Village Tribune 137

You can bring in food donations to the Granary Café at Willowbrook, St Botolphs Church at Helpston or Bluebell Helpston before Sunday 27 November

Many thanks to Ann Bell (Helpston) for contacting me earlier in the month to suggest that we utilise the Tribune to help the numerous groups in our villages recruit new members – if you organise a ‘kit and natter’, sporting group or charity support group, just let us know your contact details and we will include you in our Directory at the back of the magazine.

Many thanks to a number of new Tribune ‘supporters’ who have chosen to advertise their goods and services in the magazine over the past couple of issues; Moor Farm, Black Cat Crafts of Etton, Peterborough Milton Golf Club, Special Branch Tree Surgery, Nene Park Trust and First Choice Windows – a huge welcome to you all!

Check out the Ukrainian Christmas Appeal pages 30–31 of this issue – please help with supplies if you can.

This issue of the Tribune is the last one before Christmas – so; “A very merry Christmas” to all of our readers, advertisers, contributors and distributors. 2023 will see us celebrate our Silver Anniversary – we will have been delivering the news, views and opinions to our North Peterborough villages for the past 25 years!

The deadline for the next issue (138) is Friday 9 December and will cover the months of January and February. The magazines will be delivered in between Christmas and New Year – an ideal issue to consider if your business wants to appeal to readers considering their New Year Resolutions! Contact me at villagetribuneeditor@me.com or give Alison a ring on 07702 640361.

Editor - Tony Henthorn

35 Maxey Road, Helpston PE6 7DP T: 07590 750128 E: villagetribuneeditor@me.com

AILSWORTH Saqib Farooq

10 Peterborough Road, Castor PE5 7AX saqib.farooq@peterborough.gov.uk

ASHTON Hilary Smith

Thatched Cottage, Ashton E: hilly.smith@virgin.net

CASTOR Saqib Farooq

10 Peterborough Road, Castor, PE5 7AX

ETTON Anne Curwen

The Coach House, Rectory Lane, Etton T: 01733 253357 E: acurwen@hotmail.com

GLINTON Shirley Hodgkinson

Websters Close, Glinton

01733 252351 E: hodgkinsons@talktalk.net

HELPSTON Clive Marsh

Clive Marsh, 34 Maxey Road, Helpston clive.marsh815@btinternet.com M: 07511 011662

MARHOLM Saqib Farooq

10 Peterborough Road, Castor, PE5 7AX

Cllr Peter Hiller

Peter.Hiller@peterborough.gov.uk

Polly Beasley

Claypole Drive,

Sally Hullock

Hillside Close, Ufford sally@sallyhullocktraining.co.uk T: 07795 565658

Daphne Williams

Old Dairy Barn, Main St. T: 01780 740511

UFFORD Sally Hullock

3 Hillside Close, Ufford sally@sallyhullocktraining.co.uk T: 07795 565658

The views expressed within this magazine do not necessarily reflect those of the Editor. All copy is believed correct at time of print but no responsibility can be taken for errors and/or omissions. No part of this publication and/or website may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form without prior written permission of the Publisher. Permission is only deemed valid if approval is in writing. The Village Tribune own all rights to contributions, text and images, unless previously agreed to in writing.

Autumn migrants and hibernators

4,500 copies of the Tribune are distributed free of charge in Ashton, Bainton, Barnack, Castor, Deeping Gate, Etton, Glinton, Helpston, Maxey, Northborough, Peakirk, Pilsgate, Southorpe & Ufford.

How to Winter Proof your Home and Save Money on Rising Bills

WITH the rising cost of living and soaring energy bills still a main topic of conversation, there are some easy steps to winter proof your home before the cold weather sets in.

A change in the seasons inevitably means an adjustment in the home; especially when it comes to keeping the heat in and the cold out.

Understandably, many people are more aware than ever of how much it could cost to keep the home warm and cosy through the colder months.

There are many clever tips and tweaks to help save money, whether you are able to carry them out yourself or (in the interest of confidence and safety) need a tried and trusted tradesman.

To make sure that the month of October offers more treats than tricks, and to avoid a November nightmare, remember to:

surge in gas consumption can lead to a big increase in boiler breakdowns.

 Clear out your gutters: In autumn, leaves can collect in gutters and drains, leading to blocks and overflows - so it’s best to clean them regularly. Consider investing in gutter leaf guards to help prevent your gutters becoming blocked in future.

 Take it slow: Even though slow cookers are switched on for a long period of time, they don’t use much electricity and can be more energy efficient than a standard oven. They typically only use the same amount of energy as a lightbulb.

Small adjustments can result in bigger savings in the long run. Did you know?

Check all external pipes: Blocked or leaking pipes can freeze during the cold months, then expand and burst – causing potentially expensive water damage.



 Think about insulation: A properly insulated property is an absolute must. Make sure that you check the basics, starting with obvious draft points. Invest in some draft excluder to keep doors and windows secure and check the cladding around your boiler and pipes.

 Bleed your radiators: A great way to warm up your property is to bleed the radiators. This releases any trapped air, allowing hot water to fill every part of your radiator and warm the property more efficiently.

 Get a boiler service: Arrange for a professional to service your boiler each year. As everyone starts to switch on or boost their central heating, the

 Turn off electrical items: This means completely turning off and unplugging items, as even if they’re on standby or plugged into a socket, they could still be using some energy. Note, if you switch off the power to your TV, any recordings for scheduled programmes will not take place.

 Don’t charge your phone overnight: It may be convenient, but most phones only take a few hours to fully charge. That means your fully charged phone could be left plugged in for hours unnecessarily, wasting electricity and money.

 Don’t wash in half measures: Wash full loads in washing machines and dishwashers and limit the number of times you use these appliances.

 Keep your fridge around three-quarters full: If your fridge is too full, it needs to use more electricity to maintain the temperature and circulate the cold air.



Turning down your room thermostat by just one degree can save around £80 a year.



A fully draught proof and insulated home can create huge savings. Don’t forget to keep doors closed in rooms you are using, to keep the heat in.



Boilers account for around 55 per cent of what is spent on energy bills in a year.



Turning off the lights in rooms when not in use and by switching to LED bulbs provides more cost savings and greater energy efficiencies.

Visit www.safelocaltrades.com for all your home improvement needs, which in turn could help to save energy and keep utility costs down.

By Eileen Le Voi

Safe Local Trades has a number of tried and tested reliable tradesmen who can carry out a range of property improvements that can save you money, as well as those who specialise in energy saving solutions for your home or business.

(Remember to always call 999 in an emergency situation, if a serious crime is in progress or you think it is imminent.)

Call when it counts

Cambridgeshire Constabulary call handlers can receive as many as 1,300 calls to 101 and 600 emergency 999 calls in just one day. Many of the calls they receive are reports of incidents that could have been resolved using online services.

This is why the force are launching a campaign to encourage people to only #CallWhenItCounts, which will reserve call handlers' time on the line for real emergencies and for people who need them the most.

There are plenty of ways to get in touch with police that do not involve calling 101. Next time you are about to dial 999 or 101, please stop and think:

• could this issue be submitted using an online report?

• could I speak to an operator using live web chat instead?

• is this an issue that should be directed to my local council instead?

Together with Cambridgeshire Constabulary’s online services, we can ease the pressure our call handlers are under.

To launch a live web chat, visit www.cambs.police.uk and click the green icon in the bottom corner of the screen. To submit a report, visit www.cambs.police.uk/report

Reducations and Crown inning

Etton news October

During the recent period of National mourning, Etton church was opened everyday so that villagers were able to sign the book of condolences or spend time in quiet contemplation. Thanks to Maggie and Fiona who managed the process on our behalf.

A new ‘Lest We Forget’ bench has been ordered for the village green with a plaque commemorating the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. It is hoped that it will be delivered and installed in the autumn. We also plan to plant a tree, in Etton, as part of the Queen’s Green Canopy.

You may have noticed that the bunds in the field by the Golden Pheasant are currently being extended. This is in preparation for the next phase of extraction of gravel by Tarmac. A planning application is currently under consideration to import more inert materials to back fill after the extraction. Tarmac have offered to hold a meeting to explain

their plans and to answer any questions. At the meeting, the Consultant Archaeologist has agreed to share some of the finding from the various stages of exploration. The meeting is to be a joint event with Helpston and Maxey and further details of timing and location will be published once agreed.

Plenty of goods were collected during our recent Harvest festival, these have been donated to the Deeping food bank and they were most grateful for the donations.

During November, we will be collecting non-perishable goods for the Ukrainian appeal. They are particularly interested in paracetamol, toiletries/ sanitary products, rice, pasta, flour, noodles and tinned food.

Going forward, we plan to leave a Food Bank collection box in the church which can be accessed every Wednesday between 10am and 2pm and on Service days, or contributions may be left in the telephone box. Donations will be taken to the Food Bank once a month.

Etton Diary Dates

Sunday 13 November: 10.45am

We invite you to gather on the Village Green for our usual simple Ceremony of Remembrance.

Saturday 3 December: 7pm There is a Benefice fundraiser being held at Sissons Barn when the choir will be performing. Funds raised will be used to pay towards our Parish share.

Sunday 4 December: 5pm

We will be switching on the Christmas tree lights on the Village Green.

Thursday 22 December: 6pm

The Benefice 9 lessons and Carols will be held at Etton church.

Saturday 24 December: 5pm

We will be holding a short Christmas Eve Service on the Village Green with mulled wine and hot chocolate.

COUNCIL CORNER

PEAKIRK

Peakirk Parish Council Report

The Council

Kamal Sisodia from Meadow Road has been co-opted onto the council. He brings valuable experience of running a business and knowledge of environmental biology. This means we now have a full complement of 7 councillors.

We will be doing a litter pick the autumn.

Many of the road signs in the parish need cleaning. We will get a working party together to give them a wash. Any volunteers would be welcome; this activity would be good for anyone wanting to enhance their CV.

It’s annual budgeting time. We will be drawing up a budget for 2023-24 in the next month. If you have any ideas or suggestions for parish projects, please send them to the clerk, clerk@peakirk-pc.gov.uk

The Allotments

The rainwater harvester is now fully working. All four tanks are interconnected and

PEAKIRK PARISH COUNCIL

For all Peakrik news, minutes and agendas visit: www.peakirkvillage.co.uk

Chairman: Henry Clark – Tel: 01733 253 203

Sally Jackson – Tel: 01733 253 483

Emma Crowson – Tel: 01733 252 200

David Fovargue – Tel: 01733 254 227

Anne Tuley – Tel: 01733 254 114

Sarah Smith – Tel: 07588 055 553

Kamal Sisodia – Tel: 07958 053 439

Clerk: Angela Hankins – Tel: 01733 253 397, Email: clerk@peakirk-pc.gov.uk

beginning to fill up. Come the spring, there should be plenty of water for irrigation. Whether this will be enough if we have another drought remains to be seen.

Climate Emergency

The Peakirk Climate Emergency Group will be hosting an event at the Village Hall on Saturday 12 Nov. There will be experts there who can give advice on how to reduce your fuel and water consumption. Not only will this benefit the climate but it will save you money as well.

Traffic

The new vehicle activated sign is giving some interesting data. The maximum speeds recorded were 78 mi/hr coming from Glinton and 80 mi/hr towards Glinton; and this is in a 30 limit!

Details of events will be posted on the noticeboard, www.peakirkvillage.co.uk and Facebook.

Henry Clark, Chairman

PEAKIRK

GLINTON COUNCIL CORNER

Cllr Gerry Kirt, Parish Council Chairman www.glintonparishcouncil.org.uk

Glinton Parish Council Report

As a mark of respect and to commemorate her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s outstanding 70 year reign, Glinton Parish Council (GPC) intends to dedicate Glinton’s new village sign to her memory.

Looking forward to 2023 we have decided to mark the coronation of King Charles III (Operation Golden Orb) by organising an event for the whole village which will centre around the relighting of the Platinum Jubilee beacon by the village pump. A working party has been established to organise the event. Anyone wishing to become involved please make contact (see email addresses below).

Glinton does not have a village crest. To rectify this omission, and as part of the new village sign project, we plan to invite the primary school students to submit designs. The winning scheme will be become the official Glinton crest and the winner or winners invited to unveil the new village sign, which will also proudly exhibit the new crest.

COUNCIL CORNER

GLINTON

GPC’s Climate Change Action Group is considering making annual awards for excellence in the areas of Technology, Housing and Natural environment. The intention is to highlight outstanding contributions made by individuals or organisations to the reduction of Glinton’s carbon footprint. It may be that several awards are made each year or none. It is intended to recognise small contributions such as turning a small lawn into a wild flower area, right up to a state of the art, highly energy efficient house or a solar installation on a school. If any residents have nominations please contact the email addresses below.

Our Community Speedwatch team has been in action during

September. They have monitored Helpston Road outside AMVC, as part of operation EDWARD (Every Day Without A Road Death), and the High Street outside the primary school. Between 8am and 9am, 5 vehicles out of 139 exceeded 22mph outside AMVC, while 14 out of 211 exceeded the speed limit outside the primary school. Five cars sported number plates that were not recognised by the DVLA database. Perhaps also of concern is the significant number of drivers observed using mobile phones outside the schools. We understand the primary school is very concerned for the safety of its students and has requested a speed camera be installed on the High street.

