Issue 60 Winter 2009 by Melbourn Magazine

A selection of glass tiles to celebrate MVCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 50th Anniversary. See page 37

The GeorgeInn at Babraham

Come and enjoy award winning food or simply relax and enjoy a drink in the beautiful surroundings of this historic 1 8 th C e n t u r y C o a c h i n g I n n Open 7 days a week (closed Sunday Evening) Wide range of menu options from £5.50 to £18.95 Monday to Thursday 2 courses from the specials board just £10, or 3 courses £14 Ample Parking & Disabled Access and Facilities Function Room with Garden Terrace Available for all Occasions

Telephone 01223 833800 www.georgeinn-babraham.co.uk High Street, Babraham, Cambridge CB22 3AG

...editorial Many congratulations to the River Mel Restoration Group whch has been awarded the Wild Trout Trust and Orvis Conservation Award 2009 at the Savile Club in Mayfair. (p. 25) Many groups will recognise their work on the cover of this edition. These are the glass tiles made by representatives of various organisations in the village at the time the Melbourn Village College 50th Anniversary window was being designed. The Anniversary Tea was a very successful event attended by many alumni and friends of the College. (p. 37) On p. 9 there is information about the new blog on the Village website, called ‘Speakers’ Corner’. This will enable everyone to make known their views, good or bad, and will also help the Village Plan Steering Committee to include every opinion on the state of the village. We are pleased to include several items from the students of the Journalism Club at MVC. They can also be seen on their new website: www.melbourn.org.uk/journalism/ We are lucky to have so many sporting facilities in the village, and now welcome the return of the tennis club, with coaching for all ages and abilities I am sure that most people have read the reports in the local press of a ‘big cat’ seen in neighbouring villages. Well, it has now been seen on the outskirts of Melbourn (from the by-pass in the field just before the water treatment plant for example). There are very large breeds of cat of course, such as the Maine Coon, which is the largest, and found in various colours, including black; could the animal be a large cat? Apologies to the Primary School for mixing it up with Meldreth. It is Meldreth School, of course, which will celebrate its 100th anniversary next year. As one of the compilers of the history book I should have known that Melbourn had a schoolmaster resident in the village as early as 1596! Thank you to everyone who has contributed to the Magazine over the past year, whether sponsor, advertiser, club or society, helping to make the Magazine such a success. 2009 has passed very quickly, and we now look forward to what 2010 will bring to our community. A very happy Christmas and a healthy and prosperous New Year to everyone. Apart from printing, all work on the Melbourn Magazine, including layout and design is produced by volunteers. The cost of production comes entirely from advertising and sponsorship. Melbourn Magazine is independent of the Parish Council NO public money is used.

Front cover picture MVC 50 Anniversary celebration

Village News Speakers’ Corner Parish Council Individuals given choice over social care 20mph Speed Limit for Melbourn First Capital Connect annual student passes La Roche Chalais is looking for a twin! Nature

5 9 17 21 21 23 24 25

River Mel Restoration Award

Safer Melbourn

Profile

Colin Charter

Village Information Diary Education MVC 50th continues Melbourn Journalist Club Church News

31 33 35 37 43 45

feature

The Fourth Wise Man

feature

Things are bubbling up in Melbourn …

Sports Club

feature

In Days Gone By …

If you would like to advertise a forthcoming local event in ‘What’s On’ on the Village website use the simple form at

www.melbourn.org.uk/forthcoming-events/ melbournmagazine

17, Royston SG8 SG86EU 6EU 17,Portway, Portway,Melbourn, Melbourn, Royston Phone 07976-769398 Phone01945-428757 01945-428757 Mobile Mobile 07976-769398 Surveysofofall allgas gas & & lpg lpg appliances appliances carried Surveys carriedout. out. Surveys of hot & cold water installations carried out.

Surveys of hot & cold water installations carried out. 17, Melbourn, SG8 6EU 17,Portway, Portway, Melbourn, Royston SG8 6EU out. Surveys of central heatingRoyston systems carried

Phone Mobile 07976-769398 Surveys of 01945-428757 central heating systems carried out. Phone 01945-428757 Mobile 07976-769398

Gas & lpg boilers serviced or replaced.

Gas &heating lpgallboilers serviced or or replaced. Surveys of gas & lpg appliances carried out. Central systems replaced upgraded. Surveys of all gas & lpg appliances carried out.

Surveys of hot & cold water installations carried out.

Surveys heating of hotPowerflushing & cold waterreplaced installations out. Central systems upgraded. service.or carried Surveys Surveysof ofcentral centralheating heatingsystems systemscarried carriedout. out.

Servicing, faultfinding, repairs toservice. all gas & lpg appliances. Gas & Powerflushing lpg boilers serviced or replaced. Gas & lpg boilers serviced or replaced.

Bathrooms fitted. Underfloor installations. Central heating systems or upgraded. Servicing, faultfinding, repairsreplaced to heating all gas & lpg appliances. Central heating systems replaced or upgraded. All general plumbing work undertaken. Powerflushing service.

Powerflushing Bathrooms fitted. Underfloorservice. heating installations. Servicing, faultfinding, repairs to all gas & lpg appliances.

Landlord & Gas repairs Safety to Certificates Servicing, faultfinding, all gas & lpgissued. appliances.

All carried general plumbing work undertaken. Bathrooms fitted. Underfloor heating installations. All works out by Gas Safe Registered engineers. Bathrooms fitted. Underfloor heating installations. All general plumbing work undertaken. Landlord & Gas Safetywork Certificates issued. All general plumbing undertaken.

No call out charges. Free References given upon request. Landlord & quotations. Gas Safety Certificates issued. Landlord & Gas Safety Certificates issued.engineers. All works carried GasSafe Safe Registered All works carriedout out by by Gas Registered engineers. All works carried out by Gas Safe Registered engineers.

Noout call out charges. Freequotations. quotations. References given uponupon request. No call Free References given request. No callcharges. out charges. Free quotations. References given upon request.

Registered Plumber Registered Plumber Registered

Plumber

Registered Plumber

www.melbourncambridge.co.uk

196078 196078

196078

village news In the news Vicarage Close Moorlands Court Extra Care Scheme New Melbourn Singers Home-Start Women’s Group Self Help Group Lifeboats Melbourn History Group Royston & District Local History Society Royston & District Family History Society Royal British Legion Library News The National Trust Unwanted Children’s Books Melbourn Village Fete 2009 Cambridge Building Society - Melbourn Five Top Tips To Avoid A Christmas Debt Hangover Wot’s4Supper.com

Child and Family Nursing Team

Vicarage Close We are all looking forward to our Christmas celebrations, starting with Christmas Lunch at the Motel. We are having a Christmas morning with a visit from Father Christmas, with mulled wine and mince pies, which should put everybody in the mood for our entertainment of karaoke! We also are joining up with Meldreth to attend an ‘Old Time Music Hall’ so Christmas will be a very busy time for us all. We have been fortunate in having an expert in card craft visiting us regularly, and she has helped us produce lovely cards over the past weeks including some very unusual Christmas cards. We must thank Tina for her patience and help, and all the residents who attend the classes have really enjoyed themselves. We also benefit from having a visiting hairdresser and chiropodist who come regularly to the centre; thanks to Sandra and Erica; plus we hold our regular activities of coffee morning, lunches, bingo and bowls. We were all very saddened when one of our residents Meg Culy died. She was always willing to help and would always support any activities provided at Vicarage Close. She will be much missed by us all. Thanks to all who contribute to our recycling, we unfortunately have had to stop collecting plastic bottle tops as it is apparently not viable anymore!! We still collect jam jars, used stamps, tin foil, used printer cartridges and used greeting cards all of which raise money for charity or local groups. On behalf of all at Vicarage Close can we thank our helpers, Olive, Sue and Freda for their help throughout the year and offer thanks to everybody who supports Vicarage in any way. Joy Hyde Lead Sheltered Housing Officer Mon to Fri 9am to 1.30pm. Telephone 01763 263389

Well Baby Clinics Drop in clinics for parents and babies are held as follows: Melbourn clinic every Wednesday between 9.30 and 11.30am at: 35 Orchard Road, Melbourn Telephone 01763 262861 Cambourne clinic every Monday between 9.30 and 12 noon at: Room 12 (upstairs), Sackville House, Cambourne Telephone 01954 282830

‘Speaker’s Corner’ a new website for Melbourn, aims to provide Melbourn residents with the opportunity to express their views on issues affecting them and those around them. Whether relating to the council, policing issues, or the local environment, feel free to Continued on page 9 make your point.

www.melbourn.org.uk/speakers-corner/ melbournmagazine

NOW AVAILABLE Pet Supplies, Handbags, Tasty Treats from Jayne’s Country Kitchen, Tools, Instant Mobility for all your Mobility Needs

Don’t forget our Mini Farmers Market 3rd Saturday of Every Month and the General Farmers Market 1st Sunday of Every Month. Home produce at great prices.

Did you know ➧ ➧ ➧ ➧

We now have a Butcher, Baker, Greengrocer, Fishmonger ... and Grocery Stall every Wednesday and Saturday.

Other products available include: ➧ ➧ ➧ ➧ ➧ ➧ ➧ ➧ ➧

Linen Swimming Pool Supplies Jewellery Hardware Kitchenware Plastics Books Ladies and Gents Clothing Bric A Brac and Wooden Wildlife Supplies. Come and visit the home of the: Royston Sausage – try before you buy.

Home-Start Royston & South Cambridgeshire are looking for more volunteers - could you give a Home-Start family the most precious gift - your time ?

Dates for your diary: General Farmers Market Sun 4th Oct, Sun 1st Nov, Sun 6th Dec.

Our volunteers are all parents or grandparents who can give a few hours a week to help families who are finding it difficult to cope All parents need emotional and practical help to get through the first few years, but not everyone has friends or family nearby This is when Home-Start volunteers can help! Further details can be obtained by calling into our offices: Unit 6, Valley Farm, Meldreth, SG8 6JP, or contacting us on 01763 262262 and talking to Wendy or Tracy or e-mailing admin@hsrsc.co.uk

www.melbourncambridge.co.uk

Moorlands Court Extra Care Scheme The Extra Care Scheme opened in April 2008, it contains 35 flats and offers the opportunity for retired people with some care needs, to live within an independent environment designed to meet their physical, social and personal needs. The tenants at Moorlands Court celebrated the third annual ‘Older Persons Day’ with a get together on the 3rd October 2009. The staff organized a raffle to raise funds to pay for an entertainer and we are very grateful to Histon FC who donated a signed football, brochure and family ticket to the raffle prizes and to Histon’s striker Craig Hammond who personally presented Moorlands Court with these gifts. Our grateful thanks also go out to two members of staff Steve and Julia Howell who provided a lovely buffet tea and wine for all of the tenants. We would also like to thank ‘Melbourn Village Fete 2009’ who purchased a fantastic outdoors games table for the tenants of Moorlands Court. The table has a snakes and ladders board and a chess/draughts board on it and has been specially adapted so that it has access for two wheelchair users. Allan Webb a tenant of Moorlands Court wanted to express his gratitude to the fete, “I have never seen a games table like this before and it will be really nice to have an activity that can take place in our gardens, it is a wonderful gift”. Denise Taylor Extra Care Service Manager

New Melbourn Singers Rehearsals are in progress for the 50th Anniversary Concert to be held in King’s College Chapel on February 6th at 8 pm. Tickets will be on sale for the Concert in January 2010. A Workshop of Gospel Music, to be led by Ken Burton, who is often seen on Songs of Praise, is arranged for March 20th 2010. This will take place at Comberton Leisure Centre Performance Hall.

Home-Start “Volunteer with Home-Start and give the most precious gift your time”

Brian Collingbourne (fete Chair) and Jayne White (fete fundraiser) meeting Moorlands Court Scheme Manager Anita Hill and tenants Violet Bass, Joyce Howard, Allan Webb and Don Chinery.

Craig Hammond Histon’s FC striker presenting a signed football to Care Assistant Beryl Winter, for the Moorlands Court fundraiser raffle.

Started over 25 years ago, Home-Start is a national voluntary organisation offering support, friendship and practical help to families with children under 5 years. Over 340 schemes operate nationally and world-wide, with the key aim to provide support when a family needs it the most. Home-Start believes that children need a happy and secure childhood and that parents play the key role in giving their children a good start in life to help them achieve their full potential. However, many parents, desperate to do the right things to give their children the best possible start in life, find they are fighting against the odds. Circumstances beyond their control mean they are faced with isolation, sickness, disability or mental health illness. They might be very young parents, have given birth to twins or triplets, be living with domestic violence or are facing the challenges of melbournmagazine

Finally, a guaranteed solution for your ﬂat roof problems, proven to last over 40 years! Does your roof suﬀer from any of these signs? Moss growth • Cracks or bumps • Leaks • Expired guarantee • Or is it more than 5 years old?

Stop! Replace it now, replace it permanently and prevent misery from a leaking roof. JOIN THE WORLD’S LARGEST DANCE BASED FITNESS PROGRAMME

Melbourn Village College Wednesday: Jazzercise 7.15 pm Greneway School, Garden Walk, Royston Tuesday: Bodysculpt 6.15 pm Jazzercise 7.00 pm Thursday: Bodysculpt 6.40 pm Jazzercise 7.30 pm Seth Ward Community Centre, Buntingford Thursday: Jazzercise 6.15 pm For more information call Linda on 01763 241527 www.jazzercise4fitness.co.uk

FIRST WEEK FREE WITH THIS AD (New students only)

www.melbourncambridge.co.uk

Before

Unlike felt, RubberBond EPDM will not split, leak or crack and it’s tough enough to walk on. Installed in full compliance with the revised Building Regulations of April 2006!

APPROVED INSTALLER After

Call NOW for your FREE, no obligation quotation - valid for 12 months.

01763 869035 Lines open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

therubberrooﬁngcompany.com

bringing up their children on their own. Or they might be very capable people who are struggling with the demands of new parenthood. Home-Start Royston & South Cambridgeshire are now settled in their new home at Valley Farm in Meldreth, and over the last year has helped over 114 local families, with a total of 261 children, by providing support either through their Home visiting service or Family Support Groups. The majority of families are referred to Home-Start by their Health Visitor or other Healthcare Professional. However, over 30% of families refer themselves to the service, recognising that they need support. Home visiting is where a trained Home-Start volunteer offers a family support, friendship and practical assistance in their home for 2-3 hours once a week, at a time that’s convenient to the family. The kind of help offered depends on what’s needed perhaps a friendly face to chat to once a week, or taking the children to the park for a couple of hours whilst the parent catches up on paperwork, housework, has some exercise or even catches up on some sleep. The same volunteer visits the same family each week, so families have a regular friendly face coming in. As one mother put it: “I look forward to the weekly visits from my volunteer who gives me much needed breathing space, a listening ear and real friendship.” In addition, family groups take place once a week, on Thursdays at the Methodist Church Hall, Queens Road, Royston, on Fridays at The Hub in Cambourne. Families may be family group members, have a home visiting volunteer or combine the two.

COFFEE STOP Every Saturday 10.30am to 12noon Rombouts coffee & biscuits for 70p at All Saints’ Community Hall There are toys for the children to play with and a play leader organises a programme of activities, for example, drawing, painting, singing, sandwich making or dressing up. Activities are arranged for

Parish but also the District and the County). The list can be endless – no doubt we can all think of one or two.

www.melbourn.org.uk/speakers-corner/ www.melbourn.org.uk/speakers-corner/

A good ol’ moan! Everyone gripes and grumbles about something, whether it’s waiting too long in a queue, missing post or poor restaurant service. But apparently although we enjoy a good moan, when it comes to complaining we British all too often shy away from confrontation. Partly because we don’t like the hassle, or we don’t think it will do any good. Perhaps we don’t want to be seen as the ‘moaning’ Victor Meldrew, or simply don’t know how or who to moan to. Most of us won’t make a complaint, no matter how badly we’ve been mistreated. Yet complaining is straightforward, so why do we consider it too much trouble?

On the door step Melbourn is a great village – it has a lot to offer, but it does have its faults. Speakers’ Corner can be found on the village website. It is a blog where you can put your point of view on village issues or have something to say about other peoples discussions. It is the place for locals to ‘gripe’ and ‘grumble’ or just make an observation. Feel free to point out problems with speeding traffic, intimidating youths, littered streets, holes in the roads, overhanging branches, dog mess or problems with the councils, (not just the

One of our biggest problems is the assumption that somebody will already be dealing with the ‘situation’. A neighbour perhaps has let the authorities know or the appropriate authority has been patrolling the street and seen the problem. The Police have their faults (lots), but they also need the help of the public to identify problem hotspots. As do local councils. No point expecting them to know where there are potholes, bad lighting, overhanging bushes or disturbances in the village if no one informs them. In the real world there is not a ‘copper’ standing on every street corner or some official walking every path and road checking for problems – much as we feel there should be. (I know! ‘We pay enough’, I hear you say!) If you do have an issue and you want to tell someone about it, pick up the phone and let them know. Alternatively, put your complaint or problem on the site. Somebody in authority WILL be looking at it, we will make sure of that. As this site is open for others to leave their comments, someone may already have the answer your looking for. You DO NOT need to leave your real name on the site, a username is fine. We do ask you to fill out the form with correct details, but you can be assured your details are not revealed to anyone. We hope to feature many of the issues in the Melbourn magazine, so everyone in the village, not just those lucky enough to have the internet, will be able to get to know what’s going on. If you know someone with a problem but without access to the internet then why not help them by putting their problem on the site.

melbournmagazine

the parents too, perhaps with an outside visitor coming in to speak on a topic such as sun safety, first aid and offering advice on parenting skills. Volunteers are on hand to help throughout the session, and families bring along a packed lunch so everyone can sit down and eat lunch together. Home-Start is desperate for volunteers for both the home visiting service and Family Groups. Volunteers give a local family the most precious gift there is – time. All volunteers are parents themselves, often with older children and are able to spare time and their company with a family. They’re not healthcare professionals or connected to the family in any way, so offer impartial confidential support. Home visiting volunteers receive preparation on how to work with a family, and once qualified are appropriately matched with a local family. The next course will take place in February/March 2010. Family support group volunteers are needed once a week between 12 noon and 3.00pm, so this fits in with school hours. There are so many ways you can support Home-Start – as a home visitor or family group volunteer, by becoming a trustee, by giving a donation or by attending our fundraising events. For further details - Home-Start can be contacted on 01763 262262 or email admin@hsrsc.co.uk

Women’s Group 24th November Coming to what? Alan Hay Meldreth Meeting Room December no meeting 26th January 2010 AGM Melbourn Community Hall All starting at 7.45pm

Self Help Group Thursday Luncheon Club We have had a very good year. Despite losing Mary Daynes, our cook of many years standing, we are still going. Our food is collected from Moorlands Court who provide us with a two course meal. We have a six week menu and we thank Sabrina and Dawn, the two cooks at Moorlands Court, together with Sharon

www.melbourncambridge.co.uk

and Denise for their enormous help. We are looking forward to Christmas. As mentioned before, due to lack of a resident cook, the ladies in the kitchen will be providing a fantastic Christmas meal for our lunch club members. As last year, we hope Father Christmas will spare us some of his valuable time. Continued thanks, to the many ladies and gentleman of Melbourn and Meldreth who provide transport and help in the kitchen, without whose help we would not be able to operate. There is still a waiting list for lunch club, but if anyone wishes to be added to the list, please contact me on Royston 220250. Wishing you all a very Happy Christmas, from all at Luncheon Club. Jayne White

Lifeboats By the time you read this local RNLI groups will have been reviewing the previous year and planning for 2010. Where does the time go? This last year has been an even busier one for crews and fundraisers alike. There has been great pressure on crews as many people now take holidays nearer home due to the recession. This led to more activity on British beaches – not always of a sensible nature. The number of rescues of people drifting out to sea on inflatables doubled, and inexperienced sailors caused a large rise in sea rescues – nearly 1,500 between April and June. Because of all this, and because people are understandably less keen to part with money in the present uncertain financial situation, national fund raising efforts have also come under great pressure. Fortunately RNLI has always been sympathetically received by the public, but there is a limit to people’s generosity. Local groups, including Royston, do their best to swell the coffers, and 2009 was a busy, if at times frustrating time for us too. Our annual Flag Day sadly raised only a fraction of its normal amount, due to the council in its infinite wisdom booking two other charities to collect on the same day. (Irate letters followed I believe.) We also had a lot of trouble with our regular souvenir selling at Duxford Air Shows, due to suddenly being regulated to an open-air pitch, and needing a tent to cover our wares. We surmounted this obstacle, but were forced to abandon one event as we did not have enough people to set up our stall.

