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Tuesday, April 3, 2012
LOOKING BACK By MIKE PETTY
Gales take top off church spire >> FROM THE NEWS, 1987 Killer gales left a trail of havoc throughout Britain. At Waresley a freak gust of wind blew the top off the church tower. An eyewitness said: “The top of the spire was lifted off and then there was a big cloud of dust and pieces floating about.” The timber-framed structure landed between a tree and the church lych-gate, scattering debris across the road and into the garden of the village pub. Miraculously, no-one was hurt.
Expertise of library staff >> FROM THE NEWS, 1962 Cambridge Central Library has spent 100 years in Wheeler Street. Drastic and effective reforms took place between 1954 and 1959 to make more efficient use of staff, facilitate access to the shelves for ticket-holders and give the children their own library. Space was cleared in the reference library (formerly the reading room) to seat 47 people. Reference library staff are generally able to lay their hands on a diversity of volumes relating to every aspect of any subject almost before the reader has formulated his real requirements.
Army met in wash-house >> FROM THE NEWS 1937 When the Salvation Army first came to Cambridge Ellis Merry gave them what was then his wash-house in which to hold their meetings. He was one of the early sergeant-majors and associated himself with their work in the villages, using a concertina and violin to good effect. He was the first to run a penny bus, from Mill Road into town and also did the horse mail work. Until his retirement Mr Merry carried on the business of undertaker.
City boundary is expanded >> FROM THE NEWS, 1912 Today the population of the Borough of Cambridge is 40,560. On Monday it will be 57,073. The extension of the boundary brings in Chesterton and the urban portions of Trumpington, Cherry Hinton and Grantchester. These suburbs were inhabited almost entirely by people whose living lay in Cambridge but were separated from it by the River Cam or purely artificial borders.
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20 cracking ideas for With schools out for the Easter holidays, ELLA WALKER has come up with the best local and chocolate-fuelled events to keep the whole family entertained. Easter egg hunts Pick up a £1 form at Oxfam in Mill Road, Cambridge, to take part in a different kind of Easter Egg Hunt. Instead of tracking down chocolate, you’ll be trying to spot out-ofplace objects stashed in shop windows (the form will tell you which shops). Hand your completed form in at Romsey Post Office to be entered into an exciting prize draw. Proceeds will go to Oxfam. Mill Road, April 1-4 At Audley End, your little ones can put their detective skills to the test, hunt down missing eggs around the grounds and be rewarded with a yummy Easter prize. Audley End House and Gardens, April 1-15 Pick up stamps along an Easter trail route and celebrate spring’s newest additions by creating lambs and bunnies out of natural materials at Cambridge Botanic Garden. April 3, 5, 7, 11am-3pm Puzzle your way around Anglesey Abbey’s gardens in a cryptic Easter egg hunt, before taking part in face painting, games and craft activities. Anglesey Abbey, April 6-9, 11am-4pm Wicken Fen’s Easter egg trail, sponsored by Cadbury’s, is set to be a very chocolatey affair. Wicken Fen, April 6-9 The kids can indulge in chocolate prizes, arts and crafts, donkey rides and whirls on the fair, plus a miniature steam railway at Burwash Manor, while the grown-ups hang out at the barbecue. Proceeds going to the Sick Children’s Trust at Addenbrooke’s. Burwash Manor, April 7, 10am-4pm The Friends of Milton Country Park are hosting an Easter Treasure Hunt, but if you’ve eaten too much chocolate, there’s the lake to tramp round and play equipment for burning off all those extra eggs! Milton Country Park, April 8
Art and crafts Budding rocket scientists can build their own precision-perfect rocket to race at Duxford’s Imperial War Museum and become an aeronautical engineer for the day, making, flying and testing paper aeroplanes (can yours make the top spot on the score board?). You can also get in on some Airfix aircraft action in the Hands On Hangar.
American Air Museum, Imperial War Museum Duxford, March 31-April 15, noon-4pm Make your own Easter gifts for friends and family at a craft and card session at Wicken Fen. April 5, 10.30am-12.30pm/ 2-4pm, £4.50 per person The Great Lode Egg Raft Race: build your own egg box raft, complete with boiled egg sailor, and race it down the Lode. No worries if you don’t win, there’ll be face painting, games and competitions to get involved with too. Anglesey Abbey, April 8 & 9
Make your own Easter bonnet (or bandana) to show off at the Farmland Museum and Denny Abbey’s Easter parade. You can also turn your hand to willow weaving, grab a paintbrush and help complete a giant Easter motif on the grass, or follow an ‘eggciting’ Easter trail. Farmland Museum and Denny Abbey, Waterbeach, April 8-9, 10.30am-5pm
play Pooh sticks and put their wellies to the test. You can even sneak in a cream tea at the Orchard Tea Garden.