Cllr Gerry Kirt, Parish Council Chairman 07591 834163 www.glintonparishcouncil.org.uk

Cllr Gerry Kirt - Chairman - 01733 252839

Cllr RW Randall, Vice Chairman 01733 253276

Cllr Helen Aylesbury

Cllr DJ Batty - 01733 252749

Cllr CB Bysshe - 01733 253164

Cllr Steve Jackson - 01733 252409

Cllr David Lane 01733 252593

Cllr Andy Staines

Cllr Sukhvinder Singh

Cllr Gordon Wright

Mr J Haste - Clerk - 07591 834163

Cllr Rita Joshi-Boparai rita.joshi-boparai@glinton-pc.gov.uk clerk@glinton-pc.gov.uk

A drone video of Glinton has been added to the GPC website.

Autumn is here and we are looking forward to celebrating all our events and occasions with old friends and new.

The club has gained several part-time helpers who support our regular activities and take on some of the more tiresome jobs. Many thanks to you, ladies.

Since starting back in September we have had a trip to the National Memorial Arboretum, which happened just after the sad death of the Queen, so was most poignant.

Our programme this autumn started with a hilarious talk with slides by Stuart Orme, noted local historian, on the saucy bits of our history. Most revealing!

We celebrated the 90th birthday of Mike, one of our founder members, and plan to have sales of clothing, bags, cards and gifts from various regular providers to help with Christmas gifts.

Alongside all the regular bingo, quizzes and games we have a mentalist to entertain us as we prepare for our seasonal activities in December.

We still have places for new members and for more info call in at the Village Hall on Mondays.

Glinton Indoor Carpet Bowls Club

We offer an open invitation for you to join us in the dry and warmth of the Village Hall to play a game that is based on the outdoor game, but suited to local communities and indoor locations.

All equipment is provided, so with no charges for the first 2 weeks it is an easy call to come and have a go. What is there to lose?

It is said bowls is a young man’s game that the elderly can play as well! That means you all qualify!

If you want to come along as a couple, a group, or individually, we will make you all very welcome, and we will be happy to show what the game is about.

A game of bowls with tea and biscuits for £2.00 each cannot be beaten.

The club meets every Thursday evening at 7pm at Glinton Village Hall.

village

Jenny Rice, Clerk & Responsible Financial Officer

Parish Council Report

The Parish Council did not meet in September due to the period of mourning for the passing of the late HM the Queen. The Council met on 4 October, and held an open meeting beforehand for residents, to discuss the issue of speeding traffic through Bainton. In attendance were 2 officers from Peterborough City Council

Highways Dept and Police Constable Stephen Main plus 34 residents. A useful debate followed and ideas for speed reduction measures put forward. These will be costed and considered further by Highways and the Parish Council at their next meeting on 1 November.

The Parish Council are pleased to announce the cooption of Irene Walsh to one of the Parish Councillor vacant positions. Irene has a wealth of experience, having previously worked as City Councillor at Peterborough City Council, and takes a keen interest in local issues, the environment and community partnerships. A further vacancy exists, so if anyone is interested in getting involved and making a difference to improve the villages, please do get in touch.

The Council still has many projects on the go such as the fabulous nature recovery work, and this includes the renovation of the Sheepwash. The Council were very grateful to get a grant from the Fitzwilliam Estate and matched by Langdyke Trust for this work – so watch this space. Speed reduction continues to be an issue being addressed, following measures that have already been implemented and discussed on an ongoing basis with PCC. There is hopefully going to be a social committee set up, with Parish Council input, to co-ordinate events in the village and not least for the Coronation now confirmed as 6 May 2023.

Chairman: Susie Lucas

Responsible for: Parish Council Liaison Group, HR, New Projects. 01780 740 159 susie.hall34@gmail.com

Councillor: Cliff Stanton Responsible for: Police, Neighbourhood Watch, Speedwatch, Village Assets and Maintenance, Parish Council Liaison Group. 01780 749 123 Cliffstanton@btinternet.com

Councillor: Irene Walsh 07753 203 844

Clerk and Responsible Financial Officer: Jenny Rice 07889 669 550 bainton.ashton.clerk@live.co.uk

Glinton welcomes you again to our annual Christmas Tree Lights Switch

On at St. Benedict's Churchyard to sing festive songs and carols from 6.45pm before the grand illumination and the ringing of the church bells at 7pm followed by complimentary refreshments including mulled wine & mince pies served inside St. Benedict's Church...

Everyone is encouraged to bring both your festive voices & cheer, along with friends & family, for another joyful start to a festive season.

Glinton Village Christmas Tree Lights Switch On 2022

ON THE NIGHT ...

Thursday 1 December at 6.45pm St. Benedict’s Churchyard Glinton

• 6.45pm - Sing festive songs & carols

• 6.59pm - Countdown to the grand illumination

• 7.00pm - The church bells ring as the lights are switched on and complimentary refreshments including mulled wine & mince pies are served inside St. Benedict's Church

TAKE A PHOTO BY THE TREE

After the switch on why not take a photo by the tree: something for the festive photo album or share on socials.

We are expecting all ages, and have access to the churchyard and church for all, see and hear you on the night!

GLINTON

COUNCIL CORNER

Bryan Cole, Newborough and borough Fen Parish Council

Newborough and Borough Fen Parish Council

At long last the garden on the corner of Soke corner is finally completed – well almost apart from the installation of the last remaining bench. It’s taken a long time but I am pleased to say it’s a huge improvement with added book exchange facility in the phone box!! Once again, a big thanks for all this involved.

You may have noticed over the last few months that the entrances to the village are now marked by the addition of white gates. These were purchased by the Parish Council and along with some of our neighbouring villages are meant to help show traffic they are entering a built-up area and hopefully encourage traffic to reduce it speeds. Linked to this you may be aware that plans have been drawn up for an improved speed reduction plan for Thorney Road. Its early days but the Parish Council has been pushing for this for sometime both on Thorney Road and also Guntons Road. As yet these proposals are not funded so early days but rest assured, we wont stop pushing for any action

that improves the safety on our roads. I should add that the roads both in and around the village fall under the responsibility of the city council but that doesn’t mean we can’t campaign for improvements.

By the time you are reading this you will have had the opportunity to fill in the Parish Council questionnaire to give your views on what matters to you in the community and what you would like us to focus our attention on. Over the next few months, we will be looking at the results and seeing how we can go forward with the suggestions that are within our area of responsibility and/or influence. Whilst we can’t promise to deliver on everything, we will do our best to support what you have told us you would like us to focus our attention on.

It may seem a long way off but in November we have to look at our budget (called the precept) for the City Council to include in Council tax bills in April 2023. This needs to show what we need to both run as a Parish Council and consider any additional asks

of the Parish Council. Money is always a sensitive subject and at the moment with costs rising just about everywhere it would be wrong of the Parish Council not to be mindful of this. Rest assured we will be doing our best to ensure we run as efficiently as possible in both the essential costs and the additional asks that we want to consider.

At Thursday’s meeting the Parish Council voted to go forward in developing a Neighbourhood Plan. I will be leading on this and will explain more about what this means in the future but, basically once completed, it will mean as a community we will have far more of a say in determining what takes place in our village footprint in many ways. As stated, I will explain more going forward but this is a long term project that will eventually benefit us all.

As this is the last update before Christmas on behalf of Newborough and Borough Fen Parish Council I would like to wish you all a safe, happy and healthy Christmas and New Year.

Newborough Village Hall

The main hall is a space of 125m2 and is suitable for parties, weddings, large meetings, small exhibitions etc. There is a fully functioning kitchen which has a hatch service area in the hall.

Various groups use the hall on a weekly and monthly including martial arts, WI and indoor bowls. The hall is also home to the Good Neighbours Group which is a community based

group encouraging meet ups with talks, they hold monthly afternoon tea get togethers.

This community based building on Guntons Road, is available for hire for parties or groups. Information on groups held can be found via www. newboroughvillagehall.co.uk or the community group Facebook page Facebook-square/newboroughvillagehall or on the notice board outside the Hall.

There is also a smaller room which can seat upto 14 people for smaller groups.

The main hall is home to Newborough Pre-School Monday-Friday in term time.

For forthcoming events please see the Tribune Diary pages.

Draining of the Borough Fen

that would drain the Great Fen.

Much of Vermuyden’s expertise came from his Dutch homeland where land reclamation had been successful. In simple terms his plan was to straighten existing rivers and build embankments to keep them

Cornelius Vermuyden 1595-1677. Picture courtesy of en.wikipedia.org

Up until the 17th century some of the low lying areas shrank to such an extent that parts of outer Newborough were waterlogged. In order to reclaim the Great Fen, an area which extended from Lincoln to Cambridge and from Peterborough to Kings Lynn; King Charles I recognised that the drainage system in the Fens had got so bad that it was not effective. Much of this can be attributed to the Dissolution of the Monasteries by his predecessor Henry VIII. Having previously been large landowners and collectors of tithes and taxes the church had funded the maintenance of what drainage ditches and systems existed at the time.

Following the loss of income to the monasteries and Abbotts the drainage ditches fell into disrepair and widespread flooding was the result. In 1626 the king invited Cornelius Vermuyden to design a scheme

Typical Fenland Wind pump. Picture courtesy of en.wikipedia.org

flowing. The surrounding land would be connected with a series of drains and dykes which would flow into the main river. A series of dams and sluice gates along the system would control the water flow and prevent water flowing backward at high tides. He also created a series of “Washes”

These are areas of land that can be deliberately flooded to relive the pressure during times when the rivers and drains are liable to overflow. Whittlesey

Wash is an example of this. The section of the Great Fen which lies between The Wash and Cambridge, which includes the area around Newborough, was commonly known as the Bedford Level. This was named after the 4th Earl of Bedford, Francis Russell, who owned a majority of the 600,000 acres covered by the Fen. Under the plan devised by Vermuyden the Bedford Level was divided into three levels; North, Middle and South Levels, of which Newborough was incorporated into the North Level area. As we have seen previously the Fen had provided an abundance of resources for the people who lived in the Fens and made their living from it.

To have all these resources taken away through drainage was not popular with the Fen people and there were protests. Add to this the fact that Vermuyden had employed Dutch engineers and worker was just too much for them. To help appease the Fen people and to try and compensate them for their loss of way of life, Vermuyden resorted to employing English labourers instead of the Dutch. The North Level drainage was funded through the Earl of Bedford, who raised the finances through the sale of shares to “Adventurers” (Venture Capitalists). The rewards for their investment would be an ownership share of the estimated 80,000 acres that would be left from the

Paul Cooper

reclaimed land after the king had taken his share. In 1637, amid escalating costs, King Charles revoked the contract with the Adventurers as he could see that this type of commercial arrangement was not suitable for such a long term project and decided to take on the responsibility for the project himself. As a consequence the share allotted to the Adventurers was reduced from 80,000 acres to 40,000 acres.

war. In 1649 Vermuyden was commissioned to reclaim the flooded land on the Bedford level. Initially Vermuyden’s plan to reclaim the Fen was successful. However, what he did not expect or foresee was the nature of the land that he had reclaimed. The

work can be seen alongside the B1443 Road which passes Newborough Village to the North. On the North side of the road is Highland Drain. This runs from Decoy Road to the other side of Crowland Road where it flows into Hundreds Drain and the Hundreds Pumping Station near Crowland. The West end of Highland Drain flows into Red Cow Drain, Moor Drain, Moor Road Drain then Newborough Soke Dyke before being pumped into the River Welland by the Newborough Pumping Station.

Highland Drain looking East at the point where the Catchwater Drain passes under the B1443 and joins Highland Drain. Picture by Paul Cooper

The English Civil War (16421651) brought a halt to the draining project. The Roundhead army destroyed the drainage system in this area and flooded the land again in an attempt to prevent the

Known locally as; “The Wash”. This area of land, which is situated between the River Welland Bank and the Corporation Bank, stretches from Peakirk to Crowland. It acts as a safety net in case the River Welland banks burst, as they did in 1947, and prevent the low lying area to the South of the Corporation Bank being flooded.

Picture by Paul Cooper

peat when it was drained and started to dry out and began to shrink considerably. In some areas it shrank to an extent that the level of the land dropped by as much as 3.7 meters below the level of the drainage channel.

The present pumping station was refurbished in 2004; it has three 1.0m diameter pumps which are capable of pumping 4.64 cubic metres of water per second. In addition to the Newborough Pumping Station there are two smaller stations which pump water into the River Welland to help keep Newborough dry; one at Peakirk and one at Postland. There is an area between the River Welland and the Crowland (Corporation) Bank which is known as “The Wash”. It is an area of farm land but it is designed to absorb water that may overflow from the Welland and prevent the flooding of the surrounding low lying area.

