Issue 108 Winter 2021 by Melbourn Magazine

Boundary changes to Melbourn conservation area. See page 8 for more information.

www.melbourncambridge.co.uk

...editorial Things do seem to be returning to some form of normality and it is great to see the efforts being made by schools, sports clubs, scouts and guides, clubs in general and churches. Money is still being raised for charities as usual, which is excellent. We must still take care, wear masks and keep a safe distance, but we trust that things will continue to improve , so that we can enjoy Christmas with our families this year. Many thanks to everyone for their contributions to this issue. It is very good to hear that the Post Office will open in the village again. Once again we would like to thank TTP for their very generous support. We wish everyone a Very Happy Christmas and New Year 2022! Front cover: Station Road heading to the Cross. Part of the Conservation area, which includes the old Fire engine shed, it’s bricks are from the old ‘Lock-up’ that sat on the Green at the cross.

Melbourn Magazine offers a platform to local people and organisations to bring news and articles of interest to residents of the village. It is produced and distributed entirely by volunteers, and printing is funded by advertising. The Magazine is totally independent of, and receives no funding from, either the Parish or the District Council. Content is entirely at the discretion of the Editor. Contributions for inclusion are welcome from all residents, clubs and other organisations. Articles may be edited if necessary to reduce length or to remove offensive content. We do not accept political material.

Contents Village news About Melbourn Magazine Town and Country Planning

5 6 8

Melbourn conservation area

Nature

Melwood: Autumn preparations for Spring

Travelogue

Travelling The Chinese Stretch Of The Silk Road

Education Fowlmere RSPB Nature Reserve Bin collection Review The Tiger Who Came to Tea Authors and their Books

23 26 30 33 34

Clare Crossman “The Mulberry Tree”

Walks around Melbourn & beyond

RSPB The Lodge Nature Reserve

Churches Together Sports & Clubs

41 45

Melbourn Football Club raise £4500 for local mental health charity

What’s On

Melbourn Magazine is Independent of the Parish Council NO public money is used.

We would like to thank TTP for their continued sponsorship of the magazine. The magazine is also available to read online at www.issuu.com/melbourn and to download to a computer, mobile or tablet at www. melbourncambridge.org. All work on the Melbourn Magazine, including layout and design is produced by volunteers. The cost of printing comes entirely from advertising and sponsorship. If you would like to advertise in the Melbourn Magazine see inside back cover for details

melbournmagazine@gmail.com

Well connected...

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01954 211 919.

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Village news Village News Defibrillator at All Saints Community Hall!

About Melbourn Magazine

Melbourn & Meldreth Women’s Group

Melbourn Community Library

Listed Buildings & Conservation Areas

Melbourn and District U3A

News from Moorlands Court

Melbourn Parish Council

Melbourn Child and Family Zone

District and County Councillors

Defibrillator installed at All Saints Community Hall! We are delighted to announce that we now have a Defibrillator installed on the south wall of the Community Hall in the centre of Melbourn. Recommended by the British Heart Foundation, this machine is the generous gift of Val Barrett, and at the beginning of September the Trustees and guests met to say thank you to Val and to watch a brief video on its use. We hope to run this video from time to time at our popular Coffee Stop on Saturday mornings, and when we are able to start our Cinema nights again the video could well be shown during the ‘warm up’ advertisements. We hope that in this way people will become familiarised with the way it works and not be frightened of using it. Briefly, when you telephone 999, if the operator suspects that the problem is a heart attack you will be directed to the nearest defibrillator and given a code to enter on the box. This will release the piece of equipment which you then take back to use on the patient. Clear and detailed instructions are given and hopefully an ambulance will arrive very quickly to take over. Whilst we feel this is a great asset we cannot help hoping that it does not have to be used too often!

Trustees Peter Hills, Brenda Melionotis, Mavis Howard, the donor Val Barrett, Jacey Stewart, KImmi Crosby, Chris Davison, Alan Brett, Pat Ames. continued on page 6 melbournmagazine@gmail.com

About Melbourn Magazine The humble beginnings date back to January 1995, when an 8 page A4 leaflet was first produced, filled with information on the work carried out by the Parish Council and printed on the Council’s copier. The following April, Issue 2 came out, with the inclusion of advertising and contributions from clubs and residents. It had also increased in size to 22 pages. About 500 copies were printed and placed in the library, Post Office and Co-op for people to pick up. Issue 3 (now called Summer Issue) was printed by Hales Printers of Royston. With a print run of 1800 copies, it was printed in black & white with a blue paper cover and delivered to every household and business in the village. At the time, the magazine was sponsored by the Parish Council and TTP at the Science Park. The magazine became financially independent of the Parish Council in 1998 and has remained so ever since, although it still carries Parish Council information when available. Production costs from this point became totally financed by advertising and the continued generous support of TTP. Hales continued to print the magazine until autumn 2000, when The Burlington Press in Foxton (later known as Langham Press) took over. The year 2000 also saw the launch of the Millennium book, a photographic record of the village, put together by the magazine team. The book was delivered free to every household in the village. In 2005, to help publicise the launch of the magazine’s history book “A Glimpse into Melbourn’s Past”, full colour was used on the front cover and a few pages inside. The following year adverts appeared in colour, proving very popular. Today the magazine is in full colour throughout, with a print run of 2350. The magazine is produced and delivered entirely by a great team of volunteers, some of whom have been with us since 1995, and of course TTP, who have remained a generous supporter of the magazine since the very beginning. What has really made the magazine a great success, however, are the interesting and varied contributions from residents and active local groups, and helpful advice and news from many important institutions throughout the county. Without any of the above-mentioned volunteers, groups, clubs, individuals and sponsors there would be no Melbourn Magazine. Thank you all for your support. Issue 1 January 1995

Issue 43 Summer 2000

Issue 100 Winter 2019

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Melbourn & Meldreth Women’s Group We are a small friendly group and we meet on the 4th Tuesday of the month except in December. We have been using Zoom for meetings, but in September we had our first face to face meeting. Carol Read talked to us about the “stand-by-me” bereavement support group, which helps children where one of their parents have died. It really was an excellent talk, Sue Toule gave a vote of thanks and a donation for the charity. In October we met to make Christmas decorations for The Christmas Tree Festival which was being held in Holy Trinity Church at the beginning of Advent. November we will have met to hear Revd. Caroline Brownlie lead us on an Advent talk. We do not meet in December and our AGM is due to take place on 25th January 2022 in All Saints Church Community Hall. We will conduct our formal business of electing the committee, receiving the accounts, choosing a charity to support during the coming year and getting our new programme. Then hopefully we will have a bring and share supper. 22nd February will see us meeting at Melbourn for a talk or reflection ready for Lent. Our meetings will be subject to review with regard to Covid developments. We begin our meetings, which start at 7.45pm, with notices and The Women’s Group Prayer and then we either have a speaker or some in-house entertainment. Afterwards we have tea/coffee and biscuits with time for a chat. We vary our venue between All Saints Community Hall in Melbourn and Holy Trinity Meeting Room in Meldreth. There is no membership fee, we charge £1 on the night to cover our costs with an option to donate to whichever charity we are supporting. If you are new to the village or would like to find out more please contact one of the committee members: Pat Smith (262575) Sue Toule (260955) Angela Leach (262793) Pat Ames (261130) Kimmi Crosby (07976228377) Mary Bailey (220171) Diane Blundell (221415)

Melbourn Community Library After having to be closed for 18 months we were delighted to reopen the library in late August. Throughout the autumn people from Melbourn and the surrounding villages obviously took pleasure in reconnecting with their local library. We had a surge in new registrations (free to all residents in Cambridgeshire), even running out of new library cards at one point! We also welcomed

Your care home experiences wanted! Do you, a loved one, family member or friend live in a Cambridgeshire or Peterborough care home? Health and social care champion Healthwatch Cambridgeshire is calling out to Melbourn area families to share their experiences of care homes over the last 12–18 months. From communications and visiting restrictions to Covid testing and end of life care – they want to hear what it’s been like for you. What you tell Healthwatch will help local health and care services prepare better for the future. If you’re not online, get in touch and they can send you a paper questionnaire and a pre-paid envelope. Call 0330 355 1285. Share your views at: www. healthwatchcambridgeshire.co.uk/care-home-survey

four new recruits to the library team, all of whom have settled in quickly. In September two of our original volunteers retired. Peter and Mike had stepped forward 18 years ago when the old Melbourn library was threatened with closure and, together with other like-minded volunteers, had set up the voluntarily run library. Their considerable talents helped establish the library and their contribution to it has been immense. Although run by volunteers the library is supported by the Cambridgeshire Library Service (CLS) so members can order books from the Cambridgeshire catalogue and collect them from the library at the Hub. Also, any book borrowed from any library in Cambridgeshire can be returned at the Melbourn library. Although we receive some new books from the CLS the vast majority are owned by the Melbourn library – either bought new or donated. We constantly update our stock of books and to date have nearly 5,000 either on the shelves or borrowed. Most of our books are fiction, though there is a small collection of books on local history and a variety of biographies. We have a good selection of large print continued on page 9 melbournmagazine@gmail.com

Town and Country Planning South Cambridgeshire District Council Planning (Listed Buildings & Conservation Areas) act 1990 Section 69 Melbourn conservation area

NOTICE IS GIVEN under the provisions of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 that South Cambridgeshire District Council resolved on 15th September 2021 that the boundaries of the above conservation area should be amended. Some land has been deleted from the conservation area, and new areas have also been added to the conservation area. Public consultation on proposed changes to the conservation area was carried out from 18th January 2021 to 15th February 2021, and the Council has taken into account the representations made before making its resolution. The areas added to Melbourn Conservation Area are now subject to planning regulations and controls set out under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990; conversely, areas deleted from the conservation area are no longer subject to those additional controls. The relevant maps and documents may be inspected via the Council’s website https://www.greatercambridgeplanning.org/ design-heritage-and-environment/historic-environment/ conservation-areas/ or free of charge by appointment at South Cambridgeshire Hall, Cambourne Business Park, Cambourne, Cambridgeshire, CB23 6EA Stephen Kelly Joint Director of Planning and Economic Development

Melbourn Mobile Warden Scheme Can we help you? Can we help a relative? Can we help a neighbour? Who does the Scheme help? The scheme is open to the mobility impaired in Melbourn, Meldreth and Shepreth including those who live alone or with their families, but need the extra support offered by our services. Couples too are most welcome. It is also open to those in sheltered housing, as the scheme offers different, but complementary services. Note: The scheme also offers its services for short periods to cover the temporary absence of relatives who otherwise provide this support.

We offer help with: • Friendship and support via twice weekly visits and daily phone calls • Ordering and collection of prescriptions • Basic shopping • Collection of pensions • Setting up Lifeline service • Bereavement support • Going to the Post Office to pay your bills • Just coming round for a chat

What will it cost? We do have to make a small weekly charge for the warden’s services. The fee is only £7.50 per week (a little more for couples).

Jeannie Seers (Mobile Warden) 07808 735066 email: jeanseers13@gmail.com

Jane Cage (Deputy) 07592 821976 email: janec55@virginmedia.com

Melbourn Warden Scheme is a registered charity

www.melbourncambridge.co.uk

books and our children’s section grows and grows. A new section added in September is books on health and wellbeing, both adult and junior. To the delight of many small children, Mandy’s Story Time on Friday mornings has restarted. It is half an hour of stories, songs and games for the under 5s. At the end many of the mothers and carers stay on to have a coffee and a chat in the café whilst the children play together. Coming along to Story Time is a very good way to get to know people, especially if you are new to the area. Jane Stevens

Melbourn and District U3A Melbourn & District U3A gives you opportunities to develop your interests, make new friends and have fun. As we endeavour to spread our wings again safely, demand for our U3A activities is as high as ever, with people looking for new ways to keep connected with each other and maintain their cultural, educational and social activities. Find out what’s available in our U3A, including access to interest groups, sports, leisure and social activities. Our latest groups include Aviation History, with visits planned to aviation museums, and Cycling – pedal power and electric bikes. You will also have access to the national Third Age Matters magazine, to the national online newsletter and various social media sites, as well as our own local Newsletter and website. New members and renewals are invited from 1 August 2021 at just £13.00 for the year. Great value for such good use of your time. Come and join us. Following our AGM and Ballot the constitution was changed to include video conferencing, and many of our group meetings are being broadcast this way. More group activities are now being carried out face to face subject to Covid precautions. For more information about what we offer, see our website at: www.melbu3a.org Contact: Email: secretary@melbu3a.org Tel: 01223 871480

News from Moorlands Court With the summer firmly behind us and the darker evenings and cooler temperatures here again, we head towards the end of the year in a much better place than we were at this point last year. Covid restrictions have eased and our tenants are all, once again, enjoying their lunches together in the restaurant and making good use of the communal areas to chat and catch up with their friends in the afternoons. As usual, our extremely talented kitchen staff continue to keep our tenants, staff and community clients well fed and nourished

with their delicious, homemade and perfectly balanced lunches. Seeing everyone back in the restaurant for lunch again is wonderful and feels like life has, at last, returned to normal. Communal activities This summer we began to re-introduce some communal activities which have been a great relief for everyone. One of our new ventures is a weekly cinema afternoon. We have had a variety of genres so far, from The Greatest Showman to the classic Casablanca. Popcorn and ice cream are on offer and we try to recreate as much of the “cinema” experience as we can, right down to issuing everyone with a cinema ticket to keep as a memento. Everyone appears to be enjoying the afternoons and hopefully this new activity will continue to grow in popularity. As we approach the festive period, I’m pretty confident there will be some Christmas films on the bill. After all, who doesn’t love a Christmas film? At the end of the summer, we had a brilliant entertainment duo visit Moorlands Court to treat

Weekly cinema

our Tenants, Day Centre Clients and staff. Somethin’ Else provided a cheeky seaside inspired show which was hilariously funny and certainly perked everyone up. The laughter was infectious and everyone had a brilliant afternoon. The Seaside inspired show cheering and clapping was uplifting after the silence we have had over the past few months. Day Centre Our Day Centre is once again very busy and we have welcomed back some familiar faces along with some new ones too. One of the very popular activities continued on page 10 melbournmagazine@gmail.com

is musical bingo held on a Thursday morning. I’ve even noticed one of our clients up dancing to the music. How wonderful to feel so comfortable and engrossed, you lose any inhibitions and just “feel the music”. Our Day Centre staff strive to offer our clients an enjoyable and entertaining day and all the activities on offer give those attending a break from their usual day to day routine while offering their families a much needed break. If you have a friend or relative who you think might benefit from attending one or more of our Day Centre sessions, please give us a call and we can discuss your needs. The Day Centre runs every Tuesday – Friday 10 am – 3 pm. At Moorlands Court we have some excellent facilities, from superfast Wi-Fi to private meeting rooms. These facilities could make the perfect setting to enable you to hold meetings, conferences or interviews here at very reasonable rates. We are also able to offer buffet style refreshments for your meetings, which are made on site by our kitchen staff. Please give us a call if this is something we are able to help with.

