Issue 94 Summer 2018 by Melbourn Magazine

Melbourn fete returns see page 10 for details

www.melbourncambridge.co.uk

...editorial The weather did improve in time for Spring, although a late one. Hopefully the Summer will be long and sunny so that we can all enjoy the entertainments planned locally. The Fete is back after a gap of a year and promises to be a great day – see page 10. The many attractions include the return of the popular lawn mower racing, a skilled and daring mountain bike team, and there will be live animals to pet, including snakes and lizards! There will be a magician, fairground rides, an egg throwing competition, as well as many stalls, food etc. On page 64 we have a report on the recent archeological dig, and do look at What’s On, page 67 to see what events are being held in nearby villages during the summer. In this issue we begin a regular feature of articles from past newspapers, ‘What the papers say’. The reporting was often unconventional and funny and was frequently by Percy R Salmon FRS, known locally as ‘Peepbo’, who retired to the village after an adventurous life as a journalist and photographer during WWI. He went out to Egypt with Kitchener, living in Jerusalem, and travelling extensively through the Middle East, often wearing local dress. After retiring to Melbourn he continued working as a journalist for local papers for over twenty years. We start with a collection of cuttings that Percy took from various local papers, creating a number of volumes on the life and times of Melbourn as seen through the eyes of the papers. You can read about 'Peepbo' Salmon in Issue 78, June 2014, of the Magazine on page 27. www.issuu.com/melbourn Our very best wishes to all students who will soon be taking exams. Have a wonderful summer.

Contents Village news All Saints’ Playgroup

50th Anniversary Reunion

Melbourn Fete 23 June 2018 New Royal Papworth Hospital

10 13

Looking for volunteers

Memory Lane

Voyage to Ceylon

Education

Melbourn Playgroup & Moos Melbourn Primary School Melbourn Village College British Schools Judo Championships

Nature

River Mel Restoration Group

Profile

Pat Ames

Village information Diary Bin collection Nature

35 36 38 39

Melwood: Your Local Nature Reserve

Travelogue

Travelling the Himalayas A mystery wrapped in an enigma

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.

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

feature

A visitor to the parish Thomas Rayson

Churches Together Review

45 49

The Cambridge Art Book he A Novel

Sports & Clubs feature

51 54

A Secret World and a pleasant bike-ride to Cambridge

feature

Prehistoric discoveries in Melbourn

What’s On

email: melbournmagazine@gmail.com

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Village news Village News A letter from Val Barrett

Retirement of two stalwarts of Melbourn

50th Anniversary Reunion of All Saints’ Playgroup

Library 7 Literary lunch – Home-Start

Don Littlechild

The New Melbourn Singers

Melbourn & Meldreth Women’s Group

Melbourn Women’s Institute

Retirement 9 Melbourn Fete – 23 June 2018

The Hall For All and Melbourn Cinema Event

Relate Cambridge

From the Parish Clerk

County Councillor Susan van de Ven

Library – LAP (Local Access Point) Library opening times Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

2.30 to 4.30 pm 2.30 to 4.30 pm 2.30 to 4.30 pm 2.30 to 6.30 pm 2.30 to 4.30 pm 10.00 to 12.00 am

A letter from Val Barrett Former District Councillor for the Melbourn Ward May I through the Melbourn Magazine, thank the residents who have supported me during my tenure as District Councillor. After ten years in total on the Council, I have decided the time has come to retire. It has been an honour to serve the Melbourn Ward on the following committees: Housing, Planning, Scrutiny, Licensing, Employment and Responsive Repairs. As District Council doesn’t get as high a profile as County Council, it being involved with Education, Transport and Highways, I have always worked quietly in the background responding to calls for assistance from residents. I wish whoever follows after me, my very best wishes for the future.

Retirement of two stalwarts of Melbourn Last month two of Melbourn’s best known councillors stood down – Val Barrett from the District Council and Rosemary Gatward from the Parish Council. Both have given stalwart service to the village over a number of years and without doubt the Parish Council will greatly miss their input. Neither of them have enjoyed the best of health over the last few years and they have reluctantly stepped down. Val joined the Parish Council in the 1980’s, and later became District Councillor. As a Parish Councillor, she was chairman of the Allotment Committee and always particularly interested in planning and conservation. As a District Councillor Val has worked quietly and tirelessly behind the scenes sorting out problems for individuals in housing and planning matters and many other fields. She was SCDC representative Governor of the Almshouses in Orchard Road, a role which it is hoped she will continue to fill. On the District Council Val was particularly interested in Housing and Planning and also sat on committees for Licensing and Responsive Repairs. Rosemary joined the Parish Council in 1979. It was a very different council in those days – planning meetings were held in Mary Lupton’s dining room, annual budgets were worked out in Gladys Kaye’s cottage with the help of a large sherry! Meetings were held under the benign eye of George Hinkins with Sid Waldock taking the minutes. Rosemary was very keen on tree planting and every year the council was given a number of trees to plant – and it was the councillors, who did the planting melbournmagazine@gmail.com

A date has been set for the 50th Anniversary Reunion of All Saints’ Playgroup

Melbourn Mobile Warden Scheme Can we help you? Can we help a relative? Can we help a neighbour?