Newborough Pumping Station. Picture by Paul Cooper

Cavalier army making advances. Work on the drainage of the fen resumed towards the end of the

The only solution to this was to install a system of water pumps to physically pump the water from the lower level to the higher level drains. In the first instance this was done by chain of wind pumps. In the 19th century these were replaced with steam powered pumps and today we have diesel engine powered pumps. An example of Cornelius Vermuyden’s

The next time you go for a walk around the village, visit www.northlevelidb.org and look at the map. See if you can identify the following drains that contribute to keeping Newborough and Borough Fen from flooding; Shorts Drain, Allotment Drain, Middle Drain, Mossop’s Drain, Soke Road Drain, St Martins Drain, Freshwater Drain and Catchwater Drain.

COUNCIL CORNER

COUNCIL CONTACT DETAILS

Chair: John Dadge

T: 01733 254145 M: 07802 702908

john.dadge@northborough-pc.gov.uk

Vice Chair: Malcolm Spinks

01778 343585 M: 07870 343562

E: malcolm.spinks@northborough-pc.gov.uk

Councillor: Rob Chiva

01733 252823

E: robert.chiva@northborough-pc.gov.uk

Councillor: Brian Spriggs

01778 342502

Councillor: Tracy Thomas

07720 327145

E: tracy.thomas@northborough-pc.gov.uk

Councillor: Mark Malcolm

07584 877793

E: mark.malcolm@northborough-pc.gov.uk

Councillor: Hayley Flaxman

07957 412897

E: hayley.flaxman@northborough-pc.gov.uk

Councillor: Graham Fowkes

07711 415881

E: graham.fowkes@northborough-pc.gov.uk

PETERBOROUGH MILTON GOLF CLUB

the

SOCIAL

all

Helpston Local History Group

It has been a busy time for the HLHG recently; on the evening of 18th August we hosted a group of 25 members of the Peterborough Local History Society and took them on a bespoke ‘Village Heritage Walk’. The walk and a comprehensive map, highlighting many of our historic village features, had been carefully and thoughtfully developed by committee members over the last couple of months.

Starting at the village hall, the walk progressed along Church Lane, Maxey Road, Glinton Road and back to the Market Cross, then south along Woodgate leading into Broad Wheel Road and through Temples Court to West Street. From there the group walked up to the site of the old flour mill and back to the Almshouses, taking in other interesting buildings and features on the way.

Finishing back at the village hall, the visitors were offered tea, coffee and cake and a chance to chat with the host members about the group, new website and the village history in general. It was a very well received event and generated a lot of new interest in the village.

If anyone would like a copy of the walk please contact us through the website or email address below, there is a £1 charge to cover printing costs.

Our next event was on the 15 September and open to nonmembers. It was a presentation by Clair Wordsworth, in St. Botolph’s Church. Clair, a freelance writer and audio producer had worked at the BBC for many years developing and

producing radio documentaries, music series and comedy shows. The presentation was entitled ‘100 Years of the BBC’ and Clair spoke, played new and archived material, old songs and some very funny comedy clips from 1930s and 1940s BBC radio programmes. Her presentation looked at the earliest days of the BBC and paid tribute to the people who helped shape its ethos, both behind the scenes and in front of the microphone. She told how the BBC started, evolved and showed that we all have ‘loves and hates’ of the BBC in general. High on the love list was ‘no adverts’!

We had thirteen non-member attendees which was very pleasing. Halfway through the presentation refreshments were served and this gave everyone a chance to chat, reminisce and call to mind old favourites and characters from our childhood and later. Thank you to Peter for being Clair’s technical assistant. The radio shows that Clair produced and included items from in her presentation were three episodes from BBC Radio 2 – Barry Humphries Forgotten Musical Masterpieces. They may still be available on BBC Sounds if you look for them.

Our latest event was on Saturday 1 October in the village hall. There was an open meeting to launch our new project ‘Helpston’s Home Front ‘ This will be a yearlong, ongoing project planned to be completed by Autumn 2023, then made available to the community. We would like to thank the people who came to the launch and shared their memories and memorabilia with us.

There will be a much more detailed report on this event in the next edition of the Village Tribune, please do look out for it and get in touch if you are able to contribute to the project in any way.

Lastly, the group also offers a service to take on research for members of the public for a small administration fee. Through recent website and email enquiries individual reports and research has been undertaken by members when requested. We have a wealth of knowledge at our fingertips and access to various websites to help you with your Helpston family trees or any other village topics you may be interested in. Please do get in touch if you think we can help.

If you would like any information about the Helpston Local History Group, would like to enquire about becoming a member or be on an email list for upcoming events please contact us via the links below. Website: helpstonhistory.org.uk E: helpstonhistory@gmail.com

MESSAGE TO ALL HELPSTON GROUPS

Are you in a Helpston group that needs new members?’ Send your group details to the village tribune for the next Tribune edition.

Hello all you people in thevillages I hope you are healthyand having well preparedfood on your tables,

Ireceived an

from

ask about a recipe she

for a

friendwhen she

I decided to recommend to create a simple Ratatouille, which can be so versatile for many dishes and will freeze well too. My house ratatouille is very well received by our guests here and I serve with rice and pasta as well as simple grilled chicken, steak or fish. For a light lunch eat with a green salad and lightly toasted French bread.

With its origins from Nice in the south of France Ratatouille Niçoise was originally conceived as budget-friendly peasant stew to be using the left-over vegetables and other bits and pieces a housewife might have around her kitchen.

It has evolved to be now accepted in expensive restaurants all over Europe, as a side or main dish to be savoured. Actually quite good versions can

Ratatouille

You will need:

1 pound aubergine, cut into cubes, 2½ tsp salt, divided,

2½ lbs tomatoes, peeled,

3 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped, ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper, ¼ cup fresh basil, loosely packed, chopped, ¾ cup flat-leaf parsley, loosely packed, chopped,

1½ lbs white or red onions, thinly sliced, 3 bell peppers, red or yellow, cored, seeded, and chopped,

2 tbsp olive oil, good-quality extra-virgin, plus additional for serving,

2 lbs courgettes, cut lengthwise and then into ½-inch slices,

2 lbs yellow squash, cut lengthwise and then into ½-inch slices, ¾ cup dry white wine.

be bought in cans from France but I have yet to taste anything particularly good here in the UK. We live hopefully? It is imperative when making this dish to ensure you stick to its roots in the south of France where peppers, tomatoes, and garlic all grow in abundance. Also, use only good-quality olive oil as this contributes to the overall flavour of the dish. The issue with cheap oils is they can taint the taste, and the dish will also lack authenticity.

My Chez Pierre version lightly caramelizes the onions and peppers before adding them to the rest of the dish, giving it a complex flavour without much additional effort. Finally, one of the secrets to making a good ratatouille is not to stir too much or overcook so all the vegetables merge.

Ratatouille

 Place a single layer of paper towels on 2 large plates. Put the cubed eggplant onto the plates and sprinkle with 1 ¾ teaspoons of the salt.

 Allow the eggplant to sit for 20 minutes; this process is known as degorgement, in which the salt extracts liquid from the eggplant, and the liquid is then absorbed by the paper, making the dish less soggy.

 In a large saucepan, gently cook the tomatoes, garlic, black pepper, basil, and parsley, uncovered, over medium heat. Do not boil the vegetables, as this will turn them into a soggy mess; cooked slowly, each of the vegetables will remain distinct.

 In a large frying pan sauté the onions and bell peppers in a small amount of olive oil over medium-high heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are lightly browned. Remove the frying pan from the heat

from the kitchen of

and transfer the browned vegetables to the tomato mix.



Pat the eggplant dry with a fresh paper towel and add it along with the courgettes and yellow squash to the tomato mixture.

 Cover the pot and cook the stew over low-medium heat for 45 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.

 Add the white wine and remaining ¾ teaspoon salt and cook for an additional 5 minutes.

Ratatouille can be made up ahead of time. In fact, it's one of those dishes that tastes better the next day. You may also keep leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for three to four days or freeze for up to three months.

Always serve on white plates and my suggestion for accompanying is a lightly chilled Sauvignon Blanc or, if the budget allows, a decent Chablis.

Bonne chance, Pierre xaskchezpierre@gmail.com

A Busy Autumn Term

We have had a great start to the Autumn Term, welcoming our new Early Years Foundation Stage cohort, their families, and several new families to the school.

We have been busy getting stuck into our learning, but have also found time for some extra curricular activities, such as Year One’s visit from Poopdeck Pete, Year Two’s Village Study, Year Three’s Stone Age murder mystery, and Year Six’s trip to AMVC to compete in a basket ball tournament.

Ted in Year 1 said, “It was very exciting because we had a treasure map and had to follow it to find a letter from Poopdeck Pete. We learned all about life in the past!”

Rosie, in Year 2, enjoyed looking around the church because it looked beautiful when it was decorated for Harvest. She said, “We learned that some people are buried under the church floor.”

Nancy, who attended the basketball said, “We had a great time! The event was organised well, and the Sports Leaders showed a lot of patience and taught us well.”

We are delighted to say that 24 children completed the Summer Reading Challenge: 21 of them at the Deepings’ Library. Many thanks to Louisa for coming in to school to promote the Challenge – we think that made all the difference.

We have elected our Student Council and Sports Ambassadors, and as ever we have a huge number of children volunteering to join our Planet Protector group. Student Council will be responsible for investigating and presenting the

pupil voice in our school, alongside some important decision making. Planet Protectors will be involved in the sustainability and caretaking of our school grounds.

Mike Horne from John Clare Countryside came in to help us to renovate the pond area. We are hoping to set up a marsh area too for the froglets to hop into. Our outside area is such a fantastic resource for us to use, and it’s right on our doorstep!

We are looking forward to going to St Andrew’s Church to celebrate Harvest next week and are already bringing in donations to support the local food bank.

Please come and join our Parent Tours if you have a child starting in September 2023, or if you would like to look around. We will be showing parents our fabulous school on Friday 2nd and Friday 9th of December at 9.30am. There are places available in KS 1 and Foundation Stage. Please phone the office or see our website for more details. 01733 252204 www.northboroughschool.co.uk

Village Tribune chats to Amanda Webb, who is Forest School Leader at Helpston Playhouse. She has been teaching Forest School at the Ofsted rating ‘outstanding’ setting for three years.

Nurturing curious minds

Why is it important for children to get close to nature?

It's so important for children to have access to the outdoors. Not just from a physical or mental health perspective but so they can discover and explore the world around them. Learning about wildlife builds their curiosity. Simple things like smelling flowers, exploring weather, mud squelching, counting petals, catching snowflakes, comparing bugs and plants, it's all part of their development too and these natural resources are free!

What skills or benefits does forest school offer kids?

At Forest School there’s no right or wrong way of doing things. Children get to explore and experiment within an open-ended, free-thinking environment. They can build their confidence and selfawareness by managing their own risk taking through something like climbing a tree.

They develop empathy by learning about how to care for nature by planting seeds or building a bug house. They can work on their resilience and self-esteem through using tools for woodwork

and creations. All the time the children are working and playing together they’re building upon their social and communication skills. These are all personal skills and depending on the activities or resources on offer, children can extend their knowledge academically too.

What are your favourite forest school activities?

I love it when the children can explore and play. We often go on bug hunts, we need to care for all our creatures as they all have families and important jobs to do. We often make our own paint with mud,

Discover why Forest Schools are so beneficial for children, and learn how you can create some of these activities yourself at home

berries and herbs to brush onto branches or stamp onto material, allowing the children to create their own patterns. It's important for them to learn about their own environment so we play with conkers, cones, wood, stones and acorns, building towers, creating pictures, rolling them down pipes and sticking them in play dough. The children can learn about trees, seeds, seasons, textures and speed. All the time learning new vocabulary.

Can you give an example of an activity that the children really love?

Anything that explores their senses. They absolutely love creating teas or potions.

Everyone has a cup or bowl and access to herbs, petals, peel and scented tea bags. They can cut their own herbs, tear the tea bags to explore the insides, pouring their own water from jugs to develop their own fine and gross motor skills. They can extend the activity by finding more additions such as leaves

or bark from the garden to discover new smells, colours and textures. It's amazing what their imagination creates - hot chocolate, soup, tea, magic potions and birthday cakes.

Why do you think forest school has become so popular of late?

Forest School has been around in Britain since the mid 1990s but recent research shows that an outside approach offers children a more hands on way of learning with the freedom and space to build upon their personal skills without limitations. This enables a child to be loud, messy, fast and independent within a safe environment that encourages their wild side.

Can you give an example of a Forest School activity parents could try at home?

You could go for a walk and look at the trees. Play colour bingo by finding things that are red, yellow, orange, brown. Collect things from the floor

and make pictures with your findings. Try just going for a walk and thinking about your senses, smell deeply - pine woods, lavender, listen to the animals and plants, feel the bark and grasses.

Ice blocks are a really fun way to explore change, as the ice melts. You could fill a bowl or tub with seasonal items and put them in the freezer to explore later. During autumn collect conkers, leaves, acorns. In winter look out for pine twigs, berries, orange peel. In spring you’ll find green leaves, blossom, petals and for summer collect herbs, seasonal flowers.

It is the simple things that can be the most fun, like planting a seed on a windowsill, looking for bugs in your garden or on the way home from school, studying frosty patterns or exploring the weather like blowing bubbles on a windy day. Whatever you do make sure you have plenty of fun!