The Letting Centre (Cambridge) Ltd Setting Standards in Property Management

Tenants’ stories I recently went to speak to one of our tenants, Muriel, about her life before she came to live at Moorlands Court. Here is her story: Muriel was born within the sound of Bow Bells at The City Hospital, London, in 1929, which makes her a genuine cockney. She was the first child born to her parents but was joined 2 years and 9 months later when her brother was born. Muriel and her brother were very close growing up and that continued throughout their lives until he sadly passed away when he was in his 60’s. Evacuated to the countryside The family grew up in the East End of London until war was declared. Like so many families at the time they were separated and along with over 1.5 million other children were evacuated to the countryside where it was felt they would be safe. 9 year old Muriel and her 6 and a half year old brother were sent to Shefford in Bedfordshire. Muriel recalls her mother’s parting words “Don’t you dare let your brother out of your sight!” They stayed with an elderly couple, who although were pleasant enough, didn’t really want to have children billeted on them but the Government rules at the time stated if you had the space in your home, you had to take evacuees. The children couldn’t settle and within a year they returned to London and back to their parents in time to witness the Battle of Britain. Muriel said she recalls watching the planes fly over East London and the sky light up as the bombs fell and exploded. She doesn’t remember feeling scared, she thinks this was partly because of the calming influence of her parents.

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Shortly after returning to London, the family were separated again when their mother took them to live with their grandmother in Northampton to escape the continued bombing London was experiencing. Her Father remained in London throughout the war as he was an ARP Warden. The family remained in Northampton until peace was declared in 1945. During her school years Muriel was a very able and competent student and was keen to go to university. She said she was awarded a scholarship for being – (in Muriel’s words) “a clever clogs”, but even with that in place, her parents were unable to let her go due to the huge cost involved. It was agreed that Muriel should continue her studies at 6th form as this would be the best way of her getting a good job. After leaving school at 17, she went to work in a solicitor’s office which was located just off the Strand. She wasn’t particularly keen to work in an office but it allowed her the financial freedom to take time away and travel which was something she enjoyed. Muriel skipped between various office-based roles over the next few years which allowed her the opportunity to travel when she had saved enough money. Farming Camps She enjoyed many trips on what were known as farming camps. Due to the labour shortage after the war, many farms struggled during the harvest period and the “farming camps” were a way to alleviate the lack of farm workers. The pay was very low but the workers were offered board and lodging and the chance to leave post war London. The freedom the countryside offered was a huge draw because these roles suited Muriel and she loved the lifestyle. She also made many friends and recalls those years of her life with great fondness. Muriel apple picking on a farming camp

She told me “I paid to go for one week and ended up staying for 6 months!” She remembers being sent to cut cabbages during the winter which made her decide it was probably time to go back to London as working in the ice and cold wasn’t much fun. Hitch hiking across Europe She struck up a very close friendship with one of the girls she met while working on the farming camps and the pair decided to travel together. It wasn’t long before they bravely embarked on a hitch-hiking adventure across Europe. Their journey began at the Blackwall Tunnel before heading down to Dover, across to Belgium, onto Holland, into Germany and then with the help of a blackmarket racketeer they entered Austria. This wasn’t the most straightforward leg of their journey, as at the time Austria was divided into four occupation zones and jointly run by the UK, USA, the Soviet Union and France until 1955. The girls were eager to break free from the men who had assisted their entry into Austria and Muriel told them she would go to the British Embassy unless they allowed them to leave. It wasn’t long before they were leaving the Soviet Zone under cover of darkness. They faced a very perilous journey and just before they left, found themselves lying in the mud while Russian soldiers marched past just feet away from them. Muriel said if they had been discovered they would have been thrown into prison because of their illegal entry into the country, so they kept their heads down and waited for the soldiers to pass before making a hasty escape. They were relieved finally to leave the Soviet controlled zone and be in the British zone and safety. The girls’ trip continued into Italy which was much less hairy than the last stopover and Muriel said one of the highlights was riding pillion on a motorbike across the Dolomites, staying in youth hostels along the way before travelling over to the beautiful island of Capri. After the Italian adventure, the girls headed to Switzerland where they stayed for 3 nights with a Nurse before heading into France. The trip gave Muriel some wonderful memories but without an income and her savings dwindling, she had no choice but to return home and go back to earning a living. “Meet me at the pub” The next job saw Muriel demonstrating the new kitchen must have – a dishwashing machine! She demonstrated the machine to thousands of potential customers at the Ideal Home Exhibition. The company was owned by an Australian Millionaire and Muriel soon found herself becoming very friendly with his wife. She recalls her messages “Meet me at the pub”…….. the pub in question was not really a pub at all, but the Ritz!! continued on page 12

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West End high life During this time Muriel saw herself enjoying all that London had to offer, the bars, clubs and nightlife of the West End were a regular haunt and she especially enjoyed the newly opened “Ronnie Scott’s” Jazz club. The musicians of the time, Ray Ellington and Jack Parnell were firm favourites. Red Coat Around this time Muriel also found the time to work a summer season as a Butlins Red Coat secretary in Ayrshire Scotland. She worked within the entertainment team and remembered organising the various talent shows and beauty pageants. On a rare day off she said they went on a bus trip into Edinburgh to watch the famous Tattoo, which she thoroughly enjoyed. Another string to Muriel’s bow was horse riding which she tried to do as often as she could. She would head to the peace and tranquillity of Epping Forest at weekends where she spent many happy hours at the stables. The horse pictured below was particularly strong and often naughty, but Muriel was an accomplished rider and recalls how beautiful she thought he was and how much she enjoyed riding him. While out riding, Muriel had a fall which resulted in an injury to her spine which unfortunately meant she had to give up riding, this was Riding at the stables in Epping Forest

something she missed very much. The friends she met at the stables introduced her to another pursuit – sailing. She recalls leaving London on a Friday evening and heading to Maldon to join her friends for a weekend of sailing. She spent the weekend on the water before heading back to London on a Sunday evening and it was during this time that she met her husband. Life in Cheltenham The couple both enjoyed sailing and quickly started courting. They married in 1962 and went to live in

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Leicester, where Muriel found work in a publishing company. The couple later moved to a small town just outside Cheltenham called Bishops Cleeve where their son Gary was born in 1965. Unfortunately, Muriel suffered some spinal damage during his birth which has caused her health issues since. The couple separated and Muriel and her son later moved into the centre of Cheltenham where she lived for the next 45 years. Due to ill health, Muriel was unable to work but did have a voluntary position with the WEA – (Workers Education) and was responsible for ensuring education courses in the county ran smoothly. She said she did this for over 5 years and found it very interesting. She was also involved in various other organisations, one of which was as secretary for the local history society. Holiday Fellowship trips Muriel made a large circle of friends in Cheltenham and enjoyed her life there. As she was particularly interested in history, she went on a couple of holidays with her son which were run by the Holiday Fellowship. The pair each found a course they thought sounded interesting and spent a week learning all about their chosen subject. She said she wished she had discovered these holidays sooner and only managed to do them for a couple of years before Gary left home. When Gary went to university, Muriel found more time for holidays with her friends. She discovered that universities opened their student accommodation during the summer months and this gave her the opportunity to travel extensively throughout the UK and to visit some beautiful cities. She continued to have an active social life with her friends and enjoyed the theatre and cinema until her eyesight made it impossible for her to enjoy it in the way she had previously. She said she still went to concerts when she could but she missed the theatre and the cinema enormously. For the last 10 years of living in Cheltenham, Muriel’s health conditions meant life moved at a much slower pace. It was at this point she felt she would benefit from having the extra help assisted living could offer. This also gave her the opportunity to be closer to her son and his family. She moved into Moorlands Court in September 2019. Thank you so much for your time Muriel, I have thoroughly enjoyed talking to you. If you or a family member are looking for support with care needs, we may be able to help. Our services range from Meals on Wheels, cleaning, personal care and even a sitting service. At Moorlands Court itself properties occasionally become available for assisted living. We will be more than happy to talk over your

needs in more detail, so please give us a call and we can discuss what services we might be able to help with, either in the community or at Moorlands Court. Please call 01763 260564 or alternatively e-mail Denise.taylor@chsgroup.org.uk Carol Bailey

Melbourn Parish Council Addressing road safety concerns The Parish Council is aware of growing concern for road safety and especially for younger and older ‘nonmotorized users’ – people on foot, cycle and mobility scooter. An area of particular concern is the approach to Melbourn from the A505 along New Road where the speed limit changes from 60mph to 30mph, a key link road to schools and the village centre. More than 300 new homes and a 75-bed care home make up three new developments at the top of New Road. The existing road layout and traffic calming is now in urgent need of updating. We want to encourage active travel – walking rather than driving – to local schools, shops and the village centre – but we have been contacted by, and spoken to, numerous families with young children who do not feel safe doing so. The Futures Working Party (made up of parish and district councillors and local residents) in conjunction with County Cllr Susan van de Ven have put a great deal of effort into considering how to deal with this area of concern. There has been good learning from other communities dealing with the same problems. You may have noticed our new MVAS (Motor Vehicle Activated Sign) recently installed on New Road approaching the village. The unit will not only warn motorists if they exceed the speed limit but will collect other data including volume of traffic. The unit will be moved to different locations around the village to provide an overview of traffic ‘hot spots’. The Parish Council has now applied for a Local Highway Improvement (LHI) grant and the data gathered will support our application. The purpose of the grant will be to fund additional speed safety measures specifically along New Road and Mortlock Street, up to the High Street junction. Proposed traffic safety measures will be focused around: • Updating traffic calming measures on New Road village approach • Advisory signage at junctions and heavily used cross-roads • A 20mph speed limit along New Road and Mortlock Street

What’s On @ Melbourn Child and Family Zone Welcome to our Child & Family Centres. Our aim is to support you and your family as your children grow, especially through these challenging times. We are located on Mortlock Street, adjacent to Melbourn Primary School. Mini Movers For mobile babies aged around 9–18 months, focusing on activities that encourage physical development. Mondays 10.00 to 11.00am Stay and Play Stay and play session for children from around 10 months or walking. Thursdays 10.00 to 11.00am Baby Group For parents of pre-mobile babies. Meet other parents and access support and advice from the Child and Family Centre team. Thursdays 1.00 to 2.00pm

Booking is essential for all of our sessions and spaces are limited. Please call email ChildAndFamilyCentre. South@cambridgeshire.gov.uk or message us on Facebook to book spaces Please Note… Due to the current situation, some groups may have been suspended or reinstated. Please check our Facebook page or email us for more up to date information For further information: Email: ChildAndFamilyCentre.South@ cambridgeshire.gov.uk Facebook: search for South Cambridgeshire Child and Family Centres Instagram: @childandfamilycentre.south Youtube: Cambridgeshire Child and Family Centres

continued on page 15 melbournmagazine@gmail.com

Buntingford independent opticians enters new era An independent opticians in Buntingford is celebrating the exciting future of the practice with the announcement of new owners and services. J Oliver Radley Opticians, on the town’s High Street, has welcomed Nichola Mason, Michelle Doherty and Mark Udobang to the practice as the new owners. This is following Edel and James Radley’s departure from the practice in early July as they relocated to North Yorkshire. To mark their arrival at the practice, the new owners are introducing updated services including complimentary hearing checks and out of hours appointments, as well as providing access to new brands and a lower, competitive price structure. Dispensing optician and co-owner, Michelle Doherty, said: “We’re very proud to be taking on a practice that has established such a renowned reputation in the area and we are looking forward to being part of the next chapter of the practice’s history. “We are looking to continue what James and Edel started, while providing improvements where we can. Between us we have over 40 years’ experience in independent practice and look forward to sharing our knowledge and expertise with our customers present and new. “Above all, we want to continue to foster a community spirit and that relationship with the town that is so important to independent businesses and how we operate. The welcome and support we have had so far has been incredible.” Mark Udobang, optometrist and co-owner added: “We’re coming to the practice with our own values and beliefs, and have already made some positive changes for our customers by reducing many prices. “We are looking to improve our product ranges and introduce a competitive customer friendly contact lens plan over the next few months. “We are so excited to meet everyone – please just call in and let us introduce ourselves. We are a really friendly team and would love to say hi to as many of you as possible.” To speak to the team or to book an appointment, please call 01763 273300. 14

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In conjunction with the LHI bid, we anticipate that the ‘Melbourn Greenway Scheme,’ funded by the Greater Cambridge Partnership and seeking to significantly improve cycle, walking and mobility scooter connections between Royston and Cambridge, will propose a 20 mph speed limit in Melbourn High Street (supported by some physical adaptations), for the purpose of encouraging these travel modes within the village. We don’t expect that the Melbourn Greenway will come into focus for another year or so, at which point there will be a thorough public consultation. The current LHI bid would complement the principles of the Melbourn Greenway scheme. We would welcome your views on the LHI bid: please email the Parish Clerk – parishclerk@melbournpc.co.uk Claire Littlewood, Parish Clerk

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From your District and County Councillors A10 Awareness Ride and gathering at Phillimore Garden Centre Thanks to everyone who supported the October 4 for the A10 Awareness Ride. Fifty cyclists, many of them truly quite tiny, cycled from home to Trumpington Park and Ride and on to Phillimore’s for cake and conversation. We anticipate an exciting year ahead when, hopefully, the long-awaited Melbourn Greenway scheme will move ahead. There’s lots of information about this campaign for safe cycling between Royston and Cambridge at www.a10corridorcycle.com.

