Issue 88 Winter 2016 by Melbourn Magazine

www.melbourncambridge.co.uk

...editorial We now have a new Parish Council (see page 15) and look forward to hearing of any new activities planned for the village. The proposed new Parliamentary boundary changes are causing some dissent. Residents are wondering to what extent it will affect us as a community. Will it eventually open the door for other council led changes for us? However, you can have your say – you have until 4th December to voice your opinion and state why we want to stay in Cambridgeshire. See how to do so on page 15. There are many Christmas activities for us to enjoy coming up including the pantomime ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’ (see page 67), the Christmas Tree Festival at Holy Trinity Meldreth, carol singing around the village and Christmas services in our three churches. (See the Diary for dates.) Many congratulations to MVC, which has received the Youth Sports Trust’s gold Quality mark. And did you know that MVC is the only school in Cambridgeshire to offer Mandarin as a language? (See page 31.) The History Group (inactive at present) was very pleasantly surprised to receive a Highly Commended certificate from the Cambridgeshire Association for Local History for the ‘1914-1918: The Great War’ publication, which was produced to accompany the exhibition held at All Saints’ on 19th & 20th July 2014. The remaining copies are available in the HUB and any donations received for the ‘sale’ of them will be given to the Royal British Legion funds. (see page 10.) Melbourn has enjoyed another busy and interesting year, and we thank all the volunteers who work with the various clubs and organisations, as well as those who provide entertainment and events, such as the Village Fete, Bloomsday etc. Your work is very much appreciated. Have a wonderful Christmas everyone, and our very best wishes for 2017! Front cover photograph by Marjorie Shaw

Contents Village news

Melbourn Radiate-headed brooch

feature

Tim Stebbing

Nature

Melbourn Open Gardens 2016

Community matters Nature

15 19

Melwood - Your Local Nature Reserve Winter Senescence?

feature

A day in the life of a guide dog puppy walker!

Profile

Lizzie Shipp

feature

Celebrating the Winter Solstice, and Christmas

Education Village information & Diary Nature

29 35 39

Botanic Garden

feature

National Poetry Day

Sports & Clubs Churches Together feature

45 57 61

The Demise of the Public House

feature

Ancient and Modern

What’s On

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

We would like to thank TTP for their continued sponsorship of the magazine. Melbourn Magazine is printed quarterly and delivered free to every household and business in the village. All work on the Melbourn Magazine, including layout and design is produced by volunteers. The

cost of printing comes entirely from advertising and sponsorship.

email: melbournmagazine@gmail.com

If you would like to advertise in the Melbourn Magazine see page 71 for details

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Village news Melbourn Women’s Institute

Melbourn & Meldreth Women’s Group

Library Report

Royal British Legion

Police & Crime Commissioner

Melbourn Radiate-headed brooch

Coffee Stop

The bin collection day is changing From 27th February the majority of residents in South Cambridgshire will be affected by a change to their bin day collection and/or the sequence of collections. Information will be delivered through the doors before the changes take place. This information will also be included in the spring edition of South Cambs Magazine that will be delivered between 28 February and 19 March. See their website at www.scambs.gov.uk

An inaugural meeting was held in the Community Hall in June to see if there was any interest in forming a new Melbourn branch of the WI. About 50 ladies turned up and, led by a team from WI Federation, a committee was quickly formed and it was decided that meetings would take place at 7.45 on the fourth Wednesday of the month in the Community Hall. In July the new committee had acted quickly to provide us with a brilliant evening with a colour consultant, in August we had a talk on Duxford Imperial War Museum and in September a quiz, at which all the members were moved around enabling us to get to know one another. October brought an inspiring talk about India by Rama Vindlacheruvu at which she dressed members up in saris and gave us a taste of Indian street food. An exciting programme has been laid out for next year so do please come along and join us. Dates are in the Diary section. Mavis Howard

Melbourn & Meldreth Women’s Group The Group is for all women of any age. Meetings are held at 7.45 p.m. on the 4th Tuesday of each month, except in December and we vary our venues between Melbourn and Meldreth. We charge £1 on the night to cover expenses and there is an opportunity to make a donation to the chosen charity of the year. We usually have a guest speaker or some in house entertainment followed by a chance to have a chat over tea/coffee and biscuits. Our next meeting will be on 24 January 2017 at All Saints Community Hall, Melbourn. This will be our AGM when we will receive reports and hopefully elect new members to the committee. We will also choose which charity we will support for the coming year so come with some suggestions and we will choose one. We hope to welcome Revd. Lizzie Shipp to this meeting as our new President. After the formal business is concluded we will have a bring and share supper. On 28 February 2017 we will again meet at All Saints Community Hall and look forward to hearing a talk by a representative of Cambridge Street Pastors. If you would like to know anything more about the group, please give any of the current committee members a call: Pat Smith 262575, Sue Toule 260955, Anne Harrison 261775 and Angela Leach 262793.

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Christmas Eve Stirring, stirring, stirring. The wooden spoon turns and folds The rich creamy mixture. Pouring, pouring, pouring. Was it brandy or thick sweet sherry My mother slowly added? Dropping, dropping, dropping. Sultanas, mixed peel, glace cherries sprinkled gently, Floating on the sticky surface. Mixing, mixing, mixing. The wooden spoon now slowed by thick resistance Of the Christmas Pudding texture. Sinking, sinking, sinking. The silver sixpence hides in dark richness. Whose plate will receive the luck this year? The massive china mixing bowl, Now emptied of its contents is ripe For my sticky fingers to scoop and lick. Sweetness tingles in my glands. Our old scratched kitchen table Is now scrubbed, wooden bare. The pudding quietly steaming On the ‘black lead’ kitchen range. Just a few more tasks to do. Brilliant paper to be cut In narrow strips, and cut again across the width, Glued together end to end Then threaded through each other, To make a dancing chain to stretch across the ceiling, Corner to corner, side to side. We tuck holly behind the picture frames, Hang mistletoe from the middle light. I’m too young to have a love To kiss beneath its fruity smile. But do Mum and Dad, quietly, when I’m asleep? Stirring, stirring, stirring. Memories turning up from childhood. Christmas Eve, the old ‘Homestead’ cottage home. Yvonne Chamberlain. 2016

Library – LAP (Local Access Point) Library opening times Monday 2.30 to 4.30 pm Tuesday 2.30 to 4.30 pm Wednesday 2.30 to 4.30 pm Thursday 2.30 to 6.30 pm Friday 2.30 to 4.30 pm Saturday 10.00 to 12.00 am 6

www.melbourncambridge.co.uk

Library Report It seems a long time ago now since the children’s Summer Reading Campaign, but the library is still feeling the effects from this as our young borrowers continue to use the library. Susan van de Ven, who presented the awards, was also delighted to find that as in past years the enthusiasm of the readers is undimmed. We adults need to be sure to hang on to the joy of reading too. Melbourn is so well set up to encourage that, with the library, Bloomsday and groups for poetry, writing and for reading short stories amongst others. If anyone is interested in a Reading Club where readers might meet once a month to discuss books they have read please get in touch with Mike Stapleton through the library. The stock of new books is constantly being replenished. It would be interesting to know our readers’ likes and dislikes as this would help our buyer make her choices. This applies not only to adult fiction but also to junior and young adult books. Finally, remember that anyone with a Cambridgeshire Libraries card can borrow from Melbourn library and also browse the full catalogue on the web (cambridgeshire.gov.uk/leisure/libraries), reserve a book or books (or CD or DVD) and then pick it up from our library. Jane Stevens

Royal British Legion

Women’s Section Melbourn & Meldreth I have recently taken over as Chairman of the Branch from Una Cleminson who had to stand down in order to take up a post at National level. We meet on the fourth Wednesday afternoon of the month in the Community Room at Vicarage Close and, when possible, arrange for a speaker, the last one being the volunteer handler of a beautiful young Labrador which was being trained to work with sight impaired patients. We celebrated Harvest Thanksgiving and had the opportunity to welcome the Reverend Elizabeth Shipp who addressed the group with hymns and a short prayer. Several members will be attending the County Conference at March G.E.R. Club on 22nd October. On November 13th our President, Mrs Molly Chamberlain, will lay a wreath at the Services of Remembrance in Melbourn and Meldreth. Our standard bearer, Mrs Pauline Parkinson will be in attendance. Also in November, we hope to have our Christmas lunch at one of the local hostelries. On December 3rd we shall be holding coffee morning in the Community Room in Meldreth including a raffle and Tombola. We look forward to seeing as many people as possible. Val Barrett, Chair Tel.01763 261227, Elizabeth Murphy, Secretary 01763 220841

Police & Crime Commissioner On 13th January 2017, Jason Ablewhite the Police & Crime Commissioner for Cambridgeshire will be holding a public surgery at South Cambridgeshire District Council. You can find more details by following the following link: www. cambridgeshire-pcc.gov.uk/event/surgery-south-cambridgeshire/ To visit Cambridgeshire Constabulary’s website please follow this link: www.cambs-police.co.uk/index.asp

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

We offer help with:

• • • • • • • • • • •

Friendship and support via twice weekly visits and daily phone calls Ordering and collection of prescriptions Basic shopping Collection of pensions Setting up Lifeline service Bereavement support Advice on benefits Going to the Post Office to pay your bills Advice on getting repairs done in your home Arranging transport to the hospital or other appointments Just coming round for a chat

What will it cost? We do have to make a small weekly charge for the warden’s services. The fee is only £6 per week (a little more for couples).

Jeannie Seers (Mobile Warden) 07808 735066 email jeanseers1@ntlworld.com Jane Cage (Deputy) 07592 821976 email jane.e.cage@btinternet.com

Melbourn Radiate-headed brooch There are a few remaining exclusive solid silver replicas of the Melbourn Radiateheaded brooch, hallmarked and available for just £60. These will be the last copies made. (Contact Ann Dekkers 01763 261144.)

Anglo Saxon jewellery During the archeological dig in 2000 on the site at the top of Water Lane (now Chalkhill Barrow) a number of pieces of jewellery were found in an Anglo Saxon grave. Finding jewellery interred with the body is a good indication the person was an important member of the community. The woman was wearing a necklace containing 69 coloured glass and amber beads and a buckled girdle with a knife and a spindle whorl (used as weights on a hand-held spinning stick used to produce cords, yarn or thread). Two spectacular brooches which would have been attached to her garments were still in position – a Great square-headed brooch and a Radiate-headed brooch – both dated from around the 5th and 6th century. The Radiate-headed brooch has a very distinctive design with a semi-circular head, often with ‘knobs’ radiating out. Originally a late Roman design, the brooch became an important part of the costume of Anglo-Saxon women. Very similar examples of both the Great square-headed Radiate-headed brooches can be seen in the British Museum.

Crafting the Melbourn Anglo Saxon Radiate-headed brooch Following the conservation of the Melbourn Radiate-headed brooch, a mold was created and a replica Bronze copy made. The replica and mold were then passed onto a silversmith who produced a limited number of solid silver Melbourn Radiate-headed brooches. The technique for producing the replicas is the same as used by the Anglo Saxons over 1000 years ago.

Coffee Stop Coffee Stop, which is held every Saturday morning in All Saints Community Hall, was founded by Mary Woodcock who suggested that any proceeds should be donated to SOAS (Supporters of All Saints), members of which raise funds for the maintenance of All Saints Church. Coffee Stop quickly developed a regular clientele enjoying keenly priced Rombouts coffee and biscuits, with all the local chat. When the Woodcocks moved away from the village, Sue Toule with Mike Scriven took over the organising of a volunteer rota for the kitchen, setting up tables and laundering tablecloths, etc. Sue and Mike have been doing this for seven years and anyone who appreciates our medieval gem of All Saints sitting at the centre of the village owes them a debt of gratitude, as they relinquish the reins to a small committee of volunteers who will carry on the good work. Flint dressed medieval churches are horrendously expensive to maintain and Coffee Stop’s money is a regular boost to the funds that SOAS raise through their subscriptions and programme of social events. George Howard (SOAS)

Melbourn Warden Scheme is a registered charity

melbournmagazine

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feature Tim Stebbing Most of us are familiar with the sight of Tim on his bicycle, collecting up the rubbish which careless members of the community have dropped. Tim has been doing this since he retired about 8 years ago. Tim was born in Bury St Edmunds above the family Baker’s shop, but when his grandfather died the business was sold and the proceeds split between his children. After the closure of the shop, Tim’s family moved to Billericay where his father continued as a baker. They also lived in Weston Turville (near Aylesbury), Luton and subsequently Bournemouth, where Tim attended the Portchester School for boys. To earn pocket money Tim spent his Friday nights working at his father’s bakery – most of the time producing doughnuts. After leaving school, he obtained a full engineering apprenticeship with the Ministry of Technology. As there was a three month wait before he could begin, he spent the time working at the bakery as a part-time pie and tart maker. Once he completed his apprenticeship, he returned to the bakery as an engineer in the maintenance department for about 10 months. He then took a maintenance job in Bristol, in a large bakery, where he stayed for 9½ years. He then took on a job at Tesco, Cheshunt. However, selling the family home in Bristol proved difficult, so for 18 months he travelled weekly from Bristol to Bury St Edmunds spending Monday to Thursday nights with his uncle, then commuting daily to Cheshunt, until eventually the house was sold. The family then moved to Melbourn in 1981. Tim retired early, but was persuaded to continue working at Tesco on a part-time basis training potential maintenance engineers, which he did for 5½ years. Tim’s first foray into litter picking came about whilst organising a family party. Conscious of the mess around the village, Tim began picking up litter whilst out walking his dog. He informed the Parish Council of what he was doing and they supplied him with the necessary black bin bags and suggested places the filled bags could be left and then collected by the District Council. After 3½ years of litter picking Tim was subcontracted by the Parish Council. Tim has kept detailed records for the parish council of where and what rubbish he has collected. Unfortunately, his records show there has been an escalation in the amount of litter collected each year. In 2013 he collected 215 bags of rubbish, a year later there was an increase of 33 bags, but in 2015 the number had grown to 503. Part of this trend is due to the increase in the number of fast food outlets in the area. Tim is finding more pizza boxes, McDonalds containers, Costa and Burger King debris, takeaway coffee containers along with cans and bottles and much of this litter is not biodegradable. A large amount is found in tucked away ‘hotspots’ in the

village usually where cars can be parked – the occupants eat, drink and then dump the rubbish. Fortunately, throughout the rest of the village attitudes have improved – simply by clearing up, people have become more aware of the problem. He also carries out surveys, checks for damaged fences, gates etc., and keeps an eye on the play areas. Evidence of drug use (a problem everywhere) can also be seen in Melbourn, again at various ‘hotspots’ around the village. The amount of ‘dopebags’ (plastic ziplock bags) found has increased from 266 to 294 in three years. Metal ‘sparklet’ containers filled with nitrous oxide, (popularly known as laughing gas) are a frequent find. It’s not just litter Tim has removed from our village – he clears roadside drains and has also had the unenviable task of removing a number of dead animals. Tim also reports on numerous issues that he comes across when travelling around Melbourn which include blocked gullies, broken fences and vandalism. Fly tipping is another problem; in London Way he once came across four car windows leaning against trees in a copse. The effort employed to get them there could easily have been used to transport them to the tip! Perhaps his most noticeable success is the ‘Pink Poo Fairy’ campaign, where he sprays a pink biodegradable paint around offending dog poo, and adds a notice intended to encourage dog walkers to clear up after their dog, to warn of the dangers that dog mess can cause and not least – that it is an offence to leave it. Areas of particular concern are the walk to school routes. Tim’s campaign has certainly raised awareness, but it has also earned him some abuse. Thankfully most people in the village do appreciate Tim’s work and many actually thank him in appreciation of his efforts. In two years, Tim has travelled 1,340 miles repeatedly going around the whole of the village, often during the weekend. We would like to say… thank you very much Tim, from all of us. melbournmagazine

The Great War 1914–1918 Melbourn History Group have pleasure in announcing that the publication 1914–18 The Great War has received a Commendation from the Cambridgeshire Association for Local History.

Braceys - 79mm x 128mm_Layout 1 26/01/2016 12:46 Page 1

The Great War book was produced following a very successful exhibition held in June 2014. The exhibition and book were designed to show the tragic face of the war alongside interesting stories from home, it was sponsored by Melbourn History Group and Melbourn Magazine.