However, we look forward to 2010 with optimism, with bookings for local fetes, and the Royston Kite Festival, and hopefully a Flag Day to call our own. ‘Every little helps’ as we are told, and it encourages us to think that all over the country, groups like ours are doing their bit to keep this great institution going. With your help RNLI will always keep afloat. Jean Eames (01763 245958)

Melbourn History Group You will read elsewhere of the successful 50th anniversary of the opening of the Village College. The History Group were very happy to be associated with the event and provided a stand mounted with many of the College’s archives showing press cuttings and photographs of the many happy times since 1959. It was a joyous occasion as many old pupils met up again and exchanged reminiscences. Having finished our work on the 50th anniversary the History group is again attending to the regular requests that we received from visitors to the village who leave their queries in the visitors’ book in the Parish Church or ring us direct. Over the last few months we have dealt with queries on the ancestors in the families of the Kings, Days, Stockbridges and Worlands and several people have gone away with the Melbourn History Book. It is perhaps a good idea to remind our readers that all new Melbourn residents are entitled to a free copy of the History Book and can obtain one from either the Parish Council Office or from any member of the Group. Colin Limming. 01763 260072

Royston & District Local History Society website: www.roystonlocalhistory.org.uk Our meetings are held in the Heritage Hall, Royston Town Hall starting at 8pm. It costs only £5 for an annual subscription (Sept-August) Visitors are welcome £2. Our programme of evening talks may be viewed on our website. The Royston Cave in Melbourn Street, which has many interesting medieval carvings, will re-open on Easter Saturday 2010. 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 are available from David Allard 01763 242677 or may be purchased at the Royston & District Museum in Kneesworth Street, Royston. Thurs 3 December Modernizing History – Exploring Hitchin, illustrated. Alan Fleck Thurs 7 January History of Addenbrookes Hospital, illustrated. Fraser Rogers Thurs 4 February The Pioneer Years – the founding and development of Letchworth Garden City up to 1920, illustrated. Victoria Rawlings Thurs 4 March The Inns and Outs of Pub Names, illustrated. Mark Pardoe

Royston & District Family History Society We are just getting back into the swim of things after the summer break and settling in to our second year at All Saints’ Community Hall in Melbourn. Our first meeting of the new season, September 21st, was a very interesting talk by Eve McGlaughlin about the property of a married woman and what happened when her husband died. Eve is a real heavyweight in family history circles with numerous book titles to her credit and her vast knowledge of her subject shone through in her talk. We all ended the evening much more knowledgeable about the possible circumstances our widowed ancestors would have faced than we were before. Eve also brought along a selection of her own books for sale so most of us went home with lighter purses as well. Our next couple of meetings are member’s evenings when we talk about our own experiences in trying to trace our families and help each other to knock down those “brick walls” which we all run into with our research from time to time. Every year we

attempt at least one project. Currently we have two on the go. Our “outdoor summer project” has been the Monumental Inscriptions of the Churchyard at Steeple Morden. After several sessions crawling about on hands and knees trying to read very worn headstones we have reached the checking stage. All the stones have either been read, or at least categorised as illegible, and we now change personnel and read them all again, hopefully that should bring any errors to light. It is hoped that within a year the Steeple Morden churchyard will join our other 12 Monumental Inscription booklets for sale. The current indoor project is the transcribing of the Marriages from the Parish Registers of Royston Parish Church. This, when published, will cover the same time span as the burials which we already have published and will be followed in the future by the baptisms. Earlier this year we had a stall at the Family History Day at Denny Abbey Museum. Cambridge and Huntingdon Family History Societies also attended along with several Local History Societies. It was an interesting and reasonably profitable day but, bitterly cold. We were in the cart shed and the wind sure did whistle round it! For our summer outing this year we had a coach trip to Bletchley Park. We were blessed with a glorious day, which certainly helped and we all agreed that it provides a really good day out. Not only is it very interesting to see the Enigma Machine and all the other code breaking gizmos and computers, but the grounds are lovely and the mansion itself very impressive. We were also extremely fortunate in our guide, an indefatigable lady called Jean Valentine, who actually worked there during the war and has “the T-shirt”. She was fascinating. Our December meeting will, as usual, be a Christmas Social then it will be noses to the grindstone again in 2010. We are always pleased to welcome contiued on page 12

www.melbourn.org.uk/speakers-corner/

melbournmagazine

visitors if you would like to come along and see what we get up to. We meet on the third Monday of the month at All Saints Community Hall. Jan 18th Member’s Questions and a short talk by Peter Jackson “Thomas Sutton & Charterhouse” Feb 15th Member help Member Mar 15th “In praise of old churches” A talk by Mr Roy Tricker April 19th “Tracing the convicts who went to Botany Bay” a talk by Mr Ken Griffin Avril Emery, Chair/Editor Royston & District FHS

Royal British Legion The all-important Royal British Legion event of the year, The Poppy Appeal, is over, we awit the final results. This was followed by the Armistice Day Remembrance Service at The War Memorial. Sadly we did not march this year due to the retirement of our Parade Marshall Mr. Reg Luff. Reg Luff is nearly ninety now and has served our branch for many years; his former army service shows in his smartness and posture and he is without doubt a credit to our branch.

www.melbourncambridge.co.uk

This year we had a new Poppy Appeal Organizer, Steve Fuller, who lives in Meldreth. He and his wife are very keen to do their best for The British Legion. Another retirement has come about, that of Mrs. Sheila Goldthorpe our former Standard Bearer of the women’s branch. We are always sorry to lose such people, but happily her position has been filled by my wife Pauline. Our membership still stands at 31, with plenty of room for new members who will always be welcomed. My regards to you all, Patrick Parkinson, Chairman & Secretary,

Melbourn and Meldreth District Women’s Branch Members held a Tombola Stall at Coffee Stop on 12th September, as this had been designated as ‘Women’s Section Day’. We all dressed in Region colours of yellow and blue, and made money for Branch Funds. Members are looking forward to a visit to Brick Lane on Dec 9th, where we will partake of a Christmas Dinner and entertainment. Anyone wishing to join can contact either Mrs E. Murphy (01763 220841) or Mrs A. Neaves (01763 260110)

Library News The Library has been doing well over the last few weeks. We have had a considerable increase in borrowing which is against the national trend. We have also been able to train three new librarians who are easing the load on our existing team. Our new Chair Lady, Jocelyn has inspired us to various measures that have greatly improved the Library. We have completed our repairs and repainting which has made the building far more welcoming. The Doorstep service run by Hilary Frith of the Library service has been using our Library to provide books for readers in Moorlands which has made Wednesdays very busy. We have two Book Clubs who use us to obtain collections for their readers. We notice that very few readers come on Saturdays which surprises us. Why not visit us when you come into the village on Saturdays. If you are new to the village

you will find our facilities both welcoming and useful. Our stock is intended to reflect the needs of the village but if you need other items we can get them quickly via the hold service. The hold or reservation service is free for books and items in the Cambridge Collection which means for all the regular libraries in Cambridgeshire. Books take about a week to arrive. Books arrive at the beginning of the Monday session and are available for collection during that session. Our own stock is based on paperback fiction with a few donated hardback books. We also have categories for autobiographies, history, large print, travel, gardening and cookery. Our children’s section has a considerable number of young children’s books such as picture books plus lots of books for primary school children and a number of young adult books. We do need some more books for the younger age group as their usage is very high and maintaining enough books to keep our younger readers happy is quite difficult. So donations of books in good condition for the under fives would be appreciated as we have several users who borrow up to the maximum number of such books for their children. We have relatively few reference books as nearly all research nowadays is done on the internet. We have two internet terminals available free for our readers. These terminals have access to several specialist services which are paid for by the Library Service which include encyclopedias, Ancestry.com and back numbers of The Times. If you are new to computing just ask the Librarian on duty and they will be delighted to show you how to access the services. It is very easy once you have the system explained to you. There is a printer which for a small charge can copy information in black and white. Colour copies are available but these are a little more expensive. Please check with the Librarian on duty. You can renew your own books on line by accessing: https://ibistro.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/WEB/0/29/491/X/3 You will need your library card number and your password. If you have forgotten your password you can obtain it by presenting your card to one our Librarians. The Library Service has an email system available to warn readers when their books are due for renewal. Ask at our desk to activate the system. You can access the catalogue at: www.ibistro.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/uhtbin/webcat

We are open at the following times: Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays 2.30–4.30pm Thursday Evenings 5.00–7.00pm Saturday Mornings 10.00am–12.00pm Mike Stapleton

The National Trust During tours of Wimpole and when we enter the Housekeeper’s Room in the basement, tour guides remind their parties that one of the “perks” given to the Housekeeper in times gone by was to take visitors round a property when the family were not in residence. We remind them of the incident in Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” when Elizabeth Bennett and her aunt and uncle are shown around Pemberley. The “perk” came when the Housekeeper expected a “tip” for so doing and we are quick to remind our visitors that no such requirement is expected today – much to their relief! When we also remind them that on that same occasion Elizabeth met Mr D’Arcy fresh from his plunge into the lake, then the eyes of the ladies in our parties mist over! I am afraid that some of our male tour guides are a poor substitute for Colin Firth. The tours end at the end of October and it remains to be seen if they will continue next year or if the Trust will open Wimpole, as with other properties, for “free flow” from 11.00. a.m. If they do it will require a lot more volunteer room stewards than we have at present. melbournmagazine

The Royston & Saffron Walden National Trust Association has now retreated indoors for the winter season and a list of their talks is shown in the calendar. All National Trust members are welcome at our monthly meetings that are held either at Royston Town Hall or Saffron Walden County High School Sports Centre at 7.30 p.m. If anyone is interested please let me know. Colin Limming 01763 260072

Melbourn Village Fete 2009 With the success of this year’s 1st combined Village fete and “Music on the Moor” evening still ringing in our ears “literally”, the fete committee would first like to once again thank all the volunteers for giving us their valuable time on the day and all our sponsors for giving us their hard earned cash. Both of which allowed us to organise one of the most well attended fetes this village has ever seen in recent years. In turn for all those that were fund-

raising on the day for their given club, society or charity this had to be the most profitable fete to date for them, which is fantastic news in this current financial climate. Not forgetting this could not have been achieved without the support of all local families that attended with all their friends from far and wide, this now looks like an event that people are putting in their diaries and making a point of attending. The Melbourn Village Fete Committee are proud to announce that we have donated over £2000 again this year to various organisations within the village as listed below. 1 2 3 4 5 6

Mc-Splash Swimming Club River Mel Restoration Group Melbourn & Meldreth Self Help Group MVC Prom Committee Moorlands Court Extra Care Scheme Melbourn Playgroup

The Fete committee are always looking to build on the success of the previous year’s event and have already taken the decision to hold the 2nd combined Village fete and “Music on the Moor” evening, as well as booking the dated for 2010 which will be Saturday 26th June. We will be looking to fill next year’s event with even more for the whole family to do during the Fete, and hopefully have some new local bands as well as the old crowd pullers for the evening. With that in mind we are eager to encourage more local bands, groups and societies to get involved to highlight their particular cause, so please contact us soon to avoid disappointment. The committee’s numbers look good, which is excellent news. However, to put on a larger event we could always do with some extra help whether it be a full committee member or a volunteer on the day. So if you can spare some time for a worthy and rewarding cause, whether it be a few hours or more please contact us. Brian Collingbourne (Chair) Melbournfete@aol.com Web: site www.melbournfete.co.uk

Expertise on your doorstep 19 Station Road Melbourn Royston Hertfordshire SG8 6DX Tel 01763 217510 Mon-Fri 9am-5pm Sat 9am-12pm Customer Hotline Tel 0845 601 3344 Mon-Fri 9am-10pm Sat 9am-6pm Sun 11am-5pm

Time to keep your money close to home Head Office Administration Centre PO Box 232 51 Newmarket Road Cambridge CB5 8FF Tel 0845 601 3344 www.cambridgebs.co.uk

www.melbourncambridge.co.uk

Cambridge Building Society – Melbourn

Wot’s4Supper.com

Firstly, may I introduce myself? My name is Lucy Lambert and I am the recently appointed Branch Supervisor at the Melbourn branch of Cambridge Building Society. I have worked for the Cambridge Building Society for 8 years, mainly at the Sawston Branch but also at our St. Andrews Street branch. I am keen to become involved in the community here and am delighted to represent a local mutual building society that has a firm ethos not only in providing excellent financial services to its customers, but which also believes in being actively involved with local community and charity events. I would also like to introduce to you Andy Jukes who is the recently appointed Area Sales Manager for the Society. Andy has extensive experience in the financial sector and is also very keen to become involved in the community here and provide market leading service to our existing and future customers. At the Cambridge Building Society we have various services that we can provide to you. Please feel free to pop in and see Becca, Helen or myself at 19 Station Road, Melbourn, to talk to us about them all. We can also discuss ways in which you feel we could benefit the local community. We are open 6 days a week: Monday - Friday: 9.00am – 5.00pm Saturday : 9.00am – 12pm We look forward to your visit were you can expect a warm and friendly welcome. Lucy Lambert

We are two local Mums (Melbourn & Meldreth) who became friends at our children’s school. We both love to cook and realise the importance of providing home cooked family meals within a budget. We had an idea about creating a family meal planning website which took away all the stresses and strains of constantly wondering what to provide for tea every night. We feel that by planning properly families can save money on their weekly food bill, reduce food waste and save time. This is an element of housekeeping/cooking that our Grannies/Mums were familiar with, but perhaps our generation moved away from as life became more hectic and disposable. As we now find ourselves in a recession, these values are once again becoming more important and our website can be a tool to aid this. We spent a good period of time firming up our idea, before we were ready to select a web design company to develop the site. We are great believers in supporting the community that we live in and that was no exception when looking for a web company to develop our idea. It took a lot of hard work, stress and disappointment until we ended up with the site that we have just recently launched. It took 3 different web companies and 2.5 yrs for it to come to fruition, we’ve learnt a lot as this wasn’t our area of expertise, but we have stayed local. We believe it is worth all the hard work and are receiving very positive feedback from our Members. In these continuing credit crunch times our site is a great solution as all our recipes our tried and tested, use seasonal ingredients which can be bought locally, recipes can be scaled up when cooking for more or less and are linked to a shopping list which you can personalise with all your own extra household items. We know how busy life can be for the person who cooks and we think our site helps to relieve some of the stress. If you would like to take a look at the website, please use the link www.wots4supper.co.uk. Jo and Annette, Co-Founders

Five Top Tips To Avoid A Christmas Debt Hangover Christmas is a time for giving, but you don’t want to give yourself a headache in the New Year with bills and debts you can’t afford. It’s all too easy to overspend – there are tempting offers and pressures to buy, but you must decide how much you can afford before you start spending. 1

Plan early for Christmas. Be realistic and budget accordingly. Work out how much you are going to spend on each person – and stick to it. Manage expectations as to what you or Santa can give.

2 Don’t forget the everyday bills. Remember that rent, the mortgage, utility bills, food bills and other existing debts still have to be paid - and the consequences can be severe if they ‘re not. Even though it’s Christmas get your priorities right. 3 Don’t bank on an overdraft. If you need more money, don’t just run up an overdraft without talking to your bank first – it will work out much more expensive. 4 Keep things simple. If you can’t afford to pay for your goods outright by cash or cheque or debit card, don’t be persuaded to take out extended credit agreements unless they really do work out cheaper. 5 Shop around. Try as many different places as possible to find the best price. Buy what you want and not what other people say you need. Be wary of extended warranties; the cost of a repair could be less than the cost of a warranty. Next month we give another five top tips, but if you do get into difficulties, get advice as soon as you can from your local Citizens Advice Bureau on 08456 – 88 98 97 or visit: www.adviceguide.org.uk The CAB is still looking for more volunteers to train as advisers and to work in reception.

melbournmagazine

Little Foxes Baby & Toddler Group Little Foxes is a friendly, fun, good value, baby & toddler group. The baby & toddler group provides a great opportunity to meet other mums and for the children to play together. It is run by mums & child carers for babies and children up to 5 years old. There are a baby area, dressing up clothes, trikes, trampolines, duplo, cars, dolls, etc. There are creative activities, song & story time and refreshments for the adults & children. Foxton Village Hall Hardman Road Foxton Tuesday (term time only) 09.30 – 11.00

£1.50 per session

Meldreth Pre-School Reg.Charity no.1034965

Village Hall Meldreth High Street This friendly, non-profit making Pre-School now has spaces for September 2008. We offer Morning, Lunch Club and Afternoon sessions to children between the ages of 2 and 5 years. We offer a high staffing ratio, whilst maintaining competitive rates. £8.20 per session, £3.00 for Lunch Club We accept Government Vouchers (which makes sessions for the over 3’s free) For more information please Contact: Pre-School Leader, Jane Cable on 07952 295655 during Pre-School Hours (Mon/Tue 9-3, Wed/Thur/Fri 9-12.30) or telephone The Admissions Secretary, Yasmin Croxford on 01763 220246

www.melbourncambridge.co.uk

MELBOURN PARISH COUNCIL 28 Station Road Melbourn Cambs SG8 6DX Telephone 262494 e-mail: parishclerk@melbournpc.co.uk Chairman Donald Mowatt 23, High Street SG8 6AL

268388

Vice-Chairman Maureen Townsend 32 New Road SG8 6ER

260959

Clerk & Office Avril Mellor, 28 Station Road, SG8 6DX

262494

E-mail parishclerk@melbournpc.co.uk

Website www.melbourncambridge.co.uk

Councillors Val Barrett 2 Station Road, SG8 6DX Irene Bloomfield 78 Russet Way, SG8 6HF Alan Brett 44 High Street, SG8 6DXBB Rosemary Gatward 94 High Street, SG8 6AL Jose Hales 23 Elm Way, SG8 6UH Dean Hardingham 1 Portway, SG8 6EU Michael Linnette 11 Chapel Lane, SG8 6BN Donald Mowatt White Walls, 23 High Street Clive Purbrook Glebe House, High St, SG8 6DZ Jocelyn Robson 91 High Street Mike Sherwen 3 Hale Close, SG8 6ET Christopher Stead 70 Russet Way 260743 Maureen Townsend 32 New Rd, SG8 6BY Richard Wakerley 32 Chalkhill Barrow, SG8 6EQ Employees Handyman and Caretaker Peter Andrews Emergency mobile. 07778-682245 Village Ranger Keith Rudge, 4 Dolphin La, SG8 6AF Internal Auditor Peter Chilvers, 68A High Street, SG8 6AJ County Councillor Susan van de Ven 95 North End, Meldreth susanvandeven@yahoo.co.uk.