Saturday 29th September 2018 From 2pm until 8pm (approx.) at All Saints Community Hall Did you see the information in the spring issue of the Melbourn Magazine? Please book the date and be looking for photos and other memorabilia to bring along or pass on to us in advance. We are planning to have a permanent record of all that we can gather before and during the occasion. We are hoping this will be a printed commemorative book. We would like photographs of each year from 1968–2008. At the reunion, we will display these photos and show cine films and more recent films which document special occasions and everyday life at the Playgroup. Many of the helpers and committee members have been contacted and are looking forward to seeing you all and sharing memories. Don’t miss your opportunity to get your memories in print. Did you know that the All Saint’s Playgroup logo was designed by Glynis Rudge who won the design competition? Please telephone any of the numbers below if you can offer help or information. We will be pleased to hear from you. 01763 220040 | 01763 221612 | 01763 261225 | 01763 260392

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 • • • • • • • • •

1999

•

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 £7 per week (a little more for couples). Jeannie Seers (Mobile Warden) 07808 735066 email jeanseers1@ntlworld.com

1983 6

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Jane Cage (Deputy) 07592 821976 email jane.e.cage@btinternet.com Melbourn Warden Scheme is a registered charity

and the follow up watering – there wasn’t the luxury of a handyman in those days. Trees hedges and bulbs were planted all over the village. Rosemary served on the Rural Footpath Committee, Play Areas, Conservation and Planning. When planning applications came in for new build she was always most concerned to know what colour the bricks and roof tiles would be so that everything blended into the local scene. Rosemary fought long and hard to keep 83 High Street, the old Working Men’s Clubhouse, which became the British Legion Hut, and is now a pretty little garden with a seat. There was also a struggle to keep the Fire Engine House in Station Road, it appeared on the agenda every month for years until eventually in 1987 the council received a grant to have it restored. Because the doors open out over the pavement it could never really be used for anything other than storage and it was a source of irritation to Rosemary that the village bier was not installed in there. Being part of the council was fun, there was much laughter, she made many friends and learned a great deal on the way. Ron Peer the former head of MVC was a councillor for many years and it was due to him that meetings were held in the Village College. The meetings were lengthy, Mr. Oakey the caretaker would get very niggled at having to wait for the meeting to finish and on one occasion he locked everyone in. Fortunately, Ron Peer’s study was on the ground floor so everyone climbed out of the window onto the flower beds. The building of the bypass was another battle – only long term residents will remember the bitter rivalry between the east and west factions and Rosemary & Val both remember sitting through the ‘day after’ the Enquiry. It was to heal the wounds that the Village Fete was revived. With her experience with young children in the All Saints Playgroup, Rosemary was the obvious choice to be the council’s representative on the Board of Governors at the Primary School a position she held for many years. She also did a spell as Chairman of the Parish Council (she would not have wanted to be ‘Chair Person’ or ‘Chair’) and was instrumental in securing the old Rural District Council rubbish tip for a conservation site – now the BMX track. Val and Rosemary have worked hard on behalf of the village and always in the best interests of Melbourn. It is hoped that with a little more time to relax they will begin to enjoy better health. Mavis Howard

Library The Library is manned by a team of librarians who all have a passion for books. We enjoy meeting our borrowers and appreciate feedback as this helps us to choose new books that will be popular. There is a special shelf above the junior fiction where all our new books are placed, so it is always worth having a look there for the latest titles. Our turnover of books has increased in recent years, especially in the junior section. Here the number of books borrowed by younger and Primary School aged children has increased quite dramatically. This is particularly pleasing and we are

Don Littlechild Don, who was born in Melbourn, sadly died in March. Don was a well-known, and well loved character in the village and lived here for all his life apart from his time in the army. He and his brother Walter joined up in 1938, when Don was seventeen. He was sent to the Middle East to Baghdad with the 10th Corps, and then joined the 8th Army in North Africa. He was wounded three times, and spent several months in hospital, including three months in Cambridge. As part of a guard group he escorted German prisoners to America and while there visited New Jersey and New York. He and Gwen, who died in 2007, were married in 1948. After the War Don got a job at the Rubber Company in Letchworth, where he stayed until he retired.

expecting an even greater take up than usual for the county wide summer reading challenge for Primary School children. Please ask the librarians for details. One of our regular librarians, Mandy, has been running Story Time for young children every Friday at 11 am. This has been a great success and is well attended. New children (and their mothers) are always welcome, but please book in at the Hub reception beforehand as spaces are limited. Although not run by the Library, but well supported by librarians and regular borrowers, the Ghost Stories presented by Graham Parry at the Hub earlier in the year was a literary experience. In suitably creepy surroundings of a transformed Hub we were chilled to the marrow by tales of the supernatural. The Hub has been running Computer Training Sessions on the first Monday of the month at 10 am. These sessions are aimed at helping people overcome problems they may encounter while operating Personal Computers (PCs). Computers for practice are provided Although the most recent session started on 14th May there will be further sessions, details are available at the Hub reception. All sessions are free but please book at reception as spaces are limited. Jane Stevens

