-yearold are luddites, but we are so techno-savvy these days that it’s easy to forget many elderly people are simply not steeped in the same electronic culture. A couple of months into owning his tablet my father is getting on famously, and it’s certainly brought him closer to his IT support team AKA his grandchildren!

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Pets

Take Care of Your Best Friend

By Susan Brookes-Morris

Our pets are special to us, so the decision to allow someone else to look after them can be a difficult one. Sometimes we just have to however, because of work, a holiday, or perhaps a stay in hospital.

Our worries about giving this responsibility to someone else can be eased however, if we take careful steps when choosing a pet sitter, dog walker or crèche type service.

Try to seek out professionals who have been recommended by others. Ask others for their suggestions when you take your dog to the park or to the vet.

If you don’t have anyone who can make a recommendation, take a look at the register held by the National Association of Pet Sitters and Dog Walkers. The Association is dedicated to promoting professionalism and ethical standards within the pet sitting industry. They have a Code of Practice for their members and you can also read reviews on their website.

It is advisable to observe your pet with the sitter or walker. How do they interact, are you sure the person can cope if you have a particularly boisterous dog or a pet that needs medication?

Seeing the person handle your pet can be very

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comforting. If your dog is to stay at the pet sitter’s property, you will want to visit to ensure the environment is suitable. These meetings will also give you a chance to question the carer and check on their knowledge and experience.

Your pet sitter or dog walker should create a written record of your contact details and your pet’s needs and note down your vets. If they are to take your dog for walks, you will need to discuss frequency, locations, and whether they can let your dog off its leash. Do tell them if your dog pulls or has a habit of barking at bicycles for example.

The pet carer should ask you to sign a contract confirming the arrangements and the terms and conditions. You will want to check that they have relevant insurance to cover them against liability for incidents involving your pet. If they will be coming to your home to look after your pet or to take them for a walk when you are not in, you may also want to see a Criminal Records check.

If both parties are fully advised, there should be no surprises and the service will be better because it is tailored to your pets needs. This will give you more peace of mind.

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ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

Easy Suduko

Hard Suduko

Fill in the grid so that each row, column and 3x3 box, contains the digits 1 through to 9 with no repetition. Use your logic to solve the puzzles.

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Charlotte Grundy

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n O s ’ t Wha 1 March Craft Fair 9.30am-4pm St Ives Free Church Local people selling hand-made crafts. First Saturday of each month. Charity tombola and free entry.

Visit www.saintscrafters.blogspot.com

1 March Hardy Plant Society Talk 2pm The Wetherley Centre, Biggleswade Small charge for visitors Cambs and Beds Hardy Plant Society present a talk by Fergus Garrett on ‘Choosing and Using Good Plants’.

All welcome. Web: www.hpscambsandbeds.co.uk 1 March Quiz Night 7-10pm Buckden Village Hall Tickets £2 including nibbles Come and test your general knowledge. Licensed bar.

Prize for the winning team. Tel: Tickets 01480 811101 1 March Horse Race Night. Wyboston Village Hall Tickets £7.50 including fish & chip supper A family, fun event. Licensed Bar. Tel: Susie Woodman 01234 376098 Web: www.wybostonvillagehall.com 2, 9, 16 & 23 March Kingfisher Church 10.30am Little Paxton Primary School Every Sunday - all welcome. Services include children’s groups and a crèche. Refreshments served.

Tel: 01480 214894 Web: www.kingfisherchurch.co.uk 4, 11, 18 & 25 March Bridge Club 7.30-9.30pm Roxton Village Hall Tel: 01767 448526 Web: www.greatbarfordbowlsclub.org.uk 5, 12, 19 & 26 March Tots, Tea & Chat 10.50am-12 noon St James’ Church, Little Paxton Drop-in session for children and their carers.

5, 7, 12, 14, 19, 21, 26 & 28 March 10.30am-12 noon St James’ Church, Little Paxton The Church is open on Wednesday and Friday mornings. Tea and coffee available. Most Wednesday mornings the Vicar, Annette Reed, will be available for consultation and for booking baptisms and weddings.

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5 March The First World War - Why did it happen?

7pm for 7:30pm The Comrades Club, Godmanchester The Cambridgeshire branch of the Western Front Association is pleased to present a talk by Dr Mike Sewell on the origins of the First World War. Nonmembers most welcome.

Web: www.westernfrontassociation.com

12 March Woolly Mowers 7.30pm Brampton Memorial Hall, Thrapston Road, Brampton The Hunts Local Group of the Wildlife Trust is pleased present an illustrated talk on grazing for conservation.

Speaker Nick Kiddy is the Grazing Officer for the Wildlife Trust in Bedfordshire. Tel: Phil 01487 822835 Web: www.wildlifetrust-huntsareagroup.org.uk 15 March Amore Music of Love for a Spring Evening 6.30pm St Mary & St Helena Church, Church Lane, Bourn, Cambs CB23 2SG Adults £15, Concessions, £10, Collegium Musicum of London Chamber Choir. Free glass of fizz and canapés.