Flooding We were very concerned to receive two reports of household flooding following the very heavy rainfall this autumn. In both cases, the drains had been thoroughly cleaned out in the spring. We have been working with both households, Highways, which has ordered more drain cleaning, and the County Flood team, which gathers information for preventive action. Visit with Anglian Water With all the concerns around drainage and the impact of heavy rainfall on our foul sewage system, we arranged to meet with Anglian Water to discuss system capacity issues in the area. We brought a long list of questions and learned about efforts to anticipate increasing extreme weather events, such as the rainfall we experienced in July and September. We also talked about our chalk streams and the recent Parliamentary majority in favour of allowing the dumping of sewage in rivers. And we got down to the basics for good practice at home - including of course, please don’t flush wipes down the toilet! They get stuck and wreak havoc, whether in home systems or at the pumping station. Finally, we were asked to remind residents of the phone number to ring with any concerns: Water & Sewerage Queries 03457 145 145. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. #BeKind Campaign – Supporting all who work at our GP practices At the beginning of the pandemic, we were all out on our streets once a week to clap for our health workers, in appreciation for the fantastic job they do. Nearly two years on those same health professionals are facing an ever-increasing load. GP practices are under enormous and unsustainable pressure, like so many aspects of health and social care. Cambs NHS are urging us to support the #BeKind campaign – and write: “Over the last 18 months our practices adapted at pace, in many cases overnight, to new ways of working and they have continued to work tirelessly to offer online, telephone and face-to-face appointments throughout the pandemic, alongside supporting our Care Homes, patients in the community and delivering the lifesaving COVID-19 vaccination programme. The demand we are seeing on Primary Care is unprecedented and unsustainable. Demand that is increasing month on month and is expected to continue to increase further as we head into a difficult winter. Recruiting and retaining GPs and other healthcare professionals remains a significant challenge. We now have fewer GPs and healthcare professionals looking after more patients with more complex needs. BMA figures melbournmagazine@gmail.com

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suggest practices have seen a 22% increase in patients and a 4.5% decrease in full time equivalent GPs since 2015. Understandably many of our highly valued workforce are becoming increasingly demoralised.” So – a chance to say Thank You to all who work at our GP surgeries! Thakeham – what’s happening In spite of Thakeham’s insistence that it would work within the Greater Cambridge Local Plan structures like everyone else, the Call for Sites stage is now over and Thakeham has not made a submission to South Cambs District Council, which holds statutory responsibility for planning. The South Cambs District Council Local Plan’s ‘First Proposals’ are structured within basic principles for sustainable development, headlining climate change and water resource. The Local Plan proposed development area does not include the area earmarked by Thakeham for its 25,000 home new town. The speculative developer still appears to be banking instead on national channels to override local democratic structures, in advancing its new town aspirations. ‘My Maps’ and public information on public assets A great deal of public information is available around publicly owned property and demography. For property, please go the County Council home page and click ‘Maps’ at the top of the home page.www. cambridgeshire.gov.uk For demographic information, please see Cambridgeshire Insights, and explore the various filters. https://cambridgeshireinsight.org.uk Home adaptations for the elderly We’ve had a couple of calls from residents about this service, including how confusing it can be to locate the right person to talk to. The number to call is 0345 045 5202. Susan is more than happy to be contacted directly with any questions for anything that is unclear. Unfortunately, as with so many public services now, and especially in health and social care, there’s a very long waiting list – about six months. Nevertheless, please, do still get the ball rolling if you have concerns. Oil Club A reminder as we move toward winter that our local bulk buying household heating oil club is still up and running. We work with a local supplier to get best prices on the day. There’s no joining fee and no requirement for repeat orders. An annual rebate is received each year and donated to a community group – this year’s donation went to Home-Start Royston and South Cambs. Our supplier is Jeremy Cole, Agricole Oil: Tel 01954 719452 or 07860 904 045, jeremy@agricole.co.uk, www.agricole.co.uk

Tree planting: Queen’s Canopy This scheme will see thousands of trees planted between now and the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee next summer. Individuals, schools, businesses, community groups, councils are all being encouraged to plant trees where appropriate to do so. The County Council’s website includes advice on this, and the national Queen’s Green Canopy website will soon include a map on which residents can mark the trees they have planted as part of the scheme. In Cambridgeshire, the initiative is backed by the LordLieutenant of Cambridgeshire, Julie Spence. The County Council will be identifying some land in its ownership on which to plant trees. • https://queensgreencanopy.org • https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/residents/ climate-change-energyand-environment/improvingthe-natural-environment/trees-andwoodland/ queens-green-canopy-project

County Council’s New Shire Hall, Alconbury: To laugh or to cry? A project of the previous administration, Construction of the ‘New Shire Hall’ building HQ for Cambs County Council is complete, and a phased return to work plan and September committee meetings have taken place there. Based at Alconbury Weald off the A1 toward Peterborough, there are no viable public transport connections from most parts of the county. It remains to be seen whether the impressive cycle parking facilities there will be put to use. The most surprising feature of New Shire Hall is that it contains no space large enough to hold a meeting of Full Council. Therefore, the County Council is forced to hire a suitable venue for each of its Council meetings. New Shire Hall stands directly adjacent to the ‘iMET’ vocational training centre, a £10 million project launched in 2018, which has now collapsed and is closed, due to lack of public transport access. Any questions or concerns? Please let us know! We are always available to help with any issues of concern – please feel free to contact us any time. We hold a Zoom Cuppa surgery on Wednesdays from 5-6, so if you’d like to come along do get in touch and we’ll send you the link. Jose, Sally Ann and Susan

District Councillor Jose Hales jose@josehales.me.uk, 07703262649 District Councillor Sally Ann Hart sallyannhart@ riskingonpurpose.com, 07791233303 County Councillor Susan van de Ven Susanvandeven5@ gmail.com, 07905325574 melbournmagazine@gmail.com

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As we move into autumn, thoughts turn to the work that will be needed to ensure the show of spring flowers that are a big feature of Melwood. The taller of the wild flowers of late spring and early summer have long since finished blooming and dry stalks now stand or lie where they had once grown. These are being cut and cleared to make room for new shoots that will bring forth next year’s show. Nettle-leaved Bellflowers, summer flowering at the back of the wood, produced their best show to date this year, so the strategy of allowing them to seed to provide a good display each year is succeeding. Also, the died-down Cleavers stalks have been cleared to ensure the Snowdrops have clear headroom as soon as they start to emerge. Cleavers is a smothering weed that has rough leaves and stalks that enable it to climb over any plants and bushes in its way. We therefore need to keep its presence in the wood to a minimum and a lot was pulled out earlier in the year. 100 English Bluebells were planted last year, but only late in the winter, when some growth had already started. This year the process has been carried out earlier with dormant bulbs already planted so we hope they will be well established by the spring. We will then observe their performance before any further expansion of the program. Most of our recent tree and bush plantings have gone well but an oak sapling, which put on over two feet of new growth in 2020, has suddenly and inexplicably died. It broke leaves in spring in the usual way but died very suddenly after that. A smaller, weaker sapling oak only a few feet away remains healthy, so a postmortem will be needed to see if we can determine what happened to cut short what seemed to be a promising establishment. Other work over the winter will include some coppicing of old Hawthorns and Hazels, to try to regenerate them and to provide improved light on areas to be planted or seeded with wild flowers (of local origin). Elders will also be trimmed and sycamore and maple seedlings removed. Nest boxes were not cleaned in 2020, and so will need some attention this year. We hope you will continue to enjoy the site as the leaves turn colour then fall in preparation for the spring regeneration. Nettle-leaved Bellflower melbournmagazine@gmail.com

Travelogue

Travelling The Chinese Stretch Of The Silk Road Jordan: an unexpected link to the silk routes Jordan is not normally considered to be part of the silk routes, but I found an unexpected link to a branch that came down through Syria and on to Egypt. Although the main silk route is considered to be from China to Europe, there were many side branches of varying importance. I discovered evidence of trading links to the silk routes at the amazing Nabataean site of Petra and then, on a later trip to Naples (Southern Italy), that traders from Petra had lived in the nearby Roman town of Puteoli (now Pozzuoli) from at least 53/52 BCE and were still there in CE 5/6. A statue of one of their gods; Dusares, looking just like ones in Jordan, impressed me at the Naples museum. The Nabataeans were originally a nomadic group from the area that is now Saudi Arabia. The society evolved into a kingdom around the third century BCE that eventually controlled most of what is now Jordan but was incorporated into the Roman empire about 106 CE. The biblical Herod’s first wife was a Nabataean. They were well renowned for their trading skills, especially in spices and silks. Petra was the centre of their caravan trade with a large caravanserai just outside the city similar to those on the silk routes. From here they could trade in all directions: Gaza to the west; Bosra and Damascus to the north; to Aqaba and Leuce on the Red Sea; and across the desert to the Persian Gulf.

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Above: Whadi Rhum, Aqaba, Jordan

The site was progressively abandoned from about 550 CE due to the area being earthquake prone. The site is truly stunning, well worthy of its UNESCO World Heritage site status. It was reached after a hot, mile long walk along a path paved with limestone (probably in the 1st century BCE) and surrounded by tombs and sacred sites. This led into a picturesque sandstone gorge followed by a tunnel which opens up to reveal the “Treasury” temple in all its majesty. The rest of the site contains further impressive sandstone Nabataean buildings and Roman architecture, including a well preserved amphitheatre. Some of you might recognise the site from an Indiana Jones film. A 2014 National Geographic article speculated that the buildings were orientated so that the sun would highlight the features of the temple structures at the solstices, particularly inside the building called “the monastery”. One of the secrets of the Nabataeans success may have been their development of sophisticated methods of irrigation, as we also found in the civilisations along the silk routes. Jordan is one of the driest countries on earth and there were no springs inside Petra. The Nabataeans therefore developed water harvesting, flood control and water storage systems, probably later using knowledge from ancient Rome. The water was brought either from springs some distance away or from storm water captured in rock hollows and transported along aqueducts or pipes. One of these is dated to the

Above: The Treasury, Petra, Jordan

first century BCE. The water was stored in the city in large cisterns. This made sedentary life and agriculture, including wine and olive production, possible. The gorge leading to the site has a water conduit carved out of the rock along one side leading from the Spring of Moses (which is reputed to be the place where Moses struck the rock and water gushed forth). A fountain in the city is fed from this source. The tunnel leading to the site was built in the 3rd century BCE to protect from flash floods. Like many such sites there is concern that the volume of tourists (pre COVID about half a million a year) will damage the site, but the income is crucial to Jordan’s economy (6% of GDP in 2015) and the local inhabitants who have given up their previous agricultural livelihood. Unfortunately the Heritage Department is under the control of the Ministry of Tourism, which has rather different objectives. Nearby the main Petra site is the archaeological site of Beidha, inhabited in the Neolithic period, about 7,000BCE, and probably having about 100 inhabitants. At this time they had already started to domesticate wheat and barley and had domesticated goats as well as hunting local animals. There was also evidence of trading activity with items from Turkish and Egyptian areas. There is also evidence of earlier inhabitation with Homo erectus and Neanderthal remains (1.4m years ago) having been found, and early humans arrived about 250,000 years ago. The earliest human huts in Jordan are dated to about 20,000 years ago in the Kharanah area in the East. In the Old Testament the inhabitants of what is now Jordan are called Canaanites: Ammon, Moab, Edom. Coming from a very religious family it was moving to travel through the countryside and stop to look over the border to Israel, including the place where Moses is said to have seen the promised land.. It brought back

memories of working on a kibbutz in Galilee in 1967 and then hitchhiking around the country. We saw the Dead Sea from afar, which I had floated in, and other reminders of its history in the remains of crusader castles. 1n 2016, shortly before our planned trip, there was an attack on tourists at Karak castle. However it was all quiet when we visited a neighbouring castle. We also drove to wadi rum (or valley of the moon), through amazing sculpted sandstone landscapes, where several science fiction movies have been filmed. This was inhabited from ancient times, including by the Nabataeans, who left the remains of a temple and marks on rock faces. The area was later made famous in T E Lawrence’s Seven Pillars of Wisdom, his account of the role of “Arab Revolt” during the first world war. The local forces assisted the British but were then not given the territory they had been promised when the French and British divided up the middle east after the first world war. Tensions resulting from this colonial partitioning exist from Iraq to Egypt to the present day. My trip concentrated on the landscape and the archaeology, including the excellent museum in Amman, the capital. However there is much else to enjoy in modern Jordan which has survived the conflicts that have whirled around it remarkably well. The country has a high development status with an economy in the upper middle income group and a well-developed healthcare system for the 10 million population. However it is very dependent on foreign aid. Its largely Sunni Muslim population is very tolerant of other groups and the Christians hold seats in parliament. In an area where religious conflict is a constant threat the estimated 250,000 Christians, about 4% (2014), including some very old Eastern Orthodox communities dating back to the first century CE, are well integrated into society. It has also taken in a large number of Syrian refugees who started to flee to Jordan in 2011 and continue to arrive, but in much smaller numbers. A memorable trip giving an insight into East and West links over millennia. Bruce Huett Right: Nabataean betyl Photo by Bjorn Anderson. From the Wikimedia Commons

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Over the summer we have been sprucing up our garden room. It has had a makeover, and we must thank Pete Allison and Ian Cross for their hard work and inspiration in making the room look fantastic in its new colours of green and blue. As well as the painting, we have been cleaning, sorting and mending, making sure both rooms were ready for the children. September is always a busy time for us at Playgroup and this year it has been just as busy. It has been lovely to see all the children who have returned after the summer break. We have welcomed lots of new children and are looking forward to getting to know them and their families. We opened our doors to current, new and prospective parents for an open evening on 22nd September, giving them the opportunity to meet our staff and have a look around both rooms and the garden. We hope this has helped parents to feel more included in their child’s journey. Don’t worry if you missed out, we are planning on opening our doors on another evening in June or July. We will post this on our Facebook page and website when a date has decided. Covid restrictions have reduced a little and as of writing we are now able to mix the children. We remain in two rooms but are spending some time out in the garden all together, which both the staff and children have enjoyed. We continue to keep up with cleaning and hand washing to reduce the spreading of germs. Moos – Our afterschool club welcomes school-aged children from years 3 – 6. Please contact us to book your child’s place: moos@melbournplaygroup. org.uk or call 01763 223459. MOOS is a fun, free-flow play environment which we believe our children greatly enjoy. If you have a child who is ready for playgroup, please contact us on 01763 223459 or email: office@melbournplaygroup.org.uk Please visit our website: www.melbournplaygroup.co.uk for more information including details of our opening times and fees. Jennie and Claire – Playgroup Managers Nikki and Natalie – MOOS Managers melbournmagazine@gmail.com

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Melbourn Village College September 2021 was trailed as ‘back to normal’ for schools around the country. We began with an induction day for Year 7s, delayed from June of Year 6 when visits weren’t allowed. Many excited but slightly anxious faces greeted staff and year 11 prefects outside the front of school as we welcomed them into our school community. Over the next couple of days, they were joined by the rest of the school; a phased start to term to allow for the obligatory Covid-testing. Once again, as in March, our amazing team of volunteers from the local community ensured that testing was a simple and straightforward experience for all pupils. Also postponed from the Summer term were year group trips. Again, September gave us the chance to make up for lost time. Year 11 enjoyed a trip to Southend-on-Sea, Year 8 played Jurassic Links Adventure Golf at Kingsway Golf Centre in Melbourn, Year 9 visited Shepreth Wildlife Park to learn about the animals and wildlife conservation and Year 10 had fun at Gravity Trampoline Park in Stevenage. More trips took place after half term as part of our inclusive sports week for pupils with SEND. Three events included a trip to Clip and Climb in Cambridge, a Panathlon Challenge, and a Colour Run at Milton Country Park. Meanwhile, back at school, other pupils had an opportunity to take part in inclusive/adapted sports during PE lessons. Enrichment activities were back up and running from the start of term with plenty of activities for pupils to choose from including Multi-Sports, Hockey, Badminton, Table Tennis, Netball, Rugby, Sewing and Craft Club, Show Band, Choir, Science Club, Electronics, Creative Writing, Running Club and Minecraft Club. This term has also seen some notable sporting endeavours and achievements. Congratulations to Matt L (Year 11) who made his debut in adult cricket for Reed CC, contributing a fluent 26 not out with the bat and a very economical 1-8 off 5 overs. The Year 11 boys’ team progressed in the English Schools Football Association National Cup (ESFA) by convincingly beating local school King James Academy 5-0. After a valiant effort, our Year 10 boys’ football team bowed out of the English Schools Cup, losing narrowly to Haileybury Turnford School from Cheshunt. Mr Barlow was encouraged by how well the boys played; “to go down to a penalty and a fortunate strike from outside the box was frustrating”. Year 10 Sports Leaders, Philippa F, Emma B, Daisy N, Jessica B and Isabel S, successfully completed the Netball Youth Umpire Course and there are plans for a basketball activators’ course, rugby, dodgeball, football and first aid course. It may only be the first term of the year but Year 11 pupils are already thinking about post-16 options. Over