For more information about Helpston Playhouse contact us at playhouse@helpstonplayhouse.com or on (01733) 253243

Since March a team of local people and organisations has been delivering food to Ukrainian communities in Sumy Oblast, eastern Ukraine. So far they have made four deliveries, taking over 5 tonnes of food to a church in Gliwice, Poland, from where it is transported to another church in Rivne, western Ukraine, before being delivered to villages near Sumy, close to the border with Russia.

Videos on the groups Facebook page show the food on the various stages of its 1700 mile journey, from collection points around Peterborough and the Deepings to Poland and on to Ukraine, where it can be seen being distributed while artillery shells fall in the background.

The Bishop of Sumy has recently written to us as follows ...

Ukraine Christmas Appeal

Dear friends!

Sumy Regional Association of the Centre of the CVE sincerely thanks that you have already four times sent us help to support the service of mercy in Sumy region.

Our Sumy region is located on the border with the Russian Federation, was partially occupied, many cities and villages suffered and were destroyed, and are now suffering from constant shelling by Russian troops, especially settlements located along the line of the Russian border. And precisely this aid was brought to the villages to support the people living there.

We sincerely thank you for your support of Ukraine, for the fact that you did not stay aside, but provided very timely and necessary assistance, thanks to which thousands of people in the Sumy region received food products. May God bless you abundantly bless and supply all your needs!

Bishop of Sumy Oblast

You can find out more about the project on Facebook and Just Giving site FACEBOOK/HelpingUkrainesSurgeons

For further details email Richard Astle richard@athene-communications.co.uk

In total the team has raised over £60,000 and as well as the supplies of food and medical supplies, has supported over 240 refugee children to attend summer camps in Poland. Many of these children have experienced significant trauma, leaving their fathers and brothers behind, sheltering from bombing raids or watching as their houses are destroyed. Two members of the team volunteered to go out to help with the running of the camp and were privileged to spend time with these amazing people and to witness their courage and pride in their country.

In addition, the project was able to buy ten heart valves and 640 sutures for the Kyiv Heart Institute. Each heart valve can save someone’s live as the Ukrainain health service has struggled to maintain services in the face of the destruction of over 500 health care facilities in the country. There is a moving video of one of the recipients of the valves and also of the operation to insert it on the Facebook page.

Huge thanks to everyone involved in the project

and to the local companies and individuals that donated to make it happen. The team are now hoping to make their largest delivery yet in time for Christmas. They have set up more collection points than ever before including at The Granary Café, St Botolph’s Church, Helpston, The Bluebell, Helpston, Hayloft Coffee Shop at Hunters, Cophill Farm, and the churches at Thurlby, Baston and Langtoft.

are asking people to make a small donation of the following items before Sunday 27

The food will then be delivered to Gliwice, Poland in early December, reaching the front line communities in Sumy before Christmas.

Get your skates on!

Experience the magic of Christmas at Nene Park this winter.

From 25 November to 2 January, the heart of Ferry Meadows will be transformed for Christmas, with an open-air ice rink, mini Christmas market and vintage fun fair, festooned with twinkling lights and festive garlands.

Park visitors can glide into the festive season on our ecofriendly synthetic ice rink, open daily throughout the winter season. The synthetic surface is scientifically engineered to allow skaters to glide just as smoothly as on real ice, whilst having minimal impact on the environment. Suitable for ages 4 and over, prices start from just £6 per skating session and include a certificate for each child as a memento of their time on the ice. It’s the perfect activity to get you and your family and

friends into the Christmas spirit, with all proceeds from the ice rink going straight back to maintaining our beautiful Park for all the community to enjoy.

FREE car parking is included with skating sessions, providing an affordable as possible familyfriendly Christmas experience in our idyllic Park setting. To book your tickets please visit: www.nenepark.org.uk/ christmas

A mini Christmas market full of delicious food and drink will add to the festivities, from warming mulled wine and indulgent hot chocolate to traditional Bratwürst and a mouth-watering selection of sweet treats. You’ll also discover unique gifts and have the opportunity to support local

community groups. Continue your shopping in the Ferry Meadows Gift & Farm Shop, full of unique Christmas decorations and exciting gift ideas for your loved ones, alongside a new range of festive Farm Shop produce from our premium local suppliers.

An exciting vintage fun fair and rides on the festive-themed miniature railway will provide even more entertainment, alongside a variety of children’s crafts and activities, including letter writing to Father Christmas and sharing Christmas wishes on our Park wishing tree. Our fundraising Christmas stars will be available again this year from the Visitor Centre and as a craft activity. The stars will then be hung in the Park for everyone to enjoy.

December Daily Dash

Hannah Britton

Walk, jog, run or roll 5k every day this December and raise vital funds for Sue Ryder.

Do it your own way. On your own or in a group. Fast or slow. Morning, noon or night. However you do the December Daily Dash, when you go the distance, you make the difference.

December can be a busy month. Take some time for yourself every day, whilst also

helping Sue Ryder to continue to be there for people when it matters most.

It is free to take part, but it’s your donations and fundraising that will make all the difference to patients and families needing Sue Ryder’s specialist palliative, neurological and bereavement support.

or email december.dailydash@sueryder.org.

people

This issue its Martin Chillcott, best known as a Rural Campaigner, Nene Park Trustee, Chair of the Cresset Board, DJ on Peterborough City Radio 103.2FM and Music event promoter.

So Martin what brought you to Castor & Ailsworth?

My Thomas Cook job brought us to Thorpe Wood and I remembered that Castor (and the Royal Oak!) were just down the road.

Where were you born and raised?

West London, then aged 7 moved to Bracknell ‘New Town’ and a nice new council house.

What did (do) you do as a career?

Cut my Marketing teeth with American Express in the 80s, then TC (twice) and Air Miles. Consultant since 2002 and latterly a Marketing Diploma course tutor

What makes you happy?

My weekly ‘Lazy Sunday’ radio show. Lots of time with our first Grandson. Seeing my grown up children thrive. Stays with old

friends. Seeing the work of the John Clare countryside project blossom

What makes you angry or sad?

Intolerance and injustice. Those ‘portion control’ sachets of sauces that go all over your hands….oh and Rupert Murdoch and his toxic influence on public and political opinion over decades.

Claim to fame?

The only suited and booted delegate at a ’94 World cup conference to score two out of two penalties vs the Canadian national goalie, keeping the ‘match ball’. Then bumping into Pele, who signed the ball and then sat and talked for 5 mins including ‘that’ save by Gordon Banks in the ’70 world cup. I nearly fainted!

Hobbies?

Music has been a passion since my Grandad brought

home records from the Decca pressing plant. Walking in the fields around Castor & Ailsworth and in ancient Castor Hanglands.

Most famous person you’ve met?

Not quite Pele, but King Constantine of Greece was also taking a stroll near the Great Wall of China in 1987. We agreed that the food in London’s Zen W3 Restaurant was far preferable to what was served up in China

Most treasured item you’ve owned?

I love my record collection, but it’s the framed silver disc in the photo, presented to my Grandad on his retirement from Decca

Sun seeker or staycation?

More staycation now, but if abroad not just flop on a beach or sit around a pool.

REHABILITATION, FITNESS AND MASSAGE

based in a home environment

is just

and

trainer, to make you feel safe and at home. Choose

music and set the pace. Personal Training is exactly that;

will get

own plan and trainer.

A Spooky Tale

My husband, Greg, was a prolific writer and a consummate storyteller. So, by way of a change, I have decided to deviate from local history and retell one of his ghostly tales. I’m sure that you will be familiar with some of the landmarks.

By Greg Prior, retold by Dr Avril Lumley Prior

'As a former Woodland Area Manager for Peterborough City Council, I have always promoted responsible and sustainable tree planting and enjoy engaging with members of the public whilst at work. One late afternoon on the last day of October, I was on

St Pega’s Road completing a survey of possible sites for Peakirk Archaeological Survey Team to plant yew and holly bushes on behalf of the Parish Council. Dusk was fast approaching and there was an autumnal nip in the air. Mist was creeping in from the

Fens and there was a promise of a sharp frost. I was just contemplating going home to my wood-burner and a mug of drinking chocolate, when a little old lady with a grubbywhite rough-haired terrier at her heels appeared out of nowhere.

overleaf >>

Peakirk church

for Halloween

She looked as though she belonged to a bygone age and reminded me of my grandmother in her demeanour and attire. Despite the chilly weather, she was wearing a thin cloth coat and a shiny navy straw hat held in place with a large pearl-ended pin. Even her little dog looked as though he belonged to another world with his worn leather collar and length of baling twine that served as his lead. He did not even give me a cursory glance but simply stared into the middle distance.

Since I had never seen the old lady before, I asked her if she were local. She explained that she was from Yorkshire but had moved to Peakirk upon her marriage to a local farmer and had raised four sons in a cold, draughty house at Firdale.

Then, much to my surprise she added, “But I know you, Mr Prior. I see you quite regularly about the village. You live in the stone cottage that used to belong to my dear friend, Dora Prentice. I’ve visited her there on many, many occasions.” Then she spoke to her scruffy companion, “Come along, Pip. We have a fair old walk ahead of us and we want to be home before dark.” Thereupon, the pair set off down St Pega’s Road at a sprightly pace. For a moment, the little dog turned towards me and I had the distinct impression that he was inviting me to follow. Curiosity got the better of me and, clipboard with tree-plan

The Black Bull before refurbishment.

An Austin Seven (first built in 1922) on St Pega’s Road.

Suddenly, the silence was shattered by the rumble of an ancient Austin Seven, which swerved round the corner and ground to an abrupt halt outside the cottage next to the Ruddy Duck.

in hand, I shadowed them at a discreet distance, hoping for an opportunity to continue our conversation. How eerily quiet the village seemed! There was not another soul in sight. Yet, I felt as if I were being watched from every window; as if the very houses were holding their breath to see what was about to unfold.

Suddenly, the silence was shattered by the rumble of an ancient Austin Seven, which swerved round the corner and ground to an abrupt halt outside the cottage next to the Ruddy Duck. Two tall, slim, soberly dressed, elderly women alighted. I recognised them as Marjorie and Olive Sprigge, who I had met when I moved to Peakirk, in 1971. My word, they hadn’t changed a bit! And what were they doing back in Peakirk? Surely, they

must be . . . I automatically waved but they seemed to be oblivious to my presence. To my surprise, they unlocked the front door and went indoors. When I heard the forlorn whistle of a steam locomotive, I realised that I was teetering between two time zones.

Even the pub looked different. Old-fashioned sash windows replaced the large, leaded ones and two shabby doors faced the street. I looked up to check that it was indeed the Duck. Yes, the sign was there but it was superimposed with its pre-1964 name, the Black Bull. Instinctively, I removed my spectacles and rubbed my eyes in disbelief. For a split second, everything returned to normal. But only for a split second, mind you.

By now, the old lady had reached the Monument,

where she paused and looked wistfully down Rectory Lane, as though recalling old memories of lost friends and past times. Again, the little terrier turned towards at me to check that I was following, before the two of them proceeded down Chestnut Close, where they turned into the graveyard.

I assumed that they were heading for the church. The lights were on and, for a moment, I thought I heard the organ faintly playing. Assuming that a service was about to take place, I hurried up the path to the porch and over the worn threshold. The building was as silent as a tomb – and completely deserted! However, I noticed that the north door, “The Devil’s door”, was ajar. Perhaps the old lady and Pip were in the churchyard, tending a grave. I tentatively went outside, shivering in the twilight.

Suddenly, I was seized by an atmosphere of tremendous foreboding. The stillness was overwhelming. Even the rooks in the tall trees were silent, like sentinels waiting for an intruder. Yet, something compelled me to weave my way around the graves until I reached an ivy-shrouded,

The building was as silent as a tomb – and completely deserted! However, I noticed that the north door, “The Devil’s door”, was ajar.

lichen-encrusted headstone upon which was draped Pip’s collar and twine lead.

I stood there for several minutes, pondering over the afternoon’s events until a sudden yelp behind me woke me from my reverie. I spun round but Pip, like his mistress, was nowhere to be seen, though I had the distinct feeling that I was not alone. Suddenly, a breeze whipped up, surrounding me with swirling leaves. And then the whisperings started, quietly at first, then a crescendo of voices uttering names of the long-forgotten people who lay beneath my feet.

The choir of souls had rooted me to the spot but when it subsided, I turned to the grave-stone again. Pip’s collar and makeshift lead had vanished but protruding from the ivy was a large, pearl-ended hat-pin. I began removing the creeper but it was too dark to read any inscription. A car obligingly turned round near the

entrance to the churchyard, its headlights briefly illuminating the letters. I could just about make out the names “Rose” and “Firdale Farm” and the date “1967”. Suddenly, I was jolted back into my own time.

Of course! Everything fell into place. Firdale Farm once occupied the plot behind the fir trees on Thorney Road and had fallen into a state of disrepair. It was sold to developers by its widowed owner in 1963, by then in her late eighties. It was demolished (with her approval) and replaced by Firdale Close.