Copies are available at the Hub A donation to The Royal British Legion is always welcomed

An exhibition by Melbourn History Group

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Your Local Charity Needs Your Help FOCC Melbourn(Friends of Chernobyl’s Children) is a registered charity which devotes its energies to raising funds to bring children, who are at risk and living in underprivileged situations from Belarus to the United Kingdom for one month’s respite care for a three year programme. The charity targets children from disadvantaged homes, aged between seven and twelve. These children are in great need and come from social situations that make it difficult for them to get the care they require at home. The people of Belarus are in need of your help to give their children a vision of a brighter future. Belarus, as a country is still suffering both socially and economically from the devastation caused by the explosion of the nuclear power reactor in 1986. Whilst most of us have knowledge of the ‘Chernobyl Disaster’, not many of us are aware of the on-going issues that this caused. Our group was formed in 2005 and we have helped to literally change the lives of more than 28 children who lived in the saddest of circumstances in Belarus. Each year these children have returned to the UK and received immeasurable medical, dental & optical care, they have been well nourished and able to breathe our clean air. In addition to the love and support they receive whilst here, each child is sent back with a suitcase bursting with good quality, warm clothes, vitamin supplies for the

year, toiletries, food and gifts. Much of this is donated by local businesses and individuals. By helping these children, we have not only helped to change their lives but also to enrich our own. Speaking personally, as a ‘host Daddy’ to Natasha, one of the little girls from Belarus on our first programme, I can say that having Natasha in our lives has brought us so much happiness. My own child speaks of Natasha as her Belarussian sister and the bond they have is huge. Our last group of children finished last summer as after the age of 12 they are not allowed out of Belarus on group charity visits. I know that many host families will keep contact with their ‘child’ and will invite them over to England on a ‘private’ visit. Our aim now, is to create a new group to enrich the lives of future children, aged 7 years, who live in the poorest of circumstances. Unlike families who live in unfortunate situations in England – in Belarus, there is little welfare system and many families see no way out of the abject poverty that they live in. To make this work possible we urgently require a Coordinator to help organise the group as with out this important role being filled we cannot continue. Please do not hesitate to contact me on ian.woodall2@btinternet. com if you would like further information or feel you can help in any way. Ian Woodall

Melbourn Calendars 2017 Melbourn Calendars can now be ordered either by phoning Marjorie Shaw on 01763 220076 or from Coffee Stop on Saturday mornings from 10.30 to 12 noon. A4 size £8.50, (3 for £24) A5 size £5.50 (3 for £16). Home-Start Royston & South Cambridgeshire are looking for Home Visiting Volunteers Can you give a family the most precious gift - your time?

This year there are spaces for notes. All come with envelopes and all profit goes to SOAS (Supporters of All Saints).

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! For more details contact Sarah or Jackie at: Home-Start Royston & South Cambridgeshire, Unit 6, Valley Farm, Station Road, Meldreth, Royston, Herts, SG8 6JP

All photos have been taken within the last twelve months and the calendars are individually created.

Tel: 01763 262262 or e-mail admin@hsrsc.org.uk / www.hsrsc.org.uk Registered Charity No 1105385

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Nature

Melbourn Open Gardens 2016

The sun shone, the tea flowed and Melbourn was filled with people looking for the next garden on the list. Melbourn Open Gardens was held on 11th September and we could not have wished for a nicer day. Seven gardens and the St George’s Allotments opened. The gardens were of all shapes and sizes, and showed why autumn is still a good time to be in the garden. There might not be the fullon colour of high summer but with berries and the first leaves beginning to change colour, the reds, yellows and oranges of autumn flowers were complemented. David Hone, a Melbourn photographer, visited all the gardens to record the event.

At the Allotments, the harvest was in full swing. There was a huge demand for home-made cakes – some made from allotment produce! Most of the visitors had not been to the allotments before, and some did not even know they existed. The Community Allotment was on show – again, people learned of its existence and some volunteered to help look after it. Another part of Melbourn for people to discover was the Community Garden in the High Street. This is looked after by Anita Cook on behalf of the Parish Council, and is a wonderful village amenity.

www.melbourncambridge.co.uk

The event raised a wonderful £600 to be donated to local good causes via Melbourn Fete Committee, and St George’s Allotment Society raised money too. Feedback from the visitors was excellent, and those opening their gardens also enjoyed the event. So Melbourn Open Gardens will be back in September 2017. If you are interested in opening your garden, please contact Julie Norman (01763 263462 or julienorman6@gmail.com) Photography by David L Hone LRPS -– www.dhimages.co.uk

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Community matters Boundary changes County Council Division boundaries have now been announced: From the May 2017 elections, our area is split in two, with Melbourn and Meldreth joining Whaddon and Bassingbourncum-Kneesworth in a new ‘Melbourn/ Bassingbourn Division’. Meanwhile, Shepreth, Foxton, Heydon and Great and Little Chishill move into a new ‘Duxford Division’ together with Fowlmere, Thriplow, Duxford, Whittlesford, Pampisford, Chrishall Grange, Ickleton and Hinxton. District Council Ward boundaries are now being considered by the Boundary Commission, for change in 2018. Currently the proposal is for Melbourn, Meldreth, Shepreth and Whaddon to join into one twomember ward, and Foxton, Fowlmere, Heydon and Great and Little Chishill to join into one one-member ward. Parliamentary constituency boundary proposals, to take effect in 2018, have now been announced and are out for consultation until 5 December. These add yet another dimension to the mix: Melbourn, Great and Little Chishill, Heydon, Whaddon, Bassingbourn and Kneesworth and other villages from south-west South Cambridgeshire would join together with Royston and North Herts villages to form a new cross-county border constituency called ‘North East Hertfordshire.’ Meldreth would be part of a new ‘South Cambridgeshire’ constituency. More information including how to respond to the proposal is available here: https://www.bce2018.org.uk/ node/6484?

From the Parish Clerk – Sarah Adam and Chair of Melbourn Parish Council The new Melbourn Parish Council is up and running. The first meeting was held on 10th October 2016. The new Council agreed that its meetings should be recorded and put onto the Parish Council website the following day, so people unable to attend meetings will be able to hear the discussion. Councillors also agreed to introduce ways of working to avoid the need to have any discussions in private (in camera). The community was informed money is very tight for the rest of the financial year (until the end of March 2017) and potentially for the following year too. The Council will be discussing setting its budget for the financial year during December and January, so please come along if you want to put forward your views on what the Council’s spending priorities should be. The Council needs to keep a very tight rein on its spending. To do this, it agreed to suspend the committees which normally look after specific areas (such as cemeteries, and highways) and to make all decisions on spending money at the Full Parish Council. This means that many fuller Parish Council meetings are being held than normal, so please look on the website or Notice Board for the revised timetable. A decision as to whether to re-instate the committees will be made for the beginning of the new Civic Year in May 2017. Councillors have used the first meetings to identify the main issues facing the new council. They agreed the principle of setting up Working Parties to investigate what has gone on, and report back to the full council for discussion. The first Working Parties are looking at the car park spend so the Council can deal with the additional money demanded by the contractor, and how to revise the Council’s Code of Conduct so that the Council functions in an ethical and transparent way. Both of these Working Parties have a mix of Councillors and non-Councillors to increase openness. The contested election in September was the first in Melbourn for over 30 years. People have commented on what at first sight, seems to be a low turnout at 28.1%. However, the South Camb’s District Council electoral officer said: “Other recent parish by-elections in South Camb’s villages have seen turnouts that vary between 8% and 28% depending on the level of engagement in the community, and turnouts of between 15% and 20% are quite usual. Therefore 28.1% exceeded expectations and was a very good result for Melbourn, as of course by-elections will never have the same lure as a major election.” The Parish Council will continue to work over the coming months to make sure that all Council actions and discussions are open, accountable and transparent. If you have concerns about any areas of the village or any other matter connected to village life, please contact The Parish Clerk or the newly appointed Assistant to Parish Clerk, Claire Littlewood. The Parish Office is open Monday to Friday 9am – 1pm and 2pm–4pm. Email: parishclerk@melbournpc.co.uk or Telephone: 01763 263303 option 3 for the Parish Office. Sarah Adam, Melbourn Parish Clerk Cllr Norman, Chair - Melbourn Parish Council melbournmagazine

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Housekeeping : we do those jobs which you can no longer manage, from cleaning and ironing, to bed changing and shopping. To find out more, just call us at Moorlands Court on 01763 260564, or email : denise.taylor@chsgroup.org.uk

From your County Councillor Practical Solutions Group: Please remember that if you have any concerns – or ideas – about challenging community issues, the Melbourn Practical Solutions Group is here to help. This is a group of parish, district and county councillors, Melbourn Village College, representatives from Youth Services, the Children’s Centre and Police, who try and pool resources and ideas for constructive purpose. We meet every couple of months, always at Melbourn Village College where we are now supported by two fabulous student Community Prefects, Hannah and Alex. If in doubt, please get in touch with me (as County Councillor I chair the group) and we can at least try and point you in the right direction. Pedestrian/cycle link to Shepreth via Cambridge Road: By the time you read this, work will be well underway at least on the new high quality off-road pedestrian/ cycle path connecting Melbourn with Shepreth at Dunsbridge Turnpike. Funding has come from central government via the Greater Cambridge City Deal, which is tasked with transforming the way people choose to travel, particularly for short distance journeys. This is just one of the many segments of the overall ‘A10 Corridor pedestrian/cycleway’ project which has been working its way down from Harston. AstraZeneca’s very kind contribution for A10 path maintenance will come into effect after this and the rest of the A10 project up to and through Harston is completed. The final big link that still needs funding is the Melbourn-Royston stretch, and the A10 Corridor Cycling Campaign will be continuing to support this effort in earnest. Melbourn Community Edible Gardening: This project taking place on the grounds of Melbourn Primary School hit the ground running from Day One, last spring. Many thanks to everyone in the community who has been involved in supporting it, particularly those who have offered their time on a weekly basis to help run the hands-in-the-ground work. Now closing off at the end of the year, it is great to report that a new polytunnel has been erected on the school recreation ground and there are plans afoot to get gardening again come spring. It has been wonderful to hear directly from the families taking part and who have caught the Green Thumb Vegetable Bug – and to know that sweetcorn has been munched away on the spot! The project has been made possible through a grant secured by the Meldreth, Shepreth and Foxton Community Rail Partnership. Its early success has given us the chance to apply for further funding to retain professional support for a little while longer. If you would like to get involved in any way, please get in touch!

Sessional Youth Worker Flexible, part-time youth work positions available in Melbourn From £9.50/hour

• A chance to find out whether a career in youth work is for you • Real-world experience to reinforce youth work or social work studies • Potential for career development • Opportunity to share a special skill or interest • Flexible, part-time hours - no minimum commitment, contracted and bank staff positions available

You need to be 18 years old or over with some experience of working with young people (on a paid or voluntary basis). Volunteer roles are available for those with no experience. For more information or to apply, contact Lisa Steeples on lisa.steeples@ groundwork.org.uk or 07702 941440 www.groundwork.org.uk/cambs – @groundworkcandp

Melbourn Parish Council would like to express their thanks to Herts & Camb’s Ground Maintenance and Norbury’s Building and Landscaping for the upcoming improvements they are making to the public area at 83 High Street, at no expense to the residents of Melbourn. Compliments about Melbourn Village College students: At a recent Board meeting of Royston and District Community Transport, we heard about the excellent service provided to get students home at 4PM following the after-school Enrichment programme. A number of volunteer drivers were in attendance at the meeting and heaped praise on the students, whom they described as ‘polite, courteous, inquisitive, and great fun.’ What a credit to their college and community! Citizens Advice Bureau at the Hub: The CAB reports that take-up of its free service at the Melbourn Hub is very good indeed. That it obviates any need to drive or use the bus or train to access services elsewhere speaks for itself. The CAB service is available on the first and third Thursdays of the month, from 9:30-12 noon. Mind at the Hub: A grant from Cambridgeshire County Council continues to fund this community outreach work by Mind in Cambridgeshire. Drop-in sessions are free of charge, and you can arrange a time by ringing Mind on Tel. 01223 311320. Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award: Every year Melbourn Village College Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award students have found their way to the Meldreth, Shepreth and Foxton Rail User Group gardening scheme, where there are always slots to fill that tick the ‘Volunteer’ or ‘Skills’ requirement. Please do get in touch if you’d like to explore any ways that you can help at the station gardens and fulfil one of your Duke of Edinburgh requirements at the same time. continued on page 20 melbournmagazine

Established 23 years, The Letting Centre is a local, dedicated letting agency based in Melbourn. With long-standing clients some of whom have been with us for 20 years or more, we aim to provide a personal, tailored service covering Cambridge, Royston, Buntingford, Saffron Walden and surrounding villages.

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We offer discounted fees for multiple properties, as well as those located in any of the villages around Melbourn. Call us for a free market appraisal and comprehensive landlord pack.

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heart

Nature

Melwood - Your Local Nature Reserve Winter Senescence? The trees are now all bare branches but the leaves which have fallen will provide important nutrients for the next generation of plants in the wood. We therefore leave the leaf cover generally undisturbed – just brush, cutting the verges of the paths and raking the cuttings to provide additional mulch for the more sheltered areas in the wood. This also provides a protective covering for the young shoots in the spring and a good habitat for insects which sit towards the bottom of the food chain, and are therefore important for all the animals living in and visiting the wood. Bird visitors will have arrived and settled in for their winter stay. They will then return north in the late spring. We hope that the home population will use the nest boxes which have been cleaned out for them during the winter. Dead wood from fallen branches and dead trees is also an important component of the forest cycle of decay and regeneration. Up to a fifth of woodland species rely on dead or dying wood for all or part of their life-cycle. Dead wood also plays a part in mitigating the effects of climate change by acting as a medium-term sink for carbon. Over the long term dead wood should amount to roughly 20m3 per hectare. We therefore follow the dead wood management guidelines published by the Forestry Commission in dealing with death wood in Melwood. However, there is always a balance to be struck between producing an optimal conservation environment and ensuring the wood can be enjoyed by a variety of individuals, including children, regularly using the space. We try and ensure that no dead or dying wood is a danger to the visitors or spoils the visual aspects of the site. We therefore regularly inspect the wood after serious storms and take appropriate action if there are any trees or branches which might fall and injure someone. There is also another tricky balance between the ultimate conservation value of dead wood and the shorter-term risks of providing resources for damaging bark and wood-boring insects and fungal pathogens. In our wood the risks of serious damage from insects or pathogens is small, although we recently monitored the wood for the presence of ash die back, which thankfully did not take hold. The wood has been grateful for volunteers since its ‘adoption’. Through the local history group, we have recently come across accounts of guides, scouts and brownies involved in helping in the wood. There was an initiative by the guides when Sheila Payne was the Guide Guider at the time (she later changed her name back to Bishop). In the late 1980s the Guide movement started an initiative to encourage girls to be involved in caring for parts of their community and environment. The name of the project was ‘Adopt

Royston Crow

and Cherish’, the idea being that Guides would not just do something to enhance their local environment, but would take responsibility for maintaining whatever it was that they did. Most of the work in Melwood was focused on planting daffodils –The ‘cherish’ part of the challenge was to keep the area litter-free. Unfortunately, we no longer have any Guides, Brownies or Scouts involved but we have maintained a group of volunteer litter pickers. There has also been a team of Duke of Edinburgh Award students from Melbourn Village College keeping the flower tubs at Meldreth Station watered during this very dry summer. So the spirit of volunteering is still strong in the young. Sadly, the photograph below also had a newspaper report describing vandalism in the wood in 1982 involving the work of the scouts and guides. A log table made by the scouts was damaged and some of the daffodils that had been planted were uprooted. Pieces of wood from the table were found floating in the river. Thankfully we have not had any serious vandalism in recent years following an initiative from the Melwood Conservation Group working with Melbourn Village Collage and the youth club to encourage an understanding that the wood is there to enjoy but also respect. We have a small team of enthusiastic volunteers, but we always welcome more. If anyone is interested in helping to preserve this local habitat, please contact Graham Borgonon on 01763 260358 or Jim Reid on 260231.

Royston Crow melbournmagazine

Goalball and Cam Sight in Melbourn! In early October, Warren Wilson from Cam Sight – and with extended family from Melbourn! – gave dazzling assemblies about the Paralympic sport of goalball at Melbourn Primary School and Melbourn Village College. Students and staff at the College participated in a lunchtime goalball tournament which had everyone running around learning a new sport and new perspectives, with lots of fun and laugher. On the day, MVC students raised a generous contribution to help cover the cost of Cam Sight’s Christmas get-together at the Vicarage Close Community Centre on December 7th. This invaluable service provides practical and social support to people living with blindness and visual impairment – please get in touch if you or someone you know would benefit from coming along and this can easily be arranged. Meldreth, Shepreth and Foxton Rail User Group December 14 meeting: This will be at the Elin Way Meldreth Community Room, with mince pies at 7:00 and the meeting running from 7:30-

9:00. Everyone is welcome! You can find out more about our rail campaign at meldrethsheprethfoxton.org.uk. Drop-in advice surgery: every first Monday of the month, 2:30-3:30. Susan van de Ven, Tel 07905325574, Susanvandeven5@gmail.com.

Cambridgeshire Alliance for Independent Living Do you want to have a say in improving services from Health or Social Care? Cambridgeshire Alliance for Independent Living is a local independent charity that works to improve services by raising the voice of people living with all disabilities. One of the ways we do this is by bringing people with all disabilities and carers (called Independent Members), Health and Social Care teams, and voluntary sector organisations (such as Age UK, Voice Ability, Cam Sight and the Carer’s Trust) together at ‘Partnership Board’ meetings.