NSPCC Cambridgeshire event.

Web: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/amorecollegium-musicum-of-london-chamber-choirconcert-tickets-9715255591 18 March Kimbolton Flower Club 7.30pm Mandeville Hall, Kimbolton Admission £6, including light refreshments Demonstration entitled “Happiness Is” by Jane Fox. Arrangements will be raffled. Plant sales table and sales of accessories. Visitors most welcome.

19 March Carers Connect Meeting 10am-1pm Masonic Hall, Bateman Street, Cambridge Interesting speakers and activities and a chance to find out how we can work together to give Carers a stronger voice. We have all our Carer Ambassadors on board. If you are able to come hopefully you will meet them all. For carers who work or who are unable to attend meetings, we will be forming a virtual network.

You can get involved in many ways, by email, online, by telephone or by social media.

If you would like to find out more about Carers Connect and how you can get involved to give carers a stronger voice, please contact Carers Trust Cambridgeshire. Tel: 01480 499090 Email: care@carerstrustcambridgeshire.org Web: www.carerstrustcambridgeshire.org

19 March Huntingdonshire Family History Society 7.30-9pm Women’s Institute Centre, Waldon Road, Huntingdon Non-members welcome - £1 donation appreciated at the door ‘Emigration in The Nineteenth Century’ by Ian Waller. Web: www.huntsfhs.org.uk 20, 21 & 22 March The Drowsy Chaperone 7.30pm and Saturday matinee 2.30pm Performance Hall, Comberton Village College Tickets £10.50 & £7.00. Presented by the Bourn Players.

Tickets on sale at Bourn Shop, Comberton Leisure and online. Raising funds for Arthur Rank Hospice, Cambridge. Web: www.bournplayers.org.uk 21 March Sunshine On Leith (PG) 7 for 7.30pm Mandeville Hall, Kimbolton Adults £4, Concessions £3, Under 16 £2 Kimbolton Community Cinema. Tickets from Watson’s, Dixi’s Deli, Bytes Café or on the door if available.

Tel: 01480 860297 for more information Web: e-voice.org.uk/themandevillehallkimbolton 22 March Cambourne Craft Fair 11.30am-4pm Cambourne Church Free admission Craft and handmade goods; hot drinks and bacon rolls; craft activities for adults and children and a resource centre with materials for arts, crafts and creative play. To raise money ‘Crafty B’s’. Email: mrscraftyb@gmail.com for a special café voucher 22 March Fundraising Ferret Racing Evening 7 for 7.30pm Great Stukeley Village Hall £14 per person including Cottage Pie Supper Tote, Raffle, Bring Your Own Bottle. Name your own Ferret £6 per race. Theme: American-Red, White & Blue. Tickets going fast! Tel: 01480 433954 24 March One Day Weaving Course 10am-4pm Alconbury £65 A special one-day weaving course, led by local professional designer. Weave a pretty and original scarf to take away with you; beginners welcome.

All materials and a light lunch provided. Booking essential. Tel: Linda Parkhouse 01480 896866 Email: parkhousepr@aol.com Web: www.lindaparkhouse.co.uk 26 March Musical Memories 11am-12.30pm Peppercorns Academy, Little End Road, Eaton Socon, St Neots, PE19 8JH Free event Music is a pleasure that remains for people with dementia long after everything else has gone. A group of volunteers in St. Neots is starting a monthly gathering to sing and socialise for anyone with memory problems and their carers. Fourth Wednesday of every month. All with memory problems and their carers welcome. Tel: Wendy 01480 219925

To advertise in The Villager and Townlife please call 01767 261122

27 March St Neots & District Gardening Club 8pm St. Mary’s Church Hall, Brook Street, St. Neots Members £2.00,Non-Members £2.50 which includes refreshments and a raffle ticket. Meeting with Brian Eversham talking about Bumble Bees and other Bees.

Competition is ‘A vase of Spring Flowers’.

28 March An Evening of Music 7pm St James’ Church, Little Paxton Music by The Community of Little Paxton School plus a performance by The Benefice Choir. Refreshments.

Retiring collection in aid of CHUFT. 28 March Quiz Night 7.30pm Little Paxton Village Hall, High Street, Little Paxton Tickets: £6.00 each, including supper In aid of Little Paxton Bumpkins Group. Maximum 6 people per team. Licensed Bar. Closing date for Tickets 26 March. Please order tickets early.

Tel Lee Duncan 01480 353567 Email: lm.duncan@ntlworld.com 29 March Spring Food Fair 11am-3pm Buckden Village Hall Free admission A variety of delicious home-made foods, local producers, Easter goodies, kitchenware and refreshments. Come along and support local suppliers.