I pushed the old hat-pin deep into the soil. Clipboard in hand, I returned to my cottage where Rose’s dear - and muchvisited - friend, Dora Prentice, had once lived and, no doubt, where Pip had stretched out on the hearth-rug. I lit the wood-burner, made myself a mug of drinking chocolate and mulled over my encounter with the little old lady and her fourlegged friend on their journey home.'

DIARYFARMING Rosemary’s

As we enter into the autumn season, the weather appears to be quite a sudden change from the very high temperatures we have experienced during a large part of the summer, with barely twelve hours of daylight now. In this area, it appears that we have been blessed with more rainfall than in some other parts of the country which has made a huge difference to our autumn programme,

These conditions have enabled us to carry on as usual with the workload; sowing into excellent seed beds, fields have been ploughed and some have been mintilled, depending on what crop is going into that field. Considerable savings on fuel and man-hours were made with an extraordinarily early and dry cereal harvest, with grain only needing conditioning, and no heat required.

The winter oats we drilled two weeks ago are now showing well. We have also sown some first wheats, a little early, but have encountered a few extra problems, like some of our neighbours; namely, access to pylons by National Grid, and then on the north east side of the land we farm, the new water pipeline cuts across the River Welland at Maxey, Maxey Road and onto land at Glinton. It all makes life a little more ‘interesting’ and, of course, this is on top of the everyday work on the farm, which has to be continued.

In this extraordinary year, we made our second cut of silage on 12 October, which is unheard of –we usually cut in this in July! Still, if we have learnt anything over the last couple of years,

we shouldn’t be surprised by anything anymore!

We lifted our first field of sugar beet on 30 September, and we have just received our sugar beet returns, which are very low and disappointing, but not surprising. I heard some different reports from other farmers, further afield, who also thought that the yield could have been better, so they were also a little disappointed, but, of course, they can improve as we move into lifting season. They can also drop, so what we need to achieve is high sugars and high yield with low admix content (soil etc.).

As is the case with all other crops growing, harvesting and haulage costs have all risen significantly since last season, with margins being squeezed ever further.

The cattle are coming into the yard in good condition, although we have had to supplement their normal grass diet with some of the winter feed. This is because of the lack of grass growth this summer, due to the drought conditions which we have all experienced with our gardens. Once again, the cost of rearing and feeding our beef cattle has reached highs never seen before, so we are

constantly reviewing our costs, enabling them to be kept to a minimum.

With high prices and the extreme weather, farmers are having to rapidly change the way they farm, although every farm is different, so one cap certainly does not fit all, yet farmers are renowned for their resilience, having to adapt to the ever changing economic and environmental climates.

Likewise, in the Farm Shop, we endeavour to give our customers the best deal we can, mindful to keep the products we sell to high standards, as mentioned previously this year has been the most challenging, we have encountered, in all sectors of business, whatever the trade, not only has it been the increasing costs, but the uncertainty whether your order would be delivered, complete or with some items missing – with delivery days changing weekly.

These ae unprecedented times that we all find ourselves living in, but I'm sure that it can, and will, only get better.

This reminds me of one of my many visits to Peterborough Hospital in the last four-and-ahalf weeks. As I was leaving,

a middle-aged hospital nurse joined me in the lift. To make conversation I asked her if she had finished her shift, “yes” she said, “I have had Covid twice and the second time it’s left me with a dreadful headache that I can’t get rid of”. I replied “I think Covid has a lot to answer for.” She agreed,“It certainly has!” Yet, she has continued working through it. I came out of the lift reassured of what a wonderful team of doctors, nurses and all of the other hospital staff we have when we need them in some of the most critical times of our lives. Speaking of my own experience, spending many hours on a critical ward as a visitor, and seeing first-hand how few of them there are, but my husband received the best possible care and, together with their latest medical technology, has now been well enough to recover locally before returning home.

On a more seasonal note, what a wonderful display all the different trees and shrubs are giving this autumn! As you drive through the woods, the leaves are turning very quickly, loads of berries in the hedgerows and the gardens seem to have had a belated transformation of bloom, which all help to brighten these gloomy days.

ROSEMARY'S

With high prices and the extreme weather, farmers are having to rapidly change the way they farm, although every farm is different, so one cap certainly does not fit all, yet farmers are renowned for their resilience, having to adapt to the ever changing economic and environmental climates.

Here’s wishing everyone apeaceful and healthy Christmasand a brighter New Year!

What was Car Dyke and What Could it Be Today?

Car Dyke is an artificial water channel (or series of channels), thought to have been constructed by the Romans during the first or early second century AD. The dyke skirts the western edge of the fens from the River Witham at Washingborough near Lincoln to the River Nene at Peterborough.

The part that interests me the most is the old Roman route from the River Welland to the River Nene which runs from Peakirk to Hodney Road in Eye.

This appears to have been a main link for the Romans to move goods from the Welland into the City of Peterborough and would have been used by barges being pulled by horses along the route, which in those days the dyke would have been around 10feet wide.

If you look at this part of the route you can clearly seem a small stream but the banks on both sides indicate that this was much larger in the past. You can also see where ramblers and dog walkers alike

Cllr John Fox, Newborough Parish Council

walk alongside the dyke, which was probably where the horses towed the barges to their destination.

The new A16 route shows clearly that a new bridge was built over the road, rather than filling in Carr Dyke to make it a straight road, which in my opinion was a great move preserving not only our history but giving more possibilities in the future.

If you look clearly over the bridge, you will see the dyke and the route where the horses would have tread down whilst carrying out their work.

What I believe is that this route could be developed and become is a safe cycling

Lights, Cameras, Action!

route joining up Peakirk with Eye linking the communities of Peakirk, Werrington, Gunthorpe and Eye and thereby making it safe for children who will be using the new Manor Farm Schools.

Also bearing in mind the major development at Manor Farm, which is near completion and the proposed Leeds Farm estate soon to be built which will include many more residents who wish to take to cycling for work and for pleasure.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents will reveal that you are twice as likely to be involved in a Road Traffic Accident whilst riding a cycle in the Rural areas than the

Cllr Saqib Farooq, Glinton and Castor ward

I am delighted to share with you that Safer Peterborough and Enforcement Service recently launched a new campaign, where cameras were installed across the city and around our ward in fly-tipping ‘hotspots’, to seek out and prosecute those offending.

It is no secret the damage fly-tipping can cause to our local communities and rural neighbourhoods, often with huge risk and cost to residents. Fly-tipping also has huge knock on effects on our local Fire & Rescue service, Police, Council and organisations such as

Cross Keys Homes. On average Cambridgeshire Fire & Rescue service attend around 22 fires a month in Peterborough, where fly-tipped waste has been deliberately set on fire.

It is for this reason that my colleague Peter Hiller and I liaised closely with Cllr Nigel

Urban areas, so in my opinion we need to address this issue and seek out more safer cycle routes for all to enjoy without the added fear of traffic.

I recently around three years ago with friends, cycled the route from Lincoln to Boston which mainly runs alongside the river and what they have done to improve this route is fully commendable.

I also cycled about six years ago from London to Birmingham over three day,

Simons, Cabinet Member for Waste & Environment, to ensure that our rural communities in our ward were a key focus during the campaign. And to that success, it was found that a high number of fixed penalty notices were issued in relation to fly-tipping offences at Ferry Hill, Castor, one of the camera locations in our ward. It is an unfortunate reality that flytipping occurs, especially with the Household Recycling Centre

along the Grand Union Canal and what they have done along the Milton Keynes part is absolutely mouth-watering and have turned this into a haven for safe cycling for everyone.

All around the country we see safe cycle routes covering routes that were once river way routes, disused railway tracks which over the years we have left to deteriorate and become overgrown and little use to anyone, which is shameful in my eyes.

and bulky waste collections offered by the council. However, the camera campaign has helped temporarily alleviate the significant damage often caused by fly-tipping and hazardous waste in our rural communities.

After liaising with council officers, Cllr Peter Hiller and I have been informed that any potential fly-tipping hotspots within our ward that come to our attention, will be considered

I believe in is that all local authorities when planning large housing estates should by law take into account safe cycling routes ....

I believe we missed a great opportunity when we lost the rail route from Peterborough to Wisbech back in 1968. This could have been an ideal safe cycling route then and there is still a possibility, with funding that this could still be achieved.

What I believe in is that all local authorities when planning large housing estates should by law take into account safe cycling routes. I also believe that we should be seriously looking for funding to link other villages like Newborough to our City infrastructure by providing safe cycle routes joining up with the already established cycle routes Peterborough already has in place.

Safe cycling

for a trial camera to be installed. If this then results in multiple offences being evidenced, or a high number of fixed penalty notices being issued, a permanent fixture will be put in place. If you are aware of any areas of our ward which are constantly blighted by flytipping, please let either of us know, so we can arrange for the appropriate measures to be put in place.

Fly-tipping can always be reported via FixMyStreet, online (PCC website) or by calling 01733 747474 (or via Cllr Peter Hiller and I).

WHAT

to most

Peterborough Anglo-French Association have had a busy couple of months.

Peterborough Anglo-French Association

In August we held our Big Buckden BBQ and it was very well attended. The weather was hot but not unbearable, the food was delicious and we raised some much needed funds for our intended hosting of the French in July 2023.

September saw our first social meeting indoors since May 2022 and Toby Wood from The Peterborough Civic Society gave a very interesting talk and presentation on ‘Peterborough’s Blue Plaques’. We were very

happy to see eight non-members join our evening and hope that some of them will join the group in the future.

Our October meeting will be ‘A harvest table’ theme, where members can bring along gluts of garden produce and plants as well as homemade preserves to sell and raise funds, again for the visit.

If you would like to join any of our meetings, we meet at St Andrew’s Hall, Netherton, on the third Wednesday of the month

at 7.15pm. If you would initially like to join our contact list for newsletters etc. to see what we are about, just drop me (Jackie Robinson) an email on steiffyok@btinternet.com

Our French friends were very sad about the death of Queen Elizabeth II and I know many were watching the coverage of the Lying in State and the Funeral on TV. They paid tribute to her at their meetings and sent us some photos.

Feel free to look up our Facebook page, Peterborough Anglo-French Association (don’t forget the hyphen) or copy and paste www.facebook.com/groups/697608323628779

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Jackie

The Cycle of Housing Target Policy

Before she was appointed, the new Prime Minister Liz Truss stated “I want to abolish the top-down Whitehall inspired Stalinist housing targets”. For some in Tribland who, like me, take an interest in such things, this may sound familiar. Back in 2010, fresh from campaigning on this pledge, Eric Pickles, (remember him?) the largerthan-life new Secretary of State abolished regional housing targets, claiming the days of ‘Soviet-style’ housing targets were over. Following on from this, over 270,000 homes were slashed from housing targets in emerging Local Plans and Local Plan Examinations got bogged down in housing need debate with many declared unsound.

After a few years however), it was decided that some form of centralisation might indeed be a good idea and we came back to the system we have now (a central figure for need is set, and then local authorities require a good reason to depart from this). It looked like we might go full circle when the recent Planning White Paper proposed fully centralised targets, but then in 2021 the Chesham & Amersham byelection Tory rout happened and the whole conversation on planning reforms changed, after

Love where you live

many Conservative MP’s cited the government’s proposed sweeping changes to the planning rules as a major factor in their crushing defeat.

As a rural Tribland ward councillor for over 16 years I’ve been unwavering in the belief that it’s the residents who elect us to represent them who matter, not the pressures of political dogma. I know that people who live in our villages are passionate about having a say, and being listened to, about what gets built in our communities. The excellent Neighbourhood Plans being created in our rural communities are testament to that. That said, I imagine most of us are not completely against new homes being built but want any new development proposals to be appropriate and sympathetic to our existing neighbourhoods and infrastructure. Many will remember how we successfully fought the proposal to blight Castor, Ailsworth and Marholm with 3500 houses a few years ago and defeated the persistent attempts by developers to build unwelcomed estates in Northborough and Glinton. I understand there’s currently much local interest in a Helpston housing proposal and

I would urge both supporters and critics to put their policyrelated comments to the parish council, ward councillor and city planners during the consultation period.

I’m not afraid to say I took most of what was said on the leadership campaign about housing with a largish pinch of salt. The current approach will need to be reformed as it relies in part on data from 2014. Furthermore, the wider political backdrop needs to be considered - I’m sure I’m not alone in thinking that the discourse on housing in the country is becoming more hostile towards new development. Housing has never been a vote winner, but we’re increasingly seeing the case for boosting the level of supply nationally being eroded, which leads me to believe that a populist, locally-led policy on housing targets will be proposed in 2023. As a veteran of the creation of three Local Plans in Peterborough

I have experience of how these things work and will be keeping a very close eye on how any government policy changes might affect our rural communities and the beautiful countryside around us. Love where we Live!

Cllr Peter Hiller – Glinton and Castor ward

Langdyke Countryside Trust

HELP US TO SAVE THIS LAND FOR NATURE

Langdyke Countryside Trust is appealing for financial help to buy a fantastic 23-acre area of land and protect it as a community nature reserve.

The organisation - a charity run entirely by volunteers in the local community - needs to act now, before it can be sold for other uses that could damage its wildlife value and mean it would be lost to the local people.