261227 222558 260306 261225 262651 232757 262534 268388 260899 261633 260070 pm only 260959 262247 243312

221212 260742 261833

District Councillors Janice Guest, 1 Mortlock Street, SG8 6DB

260894

Val Barrett, 2 Station Road

261227

South Cambs M.P. Andrew Lansley

01954 212707

South Cambs M.E.P. Robert Sturdy

01954 211790

The Parish Office at 28 Station Road, is entered by the door at the front of the building directly opposite Sheene Mill. The Parish Office is now open on Mondays from 9 am to 1 pm, on Tuesdays from 2 pm from 4 pm, and on Thursday from 9 am to 1 pm. The office is not normally open on Wednesdays or Fridays. As the Clerk is sometimes out on Parish business it is better to ring 262494 to ensure that she is in the office. Meetings of the Planning Committee are normally held on the 1st and 3rd Mondays of every month commencing at 7.15 pm. Council Meetings are normally held on the fourth Monday of each month at 7.15 pm at All Saints’ Community Hall. The Press Royston & Buntingford Mercury Tom Ship, Media Centre 40 Ware Road, Hertford, SG13 7HU 01992 526639 Royston Crow Heath House, Princes Mews, Royston, SG8 6RT 245241 Fax 242231 Cambridge News David Williams, 3 Melbourn Street, Royston, SG8 7BP 249144 Fax 244502 BBC Radio Cambridge Reception Newsroom

01223 259696 01223 358510

www.melbourncambridge.co.uk/council/

From the Parish Clerk – Avril Mellor The Council has commissioned Matthew Lane Sanderson, a sculptor who works with metal, to design entrance gates for New Road cemetery. Following a series of discussions, Matthew has now gone away to convert his drawings and ideas into a model of the gates, so that the Council can see his proposal in the flesh, so to speak. It is hoped that the gates will be in place by early summer 2010. South Cambridgeshire District Council is intending to sell off all its car parks, which would then be operated as a commercial enterprise, with parking charges. In an effort to prevent this situation, discussions are on-going between the Parish Council and SCDC with regard to the Council taking over a lease on the village car park. The garages on the car park would remain the responsibility of the SCDC. There have been many complaints with regard to the dangers resulting from parked vehicles on Station Road. Due to public requests for something to be done about this situation, a Public Open Meeting was called on 20th October at the Village College to discuss a proposal to introduce additional parking restrictions. This meeting was attended by Mr. Richard Preston, Head of Network Management for Cambridgeshire County Council; PC Clive Holgate, a Force Traffic Management Officer and a member of our Roads Policing Unit; 2 PCSO’s; 8 members of the Parish Council and 42 members of the public. One of the main things that emerged was that doing nothing was not an option. What was repeated by different people was that there was a need for parking places with yellow lines placed at intervals to allow vehicles or cyclists room to get safely out of the way of oncoming traffic. At long last the Council has been informed that it can have back some of the Saxon remains removed during excavation in early 2000 prior to the building of Chalkhill Barrow. These remains will form a family group and will be re-buried in the burial mound that has already been prepared in New Road Cemetery. Can I take this opportunity to remind people that New Road Cemetery is a lawned cemetery and as such all graves older than six months will be grassed over. Relatives will be advised before this takes place. Kirstin Bicknell is in consultation with the Council with regard to Stockbridge Meadows Riverside Park being used as a venue for a Public Art Project. The project would be funded by money provided by developers Camstead Homes under a Section 106 agreement. At the time of writing there is a vacancy on the Council. This has been brought about by the resignation of Cllr. Janice Guest. Although she has resigned from the Council, the village will not lose the valuable contribution made by Cllr. Guest, as she will continue to serve the residents of Melbourn and surrounding villages in her capacity as a District Councillor. Two members of the committee of the recently formed St George’s Allotment Association have attended a Conservation Committee meeting, where they were given the opportunity to discuss with members of the committee, the Association’s plans. The Association was advised that at the present time there is a waiting list melbournmagazine

JEREMY RULE FUNERAL SERVICE Jeremy Rule. MBIE. Dip. FD. Ben Rule. Dip. FD.

Independent Local Family Funeral Director Providing a caring and personal service 24 hours a day for all your funeral needs. Offering Help & Guidance through every step.

Office & Chapel of Rest :

12, Church Lane, Royston, Herts SG8 9LG Telephone:

01763 242560 www.jeremyrulefunerals.co.uk 18

www.melbourncambridge.co.uk

for allotments. If anyone wishes to be added to this list please contact the Parish Office. Parish Council elections take place every four years and 2010 is an election year for Melbourn. All the parish councillors must step down and if individuals wish to continue they must send in their election papers to SCDC to stand for re-election. If there are more then 15 people wishing to join the Council then an election will have to be held, otherwise all those who submitted papers are automatically elected. May I take this opportunity to wish you all a very Happy Christmas and a peaceful New Year.

From the Chairman of the Parish Council – Donald Mowatt A very well known car manufacturer is currently running a very successful marketing campaign in the UK entitled The Story of Joy. They thoroughly believe that their brilliantly designed and cleverly engineered cars bring much lasting joy to their owners, as well as transporting them safely from a to b and on to z. Anyway it struck me that, we the good folk of Melbourn could tell them a thing or two about joy; the true and lasting joy that only comes from counting blessings. For I believe that here in Melbourn, we have an abundance of those, from the depth and vibrancy of busy days to the still and calm of a Melbourn evening. Clearly as all communities we face our fair share of challenges, and yes, sometimes life can seem far from perfect; but I believe that here in Melbourn we have a head start in the cultivation of joy. Surrounded by beautiful and bountiful countryside, Melbourn is a thriving service centre that has witnessed, and with God’s blessing, adapted well to much change throughout the centuries. Today is no exception, and doubtless Melbourn will continue to meet significant challenges ahead. Accordingly we your Parish Council would like to assure you of our every determination to champion the best interests of the community at all times and particularly during periods of change. Further and with the help of The Village Plan, currently in its development stage, we are confident that going forward we will be even better placed to help satisfy the real needs of the community. On a personal note, I continue to be humbled by the many, many volunteers from within our community who give so freely of their time to help maintain, develop and safeguard the fabric and substance of our Great Village. Also some words of encouragement and appreciation for our youth, who I believe are a great credit to us. They are the lifeblood of our community and we must continue to invest in adequate facilities to positively occupy and challenge their ingenuity. Of course, as much as we look to help our youth we must not fail to support the needs of our elderly. For they too, are an integral and vital part of our evolution, and bestow much depth and purpose to community life. In conclusion I thank you all for being part of the Melbourn Story, and on behalf of The Parish Council I would take this opportunity to wish you “Seasons Greetings and a Very Happy New Year ahead”.

District Councillors Janice Guest & Val Barrett Over the past months, we have been busy attending many Meetings concerning Housing, in particular, Sheltered Housing Schemes and Housing Officers (used to be known as Wardens). As you will be aware, South Cambs. is having to make cuts in its budget right across all services. We have attended meetings at Sheltered Housing Schemes along with the Housing Portfolio Holder, Cllr. Mark Howell where he has attempted to reassure residents that any changes to the Services they receive at present, will not affect them in the immediate future, but over a period of a few years. As local Councillors, we will be lobbying to keep the existing Services going for as long as possible.

We are continuing with our efforts to have yellow lines installed in Station Road, but the County Council has presented us with unforeseen problems. Apart from spending many hours at SCDC at each of the Committees we are on, we are responding to issues from individual constituents which we then take to Officers in order to fight their corner. These include The Chishills and Heydon which are part of our ward, as well as attending all parish council meetings. We were both invited to create glass tiles to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Melbourn Village College. Cllr. Guest’s tile was presented to Cllr. Charles Nightingale, Chairman of South Cambs. District and Cllr. Barrett’s tile was presented to the Chairman of Melbourn Parish Council. We both attended the Anniversary Tea Party on September 12th. The Chairman of SCDC is hoping to visit all the sheltered housing schemes in the district during his year. He and his wife, Susan came to Vicarage Close for coffee on 2nd October. We both attended, enjoying the company of the residents. We are both on outside bodies such as Relate, Trigg’s Charity and The Alms Houses Committees so MORE MEETINGS ! We are here to listen and hopefully to help. Cllr. Val Barrett 01763 261227 Cllr. Janice Guest 01763 260894

Cllr. Janice Guest Some of you will be aware that I have not been seen around the village as much as usual. Unfortunately, I am having difficulty walking. Nevertheless, I am still able to carry out my duties as your District Councillor. Janice.

County Councillor Susan van de Ven Thank you for making me feel so welcome in my first few months as your county councillor. There has been much to do and all of it has involved getting to know people, which is what makes the role fun and rewarding. Some of the tasks I’ve been asked to melbournmagazine

help pursue are straightforward and others less so. Some problems are solvable and others may not be. But it is always worth giving things a try. Speeding and traffic related issues are a concern in many parts of the village. Unfortunately Melbourn Primary School’s request to the County Council for a “lollipop” school crossing patrol person was turned down, the Council’s strict criteria not having been met. The advice from the Council is for children to cross at the narrowest point in Mortlock Street, at the traffic calming area, rather than on the busy junction of Orchard Road and New Road. The Council continues to advertise a vacancy for a School Crossing Patrol Officer to assist with crossings at the junction of the High Street and The Moor. This position pays ten hours per week although actual duty time is significantly less; it also includes four weeks paid holiday. Please do get in touch if you are interested. Thank you to people who have contacted me with concerns about speeding traffic at various entry points to the village. Many of these have been relayed to the Neighbourhood Police Panels and this is very helpful as it contributes to greater awareness and attention from the powers that be. At the time of writing this article, we understand from the Highways Agency that Melbourn may well be considered for a pilot 20mph scheme. Also in the realm of possibility is a speed limit reduction for the A10 at the Frog End junction – a main entry point into Melbourn and an accident black spot. This comes out of an A-road speed limit review and we’re keeping fingers crossed for some action there. Meanwhile, the A505 Flint Cross safety works should be starting very soon and will most likely include a speed limit reduction to 50mph. The double yellow line saga in Station Road has been the result of poor communication for which the County Council has sincerely apologized. The expectation of double yellows proved more complicated than originally thought, and it is hoped that a public meeting on October 20th will (by the time you read this) have provided a clear sense of direction. Please see parish council minutes for more background to this long story.

www.melbourncambridge.co.uk

With a village college at our centre, Melbourn is a great place to pursue projects for young people. The parish council has already championed a new BMX area, which is a fantastic addition to the village. The example of a successful BMX project helps other parish councils to proceed with new BMX ventures and this is good for all young people. At Melbourn Village College, Warden Elaine Stephenson has kindly supported me in starting up an after-school journalist club for budding writers and photographers. Peter Simmonett has been coming along every week to teach us essential IT skills, you will soon find a link to ‘Melbourn Journalism Club’ on the Village website at www.melbourn.org.uk/journalists/ An audio project recording reminiscences of Melbourn Village College staff and students spanning fifty years, in celebration of MVC’s 50th anniversary, has now been completed. This oral history is available on CD - £5 for the first or £9 for two – with proceeds going to the MVC Performing Arts Studio Appeal. Contact Vanessa Mann on 01223 871 628 or email audiotimes@googlemail.com. New booking office hours have come into force at Meldreth Station, as expected, but after much delay – the changes were scheduled for April. A Saturday service has been retained as a direct result of our campaign last winter. Please make every effort to buy your ticket directly from the Station Master rather than the ticket machine whenever possible. The future viability of the booking office depends on the number of transactions per hour. Unfortunately, the request to change the name of the station to ‘Meldreth and Melbourn’ has been turned down, although it was supported by both parish councils. We continue to chip away at better access to rail service and you may have noticed a new wheelchair access ramp to the northbound platform. Many other rail issues continue to be pursued, including anomalies in student discount fares on our line, sold by different operators. I’ve arranged to speak to First Capital Connect Managing Director Jim Morgan and County Council officers about ways in which the two sides could better cooperate on our behalf. (See page 23.) You’ll have heard in the news about the County’s decision to bid for the Transport Innovation Fund. There will be many months of preparation of fine detail and it is vital that our local transport needs are fed into the process. For example, why can’t pensioner’s bus passes be used for night-time rail service, after the last bus has left Cambridge? Student transport to Cambridge is prohibitively expensive. Please let me know if you have a particular view on public transport provision in our area to bring to the table. One of the more complicated tasks I’ve been asked to help with is a problem solving group tackling what the police call ‘Anti-Social Behaviour’ – the term itself being controversial. Sadly this is a not uncommon problem and one for which solutions can be elusive. Nevertheless, a group comprised of residents, parish and district councillors, county and district officers, police and myself are putting heads together and trying to better understand the nature and scope of the problem, and to come up with some constructive ideas and proposals. We will assess our progress after one year and decide if our effort is making a positive difference. Meanwhile please do always report problems and concerns to the police or neighbourhood watch team – you’ll find contact details on the ‘Safer Melbourn’ page in the magazine. To finish up with some straightforward good news, gardeners and allotment holders will soon be able to collect free compost at the Thriplow Recycling Centre. This follows on from a suggestion made by a Meldreth allotment holder, which I first followed up with Donarbon (the County’s waste treatment contractor) months ago and which has now had a successful push from the County’s waste management team. The compost will be loose and residents can fill up bags brought from home; an honesty box will be used to collect donations, which will go to a local charity. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with any queries or concerns. Susan van de Ven, County Councillor susanvandeven@yahoo.co.uk. Telephone 261833

20mph Speed Limit Trial In Melbourn What is the background to the trials? Government guidance suggests that 20 mph speed limit restrictions have the potential for casualty reduction and encourage wider use of these limits on appropriate roads, within residential areas. Following the example of cities such as Portsmouth and Newcastle, the County Council is keen to explore the wider benefits of using 20mph speed limits, particularly for pedestrians and cyclists, without necessarily constructing costly traffic calming measures. Funding has been made available for 6 areas within the County to trial a more proactive approach to the use of 20mph speed limits and Melbourn has been offered the chance to take part in the trial. The extent of the proposed 20mph limit is shown on the plan (also available as a download from the village website). It is intended that the 20mph limit will replace the existing 30 mph on all of the village roads, except on Cambridge Road where it will commence at the Melbourn Science Park. The 30 mph limit will remain in place on Cambridge Road, to the east of the Science Park.

What will the trials involve? The traffic order for the speed limit that allows legal introduction of the speed limit will be advertised in the Cambridge Evening News and the Royston Weekly News on November 20th. Comments and objections to the proposal should be made to the County Council by Monday December 14th. These will be reported back to the South Cambridgeshire Traffic Management Area Joint Committee for consideration prior to taking any decision to implement the new speed limit. If it is implemented new signs will be provided at the entry points throughout the trial area and repeater signs will be provided within the extent of the limit. 20mph posters will be provided along the main roads to encourage drivers to comply with the new speed limit. It is anticipated that the trial speed limit will be introduced in Spring 2010.

How will the trials be judged? Before the 20mph speed limit is introduced we will undertake surveys to measure existing motor vehicle speeds, and monitor injury accidents on the main roads through the village. These speed surveys will be repeated during the trial period for comparison with the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;beforeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; surveys. We also want to gauge any change in public perception as the trial is about changing driver culture and assessing whether vulnerable users such as pedestrians and cyclists have benefited from the trial. We will also undertake before and after on-line perception surveys to assess how people who live, work and travel within the trial sites feel about conditions on streets before and during the trial. After a 12 month trial period, councillors will consider the results from the surveys to assess whether there should be more investment made in 20mph limits.

driver compliance and changing driver attitudes rather than relying on constant police enforcement.

How can you comment on the trials? If you wish to comment on any aspect of the trial, or object or support the proposed 20mph speed limit order please use the on-line forms that will be available from November 20th on the County Councilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s web site. Those people wishing to participate will be asked to complete the survey prior to the commencement of the trial, and towards the end of it. The following link provides access to further information on the trials and the survey form: www.cambridgeshire.gov. uk/transport/20mph, please note this link will become active on November 20th. If you require a hardcopy of any of the information relating to the 20mph speed limit trials please contact Clare Robson (Communications Manager) on 01223 814498 or e-mail at clare.robson@cambridgeshire.gov.uk. You can also put your point of view about the 20mph, on the village website at: www.melbourn.org.uk/speakers-corner/

What about police involvement? As with all speed limits, whilst the County Council makes the speed limit traffic orders, the responsibility for any enforcement lies with the Police. It needs to be stressed that the long term success of any 20mph speed limit depends more on

The white area on this map indicates the area covered by the 20mph speed limit.

melbournmagazine

Melbourn Village Plan Update Winter 09 Page 17 of the Autumn issue brought you the news about the successful launch of the Melbourn Village Plan and the formation of the Steering Committee. Have we ever moved on since then? The Steering Committee, comprising 10 village residents, have had their sleeves rolled up continuously since July to put the foundations of the project into being. This has been done in close co-operation with Cambridgeshire ACRE and very helpful advice from other local villages who have also produced Village Plans. We would like to take this opportunity of publicly thanking them all for their help and encouragement. Fundamental to the Plan is to contact all and any groups or organisations within the parish. To help with this we held a well attended Volunteer Drop In session in October for anyone not able to commit to the main Steering Committee but keen to be involved with the Plan. From this we were able to start contacting some of the 200+ groups and activities in the parish. (This is a parish wide plan, not just the for village). Add to this the business and retail activities, again 100+ and it is obvious that inputs from all these can have a large, significant and positive impact on the future of Melbourn parish. The enthusiasm of the volunteers to date has been a great encouragement to the Steering Committee. It is a big task but is great fun, has great community involvement and is an opportunity to make new friends and see different aspects of life in Melbourn. Already several key issues are emerging from the several hundred responses we received back from our Love It / Hate It forms. Wherever possible we will act on these in conjunction with the Parish Council, before the Village Plan is finalised. We still need folk with all sorts of skills or knowledge, for example, accountancy/ computers/ data input/ graphics/ publicity, event organisation/ PR and media contacts as well as person to person abilities such as interviewing. Please contact a Steering Committee member if you can offer expertise or

www.melbourncambridge.co.uk

help in any of these areas, we guarantee you will be a happier person as a result! Do get involved, there are lots of opportunities to engage at all levels, either on a casual basis, more so as a Volunteer or ultimately on the Steering Committee. Even after the Plan has been published it has to be implemented and this will be another exercise in its own right requiring involvement from the Parish. You can still send in your ‘Love It/ Hate It’ form, (the one you been meaning to fill in!) to reach us before end of December, by posting it through the Parish Office door as the Drop-in boxes have been withdrawn. We look forward to meeting you, you know Melbourn’s worth it! Mike Sherwen

From Andrew Lansley MP I am writing to you regarding the issue of Broadband Speeds and how this affects your Parish. I am concerned that South Cambridgeshire does not benefit from fast broadband and that this is putting businesses and others who require internet access at a significant disadvantage. I have, following contact with several of my constituents, been informed that many homes have connection speeds which are significantly below the Governments recommended connection speed of 2MB. I would be grateful if you could inform me, as to your knowledge, if, and to what extent how, slow Broadband speeds are affecting people in your Parish. If it would be convenient, could you convey this request via any Parish e-mail alert or in a Parish Newsletter, asking those affected to write to me at the below address or to email me via lansleya@parliament.uk Andrew Lansley. 153 St Neots Road, Hardwick, Cambridge, CB23 7GJ Telephone 01954 212707 Fax 01954 211625

Individuals given choice and control over their social care A surprisingly large number of adults need some form of help in their day-to-day life. More than 1.5 million people in England use social care services. In Cambridgeshire there are over 16,000 adults who receive social care. This could be due to learning or physical disabilities, poor mental health, or other age-related conditions. Until recently, accessing social care has typically meant receiving one of a small number of pre-commissioned services.