100 of them attended our post-16 evening and had a chance to meet with post-16 provider staff to explore their options. Post-16 progression for MVC pupils with special needs was highlighted recently when the Student Support Centre took delivery of a garden shed made by co-workers at the Phoenix Trust – a social enterprise charity offering experience of the world of work to young people and adults with a range of learning disabilities, mental health and/or behavioural issues. Former MVC pupil, Ewan W, helped to make the shed which will be used to store tools used for bespoke gardening lessons. “Enterprises such as Phoenix help our pupils with moderate to severe learning disabilities see a pathway for them post-16” said Mrs Ghale, SENCO/Skills Base Lead. The Summer of 2021 saw our first cohort of pupils complete their Mandarin GCSE courses. Results were extremely encouraging and we were delighted that some pupils wanted to continue their studies to A-level. To ensure the highest quality of provision and to continue our commitment to these pupils, their A-level at Comberton Sixth Form is being delivered by our expert MVC teachers. One of our Trust’s principles is to have our college at the centre of the Community. We were therefore delighted to welcome Community Education back into the college at the end of September with courses such as British Sign Language, DIY, Drawing, Cookery, Yoga and Ghost Hunting. Other community activities included hosting the NHS Flu vaccination, Breast Screening Unit, and the Cambridge & District MG Club who started their Autumn Leaves Rally from the college. This year they were supporting Guide Dogs for the Blind and we enjoyed meeting the puppies in the school hall, while having coffee and a bacon roll, before the drivers headed off to Jordan’s Mill in Biggleswade. The MG Club made a very generous donation to the school funds and we look forward to welcoming them back in February for their Snowdrop Run. Construction of the new £800,000 4G artificial pitch is nearing completion, and on track to finish at the end of November. As we write this, the stones and tarmac have been laid and the contractors have started installing the artificial grass carpets. Flood lighting is up and the landscaping is underway. Pupils are very much looking forward to using the 100m x 64m floodlit pitch for lessons and enrichment sessions, and it will also be a fantastic facility for the local community. Looking forwards we have plans to redevelop our Food and Nutrition room in the Summer of 2022, giving this popular and important subject the high-quality facilities and resources it deserves. This is an exciting time to be a part of the MVC community, and part of our commitment to our next generation of pupils and to the wider community. melbournmagazine@gmail.com

Nature Fowlmere RSPB Nature Reserve

The reserve at dusk

Once again there have been some interesting sightings at the reserve and in this article, local birder Ade Cooper sets out his diary for the months of August, September and October. August – a new month and some great news! Spotted Flycatchers had been very elusive this year and I had not been able to confirm any breeding, so I was delighted to see 2 adults feeding 3 fledged young around the loop in the centenary end. At the same time, a Nuthatch put in an appearance. The Marsh Harriers were still present, although it was likely they would disperse very soon. There were many young birds calling, especially newly fledged Reed Warblers, who seemed to be all around the reserve, and several young Water Rails. Juvenile Reed Warbler just fledged

Water Vole

The Spring hide was the most entertaining place for viewing. A Water Vole made regular appearances from the small island in front of it, and a juvenile Kingfisher was also using the pool regularly. An adult Water Rail could often be seen on the right-hand side of the pool, underneath the trees and just tucked into the reeds. Kingfisher

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On the 12th there was another Spotted Flycatcher family around the hide. On this day I also saw the pair at the centenary end, so I could confirm two successful pairs at the reserve – excellent!

Juvenile Greenshank

Spotted Flycatcher. Adult flanked by juveniles

There was less activity at the Reedbed hide: visitors reported a Hobby hunting dragonflies over the mere and a Green Sandpiper dropping in briefly but realising that the water level was too deep for it to feed. Happily, the water was now dropping and a mud edge was just about visible. As expected, the Marsh Harriers had by then dispersed away from the reserve. A Willow Emerald Damselfly was around the pond dipping pools along the boardwalk. By mid-month there was a definite feel of Autumn in the air. Yellow Wagtails had begun going over, Lesser Whitethroats were feeding on elder berries and a presumed passage Garden Warbler had been seen – all firm signs of Autumn. The Spotted Flycatcher family were still there around the loop in the centenary end, and several butterfly species could be seen, with Brown Argus, Common Blue and Small Copper being the best. There were a number of Tortoiseshells on the wing, but still very few Gatekeepers. The year overall had not been good for butterflies at Fowlmere, with numbers well down. An Otter was reported by a visitor at the Spring hide on the 15th. By the 20th water levels at the mere had fallen further and a decent strip of mud was showing at the edge; we were pleased then to see a young Greenshank arrive, staying throughout the following day. I hoped this was the first of a few wader species in the coming weeks. In the early morning on the 21st the car park was buzzing with Chiffchaffs, Whitethroats, Blackcaps, Goldcrests, Treecreepers, and the Spotted Flycatchers,

all feeding in the hawthorn, elder and ash. Lesser Whitethroats were on the Guilden brook and there was just one yellow juvenile Willow Warbler. A number of predator birds were seen, including Peregrine Falcons, Hobbies, Kestrels, Red Kites, Buzzards and Sparrowhawks, and our male Marsh Harrier surprised us by making a brief reappearance on the 22nd, flying into the nest site at around 17.00 and then out north again at 19.45. Wildfowl on the mere were now increasing, with new Teals, Water Rails, Little Egrets and a count of 52 Mallards. By the end of the month the Teal count was up to 10 and there were also 27 Moorhens. 2–3 Kingfishers were frequently seen, and the first autumn Snipe was back on the mere edge. One late evening saw a pre-migration build-up of at least 50 Swallows, and 40 Linnets were briefly around the mere looking for a drink. A secondary feather of a juvenile Cuckoo found on the path by the Shep was interesting. A Cuckoo raised on the reserve would be great news, but this one may have been short-lived since a juvenile Cuckoo should not be losing its feathers. There was just one feather, so possibly it had a close call and got away: I like to think so! By the end of the month gulls were gathering. A field being ploughed on the east side had 150+ Lesser BlackBacked Gull following it, 2 Herring Gulls mixed in and the first Common Gull of the autumn. 2 Hobbies were seen high above the reserve and then another over the field with the gulls. While watching the gulls, 2 Golden Plovers came flying in and then departed; these were also the first of the autumn. On the 29th, a Great-White Egret was feeding around the mere for about half an hour before flying eastward. The first confirmed breeding in Cambridgeshire took place this season and Great-Whites are now very easy melbournmagazine@gmail.com

Great-White Egret

to find along the washes, but are still scarce here in the south of the county. I saw one flying over the reserve earlier in the year, but seeing one feeding on the mere at close range was much better! Interestingly, a visitor reported seeing (and photographed) a female Smew in front of Drewer’s hide in the afternoon of the 29th. This bird was undoubtedly an escape, probably from the Dernford collection where there are at least four. Early in September I was pleased to find a Whinchat on the Guilden brook, and then soon after a Redstart in the same hedgerow. Both sightings were brief, with the Whinchat flying away over the fields and the Redstart moving quickly into cover after just a few moments. Warbler numbers had naturally dwindled as the birds moved out, but all the commoner species except Willow Warblers were still present. I was particularly pleased to see a Grasshopper Warbler fly up from cover. An adult Peregrine flew over northwards and a Hobby was seen feeding very high up over the reserve. A really good flyover was a calling Ringed Plover on the 4th: this is only the 9th record for the reserve.

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The mere was very lively with a good number of birds using the area. Teals were coming in, reaching 45 on the 5th and 30 Moorhens were counted. Other species seen around the mere included Little Egrets, Kingfishers, a group of Swallows and a Sand Martin. Grey Wagtails and Water Rails were creeping around the fringes. A juvenile Tufted Duck flew in late on the 5th, a species we haven’t had many of this year, and a Great White Egret was reported to have been seen. Two Tawny Owls were heard calling in the middle of the day. Butterfly numbers were then declining, but warm, sunny weather on the 5th brought large numbers out. A brilliant record for the reserve was a Clouded Yellow, which flew along and away down the Guilden brook. This is only the second record for Fowlmere that I know of. Several other species were seen: Small Copper, Small Heath, Common Blue, Peacock, Small White, Meadow Brown, Speckled Wood and Red Admiral. Willow Emerald Damselflies were out at the Spring hide and along the boardwalk. Only one mating pair could be found at Spring hide, they were certainly not as numerous as last year. A few were seen there again a week later, and I also found a pair at the old Cress Hut, a place I haven’t seen them before. By the middle of the month the Moorhen count had reached 41, while Teal numbers had reduced to around 30. Little Egrets and Kingfishers were almost permanently around the mere. Ravens, Marsh Harriers, Peregrine Falcons, Hobbies and Grey Wagtails were all recorded as seen. Early on the 15th Meadow Pipits and Siskins were noted going through for the first time this Autumn. The Thursday volunteer work party had the best sighting at that time, discovering Small Red Eyed Damselflies on the mere, at least 11 of them. This is the very first record for the reserve, excellent! Small Red Eyed Damselfly..first reserve record

The small numbers of migrating birds noted at this time were a worrying indicator of declining bird populations. For example: not a single Yellow Wagtail had been seen flying over and just one flock of 5 Lapwings – quite alarming. A group of 4 Wigeons flew into the mere on the 18th and a calling Green Sandpiper flew over on the 19th. We also saw groups of Meadow Pipits, Swallows, Mistle Thrushes and a single Sand Martin, all heading south. By the final week of September most of the summer residents had moved out. The only warblers remaining on site were a few Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps. Visible migration was again very limited: small numbers of Meadow Pipits and Skylarks going over, a Grey Wagtail and a Siskin. Jays were also on the move, with high flying groups of 3 and 7 passing through. On the mere, a young male Shoveler spent the 25th mostly asleep, accompanied by 40 Teals, 60 Mallards, a Snipe, 2 Little Egrets and the usual Kingfisher.

What to do for entertainment when its a bit quiet … watch fighting Bee’s! These two were in the water for a good 5 minutes. The pond skaters also found it fascinating and looked like they were egging the Bee’s on. At the end of it both Bee’s flew off, which was surprising!

of the year which is fairly poor. One Chiffchaff and one Blackcap were still on site, and a large flock of Siskins and Goldfinches was in the alders. Flying overhead were a Redpoll, a Raven, 8 Golden Plovers and a single flock of 25 Skylarks. It was great to see the Starlings back! Around 1000 were roosting in the final week, with more expected as birds come in from the continent. Hopefully the numbers will match those seen last year. More than usual numbers of lovely fresh Comma out on the wing.

A single Raven was seen flying over the reserve on two days and there were good views of a Barn Owl at dusk when one perched on the window of the Reedbed hide while I was sitting 10 feet away. I don’t know who got the bigger shock! In mid-October, the Redwings started to make an appearance; initially all went straight through, but later groups could be seen in the early morning stopping for short periods to feed before moving on southward. Virtually all the summer visitors had by then departed. Black-Headed Gulls were coming into rest, up to 50-60 at times, along with a few Lesser Black-Backs, and Herring Gulls and Yellow-Legged Gulls could be seen with them in the field off the centenary end. There had been few Otter sightings this year so 3 in the mere on one day was a good record. Later in the month a Green Sandpiper was seen on two days feeding on the mere edge: only the 5th record

The Starlings are back

This article is a synopsis taken from the website produced by Ade Cooper and Caroline Scott about Fowlmere Bird Reserve. To see the full version and other interesting visits Ade and Caroline have undertaken in the UK and abroad, visit: www.cooperandscott.wordpress.com melbournmagazine@gmail.com

Village information

Orchard Surgery & Dispensary Melbourn Health Visiting Team Monday to Friday 8:30–1pm and 3pm–6pm Phone 01763 260220 Repeat prescriptions can be made either, in person or by registering to use the online NHS service. www.orchardsurgerymelbourn.co.uk Prescriptions can still be collected from: Surgery Co-op Tesco in Royston Prescription Home Delivery The surgery offers home delivery service for prescriptions, on a Tuesday & Thursday. For more information on any of the above, please see their website or contact the surgery.

BIN COLLECTION MELBOURN Bin collection day – TUESDAY Bins must be out by 6am at the latest on collection day

30 November 7 December 14 December 21 December 30 December

BLUE ONLY

7 January

Thursday Friday

13 January

Thursday

19 January

Wednesday

25 January

Drop in clinics for parents and babies are held as follows: Melbourn clinic every Wednesday between 9.30am and 11.00am at: 35 Orchard Road, Melbourn. Telephone 01763 262861

NHS Hearing Aid Maintenance Centre open at

Melbourn 4th Thursday of every month 2pm – 4pm We are pleased to announce that we have opened an NHS Hearing Aid Maintenance Centre at Vicarage Close Community Room, where you can go to get your hearing aids cleaned and re-tubed. This is a drop-off and wait service, By Appointment Only. Community Room Vicarage Close Melbourn SG8 6DY To book an appointment please use our online booking service at: www.cambridgeshirehearinghelp.org.uk or telephone the office on 01223 416141 Cambridgeshire Hearing Help is a charity for people with hearing loss.