The Partnership Boards are opportunities for you to have your say about what is good about Health and Social Care services, such as home care and day centres, and what you would like to improve or where you would like to see changes. Recent activities by the Partnership Boards include raising concerns about Home Care, which are now being examined closely by the County Council, involvement in helping to develop a new Carers Strategy and involvement in the process for choosing organisations to run Carers Services. Interested in getting involved? We are looking for new Independent Members to join our boards. We offer full training and support, out of pocket expenses and reimbursement of travel. If you think this could be you, please contact Leisha O’Brien, Development Officer at Cambridgeshire Alliance for Independent Living by phoning 0300 111 2301 or email leisha@ cambridgeshirealliance.org.uk To find out more, take a look at Partnership Board pages on our website www.cambridgeshirealliance.org.uk

How The Cambridge supports your community £ Charity of the Month

Cash for the Community

Community Magazine Awards

Volunteering

Find out more about the work we do at cambridgebs.co.uk/community THE CAMBRIDGE Building Society

CBS1522 Community Poster_128X163mm.indd 1 www.melbourncambridge.co.uk

Head Office, PO Box 232 51 Newmarket Road, Cambridge CB5 8FF thecambridge@cambridgebs.co.uk

23/12/2015 10:40

Relate Cambridge’s Christmas cake recipe (Including ingredients for healthier relationships) Ingredients 200g / 7oz 200g /7oz 4 x 225g /8oz ½ tsp ¼ tsp ½ tsp 2 tbsp 1 tbsp ¼ tsp 800g / 1¾lb 100g / 3½oz 150g / 5oz 100g / 3½oz

Commitment (butter) Intimacy (dark brown sugar) Trust, honesty, openness, sharing (free range eggs, lightly mixed) Understanding (plain flour) Realistic expectations (mixed spice) Patience (salt) Tolerance (ground cinnamon) Fun (black treacle) Self-awareness (marmalade) Space in your togetherness (vanilla essence) Compassion (mixed dried fruits) Empathy (chopped mixed peel) Respect for other and self (glacé cherries, halved) Good communication (blanched almonds, chopped) Offering and giving support (brandy)

To Decorate 200g/7oz Passion 1-2 tbsp Emotional management

(marzipan) (apricot jam, warmed)

For the ‘icing on the cake’ 3 free-range Sharing the load (egg whites) 600g / 1lb 5oz Kindness (icing sugar, sieved) 1½ tsp Sense of humour (liquid glycerine – optional) 1 tbsp Compromise (lemon juice)

Method Heat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas2. Grease a 20cm/8inch round or an 18cm/7inch square cake tin and line the bottom and sides with baking parchment.

• Sieve the flour, salt, mixed spice and cinnamon into a bowl. • Mix the eggs a little at a time (with love) into the mixture, adding a tablespoon of flour mixture with the last amount.

• Fold in the remaining flour mixture until well mixed and then mix in the dried fruit, mixed peel, glace cherries and the almonds.

• Turn the mixture into the prepared tin and make a slight hollow in the centre (preferably heart-shaped).

• Bake in the oven for 3 hours and then test with a skewer. If not ready bake for up to another hour testing every 20 minutes until the skewer comes out clean.

• Turn out on to a wire rack and leave to cool. • Once cool, make a few holes in the cake with a skewer and pour over 3–4 tbsp of brandy. Let the brandy soak into the cake.

• Store the cake wrapped in foil and in an airtight tin or plastic container, holes side up.

• OPTIONAL: For a rich and moist cake, spoon over a few tablespoons of brandy every week until you are ready to ice and decorate your cake.

MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL: enjoy all the ingredients coming together for the happiest Christmas! To find out more or make a booking please ring 01302 347712. Relate Cambridge offers information, advice and counselling for all stages of your relationships at

our outpost in Melbourn. The sessions are held in the small meeting room at Melbourn hub on Wednesday each week. Appointment times are: 10:30; 11:45; 13:00. For more information or to book an appointment, contact Relate Cambridge on 01223 357424 Mon-Thurs 8am–10pm, Fri 8 am–6pm, Sat 9am–5pm (confidential answerphone at all other times) or visit www.relatecambridge.org.uk Relate Cambridge – supporting relationships at every stage of your life

Home-Start Snowflake Tea Parties – could you help raise funds for Home-Start by hosting a tea party with your family and friends from your office, playgroup, school, book club etc.? We will supply you with a ‘tea bag’ fundraising pack with ideas for all you need to host an event. The pack includes: invites for your use, a snowflake cutter and recipes for any cakes or biscuits you may want to make for your event. If you want to host a tea party, please call our office on 01763 262262 or email admin@hsrsc.org.uk The Snowflake Appeal: An appeal to individuals, companies and communities to raise funds to help Home-Start support vulnerable children. Concept of the appeal: Home-Start is asking people to raise money to support vulnerable children who are unique and fragile as snowflakes. This ties in with Home-Start’s unique, tailor-made support for children, delivered with parents, in the family’s home. The appeal runs from 1st November – 31st January each year. “Please join me raising money for The Snowflake Appeal so Home-Start can keep supporting unique and fragile children. Home-Start is in there, making a difference each and every day. It is changing all our communities for the future. It prevents parents’ difficulties from becoming their children’s problems”. Kirstie Allsopp, TV presenter, mum, stepmum, Home-Start ambassador

melbournmagazine

Rapidly Growing We are proud to recognise that Clarke Philips is continuing to enjoy steady growth in the Royston and surrounding areas. We believe it is the result of carefully nurturing our customers’ needs which include: • Offering competitive fees

• Providing honest advice

• Being available 8am-8pm 7 days a week

• Using modern marketing

• Having two week agreements

• Let only to full management available

• Strong sales and lettings experience

• Having no call centres

Be part of our success and ask us how we can help you sell or let your property today.

E royston@clarkephilips.co.uk T 01763 248682 W clarkephilips.co.uk

www.melbourncambridge.co.uk

feature

A day in the life of a guide dog puppy walker! The alarm goes off at 6.30 a.m. it’s been a quiet night on the puppy front, at last Guide Dog puppy Quaid is sleeping through and not waking up in the night. But you have to be quick to get him outside to ‘spend’ as he is desperate to go – but at least his crate was clean. Guide dogs have to be clean when they qualify so we need to start them early in learning they go on command in a spending pen. Quaid is now 14 weeks old, and starts the morning having a play with his toys, he needs to be happy to play by himself and not seek constant attention. He is popped in his crate whilst I take a shower that way I know he is safe and not up to mischief! 8.00 a.m. is breakfast time. At this age Quaid is on 3 feeds a day but that will reduce again when he is 6 months old and needs 2 feeds at day. Quaid is learning to sit and wait for his breakfast until a whistle is blown; that’s good puppy manners now, but it is also very important as a qualified guide dog, so the owner knows the dog is sitting quietly waiting for their food – there is no danger of the dog jumping up and causing an accident. Also the whistle is associated with coming back when off lead having a run, when the puppy hears that they come running back for a treat. Quaid’s morning starts by having a short grooming session to get used to his brushes and comb and being felt all over to make sure they are no lumps or bumps. The handling is getting him used to being touched by his eventual guide dog owner, who will have to use touch more than sight to check him over. Today is a bus ride day and so a walk to the bus stop is next on the agenda; I need to remember his rucksack of essentials – water bottle, poo bags and

cleaning material in case he has an accident somewhere he shouldn’t (!) plus his lunchtime feed. He settles well on the bus, lying down near me which is important so he doesn’t cause a trip hazard. A challenge is stopping people from patting and disturbing Quaid without asking as he needs to be calm, but he is getting excited by all the attention. This is something we will continue to work on. We get off in town and walk to the different shops on the shopping list. It’s good for him to experience different environments and some shops have tiled floors, others carpets which add to the interest. Plus, we practice going up and down stairs as Quaid needs to be confident in doing this. Then we find a shop with a lift and again spend time going up and down in the lift to make sure he isn’t frightened, which he isn’t. Walking down the High Street we encounter a different distraction – dogs! A qualified guide dog has to learn to ignore other dogs and continue to guide their owner. Quaid is finding this a bit difficult and is wanting to pull towards the other dogs, so I work on trying to keep his attention on me using a squeaky toy. Then it is time for Quaid’s lunch and to let that go down we meet a friend in a cafe for lunch and Quaid goes to sleep. Just what we want – good cafe behaviour is really important. We catch the bus home later that afternoon and Quaid sleeps until it is time for tea. We then have a short training session working on his ‘sit’, ‘down’, ‘wait’, and ‘come’ commands. A play session follows to help with the continued bonding and for a bit of fun for Quaid, which he loves. He then settles quietly in the lounge on his bed which is the behaviour we are looking for. He goes out for one last ‘spending’ session and its time for bed. Bed time monkey goes too and he snuggles in and settles for the night. Tomorrow is another exciting day being a guide dog puppy! Michelle Taylor & Quaid melbournmagazine

Nature

Wild Trout Hero 2016

Maureen Brierley, member of the River Mel Restoration Group tells us that South Cambs. Ecology Officer, Rob Mungovan has recently won an award from the Wild Trout Trust. Rob has been an advisor to the Group since it was formed, which has done so much to improve the Mel and restore it to a proper chalk stream. This is from their website. Rob Mungovan, Wild Trout Hero 2016

Rob’s day job is as an ecologist with South Cambridgeshire District Council but, for wild trout, he comes into his own working on the rivers across eastern central England. Rob is a truly passionate wild trout fisher and an equally passionate advocate for the conservation and improvement of our rivers, a very worthy Wild Trout Hero. Congratulations Rob!

0800 018 4304 Do you want to keep your New Year’s resolution in 2017? You do? Then let CAMQUIT help you to quit smoking this January. We are a county-wide service that offers FREE advice and support to help smokers in Cambridgeshire to quit. We can offer you one-toone appointments with a trained stop smoking advisor local to your home or workplace. Stop smoking medications are available on prescription and our advisors are there to help you combat your cravings and offer advice on routine changes to help you stay quit in 2017 and beyond! You are four times more likely to succeed using a service than going it alone so what have you got to lose? If you are thinking about quitting in January contact CAMQUIT on 0800 018 4304 or visit www.camquit.nhs.uk and start your journey to being Smokefree in 2017!

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Profile Lizzie Shipp You have already had a brief introduction to the new Priest in Charge at All Saints’ Church but I thought it would be nice to find a little more about the kind of person she is. Born in Castle Rising, Norfolk in 1981 into a farming family, Lizzie has an older brother who works in London as an IT specialist for Barnardos. The farm was mostly arable, with a PYO sign in the summer catering for the visitors to Castle Rising, who would buy strawberries and other fruit for their picnics. The family attended the church on the Royal Estate and she enjoyed a happy rural childhood. At the age of 15 she had a ‘Road to Damascus’ experience and knew that she wanted to devote her life to the Church. She was confirmed when she was 18 by the Bishop of Lynn (now the Dean of Windsor). On leaving school in 1999, she went to Leicester University to read business economics, but found she had no desire to follow her fellow graduates into the city to pursue a life in commerce. She returned to Norfolk and started training to be a social worker. During this time, she felt even more strongly called to serve God and went into retreat in a Benedictine Monastery to contemplate her future. With a naughty grin, she admitted that they served a wicked chocolate dessert! At the time she had her doubts about the ordination of women and resisted any suggestions that she should go into the ministry, but after a great deal of soul-searching she eventually realised that was her vocation and so allowed her name to be put forward. During the selection period (things move somewhat slowly in church circles) she left social work and for 18 months trained as a chartered accountant in King’s Lynn until she was accepted into Cuddesdon Theological

College, near Oxford. Already having a degree, she was able to do the Oxford Schools degree in 2 years instead of three and in her final year did an MA in Ministry. In February 2007 she spent a month at the Irish College in Rome – Lizzie thinks that she is the first woman to have done this – studying alongside Catholic Seminarians. She loved her time in Rome, studying hard during the day and going out with her fellow students at night for a glass of wine, all the time discussing theological questions. She found the Irish Catholics enormously supportive and they welcomed her as a fellow disciple. At the end of her first year at Oxford she won a scholarship to study for a month at the Tantur Ecumenical Institute on the outskirts of Jerusalem. At the end of her second year she completed a month at St Giles, Cripplegate in the City of London, and was also attached to St. Paul’s Cathedral. Whilst in Jerusalem, taking a short cut one evening to get to Manger Square, she was apprehended by a group of Israeli Special Forces waving machine guns at her – a very hairy moment. Lizzie met her husband Tom through a mutual friend who ‘set up’ a date for 13th October 2011 at 2.23 p.m. in a coffee shop in Worcester! (How many of us remember the exact time and date we met our partner? I do). Tom, Yorkshire born, was teaching Classics in Monmouth and they found they shared a love of walking, cycling, dogs and gardening – so the mutual friend knew them both well. Tom has an older sister Katy who is a consultant Psychiatrist in Cheshire and a younger brother George, working in medical research in Hitchin and between them they provide two young nephews and a niece. Tom has taken up a position as Head of Classics at Kings School, Cambridge. He took his degree at Emmanuel College, Cambridge – so the Boat Race can provide some excitement as they are in opposite camps. As well as sharing Lizzie’s passions he is also an organist and they have a love of opera. They went to Glyndebourne in the summer and are shortly to see Cosi fan Tutte at Covent Garden to celebrate their first wedding anniversary. Lizzie was ordained in 2007. She was assistant Curate and Priest-Lecturer at Wymondham Abbey in Norfolk until 2010, then in 2011 Chaplain to the Bishop of Worcester and a Minor Canon of Worcester Cathedral. She and Tom were married in the Cathedral in October 2015. They had a splendid nuptial mass, with the Bishop marrying them, the Archdeacon delivering the sermon, the bell ringers giving them a full peal as a wedding present and they had trumpeters from Birmingham School of Music! What a splendid affair. Tom’s best man, a composer, wrote a special anthem with a Latin setting of Ubi Caritas and their honeymoon was spent in a place with no mobile phone reception! Asked about her hobbies, Lizzie revealed that she loves travelling, particularly in France and Italy, walking, cycling and – the big surprise of the interview – she has run FOUR marathons! London and Berlin in 2009, Edinburgh in 2011 and London in 2012. In Edinburgh her time was 4 hours 4 minutes and she feels that she must do one more marathon, possibly in

New York, to break the 4-hour barrier. She runs in support for the East Anglian Children’s Hospice (EACH). Both are very keen gardeners and are planning to do great things at the Vicarage, constructing an Italianate garden with cypress trees (already bought) and a Japanese meditation garden with a bamboo grove. As a farmer’s daughter, she is in tune with the soil and the seasons. Dottie, the black Labrador who greeted me effusively, is a very important part of the family – sadly their corgi/collie cross, Audrey, had to be put down shortly before they moved to Melbourn so a new puppy, Patsy, will soon be joining the household. Let’s hope she does not decide to take an interest in digging in the garden! As if all this were not enough to fill this energetic young woman’s day, she is also doing a PHD on 16th Century Church politics (a fascinating time in the evolution of the Church of England) and has completed 60,000 words of the required 100,000. This is done as a part-time distance student at Durham University. Lizzie is enormously excited to return to parish ministry, and is very much looking forward to meeting as many people in Melbourn as possible. She was born a country girl so village life is not alien to her, but she is amazed at just how much goes on here! Very aware of the problems of providing homes for young people when there is so much pressure from the enormous amount of accommodation needed for the Silicon Fen explosion in the area, Lizzie feels there are challenging times ahead. She is a sincere and caring person (with a lovely sense of humour) and with her experience as a social worker is conscious of the problems facing young people today. So if you see a slight figure with a large black dog and a small puppy out walking, or a lycra-clad runner pounding the streets do call, ‘Hello’. It is our dynamic young Priest in Charge and she would love to meet you. Mavis Howard melbournmagazine

Little Hands is a Private Nursery School specialising in quality education for the under fives and offers Flexible hourly booking - open 08.30 to 16.30 Term time bookings with optional holiday club Bumble Bee room for children 12 – 24 months Ladybird room for 2 year olds Butterfly room for children 3-5 years With optional “ready for school sessions” Holiday club for children aged 12 months to 8 years All sessions have a high staff to child ratio and are available for funded 2 year olds and funded 3/4 year olds with no extra charges Categorised as “Outstanding” by Ofsted For further information please contact Anne McCrossen - Nursery Manager : 01763 260964 e-mail lh-melbourn@btconnect.com Little Hands is also at Bourn, Linton and Newton visit the website at www.littlehands.co.uk

Banish niggling aches and pains! We keep many local village people supple and mobile with our range of osteopathy and complementary treatments including sports massage, chiropody and acupuncture. Give us a call on 01462 490141 at our clinic in Baldock High Street for an initial chat or to book a treatment.