Now that is changing Self-Directed Support is a new way of providing social care to adults living in Cambridgeshire and eligible for support. It involves identifying a Personal Budget, an upfront allocation of funding. This is designed to help people take control over their lives, identify their own needs and the things they want to do and, if they wish, to manage their own support – with help if they need it. In Cambridgeshire, Self-Directed Support is being introduced slowly over a twoyear period. It began with a launch and introduction for adults with a learning disability in April 2009, followed by a roll-out to individuals with a physical disability at the end of June. For adults over 65, because of the numbers involved, a phased introduction of Self-Directed Support for older people and older people with mental health need is being implemented. It began in Fenland in September and will continue for older people and older people with mental health need in Huntingdonshire and East Cambridgeshire from November, and those living in South Cambridgeshire and Cambridge City from early 2010. Self-Directed Support will be introduced for adults under 65 with mental health need from early 2010. Those eligible for support for the first time will go through the system as it changes, whilst those already receiving services will be able to discuss the new approach at their next review. There will be various ways to take a Personal Budget for those

who do not want to receive the money directly as a Direct Payment. In some cases individuals may also be expected to make a contribution towards the cost of their social care. Claire Bruin is Director of Adult Support Services at Cambridgeshire County Council, she says: “Self-Directed Support enables individuals to identify their own needs. It allows them to say what they want to do and what they want to achieve. The challenge for us (County Council and NHS Partners1) is to support innovation in the ways that people meet their needs. A Personal Budget will enable them to do this.” One of the NHS partners involved in the changes is Cambridgeshire Community Services who provide social care to older people across Cambridgeshire. Welcoming the introduction of Self-Directed Support, Alison Gilbert, Associate Clinical Director, Cambridgeshire Community Services says: “The introduction of Self-Directed Support and Personal Budgets really puts people in control of how their needs are met. We are delighted to be working with the County Council to introduce this national programme locally which will help people maintain their independence and have the best quality of life.” Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust provide services to people who suffer from mental health problems and are another NHS partner involved in the changes. Their Director of Adults, Older People and Specialist Services, Annette Newton adds: “We are pleased to work with the County Council to implement Self-Directed Support, which will increase choice for people using Mental Health Services.” If you think you are eligible for social care support you should call Cambridgeshire Direct on 0345 045 5202 and ask for an assessment. More information about Self-Directed Support is available on the County Council’s website www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/social/selfdirectedsupport/ by emailing in.controltotal@cambridgeshire.gov.uk or by calling 01223 699650. NHS Cambridgeshire, Cambridgeshire Community Services, and Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust.

Calling South Cambridgeshire District Council tenants South Cambridgeshire District Council needs you to help them shape your housing service. If you live in a village with a small number of council properties, as a council tenant we are asking you to come forward and take control over shaping the service South Cambridgeshire District Council provides. If you think you would be interested you could become the point of contact with the council for your village – A “village voice.” South Cambridgeshire District Council will provide you with support and advice on how to get started and put you in touch with the network of other village voices. You can make a difference to your community.

Interested? Phone Teresa Lucey on 01954 713 227 with any queries or questions, or for an informal chat and information on how to get started.

First Capital Connect annual student passes Over the past couple of weeks I have circulated information regarding the opportunity to convert post-16 student bus passes into rail passes via County Council Education Transport, resulting in savings of about £200. This applies to students living near Foxton, Shepreth or Meldreth Stations and travelling to their designated post-16 education centre in Cambridge. The County Council imposed a deadline of half-term. New information has been brought forward, again by a resourceful resident, not by the County Council.

We had thought that for those who had already purchased an annual rail pass from First Capital Connect, it was simply too late to benefit from the County Council’s much cheaper fare, but it seems that this may not be the case. If you have bought an annual rail pass from First Capital Connect for travel from Foxton, Shepreth or Meldreth to Cambridge, it may be possible to get a partial refund for the remaining five halfterms of the year and to then purchase a new student rail pass via the County Council, good for the remaining five halfterms of the year, with significant savings made – around £200 from Meldreth and proportionally less from Shepreth and Foxton. Apologies as this sounds somewhat uncertain – but I thought you would rather have the information than not. I am about to try these steps myself, as a sixth form parent. 1 Find out from First Capital Connect if your annual pass can be refunded, for the remainder of this academic year, and how much that refund would be. 2 Ring Education Transport on 01223 699790 or 0345 0455 208 and find out if you can still apply for a rail pass for the remaining five half terms of the year and how much that would cost. If there are significant savings to be made and you wish to apply for a County-issued pass, the forms are available on line: http://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk. Type ‘Education Transport’ in the search key word box. The form you need is called ‘Application for Post-16 Education Transport – school/college year 2009/2010.’ Many people have said they find it difficult to navigate through the County website to access the form and information booklet. If you have trouble, call the numbers listed above and ask for help. Many people have said they find the form and the accompanying application booklet confusing, and geared to bus travel. Nevertheless, tick ‘rail’ on the form. If you have more than two post-16 children, the County Council requires only one payment per family – so very significant savings.

melbournmagazine

If you go through these steps and discover information that would be useful to others, I would be grateful if you could let me know. Susan van de Ven. County Councillor, Melbourn Division

Over State Pension Age? Make sure you are not missing out on benefit entitlement. From 2nd November 2009 the amount of capital that is disregarded for the purpose of establishing entitlement to Pension Credit is rising from £6,000 to £10,000.

Some of you may have previously decided not to claim Pension Credit because you thought your savings were too high but as you see circumstances can change and you may now have entitlement to Pension Credit or other benefits. The Local Pension Service (LPS), part of the Government’s Department for Work and Pensions, can offer people over 60 years of age a full confidential benefit entitlement check in their own home. We think it is always worth someone checking to make sure they are not missing out on some or all of the following benefits: • Council Tax Benefit • Attendance Allowance • Pension Credit • Disability Living Allowance • Carers Allowance • Other related benefits If you would like to arrange a visit please give us a call on 01223 545374

La Roche Chalais is looking for a twin! La Roche Chalais is in the Dordogne, set at equal distance from the cities of Bordeaux, Angoulême and Périgueux (about 45 miles). The Greenwich Meridian runs through the village, which since 1973 has been associated with the neighbouring villages of St. Michel Léparon and St. Michel de Rivière. The total population of the three villages is 2907. The aim of the Twinning Committee of LRC is to bring together two villages in order to encourage the discovery of a different culture and develop a lasting friendship between two groups of people of different backgrounds. The Twinning Committee, created in 2009, is committed to bringing about joint educational, sporting and cultural activities. Concentrating at first on the students by means of correspondence and possibly exchanges between the schools, this project could eventually lead to exchanges between the clubs and associations of our two villages. We are looking for an English village for several reasons: 1. The airports of Bergerac and Bordeaux are quite close, and the presence of the budget airlines means that England is not too far away and fares are relatively inexpensive. 2. English is the first foreign language taught in our schools. 3. The beautiful department of the Dordogne is still very attractive to the British, who for many years have come here, not only on holiday, but to settle permanently. For more information you can refer to our website: www.larochechalais.com. Below you will also find a brief description of our village.

Education Up to 11 years: 2 nursery/infant schools and 2 primary schools (1 private and 1 state-run) Total: 320 pupils 11 – 14 years: 1 private school – 120 pupils. Languages taught: English and Spanish

www.melbourncambridge.co.uk

Main Economic Activity Agriculture: cereals, cattle, forestry. Industry: small factories producing industrial taps and pumps; boots and shoes.

Leisure Activities Sports facilities: Gymnasium, sports stadium, open air swimming pool, judo hall, football pitch, tennis courts, boules courts, boating facilities on the river. Sports associations/clubs: football, tennis, cycling, horse riding, yoga, gymnastics, fishing, rambling, archery, canoeing. Cultural facilities: Library, cinema, village hall. Cultural associations: music, theatre, art, French-British exchange and languages, parent-teacher associations, entertainments committee. Contact has already been made with the language teachers at Melbourn Primary School and the Village College, which indicates that there is considerable interest in this project of exchange between La Roche Chalais and Melbourn, at least from one section of the population. Here in France we are also suffering the disastrous effect of the world financial crisis and realise that it would therefore not be sensible at the moment to undertake any very costly projects. Building up a correspondence between our schools will cost nothing, except of course, extra work for already busy teachers! Over and above any material considerations, twinning would create an opportunity to discover a new culture. In times of crisis, is it not preferable to be open to the outside world and the future, rather than to turn in on ourselves? If you are also interested in the project and perhaps in the creation of a Twinning Committee in Melbourn, please contact Michael Galley Telephone: 01763 260127

Nature

River Mel Restoration Group In October the River Mel Restoration Group were delighted to be announced winners of the Wild Trout Trust & Orvis Conservation Award 2009 (Amateur Category). The presentation ceremony took place before an audience of 100 invited guests at the Savile Club in Mayfair, London. The trophy, presented by the President of the Wild Trout Trust, was accepted on behalf of the RMRG by its Chairman, Steve Hawkins. In his introductory speech, Charles Rangeley-Wilson, President of the Wild Trout Trust, said that there were two types of people in conservation “those who said what should be done and those who saw what should be done and did it.” He went on to say that “the conservation awards were to recognise the foresight, knowledge, determination and efforts of those that achieved great things - and got their wellies wet!” This national competition was open to entries from individuals or organisations in two different categories: amateur and professional. In order to be considered for the amateur award we had to submit a detailed report on our projects, which included photographs and plans. Once short listed, a panel of three independent judges visited the sites in Meldreth and Melbourn to assess the projects against the marking criteria. These consisted of ten different categories including general conservation value, appropriateness of

the scheme, value for money, techniques used and report presentation. The judges’ citation for the RMRG entry highlighted the infectious enthusiasm, thought, and effort that had been put into the project by a relatively small number of highly motivated individuals. They also stated that much has been achieved in habitat restoration, securing funding, raising awareness and an impressive feeling of community ownership of the project.

Dates of future working parties: Saturday Saturday Saturday Saturday

12th December at Meldreth 9th January at Melbourn 30th January at Meldreth 20th February at Melbourn

Anyone is welcome to come along and see what we are doing at one of our working parties. We meet at 9.15am for 9.30am start and aim to be finished by lunchtime. In Melbourn we meet at the Pavilion on Melbourn Recreation Field. Meldreth working parties meet at the bridge in Flambards Close. For further information phone Maureen Brierley on 01763 262752 or email info@rivermel.com

Website You can keep in touch with the group through our website at Melbourn Village site or www.rivermel.com

Picture copyright Paul Fievez

melbournmagazine

cambridgeshire

www.melbourncambridge.co.uk/safermelbourn/

Melbourn’s Anti-Social Behaviour Problem Solving Group What is Melbourn’s problem? Melbourn has the highest number of reported incidents of antisocial behaviour (ASB) in our policing neighbourhood, and the fact that this has consistently been the case for some time, has come to the attention of Cambridgeshire’s Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP). The CDRP, which is chaired by the County Council, monitors problem areas in the county. It recognises that the ASB problem in Melbourn is deep rooted, and therefore suggested that a Problem Solving Group (PSG) be set up, with a membership comprising parish, district and county councillors, district and county council officers, the police, youth workers, and Neighbourhood Watch. Working together in a positive and creative way, the PSG is looking for possible solutions to reduce ASB problems in the village. This will include, for instance, examining the feasibility of carrying out physical changes to the ASB “hotspots” to reduce their appeal to the troublemakers, and the possible provision of enhanced youth work resources. It is still early days for the PSG, but for it to be successful it must have a true picture of what’s going on in the village. The police provide information on reported incidents and it is very important that incidents of ASB are reported by residents whenever possible, but what about the problems that go unreported? The village website www.melbourncambridge.co.uk has just launched ‘Speakers’ Corner’. This gives people the opportunity to comment on issues of village life, including (although by no means limited to) problems you may be having with ASB. Although these comments will be anecdotal, they will have value to groups such as the PSG as it could give a fuller picture of what is going on. It is also possible that solutions might be suggested that had not been previously considered. Of course important issues should always be reported to the relevant authorities, but if you have matters relating to village life that you think need to be aired, please let us all know by going to Speakers Corner and having your say.

Melbourn’s Problem Solving group (PSG) has just launched its own website so if you would like to know more about the group go to: www.melbourncambridge.co.uk/problemsolving/ If you suffer from Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) in the village and would like to bring it to the attention of the Problem Solving Group, there is a contact form on the site. If you are not on the Internet you can either call the police non emergency number 0345 456 456 4 and ask to speak to Melbourn’s Neighbourhood Policing Team, or contact Melbourn’s Parish Clerk, both will pass on messages to the group.

Melbourn NPT team The advice below will help to reduce the risk of becoming a victim following a high number of recent activities of shed burglaries in the area. • Postcode your property and keep a record of the serial and model number of your equipment. Lock valuable items such as bikes even though they are stored in a shed and outbuilding. Take photographs of valuable equipment. • Erect a strong fence to make it more difficult for burglars to get into your back garden. A thick hedge around your garden, ideally dense and prickly, is just as good as a fence for keeping out intruders. Gravel garden paths. Walking on gravel is quite noisy and will alert you to someone on your property. Ensure your garden gate is secure. Try to keep hedges and fences in front gardens low. The burglar’s fear of being seen is an important factor. Ensure tools and garden equipment are locked securely out of sight. In an emergency, when a life is in danger or there is a risk of violence or serious injury or when a serious crime is being committed please call 999. For all non-emergencies, general enquiries and to report crime please call 0345 456 456 4. To give information anonymously about crime, please call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111

Speakers Corner can be found at www.melbourn.org.uk/speakers-corner/ Stephen Cambery Melbourn Neighbourhood Watch

www.melbourncambridge.co.uk

www.cambs-police.co.uk/myneighbourhood/ecops/index.asp

Hare Coursing • Hare coursing remains a priority for the force’s Rural Crime ActionTeam. • Hare coursing is illegal and extremely disruptive for the rural community. • Officers use a number of tactics to tackle the problem, including intelligence gathering, high visibility patrols and using the force helicopter. • Anyone with information regarding hare coursing should contact the Rural Crime Action Team on 0845 456 4564 or email rcat@cambs.pnn.police.uk.

Neighbourhood Policing Priorities Following on from the panel meeting at Melbourn Village College on 20th October, the priorities set for our policing team are as follows: 1 Liaise with the British Transport Police about ticket machines being vandalised and cash boxes being stolen at railway stations in Shepreth /Foxton / Ashwell / Meldreth. 2 Anti-social behaviour in Shepreth village, concentrating around the elderly and vulnerable. 3 Anti-social behaviour in Melbourn village around High Street / Vicarage Close and the Moor. 4 Speeding issues in Fowlmere / Foxton / and Steeple / Guilden Morden and Royston Road. Officers will give feed back on this work at the next panel meeting 19 on January at Bassingbourn Village College at 7.30pm.

Crime report for Melbourn Total crime in Melbourn remains stable with the previous period. Three dwelling burglaries were reported during the 3 month period. These appear to be relatively spread out across the ward and no trends were identified between them. Non-dwelling burglaries in Melbourn are much lower than the same period last year. The offences occurred over the months of July and August. Offenders tended to target garden sheds in Melbourn for bicycles. In one of the offences, metal walking frames were stolen and were later recovered at the children’s playground on Clear Crescent.

Melbourn Police Station Melbourn Police Station opening hours have changed as follows: Mon. 10.00 – 12.00 19.00 – 21.00 Tues. 10.00 – 12.00 Thurs. 10.00 – 12.00 The office is staffed by volunteers at the above times, but this is always subject to change.

Similarly, throughout the months of July and August, pedal cycle theft increased to four cycles stolen (three offences in July and one in August) from only one reported in the previous three month period. The majority of the offences occurred in Melbourn (3) with one offence reported in Heydon. On 8th July 2009 two vehicles were stolen from outside properties on Norgetts Lane and Clear Crescent (both of which are in close proximity). Both vehicles were recovered within a fortnight in Melbourn and Meldreth respectively. In addition, a further attempt to steal a vehicle was reported on the High Street during the following day on 09/07/2009. ASB in Melbourn has increased from 71 incidents reported in the previous period to 100 reported in the latest three month period. This is more than double the number of incidents reported in the same period last year. August recorded the highest level of incidents during the period with 50 reported (July – 15 incidents and September – 35). This is likely to be related to the weather as July was a very wet month in comparison to August. Ninety-four of the ASB incidents were situated in Melbourn with hotspots on The Moor and the High Street reporting 27 and 20 incidents during the period respectively. These incidents were all youth-related and consisted mainly of problems caused by their mass congregation on these thoroughfares, their underage drinking, abusiveness, fighting, and misuse of vehicles in the ward. It would appear that incidents of this type are still being reported despite the summer holidays being over.

Increase in burglaries In the week from 29th September to 6th October there were six dwelling burglaries in the Melbourn Neighbourhood area. The offences were spread over a large geographical area, but it is unusual to have an increase in offending of this nature so this increase has been linked as a series. Offences have occurred in Shingay cum Wendy, Great Chishill, Melbourn, Guilden Morden, Heydon and East Hatley. The burglaries were most likely to have taken place in the evening or late afternoon, but there were also two daytime offences. Property stolen was varied, but included; jewellery, laptops, televisions, cameras and cash. Items were also reported stolen from a garage. Four of the six offences occurred in isolated areas, whereby the properties had high boundaries and were secluded from sight. Given that the offences occurred at isolated properties, any vehicles parked on the roadsides close to isolated driveways should be considered as suspicious. Please pass this message onto your Neighbourhood Watch members, and if anyone has any information please contact your local Neighbourhood Policing Team by telephone 0345 456 456 4. If you see activity occurring what you deem to be suspicious then please report it immediately using 999. Holly Chandler

Non emergency phone number

0345 456 456 4 or 0845 456 456 4

www.melbourn.org.uk/speakers-corner/ melbournmagazine

www.melbourncambridge.co.uk

Profile Colin Charter Colin was born in Arrington in November, 1934 – his father was a farm labourer working for Mrs. Bambridge on the Wimpole Farm estate, dealing mainly with horses and then latterly with tractors. The young Colin loved nothing better than going out into the fields with his father at harvest time. He has two brothers, one still lives in the old family home and the other lives in Thriplow. His sister married a G.I and lives in America. Their mother had been in service, but sadly died at the age of 42 of tuberculosis and the children were largely brought up by their grandparents. Mr. Albert Charter was the miller at Arrington Hill windmill, he frequently used to take the young lad out to show him the Northern Lights which were often visible in those days. It was a happy youth, despite the loss of their mother and the deprivations of the war years, with a freedom which today’s youth cannot imagine. Colin has vivid memories of having been allotted a holiday task of cutting down thistles in a meadow, when he was distracted by the sight of a bird’s nest up a tree. Naturally he clambered up to see if there were any eggs in the nest when a clear, aristocratic voice said crisply ‘What do you think you are doing boy, come on down at once!’? It was Mrs. Bambridge – she didn’t quite box his ears but certainly he got back to work pretty smartly. I had forgotten that during the war a huge and very well equipped US army hospital was built just inside the Wimpole Hall gates. Colin reminded me that at the end of the war this became a teacher’s training college and later a school. Because of the shortage of housing after the war, many families were housed by South Cambs R.D.C. in the hutments around the hospital and were later transferred into the council houses built in Melbourn. During the Cold War the building reverted to an American Airforce hospital and that is where Colin’s sister met her G.I. husband. The buildings have now been demolished, of course. Attending the Church of England school at Arrington until he was 11 and then going to the Bassingbourn school until the Wimpole Hall school was opened, Colin left school at the age of 15 and went to do an engineering course at Cambridge Technical College. In 1951 he got an apprenticeship with Weatherheads in Royston and thence went

into National Service, two years in the Royal Artillery spent in Scotland, the highlight of those years was being seconded to London to be one of the troops lining the route for the Coronation. Colin did not pursue his engineering training when he returned to Weatherheads, instead he became a lorry driver until 1973 when he went to work for Shell UK in Orchard Road, Royston delivering petrol to garages throughout the south of England. By now Colin was married to Pauline, whom he had met whilst he was working as a part time barman at the Hardwicke Arms, and had two children Carol and Glen. They moved to Melbourn in 1984. Pauline is several years younger than Colin and is still working in Royston as a secretary, Carol is marketing manager for the Cambridge Building Society and Glen works for Marley Eternit. When the Shell depot in Royston closed, Colin transferred to their base at Hemel Hempstead and worked from there until 1994 when he retired. However, retirement didn’t suit him, and he got a job as a van driver for Enfield Electrical where he stayed until a short time ago. We spent a long time talking about Colin’s passion for cigarette cards. He has an amazing collection of cricketers, film stars, animals, flags, uniforms – you name it, there is an appropriate set of cards. Apparently, the original packs of cigarettes were sold in flimsy paper packs and an oblong of cardboard was put in to support and strengthen the packet. One day someone had the bright idea of putting a picture onto the card and a whole new hobby was created. I well remember small boys collecting cards and doing ‘swopsies’ continued on page 30

melbournmagazine

in the school playground. Of course, in those days most people smoked and the cards were readily available. They more or less died out during the second world war due to shortages but since the mid 1890’s they had been a real craze amongst young and old alike. The most that Colin has paid for a set is £80 and the most for an individual card £25. He does not specialise in one particular aspect, as some collectors do, but collects anything and everything. He has even got a set of Kensitas silk flowers and silk flags. He visits auctions and fairs and keeps an eagle eye on eBay. But as well as collecting this ephemera, he has other hobbies. He is a keen allotment holder and belongs to the Horticultural Society in Orwell displaying his vegetables at their show every year. He loves his holidays with Pauline, taking a cruise once a year, visiting Cyprus or the Canary Islands and frequently going to visit his sister in America. He played cricket all his life for Arrington and was secretary and captain of the club. Football was played for the Meldreth Minors on the pitch near Fieldgate Nurseries and latterly he has taken up golf, playing two or three times a week at Kingsway and with Sawston U3A golf section or Melbourn Village Golf Society. Colin has been a member of the British Legion since 1968, belonging to the Orwell & District Branch. He has a medal for being a poppy seller in Croydon for 40 years and in 1990 took part in the annual Armistice Day event at the Royal Albert Hall. He said it was a long and exhausting day, having to leave Melbourn at 6 a.m. and not returning until after midnight.