Literary lunch – Home-Start A Literary lunch will be held on Tuesday 3rd July at 12.15pm at The Old Bull Inn. Come and be entertained by Jude Simpson, our Poet in Residence who will be talking to Kate Swindlehurst, author of Parkinson’s & the Tango Effect. melbournmagazine@gmail.com

Kate Swindlehurst

Tickets £15 to include a buffet lunch and tea/coffee. To book call 01763 262262, email admin@hsrsc.org.uk or book online through www.ticketsource.co.uk/hsrsc How do you deal with a diagnosis of Parkinson’s? Dancing is probably the last thing on your mind… Parkinson’s & the Tango Effect is the story of an incredible year in the life of a woman with Parkinson’s. It began with a tango lesson and grew into an exploration of the healing potential of the dance. Quirky, intimate and unashamedly literary, the book takes an unflinching look at the dark side but also at reasons to celebrate. It builds on research on the impact of dance on Parkinson’s symptoms & takes it a stage further, with a behind-the-scenes record of private lessons and contributions from tango teachers. It documents the emotional and social benefits of the dance and its impact on the quality of life. “This book is my story, a story of learning to accept myself as I am but also refusing to be defined by Parkinson’s. It’s about how I found a way of living with illness that is liberating.” It’s the story of an extraordinary dance, both exotic and accessible, its history, its music. It’s the story of what happens when the two come together. And it’s the story of a sustaining and enduring friendship. Parkinson’s & the Tango Effect challenges our perceptions of disability. It is essential reading for those with a professional interest in dance and Parkinson’s, and for researchers in the field. It’s also a book for the ordinary reader, for those living with a chronic condition, and for the tango and Parkinson’s communities worldwide.

The New Melbourn Singers The New Melbourn Singers, as part of the Cambridgeshire Choral Society, once again performed at the Cambridge University Concert Hall in West Road. This time it was two very different settings of the Mass, Dvorak’s Mass in D Minor and Puccini’s Messa di Gloria. The concert went well and was enjoyed by performers and audience alike. Singing in a large choir is an exhilarating experience so if there are any singers out there who would like the opportunity to take part in one of these concerts please get in touch.

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It is with great sadness that we learned shortly before the concert that our conductor, Adrian Jacobs, was retiring. Adrian has been with the New Melbourn Singers for 40 years in different capacities, latterly as our wonderful conductor. His patience, kindness and incredible musical knowledge made every practice a delight. His endeavours with us paid off when we were able to sing with confidence some amazing choral works. We shall miss him but we all wish him well in the future. The Cambridgeshire Choral Society is putting on a day-long singing workshop on Saturday 15th September 2018 in the United Reformed Church, Trumpington Street, Cambridge (not far from the Trumpington park and ride bus stop by the Fitzwilliam Museum). This is open to all and will be a fun and instructive day. Music will be provided. Full details can be found on the Society’s website. Jane Stevens

Melbourn & Meldreth Women’s Group We are a small friendly group and we meet on the 4th Tuesday of the month except in December, we vary our venue between All Saints Community Hall in Melbourn and Holy Trinity Church Meeting Room in Meldreth. We either have a guest speaker or in house entertainment followed by tea/coffee and biscuits. There is a fee of £1 on the evening and a chance to make a donation to our charity of the year which is Cambridge Street Pastors. On the 26 June, we will meet at our usual time of 7.45pm in All Saints Community Hall Melbourn where we will hear a talk about ‘Dogs for Good’ which was the charity we

Home-Start Royston & South Cambridgeshire are looking for Home Visiting Volunteers Can you give a family the most precious gift - your time? 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 Tel: 01763 262262 or e-mail admin@hsrsc.org.uk www.hsrsc.org.uk Registered Charity No 1105385

supported last year. Our July meeting is on the 24th and this will be at Holy Trinity Church Meeting Room, again at 7.45pm, when we will have a ‘Musical Bingo Evening’. We have yet to arrange our outing for August and details will be confirmed nearer the time. All our meetings begin at 7.45pm and do come along if you’d like to, or if you want to know more please contact one of the committee members. Pat Smith (262575) Sue Toule (260955) Anne Harrison (261775) Angela Leach (262793) Pat Ames and Kimmi Crosby