Interested in taking part? Contact 01480 811101 29 March Spring Concert St. Neots United Reformed Church Tickets £6 Spring Concert by Tapestry, the A Cappella Chamber Choir singing songs sacred and secular for Springtime and beyond. Proceeds to the Music Department at Spring Common School and the United Reformed Church. Raffle and refreshments.

Tickets available from 10am-12 noon Tue/Thur/Sat at the United Reformed Church and on the night, space permitting. Tel: 01480 861389 for more information 29 March Haslingfield Choir and Orchestra Concert 7.30pm All Saints’ Church, Haslingfield, CB23 1JF Adults £10, Concessions £8 Programme includes Fauré’s Requiem, Bach’s Cantatas No.118 and 131 and Bach’s Overture from Orchestral Suite No.1.

Web: haslingfieldvillage.co.uk/choir/ for more details 29 March The “Hunts Phil” Spring Concert PAC of Hinchingbrooke School Tickets £12 (Students £6) The theme is “Nature’s Pictures” with works by Dvorak, Vaughan Williams and local composer, Christopher Brown. Bob Devereux will recite his words and Lucy Hall is the soprano soloist.

Tel: 01832 274834 for tickets or on the door Email: huntsphiltickets@btinternet.com

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Prize

The Villager Prize Crossword

£25

Across 1 Money (4) 3 Used in board game (5,3) 9 Scold severely (7) 10 Electronic post (5) 11 Young cabbage plants (6,6) 14 To allow (3) 16 Type of drum (5) 17 Joint (3) 18 Seen in a rink (6-6) 21 Violent disturbances (5) 22 Stabbing weapon (7) 23 Supporting column (8) 24 Popular sport (4)

and send to the address below before

18th March 2014 Prize Crossword, Villager Publications Ltd 24 Market Square, Potton, Beds SG19 2NP Name:

Tel:

Address:

Last Month’s Crossword Winner - Susan Dobson from Bedford For last month’s solution please visit www.villagermag.com 28



Complete the crossword, fill in your details below, cut out this page

Down 1 Advises (8) 2 Serious (5) 4 Stowed away (3) 5 Lock picks (8,4) 6 Loyal (7) 7 Story (4) 8 Eats its own kind (12) 12 Doomed (5) 13 Alcoholic appetiser (8) 15 Twice as much (7) 19 South American dance (5) 20 Hold tightly (4) 22 Type of snake (3)

New Decorations Interior and Exterior Painting Wallpapering

Mark Newman

Painting & Decorating m.a.newman@virgin.net

01954212342 07969650344 164 Limes Road, Hardwick Cambridge CB23 7XX To advertise in The Villager and Townlife please call 01767 261122

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Cambridge Meridian Golf

The Game Of Golf

By Adrienne Engleman - PGA Golf Professional, Cambridge Meridian Golf Club The initial shot on a golf hole is often intended to move the golf ball a long distance and is generally made with a long-shafted, large-headed club called a “driver” (shorter holes may be initiated with other clubs, such as shorter-shafted and smaller-headed “irons”).

When “driving”, it is permissible to use a “tee-peg” to elevate the golf ball above the ground, making the shot easier to execute.

Once the ball comes to rest, the golfer strikes it again as many times as necessary with relevant clubs, until the ball reaches the putting green, where they then use a club called a ”putter” to “putt” the ball into the hole (hopefully!).

In “stroke play” competitions, each player plays their ball until it is in the hole, but in “match play” it is acceptable to pick up one’s ball and “surrender the hole” after too many strokes have been made by a player that it is impossible for the player to win the hole. It is also acceptable in informal stroke play to surrender the hole after hitting three strokes more than the “par” rating of the golf hole (i.e. known as a “triple bogey”).

While technically a violation of the rules of golf,

this practice speeds up play as a courtesy to others, and avoids injuries caused by overexertion (and frustration!).

The rules of golf are governed by The R&A (The Royal and Ancient) and their underlying principle is fairness. As stated on the back cover of the official rule book: Play the ball as it lies, play the course as you find it, and if you cannot do either, do what is fair.

When rules penalties are incurred they are counted towards a player’s score. Strokes are added for rule infractions or for hitting one’s ball into an unplayable situation, such as a lost ball or a ball hit out of bounds (OOB).

Most rule infractions lead to stroke penalties but can also lead to disqualification. Disqualification could be from rule infractions that lead to improper play, signing for a lower score, or from cheating!

In addition to the rules, golfers also abide by golf etiquette, such as safety, pace of play, and a player’s obligation to contribute to the care of the course.

Although there are no penalties for breaching golf etiquette, players generally follow golf etiquette in an effort to display good sportsmanship and to improve everyone’s playing experience.

As Mark Twain once said - “It’s considered good sportsmanship not to pick up lost golf balls while they are still moving.”!

Adrienne is currently offering free introductory lessons for all readers and can be contacted on Tel: 07979 500199 or Email: adrienne@cambridgegolfacademy.co.uk

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