AMBER HEALTH Serving the local community

PC Repairs Advice & Installation of Home Networks Help with Selecting a Computer Fault Finding Brian Girling 01223 208529 (Wimpole) E-mail bg@moncraft.co.uk

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We can also provide the following services:

Appointments available in Ashwell, Melbourn and Baldock Easy parking at all 3 clinics

Design of brochures, posters, business cards A4/A3 laminating • A4 comb-binding Small print runs on A6 to A3 media

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feature

Celebrating the Winter Solstice, and Christmas In the northern hemisphere in pre-Christian times there were festivals to help pass the short winter days. Fire and light relieved the darkness, and houses were decorated with evergreens which remained alive in the middle of winter. With the coming of Christianity evergreens came to symbolise everlasting life. Holly and ivy were traditionally used, holly was thought to be masculine and ivy feminine. Mistletoe was sacred to the Druids and was believed to bring good luck and fertility and provide protection from evil spells. Later mistletoe was incorporated into the kissing bough. We are all familiar with Father Christmas, or Santa Claus, but who is he and where did he come from? Father Christmas may have originated in Odin, the Norse god, brought to this country by the Vikings. Odin brought with him either gifts or punishments, whichever was appropriate, had a long white beard and wore a blue cloak with a hood. Much later in the 4th century, Nicholas was the Bishop of Myra in Asia Minor. Nicholas was renowned for his generosity to the poor and kindness to children. After his death he was canonised as St. Nicholas, his legend grew and he is still remembered in some countries on 6th December. One of Statue in Bourcq France St.-Nicholas - nobility.org

Het Sint-Nicolaasfeest, by Jan Steen, c.1663–65 - The Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

these countries is the Netherlands, where St Nicholas was pronounced as Sinterklaas. Children put food for his horse in their shoes or clogs, which were left on the hearth. In the morning the food was gone and a gift was found in its place. This ties in with St Nicholas dropping a bag of gold down the chimney of a poor man who could not afford a dowry for his daughter as without a dowry a girl could not marry. Gift giving also ties in with the Three Wise men bringing gifts of gold frankincense and myrrh to the baby Jesus. When Dutch settlers went to America they took these stories with them and Sinterklaas became Santa Claus! Now we all know about Santa, his sledge and his 8 reindeer, thanks to the poem ‘A Visit from St Nicholas’ by Dr Clement Clarke Moore (‘It was the Night before Christmas, and all through the house … etc) Christmas is celebrated on December 25th although the Bible gives no date for the birth of Jesus and there have been arguments about this. The first time December 25th was celebrated was in 336, during the time of the Roman Emperor Constantine, and Pope Julius 1 declared this as the official date a few years later. This date may have been chosen to coincide with Saturnalia and Dies Natalis Solis Invicti, (birthday of the unconquered sun) ancient Roman midwinter festivals at the time of the Winter Solstice. In the Bible a prophesy about the Jewish Saviour, Jesus, is called ‘Sun of Righteousness’. We all look forward to the special food prepared at Christmas, and most of us accept turkey and Christmas pudding as traditional. However, turkey only arrived in Europe from the Americas in the 16th century, via Spain, and at first only the very wealthy could have afforded to eat it. In the medieval period the wealthy would eat swan, with the permission of the King, but more usually woodcock, goose or venison, while the poor made do with the leftovers. The poor may have been fortunate enough to be given the parts such as heart, liver, tongue, ears and brain, known as ‘umbles. With these they would make ‘umble pie. melbournmagazine

During the winter puddings known as frumenty were made with thick porridge, currants, dried fruit, eggs and spices, the forerunner of Christmas pudding. During Elizabethan times, when sugar was available for the wealthy, a banqueting course consisting of sweetmeats was the centrepiece of the feast, and ground almonds and sugar were used to make elaborate edible constructions. Rosewater, milk and sugar made a dessert called ‘leech’. ‘Lambswool’ was popular as a drink and was made from cider, spices and apples, the latter exploded when heated forming a fluffy topping. In the 18th and 19th centuries January 5th, or Twelfth Night was celebrated, with a fruit cake, from which evolved our Christmas cake. Twelfth Night cake contained a dried

bean and a dried pea. The man who got the cake containing the bean became King of Misrule for the evening, and the woman who got the pea became the Queen. This was regardless of whether they were servants or masters! During Victorian times few people could afford turkey or chicken for Christmas dinner. In the North usually beef was served, while goose was popular in the South. The poor made do with rabbit. By the end of the 19th century many more families could afford to buy turkey. Also by this time mince pies, which originally were filled with meat, dried fruit and spices became the sweet dish we know today. Ed. AD

Wassail – ‘be healthy’ There is no definitive traditional recipe for the wassail. Ingredients were often dictated by resources available in the area – cider, mulled ale and even mead were used. The following Lambswool recipe is said to be from 1633. In earlier recipes, honey would have been used instead of sugar. Ingredients: 1.5 litres of traditional real ale – or cider 6 small cooking apples, cored 1 nutmeg, freshly grated 1 tsp ground ginger 150g brown sugar Method: Preheat the oven 120°C Core the apples, removing all pips. Place the apples on a lightly greased baking tray about 6 cm (2 inches) apart. Bake the apples at 120°C for about an hour, so they become soft and pulpy and the skins are easy to peel away. In a large saucepan add the sugar, cover with a small amount of the ale (or cider) and heat gently. Stir continuously until the sugar has dissolved. Add the ground ginger and grated nutmeg, mix well. Keeping the pan on a gentle simmer, slowly add the rest of the ale (or cider). Leave for 10 minutes on a gentle heat. Take the baked apples and scoop out the flesh into a bowl, discarding the skin. Thoroughly mash the apples into a smooth purée avoiding lumps. Add the mix to the ale (or cider), mixing it in with a whisk. Continue to warm everything through for 30 minutes, on a very gentle heat. Using the whisk or stick blender to briskly and vigorously mix everything together and froth the drink up. The apple and light froth will float to the surface, and depending on how much it is whisked, the more it will look like lamb’s wool.

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(Traditionally, drinks were frothed by pouring continuously between two large serving jugs to increase air into the liquid.) Ladle the hot lambswool into heat-proof mugs or glasses and grate over some nutmeg or pour the drink into a communal bowl (with several thick pieces of toast in the bottom) to pass around if wassailing – Enjoy.

Little Hands Karen

Melbourn Playgroup Jane Crawford

MVC EDUCATION

U3A

PLAY SCHOOL NOTRE ECOLE PLAYGROUP

Education SCHOOL LITTLE HANDS PRIMARY

VILLAGE COLLEGE

Enrichment 01763 260964

07842 151512

Notre Ecole Janet Whitton Pippins Children’s Centre Alison Wood

261231

There has been a really positive start to our new enrichment programme with well over 80% of students taking part in at least one of the varied activities on offer. There is everything from Chinese to sports, film club to Minecraft, drama to pottery and singing to dressmaking. All the activities are being run by either MVC staff or specialist external providers. “Running activities after school means we can offer higher quality activities of a better length rather than it all being squashed in to lunch”, said Principal Simon Holmes. “Our long term vision is that every student will be taking part in some form of enrichment every single day.”

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Primary School Headteacher Stephanie Wilcox 223457 U3A (Univ. of Third Age) Chairman Tony Garrick 01223 510201 Village College Principal Simon Holmes

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Top sports awards Melbourn Village College has received two awards which recognise the high quality of its PE provision. The college has gained both the Youth Sport Trust’s and the School Games’ top accolades – gold! They have gained the YST’s gold Quality Mark for commitment to PE and school sport after successfully demonstrating use of PE and school sport to help raise achievement across the board. Head of PE Kelly Coghlan, who was responsible for applying for the prestigious award said, “We are incredibly proud to have received the gold sports mark from the Youth Sports Trust. It highlights and rewards the hard work that is done in lessons and in extra-curricular clubs and fixtures by both students and staff.” Among the provision that earned Melbourn the highest award was their achievement of having forty Year 10 sports leaders – the highest number in South continued on page 30 melbournmagazine

M I L L .S I D E CA B I N E T M A K E R S

Camb’s despite being one of the smaller schools. These young leaders helped with many events including the themed termly inter-form challenges, clubs and primary sporting competitions. And MVC, along with three of our partner primary schools, have gained nationally-recognised School Games Marks. MVC, plus Harston & Newton and Meldreth primary schools were among 13 schools to receive the top Gold award, while Melbourn Primary collected the bronze award, for the excellent provision of PE, school sport and competition. A total of 33 schools in the South Camb’s School Sports Partnership achieved the nationally-recognised award for 2015-16 at bronze, silver or gold level. Partnership Manager, Claire McDonnell said, “This is a significant increase on the number of schools that gained an award last year. Schools achieving the coveted Gold award demonstrate a whole school approach to PE and sport, they have the wholehearted support from their head teacher and provide opportunities for all pupils at all levels. As well as this they are a community hub for sport, encouraging involvement from parents and community groups.”

Duke of Edinburgh All 41 students from Melbourn Village College who took part in the Duke of Edinburgh assessed expedition at the weekend have passed that part of the Bronze award. The Year 11 group, plus staff volunteer Arwen Spicer, travelled to the Chilterns in Buckinghamshire for two days of hiking around the hills and fields. As always the students arrived at the end point with great relief, and were rightly very proud of themselves for surviving such a challenging weekend. At all times they conducted themselves with respect for their environs and the local people, demonstrated a fantastic team spirit and showed themselves to be a real credit to Melbourn Village College. Many thanks are owed to Melbourn’s Cam Academy Trust partners, Comberton Village College, who take the lead in organising the expeditions and the DofE programme as a whole, allowing all MVC students who wish to take part to do so.

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Results 2016 On Monday 19th September, our governors had their first meeting of the term, with the main focus being discussion of the excellent 2016 exam results. They asked for their congratulations to be passed on.

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Open Evening Our open evening took place on Monday 26th September. We were delighted to see so many of our new students representing the College – a huge thank you. The hall and classrooms were full and we received many positive comments and saw many smiling faces.

“We are now offering two world languages to our Year 7 students, bucking the national trend for languages within the curriculum” said Principal Simon Holmes. “We are increasingly part of a global society and by introducing Mandarin alongside Spanish, we aim to give MVC students every advantage we can.”

Eye care health week It was non-uniform day on Tuesday 27th September to raise awareness for Eye Health Week. A visitor from Cam Sight came in and led a staff v student’s goalball session at lunchtime. Students were asked to dress in bright colours and to pay £1 of which the proceeds will go to young people in Cambridgeshire struggling with visual impairments.

Code & Chips Year 7 students from Melbourn Village College took part in a special computing enrichment trip this week. Code & Chips, organised by ARM and hosted in Cambridge, saw our students explore modern computing technologies and take part in an interactive Minecraft workshop. Mr Richardson, Computing Teacher at Melbourn Village College said, “This trip is a great example of how exciting Computing can be and how Cambridge is at the forefront in developing these new technologies.” Students spent the day exploring the various activities on offer, including a robot fight club, virtual reality headsets and viewing some of the exciting projects that can be done with a Raspberry Pi and BBC micro:bit. In the afternoon they completed a Minecraft workshop where they used the Python programming language to teleport and alter the world around them. A year 7 student (Ben Nicholls) said, “I enjoyed the workshop as it allowed me to be creative and build upon the code that was given to me in the first place. I would recommend it to all my friends in Computing and Science.”

Mandarin Students this term are at the cutting edge of language learning. The Year 7 intake are learning Mandarin at the only school in Cambridgeshire to offer it as part of the curriculum.

Jeans for Genes Day Students were able to come to school in their jeans, much to their delight and it was all in aid of Jeans for Genes Day. It is estimated that one in 25 children is affected by a genetic disorder and our students raised around £500 for Genetic Disorders UK after paying £1 to wear their jeans for ‘Jeans for Genes’. Well done, everyone.

Site Improvements Work has commenced on replacing and upgrading our windows and roofing after successfully bid for £1 million from the Department for Education. Our apologies for the inconvenience while this work is being completed. melbournmagazine

Building Classrooms in Ghana

Students at an overcrowded school in Africa are enjoying a little more space this term thanks to Melbourn students and staff. The sixth and seventh classrooms in the 350-plus student Grace Methodist School in Ghana should help ease the overcrowding at the prep school in the village of Attabadze, after 13 students and two staff from Melbourn Village College spent two weeks during the summer holidays working there. But even getting there had its trials for the travelling party, who had to make the difficult decision to stick to their planned route via Istanbul despite a military coup in Turkey the day before they were due to leave. Then they arrived in Accra, West Africa’s largest city, at

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night, which was more than a little daunting, and took a bus across town to a ‘Guest House’. The staff were helpful, but the accommodation was basic with no running water and cell-like rooms. It was enough however, to allow them to travel to Attabadze rested, for the task ahead. This involved helping local workmen complete the sixth classroom, which was already under construction, and erecting a seventh. By the time the Melbourn group left, only the roof was left to go on to the newly-built room. This was no mean feat. The school, built at the far end of the village, lies on solid, dusty and impenetrable earth too hard to even sink a tent peg, which meant students ended up sleeping in the neighbouring enormous and impressive church. The students worked hard in blazing sun and temperatures approaching 30 degrees Celsius and that and the basic conditions – the toilet was a hole in concrete suspended over

“A fantastic day of sport and dance was had and the students; both Ghanaian and those of MVC were exhausted but had a wonderful time interacting and learning each other’s culture.” The Melbourn students also had the chance to visit the Kakum National Park, an area of protected rainforest home to many species of protected and rare birds and primates. Before the MVC students left they were treated to a performance of a traditional Ghanaian story about the right of passage into adulthood, were presented with traditional Ghanaian dresses and shirts and had many photos taken.

a trough – resulted in some of the Melbourn party becoming unwell. But that did not detract from their achievements – or the fantastic experience of immersion in a different culture. PE teacher Rob Walker, who led the trip said, “The children offered us a fantastic welcome and it was clear to see their excitement at our presence. The teachers and the headmaster (Isaac) led a welcoming ceremony of prayers and Ghanaian hospitality started to become evident. “We handed over a large bag stuffed full of kind donations of stationery and books from our local community and Tesco. This gift was warmly received and the students proudly paraded two pencils and a pen each. “On our fourth day it was sports day and all the students arrived in PE kit and played football, handball and volleyball, challenging us to matches. “It was clear that this was a boys’ domain and the girls were expected to watch, not take part, so we tried to address this by getting the girls playing handball, netball and Frisbee.

Mr Walker added, “By the time we got home, the stresses of the first few days of the trip were long since forgotten and there was enormous sense of achievement as I watched 13 students, who had developed into a mature, hardworking and responsible team, hug their parents.” A video of the trip is available here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlx4cy7YIAs

melbournmagazine

Age-appropriate rooms and activities: Caterpillar, Ladybird, Bumblebee, Butterfly, Grasshopper and Dragonfly rooms* all-weather playgrounds and large open grass areas to run, jump and skip! The great outdoors is a very important part of life at Bumpkins; even babies go for walks around the farm in the comfort of the Bumpkins buggy

Outdoor Fu n

Learning through play: Music, Dancing, Art and Craft, Story time, Cookery, Dressing Up, Role-play, French and Spanish; NEW Montessori equipment for the pre-schoolers Pre-school care Building independence in your child as they grow, in preparation for “big” school

Craft Art and

Home cooked food using only the best local ingredients Individual care and support for each and every child Bumpkins offers a loving family environment created by qualified happy staff

“Children like to explore th e environment and enjoy mes sy play... make go od use of the enclosed outd oor space... ar e highly imaginat ive... make up their own gam es.”

Bumpkins Day Nursery

caring with a difference

www.melbourncambridge.co.uk

OFSTED, 201

face bum book.com pkins nurs / ery

*pop over to our website to discover how we chose our nursery room names

birth to pre-school - free-range fun for your child

Open 7.30am - 6.30pm, Bumpkins is based on a working farm in Whaddon, nr Royston. For all children aged 3 months - 5 years old. Come and see for yourself the difference that Bumpkins can offer you and your child. Call us today to arrange a visit

www.bumpkinsnursery.co.uk

01223 208 777

MELBOURN PARISH COUNCIL 30 High Street Melbourn SG8 6DZ Telephone: 01763 263303 ext. 3 e-mail: parishclerk@melbournpc.co.uk The Parish Office is open Monday to Friday 9am to 4pm (the office is closed between 1p–2pm www.melbournpc.co.uk Melbourn Parish Clerk Sarah Adam parishclerk@melbournpc.co.uk Assistant to Parish Clerk Claire Littlewood assistantclerk@melbournpc.co.uk

Councillors Chairman – Julie Norman Millside Cottage, 31 Station Road, SG8 6BU 01763 263462 Vice Chairman – Sashi Siva 33 Chalkhill Barrow, SG8 6EQ – 07919 028795 Nikki Cross 16 Dickasons, SG8 6EL – 261788 Rosemary Gatward 94 High Street, SG8 6AL – 261225 Jose Hales 23 Elm Way, SG8 6UH – 221058 Kerry Harrington 63 Orchard Road, SG8 6BP – 262136 Sally Ann Hart 62 High Street, SG8 6AJ – 222256 Steve Kilmurray Bramley Lodge, Back Lane, SG8 6DD – 268674 John Regan 10 Little Lane, SG8 6BU – 264154 Jane Shepherd 21 Ash Grove, SG8 6BJ – 260142 Mike Sherwen 3 Hale Close, SG8 6ET – 260070 Sashi Siva 33 Chalkhill Barrow, SG8 6EQ – 07919 028795 Christopher Stead 70 Russet Way – 260743 pm only John Travis 16 Cambridge Road, SG8 6HA – 232692 County Councillor Susan van de Ven, 95 North End, Meldreth – 261833 email: susanvandeven5@gmail.com District Councillors Val Barrett, 2 Station Road, SG8 6DX – 261227 email: val@valbarrett.co.uk Jose Hales, 23 Elm Way, SG8 6UH – 221058 email: jose@josehales.me.uk South Cambs M.P. Heidi Allen – 01954 212 707 heidi.allen.mp@parliament.uk

Village information IMPORTANT NUMBERS Orchard Surgery

Appointments & Dispensary 260220 For repeat prescriptions send email: prescriptions.orchardsurgery@nhs.net Hospitals

Addenbrooke’s Royston

01223 245151 01763 242134

NHS111 – Urgent Care 24hr helpline

111

Police Non Emergency number Help when not a 999 emergency

101

Medical help when not a 999 emergency

Fire & Rescue Service Crimestoppers

01223 376201 0800 555111

Neighbourhood Watch 260959 Maureen Townsend maureentownsend1@aol.com Telephone Preference Service

www.tsponline.org.uk

0345 070 0707

EDUCATION Melbourn Playgroup Jane Crawford 07842 151512 Library LAP Jane Stevens johnjane.stevens@tiscali.co.uk Little Hands Nursery School 260964 Out of school times 01223 503972 Notre Ecole Janet Whitton 261231 Primary School Headteacher Stephanie Wilcox 223457 U3A (Univ. of Third Age) Chairman Tony Garrick 01223 510201 Hon Sec Hilary Docwra 222486 Mem Sec Chris Davison 264189 Village College Principal Simon Holmes 223400