With the help of Trib readers Langdyke wants to create the new nature reserve adjacent

to the Maxey Cut securing the future of Christ’s College Pits as a community asset for nature and local people. The area is within walking distance of Helpston, Maxey and Etton.

The Trust is asking you to donate to a public appeal to raise approximately £7,500 to help with overall costs.

In total Langdyke needs to raise £50,520 to buy the land and improve it for the local community. To raise this amount grant-givers and charitable trusts are being approached. But you can help as well. Please make a donation. You can do so by clicking the link to the Just Giving page. www.justgiving.com/campaign/

Richard Astle continued overleaf>>

No matter how large or small your donation it will help to save this site for nature.

The Trust is also offering a range of special opportunities for donors to sponsor elements of the new reserve. You can get more information by emailing chair@langdyke.org uk

Christ’s College, Cambridge has offered Langdyke the opportunity to purchase the freehold of the pits and given the organisation 12 months from October to raise the money.

The College has explained to the Trust through its agents that it has also received alternative offers for the land. It has turned these down in favour of the option to sell to Langdyke and establish a nature reserve.

However if the Trust cannot raise the price for the land within the 12-month period, the College would return to these offers.

Possible alternative uses for the land include commercial development, or water abstraction - with the potential to damage rather than improve both biodiversity and access for local people.

The site is already rich in wildlife, but with your help it can be even better.

Langdyke chair Richard Astle, who lives in Helpston, said: “We want to create habitats for turtle dove and glow worm; homes for kingfisher, terns and sand martin. And to increase the population of the rare fourspotted moth.

“Our plans include three new viewing points (two on the Cut and one from the footpath that runs along the eastern boundary of the site).

“From these you will be able to look out over the pits, offering the chance to see otters, terns, ducks, egrets and even the occasional osprey. Interpretation boards at each viewpoint will give details of what to see and of the heritage of the site, including its views across to Etton, Glinton and Helpston churches.

“We will raise the money to buy the site separately, but need the support of the community to help us pay for the immediate management of the reserve, including the view points and information boards.”

For donations or more than £500 Langdyke is offering the opportunity to name a feature of the reserve (such as the viewpoints or specific areas of the reserve) permanently, perhaps as a special gift or to commemorate a loved one. For further details, please contact chair@langdyke.org.uk

Langdyke is at the point of signing heads of terms to purchase the land on this basis and is now actively fund-raising to complete the purchase.

Richard added: “We’ve got a year to raise the cash ... so please help us to do so.”

More information about the appeal is on our website at langdyke.org.uk

A really valuable wildlife site

Initial surveys suggest that although only recently established the site already meets the criterion for being considered for County Wildlife Site status on botanical grounds alone (sixteen submerged and emergent wetland plants have been recorded).

A total of 116 plant species was recorded from a single visit in August 2022, following an intense drought and with much of the vegetation mown. Additional species are undoubtedly present. A record of Inland Club-rush Bolboschoenus laticarpus during the August survey was the first for the Vice County of Northamptonshire.

The aquatic and wetland fauna is of high value and considerable interest, albeit that the assemblage so far recorded can probably be regarded as characteristic of recently abandoned gravel pits in the area rather than exceptional.

The site is also important for wintering duck, including gadwall, mallard, wigeon, teal and shoveler. Tufted duck and mallard also breed, as do great crested and little grebe.

Snipe and lapwing are found in winter, with lapwing also using the site to feed during the breeding season (they nest on the neighbouring fields).

The pits also provide a feeding site for swifts and hirundines, as well as grey heron and little egret.

Redshank, and Common and Green sandpiper also use the margins of the pits on migration. Little owls bred in the oak trees until very recently and barn owls hunt over the grassy areas.

Otters are often seen very close to the site, and in the neighbouring Maxey Cut, and may well use the site to breed, feed or rest. Both

Water Shrew and Harvest Mice have been recorded close by, and may be present on the site.

Badgers are known to use the paths on Maxey Cut and the surrounding farmland, as do Brown Hare, Muntjac and Roe Deer.

Of particular significance are the populations of four spotted moth and glow-worm which are found on the adjacent areas of the Maxey Cut. The four spotted is a UK BAP priority and red-data book species. In the summer of 2022 surveys along the Cut by members of Butterfly Conservation revealed important numbers of the moth feeding on field bindweed on its banks. Surveys of glow-worm have also detected regionally significant numbers of this beetle on the Maxey Cut in the areas immediately north of Christ’s College Pits.

The wider area is also very important for another red data species, turtle dove. Langdyke already operates within the framework of the RSPB’s Operation Turtle Dove to sustain what is one of the densest concentrations of this species in the region through habitat creation and supplementary feeding. In summer 2022 at least five calling males were detected in the area between the Helpston-Maxey and Etton-Maxey roads, including on the Trust’s three current reserves. Supplementary feeding takes place on the Etton Maxey reserve.

If Langdyke is successful in purchasing Christ’s College Pits, its management plans for the site would be focused on providing additional habitat for three key species. The site is ideal as nesting habitat for turtle doves and simple management of its northern areas should provide additional habitat for four-spotted moth and glow-worm.

With autumn now in full swing, many of you may be missing the summer visitors; the swallows, the martins, the cuckoos. But fear not, for a new influx of winter visitors will be upon us, travelling from the northern areas to enjoy the benefits of the UK’s relatively mild winter weather. And they can be seen all across the John Clare countryside area.

Autumn migrants and

Occasional surprises can be found at Ferry Meadows Country Park, birds likely blown off course by strong winter winds. These include: the Smew – one of our most striking ducks, with a black and white plumage; the Goosander – one of the saw-billed ducks, named for their serrated bill edges to help catch fish; and the Great Northern Diver – a striking reptilian diving bird, whose family is believed to be the most ancient of the modern bird lineages.

I myself was lucky enough to see, in the winter of 2009/10, a Ruddy Shelduck – a goosesized duck with a striking ruddy-red plumage; and perhaps more prominently, a Bar-headed Goose – a bird whose native range is Central Asia, with only an estimated 6 pairs found in the UK.

But it’s not just water birds

Thomas Chillcott

Two thrush species come to our shores in the winter, the Redwing and the Fieldfare

Both species look rather similar to a Song Thrush, except that the Redwing has orange-red flanks (hence its name) and the Fieldfare has a blue-grey head

Both species can be seen in sizeable flocks along hedgerows and in fields, occasionally mixing together

Another, more rarely seen species is the Waxwing. This colourful bird, which gets its name from the wax-like red tips on some of its wing feathers, usually comes over to the east coast of the UK in small numbers, but can come in larger numbers, and further inland, if food is particularly scarce in its native Scandinavia.

Waxwings were spotted in small flocks in Westgate in 2005, Yaxley in 2008, and in large numbers in both Ferry Meadows and Werrington in 2013. So who knows, keep your eyes peeled in the area around Peterborough this winter, and you might just spot one.

But perhaps the most prominent songbird for winter is the Starling. Although a year-round resident, the Starling is known to gather together in huge numbers in winter, for warmth, protection and sharing where to find food. They can be seen to take part in incredible synchronised flying displays, known as murmurations.

One of the best places to see some of these murmurations in Peterborough is the road along Maxey Cut, just outside Etton. There are parking

hibernators

space along, so why not come down of an early evening to catch this autumn spectacle.

Finally, I shall leave you with some helpful advice concerning that most beloved of British mammals, the Hedgehog, and of winter hedge trimming

At this time of year, hedgehogs, as well as our reptiles and amphibians will be looking for safe snug places to hibernate. However, with Bonfire Night approaching, these animals may mistakenly see our bonfire wood piles as the ideal hibernating spot.

But there are a couple of simple steps you can take to help prevent Hedgehogs getting in harms way:

Build your bonfire on the day of lighting, ideally 1-2 hours before lighting (less time for Hedgehogs to establish)

Light the bonfire from one side only, so any hedgehogs, reptiles or amphibians you might have missed can escape out the other side

Also, if you have any hedges in your garden that you plan on trimming, autumn and winter are the best time, as there is no risk of disturbing or harming nesting birds

So go out and see what you can find in the John Clare Countryside area this autumn and winter. You may be in for a surprise.

Fieldfare

Great Northern Diver © Glenn Bartley

Redwing

The wide adoption of solar panels on domestic dwellings has for many years been dogged by overly long paybacks. This seems to have been a result of the grid feed in rate (how much the power company pays for your electricity when it is discharged into the National Grid) as the fall in the cost of buying a complete solar system. The emergence of low cost large domestic lithium batteries together with the halving of VAT on renewable energy systems has been a game changer.

The Future is Solar

The system allows householders to consume solar power during the day and also store it for use in the evenings and at night. Excess power can be sold to the Grid. The batteries also allow householders to purchase and store low cost power at night from the grid for use during the day. All of which typically halves the payback period.

An additional element that helps payback is Solar iBoost. This intelligent unit is wired between the domestic electrical system

and the immersion heater. It detects if the solar panels are producing more power than the batteries can absorb and diverts the electricity into heating the hot water. In winter when the batteries are charged with low cost night time energy it can heat the domestic water through the immersion heater.

The future is likely to centre around using the internal batteries of electric vehicles to soak up solar and low cost nighttime power (currently

Gerry Kirt

only the Nissan Leaf has this function) and provide power to the domestic dwelling. Octopus Energy suggests a typical vehicle could provide between 7 and 10 days of continuous electricity for an average house.

The obvious drawback is when the vehicle is being used for transport the house would need to use grid power and/or domestic batteries. Neverless, the future looks bright and is solar powered.

The Amblers in Tribland

by Anne Lees

Autumn is here, along with the cooler temperatures and shorter daylight hours. Over the summer we occasionally found the temperatures too hot for walking, but this is coat-and-scarf weather: we need to be ready for whatever the elements throw at us.

Autumn is special

Early mornings can be misty, adding an eerie element to outings. Spiders’ webs drape across hedgerows, whilst grazing animals, or looming shrubs, create ghostly shapes. As the colourful deciduous leaves fall, carpeting the ground in yellows, oranges, reds and browns, and making trees bare, the autumn berries add a welcome brightness. It is equally joyful to walk through the woods in the autumn as in the spring or summer – not so much for the colourful wildflowers, busy insects and butterflies, but for the crunch underfoot of drying leaves, the earthy smell of decaying flora, and the hidden treasures growing amongst the leaf mould and rotting branches…

…I’m talking fungi

The Amblers have occasionally been surprised by something so small we almost missed it – a colourful growth in the leaf litter, or sprouting from a fallen tree limb or dead trunk. Anyone who were to be asked what colour fungus is, would probably say ‘brown’, But, just like other

species in nature, fungi vary in colour, as well as in form and size. Bracket fungus tends to grow collectively in fan shapes out of the side of upright trunks and can have a striped pattern, like the blue-tinged Turkey Tail fungus. But many fungi sprout from the ground and range from the very delicate - almost porcelain-like - to the very beefy. I read recently that Puffballs can grow up to 150 cm in diameter, but we’ve not seen any that big. Fly Agaric – the red and white, ‘fairy-tale toadstool’ of our childhood – is unmistakable, and a real treat. We once saw a sulphurous yellow growth on the side of a tree, about the size of a small dinner plate, which resembled a brain. They are fascinating!

THE AMBLERS IN TRIBLAND

So, what purpose do fungi serve?

Together with bacteria, fungi are responsible for breaking down organic matter – thus making it easier for smaller creatures to digest – and releasing carbon, oxygen, nitrogen and phosphorous into the atmosphere and the soil, to support plant growth.

Some fungus is edible and safe for humans, animals (e.g., deer, squirrels and birds) snails and insects. But some is toxic, so it’s best not to handle any unless you are knowledgeable.

What else can we look forward to this season?

Acorns, apples and conkers. The first frost, creating a wintry landscape. Spindle tree berries, bright pink with bright orange seeds. Lapwings in the fields. Cuckoo pint spikes with their bright red berries.

The sound of Deer ruts. Bunches of Ash keys hanging from the trees. Fieldfare and Redwing feasting on sweet haw berries. Low sunlight creating shadows in the field furrows. Teasel stems: structurally beautiful, food source for Goldfinches. And last, but not least, one of our best-loved sights: mesmerising starling murmurations. Lots to enjoy!

We walk on Friday mornings in Trib’land. If you would like to join us, or show us round your locality, text the Amblers on 07714021131 for more information.

Come and

Many of you may be familiar with the national nature reserve at Castor Hanglands, between Helpston and Ailsworth, with its varied habitats of ancient woodland, heathland , scrub and ponds. John Clare spoke in his poems of his journeys through Ailsworth heath and the wood-lands nearby.

You may not realize however that this corner of Tribland contains the site of a local scheme to restore traditional woodland management utilizing historic skills and practices that were once common across all of our old woodlands.

Cutting down the overgrown hazel

Trimming the hazel

Coppicing the hazel rods

Interested?

Nash

and work in the woods

The local volunteer group Nene Coppicing and Crafts has for the past nine years had an agreement with the reserve’s managers, Natural England, to restore the ancient practice of hazel coppice rotation in part of the woods .Traditionally the multi-stemmed hazel was grown in dense plots or ‘coupes’ and then cut down to near ground level every seven or so years, the coupes being rotated so that each year one coupe was ready to be ‘coppiced’ or harvested. The hazel rods could then be used for bean poles, stakes and binders for fencing, to make hurdles- the traditional woven fencing panels, or many other products.