BLUE ONLY

1 February 8 February 15 February 22 February 1 March 8 March 15 March 22 March 29 March

Bin collection dates are taken from the South Cambridgeshire District Council website and are correct at the time of publishing. For an update on collections visit: www.scambs.gov.uk/bins/find-your-household-bincollection-day/

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Cam Sight’s Rural Support Group meet in Melbourn to provide help, friendship and ongoing support to local people with sight loss. The group enjoys speakers, music, information, advice and a chance to try out low vision equipment. For further information please call 01223 420033 or info@camsight.org.uk

MELBOURN PARISH COUNCIL 30 High Street Melbourn SG8 6DZ Telephone: 01763 263303 ext. 3 Parish Office opening hours Monday to Friday 10am – 3:30pm (closed 1–2pm) www.melbournpc.co.uk

Melbourn Parish Clerk Claire Littlewood parishclerk@melbournpc.co.uk

Assistant to the Clerk Sophie Marriage assistantclerk@melbournpc.co.uk

Responsible Financial Officer Gabrielle van Poortvliet rfo@melbournpc.co.uk

Chair Graham Clark cllr.clark@melbournparishcouncil.co.uk

Vice Chair Ian Cowley cllr.cowley@melbournparishcouncil.co.uk

Councillors

Kieron Baker cllr.baker@melbournparishcouncil.co.uk Rebecca Barnes cllr.barnes@melbournparishcouncil.co.uk Graham Clark cllr.clark@melbournparishcouncil.co.uk Ian Cowley cllr.cowley@melbournparishcouncil.co.uk Tina Davey cllr.davey@melbournparishcouncil.co.uk Sally Ann Hart cllr.hart@melbournparishcouncil.co.uk Steve Kilmurray cllr.kilmurray@melbournparishcouncil.co.uk John Travis cllr.travis@melbournparishcouncil.co.uk Richard Wilson cllr.wilson@melbournparishcouncil.co.uk

Timebank Coordinator Stephanie Trayhurn timebank@melbournpc.co.uk Village Wardens Keith Rudge Steven Pitman

County Councillor Susan van de Ven, 95 North End, Meldreth – 01763 261833 susanvandeven5@gmail.com

District Councillor Jose Hales, 23 Elm Way, SG8 6UH 01763 221058 jose@josehales.me.uk Sally Ann Hart, 62 High Street, SG8 6AJ cllr.hart@scambs.gov.uk 07791 233303

South Cambs M.P. Anthony Browne – 01954 211444 anthony.browne.mp@parliament.uk

IMPORTANT NUMBERS

Orchard Surgery Appointments & Dispensary 260220

Melbourn Mushroom Club John Holden email: frog.end@virgin.net Melbourn Pottery Club Maggie 01223 207307

Hospitals

Meldreth Local History Kathryn Betts

268428

Mothers’ Union Pauline Hay

260649

Addenbrooke’s Royston

01223 245151 01763 242134

NHS111 – Urgent Care 24hr helpline

111

Police Non Emergency number Help when not a 999 emergency

101

Medical help when not a 999 emergency

Fire & Rescue Service

01223 376201

Crimestoppers

0800 555111

Neighbourhood Watch debbieclapham@icloud.com Telephone Preference Service www.tsponline.org.uk

0345 070 0707

Royston and Saffron Walden Nation Trust Association Avril Mellor 220463 avril.mellor@ntlworld.com Photographic Club melbournphotoclub@hotmail.com Ramblers’ Association Dave Allard 242677 www.ramblers.org.uk/royston Royal National Lifeboat Institution Jean Emes 245958 Royston and District Local History Society David Allard 242677 Royston Family History Society Pam Wright frierley@ntlworld.com Royston Lions Chris Cawdell 448236 SOAS (Supporters of All Saints’) Colin Limming 260072 Women’s Group Pat Smith 260103

EDUCATION Melbourn Playgroup Library LAP Jane Stevens

223459 or 07842 151512 johnjane.stevens@tiscali.co.uk

Little Hands Nursery School

260964

Out of school times01223 503972 Notre Ecole Janet Whitton

261231

Primary School Headteacher Stephanie Wilcox

223457

U3A (Univ. of Third Age) Chairman Tony Garrick

01223 510201

Hon Sec David Allars

01223 871480 264189

Mem Sec Chris Davison Village College Principal Simon Holmes

223400

Workers’ Educational Association (WEA) – Royston Ongoing course in Royston Go to www.wea.org.uk to book on other courses.

HEALTH Age UK Cambridgeshire

01223 221921

Blood Donors

0300 123 23 23

Chiropodist

263260

Dentist

262034

District Nurses (Primary Care Trust)

01223 846122

Home-Start

262262

S. Cambs PCT 35 Orchard Road Child & Family Nurses Car Scheme

262861 245228

melbournwi@gmail.com

Air Cadets 2484 (Bassingbourn) Squadron

249156

Tony Kelly Mon & Wed evenings 7 – 9.30 p.m. Bellringers Andrew Downs

All Saints’ Church Revd. Elizabeth Shipp 220626 vicar.melbournmeldreth@gmail.com Churchwardens Roger Mellor 220463 David Farr 221022 Baptist Church Rev. Stuart Clarke 261650 Secretary Brian Orrell 07568 376027 United Reformed Church Minister The Revd Sue Fender Secretary Rosaline Van de Weyer 01223 870869 Hall booking Beryl and Barry Monk 246458

SPORT Badminton Steve Jackson 248774 Bowls Arthur Andrews 261990 Meldreth Croquet Janet Pope 248239 Judo Iain Reid (Chief Instructor) or Lesley Reid 241830 email melbournjudoclub@gmail.com 07974 445710 Melbourn Dynamos FC Gordon Atalker 07770 533249 Blake Carrington 07730 488743 Melbourn Football Club Simon Gascoyne 07732 613555 Melbourn Sports Centre Graham Johnson-Mack 263313 Melbourn Squash Jan Brynjolffssen 07730 406688 Meldreth Tennis Club Tracy Aggett 243376 Swimming Club Jenny Brackley 244593

COMMUNITY SERVICES

LOCAL CLUBS After Eights

PLACES OF WORSHIP

01763 262093 or 07710 755465

Bridge Club Howard Waller 1st Melbourn Rainbows Mrs Stef Cooper

261693 07922 053801

Brownies 1st Melbourn Stephanie Clifford

220272

Guides 1st Melbourn Hilary Marsh

261443

Luncheon Club at Melbourn Hub (Wednesdays) 263303 op1 MADS (Melbourn Amateur Dramatics Society) Donna Sleight

232622

Melbourn History Group Ann Dekkers

261144

Community Hall bookings@communityhallmelbourn.com 07821 656033 Dial-A-Ride 01223 506335 Home Start Tracy Aggett 262262 Melbourn Community Hub 263303 Melbourn Springs Care Home 01763 722734 Mobile Warden Scheme Jeannie Seers 07808 735066 Moorlands Denise Taylor 260564 Southwell Court Telephone 750006 Vicarage Close Warden Eileen Allan 263389 Lead Sheltered Housing Officer – Monday to Friday 9–1.30 Vicarage Close, John Impey Way & Elin Way Eileen Allan Mobile 07876 791419 / 245402 Every other week. 9–5 Monday to Friday

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Have you heard? We’ve moved! Find us at our new address: Audiology House (Cambridge) 15 Woollards Lane, Great Shelford, Cambridge CB22 5LZ Independent audiology experts you can trust Hearing Assessments

Ear Wax Removal

Hearing Aids

BOOK ONLINE

www.angliearhearing.co.uk

Tinnitus Solutions

01223 661399 info@angliearhearing.co.uk

Personal care and attention 24 hours a day by local, qualified staff Free, professional bereavement counselling available to all our clients enquiries@newlingsofroyston.co.uk www.newlingsofroyston.co.uk

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Review

The Tiger Who Came to Tea Judith Kerr

I knew little of this author or her wonderful book when I first read it 35 years ago. The text was enchanting and the illustrations vivid and colourful. I found the book deeply soothing and enjoyable and I read it often over the next few years. Like all picture board books for young children then and since, it was intended to be read to a child. I was fortunate with both my children. Firstly, he – and in turn she - held one edge of this book and clutched a soft toy while seated and snuggling close under a protective arm. Guaranteed on every occasion, whatever the book chosen, was a brimful display of delight at being read to – even before any reading commenced. I recently lived again those long-gone but neverto-be-forgotten happy reading times when I visited ‘The Tiger Who Came to Tea Exhibition’. It was held throughout the summer months – with free admission for both adults and children – in Hitchin’s splendid North Hertfordshire Museum. There was even an ‘Afternoon Tea with the Tiger’ available for purchase in the Museum’s cafe! Perhaps a possible joint exercise (or similar event) for Melbourn Library and the Bookmark Cafe to arrange in the Melbourn Community Hub where both library and cafe are located? I learned much about the book and its author Judith Kerr as the exhibition was based on her archive, which spans more than eighty years. The book, first published in 1968 and in print continuously, has been enjoyed by millions across many countries. It was written and illustrated by Judith Kerr who settled in London in 1936 and wrote the story for her daughter Sophie, who features in the book. The illustrations are still superb and the story remains simplicity itself: Sophie and her mother are at home preparing supper; they are expecting Sophie’s father home shortly from work. Instead, a knock on the door reveals a tiger who joins them at the tea table and eats and drinks everything; and then consumes all the food and drink that is available in the house before leaving. Sophie’s father arrives home and suggests that he, Sophie and her mother should walk to a nearby cafe for supper, which they immediately set out to do.

Judith Kerr

This summary is a very poor telling. The book requires to be read aloud to a child with all the enthusiasm and drama a child expects – with lots of pointing out and explaining and questions for the child, and digressions about cooking, the nature of work, tigers and the noise they make and the world we share and so on. Judith Kerr’s ‘The Tiger Who Came to Tea’ quickly became a classic book and Judith Kerr, over a lifetime’s work, became one of this country’s best known author-illustrators for children. Judith Kerr’s childhood and early life experiences also tell us much about Britain today: she escaped Germany aged nine in 1931 as Hitler came to power; was a refugee in Switzerland; then in France; before arriving in Britain and settling in London. Her recent death in 2019 – at the age of 95 and still writing and illustrating – leads one to reflect on the many more recent refugees today whose lives were taken from them as they sought refuge – a place of safety – among us. It leads one to reflect also on what we lost that might have been: gifted persons in the mould of refugee Judith Kerr who would rise in the public sphere to the top of a chosen profession perhaps; or all those less gifted refugees who would lead a life in socially useful toil contributing quietly and anonymously to our island society’s steady hum and daily routines. As our Christmas Season draws close and a sea of “stuff” rises and swirls around us – mainly indestructible trash and tat we have somehow allowed to become central to celebrating Christmas – choose not to buy rubbish that pollutes our land and oceans. Choose instead to make a Christmas present of this wonderful classic book to a child you know and, more importantly, take the time to read it to them. In doing so you may also just give him or her a lifetime love of books and reading. That will be for them a source of great joy in the troubled, polluted world that they are certain to inherit from us. Hugh Pollock melbournmagazine@gmail.com

Authors and their Books

Personal care for your feet in the comfort of your own home • Nail Trimming • Hard Skin & Cracked Heels • Corns & Verrucae • Fungal Nails • Diabetic Foot Care Telephone on

01763 261250 or 0791 3913955 Nancy Foster MCFHP MAFHP

Registered Member of the British Association of Foot Health Professionals

email: nancy.fosterfeet@gmail.com

www.melbourncambridge.co.uk

Clare Crossman “The Mulberry Tree” Clare Crossman, a local author, lived in Meldreth over the last 20 years. She worked on this collection before her untimely death from cancer earlier this year. Clare wrote poetry at an early age: from 1993 a member of the new Lakeland poets in Cumbria, she was encouraged by her mentor Willian Scammell to publish her poetry. She was active in the Cambridge arts scene and undertook the teaching of poetry and creative writing for both adults and children, including at our local schools in Melbourn and Meldreth. Clare has undertaken workshops with Cambridge Arts Salon. Clare also undertook numerous collaborations with other artists, see https://waterlightproject.org.uk/, and collaborated with the musician Penni Mclaren Walker on a sequence, ‘Fensong a Ballad of the Fen’. To know more about Clare and her work go to https://clarecrossman.net/ Included below are 3 poems from the collection. Firstly the title poem: The Mulberry Tree Nothing was ever wasted: elastic bands, old envelopes, paper bags put neatly away. It was because of the war, that might come back; and so we had to eat our greens, not leave the crusts on bread pretend to like rice pudding. Jam was made from berries of the mulberry tree. Kept high on shelves in the cool basement, rusty red, almost amber, sweeter than raspberries. ‘The lovers tree’ she called it. Soft wood, gnarled and leaning, standing in the garden for years. We were allowed to climb it, imagined we’d find rolls of silk. Slept beneath it in a tepee; unafraid. We had seen the rubble. The shells of houses with no floors, the strange murals of fireplaces imprinted on high walls. But could not imagine what it was like when bombs fell from the sky. We were the future, held in photographs, bright against the day. The lucky ones, swinging on the branches of a golden age; come out of a terrible knowledge, into a lengthening shade.

Sit Places (for Belle) I walk there most mornings to the green stretching of the fields and stand leaning in the shade of trees between two corridors of light. And I think how the land can own places with its calligraphy, how it writes in old tracks hedges, tussocks and ragged edges where nobody goes.

When there’s a small bridge over thin water. the ditch runs underneath, greening with weeds and dragonflies. Time around me like the river in deep quiet under the sky. There are always two horses, they snuffle and eat the grass. I envy their long patience, the wild they know. But here, where the larks dance, this ordinary moment is a statement for another way of being. Air above my head, ground below my feet. In a stillness, nothing owned enough to watch and be.

Femme Fatale My hat is crocheted wool, almost a hair net or snood. From the shadows of a Bette Davis film in black and white I enter rooms flaunting a black butterfly. Sequined, embellished, like an exotic stranger.

I have joined the shorn and short haired women who let time show on us and no longer pretend to understand fashion. We have experimented with the postulant or Vermeer girl, (a simple wimple made of cloth) or the rose-embroidered turban, bamboo knit for comfort, afternoons of ennui, being Blanche du Bois. We have been shown great kindness. Like a small sisterhood of Buddhist nuns in the temples of haberdasher shops. Full of the wisdom of crochet, velvet gypsy scarves, and beanies. See our robes and bells, forget our missing parts. We do not need you to pray for us or be told that in the moment is where we should live. Talk to us. Tribute Clare completed a BA degree in English from Bristol University and MA in Theatre Studies from Lancaster University. Her first collection “Landscapes” won the Redbeck poetry competition (1996). Clare had eight collections of poetry and inclusions in numerous anthologies published, wrote a biography of the Cumbrian artist Lorna Graves ‘Winter Flowers’ and organised many readings. In 2009 she was awarded by South Cambridgeshire District Council for her poetry workshops with schools, communities and charities. Clare’s lifetime achievements were considerable, at heart it was Clare’s humanity, her friendships, her ability to bring people together and bring out the best in them that marked Clare as a very special person. Iain McPhee Are you or a friend an author with a published book? Tell the readers of Melbourn Magazine about how and why you came to write your book, provide an abridged extract, and some biographical details. Contact Melbourn Magazine for full details email: melbournmagazine@gmail.com Telephone: 261144. melbournmagazine@gmail.com

Walks

around Melbourn & beyond Walking at RSPB The Lodge Nature Reserve

Day Spa Boutique

& Cafe WWW,ESSE,UK.COM 01763

261000

@ESSERETAIL

www.melbourncambridge.co.uk

First put what you require into a small back pack, including some refreshments. Organise transport to suit, or drive from Melbourn for 25–30 minutes, arriving at The Lodge, RSPB Nature Reserve and Gardens just off the B1042 near Sandy. The RSPB is the country’s largest nature conservation charity and The Lodge is the location of the RSPB’s UK headquarters. Located on Bedfordshire’s Greensand Ridge, The Lodge site comprises 238 hectares (588 acres) of heathland, grassland and woodland that spreads up and down a quarry and around beautiful gardens. The quarry is managed for wildlife and there is also an ancient hill fort constructed during the Iron Age. Admission is free to those arriving by public transport, bike or on foot. The pay and display car park charge is £6 but free to members – so best take out membership. Membership is from £5 per month or annually and includes a wide range of benefits, activities and events. Resolve now to join, and to visit and walk in the RSPB nature reserves regularly, and so gain personal fitness and great outdoor enjoyment. Membership also includes the undoubted warm glow from contributing to this wonderful national charity’s huge work of research, publication, and lobbying, as well as to its direct work of preservation and protection of our natural habitat and wildlife at its more than 200 nature reserves across the UK. An added benefit of membership is that, in addition to The Lodge, quite close to Melbourn stand another three of these incredible RSPB nature reserves, namely, the nearby Fowlmere and, at 30 minutes’ drive, Fen Drayton Lakes and Ouse Fen. Pass through the B1042 gateway into the clearly very Covid-safe site and proceed to the carpark. Directly nearby, as shown on the attached walk map, is the RSPB shop, toilet facilities and picnic area. Choose one of the socially distanced picnic tables on the lawn; attack hunger and slake thirst by means of your packed lunch or similar from your back pack; don your stout boots and approach the volunteer-staffed Information Building. There examine the information panels, ask questions of the very helpful staff, and decide the walk you wish to follow from the five miles of trails which take the walker close to and through not only nature, but the history from which today’s nature and landscape has come down to us.