HEALTH Age UK Cambridgeshire Blood Donors Chiropodist Dentist District Nurses (Primary Care Trust) Home-Start S. Cambs PCT 35 Orchard Road Child & Family Nurses Car Scheme Osteopath Kath Harry

01223 221921 0300 123 23 23 263260 262034 01223 846122 262262 262861 245228 261716

LOCAL CLUBS Air Cadets 2484 (Bassingbourn) Squadron 249156 Tony Kelly Mon & Wed evenings 7 – 9.30 p.m. Bellringers Barbara Mitchell 261518 Bridge Club Howard Waller 261693 1st Melbourn Rainbows Abigail Roberts 261505 Brownies 1st Melbourn Stephanie Clifford 220272 Brownies 2nd Melbourn 261400 Samantha Pascoe (Brown Owl) Gardening Helen Powell 245887 Guides 1st Melbourn Hilary Marsh 261443 Guides 2nd Melbourn Stef Cooper 01763 220093/ 07922053801 Steph Clifford 01763 220272 / 07888831140 Secondmelbournguides@hotmail.com MADS (Melbourn Amateur Dramatics Society) Donna Sleight 232622

Melbourn History Group Ann Dekkers 261144 Melbourn Mushroom Club John Holden email: frog.end@virgin.net Melbourn Pottery Club Maggie 01223 207307 Meldreth Local History Kathryn Betts 268428 Mothers’ Union Pauline Hay 260649 National Trust Marian Bunting 246122 bunting@uwclub.net New Melbourn Singers Adrian Jacobs 243224 Photographic Club Bruce Huett 232855 Ramblers Dave Allard 242677 Royal British Legion Women Elizabeth Murphy 220841 Royal National Lifeboat Institution Jean Emes 245958 Royston and District Local History Society David Allard 242677 Royston Family History Society Pam Wright frierley@ntlworld.com Royston Lions Chris Cawdell 448236 RSPB Fowlmere Doug Radford 208978 SOAS (Supporters of All Saints’) Colin Limming 266072 St George’s Allotments Assoc. Bruce Huett brucehuett@compuserve.com Thursday Luncheon Club at Vicarage Close Jeannie Seers 07599 292327 Women’s Group Pat Smith 260103

PLACES OF WORSHIP All Saints’ Church Revd. Elizabeth Shipp 220626 vicar.melbournmeldreth@gmail.com Churchwardens Roger Mellor 220463 Mike Galley 260127 Community Hall booking Sandie Springall 223320 hallbookings@live.co.uk Baptist Church Rev. Stuart Clarke 261650 Secretary Guy Manners 01223 872298 United Reformed Church Minister Rev. Duncan Goldie 260747 Secretary Peter and Eirwen Karner 262346 Hall booking Beryl and Barry Monk 246458

SPORT Badminton Steve Jackson 248774 Bowls Author Andrews 261990 Croquet Janet Pope 248342 Jazzercise Maxine Rustem 07963 161246 Judo Derek Coult 225004 Melbourn Dynamos FC Gordon Atalker 07770533249 Blake Carrington 07730488743 Melbourn Football Club Simon Gascoyne 261703 Melbourn Sports Centre Graham Johnson-Mack 263313 Meldreth Tennis Club Tracy Aggett 243376 Swimming Club Jenny Brackley 244593 Squash Club Nick Sugden 261064

COMMUNITY SERVICES Dial-A-Ride 01223 506335 Home Start Tracy Aggett 262262 Mobile Warden Scheme Jeannie Seers 262651 Moorlands Denise Taylor 260564 Vicarage Close Warden Eileen Allan 263389 Lead Sheltered Housing Officer – Monday to Friday 9–1.30 Vicarage Close, John Impey Way & Elin Way Eileen Allan Mobile 07876 791419 / 245402 Every other week. 9–5 Monday to Friday

melbournmagazine

DIARY DECEMBER

Thursday 1

Holy Communion All Saints 10am Craft & Chat URC 2-4pm weekly

URC Carols at The Black Horse 8pm Hub Club lunch 12.30pm Thursday 15

JANUARY 2017

Sunday 1

Friday 2

Holy Communion All Saints 10am Craft & Chat URC 2-4pm weekly

Coffee at URC 10.30am

Friday 16

Family Communion All Saints 8am Morning Service Baptist Church 10.30am Holy Communion URC 11am Baptist Communion 6pm

Saturday 3

Coffee at URC 10.30am

Monday 2

Coffee Stop ASCH 10.30am The Bookshelf

Saturday 17

Bank Holiday

Sunday 4

Coffee Stop ASCH 10.30am

Tuesday 3

Holy Communion All Saints 8am Christingle Service All Saints 3.30pm Morning Service Baptist Church 10.30am Holy Communion URC 11am Communion Service Baptist Church 6pm

Sunday 18

Melbourn Bridge Club every Tuesday Vicarage Close 2pm contact Howard Waller 261693

Monday 5

Drop In Surgery with Councillors Hales & van de Ven The Hub 2.30-3.30pm Melbourn Bridge Club every Monday Vicarage Close 7pm contact Howard Waller 261693 Melbourn Short Story Group The Hub 10-11am weekly Unploughed Acoustic Session The Plough Shepreth 7.30pm weekly Tuesday 6

Toddler Plus Baptist Church 9.30-11.30am (TT) Melbourn Bridge Club every Tuesday Vicarage Close 2pm contact Howard Waller 261693 Melbourn & District Photographic Club Foxton Village Hall 7.30pm (runs weekly September to April)

Holy Communion All Saints 8am Family Service All Saints 11.00am Carol Service 6.30pm URC Family Festival Service 11am Nativity Service Baptist Church 10.30am Carols by Candlelight 6pm Moorlands Carols 2.30pm Tuesday 20

Toddler Plus Christmas celebration Baptist Church 9.30-11.30am (TT) End of term Wednesday 21

Saturday 10

Coffee Stop ASCH 10.30am Sunday 11

Family Communion All Saints 9.45am Morning Service Baptist Church 10.30am URC Service 11am Tuesday 13

Toddler Plus Baptist Church 9.30-11.30am (TT) Mother’s Union contact Diane Blundell 221415 Melbourn & District Gardening Club ASCH 7.30pm Wednesday 14

Craft Club Baptist Church 9.30am (TT) Coffee Break Baptist Church 10.30am

Friday 6

Coffee at URC 10.30am Saturday 7

Family Communion All Saints 9.45am Morning Service Baptist Church 10.30am Service URC 11am

Holy Communion All Saints 10am Craft & Chat URC 2-4pm weekly Coffee at URC 10.30am

Coffee at URC 10.30am

Holy Communion All Saints 10am Craft and Chat URC 2pm-4pm weekly Royston & District Local History Soc. Town Hall Royston 8pm

Thursday 22

Craft Club Baptist Church 9.30am (TT) Coffee Break Baptist Church 10.30am

Friday 9

Thursday 5

Coffee Stop ASCH 10.30am The Bookshelf

Friday 23

Holy Communion All Saints 10am Craft & Chat URC 2-4pm weekly

New term begins Craft Club Baptist Church 9.30am (TT) followed by Coffee Break 10.30am

Craft Club Baptist Church 9.30am (TT) Coffee Break Baptist Church 10.30am

Wednesday 7

Thursday 8

Wednesday 4

Saturday 24

All Saints Crib Service 3pm Midnight Mass 11.30pm Christmas Eve Please note: NO Coffee Stop URC Watchnight Service 11.30pm Sunday 25

Holy Communion All Saints 8am Family Service Baptist Church 9.30am Christmas Morning Service URC 8.30am Wednesday 28

Coffee Break Baptist Church 10.30am Royal British Legion Women’s Section Vicarage Close 7pm Thursday 29

Sunday 8

Monday 9

Drop In Surgery with Councillors Hales & van de Ven The Hub 2.30-3.30pm Tuesday 10

Toddler Plus 9.30-11.30am Baptist Church (TT) Mothers’ Union contact Diane Blundell Melbourn & District Gardening Club ASCH 7.30pm Wednesday 11

Craft Club Baptist Church 9.30am (TT) followed by Coffee Break 10.30am Hub Club Lunch 12.30pm Thursday 12

Holy Communion All Saints 10am Craft & Chat URC 2-4pm Friday 13

Coffee at URC 10.30am

Holy Communion All Saints 10am

Saturday 14

Friday 30

Coffee Stop ASCH 10.30am

Coffee at URC 10.30am

Sunday 15

Saturday 31

Coffee Stop 10.30am

Holy Communion All Saints 8am Communion Service Baptist Church 10.30am

URC Service 11am Family Service All Saints 11am Tuesday 17

Toddler Plus 9.30-11.30am (TT) Wednesday 18

Craft Club 9.30am Baptist Church (TT) followed by Coffee Break 10.30am Thursday 19

Holy Communion All Saints 10am Coffee & Chat URC 2-4pm

Saturday 4

Baptist Communion Service 10.30am

Winter Flower Festival All Saints Church Refreshments available in ASCH

Tuesday 21

Sunday 5

Wednesday 22

Winter Flower Festival All Saints Church Refreshments available in ASCH Morning Service Baptist Church 10.30am Holy Communion URC 11am Communion Service Baptist Church 6pm

Baptist Craft Club (TT) followed by Coffee Break 10.30am-12 noon Women’s Institute All Saints Community Hall 7.45pm

Monday 6

Saturday 21

Drop-in Surgery with Councillors at The Hub 2.303.30pm Melbourn Bridge Club Vicarage Close weekly 7pm contact Howard Waller 261693

Coffee Stop ASCH 10.30am

Tuesday 7

Friday 20

Coffee URC 10.30am

Sunday 22

Family Communion All Saints 9.45am Morning Service Baptist Church 10.30am URC Service 11am Tuesday 24

Toddler Plus Baptist Church 9.30-11.30am (TT) Women’s Group 7.45pm contact Pat Smith 262575 Wednesday 25

Craft Club Baptist Church 9.30am (TT) followed by Coffee Break 10.30am British Legion Women’s Section Vicarage Close 7pm Women’s Institute All saints Community Hall 7.45 pm Thursday 26

Holy Communion All Saints 10am Craft & Chat URC 2-4pm Friday 27

Coffee URC 10.30am

Toddlers Plus Baptist Church 9.30-11.30am (TT) Melbourn Bridge Club Vicarage Close weekly 2pm contact Howard Waller 261693 Wednesday 8

Craft Club Baptist Church 9.30-10.30am (TT) followed by Coffee Break Baptist Church 10.30am Hub Club Lunch 12.30pm

Friday 24

Coffee at URC 10.30am Saturday 25

Coffee Stop ASCH 10.30am Sunday 26

Family Communion All Saints 9.45am URC Service 11.00am Morning Service Baptist Church 10.30am Tuesday 28

Toddler Plus Baptist Church 9.30-11.30 (TT) Women’s Group 7.45pm contact Pat Smith 262575

Holy Communion All Saints 10am Craft & Chat URC 2-4pm weekly

Baptist Craft Club 9.30am (TT) followed by Coffee Break Baptist Church 10.30am-12 noon Royal British Legion Women’s Section Vicarage Close 2pm

Friday 10

Coffee at URC 10.30am Saturday 11

Coffee Stop ASCH 10.30am Link Murang’a Stall Sunday 12

Family Communion All Saints 9.45am URC Service 11.00am Morning Service Baptist Church 10.30am Monday 13

Half term

Sunday 29

Tuesday 14

Holy Communion All Saints 8am Family Service Baptist Church 10.30am URC Service 11am

Mother’s Union contact Diane Blundell 221415 Melbourn & District Gardening Club ASCH 7.30pm

Tuesday 31

Coffee Break 10.30am

Toddler Plus Baptist Church 9.30-11.30am (TT)

Thursday 16

Wednesday 15

Holy Communion All Saints 10am Craft & Chat URC 2-4pm weekly

Wednesday 1

Friday 17

Craft Club and Coffee Break Baptist Church 10.30am

Coffee URC 10.30am

Thursday 2

Saturday 18

Holy Communion All Saints 10am Craft & Chat URC 2-4pm weekly Royston & District Local History Society

Coffee Stop ASCH 10.30am

Coffee URC 10.30am

Holy Communion All Saints 10am Craft & Chat URC 2-4pm weekly

Wednesday 29

Coffee Stop ASCH 10.30am

Friday 3

Thursday 23

Thursday 9

Saturday 28

FEBRUARY 2017

Toddler Plus Baptist Church 9.30-11.30 (TT)

Sunday 19

Holy Communion 8.00am Family Service 11.00am All Saints URC Service 11.00am

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 Editor, at 110 High Street, Melbourn, marking them ‘MELBOURN MAGAZINE’ or you can email them to melbournmagazine@gmail.com

Thursday 30

Holy Communion All Saints 10am Craft & Chat URC 2-4pm weekly

date for The closing e is Friday u s is t x e n the be which will ry a u n a J 13th sting in March, li d e h s li b u p arch, April events in M y. and Ma

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Volunteers

Melbourn Magazine is delivered free to every household in the village by volunteers. If you would like to help please contact Ann Dekkers on 261144

Village information Orchard Surgery & Dispensary Melbourn Health Visiting Team Monday to Friday 8:30–1pm and 3pm–6pm Phone 01763 260220 www.orchardsurgerymelbourn.co.uk For repeat prescriptions you can: Fax 01763 262968 or email: prescriptions.orchardsurgery@nhs.net

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

Telephone requests are not accepted

• •

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.

BIN COLLECTION MELBOURN Bin collection day is changing. See page 5 for more information 2 December

Blue & Green

9 December

Black

16 December

Blue & Green

23 December

Black

31 December

Blue bins ONLY

Saturday

Black

Saturday

7 January 13 January

Blue & Green

20 January

Black

27 January

Blue bins ONLY

3 February

Black

10 February

Blue & Green

17 February

Black

24 February

Blue bins ONLY

2 March

Black

9 March

Blue & Green

16 March

Black

23 March

Blue & Green For an update on collections visit: www.scambs.gov.uk/content/friday-b

For more information and collections of large household items Telephone 03450 450 063

www.melbourncambridge.co.uk

8a Romsey Terrace, Cambridge. CB1 3NH Office Mon-Fri 9.00am-12.30pm. Telephone 01223 416 141 answerphone out of these hours enquiries@cambridgeshirehearinghelp.org.uk

A drop in advisory session is held at Vicarage Close Community Room, the 4th Thursday every month from 2pm to 4pm

See the website for more information www.cambridgeshirehearinghelp.org.uk Battery exchange and retubing. We do not do hearing tests

Cam Sight’s Rural Support Group meet in Melbourn to provide help, friendship and ongoing support to local people with sight loss. The group enjoys speakers, music, information, advice and a chance to try out low vision equipment. They meet on the 1st Wednesday of each month, 2 – 4pm at Vicarage Close. For further information please call 01223 420033 or info@camsight.org.uk

Nature Botanic Garden

A journey of plant discovery – botanic expedition to search for plant species new to science

Cambridge University Botanic Garden joins collaborative conservation and endangered plant collection expedition in the NW mountains of Vietnam. Cambridge University Botanic Garden Glasshouse Supervisor, Alex Summers, embarks on collaborative, horticultural expedition to northern mountains of Vietnam to identify, survey and collect threatened plant species and bring back plant material for conservation, education and research purposes. A team made up of expert staff from Cambridge University Botanic Garden (CUBG), Royal Botanic Gardens Kew (RBGK), Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) and Glasgow Botanic Gardens will travel on a three-week expedition to the Hoang Lien Mountain Range, northwest Vietnam, on 16 October – 6th November 2016. Their aim is to target five mountains in the Hoang Lien Mountain Range, northwest Vietnam, to carry out botanical research and make plant collections from a variety of the country’s major vegetation types including semi-evergreen and montane forests. This is the University Botanic Garden’s first collaborative, collecting expedition for over a decade and a first for Alex. He says “I’m incredibly excited to have the opportunity to wander through a subtropical forest and have the chance to maybe find

NW Vietnam Mountain Region Map data copyright Google 2016

plant species that are new to science. To think there’s tonnes of stuff out there people haven’t discovered before makes it a really exciting prospect. I’m also looking forward to seeing the most amazingly diverse forests and plants such as tropical gingers, Magnolia and Rhododendron. We are so familiar with seeing these plants in our own back gardens but to see them growing in their natural habitats will be quite something! People don’t realise that so many of these plants are endangered. Botanic Gardens are the custodians of endangered species, so it’s an honour to know I will be playing a part in preserving something that in reality could no longer be with us in the future if expeditions like this one don’t take place.” One of the main aims of this expedition will be to collect living material mainly in the form of seed. A great number of plant species native to the area are currently severely threatened by deforestation and development and now only exist as very small, fragile populations. Alex plans to bring back between up to 400 seed lots, some familiar plants such as Rhododendron and Magnolia but also some species new to science as well as a range of conifers, ferns and subtropical herbaceous species. His primary interest will be to focus on collecting seed of plants which are under-represented in the University Botanic Garden’s collections and which will, he hopes, be used for future research and education purposes. Alex continues: “Another crucial part of our expedition is to gain an understanding of what is present in such a remote and diverse area. Working with colleagues from Kew, Edinburgh and Glasgow means we can pool our specialist knowledge and resources and maximise the benefits from it. We can also learn from our Vietnamese partners at the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources in Hanoi, Vietnam, as well as support them as we are all coming to this with differing sets of skills.” Alex Summers trying out his expedition day pack melbournmagazine

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Hoang Lien Son, Tam Ðu’òng District, Lai Chau, Vietnam Map data copyright Google 2016