There were three full rehearsals before the afternoon show, followed by the evening performance in front of The Queen. Many people will know Colin through his involvement with Melbourn Parish Council. I always valued his quiet and considered opinions. He became invaluable in his work as Chairman of conservation, Finance and General Purposes and the Cemetery Committee. He says he will probably be remembered as the man who was vehemently against a lych gate going on the New Road cemetery. It would be all wrong, he said, a lych gate belongs on an old cemetery, not a brand new cemetery such as this and he is looking forward to the new wrought iron gates which he helped to choose being erected in March next year. He has been a Melbourn Magazine deliverer for many years, delivering to 90 houses. On the subject of the Parish Council, Colin thinks that the village should be very proud of the acquisition of Stockbridge Meadows, a great asset to the village and obtained for a nominal charge of some £5. He still has the invitation for himself and Pauline to attend the National Trust garden party at Wimpole Hall when the Queen Mother came to visit and remembers the time during the war when along with other schoolchildren he was given a stars and stripes flag to wave as Mrs. Roosevelt came to visit the WRVS field kitchen in Arrington Village Hall. Colin is a typical backbone of Britain type of man, steady and reliable, devoted to the countryside and to the community within which he lives. Mavis Howard

“Little Hands” is a Private Nursery School specialising in quality Pre-School Education for 2 – 5 year Olds • • • • • • •

The Nursery School offers : High (1 : 4) staffing ratio Variety of session lengths Term time only booking Optional holiday clubs No minimum booking requirement No booking fee Categorised “OUTSTANDING” by Ofsted

Also FREE (NEF funded) afternoon (1.30-4.00) sessions for 3 & 4 year olds (NEF can also be used towards half or full day sessions) 01763 260964 (school hours) 01223503972 (office hours) e-mail : janemarshall@littlehands.co.uk w w w.littlehands.co.uk Little Hands Nursery Schools are also at Bourn, Linton and Newton

www.melbourncambridge.co.uk

Village information Household Waste and Recycling Centres Items that are accepted • Green waste • Hardcore (bricks, rubble) • Paper

Milton

Thriplow

Butt Lane, Milton Tel: 01223 860674 • 9am–8pm Monday to Friday • 9am–6pm Bank Holidays, Saturday & Sunday • 9am–4pm Monday to Sunday (1 October–31 March)

Gravel Pit Hill, Thriplow Tel: 01223 839001 • 8am–5pm Monday to Friday • 8am–5pm Bank Holidays, Saturday & Sunday (Summer) • 8am–4pm Monday to Sunday (1 October–31 March)

• Glass • Scrap metal

Melbourn Bus Timetables

• Waste oil • Fridges/freezers • Car batteries • Textiles

Note: These times have been taken from the companies website, but are subject to change, please telephone the company for updates, or check the village website, Parking & Transport.

• Cardboard • Plastic • TVs and computers (incl. monitors) Please Note: The sites will only accept waste from household sources.

Bin collection

reminder for Melbourn 27 November 04 December 11 December 18 December 28 December 04 January 09 January** 15 January 22 January 29 January 05 February 12 February 19 February 26 February 05 March 12 March 19 March 26 March

** Saturday Collection

Black Bin Green Bin and Boxes Black Bin Green Bin and Boxes Black Bin Green Bin and Boxes Black Bin Green Bin and Boxes Black Bin Green Bin and Boxes Black Bin Green Bin and Boxes Black Bin Green Bin and Boxes Black Bin Green Bin and Boxes Black Bin Green Bin and Boxes

For an update on collections visit: http://www.scambs.gov.uk/BinCollection/ default.htm?location=72

n For more informatio rge and collections of la phone household items tele 03450 450 063

Commercial service operated by Stagecoach in Cambridge

Cambridge - Foxton - Melbourn - Royston

Service 26

MONDAY TO SATURDAY

Cambridge, Drummer Street, Bay 7

From: 23 October, 05 Notes :

Cambridge, Trumpington Road, Leys School Trumpington, Maris Lane Harston, Village Hall Foxton, Memorial Shepreth, Tylers Melbourn, Car Park

Royston, Bus Station

Royston, Tesco Royston, Burns Roadoperated by Stagecoach in Cambridge Commercial service

08:40

14:40

15:40

16:40

17:40

18:40

08:45

14:45

15:45

17:46

18:46

08:51

14:51

15:51

16:56

17:51

18:51

14:59

15:59

17:04

17:59

18:59

15:05

16:05

17:10

18:05

19:05

15:07

16:07

17:12

18:07

19:07

15:11

16:11

17:16

18:11

19:11

15:20

16:30

17:35

18:20

19:20

09:26

15:26

16:21

17:26

09:28

15:28

16:23

17:28

18:26

19:26

08:59 09:05 09:07 09:11 09:20

Then at these mins hour

Until

Royston - Melbourn - Foxton - Cambridge

NOTES

MONDAY A Runs viaTO HillsSATURDAY Road and Long Road

Royston, Tesco THE SERVICE DOES NOT OPERATE ON BANK HOLIDAYS

Notes :

Royston, Burns Road

Royston, Bus Station

Melbourn, Car Park Shepreth, Tylers Foxton, Memorial Harston, Village Hall Trumpington, Maris Lane Cambridge, Trumpington Road, Leys School

Cambridge, Drummer Street, Bay 6

Service 26 From: 29 August, 04

06:46

07:16

09:26

15:26

16:21

06:52

07:22

09:02

09:32

15:32

16:23

17:28

07:00

07:30

09:10

09:40

15:40

16:40

17:40

07:08

07:38

09:18

09:48

15:48

16:48

17:48

07:12

07:42

09:22

09:52

15:52

16:52

17:52

07:14

07:44

09:24

09:54

15:54

16:54

17:54

07:20

07:50

09:30

10:00

16:00

17:00

18:00

07:28

07:58

09:38

10:08

16:08

17:08

18:08

07:34

08:04

09:44

10:14

16:14

17:14

18:14

07:40 08:20B 09:50

10:20

16:20

17:20

18:20

Then at these mins past each hour

Until

17:26

NOTES

Local Bus companies

BStagecoach On Saturdaysinand on Monday to 01223 Friday during school holidays, buses may arrive in Cambridge Cambridge 423578 – Huntingdon & District 01480 up to 10 minutes earlier.

THE SERVICE DOES NOT OPERATE ON BANK HOLIDAYS

453159 – Alans Bus & Coach 01763 245073

melbournmagazine

important numbers Police (non emergency) 0345 456 564 Crimestoppers Freephone 0800 555111 Melbourn Police Station opening Hours Mon to Thu 10am-12 noon/7pm-9pm* This station is open to the public at times shown above, with trained Community Volunteers. Opening hours may vary, please see notices displayed at the station and around the village.

Neighbourhood Watch Steven Cambery s.cambery@ntlworld.com

CAB Royston Childline Samaritans Hospitals Addenbrooke’s Royston

08456 889897 0800 1111 08457 909090 01223 245151 01763 238020

OUT OF HOURS EMERGENCIES

Camdoc NHS Direct

01223 464242 0845 4647

(queries 24hrs)

Services Anglian Water 08457 145 145 Gas emergency 0800 111 999 Electricity 08007 838838 South Cambs District Fire & Rescue Service 01223 376217 Transport British Rail Enquiries 08457 484950 Stagecoach Cambus 08706 082608 Melbourn Magazine Ann Dekkers Editor 261144 Mavis Howard Parish Profile 260686 Eric Johnston Distribution 220197 Peter Simmonett Production & Village website 220363 Anne Lambert Information Collection 261480 Brenda Meliniotis Village Diary & Proof reading 261154 Roger Mellor Advertising 220463 or 220363

email: mag@melbourn.org.uk

Places of worship All Saints Church Rev Andrew O’Brien Melbourn Vicarage Curate Mary Price 261569 Churchwardens Christine van Vliet Colin Wilson Baptist Church Rev. Stuart Clarke Secretary Georgie Wilson United Reformed Church Minister Rev. Duncan Goldie Non-stripendary minister Rev. Carol Pearle Secretary Anne Field

260295 223063 261705 261650 261223 260747 220869

Education Melbourn Playgroup Jane Crawford 07842 151512 Childminding Group Sec. Vacancies Co-ordinator Heidi Hardwidge 221625 Community Education (activities from toddlers to adults) Val Tookey 260566 Library LAP Mike Stapleton 269956 Little Hands Nursery School 260964 Out of school times 01223 503972 Notre Ecole Janet Whitton 261231 Primary School Headmaster Gary Casey 223457 U3A (Univ. of Third Age) Chairman Arthur Alderton 260399 Hon Sec Hilary Docwra 222486 Mem Sec Arthur Alderton 260399 Village College Warden Elaine Stephenson 223400 Health Age Concern 01223 506002 Blood Donors Sue Cane 262320 Chiropodist 263260 Citizen’s Advice Bureau 238020 Community Care Val Trueman 260191 Dentist 262034 District N s (Primary Care Trust) 261775 Home-Start Sarah Dixon 262262 S Cambs PCT 35 Orchard Road Child & Family Nurses 262861 Melbourn and Meldreth Self-Help Jayne White 220250 Car Scheme 245228 Orchard Surgery Appointments 260220 Dispensary 261246 For repeat prescriptions send email: prescriptions.orchardsurgery@nhs.net Osteopath Kath Harry 261716 St John Ambulance Robert Jakubiak 220507 Warden & sheltered housing schemes Dial-A-Ride Mobile Warden Scheme 24 hr Emergency No. Val Trueman Neighbourhood Watch Scheme Stephen Cambery Safer Melbourn Initiative Val Trueman

We shall be pleased to receive contributions in any form, articles, poems, drawings, photographs, letters etc., pertaining to Melbourn. Please send any contributions to the Office of the Parish Clerk, Council Offices, 28 Station Rd, Melbourn SG8 6DX, marking them ‘MELBOURN MAGAZINE’ or you can email them to mag@melbourn.org.uk Apart from printing, all work on the Melbourn Magazine, including layout and design is produced by volunteers. The cost of production comes entirely from advertising and sponsorship. No public money is used.

01223 506335 220402 07403 251226 261520 220402

Vicarage Close Warden Joy Hyde Lead Sheltered Housing Officer Monday to Friday 9–1.30 John Impey Way Jeanette Holland Southwell Court Moorlands

263389 269596 262121 260564

clubs Air Cadets 2484 (Bassingbourn) Squadron AJ Kelly Mon & Wed evenings 7 – 9.30 p.m. Army Cadets Ted Neathey 01223 248001 Tuesday evenings at The Moor 7.15 to 9.30pm Bellringers John Gipson 262846 Bridge Club Howard Waller 261693 1st Melbourn Rainbows Abigail Roberts 261505 Brownies 1st Melbourn Stephanie Clifford 220272 Brownies 2nd Melbourn Samantha Pascoe (Brown Owl) 261400 Cambells (Handbells) Eira Martin 261221 Dramatic Society Kathy Wholley 223805 email k_wholley@hotmail.com

Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Stuart Morris 208634 Gardening Helen Powell 245887 Guides Hilary Marsh 261443 Mothers’ Union Anne Harding 260759 Melbourn & District Mushroom Club Helene Davies 01954 789 947 or m.07903 456 628 Melbourn History Group Colin Limming 260072 Melbourn Pottery Club Maggie 01223 207307 National Trust Colin Limming 260072 New Melbourn Singers Adrian Jacobs 243224 Photographic Club Bruce Huett 232855 Ramblers Dave Allard 242677 Royal British Legion Patrick Parkinson 262617 Royal British Legion Women Elizabeth Murphy 220841 Royal National Lifeboat Institution Jean Emes 245958 Royston and District Local History Society David Allard 242677 Royston and District Round Table 221398 Royston Lions Janet Daniels 260009 RSPB Doug Radford 208978 SOAS (Supporters of All Saints’) Doreen Johnston 220197 Youth Club Amanda Bernard 223407 Women’s Group Jane Stevens 261858 sport Badminton Steve Jackson Bowls Elaine Cooke Croquet Janet Pope Football Club Andrew Edwards XMVC Dolphin FC Simon Gascoyne Judo Derek Coult Melbourn Community Sports Meldreth Tennis Club Sue Davies Swimming Club Jenny Brackley Squash Club Nick Sugden

248774 221571 248342 223109 261703 225004 263313 220174 244593 261064

This list will be updated in future issues on the basis of information received.

Adverts are to be supplied as finished artwork and must be at the sizes below. Please send artwork via post or email to mag@melbourn.org.uk We print 2200 copies of the Melbourn Magazine which is delivered free to every house in the village four times a year. Note: colour advert space is limited, please contact us for further details. The current rates for advertising in the Magazine are as follows: Size per… Width x Height 1/4 inside page (79 × 128 mm) 1/2 inside page (163 × 128 mm) Full inside page (163 × 262 mm)

Issue Annum Colour £21 £76 £113 £38 £132 £188 £73 £261 £375

Adverts must be supplied as high resolution jpgs or 300dpi Tif or eps.

For further information on advertising please telephone 220363 or 220463. Remittance or cheques should be made to Melbourn Parish Council.

mag@melbourn.org.uk

The closing date for the next issue is Friday 16th January 2010 which will appear in March, listing events in March, April and May

DECEMBER Tues 1 Weds 2 Thur 3 Fri 4 Sat 5 Sun 6 Tues 8 Weds 9 Thur 10 Fri 11 Sat 12 Sun 13 Tues 15 Weds 16 Thur 17 Fri 18 Sat 19 Sun 20 Weds 23 Thur 24 Fri 25 Sat 26 Sun 27 Weds 30

Melbourn Photographic Club Foxton Village Hall 7.30-9.30pm Craft Club 9.30 & Coffee Break Baptist Church Hall 10.30-12.00 Holy Communion 10am All Saints Royston & District Local History Soc Royston Town Hall 8pm Modernising History – Exploring Hitchin Alan Fleck Coffee at URC at 10.30 MVC Staff Training Day Coffee Stop All Saints Community Hall Brittle Bone Society All Win Children’s Tombola URC Christmas Bazaar 10am-12 noon followed by hot lunch 12.30pm Holy Communion 8am All Saints Brownie Parade Service & Christingle URC 11am Baptist Church Evening Communion 6pm Evensong All Saints 6.30pm Toddler Plus Baptist Church Hall 9.30 (term time only) Mother’s Union Carol Service 2.30pm URC Melbourn & District Gardening Club All Saints Community Hall 7.30pm Social Evening Melbourn Photographic Club competition Panel Prints 7.30pmFoxton Village Hall Craft Club Baptist Church Hall 9.30 (term time only) Coffee Break 10.30-12.00 Baptist Church Hall Reflective Service URC 7pm Carols at the Black Horse 9pm Holy Communion 10am All Saints Coffee at URC at 10.30 Coffee Stop All Saints Community Hall Southwell Court stall River Mel Restoration Group meet at the bridge in Flambards Close 9.15am Family Communion 9.45am Evensong 6.30pm at All Saints Toddler Plus Baptist Church Hall 9.30 (term time only) Melbourn Photographic Club ‘An Organ Builder and his Camera’ 7.30pm Foxton Village Hall Craft Club Baptist Church Hall 9.30 (term time only) Coffee Break 10.30-12.00 Baptist Church Hall Holy Communion 10am All Saints End of term Coffee at URC at 10.30 Coffee Stop All Saints Community Hall Carol singing at The Cross 10.30am Holy Communion 8am Evensong 6.30pm both at All Saints Coffee Break 10.30-12.00 Baptist Church Hall Crib Service 3pm All Saints (come early!) Midnight Mass 11.30pm All Saints Watchnight Service 11.30pm URC Morning Service 8.30am All Saints Boxing Day Coffee Stop All Saints Community Hall Family Communion 9.45am All Saints Coffee Break 10.30-12.00 Baptist Church Hall

Spring 2010

All copy for the March, April & May Issue should

be in before 16th January

Melbourn Library

Open at the following times: Monday, Wednesday 2.30 to 4.30 pm and Friday 5.00 to 7.00 pm Thursday 10.00 to 12.00 am Saturday

JANUARY 2010

FEBRUARY

Sat 2 Sun 3 Tues 5 Weds 6 Thur 7 Fri 8 Sat 9 Sun 10 Tues 12 Weds 13 Thur 14 Fri 15 Sat 16 Sun 17 Mon 18

Tues 2 Weds 3 Thur 4 Fri 5 Sat 6 Sun 7 Mon 8 Tues 9 Weds 10 Thur 11 Fri 12 Sat 13 Sun 14 Mon 15 Tues 16 Weds 17 Thur 18 Fri 19 Sat 20 Sun 21 Tues 23 Weds 24 Thur 25 Fri 26 Sat 27 Sun 28

Tues 19 Weds 20 Thur 21 Fri 22 Sat 23 Sun 24 Tues 26 Weds 27 Thur 28 Fri 29 Sat 30 Sun 31