Melbourn Women’s Institute Sadly, our meeting in February had to be cancelled because of the heavy snowfall that day but fortunately our local celebrity flautist Rachel Haynes (the daughter of one of our members) was able to come in March and entertained us with both a mini flute concert and a history of the instrument. Flutes are the earliest form of musical instrument; some having been made from holes drilled in shin bones! Originally they were end- played but later it was found that a stronger sound came when the instrument was side blown. It really was an enjoyable evening. Following on from our inspiring talk on Mercy Ships by Veronica Weatherhead, one of our members turned up with a basket full of colourful knitted teddies which are given to the young patients. The simple pattern is available if anyone likes knitting and likes a worthwhile project. I am really looking forward to the April meeting when we shall be entertained by Amanda Sutherland showing us her costume collection – unfortunately this has to go to press before I can tell you more about it. In May, there will be a talk on Wild Life Conservation from Willers Mill and in June you will be able look in the Diary pages to see further details. We meet on the fourth Wednesday of the month at 8 pm in the Melbourn Community Hall behind the church and membership is £41 per annum. Do come and join us. Mavis Howard

Retirement

Opening up a world of opportunities Have you ever heard of the U3A? Does the University of the Third Age mean anything to you? It’s a network of groups offering learning and social opportunities for people who are retired or no longer in full time employment. No, it’s not about Bingo or gossiping; it’s about keeping up to date, extending your horizons and stretching both mind and body. Started in 1973, there are now over 1,000 U3As across the UK – low-cost learning cooperatives which draw upon the knowledge, experience and skills of their own members to organise and provide interest groups. The teachers learn and the learners teach. U3As can be as small as 12 and as large as 2000; Melbourn & District U3A has over 500 members with 33 groups devoted to current affairs debates, computing, yoga, walking, quizzes, poetry, bridge, badminton, science, croquet … the list goes on.

Every month we have a speaker; recent ones have covered, Police dog training; the aviatrix Amy Johnson; the responsibilities of a magistrate; the causes and treatments for stress; walks around London. There are outings too; how do the Isle of Wight; Stratford on Avon; the gardens at RHS Wisley; Airbus Space Systems; the Mars lander sound? National events encompass lectures at the Royal Institution and the Royal Society, talks and concerts in Birmingham, London, Cambridge etc. There are summer schools at a number of venues, with a range of topics to stretch the mind. U3A Membership only costs £13 a year, speaker meetings are free, and group get togethers only cost a couple of pounds plus something for coffee. We meet mostly at Melbourn Village College, All Saints Community Hall, The Hub or Foxton Village Hall, while some smaller groups meet in each other’s homes. We all recognise that retirement is often accompanied by challenges – reduced income, poorer health, less social interaction – and the U3A can really help by keeping our minds and bodies active. But the most striking effect is the learning, fun and laughter it brings into our lives – once again we are busy with lots of choices and a group of new friends. So, if you’re finding yourself at a loose end since retiring and U3A sounds like something you might enjoy, come for a taster session and meet a few people at a speaker meeting at Melbourn Village College usually held on the third Wednesday of the month. Tea & coffee are served at 2.45 pm, and the talk is from 3 to 4pm; come alone or bring a friend. Contact our Business Secretary on 01223 871132 or email melbu3a+secretary@gmail.com Check our website www.u3asites.org.uk/melbourn for more information and an application form.

WHAT THE PAPERS SAID The Village Feast According to ancient custom Melbourn’s annual threeday feast begins on the first Thursday in July, but so little had been heard of the event this year that little or no feast was expected by most people, mainly because of the many wartime rules and regulations of one kind or another, but we have to record the coming of one of the largest, liveliest and best patronised feasts for many a year. It was, however, a little altered in character, the event being more of a Fun Fair than an old-time village feast. There were no sweet stalls or real coconuts, but their absence was compensated by the existence of a superabundance of swings, shooting galleries, dodgems, roundabouts, all of which were patronised by hosts of American, Belgian, French and Italian visitors in addition to our own people, which made the event a cosmopolitan affair, the like of which may never be seen in Melbourn again.

Royston Crow 14th July 1944

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Melbourn Fete 23 June 2018 As I write this in early April most of the preparation work is done, the bookings confirmed and the plans completed for this year’s Melbourn Fete starting at midday on Saturday 23th June. As I have mentioned in previous articles the event will finish at 5 pm, there will not be Music on the Moor this year. This year we will be hoping for a magnificent turn out of vintage, veteran and classic vehicles – if you want to know what the difference is between those descriptions be sure to talk to Richard and his team who will be, as ever, running this side of the event. I spoke recently to Richard and asked him what he had planned. He said, “There will be several exhibitors showing their collections of memorabilia from years past plus the usual range of vehicles – old cars, motorbikes, bicycles and farm machinery including for the first time a collection of stationary engines. If anyone reading this has something they wish to display, then please contact me through the website. Another attraction making a return by popular request is lawn mower racing. Two trophies will be competed for, one for overall winner, which was kindly donated by John Wright of Wrights Mower Centre, and one for the most innovative entry – some weird and wonderful creations are expected. More details are on the website”. That sounds exciting and it is great to see the lawn mower racing back. Lawn mower racing from a previous year, do you have a mower and an inner Lewis Hamilton temperament? If yes visit our website for more details.

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Will you spot this beautiful classic this year?