The team’s other key aim is to work together to improve the understanding of the distribution of various plant species, and in particular Magnolia, located in the area. In recent years a number of new species have been found and most are currently severely threatened and not in cultivation. As part of his preparations, Alex is busy familiarising himself with plant material he’s likely to come into contact with in Vietnam, keeping fit by cycling and getting his kit consisting of rope, harnesses, collecting bags and recording documentation ready. When the team return, they will place collected plant material in quarantine before using it for research and education purposes. Plant seeds will not require quarantine and will be sown and grown on site. Alex will be writing weekly blog-style updates for the CUBG website www.botanic.cam.ac.uk and uploading regular updates on the Garden’s Facebook page and via his own twitter and Instagram feeds (details below). The expedition is organised in partnership with Nguyen Van Du (the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology), based at the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources in Hanoi, Vietnam and funded by a range of UK botanical and horticultural institutions. Cambridge University Botanic Garden (CUBG) is one of the largest University-owned botanic gardens in the world. The 40-acre Garden’s unparalleled living collection of over 8000 species, with glasshouses, experimental plots, herbarium and botanical library, exist to support University teaching and research. CUBG also collaborates with national and international researchers from a wide range of partner organisations, including universities, conservation bodies and botanic gardens worldwide, to promote the conservation and scientific understanding of global plant biodiversity. Cambridge University Botanic Garden: www.botanic.cam. ac.uk. Facebook: Cambridge University Botanic Garden @ CUBotanicGarden. Follow Alex on Twitter & Instagram: @ CamPlantsman or follow reposts from CUBG on Twitter & Instagram: @CUBotanicGarden melbournmagazine

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feature National Poetry Day

“Messages” & Whatever Happened to Ruth Hawes? On 6th October Melbourn celebrated National Poetry Day at the Memorial to the Fallen in the centre of the village, both to enjoy the world of poetry and raise publicity and funds for WaterAid. Camaraderie and community spirit was clearly evident and was consolidated afterwards over coffee in the Hub. National Poetry Day is now an annual part of our wide and welcoming modern culture. ‘Messages’ was the theme chosen for poetry gatherings held across the country. Supported by several local Groups, residents and visitors turned up and read a variety of poems they had brought along. The range of personal backgrounds and the poems chosen was astonishing. Amongst those contributing were published poets from Melbourn and Meldreth; a visiting published poet who was that day going home to Teesside and a woman who had ‘scribbled’ poetry in note-books all her life. An American visitor read a lovely poem he had written in Granchester’s Orchard Tea Garden. Others simply read a chosen poem and explained why. Two delightful examples are reproduced here. Whatever became of the young school girl of the year 1972–73 Ruth Hawes? Let us hope the years have been kind to her. And a sweet little poem, author unknown, displayed as a reminder on a potting shed wall for a young family’s lifetime, all of twenty-five years or more! Poetry is a great cultural art form running throughout recorded history. It is common to all cultures and, if we permit it, can be a great unifying force between individuals, groups and, indeed, nations. After conflict it can also be a very potent force for healing divisions and hatreds between nations. We were privileged to stand – in good heart and in freedom - beside our Melbourn Memorial dedicated to those men and women who have fallen while in uniform and in our service. They died to defend our country, our values, and our culture – sacrificing their lives to enable us to create a better world. In this task sadly we have failed them. Their ‘Message’ to us today remains that eternal message: “Do not allow our sacrifice to have been made in vain”. In the troubled world we have permitted to grow, to have brought together poetry readers from Ireland, Germany, America, Wales and England for National Poetry Day 2016 is surely no small achievement. The noble fallen to whom we paid tribute, and whose sad but defiant ‘message’ we repeated for all to hear, will hopefully rest more easily as a result of the efforts of the good people who came out for Poetry and for WaterAid.

On National Poetry Day 2016, gathered at the centre of Melbourn’s civic and public life and led by our own Melbourn poet, Yvonne Chamberlain, our collective ‘Message’ was our presence in tribute at the Memorial. We joined our ‘Message’ with the ‘Message’ of those we honoured, and said to all who wished to listen: “Enjoy life, enjoy poetry alongside all other cultural art forms, create a better world, support the vital work of WaterAid – and look on this Memorial and listen to the prophetic words of Christina Rossetti (1830 – 1894) and her poem Remember”. Hugh Pollock

Remember Remember me when I am gone away, Gone far away into the silent land; When you can no more hold me by the hand, Nor I half turn to go yet turning stay. Remember me when no more day by day You tell me of our future that you planned: Only remember me; you understand It will be late to counsel then or pray. Yet if you should forget me for a while And afterwards remember, do not grieve: For if the darkness and corruption leave A vestige of the thoughts that once I had, Better by far you should forget and smile Than that you should remember and be sad Christina Rosetti (1830 –1894) Read by Hugh Pollock from Poem for the Day Two (2003)

Priorities I hope my children look back on today And see a mother who had time to play! Children grow up while you’re not looking There’ll be years ahead for cleaning & cooking. So quiet now cobwebs. Dust go to sleep. I’m rocking my baby and babies don’t keep. Anon Delivered from memory – as an after-thought by Wenna Hills

Poem by Ruth Hawes Read by Janet Backer from a treasured Blackheath High School Magazine 1972-73. See the hand written poem on page 44.

melbournmagazine

feature

Welcome to Melbourn Hub offers a cafĂŠ with free Wi-Fi, a library access point and meeting rooms which can be used for leisure or business. We also offer a range of key community support services and aim to be a focus point for assistance and advice.

Opening Hours Monday-Friday 9am to 5pm Saturday 9am to 3pm 30 High Street Melbourn SG8 6DZ Telephone 01763 263303 reception@melbournhub.com

The Hub is run by the community, for the community, it is a centre with a difference.

It is yours.

Melbourn Community Hall

Melbourn Community Hall is in the centre of the village behind All Saints Church If you would like to hire the hall contact Sandie Springall Telephone: 01763 223320 or email: hallbookings@live.co.uk

www.melbourncambridge.co.uk

Sports & Clubs Bowls Malcolm Davey 262704 Bridge Club Howard Waller 261693 1st Melbourn Rainbows Abigail Roberts 261505 Brownies – 1st Melbourn Stephanie Clifford 220272 Brownies – 2nd Melbourn Samantha Pascoe 261400 Croquet Janet Pope 248342 Football Club Andrew Edwards 223109 Dynamos Football Club Les Morley 07739 593771 Gardening Club Helen Powell 245887

First Melbourn Rainbows We ended last term on a high with a visit to Boogie Bounce at the MVC Community Centre. The girls had a great time learning new jumps and playing ‘Simon Says’ in the mini trampetts. The new term started back with some games and a welcome chat, where we learned what everyone had got up to over the summer holidays. This term we have been celebrating Roald Dahl by basing each meeting on one of his popular books. So far we have made our own ‘Marvellous Medicines’, learned some tricks from ‘The Twits’, made our own sweets for the ‘Chocolate Factory’ and tried our hand at some ‘Revolting Rhymes’. One of the things we try to do in the autumn term is to collect items to put in a shoebox to send to those less fortunate than ourselves. The girls have very generously donated toys, stationery, toiletries and other items to fill at least 3 boxes which will be sent out to children in another country. Written by Lavender, on behalf of 1st Melbourn Rainbows.

Guides – Ist Melbourn Hilary Marsh 261443 Judo Derek Coult 225004 Melbourn Karate Club Peter Khera 07866 374674 Melbourn Sports Centre Graham Johnson-Mack 263313 Melbourn and Meldreth Women’s Group Pat Smith 262575 Sue Toule 260955 Anne Harrison 261775 Photographic Club Bruce Huett 232855 Ramblers Dave Allard 242677 Royston and District Round Table Michael Seymour 221398 Squash Club Nick Sugden 261064 Swimming Club Jenny Brackley 244593 Tennis (Melbourn) Dave Liddiard 07508 995 781 Tennis (Meldreth) Tracy Aggett 243376

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CARPENTRY KITCHENS - DOORS FLOORING - DECKING TILING & HOME IMPROVEMENTS Mobile - 07702905915 Email - paulhutley1@gmail.com 46

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First Melbourn Brownies We seem to already have done so much since September. It has been great to see quite a few new faces join us. At our first meeting we had a pow-wow so that we could have an insight into what others had done over their holiday. We spent one evening learning about the sports that take place during the Paralympics and made a poster to promote them. All of the Brownies have set up some hyacinth bulbs in water, so we can see the changes as the term goes on. In addition, this term the Brownies have been learning about money as part of their number fun badge. This included discussing the types of saving accounts available at the Cambridge Building Society and learning how to give someone change. We also made all kinds of creatures and other creations out of teasels to explore what you can do with nature at different times of the year. We are looking forward to lots more fun in the rest of the term.

By Amy Selby (Little Owl) on behalf of all the leaders at 1st Melbourn Brownies (Brown Owl, Nightingale, Squirrel and Fluffy Owl). If you (or your daughter) wants come and join in the fun, please contact Brown Owl (Stephanie Clifford) on 07888831140.

First Melbourn Guides The Olympic Games in Rio got off to a wet start; so too did the Olympics themed Guide camp at Gilwell Park this summer. The painted flags got somewhat smudged, but the field and team competitions continued through the drizzle. Tropical too was the heated outdoor pool in which we played water polo and had relay races. Another

highlight was the 3 – G swing, in which the girls were strapped into a seat and hoisted up to a great height before dropping then swinging. The sun came out in time for the traditional scout’s skills day when we enjoyed stalking, fire lighting, cooking, and the climbing wall, then ended the day with songs round the campfire. We are very grateful to Meldreth Parish Council for donating the funds to pay for a new canvas patrol tent, which will last us for many years to come. The autumn term began with more sports; this time a version of the Paralympics, with dressage competition, Boccia, and tennis ball archery. Last term the girls designed a new badge covering skills they deemed useful for every Guide to acquire. This term we put it into practise; each patrol has spent one evening on each of the following: cooking a healthy two-course meal, making a desk-tidy from recycled

materials, and lighting a fire to cook fruit kebabs. The half-term will end with a Promise themed evening to enrol our six new girls. 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

Second Melbourn Guides We started off the new term with a massive makeover! A whole new leadership team, some new guides and plenty of fresh new ideas have started us off on a fabulous journey. The guides have chosen a ‘Go for it’ badge to work on in their patrols. One patrol has mastered the art of lip prints and making slime, while the other patrol melbournmagazine

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has designed bookmarks and made a time capsule for their future selves. The guides have also chosen 2 other badges to work on. The chocolate badge is highly anticipated and I think will be thoroughly enjoyed by both guides and leaders! The performing arts badge should also bring some fantastic work from the girls. I’m looking forward to the media makeup and bin bag fashion! Overall we have had a great first few weeks. The guides are always energetic and full of ideas. We are looking forward to what the rest of this term will bring. Stef Cooper & Steph Clifford, Second Melbourn guides.

Street, and some are available at the Cave Bookshop in Melbourn Street. The society is responsible for the opening of Royston Cave, Melbourn Street, Royston which, except for special openings, is closed over the winter but will re-open on Saturday 15th April 2017. It is expected also to open on a Saturday evening at the beginning of December. Check website for details. www.roystoncave.co.uk. Our evening meetings are held in the Heritage Hall (the main hall downstairs) Royston Town Hall on the first Thursday of the month starting at 8pm.

»» 1st December ‘Battle of Britain – The true story’ Damien O’Dell

»» 5th January

‘Enjoying Old Churches’

Meldreth Local History Roy Tricker »» 2nd February ‘Tracing your House Group History’ Gill Blanchard MLHG is delighted to welcome Matthew Morris BA MA ACIFA to give a talk ‘Richard III: The King Under the Car Park’, in Meldreth Village Hall on Friday 2nd December at 7.30pm. In 2012 Matthew supervised the successful archaeological search for the lost grave of Richard III. Matthew will reveal how this amazing discovery was made: examining the background to the project, showing how archaeologists knew where to look and what was found during the excavation. He will also take a closer look at how forensic scientists were able to successfully identify the 500 year-old skeletal remains of Richard III, the last Plantagenet King of England, who died in 1485. Tickets for the talk cost just £5 (children under 12 free) and are available from Joan Gane 01763 260129, John Crawforth, 01763 262848 or by email info@meldrethhistory.org.uk

Royston & District Local History Society www.roystonlocalhistory.org.uk Our website shows all the books we have for sale. Many of these result from the considerable work undertaken by our Publications sub-committee. The books may be ordered by post from David Allard 01763 242677. They may also be purchased at the Royston Museum & Arts Gallery in Kneesworth

Details of all our meetings will be found on our website. Annual membership £5 (Sept-Aug) (Under 18s half price) Visitors £2.

Ramblers’ Association Royston and District Group Our walks programme continues right through the year. For details visit our website: www.ramblers.org.uk or contact David Allard (01763 242677). Email: david.allard@ntlworld.com or Lesley Abbiss (01763 273463). There is also a poster displaying walks for the current month in Royston library, Royston Museum & Art Gallery and Melbourn Hub. We have walks on Sundays, which are normally 5–7 miles in the morning and a similar or shorter walk in the afternoon. Occasionally Sunday walks are Figures of Eight making it possible to do only the morning or only the afternoon. Half-day walks are held on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Our evening walks (3–5 miles) will resume at the end of April next year. Prospective new members are welcome and may come on three walks before deciding whether to join. www.ramblers.org.uk to join.

Workers’ Educational Association (WEA) – Royston Enrolment for the Spring courses will be on Tuesday 17th January at Royston Town Hall between 10am and 11am or enrolment may be made on-line. Choice of two courses – Music of Skandinavia & the Baltic – Tutor Peter Goodwin. Boudicea’s Revolt & Resistance to Roman Rule – Tutor Richard Till. Both courses will be for 9 weeks @ 1½ hours each week and the total cost is expected to be £47.25. Further details from Secretary 01763 660234 or www.roystonwea.org.uk

Cambridgeshire Family History Society If you have been researching your ancestors, it will be likely that you will have quite easily found your way back to Victorian times. (If not, please come and see one of our researchers!) You may have wondered how their education differed from yours and now you can find out by coming to a talk at our meeting on Saturday 14 January at 2pm, at Cambridge Central Library, Lion Yard, Cambridge. Our researchers will also be available from 10.30am. Admission is free. At the beginning of the 19th century, village schools of all kinds existed but were the domain of the middle classes. The beginning of the reign of Queen Victoria brought with it the idea of education for the working classes and hundreds of voluntary schools began to spring up across the country. This culminated in the 1870 Education Act which established elementary education for all. In a talk entitled, ‘Education, education, education: Victorian village schools’, Sarah Doig explores the wealth of contemporary records of these schools with an emphasis on rural East Anglia. She relates what they tell us about how our ancestors were educated and how the school became one of the main focal points for the wider rural community. continued on page 50 melbournmagazine

For more details of the Cambridgeshire Family History Society and to keep up to date with our monthly meetings please visit our website www.cfhs.org.uk

Melbourn and District Gardening Club Are you interested in gardening? Why not join the Melbourn and District Gardening Club on a regular, or occasional basis. We meet at 7.30 pm on the second Tuesday most months at the Community Hall, behind All Saints’ Church (near traffic lights, lane by red telephone box) For further details, contact Helen Powell 01763 245887 Winter Programme 2016/17

»» Tuesday

13 December 2016 No

meeting

»» Tuesday

10 Jan 2017 Peter Jackson Trees and Shrubs for the Small Garden

»» Tuesday 14 Feb 2017 Rodney Tibbs Your own Mediterranean climate.

Melbourn Bridge Club 2016 has been a busy and exciting year of change for Melbourn Bridge Club. Our Monday evening and Tuesday afternoon sessions continue to be very well supported and very much enjoyed. However, at the beginning of September we moved from our Vicarage Close premises to the United Reform Church Hall in Orchard Road. It was sad to leave Vicarage Close after seven years, but it was time for change with Orchard Road offering significant advantages including dedicated parking just opposite. The venue change has necessitated small alterations to our starting times. On Mondays we now meet at 6.45pm for a prompt start at 7.00pm and on Tuesdays we now meet at 1.30pm for a prompt start at 1.45pm. To date this has worked very well. The other big change that we have made at the Club is to have purchased a computer driven automatic Dealing Machine. This has the ability, apart from dealing the cards, to generate the deals

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on a website to be viewed and analysed by all players. This means that we now have two websites. We will retain our existing Melbourn Bridge Club which is part of the Melbourn Village information website (melbourncambridge.org) and a separate Bridgewebs site. There is a link to Bridgewebs on the Melbourn Bridge Club site or it can be accessed directly at Melbourn (Herts) Bridge Club. The process has not been without its teething troubles, but is now up and running with members able to access all the information of where they got it right or got it wrong! None of this electronic upgrade would have been possible without the Herculean efforts of Mike Thrower whose previous experience of these systems was, and is, invaluable. The Club is truly indebted to him. Thanks must also go to Jane Tulloch who has stepped in to assist with our new technology. We celebrated our seventh birthday with birthday cake on Monday 5th September and Tuesday 6th September, our first sessions at Orchard Road. Mondays continue to attract over

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thirty players for the Duplicate Bridge evening and the turnout is almost as good on Tuesdays when many of last year’s beginners have now moved up to the Improvers Duplicate Session. On Tuesdays we have occasionally started with a brief presentation on some aspects of the game which seem to merit a little further explanation. It is proposed to repeat this type of tutorial if required. Regardless, if anyone is interested in playing or learning this fascinating game please either go to the website or contact Howard Waller on 01763 261693. Tony Allan

Melbourn Bowls Club The summer season has been mixed in that the league results have not been as good as we would have liked, but we have managed to recruit a number of new members. Also, some more of those recruited in recent years have started to play in competitive matches. Towards the end of the season these new players were showing an improved performance and as a consequence, the results of some of our teams showed a welcome improvement in the later stages of the season. Unfortunately, our Cambridge and District (C&D) Division 2 Team were relegated but our C&D Division 5 Team were close to the top of their division by the end of the season. We wish them well for next year. We did our best to assist Meldreth to the Foxton League Championship by beating both Sawston and Coton when they were top of the League, but Meldreth were unable to take advantage and finished second as a result of losing their final match at Barton. The internal competitions were well patronised and the following players are to be congratulated on winning the various competitions.