B1042

To Sandy

Please take care when crossing the B1042. It’s a very busy road with fast moving traffic.

Watch for hobbies, buzzards and ravens as you walk the Buzzard trail.

Key Water Grassland Woodland Heathland

New heath

Shop RSPB UK Headquarters

Meadow hide

Visit the Meadow hide for close views of woodpeckers and nuthatches.

Toilets Jack’s pond

Car park Hide Information Tree of life

Discover the lumps and bumps at the Galley Hill Iron Age fort.

N E

Old quarry

Cycleway Explore the wildlife gardens at The Lodge house.

One of the site’s four main walks, each signposted, is the Buzzard Trail shown here and our main objective. It forms a large loop just north of The Lodge house with its nearby pond, wildlife gardens and Memorial garden, also shown here. The Buzzard Trail is just over a mile and a half long, passing the prehistoric banks and ditches of an ancient Iron Age hill fort at Galley Hill. The opening stage of the path running parallel to the road from the reserve’s shop to the Hill fort is fairly level. A few minutes in, a finger signpost points off to the side to a fine Viewing Mound. There are ravens, kestrels and buzzards to be seen. In summer there is purple flowering heather on the heath with hobbies dashing about in pursuit of dragonflies. In autumn and winter time there are warm autumn colours and the woodland floor is a throbbing eco system of yellow and orange. It is also possible to see muntjac deer, foxes and weird and wonderful fungi in the woods. After the hill fort, the path drops through a valley and becomes more steep and uneven. Along the way are attractive well-placed benches for resting and observing views that bring together nature, landscape, animal life and glorious skies. Also visible are the ponds which have been created for the reserve’s breeding population of scarce natterjack toads. While not shown here, if feeling adventurous and energetic there are three other signposted paths as well as a bridleway running through

Permissive footpath Joining paths Bridleway

the reserve. In addition, there is a sign-posted Seasonal Heathland Trail, and other walks - which link up and bisect the four main walks - are also possibilities. The Buzzard Trail, as shown here, concludes back near the starting line and close to the picnic tables and the well-stocked RSPB shop. The shop very appropriately has many excellent items intended mainly to assist us to help our feathered friends, and to assist us in understanding their life and habitat as well as bringing them into our own lives and gardens for our greater enjoyment. The care of our gardens and extended local habitats, and the wider environment in general, are also thoughtfully addressed with a wide range of products. The coffee from the shop is also excellent (a latte since you ask). Seated outdoors sipping a latte and sampling a bar of virtue-enhancing RSPB branded rich dark chocolate – which astonishingly I have been assured contains no calories whatsoever! – is a fine way to finish a bracing walk. It also makes easier the return to the everyday world of a busy, bustling Melbourn. A Melbourn that most sensible people now agree is in great danger of being over-developed and swallowed up into a vast urban environment that is already being called Greater Cambridge by our District Councillors who are responsible for planning matters. For more information visit the RSPB website at rspb.org.uk/thelodge Hugh Pollock melbournmagazine@gmail.com

Christmas at Bury Lane

A wide selection of gifts, food and drink for all the family Christmas orders welcomed for Turkeys, Poultry, Meat, Fish, Cheese, Deli, Fruit & Veg and Hampers Large free car park ~ Friendly and relaxed shopping experience ~ Family run independent business

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Order a fresh turkey before 5th December to be entered into our free draw

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Thursday 2nd December 12 noon-7pm

Breakfast or Tea with Santa Full details on our website or phone 01763 260418 ext 1

All events and times are subject to Government guidelines - please check our social media for up to date information

A10 Melbourn Bypass, Melbourn, Royston, Herts SG8 6DF 01763 260418 customerservices@burylanefarmshop.co.uk www.burylanefarmshop.co.uk

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Moorlands Court

Local Community Services ü Homecare – our fully trained carers visit you in your home. ü Sitting service – a visit from our experienced staff gives family carers time for themselves. ü Day Centre – based at Moorlands Court, with a friendly and sociable atmosphere and includes a tasty 2 course lunch. ü Meals service – nutritious, hot lunchtime meal delivered to you. ü Housekeeping – we do those jobs which you can no longer manage, from cleaning and ironing, to bed changing and shopping.

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Changing attitudes by education

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Surely one little “drink” is not a problem? In chemical terms, alcohol is a “depressant” i.e. it depresses a number of functions of your brain and nervous system. The first alcoholic drink is very quickly absorbed by the body and will, almost immediately, start to affect the parts of your brain which control inhibitions, concentration, willpower and self-control. Socially, these effects are, generally, considered good, but not so when you drive a car or ride a motorbike. That first drink or two also starts to affect your “fine motor skills” – your ability to control your hands and fingers to carry out detailed tasks. It also affects your vision as the background becomes blurred as does your peripheral vision, and you become less able to focus on what is happening around you and more focussed on what is just immediately in front of you. These effects can be very pleasant, but how compatible are they with driving a car etc? Firstly, your increased self-confidence will make you think that you’re a better driver than you are and that you’ll actually drive better than when completely sober. Secondly, your depressed visual acuity and motor skills will, generally, reduce your ability to operate the car’s controls and properly assess what you are seeing. Thirdly, your lowered inhibitions will make you less likely to refuse to drive and more likely to confidently get in your car and encourage other people to join you. These effects can occur after consumption of quite small quantities of alcohol – sometimes well below the legal drink-drive limit. So, it is important to remember that, even if you’re legally allowed to drive after one drink, your ability to drive will still be impaired to a degree. In conclusion, DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE. This issue’s top tip: Be visible to other road users: • motorists, use dipped headlights in poor visibility (daylight running lights do not show lights to the rear) • motorcyclists, use dipped headlights in all conditions and wear Hi-Vis jackets • cyclists, wear Hi-Vis waistcoats and use flashing lights • dog walkers and pedestrians, wear Hi-Vis waistcoats when using unlit roads and in poor weather. BE SEEN, BE SAFE.

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Churches Together United Reformed Church Summer Barbecue Our minister, Rev’d Sue Fender, and her husband Alex invited us to the Manse for a summer barbecue on the afternoon of Bank Holiday Monday 30th August. Calling it a summer barbecue on a Bank Holiday was asking for trouble, and needless to say the weather was more like winter than summer, but thankfully the rain held off. Sue and Alex were excellent hosts and made us all very welcome. Alex was in charge of the barbecue. It was a lovely social event and a chance for a chat and catch up with our friends from the other churches in our pastorate. There was a superb spread of delicious food: burgers, sausages, chicken, hot potatoes, salad, dips, etc followed by trifle, pavlova, cake, fruit, cheese to name but a few, accompanied by hot and cold drinks.

Harvest We celebrated our Harvest Festival on Sunday 12th September. It was great to be able to decorate the church again, which we were unable to do last year because of the pandemic. Our minister led our morning worship and afterwards coffee was served

for the first time. A soup lunch followed which we also hadn’t been able to do for the last eighteen months. After lunch we were able to buy the flowers and fresh produce, with the donations going to Jimmy’s Night Shelter amounting to £142. The donations of groceries, blankets, etc were also taken to Jimmy’s Night Shelter. The monetary donations for the soup lunch amounted to £143 and were for church funds. Thanksgiving and Remembrance Service We held a Thanksgiving and Remembrance Service on Sunday the 17th October at 3pm for our members and friends who passed away during the pandemic when we were unable to hold funeral services in our church. The service was led by our minister and gave us a chance to give thanks and pay our last respects. During the service we were invited to come to the front and place a pebble in the bowl of water and remember those no melbournmagazine@gmail.com

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longer with us. Tea and biscuits were served afterwards, when we were able to share our reminiscences. Craft and chat Our Craft group has been meeting over the summer and knitted items have been sent to various charities. The crafters continued to knit at home when we weren’t allowed to meet in person. The group meets in our church hall on a Thursday afternoon from 2-4pm, with Covid-secure measures in place. Friday Coffee We have restarted our Friday coffee mornings in the hall from 10.30am, but instead of weekly they are monthly at present. They are held on the first Friday of the month. Burns’ Night We are planning on having a Burns’ Night Supper on Friday 21st January 2022. We look forward to hearing Alex playing the bagpipes.

Melbourn Baptist Church It is that time of year again, when the natural world is taking on the late Autumn ‘feel’. There are still a few conkers to be seen on the ground which will soon be littered by falling leaves in various autumnal hues. I have always found consolation as Summer fades, in the wonderful colours of this time of year – God’s Creation positively glowing at times, as the light changes during the shortening days. Of course, after the lovely Summer we were blessed with in 2020, this year Summer has proved something of a disappointment for the most part! However, the Bible states that as long as the Earth endures, there will be Summer and Winter, Springtime and Harvest, and Harvest is, as I write, the most recent season noted in the Christian Calendar and the various Church Families in our area have given thanks for all of God’s provision, as always. Here at MBC, we rounded off our Spring and Summer meetings, which we held partly in the open air, with a ‘Harvest Big Breakfast’, VERY popular and a lovely time, followed by our Harvest Service of Thanksgiving, all held outside, and fortunately the weather was kind, too. In fact, from Easter time, we at the Baptist Church have worshipped partly outdoors each Sunday. As the year has moved on though, we have now returned to indoor gathering, for the foreseeable future, though with the windows open. Sometimes the birds can be heard, seemingly, joining in our songs! Darker evenings come along though, and as always early November sees the close of the year approaching; along with the special time of remembrance, when we recall the loss of so many during, in particular, the two World wars. We should be aware, I think, that on this year’s Remembrance Day Commemoration many of us

who join in with those around the World who still share first hand memories of those devastating conflicts, will sadly, now know something of the experience of those who lived through the last global Pandemic – Spanish Flu – over one hundred years ago. November 11th will carry a particular poignancy in 2021 for all of us one way or another, and for many years more. Now, we have murmurings of ‘shortages’ to come and, no doubt, further scare- mongering, but also legitimate concerns, because unfortunately, Covid 19 is still with us. Alongside the practical advice, however, we can have hope – as Christmas time arrives – and beyond. The celebration is so much more than Turkey and tinsel. After the decorations are packed away and the last of the Mince Pies have been eaten, the Blessings and promises of God remain if we choose to take hold of them. We can’t know how even the immediate future will ‘pan’ out in these strange times, but even so, we at MBC trust it will be a Happy and Blessed Christmas – and New Year – for all of you. Details of our services and activities are accessible through our website along with contact details for Rev. Stuart Clarke; we also have a YouTube channel and a Facebook page.

All Saints Church Melbourn & Holy Trinity Meldreth The fleeting warmth of Summer has left us and I am writing this as it rains heavily. As people of the world, we are becoming more aware of our responsibilities to all that God has created, both the natural world and all people and creatures in it. Life continues to be turbulent and uncertain for so many people whether it be due to climatic, economic or personal conditions. As Christians, we have the comfort of knowing that, whatever circumstances we are experiencing, God is there with us; it does not mean that we won’t encounter difficulties, but it should mean that we are strengthened and encouraged by God’s presence. We have used different formats for our services in lockdown but at the time of writing we are worshipping in church, although still with some restrictions that show our care for one another. Not everyone has felt able to return and we continue to miss and pray for those who are not able to be with us. In December, we hope to have a Christingle Service on Sunday 12th. Last year we held this event on Zoom and as yet we are not sure what format this years’ service will take. Sunday 19th December is the date of the annual Carol Services – 4.00p.m. at Holy Trinity Church, continued on page 44 melbournmagazine@gmail.com

Meldreth and 6.00p.m. at All Saints Church, Melbourn. We would hope to have a Crib Service on Christmas Eve at 3.00p.m. at All Saints Church (possibly outdoors) and an evening service at 11.00p.m. Christmas Day will be marked with an 8.00a.m. service at All Saints Church Melbourn and a 10.00a.m. service at Holy Trinity Church, Meldreth. All these events are subject to review with regard to Covid developments and we would ask that you check our Facebook page for up to date information. Saturday 18th December we hope to be carol singing outside of Leeches and the Co-op with the other local churches. We may also be carol singing in the local pubs – keep an eye out for further information. 16th -23rd January is the week of prayer for Christian Unity and there will be services in all the churches in Melbourn and at Holy Trinity in Meldreth; more details will be published nearer the time. Whilst Lizzie is on maternity leave please contact Revd. Mary Price on 01763 261569 (maryprice9486@ gmail.com)or Pat Smith (Licensed Lay Minister) on 01763 262575. If you would like to receive our weekly e-news letter please contact Ian Henderson (ian. melbournas@gmail.com ). If you would like to receive a copy of our Parish Magazine please contact Diane Blundell on 01763 221415

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Sports & Clubs Bowls Arthur Andrews 261990 Bridge Club Howard Waller 261693 1st Melbourn Rainbows Mrs Stef Cooper 07922053801 Brownies – 1st Melbourn Stephanie Clifford 220272 Meldreth Croquet Janet Pope 248239 Dynamos Football Club Les Morley 07739 593771

1st Melbourn Guides Summer camp seems a long time ago now, but it remains a happy memory. Nineteen girls from our Guide unit enjoyed 5 days of camping fun under sunny skies at Eaton Vale Activity Centre near Norwich. Our theme was the Olympics, starting with a torch and firepit opening ceremony, and featuring competitions throughout the week. We also enjoyed adventurous activities including kayaking down the river, a high ropes challenge, and the climbing wall. Cooking on open fires is an essential part of camp, and one day the girls planned their own patrol’s evening meal, walked to the supermarket to buy it, and cooked it on their altar fire.