Next I spoke to Gillian Morland who for many years has booked our attractions. I asked Gillian about what we can look forward to this year. She replied, “Well you won’t be short of something to see or do at the Fete this year. We have a Champion Mountain Bike Team displaying some amazing balancing and jumping skills, live animals to handle including snakes and a gecko; a young magician will do a show for the children and will also walk around the field to demonstrate magic right up close. The Royston Town Band will be playing and a talented local keyboard player will also be performing. You can have a go at archery, or shoot a ball off the top of a water jet, ride on the fairground roundabouts, have a go at crazy golf and bounce on the inflatables and bungee cord trampolines, and the Zorbs will be there. In the arena, we will be having a display of Ceroc dancing, tug-o-war contests, the

Melbourn Dynamo football teams will be displaying their skills and, of course, our ever-popular egg throwing competition. There will be a separate area for the Dog show with lots of fun classes for dogs and their owners or handlers to enter. We will also have an enormous Newfoundland Dog with its own cart making an appearance. There will be lots of stalls in the field and in the main marquee a Great Bake Off competition.” So you see there are lots of new attractions lined up for this year as well as some of the very popular regulars. There will be an amazing selection of animals to hold and see including tarantula spiders, scorpions, corn snakes, tree frogs, millipedes, Madagascan hissing cockroaches and geckos. As always we will have locally produced top quality food on offer at reasonable prices. In addition to our locally sourced burgers and hot dogs from Leech’s butchers, Russell’s butchers will have a hog roast. We will also have a noodle bar. For those with a sweet tooth doughnuts and candy-floss will be available. Top quality coffee from our regular barista will be available and last but certainly not least we will be having an amazing array of homemade cakes and afternoon tea in the pavilion. Refreshingly cool alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks will be available from the bar including fine ales, beers and wines. So, we are ready for an amazing day, remember all profits made go to good causes, charities and activities in our village. Please visit our website for more details and competition One of our attractions this year is a Mountain Bike display team

An amazing selection of animals to hold and see

details. Lastly, if you are able to give up a little time to help us over the weekend we would love to hear from you, we can only do this whilst we have a band of volunteers to lend a hand, it’s great fun and very rewarding so please contact us through the website. www.melbournfete.co.uk A great deal of concentration is required for the egg throwing competition

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The Hall For All and Melbourn Cinema Event When you read this, we shall be three weeks away from our Tenth Anniversary weekend! Where has, the time gone? We shall be showing The Greatest Showman on Friday evening 22nd June at the usual price of £5 but we have a licensed bar for the whole weekend so you will be able to have a glass of prosecco with your popcorn! On Saturday evening, we have live entertainment in The Prosecco Monologues which promises to be an amusing evening, a light supper will be served and tickets cost £10. Finally, on Sunday afternoon 24th June at 3.30 there will be afternoon tea and Roy Crosby’s Great Little Jazz Band. Tickets for that will be £15 per person and, as I have said, we do have an alcohol licence for all three events. Our monthly cinema evenings continue to be very well supported and on 20th July we are showing The Darkest Hour (note change of date from 27th to 20th) and on 24th August Finding Your Feet. By the time you read this, the Royal Wedding between Harry and Megan will have taken place and hopefully those who watched it with us at Coffee Stop on the big screen will have enjoyed the event. We thought it would be something a little different. The eleventh Melbourn Safari Supper takes place on 2nd June, but again too late for this edition. Maintenance is ongoing – we have updated the CCTV, the broadband is installed and bookings are steady. If you are thinking of hiring the Hall, Saturday morning Coffee Stop is a good time to come and explore the facilities and get a good cup of coffee. All tickets from Brenda 261154, Cyndy 264189 or Mavis 260686

Relate Cambridge The wedding season is upon us… . With the Royal wedding, very much on everyone’s minds, Elaine Taylor, relationship expert at Relate Cambridge has some guidance for anyone contemplating getting married or making a long term commitment in their relationship. Commitment: Making a commitment to another person or a relationship is a big change, and so it is always good for a couple to talk through what commitment means to them, well ahead of the big day. Any fears or concerns are best ironed out together rather than brushed under the carpet. Expectations: At Kate and William’s wedding, the Bishop of London said ‘expectations that personal relations alone will supply meaning and happiness in life … is to load our partner with too great a burden’. We can expect too much of ourselves and our partners in relationships – we need to have realistic expectations in order to have healthy relationships. Communication: Good communication skills are vital in all our relationships but especially between couples. It is very easy to fall into bad habits, especially when communication skills are rarely taught. Brushing up on communication skills

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– sooner rather than later – is a really good investment to prevent difficulties later on. Intimacy: This is often an area that couples find difficult to talk about. Physical closeness and little gestures – such as touching and body contact – are as important as sex. It is a great help to have awareness of our own feelings about our bodies, as well as our partners, and the ability to understand both our own and our partner’s needs. Finally, a shared sense of humour and going the extra mile will keep any relationship on the right track. When things go wrong: Relate Cambridge provides support for people of all ages living in Melbourn, and at all stages of their relationships. This includes support for couples who are coping with the stress associated with planning a wedding or being in a new relationship. To find out more about our services or make a booking please ring 01302 347866 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 01302 347866 Mon-Thur 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

