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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.
CENTRESPREAD
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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