Competition on 23 August when clubs from the surrounding area entered one or more triples. We managed to recruit a full complement of teams and the title was eventually won by Trumpington Bowls Club with Cambridge University Press as Runners Up. We were fortunate in that the rain held off until after the presentation of the prizes. We continued to run Coffee Mornings every Thursday morning throughout the Summer Season, which were well patronised by members and a number of villagers who enjoyed our hospitality. We have to thank Muriel Cooper for organising this very popular event. We have entered a team in the Thursday Afternoon League at Turpins Bowls Club Saffron Walden for the first time for this winter’s season. Most of the team have never played indoors before. It will be interesting to see how they cope with more experienced indoor teams. We are continuing with our Whist Nights every other Friday Evening at the Clubhouse. This is very much a social evening; the game not being taken too seriously. If anyone would like to participate we are open to nonmembers, particularly those who might be interested in joining the Club for the next summer season. This would give you a great opportunity to get to know some of the present members before the summer season starts. If you would like further information on this contact Arthur Andrews (Tel 01763 261990) or arthur.andrews123@btinternet.com. The Whist Nights will be held on: »» Friday 2 December »» Friday 16 December »» Friday 6 January »» Friday 20 January »» Friday 3 February »» Friday 17 February

Melbourn Dynamos • Ladies Singles – Anne Howard Football Club • Men’s Singles – Neil Butler • Handicap Singles – Neil Butler All welcome! • Mixed Pairs – Sue and Rod Sell • Drawn Pairs – Peter Blayney and www.melbourndynamos.co.uk Melbourn Dynamos FC is a friendly Martin Leggett community youth football club that • Novices Singles – Peter Cleminson gives boys and girls the opportunity to • Kernagan Cup – Pat Leggett play regular football, regardless of their

We held a very successful Open Triples

experience or ability at all ages from 3

through to 18. In addition, we hope to re-establish our Men’s team and Ladies’ team as natural homes for our players who graduate from youth football. We are a successful club defined by the strength of support from members and families, the praise and recognition of fellow clubs and FA Leagues, the work with our Community partners including Melbourn Village College and Melbourn Parish Council, and of course our players’ achievements on the pitch and their support for the community. We also have the support of Melbourn Community Sports Services (MCSS), which is enabling us to develop and broaden our work within the community and has generously donated the fantastic new kit for all players and coaches this season. With the support of this benefactor we are extending our work to make the club more inclusive by assisting players whose families are unable to afford the necessary fees. Melbourn Community Sports Services is a brand new Community Interest Company specifically set up with the aim: To ensure the continuing provision of sporting opportunities and services to the people of Melbourn and surrounding villages. Starting with our football club, MCSS is already expanding with basketball, cycling and potentially cricket teams. MCSS is also keen to explore further opportunities to support your sport. As a Community Interest Company, any assets and profits from the company can only be used for the stated aims – for the benefit of the community – any age, any sport, any gender. MCSS is keen to hear from you – contact: chair@melbourncss.com. We have had a successful start to the season for the club with new teams and players welcoming the opportunity to play for Melbourn Dynamos. The addition of four Girls’ Teams at U9, U10, U12 & U16s mean that we now have more than 250 players at the club. The clearance and development work of work of the old recreation ground on the Moor by Melbourn Parish Council has enabled the club to make much better use of the land. In addition to this clearance work, we are very grateful to the Parish Council for providing a new storage container for our use on the land melbournmagazine

Alex Selby and Deborah Whiteley

behind the Army Cadet building. This work has really improved the playing area and makes it so much easier and safer for parents and players to set up

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for match day. This has been much appreciated by our members and our many visiting teams. We have hosted two important football festivals – Cambridgeshire FA’s Next Generation Festival on 23rd April and the Royston Crow Youth Football League’s U9s’ Tournament on 21st May. We welcomed many visitors to the village to enjoy the great facilities that we are fortunate to use and the beautiful setting and were able to raise substantial funds that paid for our Presentation Day celebrations on Sunday 12th June, kindly hosted by Melbourn Village College. As in previous years, we presented the Tom Whitely Community Award to one our many players who best demonstrate the club’s commitment to the Community. This year’s winner was Alex Selby for his brilliant work with the club and community. Tom Whiteley was one of our players and at this event we raised nearly £1,000 for the club’s nominated charity – Tom’s Trust www.tomstrust. org.uk. We are very pleased with the success of our youngest players, the Dynamites,

who increasingly provide the core of our league teams from under 7 upwards. The Dynamites’ coaching team is led by Dipak Patel. Dee was Cambridge FA’s Community Coach of the year for 2013, gained his Level 2 coaching in June 2015 and has been appointed to the key leadership role of our Football Development Officer. These players, aged 3-6, have fun and develop their skills before deciding whether to play league football as the club’s under 7s team. This fun, preparation and skill development through the Dynamites has undoubtedly brought more success to our current League Teams. These players train with level 2 and level 1 FA qualified coaches in a Saturday morning fun session for 3-6-year-old boys and girls between 09.15 – 10.15 am at Melbourn Sports Centre. Sessions feature lots of short activities aimed at improving individual skills, concentration and the ability to be part of a team. The first onehour session is free thereafter we charge £2. All are welcome to the Melbourn Dynamites so why not bring your kids along so they can check it out.

All of our coaches are CRB checked and qualified to a minimum of FA Level1 standard. In addition, as a Partnership Club of Cambridge United and through the support of the FA, our coaches are now receiving high level mentoring and support to develop our players and above all else provide them with enjoyment and exercise. We are also an FA Charter Standard Club which means that we have all the correct people and practices in place to operate in line with FA & government requirements. All are welcome and if you are interested in finding out more about MDFC and the opportunities to play football with us, please contact David Atkins on 01763 263462 or email – secretary.mdfc@gmail. com. The club’s success depends entirely on enthusiastic members and volunteers. Our continuing success and growth means that we need even more volunteers. You may have seen that the club hosted a drop-in session at the Hub on 12th March to welcome new volunteers to the club. If you feel that you would like to contribute to the club as an administrator, communications leader, fixtures secretary, coach for the U16s Girls, match day official or in some other volunteer capacity then we would be pleased to hear from you through secretary.mdfc@gmail.com or chairman. mdfc@gmail.com. More information about the club and individual teams is available the club’s Website: www. melbourndynamos.co.uk.

Melbourn Sports Centre For those of you who don’t already know, we have:

• • • • • •

A state of the art fitness suite offering a variety of membership schemes A 20 metre swimming pool (kept ever so slightly warmer than most!) A comprehensive swimming lesson programme, catering for all ages and abilities Upgraded multisports courts for hire including tennis, football and squash courts Water sports courses and activities Traditional and modern exercise classes

• •

Access to Melbourn Village College sports hall and gymnasium for activities such as trampolining, badminton and basketball Supervised sports and pool parties

A Winter Wonderland at MSC! We have loads on offer this month, with something for the whole community to get involved with… so why not come along and find out more about your local sports centre!

Come in out of the cold! We’re not going to let those long winter nights stop us from enjoying our exercise! As well as our indoor facilities like the swimming pool, squash courts and sports hall, we have loads of classes to keep you fit and healthy, including Boxercise, Swim Clinic, Boot Camp, AquaFit, Pilates and Body Workout. We also 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!

Party time! Looking to book a birthday or Christmas party? How about bouncing those cares away with our new trampolining party, now available as well as our normal activities? We also have the adjacent Community Centre available for booking, with or without the pool facilities.

Activities for children! With Christmas fast approaching, an ideal time to book your young ones onto one of our great activity courses. These includes our Christmas Pool Party and our popular Ofsted Play Scheme. We will also be taking bookings from January for our February half term activities which will include our swimming crash course, trampoline & snorkelling tasters and our popular Ofsted PlayScheme.

For further details on parties, gift memberships or any of our activities, please drop in, call 01763 263313 or go online at www.mc-sport.co.uk. We look forward to seeing you this season!

Activities for young children (from 6 month - Full-time school ages) Waterplay These pre-school swimming lessons are an ideal first step for your child learning to swim, with the aims to build confidence in water, learning basic skills like floatation and movement using buoyancy aids.

» Tuesdays: 13.30 – 15.00 (30 min

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Parent and child These fun and enjoyable sessions help to promote water confidence and water awareness, with the aim to prepare your child for a smooth transition into waterplay or fulltime school swimming lessons. (Parent / carer must go into water with child)

» Tuesdays & Thursdays 14.30 – 15.00 Prices: £3.75 per lesson (paid termly) From 6 months – Full-time school ages Melbourn Sports Centre, The Village College, The Moor, Melbourn, Royston, Hertfordshire, SG8 6EF 01763 263313 / www.mc-sport.co.uk / info@mc-sport.co.uk

Grinnel Hill BMX Club This year we’ve seen 60+ members both old and new, from as far a field as America and Australia returning through our gates!

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

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Also, Melbourn local, 17-year-old Matthew Harris, along with 2 other similar aged members of our club, secured sponsorship this year with Tall Order, a new BMX bike manufacturer. Tall Order are a feeder team to the larger global energy drinks giant Red Bulls BMX team! Matthew has been a member of our club since his early teens. As you read this, the site will have been put to bed for another season, with re-development of certain aspects of the lines well under way. Another great year for the club! The club is open annually April to September. Strictly for BMX use only and for ages 12 and older, members have the option of either becoming a seasonal member for £50 (April to September), or a day member (per session) for £10. Our club aims to promote an activity for the young community of Melbourn and surrounding areas, under the guidance of our committee and experts, within a safe and friendly environment. Members will have access to BMX coaching and expertise on site during club open days. For more details and to download your membership form today please visit; www.grinnelhillbmx.co.uk Once again we wish to thank Melbourn Parish Council for their ongoing support at all levels to keep the club sustainable and open; Frog End Pet Supplies Melbourn for their ongoing support with all conservation work that takes place on site, for supplying bird boxes, feeders, and bird feed and Wrights Mower Centre Melbourn for their help and generosity in supporting us to keep the site to a well maintained and safe standard for the foreseeable future.

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Churches Together Melbourn United Reformed Church Harvest The harvest decorations in our church looked wonderful. All the window sills and corners were decked out with produce and flowers as well as the Communion table, which also displayed the artwork that people at the Village Fete were invited to take part in – colouring with the theme ‘Hope, Love, Share, Care’. We were thrilled that Melbourn Primary School visited us on the Friday morning before our Harvest Sunday services for their Harvest celebration. The church, which had been decorated for Harvest a little earlier than normal, was filled with some 250 children and teachers and their celebration included some harvest themed presentations. It was a joy to hear so many young voices raised in song. Our Harvest Festival services on the Sunday were led by Revd. Duncan Goldie at 11am with a Harvest Celebration in Readings and Hymns at 5pm preceded by afternoon tea at 4pm. The Harvest produce was sold after the Songs of Praise and raised the sum of £120 which, with the remaining produce, was taken to Jimmy’s Night Shelter together with some blankets knitted by the Craft and Chat group.

Tastes of Christmas We shall be holding our ‘Tastes of Christmas’ on Saturday 3rd December from 11am to 3pm. Please do come and join us for coffee, lunch or tea. There will be cakes, preserves, mince pies, mulled wine and much more including a raffle with food hamper prizes. All proceeds are for church funds. Christmas Services

» 18th December: Family Festival Service 11am. » 24th December: Night Watch Service 11.30pm. » 25th December: Christmas Morning Service 8.30am.

You are warmly invited to any of these services.

Carol Singing Churches Together will be singing carols at the following venues.

» 14th December: Black Horse Public House, Orchard Road 8pm.

» 17th December: The Cross 10.30am. » 18th December: Moorlands Court 2.30pm.

You are welcome to come and join in the singing.

Melbourn Baptist Church Work has begun, planning for events in the run-up to one of the busiest times of the church year – Christmas. The Christmas services at Melbourn always involves a wide range of music, including the participation of a special choir. This year, the activities of the church choir have been expanded. Members have been meeting monthly, on Saturday afternoons, under the guidance of Liz Smith, and are contributing to Sunday services regularly. Members will be supporting Operation Christmas Child again this year, helping the work of charity Samaritan’s Purse, which sends simple gifts in shoeboxes to needy children. Two years ago, Melbourn Baptist Church sent 51 boxes to Belarus, and followed this with 66 boxes to a refugee camp in Iraq last year. melbournmagazine

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People taking part will put together and fill shoeboxes, before taking them to church to be sent off. The church held its annual harvest festival service in September. After the service, produce brought by church members was auctioned, and £190.50 was raised. It was decided that this should be donated to a charity supporting Syrian refugees in Turkey. Once again this year, the church was involved in light parties for children, as an alternative to Hallowe’en, working with Churches Together. During autumn, the church has been holding a series of ‘ministry for all’ meetings, looking at the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and how they can be used. Subjects covered have included wisdom, knowledge, healing, miracles, prophecy, discernment, and tongues. Church sermons are now available on the church website for the three weeks following preaching. They are also available on CD or for direct download.

Winter Flower Festival All Saints’ Church Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th February 2017 This is the weekend following Candlemas, which falls on February 2nd in 2017. Candlemas occurs at a period between the December solstice and the March equinox, so many people traditionally marked that time of the year as winter’s “halfway point” while waiting for the spring. Planning is well under way for the Festival, but we still need volunteers to help with arrangements, provide foliage, make refreshments and serve over the weekend. We would also appreciate hearing from anyone willing to sponsor an arrangement. Each year, this will be the sixth, more and more people have attended – do consider becoming involved in some way.

For more information please contact Rebecca Gatward – rebeccaGatward@ btinternet.com – or telephone Rosemary Gatward 01763 261225.

SOAS 100 Club The August draw was made by Mike Rawlings on 3rd September. The first prize of £26 goes to Angela Leach at 32, Hale Close, and the second of £13 to Robert Ellis at 11, Mortlock Street. The September draw was made on 1st Oct by Anna Taylor. The first prize of £27 goes to Moira Gamon at 3, Pryor’s Orchard, and the second of £13.50 to Angela Leach at 32, Hale Close. The Word of God from David Burbridge God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. For this purpose The Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: Whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.

Below and right: One of the recent fundraisers for the flower festival – a Christmas cracker workshop in America (with tea)!

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feature The Demise of the Public House During the past few years’ public houses, in both towns and villages, have been closing at an unprecedented rate, recently as many as four a day, around 29 a week. The worst year was in 2009, when about 52 pubs per week closed. Many of these were housed in historic buildings and had been operating for several hundred years. Today they have either been converted into ﬂats, or destroyed. In the past, when water from wells and even rivers became unfit to drink, everyone, including children, drank beer, ‘small ale’. Brewed in almost every home, it was a weak alcohol but it was enough to destroy the bacteria in the water that made people ill. Women known as alewives, began selling their ale from home and public houses developed. The demand for ale grew rapidly and eventually the number of ale sellers was restricted in the 17th century. Later the size of drinking vessels was also regulated to a standard

The White Lion (left) and The Rose (centre right), High Street

was exchanged for gifts. ‘Bid-ales’ or benefits helped a needy person or cause. As most people were illiterate the naming of a public house was common by the 12th century, with names such as ‘The Royal Oak’ or ‘The Red Lion’. The sign would contain the name, but an illustration was also used so the pub could easily be identified. By the early 1900s Melbourn had a population of 1500, it also had a considerable number of public houses. Although not all operating at the same time, there were sometimes as many as twenty. The number of pubs in the country peaked by the late 1800s. There were 99,000 in 1905 but by 1935 this had

The Carrrier’s Arms, Dolphin Lane

size of four pints, divided internally into eight parts by pegs. The customer was supposed to drink down to only one peg at a sitting. Naturally this led to challenges to drink more than one peg – hence ‘to take him down a peg or two’. Today beer is sometimes the mainstay of a party and it was no different in medieval times. Ale Parties were often held, usually to raise funds. There were ‘parish-ales’, ‘church-ales,’ ‘clerk-ales’, ‘tithe-ales ‘etc. There were also ‘bride-ales’ (later abbreviated to bridal) during which ale brewed by the bride The Elm Tree (left) and The Anchor (left). High Street

The Locomotive Inn, High Street

dropped to 77,500. Today there are about 48,000. The quality of beers also declined, until 1971 when the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), began a crusade to improve the beer sold in pubs throughout Britain. Today it has over 180,000 members. There are now more breweries, mostly small independent ones, using traditional methods and ingredients. An estimated 11,000 different beers are now produced by the UK’s 1,700 breweries. The tax on beer in UK is more than in most countries, adding 52p to every pint; however, since 2014 landlords are no longer ‘tied’ to a brewery and can buy on the open market. The population of Melbourn is now over 5,000 and we are fortunate we still have two pubs and a restaurant. Ed. AD melbournmagazine

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feature Ancient and Modern I’m pretty happy here in Melbourn, having been accepted in a way I did not expect. I’ve always had ties with the village, as my great-grandmother, Annie Janet Cannon, lived at ‘Oakdene’, 89 High Street, next to what now is Premier Food Stores (The Spar to me!). Something in the back of my mind says this shop was called ‘Bands’, (It would be great if anyone had knowledge of this). We used to cycle over from Whaddon to visit her, and my ‘Aunty Ivy’. My grandmother married Bert Carter, who I seem to recall may have had/worked for a garage or taxi service in the village. However, I digress. Christmases in Whaddon were poor, but idyllic. In the poem on page 6 I reminisce about making the Christmas Pudding in what seemed to me to be an enormous light brown china bowl. Mum allowed me a few stirs and to drop in the silver sixpence. I always hoped I would find it in my portion! It was then left to simmer for hours on the black lead kitchen range. Then we made the paper chains, cutting coloured paper into narrow strips, then into smaller lengths, threading them into loops stuck with glue from a plastic bottle with a large rubber lip!