At the Hanglands we are now ready to ‘coppice’ our first coupe which

The finished hurdle

was cleared and re-stocked some eight years ago. Over the next couple of months we plan to cut back the hazel and sort it for use in making products we can then sell. Any waste wood can be then burned in our charcoal kilns to make highgrade charcoal for sale. All the proceeds from our activities are put back into the group to support our activities

We can also use the hazel as the raw material for the woodland crafts we are relearning. We can turn the roundwood on a pole-lathe or shape wood with a drawknife on the shave horse-both traditional methods of wood working used by the ‘bodgers’.

Once a coupe has been cleared the sun can reach the woodland floor and the woodland flowers and wildlife which have lain dormant for many years can regenerate in the cleared space. The process of coppicing thus benefits the bio-diversity of the woodland.

Why not come and join us.? We meet at the Hanglands every Thursday morning. Although physical work is involved it can be adapted to what most people can manage and there is guidance on how to use the tools

• Learn about the traditional ways our forbears managed the woodland.

• Pick up the skills of working with green wood to make useful products.

• Help the woodland to regenerate to improve its natural diversity.

• spend many a happy hour working with a friendly group of like- minded folk and sharing our tea and coffee breaks round the fire!

• Simply enjoy the quietness of the wonderful woodland location.

COME AND WORK IN THE WOODS | ENVIRONMENT

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In Remembrance

‘No Man’s Land’

Amid the smoke, they stumble and fall, Screaming their prayers, they learnt before this misery. Staring down at the lifeless bodies of their childhood friends, As they run through no-man’s land.

Under the barbed wire they crawl, Pushing through mud and blood, as They hear the gunshots overhead. As they run through no-man’s land.

A new company of young soldiers comes in, Drunk with the dreams of dying for their country. But they soon see that it is not a dream, but a nightmare, As they run through no-man’s land.

FlynnBaumber 11rs.November2020

It was a lovely sunny afternoon for the harvest stalls in the churchyard – with bargains on the bric-a-brac, yummy cakes, tombola and books.

Children were able to decorate bat-shaped biscuits and learn more about the church’s resident colony of bats from the display in the church.

The Harvest Festival Service started at the Allotments where we thanked God for the harvest of the land.

Donations for the Foodbank totalled 77kg as well as a cash donation.

Many thanks to all who contributed and helped in any way.

Harvest Festival Weekend at St Pega’s

A fun-packed 2022

Clare Strak, PCC Secretary, St Andrew’s, Northborough

2022 has been a very busy year for the fund raisers of St Andrew’s Church in Northborough. Our SOS (Save Our St Andrew’s) campaign has organised or helped out at at least 12 events over the year. We have been magnificently supported by all the folk in the local area and as this is being written we are just a little short of our initial target of £20,000. It has been hard work but so rewarding as everyone has been so generous. Thank you all. We hope to be able to report on the church building repair work as it goes forward from next year. As the autumn draws on we wanted to share some happy memories of our most recent events before we look forward to the Christmas season.

On 6 September Bradley and Charlie at Northborough Manor hosted the hilarious Shakespearean acting troupe, the Handelbards, in their sidesplitting rendition of Twelfth Night in the Manor garden. The weather was a bit unsteady but the audience and actors alike were undaunted and the rain held

off until the last few minutes. The atmosphere was one of pure fun!

On the weekend of 30 September – 2 October the church played host to our Animal Festival to celebrate St Francis whose day is 4 October. The church interior was decorated lavishly with animal scenes from the Bible, including the Garden of Eden with its sinful snake, the Ark with a huge complement of animals and the church pillars decked out in 4 key animal habitat themes – polar regions, deserts, sea and sky, and jungle/forest. On the Friday evening Bradley entertained us while we ate our way through delicious Fish ‘n’ Chips from Linfords in Market Deeping and then led us in community singing of the most ridiculous but very funny songs. Thank you to Bradley! Saturday was the turn of the children who enjoyed a wide range of games in the church while parent and grandparents enjoyed tea and cakes. And finally on Sunday Freda gave us an up-lifting service drawing on the themes depicted around the church. A wonderful weekend!

All of us here at St Andrew’s wish everyone a very Happy Christmas and a peaceful New Year. We look forward to welcoming you at our events in 2023 – watch this space!

The Littlest Miracle

It’s not often you get to enjoy a real “gotcha” moment. And I’m not sure if it’s totally Christian to. But I did just this once.

It was at a wedding reception – I’d taken the wedding, as a friend of the family. And a chap had kindly explained to me that science had disproved religion. And I told him that, as a vicar with a degree in Chemistry (special subject Quantum Chemistry) I didn’t agree with him. Turned out I had a better understanding of both science and religion than he did. Still, we parted good friends and he went off to have another few pints.

Quite a lot of the belief that “science has disproved religion” seems to focus on miracles. Science, I am sometimes told, means that miracles can’t happen. And of course that is half right. But that is, after all, why they are miracles. In the twenty-first century we know that a virgin birth is impossible. But, do you know what – they knew that in the first century as well. The reason why Joseph considered divorcing Mary was because he knew that what she was telling him was – scientifically speaking – impossible. Joseph knew how babies happened.

Strictly speaking, science isn’t actually in the business of miracles, one way or the other. Science is a humble discipline. If it can’t probe something rationally, take measurements, test and re-test its hypotheses, we are outside its limits. We are no longer in the realm of science. We’re somewhere else.

And in the great scheme of things, let’s face it, a virgin birth is the tiniest miracle. One tiny human cell doing something unexpected. It’s not like believing in a man being raised from the dead, after all. That would be a much bigger one, wouldn’t it?

But God entering this world God created. God as the tiniest, most vulnerable thing. The creator of the universe, confined within a growing human baby. Coming into this world not as a tyrant, not as a military ruler or liberator. But as the child of an unmarried mother, into a race that is under the rule of the nastiest and most efficient empire there had ever been. While Caesar struts and fears his rivals, and

Revd Gary Alderson

Herod wonders where the threat is coming from, God sneaks into the world under cover of darkness.

There is magic in this tiny miracle. If you enter into it.

Last year, as we wondered whether Omicron Covid was going to lay us all waste, we gathered in the dark of the nights before Christmas – on Advent Sunday in Ufford as we looked forward to the light; in Helpston Churchyard for an unexpectedly outside Carol Service; on Bainton Pinfold for the funniest, most unexpected and lovely Nativity I’ve ever seen; in Barnack as we trouped round the churchyard ,surrounded by cartoon sheep following the road to Bethlehem; in Wittering, as carols rang out outside a church that was already old before the Normans got here. We celebrated our annual discovery that though there is darkness, light shines in it. And the darkness will never overcome it. It’s the littlest miracle. But it changes the whole world.

ST STEPHEN ETTON

TUE 1 NOV No Service

WED 2 NOV No Service

SUN 6 NOV Parish Praise 10am Mark Hotchkin

FRI 11 NOV No Service

ST PETER MAXEY

No Service

All Souls’ Service 7pm (TBC)

No Service

ST BENEDICT GLINTON ST ANDREW NORTHBOROUGH

No Service

No Service

Holy Communion 10.30am Rev'd George Rogers

No Service Act of Remembrance at War Memorial in Churchyard 10:45am

SAT 12 NOV No Service No Service

SUN 13 NOV

Remembrance Ceremony 10:45am Village Green Derek Harris

SUN 20 NOV Holy Communion 8am Rev'd Charles May

Holy Communion with Act of Remembrance 9am Rev'd George Rogers

No Service

PEGA PEAKIRK

No Service No Service

All Souls’ Service 6:30pm Freda Skillman

Holy Communion 9am Rev'd George Rogers

All Souls’ Service 10:30am Derek Harris

Evensong with the Benefice Choir 6pm Derek Harris

No Service No Service

No Service No Service No Service

Remembrance Service 10:30am Mark Hotchkin

Holy Communion 10:30am Rev'd Charles May

SUN 27 NOV No Service Holy Communion BCP 9am Rev'd George Rogers No Service

All Age Remembrance Service 10:30am Freda Skillman

Holy Communion 9am Rev George Rodgers

Holy Communion with Act of Remembrance 10:30am Rev'd George Rogers

Morning Prayer 10:30am Derek Harris

No Service No Service

Benefice Holy Communion including the licensing of Dr Simon Richards as Lay Reader. Bishop of Peterborough the Right Rev'd Donald Allister St. Benedict's Church, Glinton. 10:30am

THU 1 DEC No Service No Service Christmas Tree Lights Switch-on 6:45pm

SUN 4 DEC

Parish Praise 10am Mark Hotchkin Christmas Tree Lights Switch-on Village Green 5pm

No Service

Holy Communion 10.30am Rev'd Charles May

No Service No Service

Holy Communion with Benefice Choir 9am Rev'd George Rogers

Messy Church Christingle - in Peakirk Village Hall 3pm

Evening Prayer 6pm Derek Harris

SUN

DEC No Service Holy Communion 9am Rev'd George Rogers

No Service

Parish Praise with Carols 10.30am Mark Hotchkin

Christingle Service 4pm Freda Skillman Holy Communion 10.30am Rev'd George Rogers

Carol Service 4pm Mark Hotchkin No Service No Service No Service

DEC Holy Communion 8am Rev'd Charles May

SUN

SUN

No Service

Simple Christmas Eve Service Village Green 5pm

Christingle Service T.B.C. Freda Skillman & Mark Hotchkin

Holy Communion 10:30am Rev'd Charles May

Carols & Mince PIes 10:30am Freda Skillman

Benefice 9 Lessons and Carols with Benefice Choir St. Stephen's, Etton. 6pm

No Service No Service

Crib Service 4pm Freda Skillman

Midnight Holy Communion 11pm Rev'd Charles May

No Service

Morning Prayer with Carols 10:30am Derek Harris

No Service No Service

Midnight Holy Communion 11:30pm No Service

Benefice Family Communion by extension 10:30am St. Pega's, Peakirk

No Service No Service

No Service No Service

ST JOHN'S BARNACK

All Souls’ Communion (BCP) 4pm

ST MARY'S BAINTON

ST BOTOLPH'S HELPSTON ST ANDREW'S UFFORD

No Service No Service

ST BARTHOLOMEW'S NEWBOROUGH

No Service No Service

No Service No Service No Service No Service No Service

Communion 9.30am All Souls’ Service 4.30pm

Communion 10.45am

No Service No Service No Service

No Service No Service No Service

Remembrance Sunday Service 10am Communion 4.30pm

Communion 9.30am Messy Church 3.30pm Evensong (BCP) 4.30pm

Morning Praise 9.30am

No Service

Holy Communion 9.30am

No Service No Service

No Service

Remembrance Sunday Service 10.45am

Communion 10.45am

Communion 9am Morning Praise 10.45am

No Service

Coffee Shop in Church 10.30-11.30am

Service of Remembrance Outside at the War Memorial 10.45am

No Service

Holy Communion 9.30am

Advent Carol Service 4.30pm

Morning Worship 9.30am All Age Family Christingle Service – make your own! 3pm

No Service No Service No Service No Service No Service

Communion 9.30am Taizé 4.30pm

Communion 10.45am

No Service

Holy Communion 9.30am

Communion 9.30am Messy Church 3.30pm Communion 9am Communion 10.45am No Service

Holy Communion 9.30am Family Carol Service 3pm

No Service No Service No Service No Service No Service

Communion 9.30am

Nativity & Carol Singing 6pm Carol Service 6.30pm

No Service No Service No Service

Carol Service 7pm No Service No Service

Crib Service 4pm Midnight Mass 11.30pm No Service

Crib Service 4pm Vigil Mass for Christmas Eve 10pm

No Service

Holy Communion 9.30am

No Service No Service

No Service No Service

No Service

Christmas Morning Service 10.30am Christmas Morning Communion 9am Christmas Morning Praise 10.45am No Service

No Service

Taizé 4.30pm No Service

Family Communion for Christmas 6pm

Christmas Family Communion 10am at St. Matthew Church, Eye 11am

Benefice Communion and Covenant Service 11am No Service

Diary

Glinton Christmas Tree Lights Swith-on Thursday 1 December at 6.45pm St. Benedict’s Churchyard, Glinton (see page 19)

Christmas Concert Saturday

Merry Christmas Triblanders!

In aid of Wateraid, Libby's Journey (Bohringopitz Syndrome) and Leukaemia Research. Admission Free. Donation may be given for any of our chosen charities.

Refreshements available

ARTS SOCIETY PETERBOROUGH TALKS

The Fascination of Jewellery: Important Women’s Collections, by Clare Blatherwick.

10 November, 10-45am

A richly illustrated talk looking at the collections of four different women, their approaches and reasons behind their collections.

Is Christmas in Good Taste? by David Phillips.

8 December, 10-45am

In a light-hearted historical view, we discover some wonderful and some gloriously awful Christmas imagery.