Guides – Ist Melbourn Hilary Marsh 261443 Melbourn Football Club Simon Gascoyne 07732 613555 Melbourn Judo Club Iain Reid 241830 Melbourn Karate Club Peter Khera 07866 374674 Melbourn Sports Centre Graham Johnson-Mack 263313 Melbourn Squash Jan Brynjolffssen 07730 406688 Melbourn and Meldreth Women’s Group Pat Smith 262575 Sue Toule 260955 Anne Harrison 261775 Photographic Club Bruce Huett 232855 Ramblers Dave Allard 242677 Royston and District Round Table Michael Seymour 221398 Swimming Club Jenny Brackley 244593 Tennis (Melbourn) Dave Liddiard 07508 995 781 Tennis (Meldreth) Tracy Aggett 243376

With the whole campsite to ourselves, we had the freedom to play ball games and a noisy game of capture the flag; and enjoyed peaceful nights disturbed only by the hooting of owls. The autumn term started with activities to integrate our seven new girls, and we are now working on a life skills badge. Each patrol has cooked a vegetable soup and bread rolls, and learnt to sew a felt pencil case. They have also tried to taste the difference between branded melbournmagazine@gmail.com

and cheaper supermarket foods, to learn how to save money. It’s important for Guides to understand how to help other people. For the Home-Start Marathon challenge, our 26 girls each ran one mile round the village and collected an amazing total of £620 for this local charity. Charity representative Tracy Aggett explained to the girls how the organisation helps local families, and each girl earned a medal and a certificate. We finished the first half term with a Guide Law game and drama challenge, and learnt to make a macrame lantern holder for our Promise ceremony. If you would like to know more about our Guide unit, please contact me on: 01763 261443 or email: melbournguides@gmail.com You can also look on the girlguiding.org.uk website to find out more. Hilary Marsh

1st Orwell Scouts 1st Orwell Scouts were back with a bang this Autumn and wasted no time heading out on their first camping weekend for over 18 months. Base camp was set up on the outskirts of Thetford Forest, and whilst some of the younger scouts were delivered directly to the campsite, a group of five of the older, more experienced scouts undertook an expedition, making their own way to camp using the train and then hiking cross country on foot. Whilst at camp, the scouts constructed their own assault course, and, of course, cooked some great food. A great time was had by all, and it was fabulous to be back in the outdoors, working together and enjoying the natural environment. To be back doing these kinds of group outdoor activities again has put a real spring in the section leaders’ steps. October saw the scouts take part in the world’s biggest online scout event, the JOTI – a jamboree on the internet. This annual event allows the scouts to learn about others from around the world and gives them the opportunity to take part in online activities that

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promote friendship and global citizenship. Activities included webinars, global campfires, talent shows, fun challenges and more. The cubs meanwhile were out on the Moor developing their pioneering skills, which included making their own rope and practicing their knots. As the nights drew in, the cubs moved back to their usual meeting place at the Primary School. This hasn’t meant they’ve been confined to the indoors though, and following a session where they carefully planned a two-course meal, they took to the outdoors in the dark to prepare (and eat!) it. They have also practiced their fire lighting skills, all in preparation for an upcoming camp which we will be able to say more about in the next edition! For those sessions that have been indoors, the cubs have been embracing a newly introduced badge on money skills. To learn more about saving, the cubs had to make the hard decision of accepting one chocolate at the beginning of the session, waiting to the end for two or waiting until the following week’s session for three. Needless to say, there were very few takers for the three-chocolate option! A sunny Sunday in early October saw a team of four cubs head down to Borehamwood for the Hertfordshire County Cub Cyclo-cross event. The day was made up of three main events, an off-road relay team event (made up of four rounds), an individual time trial event and an individual agility competition. There were 18 teams there on the day and competition was tough, but fun. Teamwork was definitely the agenda of the day. In the team event, 1st Orwell did really well to secure 4th place, with individual performances improving significantly over each round. We were also very pleased that one of our team, Jacob Murphy, took home the trophies for both the time trial and agility events. All of those involved with 1st Orwell Scout Group are fiercely proud of the efforts and commitment of both the children and the leaders. For cubs, the highest level of achievement is to gain the Chief Scout Silver Award, and in October we were pleased to welcome the District Commissioner, Carole Rhind, to present Silver Award badges and certificates to three of our cubs (now scouts). On the same evening, we were also proud to see the efforts and dedication of cub leader Andrew Dominey and our assistant leader Hughlene Conradie recognised, as they were presented with their wood badges, signifying the completion of their leader training. Our heartfelt congratulations to all. 1st Orwell Beavers, Cubs and Scouts meet on a Friday evening in Melbourn. The Group is currently full, but please contact admissions@1storwellscouts.org.uk

to add your child to our waiting list. We are very keen to hear from any adults interested in becoming a leader as this will allow us to accept more children and reduce our waiting list. As a Beaver/Cub/Scout assistant leader you could inspire our young people to grow in ability and confidence through a huge variety of activities and challenges, which is incredibly enjoyable and rewarding; why not give something new a go! Please contact GSL@1storwellscouts.org.uk if you are interested in finding out more.

Royston & District Local History Society www.roystonlocalhistory.org.uk Our website shows all the books we have for sale. Many of these result from the considerable work undertaken by our Publications sub-committee. The books may be ordered by post from David Allard 01763 242677. Some are also available at the Cave Bookshop in Melbourn Street. Our evening meetings are held on a Thursday evening at 8pm in the Heritage Hall (the main hall downstairs) at Royston Town Hall. » 2nd December 2021: “The Church in Royston” Annette Guttridge » 6th January 2022: “From a church to a house” Mandy House » 3rd February 2022: “The History of flying, from the Wright Brothers onwards” » Terry Holloway Annual membership £10 (Sept–Aug) (Under 18s half price) Visitors £2

Squash in Melbourn Activity is picking up again at Melbourn Squash Club after the disruptions of the last two years. Club secretary Jan Brynjolffssen said “The Squash Club has been on the campus of the Village College for over 35 years now – we opened back in 1985. We have operated successfully for most of that period, but there is no doubt that the pandemic has been the most challenging time in the Club’s history.

“Squash was obviously heavily impacted by events – as an indoor sport restrictions were heavier and maintained for longer than outdoor ones. We did manage to get in some play of sorts last autumn; England Squash came up with a modified version of the sport that maintained social distancing whilst playing. But it wasn’t the same. “However, we have been able to play the full sport since the easing of social distancing restrictions in late spring. Our internal league started up again soon after, and numbers are slowly but surely picking up. The same is true of our Sunday evening Club Nights. Team Squash has also returned this autumn as the Cambridgeshire Leagues have restarted after missing the entire of the 2020-21 season. Our 1st team is playing in Division 2 this campaign, and have started well, winning their opening two matches. The 2nds were promoted to Division 3 in the last pre-pandemic action; they have found it difficult in the higher level so far but picked up their first win recently away at Cambridge University 3rds. “One aspect the pandemic really hit hard has been our Junior coaching. This relaunched in 2019 thanks to a generous grant from Melbourn Parish Council. It was initially going very well – we were getting around 10 kids attending per session. However, numbers have dropped to 4 or 5 per week since it was able to resume. We have recently changed the day for the Juniors to after school on Wednesdays, from 4:20-5:20pm, in the hope this time will be more convenient for local children. For more information on Juniors, just contact the club. “We are also looking at what we can do to make Squash attractive to Women and Girls by adding extra activities; the gender imbalance in our membership numbers told us the activities the club were already undertaking were not having the engagement with females that we would have hoped. The dwindling numbers sadly saw the demise of our Ladies Team; they were Cambs County Champions as recently as 2017, but whilst excellent players the squad was always low on numbers, meaning when family issues saw three of

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Meldreth Croquet Club

the players step back from matches the team had to withdraw from the leagues. “We are looking to try to rebuild the base of female Squash in the area by running open casual sessions for Women and Girls fortnightly on Tuesday evenings (7–9pm). Upcoming dates are 14th and 28th December (the latter if the interest is there), and 11th and 25th January. There are no age restrictions of minimum level of play required, and racquets and balls are available to borrow. Again, just contact the club for further information” Club Chairman Roger Woodfield added “I am delighted squash has resumed in all its formats at Melbourn. We have invested a lot in improving and refurbishing the facilities and that ongoing programme is back on track. Our immediate focus is to attract new members and encourage past members to rejoin” “For those looking to join the club, membership is available – we are open to new applications as well as previous members renewing. We have also begun taking bookings for casual play again this autumn as restrictions eased; these are processed through our new website https://melbourn-squash.club” A full membership of Melbourn Squash Club costs £140pa for adults and £28pa for Under 18s. Off-peak, student and family rates are also available. Courts fees are £2.50 per 40 minutes. Those who don’t want to commit to an annual membership can play on a Casual basis – there is no charge for joining in this fashion, but court fees are £12.50 per 40 minutes. Club coach Chris Shaw is qualified to England Squash Level 2. Chris offers coaching for adults and juniors, including non-members and group sessions. For more information on Club Membership, Casual play and coaching opportunities please visit https://melbourn-squash.club/Membership/JoinUs or email the club on melbournsquashclub@gmail.com or follow the club on twitter @MelbournSquash.

The club was founded in 1991 and since 1997 has been based behind the British Queen pub in Meldreth. It has a full sized lawn which can also be laid out as two short lawns. We play both Association Croquet and Golf Croquet. Several Golf Croquet sessions are run by club members for the U3A, with Royston U3A having restarted on 7 June and Melbourn U3A on 7 July. After a gap of 18 months due to Covid, it was much welcomed by their players. This summer Meldreth played in the East Anglian Croquet Federation Golf Croquet Handicap League. This is our sixth year in the competition and we once again more than held our own against bigger clubs. We finished at the top of our group, equal on points with Newport Oaks. However, because of their superior games difference (the difference between overall games won and games lost), it meant that we finished second to them (even though we had actually beaten them in our first match!) and so didn’t quite make it to the final. We also had two club competitions running during the season, the Nickisson Cup for Association players and the Golf Croquet Handicap Trophy. For the GC competition, there were thirteen entries playing in two groups, followed by semi-finals and a final. It was hotly contested and was eventually won by Peter Jackson. For the AC competition, there were fewer entries but it was eventually won by Chris van Essen, an incredible feat as he was the first winner of the cup in 1991! To end the summer season we had a very successful BBQ at the British Queen on Wednesday 22nd. September on a lovely sunny afternoon. The cups for both the Association & Golf croquet competitions were formally presented during the afternoon. See photo below. For more information, please see our website at sites. google.com/view/meldrethcroquetclub/home

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Dynamos Football Club All welcome! https://melbourndynamosfc.wordpress.com https://www.facebook.com/ melbourndynamoscommunity/ Founded in 2003, Melbourn Dynamos FC is a thriving and friendly community football club that gives all the opportunity to play regular football, regardless of their experience or ability, at all ages from 3 through to and including Adults. We are once again enjoying being able to play in a normal and successful 2021-22 season, unlimited by the Covid-19 pandemic. We are of course prepared to comply with any residual restrictions imposed by the government and FA, but hope that these will continue be minimal. We are very grateful to the team of volunteers, led by our wonderful Covid Protection Officer, Nicky Patel, who have ensured that our 400 plus players have been able to have regular healthy fun through structured exercise and team building after the lockdown confinements. The coaches and parents have described the importance of normal structured exercise and fun to the mental health and well-being of our players. This support, which is so much more than football, has been especially important during these difficult times. Last year, our club was recognised as an FA Community Hub Club, one of only eight in Cambridgeshire. What this means is that our growth and development has been recognised by Cambridgeshire FA for its important community contributions: • A football club at the heart of the community • Providing football opportunities For All • Developing young leaders and planning for a sustainable future This recognition by Cambridgeshire FA has resulted from the tireless work of our club volunteers to develop and grow MDFC at the heart of our village. The Club is currently FA Charter Standard and will soon be applying for the higher Community Club status. This will ensure a continued thriving partnership with Cambridgeshire FA, who have been instrumental in the Club’s recent development. As an FA Hub Club we hope to attract further funding and support to secure and continue development at the heart of our community. We have established inclusive football teams to bring the beautiful game to a wider range of players at both youth and adult level. Thanks to the support of our wonderful club volunteers we now have the OWLS (Opportunities Without Limits), a team for adults who play in the Cambridgeshire FA Parability League. The

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Club was the first to receive the Pledge Project Certificate of Recognition from Cambridgeshire FA, and we are very proud to have received the Project of the Year award from Cambridgeshire FA for our commitment to offer everyone with a disability the opportunity to get involved in football, either competitively or socially. We are also planning to host disability Saturday morning drop-in sessions – watch out for future announcements. For many years the club has been working hard with our community to establish Girls’ Football. Our latest initiative has been working with the FA to set up the Melbourn Wildcats, providing girls aged 5-11 years with the opportunity to have fun, make friends and play football (see attached images). This fun, friendly environment will develop young girls’ physical and social skills by encouraging a healthy lifestyle and inspiring them to develop a lifelong love of the game. Please use the following link to book your place http://faevents. thefa.com/book?sessionid=138685 We are pleased to learn that the Managers and Coaches of our many teams are seen as important role models in our community for young players. All are trained to at least FA level 1, so have a clear understanding of child safeguarding as well as physical first aid issues. At the start of the season a number stepped forward to request training in mental health first aid as well. This training is not compulsory for the club’s FA Charter Standard status, but we recognise the importance of mental health issues for young people in our community, are providing this training and have been very fortunate to receive financial support from our sponsors. If you would like more information you can follow this link to Mental Health First Aid England – https://mhfaengland. org/mhfa-centre/about/ . We are a successful club defined by the strength of support from members and families, the praise and recognition of fellow clubs and FA Leagues, the work with our Community partners including Melbourn Village College and Melbourn Parish Council, and of course our players’ achievements on the pitch and their support for the community.

With the support of our fundraising and community partners, we are making the club more inclusive by assisting players whose families are unable to afford the necessary fees. Our club is committed to developing our players through respect of fair play and a love of the game. This approach wins the respect of other clubs as well as providing the skills and commitment to win leagues and cup finals. This season we have more than 400 players in more than 20 teams and over 60 Wildcats. There are opportunities for all as we welcome new players and volunteers. Our youngest players – the Dynamites, increasingly provide the core of our success with league teams from under 7 upwards. The Dynamites’ coaching team is led by Dipak Patel. Dee was Cambridge FA’s Community Coach of the year for 2013, gained his Level 2 coaching qualification in June 2015 and is our Football Development Officer. These players, aged 3-6, have fun and develop their skills before deciding whether to play league football as the club’s under 7s team. The Dynamites train with level 2 and level 1 FA qualified coaches in Saturday morning fun sessions at Melbourn Sports Centre. These feature lots of short activities aimed at improving individual skills, concentration and the ability to be part of a team. The first one-hour session is free, thereafter we charge £2. All are welcome to the Melbourn Dynamites so why not bring your kids along so they can check it out. Many of you will have seen the great news in previous articles about the full-size all weather Astro pitch for Melbourn. Work is nearing completion at MVC and we hope that it will be ready for our teams to enjoy before the Christmas break. Melbourn Dynamos is proud to have initiated this exciting project delivering a huge asset for the whole community. We have been providing our children with increasing opportunities for healthy-living and well-being for more than 18 years and our club is now the largest sport provider in our community. The quality and safety of the village’s current Astro pitch has been a previous concern and we have been exploring a new and better facility with our community partners for many years. This has been a long and sometimes frustrating process, but thanks to the resolute determination of the Dynamos’ leadership team and their actions to win the support of the Football Foundation and Cambridgeshire FA, we are pleased that the village will have this new full-size artificial pitch. The 100m x 64m floodlit pitch, based at MVC and costing more than £800,000, is approximately four times the size of the previous artificial surface it is replacing. In addition to school use, it will be available to local football clubs, for all ages and abilities, as well as to the community out of school hours.

The club’s success at providing accessible and inclusive sport and exercise for our local children, means we need volunteers and financial support from our community. This enables the club to train our volunteers and continue to provide opportunities for all children irrespective of their financial circumstances. We are particularly grateful to Melbourn Parish Council for the Community Grant awards that recognise the importance of our community work and the need for financial support. Melbourn Dynamos’ continuing success and growth means that we also need your help. Please contact Blake Carrington at chairman.mdfc@gmail.com for further information about the following opportunities: • Volunteers: If you would like to contribute to the club as a Facilities Manager, Administrator, Fundraiser, Fixtures secretary, Coach, Matchday official or in some other volunteer capacity then we are very keen to hear from you. We know that there are many potential volunteers in our village who have skills and enthusiasm to support and develop our work in the community. • Sponsorship Partners: Our success and development come at a cost as we need to pay for the £250 training and kit costs of our new volunteer coaches, as well as ensuring that we have 2 trained coaches for each of our existing teams. In addition, our pitch fees are in excess of £9,000 per season plus maintenance costs. Therefore, as Melbourn’s major community sports provider, we would be pleased to hear from potential sponsorship partners who share an interest in our community work. More information about the club and individual teams is available from the club’s Website: https://melbourndynamosfc.wordpress.com .