Get outdoors
Get a look behind the scenes with Wood Green Animal Shelter’s series of Easter workshops. Find out more about looking after small and cuddly creatures, learn to make fun toys for your pets, feed the animals tasty treats and meet some that
Why not pack a picnic and take a bike ride out to Grantchester Meadows? Stroll along the banks and soak up some sun while the kids
Creepy crawlies, pond dipping galore and a whole lot of bug hunting – expect some muddy children when they’re back from this action packed workshop. Wicken Fen, April 3, 10, £1.75 plus optional 50p for bug hunting
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Tuesday, April 3, 2012
family fun this Easter
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>> in Brief Panels stolen from parked van A DRIVER discovered thieves had stolen both the sides of his van while it was parked in Spindle Road, Haverhill, overnight. Police in Haverhill are appealing for information after the flatbed Ford Transit was robbed of its silver aluminium panels between 9.30pm on Wednesday, March 29 and 6.40pm the next morning. Ring PCSO Leslie Scott, quoting crime number HH/12/685, on 101.
Brick shed may be demolished A BRICK shed at the rear of a property in Ely could be demolished. Mr S Williams has applied to East Cambridgeshire District Council for permission to demolish the shed at 90 St Mary’s Street. To have your say, visit www.eastcambs.gov.uk.
TODAY ONLINE
Education FLOAT YOUR BOAT: Clockwise from top left, The Great Lode Egg Raft Race, painting a giant Easter egg at Denny Abbey, lambing at Wimpole Hall, Audley End House and Wicken Fen
Toilets damaged during break-in A TOILET block at a former wildlife park has been broken in to. About £50 damage was caused to the facilities at Mole Hall Wildlife Park, Widdington, after the padlock was jammed open overnight between Friday and Saturday. Nothing was stolen. Anybody with information should contact police on 101.
Mobile home on A1 catches fire
are looking for new homes. Wood Green Animal Shelter, Godmanchester, April 3-11, book on 0844 248 8181 or visit www.woodgreen.org.uk It’s lambing season at Wimpole Hall! See little woolly lambs frolicking about – or even see one being born – and learn about the Hall’s rare breed sheep. Wimpole Hall, until April 5, 10.30am-5pm Wicken Warriors: Deck the kids out in their finest adventuring gear for an activity filled trip exploring the wild outdoors. Wicken Fen, April 12, 10.30am-
12.30pm or 2-4pm, £4.50 per person An Easter Fun Day at Wandlebury Country Park will have your little ones scurrying about a photo-trail egg hunt and trying all sorts of crafts. Wandlebury Country Park, Babraham, April 7, 11am-4pm, £8 per child, book on 07833598155 or email ranger@cambridgeppf.org
Interactive workshops For a not-so-fluffy Easter activity, SIN Cru hip hop club is taking over The Junction for a week of Bboyin’ djing, graffiti art and mc’ing. The
SINstitute of HipHop Arts (SoHHA) festival will be hosting master classes for advanced dancers as well as beginners’ sessions for all ages (including under 5s). The Junction, April 5-13, http://sohhasofresh.blogspot.co.uk/. At the Cambridge Wordfest for Children, part of the city’s 10th annual literary festival, there’ll be an interactive retelling of The Very Hungry Caterpillar, a journey into a fairytale kingdom, the chance to make a Lego mosaic and rhymetime sessions for babies and toddlers. Plus, meet authors Michael Rosen (former Children’s Laureate), Andy Stanton (Mr Gum) and even Paddington Bear himself!
Cambridge, venues across the city, April 13-15, visit the website www.cambridgewordfest.co.uk. While dads swot up on stories of racing legends at the National Horse Racing Museum, the kids can embark on a junior museum trail, learn to tack up a horse, dress up in riding silks and take to the saddle on the museum’s horse simulator. National Horse Racing Museum, Newmarket. Call (01638) 560622 or visit www.nhrm.co.uk to find out more. I For all Wicken Fen activities, call (01353) 720274 to book.
A TRAILER went up in flames on the A1 near Huntingdon. The mobile home was heading south between Alconbury and Sawtry at 9.15pm on Friday when the driver spotted the flames. Two firefighter crews from Huntingdon put out the fire. Its cause is not known.
Burglars cause £1,000 damage
MORE than £1,000 damage was caused when burglars broke in to a house in London Road, Newport. Criminals smashed two glass panes on French patio doors and carried out a tidy search. It happened between 11.45am and 1.30pm on Friday. Nothing was stolen. Call police on 101.