Coloured crepe paper came in folded oblong packets which also could be cut into strips, which, when twisted made a lovely curly chain, being very resilient and stretchy. Mum taught me how to gather twigs and decorate then with tiny paper flowers from this paper, fixing them with fine wire to produce a graceful flower tree. I hung a stocking made of felt on the bottom bed post and … lo and behold! in the morning I found an orange in the toe, some nuts and sweets, and, oh so treasured – a book! ‘Girl Friend Annual’ comes to mind. I even had the ‘Biggles’ books! I am still an avid reader. Thank you Mum! I made cards, sprinkling glitter on them from a plastic tube on hand drawn pictures. I even painstakingly coloured in doilies with water colour, to make a pretty place mat. I don’t know from where Dad got the real Christmas tree, but in my mind can still smell it now. And that crepe paper was used to wrap around the bucket in which it stood. It was hung with heavy little figurines and parcels that marched out once a year. On Christmas Day, at 8.00am we listened to the Christmas Bells from around the world … Mum especially loved those from Bethlehem. Magic times. Times moved on and so did I. Now in Melbourn I still enjoy decorating, but now only concentrate on my window. Arthritis doesn’t sit well with step ladders! Modern decorations have also moved with the times. The only coloured lights I had at Whaddon were candle wax in coloured glass bowls that I hung on the real Christmas tree in our garden, that was planted by mum when I was born, Now we have LEDs, crystal salt lamps, singing Father Christmases and beautiful crafted glass and plastic baubles, snowflakes and icicles etc. I still put holly round the picture frames and TV; Santa doesn’t come down a chimney, but arrives in a glorious flashing sleigh pulled by a local haulier’s lorry, blasting out ‘potted’ carols. But well done to the Round Table for doing this each year, travelling throughout the village, still thrilling the children (and some adults as well). Yes, I am happy here. Call this nostalgia v modernism: I still call it Christmas. Happy Christmas everyone. Yvonne Chamberlain melbournmagazine

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What’s On Cambridge Past, Present & Future (CambridgePPF) Get into the Christmas Spirit this December The most wonderful time of the year is nearly here again! Join CambridgePPF this December for festive cheer in the crisp outdoors. Our events for all the family are perfect for working off those extra mince pies – healthy walking around Wandlebury, a great full-body workout with the Nordic walking group, or a more relaxed afternoon of discovery for adults, learning the skills of tree identification. There are opportunities for both adults and children to create some beautiful seasonal handcrafts with wreath-making and Christmas decoration-making activities, as well as the unforgettable traditional Christmas Carol Service and midnight Communion, both held in CambridgePPF’s historic Leper Chapel. Start planning for your perfect Christmas today!

Healthy Walking Thursday 1, 8, 15 December: 10am or 10.30am to 11am Keep fit and greet the changing of the season by joining our healthy walkers this December for one of our Walking for Health accredited sociable walks around the park. Meet at the Stable Rooms at 10am for a longer walk or 10.30am for a shorter stroll. The walks end at around 11am with tea and coffee in the Stable Rooms. All are welcome, suitable for all different abilities. NB: Free of charge and no need to book, but please arrive 10 minutes early to register if it’s your first time. Donations towards the upkeep of the park are always welcome. Directions: Wandlebury Country Park is on the A1307, 2.5km south of the Addenbrooke’s roundabout. Parking is available on site and costs £3 per vehicle, members free.

Christmas Wreath Making for Adults Saturday 10 December: 11am to 1pm or 2pm to 4pm Store that shop-bought tinsel and celebrate Christmas in natural style this year with your own personalised wreaths, woven willow and wooden tree decorations. Join the team at Wandlebury and discover how to craft stunning seasonal decorations from natural materials that will add the finishing touches to a perfect family Christmas. NB: For adults only. Booking essential for this activity – please book early to avoid disappointment! £12 per adult (members £10). Dress warmly. Tea and coffee provided. Directions: Wandlebury Country Park is on the A1307, 2.5km south of the Addenbrooke’s roundabout. Parking is available on site and costs £3 per vehicle, members free.

Nordic Walking Wednesday 14 December: 1pm, 2pm or 3pm start Get into the rhythm and enhance your wellbeing and fitness levels with this very friendly Nordic Walking group at Wandlebury Park, led by Wellbeing Coach/Nordic Walking instructor Oliver Glynn. Nordic Walkers use more of their entire body than regular strollers, so while taking in the beautiful scenery of the park and chatting with the group you’ll get a great workout without even noticing it. Don’t worry if you’ve never tried it before – instruction will be given. There are three levels of walk: 1pm start for those with restricted mobility, 2pm for a healthy lifestyle speed, 3pm total beginners.

Winter Tree Identification Saturday 3 December: 1pm to 4pm Give yourself a break from Christmas preparations and join the CambridgePPF team for this fascinating workshop for adults in the beautiful winter scenery of the Country Park. Learn the basic skills of tree identification using bark, buds, shape and form (and leaves and seeds when available!) and then put them to the test on a guided tree trail around Wandlebury – a perfect relaxing afternoon in the outdoors. NB: For adults only. Booking essential. £8 per person (members £6). Dress warmly for being outside and wear sturdy shoes. Directions: Wandlebury Country Park is on the A1307, 2.5km south of the Addenbrooke’s roundabout. Parking is available on site and costs £3 per vehicle, members free. melbournmagazine

Timber • Aggregates Fencing • Paving • Bricks Blocks • Sheet Material Insulation & much more Phone: 01763 261740 Email: sales@norburys.com www.norburys.com 1 London Way Melbourn, SG8 6DJ (Just off Back Lane)

Jeremy Ashworth Electrician and Property Maintenance

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

07815 093166 01763 230831 jeremy.ashworth@ntlworld.com 66

www.melbourncambridge.co.uk

Melbourn Amateur Dramatics: Presents

A Traditional Christmas Pantomime Meldreth Village Hall Fri 9 Dec

7.30pm

Sat 10 Dec 2pm & 7.30pm Sun 11 Dec 2pm Adult £8, Under 16 £6 For tickets go to :

www.melbournamdram.co.uk Call: 07513457845

NB: Poles can be borrowed free of charge if required. Restricted mobility and healthy lifestyle walks free of charge, £15 per hour for total beginners. Car park free for CambridgePPF members, non members £3. Directions: Wandlebury Country Park is on the A1307, 2.5km south of the Addenbrooke’s roundabout. CB22 3AE. For more information and booking: contact Oliver on 07947 835522 or email: info@nordicwellbeing.co.uk

Christmas Crafts for Children Saturday 17 December: 10am or 2pm start Children love to get involved with the decorations too – let the little ones get out of the house and help contribute to your special family event, making attractive rustic decorations using natural materials from the park. Expert guidance will be on hand and you’ll take home some wonderful creations to deck the halls that will make it a Christmas to remember. NB: Ages 5+. Children must remain accompanied by an adult. Booking is essential – please book early as this is a popular event. £8 per child (members £6), adults free. Directions: Wandlebury Country Park is on the A1307, 2.5km south of the Addenbrooke’s roundabout. Parking is available on site and costs £3 per vehicle, members free.

Christmas Carols at the Leper Chapel Sunday 18 December: 6.30pm to 8pm If you’re still not feeling Christmassy enough then this event, in the atmospheric Leper Chapel, is sure to get you into a festive mood. The Reverend Dr Williams will be leading the Cottenham Brass Band for carols by candlelight, and you’ll experience the best of the traditional English Christmas. Make sure to wrap up warm, and enjoy the mince pies and mulled wine! NB: This is a free, family event and all are welcome. Donations to the charity are always appreciated. Directions: Barnwell Junction on Newmarket Road, Cambridge, CB5 8JJ – opposite Cambridge United. OS grid reference TL 471 594 GB. Note that there are no parking or facilities at the chapel itself. Please park in nearby streets or come by bus or on foot.

Midnight Communion at the Leper Chapel Saturday 24 December: 11.30pm to 12.30am A simple celebration of Christmas: the Communion, by candlelight, with carols. The 12th century Leper Chapel is the oldest complete surviving building in Cambridge and provides a stunning historic setting in which to enjoy the service. All are welcome. NB: A free event. All welcome. Donations towards the upkeep of the Chapel are always appreciated. Directions: Barnwell Junction on Newmarket Road, Cambridge, CB5 8JJ – opposite Cambridge United. OS grid reference TL 471 594 GB. Note that there is no parking or facilities at the chapel itself. Please park in nearby streets or come by bus or on foot. For more information: email bookings@cambridgeppf.org, call 01223 243830 extension 207 or visit www.cambridgeppf.org/ whats-on. melbournmagazine

CHEAPSTORAGELTD

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Additional Storage Facility Cherry Park Ind Est Cambridge Road, Melbourn Royston, SG8 6EY

All prices monthly and inclusive of VAT Terms: 100 refundable deposit One month's notice when vacating Padlocks supplied free of charge

Head Office: 1 London Way, Melbourn Royston, SG8 6DJ

Email: enquiries@cheapstorageltd.co.uk

www.cheapstorageltd.co.uk • 01763 262 344 / 07768 718 396

www.melbourncambridge.co.uk

Melbourn Flooring M and Interiors Limited

FLOORING ■ Vast Range of Carpets from all leading manufacturers ■ ■ ■ ■

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TILES New Tile showroom at 27 Royston Road, Foxton CB22 6SE covering all your tiling needs. 01223 870011

www.melbournflooring.co.uk VISIT OUR LARGE SHOWROOM 9 TO 5 MONDAY TO FRIDAY 9 TO 4 SATURDAY OR CALL ON 01763 262413 (Melbourn) 01223 870011 (Foxton) AND SPEAK TO ONE OF OUR FRIENDLY STAFF

Large showroom, ample free parking. melbournmagazine

www.melbourncambridge.co.uk

Melbourn magazine is non-profit and all work on the magazine including layout is produced by volunteers. The Magazine is published four times a year in the first week of March, June, September and December. We print 2200 copies which are delivered free to every house in the village. Advertising revenue is used for printing costs only. Adverts should be supplied as finished artwork and must be at the sizes shown below. Please send artwork to melbournmagazine@gmail.com. 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)

B/W

Colour

£95 £167 N/A

£143 £237 £464

Advertising rates are per year (four issues)

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

Melbourn Magazine Committee Editorial

Ann Dekkers

261144

Production

Peter Simmonett

220363

Advertising

Yvonne Stokes-Kuch

Distribution

Eric Johnston

220197

Information

Anne Lambert

261480

Parish Profile

Mavis Howard

260686

Proof reading

Brenda Meliniotis

261154

Colin Limming

260072

Brenda Meliniotis

261154

Village Diary

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Page number

1st Builders / All building work - 01223 782392 All Eyes / Spectacle Makers - 01954 231545 Amber Health - 01462 490141 Architectural Designers & Planning - 01920 821818 Ashton Renovations - 01763 290335 Austral Crosby - 01763 222111 B.A. Hydro Solutions - 01763 262726 Bannold landscaping materials - 01954 231666 B.C.R / Plumbing & Heating - 01763 260007 Bed Store - 01763 247490 Boiler Juice / Heating Oil Suppliers - 0800 151 3135 Bumpkins Day Nursery - 01223 208777 Bury Lane Farm Shop - 01763 260418 Bury Lane Fun Barn - 01763 260418 Cambourne Self Storage - 01767 676189 Cambridge Building Society - 01763 217510 Cambridge Roofers - 01223 782382 Cambridge Roofers/Roofline Specialists - 01223 782382 Carters Shoes / Quality Leather Footwear - 01223 264930 Chris Hornby / Mortgage Adviser - 07850 825291 Chris Thomas /Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning - 07830 227138 CHS / Local Community Services - 01763 260564 Clark Philips / Estate Agent - 01763 248682 CSL Cheap Storage Ltd - 01763 262344 ESSE - 01763 261000 Fieldgate Nurseries / Fruit & Vegetables - 01763 260737 Frog End pet Supplies - 01763 263342 Garden Design Solutions - 01763 263231 Greenlow Kennels - 01763 260624 Home Store - 01763 245888 Jazzercise / Body Workout - 07963 161246 Jeremy Ashworth / Property Maintenance - 07815 093166 Jeremy Rule / Funeral Service - 01763 242560 Just Like Wendy's / Interiors & Gifts - www.justlikewendys.co.uk Kathleen Harry Osteopath - 01763 261716 Langford Windows - 01462 701828 Langham Press - 01223 870266 Law Storage Ltd - 01223 874629 Leech & Sons / Master Butchers - 01763 260255 Little Hands Nursery School - 01763 260964 Mandy Thornton / Counselling & Support - 01763 208516 Melbourn Buildings & Fencing Suppliers - 01763 263336 Melbourn Community Hall - 01763 223320 Melbourn Community Hub - 01763 263303

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Melbourn Dental Practice - 01763 262034 Melbourn Flooring & Interiors - 01763 262413 Melbourn Garage - 01763 263344 Melbourn Ironing Service - 01763 220996 Millside Cabinet Makers - 01763 261870 M&M Furniture - 01763 256722 Modern Historic - 01920 822969 Moncraft / PC Repairs & Installation - 01223 208529 Nancy Foster Footcare - 01763 261250 Newlings of Royston / Funeral Services - 01763 242375 Norburys / Building & Landscape Supplies - 01763 261740 Oven Clean / Cleaning Specialist - 07513 439604 Paul Hutley / Carpenter - 07702905915 Phillimore Garden Centre - 01763 260537 PL Cooper / Flooring Specialists - 01763 260918 Prince Property / Property Improvements - 01763 269565 Projects4 Roofing / Flat Roof - 01223 258049 Projects4Roofing / Roofing Specialist - 01223 258049 Reed Autos / Servicing & MOT - 01223 874400 Rothwell’s Carpet Cleaning - 07545 962026 Royston Complementry Health - 01763 247440 Sage / Blinds & Interiors - 01763 787464 Simon Robinson / Bespoke Picture Framers - 01223 873123 South Cambs Motors / Servicing & Repairs - 01763 260246 St Georges Nursing Home - 01763 242243 Summit / Landscape Gardeners - 01223 929394 Taylor & Co /Chartered Accountants - 01763 248585 The Letting Centre / Property Management - 01763 263039 The Sheene Mill - 01763 261393 The Spice Hut / Indian Takeaway - 01763 262425 Three Counties K9 Hydrotherapy / - 01763 8383536 TTP Group - 01763 262626 Tucker Gardner - 01223 845240 Urban Plastics / Plumbing Suppliers - 07815 093166 Walnut Medical - 01763 223223 Wrights Mower Centre / Garden Machinery - 01763 263393 You Aspire / Accountants - 01223 929150 Your food for Life/Weight loss specialist - 01223 207859

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melbournmagazine

MAGAZINE ADVERTISERS

The Melbourn magazine team would like to thank all our advertisers for their support and sponsorship

Kitchens Bathrooms KI T CHENS Tiles Carpets & Flooring • Extensive kitchen, bathroom & flooring showrooms displaying a variety of de signs to suit all budgets from contemporary to traditional. • Wide range of products including the new exclusive addition “EVERHOT” electric (Aga) ovens. • Free on-site visit quotation offering a 3D design making your room come alive. • The in-store and fitting team work closely with you from your first visit through to the design, installation and completion.

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Opening Hours Mon - Fri: 7.30am - 5.00pm

To Huntingdon A1198

Unit 5 South Close, Royston, Herts, SG8 5UH

South Close

WE ARE HERE

Road

Orchard Jewsons

Old North

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(Ample FREE parking)

www.roystonhomestore.co.uk

Tesco

A505

Sat: 9.00am - 5.00pm Sunday: by appointment only

info@roystonhomestore.co.uk

A505

To Baldock

A10

ROYSTON TOWN CENTRE

“ A fully tailored stress free service from start to finish”

Baldock St

Mattresses Divans Bed Frames Headboards Furniture Childrens

Bedstore is an independent family run business with one aim: to offer a quality product and unique service to the local community in a personal non sales pressure environment.

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This is reflected in the high level of Customers that come from recommendation. Why not visit the showroom and see for yourself, Kevin & Abby are on hand to help you get a better nights sleep Children’s bunk & cabin beds

Opening Hours Mon - Fri: 9.00am - 5.00pm Sat: 9.00am - 5.00pm Sunday: Closed

Pillows in stock

First Floor, Unit 5 South Close, Royston, Herts, SG8 5UH (Ample FREE parking) info@roystonbedstore.co.uk

Delivery & Collection Available

www.roystonbedstore.co.uk

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