Coffee Stop All Saints Community Hall Holy Communion 8am Evensong 6.30pm at All Saints Baptist Church Evening Communion 6pm Start of term Toddler Plus Baptist Church Hall 9.30 am (term time only) Melbourn Photographic Club Christmas Meal Craft Club Baptist Church Hall 9.30 am (term time only) Coffee Break Baptist Church Hall 10.30-12.00 Royal British Legion Vicarage Close 7pm Holy Communion 10am All Saints Royston & District Local History Soc Royston Town Hall 8pm History of Addenbrookes Hospital Fraser Rogers Coffee at URC at 10.30 Coffee Stop All Saints Community Hall Brittle Bones Soc All Win Tombola + Bring & Buy River Mel Restoration Group meet at the Sports Pavilion 9.15am Family Communion 9.45am Evensong 6.30pm both All Saints Toddler Plus 9.30 am Baptist Church Hall (term time only) Mother’s Union Holy communion 11.30am Holy Trinity Meldreth followed by lunch in the Meeting Room Melbourn & District Gardening Club All Saints Community Hall 7.30pm Houseplants, selection, care and propagation Mark Ekin Melbourn Photographic Club 7.30pm Foxton Village Hall ‘Doing the Lambeth Walk’ lecture Craft Club Baptist Church Hall 9.30 am (term time only) Coffee Break Baptist Church Hall 10.30-12.00 Reflective Service URC 7pm Holy Communion 10am All Saints Coffee at URC at 10.30 Coffee Stop All Saints Community Hall Week of Christian Unity Holy Communion 8am 6.30pm Churches together at Meldreth Royston & District Family History Society All Saints Community Hall 7.30pm Members Questions +’ Thomas Sutton & Charterhouse’ a short talk by Peter Jackson Bible Study Vicarage Close 8pm Early Morning Prayer 7am-8am Baptist church Toddler Plus 9.30 am Baptist Church Hall (term time only) Joint prayers 8pm 85 North End Meldreth Melbourn Photographic Club Foxton 7.30pm ‘Travel Photography Gear’ lecture Craft Club Baptist Church Hall 9.30 am (term time only) Coffee Break Baptist Church Hall 10.30-12.00 U3A Monthly meeting MVC 2.45pm ‘The Kandel Light Charity’ Dr Peter Gough Reflective Service URC 7pm Holy Communion 10am All Saints Early Morning Prayer Baptist Church 7am-8am Prayer breakfast 8.30am Coffee at URC at 10.30 Coffee Stop All Saints Community Hall Family Communion 9.45am All Saints Evensong 6.30pm Women’s Group All Saints Community Hall 7.45pm AGM Melbourn Photographic Club competition – Prints Foxton 7.30pm Coffee Break 10.30-12.00 Baptist Church Hall Women’s Royal British Legion Vicarage Close 7pm Holy Communion 10am All Saints Coffee at URC at 10.30 Royston & Saffron Walden National Trust Assoc Royston Town Hall 7.30pm ‘Ramsey & Anglesey Abbeys’ Barbara Megson Coffee Stop All Saints Community Hall River Mel Restoration Group meet at the bridge in Flambards Close 9.15am Holy Communion 8am Evensong 6.30pm both at All Saints

Toddler Plus Baptist Church Hall 9.30 (term time only) Melbourn Photographic Club 7.30pm Foxton Club Evening Craft Club Baptist Church Hall 9.30 (term time only) Coffee Break Baptist Church Hall 10.30-12.00 Holy Communion 10am All Saints Royston & District Local History Society Royston Town Hall 8pm ‘The Pioneer Years’ – the founding and development of Letchworth Garden City up to 1920 Victor Rawlings Coffee at URC at 10.30 Coffee Stop All Saints Community Hall Holy Communion 8am Evensong 6.30pm both at All Saints New Melbourn Singers 50th Anniversary Concert Kings College Chapel 8pm Toddler Plus Baptist Church Hall 9.30 (term time only) Mother’s Union contact 260759 Melbourn & District Gardening Club 7.30pm All Saints Community Hall Update on Guilden Gate smallholding Simon Saggers Melbourn Photographic Club 7.30pm Foxton Projected Image Craft Club Baptist Church Hall 9.30 (term time only) Coffee Break 10.30-12.00 Baptist Church Hall Reflective Service 7pm URC Holy Communion 10am All Saints Coffee at URC at 10.30 Coffee Stop All Saints Community Hall Family Communion 9.45am Evensong 6.30pm both All Saints Half term Royston & District Family History Society All Saints Community Hall 7.30pm Member help member Melbourn Photographic Club 7.30pm Foxton ‘A Walk on the Wild Side’ lecture Mother’s Union Half Term Activity Day 12.30-3.30pm All Saints Community Hall Lunch followed by children’s activities Adults £2 Over 5’s £1 Coffee Break Baptist Church Hall 10.30-12.00 U3A monthly meeting MVC 2.45pm ‘Fabulous Falklands’ Richard Revels Holy Communion 10am Coffee at URC at 10.30 Coffee Stop All Saints Community Hall River Mel Restoration Group meet at Pavilion Melbourn 9.15am Holy Communion 8am Evensong 6.30pm both at All Saints Toddler Plus Baptist Church Hall 9.30 (term time only) Women’s Group ‘My Path to the Ministry’ Mary Price 7.45pm Melbourn Photographic Club Foxton 7.30pm Competition - Prints Craft Club Baptist Church Hall 9.30 (term time only) Coffee Break Baptist Church Hall 10.30-12.00 Royal British Legion Women’s Section Vicarage Close 7pm Holy Communion 10am All Saints Coffee at URC at 10.30 Royston & Saffron Walden National Trust Assoc. 7.30pm Saffron Walden County High Sports Centre ‘Medieval Women’ Coffee Stop All Saints Community Hall Family Communion 9.45am Evensong 6.30pm both All Saints

rtise a If you would like to adve in forthcoming local event e website ‘What’s On’ on the villag use the simple form at coming-events/ www.melbourn.org.uk/forth

Village information continued Orchard Surgery – Dispensary Monday to Friday 8:30 – 1:30 and 2:00 – 6:00 Phone 01763 261246 Telephone requests are not accepted For repeat prescriptions you can: Fax 01763 262968 or email: prescriptions.orchardsurgery@nhs.net

•

Allow at least 48 hours (two working days – excluding weekends and bank holidays) for repeat prescriptions to be ready. Do not leave your request to the last minute.

•

Prescription/medication depending on eligibility can be collected from the Surgery

Co-op

Tesco in Royston

Please let the dispensary know where you wish your prescriptions to be sent. This will remain your choice until we are informed otherwise.

Prescriptions requested before 12pm Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

will be ready after 10am Wednesday Thursday Friday Monday Tuesday

Prescriptions requested before 4pm Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

will be ready after 3pm Wednesday Thursday Friday Monday Tuesday

Prescriptions requested after 4pm Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

will be ready after 10am Thursday Friday Monday Tuesday Wednesday

CAMSIGHT Sue Hempstead 8a Romsey Terrace, Cambridge. CB1 3NH Tel 01223 416141 sueh@camtad.freeserve.co.uk Office Mon-Fri 9.30am-12.30pm.

A drop in advisory session is held at

MOORLANDS, THE MOOR, MELBOURN NO APPOINTMENT IS NECESSARY from 2pm to 4pm, 24 September 22 October 26 November

There are no sessions in December

See the following website for more information

www.colc.co.uk/cambridge/camtad/sessions.html Battery exchange and retubing. We do not do hearing tests

www.melbourncambridge.co.uk

Cam Sight’s visually impaired group meet on the 1st Wednesday of the month every month except in August, at the Vicarage day centre, Melbourn from 2 until 4pm. We offer a warm welcome with speakers, outings, up to date information and equipment demonstrations. Come and see what’s on offer, join us for a cuppa and a chat. Call 01223 420033 for further information.

Community Education Val Tookey 260566 Little Hands Karen on 01763 260964 Melbourn Playgroup Jane Crawford 07842 151512 Notre Ecole Janet Whitton 261231 Primary School Headteacher Gary Casey 223457 Toy Library Yasmin Croxford 220246 U3A (Univ. of Third Age) Chairman Arthur Alderton 260399 Village College Warden Elaine Stephenson 223400

Melbourn Playgroup At the end of last year we finished our busiest year ever with another very successful Sports Day. As usual we wish all the best to our many leavers and their families who have now all had a wonderful start to their Reception year at school. This has been a good start to the new term with all our existing children and the new ones that have started with us over the last few weeks. Our topic for this term has been “Bears”. This has seen us going on Bear Hunts, making bear prints and taking our playgroup bear, Melba, out for the day. We are looking forward to Christmas when we will be having concerts, parties and we hear that a Very important Person may be coming for a visit with some presents for all our children! If you would like to know more about us please ring on 07842151512 or look at our website at www.melbournplaygroup.btik.com.

Melbourn Primary School My first term as the Acting Headteacher of Melbourn Primary School has reinforced the old adage “The more things change the more they stay the same.” The school has welcomed four new teachers, two new teaching assistants, fifty one new Reception children and five new children in other year groups. In fact the school now has three hundred and two children on roll, (the largest number for over 4 years) and has risen from ten classes to eleven. However, even with these significant changes, the life of the school continues on its yearly cycle. On the 23rd of September the Eurovision Song Contest came to the school hall as children from Years 1 to 6 performed songs from different European countries continued on page 39

www.melbourn.org.uk/speakers-corner/

melbournmagazine

Christmas function menu available ÂŁ15 pp Christmas day bookings being taken (please enquire or pick up your menu at the bar)

Call for details on our upcoming Christmas and Brumby club evenings Christmas carols evening Wednesday 9th December Great homemade food served daily Family friendly atmosphere

63 Orchard rd Melbourn 01763 226 046

www.melbourncambridge.co.uk

Melbourn Village College at 50 Celebrations of the College’s 50th anniversary are already well underway. September saw the giant tea party held on the Willow Lawn; estimates place the number of ex-pupils and ex-staff attending at over 1,000 visitors. The class of 1959, the College’s first ever cohort of students, seemed particularly well represented. The afternoon seemed to fly by in a swirl of reminiscences and anecdotes, accompanied by industrial quantities of tea and scones, to a soundtrack provided by the College’s own ‘Big Band’ who played some popular classics from the past five decades. The sun shone, two former wardens were in attendance and a thoroughly enjoyable time was had by all. Many thanks to the very many people who worked tirelessly to ensure that the event was such a success. Andrew Allsworth Deputy Warden. Front Cover: A selection of glass tiles designed by representatives from the College’s partner organisations. Groups included primary schools, parish councils, Moorlands residents, young people at Orchard Manor and employees at TTP. Community groups included local churches, U3A, Melbourn Singers and the Melbourn History Group. This page: Tiles by MVC staff and students, displayed in the Common Room.

melbournmagazine

Jenny Sherwood ITEC Est 18 years

Holistic Practitioner and Beauty Therapist Reduce stress and muscular tension – calm your mind and sleep better by having:

Aromatherapy Reflexology Reiki GNLD Distributor Whole food, organic supplements, weight loss program, non toxic home care and skin and body www.rapidhealth.org An extensive range of Beauty Treatments also available For more information or to make an appointment please contact Jenny on – T. 01763 261218 E. JENNIFER.SHERWOOD1@NTLWORLD.COM Gift Vouchers available – Ideal For Christmas Gifts !

www.melbourncambridge.co.uk

to celebrate European Languages Day. Amongst the languages heard were French, Spanish, German and Italian. Children greatly enjoyed learning and performing the new songs and amazed us with the speed at which they were able to pick up songs in a new language. We held four harvest assemblies on Friday 9th October where our Reception and KS1 children performed twice to very proud parents as they told the story of Nicholas, who only ate chips and how he dug up a range of fruit and vegetables from his grandmother’s garden and realised that he liked other food stuffs. Our older children, in KS2, also performed twice. They shared, amongst other things, the different types of harvest, informed parents how far the ingredients of a pizza may have travelled and the importance of fair trade. As always the generosity of children and parents was on show with the harvest donations which this year were shared with the elderly residents in the village living in Vicarage Close. As many of you will have read in the local press a significant amount of money is hopefully to be spent on improving the school’s facilities by providing us with a new school hall / dining room, office area and a children’s centre on site. As I write this the planning process is in full flow and we wait to hear the outcome. For me this new build will bring many new benefits for the school. Gary Casey

Want to be a school Governor? The village’s schools are at the heart of the community. You don’t have to be a pupil, a parent or a member of staff to become involved. Why not give something back to your community by becoming a school governor? School governors represent the largest volunteer force in the country with approximately 1% of the adult population serving in this capacity at any one time. Melbourn Primary School has a Governing Body of 15 people. We work in partnership with Gary Casey and the staff to look at ways in which the school can continue to improve and be an asset to our children and the wider community.

What do we do? The Governing Body sets the strategic framework for the school. We agree a development plan with the school, set challenging but achievable targets and then monitor the school’s activities to make sure progress is being made towards those targets. Sounds dry and boring? It isn’t when you translate the ‘management speak’ into actions. Yes, we do have meetings where we look at numerical information on how much progress children – particularly those who are vulnerable for some reason have made through the year or check whether the policy we put in place on helping children who are very able actually means that these children are being stretched. But all this talk is backed up by visiting the school to see the children learning and developing. We have the opportunity to take part in school activities (dressing up in Tudor costume and being entertained at a feast anyone?). As you would expect, we have some governors who are members of staff and others who are parents.

Who we are looking for? We also need governors recruited from the local community whom we value for the skills, experience and objectivity that they bring. At the moment we have vacancies and are looking for people with enthusiasm and the desire to become associated with the running of the school. Typically, a governor will average around 6 hours of input each month. We have 2 meetings of the full governing body a term and you then are able to choose which other areas interest you: finance, the curriculum, looking after the school premises or getting involved with the HR activities. Decision-making is collective and the Local Authority provides a great deal of support and training. Governors do get a lot back. It is an opportunity to use skills you already have in a new environment. You may find the opportunity to develop some new ones. In addition, having experience as a governor is a plus point for your CV.

This is a very exciting time to become involved with Melbourn Primary School. We are in the process of recruiting a new Headteacher and building work to provide new facilities for the school and the community is expected to start early in 2010. Interested? Please contact me on 01763 263462 or e-mail me at david.atkins7@ntlworld.com. I will be able to give some more information on what is involved. You might also like to look at the school’s website: www.melbournprimary.org.uk. Don’t worry if you have a child at the school. This does not preclude you from becoming a Community Governor. Julie Norman Chair of Governors

2009 GCSE Results We were delighted to receive the College’s best ever GCSE results at the end of August. Nervous looks, as our Year 11 students opened their results envelopes, were transformed in to happy (beaming!) smiles as they realised how very well they had done, both individually and as a whole year group. The headline figures: 76% of the year group gained 5 or more higher grades (A*-C), whilst the new government benchmark figure(the number of students who gained 5 or more higher grades including both English and Maths) rose by a staggering 15% to 64%. Many of our most able students reached some very challenging, highly aspirational targets, but we were equally proud of the excellent performance of many other students of a wide range of abilities. Interestingly, at a time of increasing concerns nationally about the academic progress of secondary-age boys, the gap between the performance of boys and girls at the College was reduced to 4%, a far better figure than nationally. Thanks and congratulations to the students, their hardworking and talented teachers and, just as importantly, those students’ supportive parents. A fantastic result all round.

www.melbourn.org.uk/speakers-corner/

melbournmagazine

www.melbourncambridge.co.uk

Workers’ Educational Association (WEA) Tues 5th January Heritage Hall, Royston Town Hall 10am-11am. Enrol for courses starting in a week’s time. Cost £43.50 for 10 sessions of 11/2 hours each. Payment by cheque is preferred, payable to WEA Royston. Fees remitted for those on means tested benefit. There is a choice of two courses, which are held on Tuesdays from 10am-11.30am. Hunting for Hertfordshire Parks – Mrs Anne Rowe Italian Opera Byways – Mr Peter Bleasby For further details contact David Allard 01763 242677 or Carol Bradshaw 01763 249211. Tues 12th January Courses start at Royston Town Hall 10am-11.30am. Please enrol on 5th January if possible.

University of the Third Age (U3A) Our AGM in August saw many members taking advantage of the stalls put up by the various learning and activity groups and “signing on” for groups in which they were interested. The winter programme is now in full swing with monthly meetings as shown in the calendar. All are welcome to that meeting at the Village College on the third Wednesday in each month (except December) at 2.45 p.m. where a “meeter and greeter” will be pleased to welcome you and bring you into the Common Room for the pre-meeting tea and biscuits. There are learning and activity groups on many subjects with monthly walks that are designed for those wanting to walk a reasonable distance and others who are just out for a stroll. If you fancy yoga, table tennis, short tennis, or badminton we can help or if you want to speak a language or deal with a computer we can maybe find you a place. If art is your “bag” there is a group for that or if you are adept at Scrabble then we can try and find you a space. Many of our groups are full and have a waiting list but we often have a simple solution – start another one! For membership details ring Arthur Alderton on 01763 260399. Colin Limming

Notre Ecole Since returning to Notre Ecole after the summer holidays the children at the two after school clubs have been learning to talk about where they went during the school holidays and during previous weekends. We have been learning the French words for places around town and have played a number of games around this theme, both indoors and outdoors, when the weather has permitted. The children have drawn pictures of different shops and buildings, labelled them and created their own French town by sticking them on a large background. Now we are learning to describe our town and starting to talk about where places are in relation to others. We have been pleased to welcome some new members to our Wednesday evening adult group where our beginners have been revising the past tense. We have also been looking at the verb “aller- to go” in the present tense and revising transport words and vocabulary related to places in town. The more advanced group have practised describing people and talked about routines in relation to household chores. Both groups met together for one session to complete a quiz about French historical characters. Perhaps your new year’s resolution might be to learn a new language, in which case we would be very happy to hear from you. We have some spaces in all groups but would be particularly keen to recruit some new member to our Wednesday after school group for children. This would be most suitable for children in school years 1 to 3, although we are able to accommodate children outside this age group. Please call Marine on 01763 222876 or Janet on 01763 261231 for further details. We are a French native speaker and a graduate of European Studies with French and we would love to see you at one of our groups.

Melbourn Village College PTFA 100 Club The MVCPTFA 100 Club raises funds for the improvement of facilities at Melbourn Village College. The 100 Club is an easy way to support the school with the chance of winning a cash prize every month. Maybe you would like to support the school but find it difficult to attend fundraising events, or perhaps you just fancy a flutter. Either way you are benefiting the pupils of Melbourn Village College by becoming a member. Joining the 100 Club costs £12 per year, with each year commencing 1st September and finishing 31st August. Each member will be entered in 12 monthly draws giving a first prize of £30 and a second prize of £20. In the event of fewer than 100 members the prizes will be reduced accordingly and should the membership exceed 100 the prizes will be increased accordingly. The prize money will be 50% of the total income.

RULES All members must be over 16 years of age. The club is governed by the Lotteries and Amusement Act 1976 with the South Cambridgeshire District Council. Registration number is: L05679 and the promoter for the purposes of the Act is Mrs A Whitaker, 5 Fowlmere Road, Foxton, Cambridge CB22 6RT. Winners will be notified by post and cheques sent to the last address notified. There will be no refunds under any circumstances in accordance with the Lotteries and Amusements Act 1976. Winners numbers will be published in the Parents’ Bulletins and on the MVC website. Each member will be issued with a membership number and advised of the number accordingly. For more information contact Glenda Spry, 7 West Hill Road, Foxton, Cambridge CB22 6S.

www.melbourn.org.uk/speakers-corner/

melbournmagazine

The Walkers Partnership Solicitors THE WALKERS PARTNERSHIP SOLICITORS DO YOU NEED TO MAKE A WILL OR REVISE YOUR EXISTING WILL?

If so, please take advantage of our END OF YEAR WILLS OFFER. Reduced rate wills will be available every week day in December 2009 from 8.00am until 6.00pm by appointment only. Reduced rates are:Double Wills - £150 plus VAT Single Will - £90 plus VAT For more information please contact:1-3 Lower King Street, Royston, Herts SG8 5AJ Tel: 01763 241121 Email : t.donnellan@walkerspartnership.co.uk

www.melbourncambridge.co.uk

Welcome to the Melbourn Journalists’ page! The club held at Melbourn Village College began in September 2009 with students ranging from Year 7 to Year 11. It currently has ten members, writing articles covering subjects which include sport, school and creative stories.