Melbourn Football Club Who are we? Melbourn Football Club is a men’s adult football team that plays in the Cambridgeshire Kershaw County Leagues. With home games held at The Moor Recreation Ground, the club offers affordable sport within the village to players of 16 and above. We have been representing the village for over 130 years and are always looking for new players to join us, so if you feel that you would like to play Saturday afternoon football in a friendly but competitive atmosphere then please contact us via the details given at the end of this report. Due to our fundraising efforts and excellent support from our sponsors we are able to provide the opportunity for young adults (16 years and above) to melbournmagazine@gmail.com

continue playing football for as little as £30 per year (this is the signing on fee for all players) as we don’t charge Under 18’s, unemployed or those in full time education a match fee (this is normally £6 per match). So, if you are wanting to continue playing football or would like to get back to playing then we would be pleased to hear from you. We also provide the highest level of insurance cover against injury that is available via the Cambridgeshire Football Association, which has been of benefit to a couple of our players over the past couple of years. We are currently training on a Tuesday night on the Comberton Village College 4G pitch between 20.30 and 21.45. However, with the near completion of the 4G pitch at Melbourn Village College, we are hoping to return our training sessions back to the village by the end of November and we will confirm this on our Facebook page when further information is available. Again, new players are welcome and encouraged to join the training sessions for a taste of what we do as a club.

First Team Update As mentioned in my report in the last magazine the first team were promoted to the Kershaw 1A league and as I write this report, we are sitting proudly on top of the league having played 7 games, winning 6, and losing just 1 (the first loss in 18 months!!) to our main rivals Great Shelford Reserves.

Reserve Team Update Our reserves team have had a mixed start to the season and have won 3 and lost 2 of their league games; they sit in 5th place in the Kershaw 4A league, with games in hand over some of the teams above them. In addition they have won a cup game 3 – 0 against Balsham, who are also in the same division, so hopefully they can repeat this victory in the league fixtures.

Notable Milestones within the Club This quarter I would like to share a few milestone achievements made by players within the club: Jason Gray passed the 350 appearances for Melbourn FC in the game against Great Shelford reserves and scored his 140th goal for the club in the recent game at Haverhill Town FC Youth. Veteran Ash Cooper’s next game will be the 300th Recorded Appearance for the club; however, as our records only go back to 1994, we know that it will be considerably more than this! Striker Kieran Butler has scored 37 goals in 37 games for the club and will no doubt be targeting 40 in 40! Several other players are approaching their own personal milestones for Melbourn but more about these in my next report.

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Melbourn Football Club raise £4500 for local mental health charity Last season, Melbourn FC challenged themselves to run or walk a combined 6,000km – the distance from their home ground to the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul and back – to raise money for local mental health charity, Cambridgeshire, Peterborough and South Lincolnshire (CPSL) Mind. Last week Melbourn FC donated a further £467 from their other fundraising activities during the 2020/21 campaign, and this combined with ‘The Road to Istanbul’ event means the club raised nearly £4500 for CPSL Mind. Melbourn FC’s charity partner is normally selected by the ‘Players’ Player of the Year’, but as last season was cut short the club’s committee made a unanimous decision to continue their support for the local mental health charity for a third season. Thanks to their fundraising so far, Melbourn FC have raised £6,300 for CPSL Mind since 2019. Simon Gascoyne, Secretary of the club said “For the last two seasons Melbourn Football Club has supported CPSL Mind. Chosen by the Players’ Player of the Year as a local mental health charity and a great chance to help support people experiencing mental health issues such as anxiety and depression.” Mick Walker, Chairman added “We are pleased to announce that following the success of our fundraising efforts for CPSL Mind over the past two years, the club will continue our support for this very worthy cause for another season. 25% of all profit the club makes through club fundraisers will be donated to them at the end of the current season. We hope to raise as much as possible Catherine Keating (CPSL Mind) and Mick Walker (Chairman, Melbourn FC)

Catherine Keating (CPSL Mind) and Melbourn FC players and committee

for our club and to help CPSL Mind in their aim to help those who need help with their mental health.” Catherine Keating, Community Fundraiser for CPSL Mind, said, “We are so thankful to Melbourn FC for raising awareness of our services, raising money and getting active. It has been a tough year for people who have been isolated from others and team sports, when allowed, have hugely helped people’s wellbeing. Getting out on the pitch also ties in with one of the 5 ways to wellbeing, to “BE ACTIVE”. We are looking forward to hearing about Melbourn FC’s events. The next event is ‘A Day at the Races in Newmarket’ with proceeds going to CPSL Mind. As we recover from several lockdowns and the Covid-19 pandemic, people are still struggling with their mental wellbeing in many different ways. CPSL Mind is here to help people overcome a wide range of difficulties.” For more information please contact Community Fundraiser, Catherine Keating on Catherine.keating@ cpslmind.org.uk If you would like more information on how you could fundraise for CPSL Mind, then please visit: www.cpslmind.org.uk/join-us/fundraise-for-us/ where you can find fundraising ideas that are fun and Covid‑19 safe

CPSL Mind Cambridgeshire, Peterborough and South Lincolnshire Mind (CPSL Mind) is a dynamic, regional charity that supports local people in their recovery from mental health issues, promotes wellbeing and campaigns against stigma & discrimination: www.cpslmind.org.uk We believe that no-one should have to face a mental

health problem alone. If you are facing difficulties with your emotional or mental health, and are looking for support on your road to recovery, we are here for you.

Sponsors & Fund Raising As I have mentioned in my previous reports, we have been supported well by a number of local businesses from the village and surrounding area with generous donations allowing us to purchase new kits and training equipment, and once again a number of these have come forward to offer further financial assistance despite the difficulties businesses face in these uncertain times. This support has meant that we are able not only to provide the teams with excellent kit and equipment but also to continue with our support of our chosen charity CPSL Mind the mental health charity (more about this later!). On behalf of the club, I would once again like to thank: Shire Tree Surgery / T J Plastering / P J Deards Plumbing MJF Construction / Conqueror Industries* * A special thank you must go to Julian Ireland and Conqueror Industries, as they have been a major sponsor to the club for a great number of years and have recently provided additional sponsorship, allowing us to progress further in our advancement as a local community football club. We would again like to thank Steve and Kerry Harrington and their team at the Black Horse Public House for welcoming us into their establishment, providing food to the team after matches and during our monthly committee meetings. As always, I would like to ask that if you feel that you are able to offer sponsorship in some way then please contact Simon Gascoyne on the contact details below. melbournmagazine@gmail.com

This photograph is of Melbourn Cricket Club taken around 1950–1952. At the time Bill Stanford was Captain and is pictured on his own in the centre and possibly nephew Roy Stanford, bottom right of the picture. Do you recognise anyone? If you do, send details to melbournmagazine@gmail.com

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Up-coming Fund Raising/Social Events With the lifting of restrictions, we were able to start our Social Events, beginning with a trip to Newmarket Races on the 2nd October. Although this was more of a social event than a fund raiser, we still managed to raise £284,75, of which 25% (£71.19) will go to CPSL Mind. I can also report that those that attended the event had an excellent day, rounding off with a Karaoke night at the Black Horse where it became a version of ‘Name that Tune’ as some of the singing left the regulars of the pub confused as to what the songs were!!

Future events planned are as follows: Christmas Boxes Draw – Boxes will be available to select during December and the draw itself will take place on Saturday 18th December. Quiz Night – January 29th 2022. This has become a very popular event and because of this we have had to move to Melbourn Village College to accommodate the numbers. Once again the quiz will be put together by Stuart Smith, who will compère the event, with Ash Cooper providing the technical support for the scores etc. I will be on hand to adjudicate and ensure fair play, so will again be the most hated person in the room! Race Night – Saturday 5th March 2022. This event will be held at the Black Horse and we hope you can join us for a flutter. All of these events will be raising funds for Melbourn Football Club with 25% of the monies raised being donated to CPSL Mind, so we welcome your support of these events.

Do you have any old Photographs of the past teams or players? We are currently putting together a picture library on our website and would like to ask if anyone has any old photos of players or teams from the past or newspaper cuttings. We have already received some (and thank you to those who have got in touch since my last request) which are great to reminisce about as we talk about some of the great teams and individuals that have been part of the club over the years. What would be really great when sending them in is if you can provide any names, the year/s the picture was taken and any anecdotal comments that could be added, as it is always lovely to hear these stories. If you are able to help then please forward these to our website or our Facebook page (details below).

Contact Details If you are interested in joining Melbourn Football Club

as a player, committee member or even as a supporter, then please contact one of the following: First Team Manager, Chay Wilson on 07966 573008, or Reserve Team Manager, Ben Hammond on 07402 777584 or Club Secretary, Simon Gascoyne on 07732 613555, or E-mail simon_gascoyne@hotmail.com You can also find us on social media and can follow us on Twitter @Melbourn_FC, Facebook www.facebook. com/MelbournFC , Instagram @melbourn_fc and our website www.melbournfc.com

Melbourn Sports Centre For those of you who don’t already know, we have: • A state of the art fitness suite offering a variety of membership schemes • A 20 metre swimming pool (kept ever so slightly warmer than most!) • A comprehensive swimming lesson programme, catering for all ages and abilities • Upgraded multisports courts for hire including tennis, football and squash courts • Water sports courses and activities • Traditional and modern exercise classes • Access to Melbourn Village College sports hall and gymnasium for activities such as trampolining, badminton and basketball • Supervised sports and pool parties

Autumn review There’s been a lot going on this term at the Sports Centre, to keep the community fit and ready during the Autumn weather. Aside from our normal classes, courses, swimming and fitness suite activities, we also had a bumper bag of Half Term activities running this year, including our OFSTED registered PlayScheme, with a Halloween theme, where children were treated to trampolining, swimming and creative crafts. Other holiday activities included Swimming Crash Course as well as teaming up with Football Fun Factory, who ran their first Soccer Camps at half term too! Finally, it is with great sadness that our colleagues Simon Davies and Annabel Wright are leaving us. It’s sad to see them go and we wish them all the best for the future. We hope to see you all this Winter for plenty of sports activities and challenges to keep you fit and well, and thank you once again for your continued support.

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December, January, February, March – a winter wonderland at msc! We have loads on offer this month, with something for the whole community to get involved with…. So why not come along and find out more about your local sports centre!

Come In Out Of The Cold! We’re not going to let those long winter nights stop us from enjoying our exercise! As well as our indoor facilities like the swimming pool, squash courts and sports hall, we have loads of swimming classes to keep you fit and healthy too including adult lanes, female only sessions, young at heart swim and AquaFit. We also offer table tennis alongside our normal indoor racket sports. And they are all reasonably priced, so the one thing that will stay plump is your purse!

Activities For Children! With Christmas fast approaching, it’s an ideal time to book your young ones onto our Ofsted Christmas PlayScheme. We will also be taking bookings from January for our February half term activities, which will include our swimming crash course and our popular Ofsted PlayScheme.

The Perfect Present! With Christmas just round the corner, keep your eye out for our gift promotion – a fun and fit idea if you’re looking for something different to buy a loved one or friend (or treat yourself!). Or why not take advantage of one of our great membership schemes to our fitness suite, which houses the latest in gymnasium equipment, including C.V machines fitted with audio visual technology, an ideal present for a loved one!

Party Time!

Spring Time!

Looking to book a birthday or Christmas party? How about bouncing those cares away with our new trampolining party or what about a Football party instead? All sessions run by a fully qualified coach. We also offer our traditional pool party, which are always a great hit! To help save the mess at home we also have the adjacent Community Centre available for bookings, which is an ideal room for you to have tea and cake after the party.

It’s a universally accepted fact – Mums are great! So this Mother’s Day how about treating her to her own gym membership or purchasing a gift voucher for our other activities here at Melbourn Sports? Make this Mother’s Day one she’ll never forget! For further details on parties, gift memberships or any of our activities, please drop in, call 01763 263313 or go online at www.mc-sport.co.uk. We look forward to seeing you this season!

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What’s On Melbourn Amateur Dramatics Society (MADS) Winter Wonderland Christmas Cabaret Friday 3rd & Saturday 4th December 2021 The MADS team are back! And they are very excited to bring to the stage this December a sparkly evening of glitz, glamour and entertainment at their Winter Wonderland Christmas Cabaret show. The evening will consist of a variety of acts to entertain you, including singers, comedians, magicians and so much more. This promises to be a truly spectacular evening filled with Christmas fun. Guests will be seated 6 people per table. Tables will be appropriately distanced to keep everyone safe! Please note that if your group is less than 6 people, please be prepared to share with other ticket buyers on the night. It’s been a difficult 18 months for us all and now we are all in need of some Christmas fun, so why not come along, dust off those sparkly Christmas outfits and allow yourself to be transported into a magical

Christmas Winter Wonderland! Please book early as space is limited. We are all very excited to welcome you back! Licensed bar available & a fabulous Christmas hamper to be won on both evenings! Tickets £15 per person (which includes fish and chip supper). Tickets available from Melbourn Hub or call the MADS Box Office on 07513457845. Donna Sleight, MADS Producer

Cambridge Past, Present and Future Events programme for Autumn and Winter Forest of Imagination Exhibition

» Winter Wreath Making at Wandlebury Country Park

Sun 5 Dec. All day, 90 minute sessions. £18 per family. Create your own wreath with the whole family.

» Winter Trees at Wandlebury Country Park

Wed 8 Dec, 10am – 12. Free (donations welcome) Gentle guided walk to learn how to identify tree species in winter.

» A Christmas Carol (Charles Dickens) at the Leper Chapel

Fri 10 & Sat 11 Dec, 7.30pm. Adults £14/under 18s £10 Festive play as Dicken’s performed it himself: One man, one stage.

» Winter Wreath Making at Wandlebury Country »

Park Sat 11 Dec. All day, 90 minute sessions. £18 per family. Create your own wreath with the whole family. Winter Trees at Wandlebury Country Park

Tues 18 Jan, 10am – 12. Free (donations welcome) Gentle guided walk to learn how to identify tree species in winter.

» History and Archaeology Walk at Wandlebury Country Park

Weds 2 Feb, 10am – 12. Free (donations welcome). Gentle guided walk with a Warden.

» Children’s Holiday Bushcraft at Wandlebury Country Park

14–18 Feb, 8.30am –4pm. £38 per day. Fun and enriching outdoor activities during half‑term. melbournmagazine@gmail.com

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Printed by The Langham Press

Issue 108 Winter 2021

Articles inside

What’s On

Sports & Clubs

Authors and their Books

Nature

Review The Tiger Who Came to Tea

About Melbourn Magazine

Travelogue

Town and Country Planning

Fowlmere RSPB Nature Reserve

Education

Village news