From the Parish Clerk The Parish Council has welcomed me, Simon Crocker as its new Parish Clerk and Proper Officer. I joined at the beginning of April, and come to the Parish Council us as an experienced Council Officer. I was Parish Clerk and Responsible Financial Officer to Caldecote Parish Council for the last five years. Additionally, I have also served as Chairman of Cambourne Parish Council, and District Councillor for the Ward of Bourn. By the time you read this the results of the Local elections in May will have been announced. We already know that the Parish Council election is uncontested, there being fewer candidates than there are seats. Melbourn Parish Council has room for 15 Councillors, this means there are 6 vacancies. If no by-election is called to fill the vacancies, then the Parish Council will be obliged to co-opt. Co-option is the process of existing Councillors choosing new Councillors to fill vacancies. Assuming no election has been called to fill the vacancies, it is likely the Parish Council will co-opt at its meeting in July. If you are the type of person who is passionate about the community you live in, wants to see tax-payers money spent responsibly, cares about future development and facilities, and wants to try and make a real difference, then you should consider applying. A brief FAQ is below. If you want more information on what it means to be a Parish Councillor, please feel free to contact the Parish Clerk on parishclerk@melbournpc.co.uk or phone 01763 263303.

FAQ Q: How do I apply for co-option? A: Contact the Parish Clerk and ask for an application form. Q: Are there any qualifications I must meet if I want to be a Parish Cllr? A: Yes. You must be over 18, a citizen of the EU, Commonwealth or R.O.I, and be on the register of electors for Melbourn or have lived, or worked in the Parish for 12 months preceding your nomination. There are other criteria and the application form takes you through them. Q: How much time will I have to spend attending to duties if I am elected? A: As much as you want, but around 10 hours per month is normal. Q: Will I have to attend Parish Council meetings? A: Yes. You will be an elected member of a local authority not a volunteer, and as such you are summoned to meetings, not invited to them. There are 10 meetings of the Full Council per year Q: Do Parish Councillors get paid? A: No. Q: How will being a Parish Councillor fit around my work? A: Meetings are in the evenings. Additionally your employer is obliged by law to give you time off to attend them.

Simon Crocker, Parish Clerk to Melbourn Parish Council

County Councillor Susan van de Ven 9000 Pot holes in three months What’s happening to our roads and pavements? I’ve been overwhelmed with reports of pot holes: tyre blow-outs, falling off bikes, near-misses by swerving drivers, and so on. Last year, Cambridgeshire Highways received 7,500 pot hole reports. In the first three months of 2018, 9,000 reports were made. Shoddy repair work shouldn’t count but does. What can you do? As annoying and frustrating as it is, please go on-line and report every pot hole in your street. Please Google ‘Cambridgeshire Report a Fault’ and follow the links – this is the best way of reporting and it is the tool I use. This will create an accurate public record – and you can see straight away where you have contributed to the public map. Have you blown a tyre or wrecked your bike? Then please lodge a request for reimbursement for damages. The PDF form is at the bottom of the fault reporting page. And if you want to moan at someone or want help reporting, please drop in at one of my advice surgeries or contact me anytime. Thanks for your help in setting the record straight. Completely new train service starts 20th May The new timetable coming into force on 20 May is described as the biggest change in rail services for decades: we are part of ‘Thameslink’ territory and will be connected up to a far greater network throughout the Southeast than ever before. Locally we will have twice hourly trains all day, Monday-

New Royal Papworth Hospital The new Royal Papworth Hospital is due to open at the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Addenbrooke’s in September this year. The hospital is looking for additional volunteers to help in a number of areas, including;

• Greeter desk • Assistance in the day ward • Waypointing • Ward visiting • Administration assistance • Mobile trolley service,

and a number of other areas If you would like to get involved and commit to a few hours or a day a week, in the first instance you may like to come along to shadow one of our current volunteers to see if you would enjoy joining our group of dedicated volunteers, please contact in confidence. Email: papworth.pals@nhs.net Tel: 01480 364896 Or write to PALS Supervisor Royal Papworth NHS Foundation Trust Papworth Everard, Cambridgeshire. CB3 8PE

Saturday (except 11am-noon due to the Cemex goods train!), and an hourly service Sunday. All trains will be eight carriages, Tube style, with much more vestibule room. Trains will depart on a completely new schedule on a massively complex grid – details on the Meldreth, Shepreth and Foxton website: meldrethsheprethfoxtonrail.org.uk. As part of the phased roll-out of the new service, from May 20th until December 2019 our trains will continue to terminate at King’s Cross, but thereafter will run via St Pancras, providing onward service to Blackfriars, London Bridge, or Gatwick from Meldreth, Shepreth and Foxton.