The Death of Film …

A Quidditch Journal

… or a new beginning? With the increase of top specification digital SLR (D SLR) cameras on show in every High Street across United Kingdom for less than £300, old film technology looks outdated. Now, with digital technology progressing at breakneck speeds, the camera you buy today will be out dated by next month. The new range of D SLR cameras have improved noise reduction and higher megapixels. Even with the obvious advantages of the digital age there has been a recent rise in film sales and dark room equipment. So is this a new beginning for film technology? Many die hard film users, as well as amateurs who wish to learn the basics and principals of photography, still buy film regularly. 35mm film has an equivalent enlargement size of 30 megapixels. Although digital camera images show more noise than film, digital is quicker and easier to use. You can fit thousands of photos on one card and can see the results seconds later on the LCD screen. Both forms have their advantages and disadvantages. But why has the number of film sales risen in the past year? Well, the answer is a simple one! The number of people taking up non-digital photography is on the rise. This is mainly due to the costs involved with digital photography. More and more people are buying cameras on eBay and second hand shops as photography is a popular hobby. Professionals still use 120mm film due to the quality of colours and the fact that they can be enlarged to higher sizes with little or no distortion. Digital cameras are used by professionals also, mainly for weddings, sports events and journalism where speed is of the essence. So maybe there is still room in the digital age for the old film camera. Written by William Broughton

Right… what is Quidditch? Quidditch is a sport for wizards. They play this sport at Hogwarts. You may think this is weird but this sport is played on brooms in the air. There are four balls in this game, a quaffel, two bludgers and a snitch. There are seven players on a Quidditch pitch and they are two beaters, three chasers, a goalie and a seeker. The chasers try and score through the hoops with the quaffel, the beaters have a bat each and try and whack the bludger and hit the other team, the goalie tries to stop the goals and the seeker… the seeker tries to catch the snitch. The snitch is a golden flying ball which is basically impossible to see. If the seeker catches it the team that caught it wins the game. (It’s worth 150 points.) There are three hoops in this game, three at each end. The two at the side are 20 metres, and the one in the middle is 30 metres. The Quidditch pitch is the two times the size of a football pitch and has seats high enough to see the players. But beware balls can come flying at you. So those are the rules of a Quidditch game and keep this in mind, if you want to watch a Quidditch match watch Harry Potter. (It’s great.) P.S. Don’t try this at home. Written by Sam Bedlow

Melbourn Village College Good school or bad school? Everyone has different answers. Personally, I think good but the proof is in the pudding. Am I right? Your GCSE grades of course. Everyone enjoys school but for what reason? Friends, learning, perfoming arts – you tell me? The only reason I go there is to get an education. That’s it. Why doesn’t everyone else? Written by Megan Keeble

First Day So your first day of school didn’t go to plan. Well whose does? Some things are bound to go wrong. Basically, it’s strange not to get lost or forget your new friends’ names. But whatever has happened, I very much doubt it worse worse than my experience. Seriously! I managed to get locked in the changing rooms, and had to stand on the bench so that I could stick my head out of the window, only to have to plead with another student to go and get the keys! So whoever you are, and whatever happens just remember don’t worry – it’s not that bad! Written by Evangeline Scott

The Powers – prologue On a bright day a lone boy was seen walking down an alley. This boy had chestnut brown hair and golden eyes. Thomas Prow lived on the edge, avoiding the police and ducking in rubbish bins for his next meal. Often late at night he would shelter in doorways, look up at the stars and wonder what had happened at his birth to make him wander the streets all alone. Written by Alex Crockford

melbournmagazine

FROG END PET SUPPLIES at Phillimore Garden Centre

A pet shop that caters for all your pet needs • • • • •

all types of birds rabbits guinea pigs many other animals wide range of accessories and pet supplies Also stockists for CALOR GAS Ample parking facilities Open 7 days a week Mon to Sat 9.00am – 6.00pm Sunday 9.30am – 4.30pm Cambridge Road, Melbourn, Cambs. SG8 6EY Tel 01763 263342

www.melbourncambridge.co.uk

Melbourn’s Churches together If any of you enjoy Carol singing why not come to The Black Horse on Dec 9th about 9pm when members of the churches join with the Folk Singers to sing carols. December 2009 Wed 9th 9pm Carol singing at The Black Horse Sat 19th 10.30am Carol singing at ‘The Cross’ January 2010 Start of Week of Christian Unity Mon 18th 8pm Bible Study All Saints’ Community Hall Tue 19th 7am–8am Early morning prayer meeting.

Baptish Church coffee lounge

Tue 19th 8pm Joint Parish prayer meeting 85 North End, Meldreth Wed 20th 7.30pm Reflective Service at Melbourn URC Thu 21st 10.30am Holy Communion All Saints’ Church Fri 22nd 7am–8am Early morning prayer meeting.

Baptish Church coffee lounge

Sat 23rd 8.30am Prayer Breakfast Baptist Church coffee lounge Sun 24th 6.30pm Joint service at Holy Trinity Meldreth

United Reformed Church Harvest Festival and Scarecrow Festival at the URC The weekend of the 19th/20th September saw some additional visitors to our church although engaging them in conversation proved a somewhat difficult task. I refer, of course, to the great array of scarecrows which graced our church. We thank the river Mel Restoration Society, St Georges Allotment Group, Melbourn and Meldreth Churches Together, 2nd Melbourn Brownies, Junior Church and various members of our congregation who took the time and had the imagination

to create such wonderful scarecrows. On the Saturday we were delighted to welcome David and Carol Lane, who provided most enjoyable musical entertainment ranging from the Beatles to the Radetzky March with David playing the organ and Carol joining him for a few songs. We were also treated to an impromptu duet of ‘Georgia on my Mind’ with David at the organ and our minister Duncan on the cornet. The church was decorated for our Harvest Festival service on the Sunday where we were joined by the Brownies. After the service we stayed on for a bring and share lunch then sold many of the displays for the Farming Crisis Network Charity and raised £194.85. The remainder of the unsold produce was donated to Jimmy’s Nightshelter in Cambridge.

melbournmagazine

www.melbourncambridge.co.uk

Coffee on Fridays Fridays 10.30am until 12.30pm. Drop in for coffee and a chat, usually one or other of our ministers is present and there is also the opportunity to buy Fairtrade goods from Robert’s stall. Reflective Services A monthly mid week Reflective Service, second Wednesday of the month, providing an hour or so of contemplative readings, imagery and music, a time to escape the hustle and bustle. The services begin at 7pm and last for about an hour. Christmas Bazaar Our usual Christmas bazaar will be held on the first Saturday of December from 10am until 12noon. All are welcome to join us. We will also be sharing in a hot lunch from approx. 12.30pm.

Reasons to be cheerful! You may be reading this page and at the same time wondering why the total on your credit card balance is rising or the money in your bank statement is fast diminishing. Could it be that your children or grandchildren have told you that unless they get the latest “must have” present for Christmas they will simply die or they will never again be able to lift up their heads in the company of their friends? Small wonder that some people groan when you say brightly “soon be Christmas” and hope that it will soon be over. This Christmas may I offer you a tip? Come to the Parish Church, the Baptist Chapel or the United Reformed Church and join in some of the much-loved hymns and carols and listen again to the old, old story. It has all the essence of a fairy story and people will tell you that it is just that and nothing else. But come on Christmas Eve to the Crib Service (but come early or you may find it hard to get a seat) to see the children’s faces as Noah the Donkey comes in with Mary and Joseph, or later in the day take your seat at Midnight Mass to hear again that same story. On Christmas morning there is the quiet reflection of the 8.00 a.m. Communion or the hustle and bustle of the 10.00 a.m. Family Communion at Meldreth Church. Neither are the other two Churches in our village going to be left out and will be telling again the simple story of a baby in a stable, some shepherds and an angel. Amid the tinsel and the frantic last minute shopping remember that the word Christmas come from just those words Christ’s Mass. Take time this year to reflect and enjoy it. A Happy Christmas.

SOAS 100 Club The September draw was made by Rev Andrew O’Brien on 2nd October. There were 63 members. The first prize of £21 goes to Maureen Townsend (15) of 32 New Road and the second of £10.50 to Maria Christina Cooper (40) of 64 High Street. The October draw was made by Rev Andrew O’Brien on 31st October. There were 63 members. The first prize of £21 goes to Brenda Meliniotis (44) of 14a Rose lane and the second of £10.50 to Joy Hyde (42) of 15 The Lawns. Anyone can buy a share in the 100 Club, by contacting Kersti Llewellyn-Beard on 01763 220703. All profits go towards preserving the ‘bricks & mortar’ of All Saints’ church.

SOAS

(Supporters of All Saints’ Melbourn)

What is SOAS SOAS is a nondenominational charity and aims to enlist the support of the Melbourn Community to preserve the village character and heritage. Funds raised by SOAS through membership contributions and cultural events are spent on the upkeep of All Saints’ Church building. Membership subscriptions are discretionary with a minimum of £3 per person or £5 per family per year. Application and/or Banker’s order forms can be obtained by telephoning Shaun Coles on 260327.

The Word of God from David Burbridge Jesus said, All things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses, and the prophets, and The Psalms concerning me. Then opened He their understanding of the Scriptures, and said, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day: and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations beginning at Jerusalem. Luke 24, 44-47

melbournmagazine

The Fourth Wise Man The story of the Fourth Wise Man can be found in several countries, including Russia and France, each differing slightly in detail. In this version set in Persia, where his name is given as Artaban, he was, like Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar, a Persian priest of the Magi, an historian and an astronomer. All of them were sure that the star, which they had seen in the east, would lead them to the new-born King. Artaban sold everything he owned in order to buy gifts for the King. He bought a sapphire as blue as the sky, a ruby as red as blood and a pearl as white as milk. The Magi were to meet up to make the journey together, but just before he was to meet up with the others Artaban came upon a stranger who was mortally ill. Artaban could not ignore him, and spent much time treating him and giving him water; and eventually restored him to health. Thanking him, the man told him that the Saviour King would be

born in the village of Bethlehem, and not the capital Jerusalem. As the other Magi had already left, Artaban had to sell his sapphire in order to finance his own caravan to cross the desert. When he finally reached Bethlehem he learned that the Three Wise Men had presented the Child with many gifts three days earlier. He also learned that Joseph and Mary had fled with the Child to Egypt, because of a dream that King Herod would kill all new-born baby boys, as he had heard that a King was to be born who would depose him. When the soldiers came with their bloody swords to kill the child of the young mother who had given him food from her scarce resources, Artaban took out the ruby and bribed the Captain of the soldiers to leave them in peace. He then felt unworthy as he had given away another of his gifts. He moved on to Egypt, then to Jerusalem, always searching for the King. Along the way he aided the sick and needy, but preserved his last gift, the pearl as white as milk, for the thirty three years of his search. Then he heard the prophecy that the King of Kings would be crucified at Golgotha and went there to try to ransom the King with his last gift. Suddenly a young girl broke free from soldiers who were dragging her along. She cried to Artaban that she was being sold as a slave in order to pay her late father’s debts, and pleaded with him to save her. Artaban took out the great pearl and gave it to the soldiers who released the girl. He then collapsed with the realisation that he had nothing left with which to honour the King. Just then he saw someone who was undoubtedly a great King, who reminded him of all the good he had done during his life and said ‘In as much as you have done it to the least of these, you have done it unto me.’ A king had found his King.

Things are bubbling up in Melbourn as the 2009 vintage develops Some years ago we bought several bottles of wine in Calais and when we got to the till, we were given a free gift - a grape vine. As our very expensive Wisteria had failed on the pergola, we replaced it with the vine and it took off. Within a couple of years it had provided a leafy bower AND lots of grapes. They are green and surprisingly sweet – the downside is that the skins are tough and they have seeds. (Question: how do seedless grapes reproduce?) But the blackbirds loved them. This year, the harvest was so great that our neighbour George Meliniotis decided it would be a crying shame not to have a go at making wine. Brenda duly went and bought two huge plastic baskets and they were filled to overflowing with our lovely grapes. George remembers winemaking from his youth in Cyprus and insisted that they should be trodden in the traditional way. Treading day dawned, and it was freezing cold, so Brenda and I flatly refused to take our shoes and socks off. George III (George Statter is George II and my George is the First) manfully took his off and stepped into the plastic box. He soon got into the rythm of treading, in fact we noticed a distinct inclination to Greek line dancing so Brenda and I started to hum the theme from Zorba the Greek, which helped the process along. Brenda, George I and I were weak with laughter. However, he who laughs first, or whatever, the wine is now bubbling away in our conservatory in five demijohns. At the

www.melbourncambridge.co.uk

start it reminded me of the old Napisan days (those of you who use disposable nappies will not know what I am talking about, but use your imagination) but now the krug is clearing and last week we had a tasting. Definitely alcoholic, but it needed a bit more sugar. I don’t know exactly how many bottles we shall produce, but they will certainly have a rarity value. At the moment we are arguing amicably about the labelling – after all, they are MY grapes but then they have Meliniotis skill – Carlings Gold Label has been mentioned and Melini-ard or Howiniotis. Nothing has quite hit the button so – any suggestions? On a postcard, please. Mavis Howard

Bowls Jacqui Dodds 243667 1st Melbourn Rainbows Abigail Roberts 261505 Brownies 1st Melbourn Stephanie Clifford 220272 Brownies 2nd Melbourn Samantha Pascoe 261400

Cricket Martin Winter 262733

Croquet Janet Pope 248342

Football Club Andrew Edwards 223109 Dynamos Football Club Les Morley 07739 593771

Judo Derek Coult 225004

McSplash Joanne Greene 263313

Melbourn Sports Centre Graham Johnson-Mack 263313

1st Melbourn Rainbows The autumn began with a fantastic Centenary Launch 100 Event at Churchill College, Cambridge on Saturday 5th September. All of our Rainbows attended along with over 1700 other Rainbows, Brownies, Guides and Senior Section members for a giant picnic. Our girls stayed on-site to enjoy activities such as parachute games, face painting and a Centenary duck treasure hunt. During the evening, nearly 2000

members and supporters had a BBQ, sing-a-long and a spectacular musical firework display to end the evening and begin our celebrations with a bang! We were pleased to see five new Rainbows join this term and they are busy learning their promise ready for their promise party in October. The Rainbows are currently working towards their Adventure 100 Badge. This is a Centenary Challenge with 10 Adventures to complete including ‘In the Dark’, ‘What a Performance’ and many more. There are lots of fun activities planned for this term and we look forward to telling you all about them soon. Although we do have quite a long waiting list, if your daughter wishes to become a Rainbow, please call Abigail Roberts, Unit Leader on 01763 261505.

1st Melbourn Guides 100 years and still going strong! Melbourn Guides joined 1500 others at an action-packed ‘Guideopoly’ launch

Ramblers Dave Allard 242677 Royston and District Round Table Michael Seymour 221398 Squash Club Nick Sugden 261064

Swimming Club Jenny Brackley 244593

Tennis (Melbourn) 01223 220174

Tennis (Meldreth) Sue Davies 220174

www.melbourn.org.uk/speakers-corner/

melbournmagazine

www.melbourncambridge.co.uk

event in Cambridge on 5th September. Armed with a map and some treasurehunt questions, small teams of girls were dropped off at The Backs, and had two hours to find seven checkpoints around the city. Without leaders, and dodging Saturday afternoon shoppers, this was quite a challenge for the girls, but they all made it back to the bus stop and enjoyed a fantastic firework display in the evening. Back in August, we enjoyed a traditional Guide camp near Bedford. The weather was kind to us, so we added sleeping under the stars, and a waterslide to the traditional camp activities of firelighting, singing and games. We also enjoyed kayaking on the river, high ropes, and swimming at the Oasis pool. Guiding in Melbourn is so popular at the moment that we have groups running on Wednesdays and Thursdays. The Thursday group programme incudes the special Adventure 100 badge for which we have made dreamcatchers and decorated glass candleholders, and have been on a night hike round Stockbridge Meadows. We are also trying Scottish country dancing, and having an evening of performance and drama. The smaller Wednesday group is also doing badges, plus baking and Christmas crafts. If you would like to know more about becoming a Guide or a leader, or if you have any skills or hobbies which you would like to share with us, please contact me on: 01763 261443 or email: melbournguides@gmail.com Hilary Marsh

and presentations and was followed by a disco. A great time was had by all that attended and plans are already being made for next years event. There have been a number of camps and training weekends throughout the year most notably the annual camp. During the school summer holidays 10 cadets from Melbourn, along with the rest of Cambridgeshire army cadet force, set off for their annual camp which this year was at Napier Barracks, Folkestone in Kent and also abroad at two locations in Europe. Cadets took a break from traditional programmes with three distinct levels of activity to satisfy the needs of the 300 cadets aged 12 to 18 who took part. The British Armyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s world renowned Cinq Ports shooting ranges provided the backdrop for nine days of challenge and adventure and no fewer than two European trips were also on offer â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a tour of the WW1 battlefields of France and Belgium and an outward bound expedition to the rugged scenic landscapes of the Allgau in Southern Bavaria.

Once they had settled into the camp, junior and intermediate level cadets each undertook two day training programmes in military skills including first aid, signals, and the use of map and compass as part of the unique army proficiency certificate syllabus. The training prepared them for a two day exercise during which they put their newly acquired skills into practice living independently under the stars. The outdoor adventure was followed up with supervised .22 target rifle shooting and clay shooting. There was also a first opportunity to use the new cadet A2 5.56mm rifle introduced earlier in the year. To round off their experiences swimming competitions took place at nearby St John Moore Barracks. Meanwhile, in addition to the UK activities, the more senior cadets had been gearing up for adventures further afield. Ninety three years ago in 1916, thirty two Cambridgeshire men gave their lives and 218 were wounded on the desolate battlefields of the Somme during ferocious hand to hand fighting taking the German stronghold known

Tennis has restarted in Melbourn! Over & In would like to offer you the opportunity to take part in brand new tennis coaching at Melbourn Village College. Our coaching is for all ages and abilities and run by professional tennis coaches. We are initially offering a five week taster course, giving you the chance to have a trial run before committing long term. Coaching will take place on Monday evenings and Saturday mornings.

Army Cadets The army cadets of Melbourn detachment are now nearing the end of another exciting and successful year, in which there have been promotions for a number of cadets that parade at Melbourn. Nathan Wilkins and Francine Burtenshaw were both promoted to the rank of Cadet L/Cpl earlier in the year and hopefully some more are soon to follow. We also hosted our first ever detachment regimental meal back in June. It was organised by Cadet Cpl Rowena Wiseman and it involved a formal three course meal complete with speeches melbournmagazine

Jeremy Ashworth

Julie Newby

Electrician and Property Maintenance

Beauty Therapist

21 Bramley Avenue, Melbourn, Royston, Herts. SG8 6HG

07815 093166 01763 230831 jeremy.ashworth@ntlworld.com

www.melbourncambridge.co.uk

IIHHT,IHBC

Facials Waxing Aromatherapy Massage Hot Stone Massage Indian Head Massage Reﬂexology St. Tropez Self Tan Application Manicures and Pedicures Bridal Make up Bookings by Appointment Easy Car Parking Fowlmere · Nr. Royston · Herts Telephone: 01763 208387 www.thebestof.co.uk/royston LOYALTY PLAN · SPECIAL OFFERS

as the Schwaben Redoubt. The first battalion of the Regiment won a record 42 gallantry awards in just one day. The group of 110 cadets together with their adult instructors crossed the channel by ferry and stayed for two nights at their base - the Chateau D’Ebblinghem, near St Omer in Northern France – where they toured the famous WW1 battlefields and memorials including Schwaben Redoubt, Vimy Ridge, Tyne Cot, Langemark, Hill 62 and Essex Farm Cemetery. Later the cadets paraded to lay a wreath at the Menin Gate where every evening since November 1918 the town of Ypres has stopped at 8pm to honour fallen heroes, many of whose names adorn the walls of the gate itself. Elsewhere on the continent 47 cadets, 3 from Melbourn detachment, led by Captain Steve Swann were about to venture to the Allgau region of Bavaria between 1st and 9th August to take part in canoeing, climbing and mountaineering. Their expeditions included 2, 3 and 4 day excursions through some of the most rugged and beautiful scenery in the world. Relaxation time included swimming and a visit to Schloss Neuschwanstein a 19th-century Bavarian palace near Hohenschwangau and Füssen in southwest Bavaria – which completed the whole mountain experience. Should you have any interest about joining the Army Cadet Force as either a cadet or as an adult instructor please call 01223 248001.