Both talks to be held at The Fleet, Peterborough

Come early for a cup of coffee and a chat, your first talk is free. For more information visit: www.the-arts-society-peterborough.org.uk

NEWBOROUGH VILLAGE HALL

Christmas Craft Fayre Sunday 27 November10am

Local crafters sell their crafts for Christmas presents. Tea, coffee and cake.

Community Carols

Saturday 10 December Community carols around the tree. Refreshments and mince pies..

NEWBOROUGH PRE-SCHOOL

Music Evening

September Race Night

8 October Christmas Bazaar Sunday 27 November

CASTOR, AILSWORTH AND DISTRICT GARDENERS' SOCIETY

Seed Swap, Cake and Cuppa

Saturday 21 January 2023 2-5pm

Cedar Centre , Church Walk , Castor PE5 7AX

Members and Non members welcome for a Seed Swap, Natter and Chatter, Cuppa and Cake. Please start collecting your seeds,pack and label them and bring along to swap on 21 Jan.

No seeds? Then come along for a social cuppa and cake.

'Trees - A Cut Above the Rest' Tuesday 21 February 2023 7.30pm

Cedar Centre, Church Walk, Castor PE5 7AX

An illustrated talk by Tony Kirkham MBE, former Head of Arboretum, Gardens and Horticultural Services, Royal Botanical Gardens Kew. The talk is about trees and topical issues like tree selection, planting and pruning with a history of plant collectors and modern day collecting.

Members £10 , Non Members £12

GLINTON HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY

Friday 18 November

'Every Show has a story' talk by Johnny Walkers. 7:30pm in the Village Hall

Tuesday 22 November

The Society Annual General Meeting. 7:00 pm in the Village Hall. All are welcome.

Friday 2 December

A Christmas Evening. A fun time with hot food. 7:30pm in the Village Hall

wed 28 dec

Castor and Ailsworth Village Hall Performances 3pm and 7pm.

Tickets: bit.ly/AliceinWL

Beer and Carols in Helpston

Sunday 18 December 6.30pm

After last year’s unexpectedly-outside carol service at St Botolph’s, this year we will be reverting to the traditional Carol Service in the church.

However, we are additionally teaming up with the Bluebell for a village carolling experience on Saturday 17, so you can get your singing gear in shape for the big week! 6pm in St Botolph’s Churchyard, moving across to the Butter Cross, and then on to the Bluebell for “Beer and Carols”. All in all, a very Helpston Christmas. If the weather is foul, then that will be 6 pm in St Botolph’s Churchyard, then moving across to the Bluebell.

Join with PETERBOROUGH CHORAL SOCIETY for Christmas Music at St Botolph’s Church, Helpston.

Saturday 10 December. 7.30pm

Over past years the choir has held its Christmas concert in local churches and it is looking forward to its first visit to Helpston. The programme will be a mix of traditional and contemporary music with audience participation led by Conductor Tansy Castledine, Organist Christopher Strange.

The choir celebrated its 30th year in 1991. The choir comprises mixed voices and is enthusiastic in performing a repertoire of traditional choral as well as lighter music. It is currently 44 strong with members coming from across Peterborough and beyond and from a variety of backgrounds and ages.

The choir has recently joined the Leicester Philharmonic Choral Society in their performance of the Sea Symphony by Ralph Vaughan Williams and the world premier of a smaller work by Imogen Holst ‘What Man is He?’ in the De Montfort Hall, Leicester accompanied by the Bardi Symphony Orchestra. It will also be joining them in a Last Night of the Proms concert, also at the De Montfort Hall, Leicester with the London Concert Orchestra.

For information about tickets: www.peterboroughchoral.org.uk

SERVICES AT ST ANDREW’S, UFFORD

Candlelit Advent Carol Service 27 November 4.30pm & 1 January 11am

It’s always a delight to worship in St Andrew’s – a wonderful church. This year we’ll be using it twice over the Advent / Christmas period..

Covenant Service

Barnack's Coffee Stop Christmas Sing Along Wednesday 21 December 10.30-12 noon

This will be held in the Church. Hot drinks and mince pies will be 'on the house'. We hope you can join us for some seasonal singing and an opportunity to socialise with old friends and new.

(Coffee Stop normally meets every Wednesday at the Millstone Pub in Barnack, 10.30-12 noon, please feel free to join us there in the future).

St Pega's Cafe Brunch 6 November

9-11.30am in Peakirk Village Hall. Two breakfast sittings: 9-10am and 10.30-11.30am

Full English and continental breakfast served or just pop in for a coffee. Bring along your family and friends. Everyone very welcome.

To book your table, call Sheila on 01733 252416 Email: sheila.lever@btinternet.com

ALL SOULS DIARY DATE

6 November 4.30pm

All Souls : Taize Service

St Mary’s Church, Church Lane, Bainton PE9 3AQ

You are all very welcome to our All Souls service which will be held on. This is a wonderful time of the year to remember those we have loved and lost and which will be incorporated into our monthly Taize service, where there is time to sit and reflect, and a time to light a candle for that person who is no longer in our lives but whose memory is carried in our hearts always.

We would love to welcome you to our service.

Coffee cake and chat! at Helpston Church 10am to 12 noon Every 4th Saturday of the Month (usually)

Next ones – 26 November and 10 December

Looking forward to seeing you!

St Pega's joins Messy Church for Christingle Sunday 4 December

3.00pm in Peakirk Village Hall followed by the lighting of the tree and refreshments in the churchyard at 4.15/4.30pm'.

Christmas Concert at St John’s, Barnack Saturday 3 December 7.30pm

The Glebe Singers will be performing a Christmas Concert at St John’s, Barnack. Featuring a wide variety of music as well as Festive favourites. Come for a lovely musical start to the Advent and Christmas period.

Tickets £8 from Revd Gary Alderson gary. aldersonwrites@gmail.com / 07503 975 588. Children under 16 free.

There will be a paid bar.

Proceeds will be split between St John’s and the Singers.

Looking for a small local venue?

Children's party, family gathering, space for a craft project? Botolph's Barn could be the answer A quaint modernised barn in the heart of Helpston. Come and have a look at it! Contact Kate Hinchliff M. 07745116621

WriteAway

@

Frank Samet 

A field of foxes near Glinton this morning

 Anne Lees

There was a real buzz in the atmosphere at the annual Glinton Horticultural Society Show this afternoon, as visitors gathered to admire everyone’s handiwork – from growing perfect flowers, to expertise with needles and thread, from giant vegetables to mouthwatering treats, from photography to model making, and many other delights. Thank you to everyone involved, another resounding success!

Jo Vaus-Lawson 

Whilst carrying out some repairs in our home we found this time capsule from 1975 rolled up in a Cuban cigar case hidden in the wall - does anyone know where Pamela or Christopher could be living now as would love to tell them we found it.

Anne Lees

Fabulous fungi finds for the Amblers this week, in Castor Hanglands. They are mostly small - and one spread was like a miniature forest underfoot - but a lovely variety of colours and patterns. The names are great, too: Wrinkled Peach, Beefsteak, Shaggy Inkcap and Magpie Inkcap, for instance. We failed to find any Fly Agaric but hopefully that joy awaits us in future weeks

 Emily Seaton

We found this last year in southey woods

Tina Randall  Found this little beauty at Wells - a fly agaric

Dav Inder Morning View at Milking Nook

tribunedirectory

Ailsworth Parish Council

Joan Pickett (Chairman)

Bainton Church

01733 380457

Reverend Gary Alderson 07503 975588

Bainton & Ashton Parish Council

Clerk Jenny Rice........bainton.ashton.clerk@live.co.uk

Barnack Church (St John the Baptist)

Gary Alderson, Rector

Barnack / Bainton Church Organist

07503 975588

Elizabeth Snowball 07821 460505

Barnack Coffee Stop

Carol Pickering

Barnack Community Association

01780 740438

Sally Hullock 07795 565658

Barnack Cricket Club

William Armitage, Chairman 01780 740749

Barnack Home from Home Club

Niamh Holman.....

Barnack Men’s Breakfast

hfhbarnack@gmail.com

Mike Mills 01780 740285

Barnack Messy Church

Julie Stanton 01780 749123

Bowls Clubs

John Broadbelt.............................................. 01780 740133

Glinton Bowls: Roy Pettitt

01733 252049

Helpston Carpet Bowls Les Cunnington 01733 253832

Botolph’s Barn

Kate Hinchliff

British Legion

Helpston Cubs, James Metheram

07399 252033

07745 116621

Max Sawyer 01780 765507

Bus & Train Services

Delaine Bus Services 01778 422866

Stagecoach 01733 207860

Train Services

0845 7484950

Castor, Ailsworth and District Gardeners' Society

President - David Edwards 07881098742

Secretary - Christine Murrell

cadgsociety@gmail.com

Cubs, Brownies, Guides, Scouts & Rainbows

General Guiding Queries

Helpston Brownies, Morag Sweeney

07801 357701

Helpston Guides, Lindsay Roberts 07399 589333 07778 707952

Helpston Rainbows, Lindsay Roberts

07399 589333 General Scouting QueriesMartin Hall 07778 707952

Helpston Beavers, Alison Cook.................... 07437 909735

Helpston Scouts, Mark Crookes 07808 633018 Northborough Guides, Nicola Kerr

Deeping Gate Parish Council

07739 098113

Clerk ..............................clerk@deepinggate-pc.gov.uk

Doctors

Deeping Practice (Main line) 01778 579000

Deeping Practice (Appnts.) 01778 579001

Glinton Surgery

Etton Church (St Stephen’s)

01733 252246

Churchwarden: Anne Curwen 01733 253357

Etton Parish Council

Clerk: Emma Tajar 01733 234542

Glinton Friendship Club

Pam Kounougakis

Glinton Church (St Benedict’s)

01733 252018

Churchwarden: Veronica Smith 01733 252019

Glinton Parish Council

Mr J Haste - Clerk

Helpston Church (St Botolph’s) Rector: Gary Alderson

07591 834163

07503 975588

Helpston Helcats Phil Roberts 07925 720195

Helpston Parish Council

Clerk: Sydney Smith

Horticultural Societies

01733 252903

John Best - Glinton 01778 342115

Debbie Martin - Barnack Show

01780 740048 Kirsty Scott - Peakirk 01733 253952

Hospital

Peterborough City Hospital

01733 678000

Langdyke Countryside Trust Richard Astle 01733 252376

Maxey Church (St Peter’s)

Churchwarden: Mandy Loveder

Neighbourhood Watch

Maxey Neighbourhood Watch

Dick Wilkins

01778 343100

01778 348368

Bainton & Ashton Cliff Stanton 01780 749123

Newborough Parish Council

Bryan Cole - Chair

07554 210824

Newborough Good NeighboursCate 07735 810139

Newborough Pre-school Playgroup

Debbie 07423 519890

Newborough Indoor Carpet Bowls –

Brenda Vessey 07941 308148

Northborough Church (St Andrew’s)

Clare Strak, PCC Secretary

Polly Beasley, Churchwarden 01778 380849

Northborough Parish Council

Catherine Franks

Peakirk Church (St Pegas)

07748 637555

Churchwarden: Sheila Lever 01733 252416

Peakirk Parish Council

Clerk: Angela Hankins

Peterborough City Council

01733 253397

Peterborough City Council 01733 747474

Police and Emergencies

Police - emergency calls 999

Less urgent crimes 101

Power Failure

Samaritans

Pre-School & After-School Clubs

Helpston Playhouse pre-school

Lucy Garwood

Helpston Before & After School Club Roz Sowinski

Peakirk Tots Toddler Group

0800 7838838

Freephone 116 123

Peakirk-cum-Glinton Primary School

01733 252361

Northborough Primary 01733 252204

Peterborough Adult Learning 01733 761361

Tennis Clubs

Helpston Tennis Club 07714 780573

Ufford Church Enquiries

Peter and Sally Hudson

Village Halls

Barnack Village Hall Bookings

01780 740475

Sally Hullock 07795 565658

Glinton Village Hall Bookings: Sue Lane

07923 475966

Glinton Whist, Joyce Heathcote 01733 253790

Helpston Village Hall, Caryn Thompson 01733 252232

Maxey Village Hall, Jacqui Barnard 07902 536476

Northborough Village Hall: Karen Cooper 01778 347464

Peakirk Village Hall (Bookings)

Ufford Village Hall

01733 253243

01733 253243

Jennifer Rice 07515 364909

Little Lambs Toddler Group, Barnack

Julie Stanton

01780 749123

Sunflower Seed Pre-School, Northborough Kirsty Wislawski 01733 253685

The Owls’ Nest, Amy Quarizzo

Schools & Education

01733 252361

Arthur Mellows Village College 01733 252235

07938 386226

Fiona Spire (Bookings) 07795 111319

Village Tribune

Editor, Tony Henthorn 07590 750128

Ward Councillors

Barnack David Over

07920 160053

Glinton & Castor Peter Hiller 07920 160487

Women’s Institute (WI) Glinton WI

Julie Fitzjohn (Glinton WI Secetary) 01733 252712 Sarah Thurlow (Glinton WI President)

Youth Clubs

07534 028097

John Clare Primary

252332 Barnack C of E Primary

Barnack Youth Club, Colin Morgan

07850 366528

Maxey Youth Club: Tina Lapinskis 01778 347280