New platform shelter: so far so good While the wheels move slowly, it looks like the promised new shelter for Meldreth’s Cambridge-bound platform is going ahead. There’s a months-long lead time but the starting gun has been fired. This has come about via lobbying from the Meldreth, Shepreth and Foxton Rail User Group. Flood avoidance tours Highways came out to Melbourn in April to keep a preventive eye on avoidable problems that result from blockages in the drainage network. Continuing action is needed at Back Lane/London Way, Orchard Way near Maple Way, and possibly new work along Trigg Way. It is usually very localized reporting that provides the clue to a network problem, so please always get in touch with any concerns. melbournmagazine@gmail.com

FOREVER

Affordable exercise classes and sport sessions for the over 50s and those returning to a more active lifestyle in Melbourn

My name is Steph and have lived in Melbourn for 15 years. I have recently started to deliver a Strength and Balance Exercise class on behalf of Forever Active at All Saints Community Hall in Vicarage Close. Forever Active are a charity that specialises in exercise for the older adult and work closely with the CPFT (NHS) Falls Prevention Service. The weekly class is a mixture of seated and standing exercises to help improve mobility and independence by strengthening bones, increasing suppleness and stamina. The class runs weekly on a Tuesday 12.00–1.00pm and your first class is a FREE taster so you have nothing to lose by coming a long and giving it a go. If you would like more information or to let me know that you are going to attend, please contact me tel: 07751280464 For more information about Forever Active please visit www.forever-active.org.uk or contact enquiries@forever-active.org.uk

www.forever-active.org.uk

07432 480105

WHAT THE PAPERS SAID A Van Dweller’s Cooking Late one evening at the feast, one of the van dwellers was seen to be preparing some apparently old and useless lettuce leaves and broad bean pods for cooking in readiness for supper after the Feast closing down, an event which aroused the curiosity of some Melbourn housewives who got into conversation with the van woman. They were told and shown how the large and usually discarded leaves of lettuce could be cooked and used for a vegetable in precisely the same way as spinach. Broad bean pods can be used in the same way. Local housewives may ‘like to have a go.’ Herts Cambs Reporter and Royston Crow July 11th 1947

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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

Melbourn Back Lane trees Recently, six trees were taken down by County Highways in Back Lane Melbourn – this was due to disease. We are offered six replacement trees, to be planted where the parish would like. I’ll be asking Melbourn Parish Council for their view. Help keep Royston & District Community Transport’s minibuses! Royston & District Community Transport is a charity providing lifeline transport for people who’d otherwise be isolated. RDCT has a small fleet of minibuses, including a lovely 16-seat low-floor model, provided by the Department for Transport – and has raised funds for running costs and maintenance. Now the Department for Transport is looking to radically change licensing arrangements for community transport providers running minibuses, meaning they would need a commercial operator’s license, and their volunteer drivers would need professional qualifications, costing thousands. This means that a whole range of activities using RDCT’s minibuses is under threat. The DfT is currently in consultation on community transport operations and it would be very helpful to RDCT if local residents could write to them saying that they value RDCT minibus services. Please email david@roystrans.co.uk saying just that – by May 1st. Many thanks. In the meantime, RDCT is critically short of minibus drivers right now – if you or anyone you know would be interested in being a minibus driver, please contact them. Bus ticket for the Mayor The Mayor and Combined Authority are the new county Transport Authority. The Mayor’s Bus Review, announced in November, should finally be starting soon. Meanwhile, the County Council has firmly stated that its current round of bus subsidies, with another stay of execution running until April 2019, marks the end of its financial contribution to supporting bus services. The Cam Vale Bus User Group will continue to be a local voice for bus users. New 128 bus timetable – and now it’s the ‘127’ The Cam Vale Bus Users Group has been working with the bus operator and the County Council on timetable revisions for the combined 127/128 bus service. Special attention has been given to ensuring linking up with the 26 bus and the new Great Northern timetables. The aim is to distribute the new timetable, and bring it into force, as close as possible to the introduction of the new train timetable on May 20, so by the time you read this article. Please get in touch if you’d like to receive Bus User Group news. Selling off county estates, confidentially As I’ve been reporting, the County Council is running out of money and can no longer take proper care of people or infrastructure. The council is rich in land – it has one of the most extensive land holdings of any council in the country. So, to make new money it has created its own commercial development company, with which to commercially develop

some of its land holdings. This new company is currently known as ‘This Land.’ Sales of county-owned land to This Land take place through the Commercial and Investment Committee, comprised of democratically elected councillors but whose papers are largely confidential. With the County’s Chief Finance Officer and Chief Legal Officer also serving as Board Members on This Land, there are obvious questions of conflict of interest. Be aware – many County Council land holdings are in sensitive places in our villages: including part of Melbourn Recreation Ground. You can see County land holdings on the County website here (click on the word ‘Maps’ in the top right-hand corner): www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk.