Gardening Club Are you interested in gardening? Why not join Melbourn and District Gardening Club on a regular or occasional basis. We listen to talks, go on local and coach outings, grow plants for sale at meetings and for our stall at the Melbourn Fete. Membership £15.00 per year, visitors £2.50. We meet at 7.30 on the second Tuesday each month, at the Community Hall, behind All Saints’ Church (near traffic lights, path by red telephone box). New members and visitors very welcome.

8 Dec 2009 Social Evening 12 January 2010 Houseplants Selection, Care & Propagation West Anglia College – Mark Ekin 9 February 2010 Update on Guilden Gate Smallholding, Bassingbourn – Simon Saggers 9 March 2010 The Modern Herbaceous Border Hopleys Plants – Audrey Barker 13 April 2010 Gardening for Wildlife – The Wildlife Man 15th May 2010 Coach Outing to Wisley For more information ring Helen Telephone 01763 245887

Bowls Club The season has drawn to a close with yet another enjoyable and successful year for the club. The club competitions were the highlight of the season with the finals taking place during the first two weeks in September. With glorious weather, excellent bowling and a good crowd cheering the finalist on, the eagerly anticipated finals were won by – Ladies Singles Winner – Sue Sell, Runner up – Yvonne Blows Men’s Singles Winner – Jim Gillings, Runner up – John Gibson Handicap Winner – Rod Sell, Runner up – Geoff Bridges Novices Winner – Arthur Andrews, Runner up – Dick Raymen Drawn Pairs Winners – Rod Sell/Julie Howell, Runner up – Geoff Bridges/ Yvonne Blows Mixed Pairs Winners – Jeff Maddin/ Diane Clark, Runner up – Geoff Bridges/ Doreen Bridges MK Afternoon League Winner – Arthur Andrews, Runner up Dick Raymen Congratulations to all those that took part and we all look forward to next year’s competitions. Special congratulations must also go to Rod and Sue Sell who won the Cambridge and District Mixed Pairs final. This competition includes pairs all over the Cambridge area and it was a huge achievement to win such a prestigious competition. Also Yvonne

Blows and Jacqui Dobbs reached the finals of the Business House Ladies Pairs but unfortunately lost in the final. This was their 5th time in this final and they have won it three times in the past. Congratulations to all four players on such wonderful achievements. Spring will soon creep around and push the bad weather, cold days and dark nights that winter brings into obscurity and once again, before we know it, bowls will be on the agenda. Until then, everyone have a safe and happy winter. Elaine Cooke

McSplash Swimming Club The start of the autumn term was very busy, as we said goodbye to several of our older teenage swimmers, as they moved onto 6th form college, and welcomed many new young swimmers into our 6-6.30 session, whilst the intermediate swimmers moved up to more advanced classes. The first sessions of the term included improving strokes and stamina and practising starts and turns. The highlight of this first half term will be our Sponsored Swim, on 16th October, which we are holding to raise funds for both the Club and a nominated Charity. This years’ charity is the Teenage Cancer Trust, which funds specialist teenage units in NHS hospitals and is hoping to open a unit at Addenbrookes Hospital. We chose this charity as many of our swimmers are teenagers and we felt it was important to support such a vital service. As well as swimming lengths to raise sponsorship, the swimmers will also qualify for a distance badge depending on how far they swim overall, whether it be 400 metres, or even a mile (84 lengths)!! After half term, there will be an opportunity for the swimmers to play water polo during the session. This is a very popular activity with the youngsters and can also get quite competitive. However, whilst playing, the swimmers are using all the skills, techniques and stamina that they have acquired throughout the term.

melbournmagazine

Suppliers of Propane and Butane bottled gas Unit 5 The Butts Business Centre Fowlmere Royston Herts SG8 7SL dclgas@btconnect.com Telephone 08000 728878 54

www.melbourncambridge.co.uk

Jenny Brackley, our club coach, has recently qualified under the Royal Lifesaving Society as a Rookie Lifeguard Trainer, so is able to train under-14’s in survival skills such as throwing and using tow ropes as a means of rescuing someone in difficulty. The club swimmers have regular survival skills sessions, so this extra training will greatly enhance their knowledge and confidence. McSplash Swimming Club is not just about swimming lengths in the pool. It is about meeting and making new friends, and gaining confidence and independence, both socially and in the water. We run a varied and interesting programme, running in line with school terms and meeting on Friday evenings. The autumn term finishes on 4th December with a fun session, with inflatables and games to allow the swimmers to enjoy themselves and let off steam. Anyone wishing to join, or make further enquiries should contact Coach Jenny Brackley on 01763 244593.

Melbourn Sports Centre After the success of our summer activities, including the ever-popular Pentathlons and holiday courses, we were looking for new and exciting ways to continue our community’s interest in exercise. The Free Swimming Initiative has been a massive success, with over 1000 users taking advantage of this govern-

ment scheme and enjoying the centre’s pool facilities which now include a renovated wetside changing room suite, thanks to funding received through running the scheme. Congratulations to George Saggers, the winner of our Most Improved Swimmer award for the summer term. We would like to thank Melbourn Squash Club and its members for generously donating £2000 toward the purchase of new swimming equipment, which we believe will be an asset to both young and old pupils on our popular swimming lesson plan. The Fitness Suite monthly challenges go from strength to strength with the help of local businesses donating prizes for the winners of these competitions, which are as varied as ‘See How Many Vehicles You Can Lift In A Month’ to ‘How Far Can You Row In Ten Minutes?’ They are proving very popular with our members as are our ‘Friendly Friday’ sessions, where for one session only, members can bring along a friend for a free tryout. New activities introduced this season include Family Fitness Session on a Sunday afternoon, Fitness Pilates classes on Wednesday evenings, football coaching for 4 – 6 year olds on Tuesdays and a Multi-Splash activity course, including snorkelling and syncro skills, every Tuesday afternoon.

A Winter Wonderland at MSC! We’re not going to let those long winter nights stop us from enjoying our exer-

cise! As well as our indoor facilities like the swimming pool, squash courts and sports hall, we have loads of classes to keep you fit and healthy, including Boxercise, Core Stability, Swim Clinic, AquaFit, Fitness Pilates and Legs, Tums & Bums. We also now offer table tennis alongside our normal indoor racket sports. And they’re all reasonably priced, so the one thing that will stay plump is your purse! With our newly updated wetside changing room facility, it’s now even more fun to hold a pool party here at Melbourn Sports Centre. So why not book a birthday or Christmas party? We also have the adjacent Community Centre available for booking, with or without the pool facilities. Or how about bouncing those cares away with a trampolining party? We also offer lessons in this Olympic sport, for children at full-time school. For further details on these or any other activities, please drop in, call 01763 263313 or go online at www.melbournsports.com. We look forward to seeing you this season! Graham Johnson-Mack

Melbourn Photographic Club This long standing club of local photographers from Melbourn and the surrounding area meets weekly from September to April at Foxton Village Hall. Meetings are from 7.30 to 9.30 on Tuesdays.

Come and visit us on our Open Day Sunday 28th March. Contact us for more details. 9 HOLE GOLF COURSE PAR 3 PITCH AND PUTT COURSE 36 BAY FLOODLIT PRACTICE RANGE 15 NEW POWER TEES

LICENSED CAFE & BAR PROFESSIONAL TUITION AVAILABLE AMERICAN GOLF STORE

01763-262943

Fax 01763-263038

melbournmagazine

M&M BOOKS CASH PAID for Old and Modern Books Also Purchased Coins, Medals, Postcards, China, Cigarette Cards, Jewellery, Furniture, Old Toys & Cars, Stamps, Programmes, Glass, Comics, Collectables

Phone 01763 849789 Mobile 07761 911730

www.melbourncambridge.co.uk

The programme December to March comprises: December 1 Club evening 8 Competition: Panel prints 15 Lecture: An organ builder and his camera January 5 Xmas meal 12 Lecture: Doing the Lambeth Walk 19 Lecture: Travel Photography Gear; Some answers and scenes from European cities 26 Competition: Prints February 2 Club evening 9 Competition: Projected Image 16 Lecture: A walk on the wild side 23 Competition: Prints New members, of any skill level, will be warmly welcomed. For further information please ring the secretary Bruce Huett 01763 232 855

Melbourn Dynamos Football Club www.melbourndynamos.co.uk Established in 2003, we offer boys and girls aged from 6 years upwards the opportunity to play regular football. We encourage children to become part of MDFC regardless of experience or ability. We are based at Shepreth near Royston and as of the 2009/10 season have approximately 140 children aged 6 to 13 signed up to our club. We operate as a community based club playing competitive football in the Royston Crow Youth leagues. All of our coaches are CRB checked and qualified to a minimum of the F.A. Level 1 standard. We have recently progressed to a Charter Status club with all the relevant people and practices in place to operate within the new government requirements from the 09/10 season and onwards.

March 2 Club evening 4 Inter club competition 9 Competition: Print of the year Photographs by Bruce Huett

If you are interested in finding out more about MDFC, please contact Les Morley on 07739 593771 or email us on: melbourndynamos@aol.com New Girls Squad (ages 10 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 12) We are establishing a new girls squad for the 2009/10 season, coached by fully qualified FA coaches. If you know of any girls aged 10 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 12 (school Years 6 and 7) who might be interested in playing football, please contact us on the number above.

melbournmagazine

We are a warm, friendly, family run home conveniently situated close to the station and town centre of Royston. If you would like to find out more about St Georgeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, please call us for a brochure or drop in for a chat. 42 Kneesworth Street, Royston, Herts. SG8 5AQ Telephone: 01763 242243 web site: www.stgeorgescare.com

www.melbourncambridge.co.uk

feature In Days Gone By…

Tales of a Cambridgeshire Country Copper During the year 1968 rumours started to circulate in the area that the Royal Air Force were to leave Bassingboun in the following year and the entire site was to be taken over by the Army and become The depot for the Queen’s Division. This did eventually happen. The airfield came to the fore during the 1939-45 war when it became a part of the United States Air Force that operated the B17 flying fortress. According to Fortress Bomber records the base suffered heavy losses and 2000 air crew lost their lives in operations. One of their aircraft became the first to complete 25 combat missions and later the machine and its crew went back home and did fund raising tours all over America. After the war a very popular film was made about this plane’s missions and was named after the plane itself ‘Memphis Belle’. From the police point of view we were maintaining a low crime rate but there was still plenty of work to sustain us and keep us busy and I might add contented and happy. Towards the end of 1968 we were under going a very bad spell of cold weather. I can still vividly recall the events on one particular Friday afternoon in January or February 1969. The second section motor cyclist (the late PC Ken Gerrell) had come to the section station to put his machine under cover because of the state of the weather. He and I left the station at

continued

about 2.45pm and 1 took him home to Orwell. It had already started snowing. On my return journey I was directed to an RTA in the village of Gransden which was then Papworth section. I guess I was the nearest mobile policeman available. The weather was getting worse and I was travelling in an unfamiliar area. I eventually found the scene and learnt that two buses had been trying to pass each other but due to the camber of the road and the snow their roofs touched. The drivers immediately stopped and would not move; afraid they would damage the vehicles. I informed control and requested they get authority from the bus company for the drivers to move the vehicles regardless of any damage but no one would make a decision. I advised everyone the weather was getting worse and I had no intention of getting stranded. I gave a time limit of how long 1 was prepared to stay on. Approval finally came and the buses moved on without any further damage being done and not even a thank you from the drivers. Visibility was down to nil and with no verges to guide me the road back to the then A14 seemed endless. Driving conditions eased once I was back on the main road but I still had to take extra care. Going over the brow of Arrington Hill I was confronted with an assortment of heavy goods vehicles all over the road endeavouring to get over the hill. I parked the police car in

a pull in just off the road. It was still snowing but I felt I had to do something, However the lorry drivers were more than vocal about what one policeman could do under such conditions. I then drew on what ‘old coppers’ remember as local knowledge. I knew the garage owner of the service station at Kneesworth had recently purchased a heavy ex US Army breakdown truck. What I did not know was if the vehicle was capable of towing heavy lorries up Arrington HiIl. I radioed this information to control and later I was told that the breakdown truck was on its way. By this time I had been out for nearly four hours. The breakdown truck duly arrived and proceeded to clear the backlog of stationary vehicles so no-one was left stranded. I was more than pleased with the outcome. I later heard that the garage owner had encountered one or two difficulties obtaining payment for services rendered to the lorry drivers. On my return to the station just after 10 p.m. I found my wife in the office on the phone, demanding to know where I was and what was being done to help me. When she had asked earlier she was told I was still at the station, not aware that I was out in such appalling weather. I should advise readers that at Parkside in those days the telephone and radio office were in different parts of the police station. Being an operational policeman certainly had its good and bad sides but I enjoyed every minute of it. Ron Brooksbank

melbournmagazine

We are your local supplier of Minimix ready mixed concrete. Any quantity supplied from 1 cubic metre upwards, small trucks for easy access, same day delivery including Saturdays. Supplied from our own new plant. We supply to construction, building trade, DIY – anyone who needs concrete at a competitive, fast, reliable service call Credit Cards, Cash, Cheques and Accounts accepted. Support your local business

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

All delivered in our big 1 metre bag to your door or can be delivered loose in loads of 1 – 50 metres.

Can be collected from our yard over weighbridge or delivered loose on our transport or in 1/2 cu metre bags. MADINGLEY MULCH MADINGLEY ROAD COTON CAMBS CB3 7PH

TEL: 01954 212144 FAX: 01954 210358 www.mulch.co.uk kay@mulch.co.uk OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK

www.melbourncambridge.co.uk

Melbourn Flooring and Interiors Limited

melbournmagazine

www.melbourncambridge.co.uk

Classified Ads (Trades & Professional) Window Cleaning Gary Custerson 01763 246773

Carpentry & Building Repair Simon Prince 01763 269565

Simply Reliable Cleaning Steven Rodham 01763 261275

Liz Strange Painter & Decorator 01223 208905

Justin Pearson Painter & Decorator 01223 565310

Stone Lane Veternary Clinic Caring for your pet 01763 261457

Singing and Piano Lessons Judith King 01763 262767

Brickwork Repair Services Gordon Rogers 01763 262773

Advertisers

Type of business

Absolute Solutions

Bathroom Design and Installation

Admiral Windows

Tel. No.

Heavenly Hatz 01223 874080

N.T Carpentry

www.heavenlyhatz.co.uk

Call Neil 07748844711

SC Plastering Simon Carse Tel.01763 221055 Mob.07840 836639

Carpenter Services Richard Brewster 01763 262974

For all your carpentry 5 Hardman Road, Foxton requirements.

Mamac, Kareioki and Disco Willow Tree CRB checked for children Painter & Decorator & elderly Dean Hardingham mamac.21@btinternet .com Tel 01763 232757

Advertisers

Type of business

01763 261777

Law Storage

Secure storage

01223 874629

Conservatories

01480 456789

Leech, C.A

Butchers

01763 260255

Admiral Flat Roof

Roofing problems

01480 456789

Little Hands

Nursery School

01763 260964

Amy’s Mobile Hairdressing

Hairdressing

01763 262246

Madingley Mulch

Barks, Soils, Composts, Mulches etc.

01954 212144

Avante Garde

Soft Furnishing

01763 250581

Melbourn Community Sports

Sports Centre

01763 263313

Bannold

Landscaping Materials

01954 231666

Melbourn Flooring

Flooring, Tiling & Home Interiors

01763 262413

Beatiful Memories

Filmed Life Stories & Legacies

01223 575197

Melbourn Garage

MOT and Servicing

01763 263344

Berry

Accounting Services

01763 852622

M&M Books

Second hand & rare books

01763 849789

Cleaning Services

01462 896123

Disco music supply for parties etc

01763 261727

Black Horse

Local Pub & Restaurant

01763 226046

Molly Maid

Bretts

Plumbing and Heating

01763 260007

Nightlife Disco

Bury Lane Farm Shop

Fresh produce, Coffee shop

01763 260418

Butlers

Taxi and Car Service

01763 212223

Cambridge Building Society

Building Society

01763 217510

Tel. No.

NFU Mutural

Home Insurance

01954 210007

PC Home Call

PC Repair

01223 654460

Phillimore

Garden Centre

01763 260537

Prince Property Improvements Property Repairs

01763 269565

Pinney, Moore and Co.

01223 208400

Cambourne Self Storage

Secure Storage

01954 717444

CAMTAD

Deafness Advisory sessions

01223 416141

Carters Shoes

Shoes – wide choice

01223 264930

CCS

Chimney Sweep

01763 220373

Child Nursing Team

Family Health Advice

01763 262861

Cooper, P.L. & Sons Ltd

Flooring Specialists

01763 260918

DCL Services

Propane & Butane sales

08000 728878

Simon Robinson

Financial Advisers

Riding for the Disabled Association 01223 290807 Riverside Guest House

Guest House

01763 226062

Rothwells

Carpet Cleaning

01223 832928

Rule, Jeremy.

Funeral Service

01763 242560

Ryecroft Data

Design & Instant Digital Print

01763 208640

Sharp, G.M. Landscapes

All Gardening

01763 262126

Picture Frames

01223 873123

ESSE

Sheene Mill Retail & Therapy

01763 261000

Feet2Feet

Foot care at home

07791 736616

Soft Play for Babies & Toddlers

Babbies & Todlers

01223 830791

Fieldgate Nurseries

Fruit, vegetables, flowers & plants

01763 260737

South Cambs Motors

Motor Car Servicing

01763 260246

Fowlmere Village Hall

Hall Facilities

08704 649200

Sprint Printers

Printers and Copiers

01763 263339

Frog End Pet Supplies

Pet Suppliers

01763 263342

St Georges

Nursing Home

01763 242243

Greenlow

Kennel & Cattery

01763 260624

The Letting Centre

Letting Agency

01763 263039

Harry, Kathleen. B.Sc.Hons.

Osteopath

01763 261716

The Spice Hut

Indian Takeaway

01763 262425

Home Start

Family Support

01763 242919

Thomas, Chris.

Professional Cleaning

01223 836002

JBS

Painting & Decorating

01223 894712

TruGreen

Lawn Care

01763 244517

J&M Carpet Care

Carpet Cleaning

01954 780999

Urban Plastics

Plumbing, electrical supplies

01763 262337

Jeremy Ashworth

Electrician & Property Maintenance

01763 230831

Walkers Partnership

Solicitors

01763 241121

Julie Newby

Beauty Therapist

01763 208387

Warners Letting Agency

Letting Services

01763 242528

Kingsway Golf Centre

Golf Course and Supplies

01763 262727

Whitehall Flat Roofing

Flat Roofing

01763 869035

Kirkham, David H.

Chauffeur Service

0845 6770011

Wrights Mower Centre

Garden Machinery Supply & Maint.

01763 263393

Magazine Advertisers

Floral Arrangements Bette & Carol 01763 246168

Printed by The Burlington Press Cambridge Ltd