Duke of Edinburgh volunteers helping out Through Melbourn Village College, the Meldreth, Shepreth and Foxton Community Rail Partnership and A10 Corridor Cycling Campaign are now enjoying support from five Duke of Edinburgh Volunteers – litter picking and watering the flower tubs at the stations and helping to bring younger people who would like to be cycling safely to college into the Cycle Campaign’s work on the Melbourn-Royston pedestrian cycle link. Drop-in advice surgery Any questions or concerns? I’m at the Melbourn Hub every first Monday of the month, 3–4 (except August). Or please feel free to contact me any time. Susan van de Ven, County Councillor Telephone 07905325574 | Susanvandeven5@gmail.com

WHAT THE PAPERS SAID The Spring Offensive A few days ago the annual event known to the male population of the village as the spring offensive, and to housewives as spring cleaning, commenced in most homes in the village. Long suffering husbands had fondly hoped that little or nothing in the way of spring cleaning would take place this year owing to the rationing of soap and other necessities, the scarcity and expense of wallpapers, curtains etc, but these inconveniences seemed not to deter the housewife, who started the annual upheaval with grim determination. Many a husband who in the morning left his house as he thought spick and span and clean enough for anybody, returned at night to find his home in a highly chaotic state, his pipe and tobacco hidden, the wireless dismantled, his football pool forms missing and everything in a topsy-turvy condition, a state of unhappy affairs which may continue for two or three weeks. When peace and happiness do eventually return to the home this happy state of the home will not last very long as it will soon be time to clean up again for the village feast. Herts and Cambs Reporter and Royston Crow April 18 1947

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Memory Lane Voyage to Ceylon

In 1937, Isabella Hagger of Melbourn embarked on a sea voyage to Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) to visit her husband Cyril who was working for the Admiralty, constructing oil storage tanks. Isa (as she preferred to be called) kept a detailed journal of her outgoing journey and of the seven months she spent in Ceylon. This journey was at a time when few ventured out of the country to see the world. On her return Isa was asked to give a talk about her experiences to the Congregational Church Women’s Group. Below is an abridged version of this interesting story which she wrote 80 years ago. My friends were all very kind and gave me a wonderful send off from Melbourn on Oct. 8th when I left about 8 a.m. to start on my journey to join my ship the Rajputana at George V docks London. I will never forget the moment when the Rajputana slid out of the docks at 1 p.m. and I had started on my long journey. The lump in my throat seemed too big for me to control, but on looking around I found many people who had quite lost control and were making very distressing scenes and this helped me to compose myself, and give a watery smile and a wave as the car containing my girls drove away. Lunch was served as soon as the ship sailed and on my brother’s good advice I had some soup “because it slips over the lumps so easily”. Lunch was served as soon as the ship sailed. I spent the afternoon unpacking and walking around the decks all alone, and I must admit feeling rather miserable. We had tea at 4.30, and as soon as that was over the bell rang for boat drill. I had imagined that would be a fearful ordeal and pictured myself scrambling into a given place in one of the small boats, but I was quite wrong and the drill was over in a very few The SS Rajputana was a P&O steam passenger ship. It was used by a number of famous passengers including Mohandas Gandhi who travelled to England on the Rajputana to attend the talks on the independence of India and T E Lawence (Lawrence of Arabia).

minutes. We merely put on our life belts and listened to a few instructions. At dinner, we were put at our allotted places in the dining saloon and were able to exchange remarks with our table companions, and as soon as dinner was over a red headed scotch lady from Glasgow came up and spoke to me in the lounge, and made plans to meet me on deck next morning and she proved to be a very good friend to me and remained so throughout the voyage. We arrived at Southampton the next and day and I went ashore for two hours. We sailed from Southampton at 2 p.m., and the voyage started in earnest. Very soon the wind started to blow and the sea became very rough and I felt very, very sick. I had heard that the state of feeling seasick is purely mental, and that if one fights against it, one is alright. Believe me, I fought as hard as I could and tried every suggested cure from Glucose D to green apples, but I had to retire to my little bunk in my cabin. I felt somewhat better by the time we arrived at Gibraltar and was so thrilled at the sight of the Rock that I quite forgot I had been ill. I did not go ashore, but I shall always be glad to think that I have been privileged to see this ‘Guardian of the Mediterranean’. We sailed again at about 5 p.m. and as we sailed along we could hear the Spanish guns and see the flashes. As night fell a huge ensign was flood lit on the ship’s stern to proclaim to all the world that we were British. Some nervous souls on board circulated most alarming rumours about mines, and Spanish airplanes etc., but we never were in any danger and we were well protected by British war ships all through the Mediterranean. At the time of Isa’s voyage, there had been a military uprising in Spain which became known as The Spanish Civil War. Our next port was Marseilles. A party of five of us went ashore as safety in numbers seems to be the rule. Even with this party we had the unpleasant experience of being followed for 2 hours by an objectionable looking man. So persistent was he that we had to ask a Gendarme to speak to him, while we got a taxi to get away from him. We did not do any sightseeing as we were all bent on shopping, but we were long enough ashore to realise the truth of the saying that every nationality can be found in Marseilles. We had some distinguished passengers on board for Malta, among them Lady Georgiana Kidston (The Earl of Howe’s daughter) with her baby. Naturally the women passengers were interested in the arrival of her husband and although we were told that society people make no fuss on these occasions, he arrived in an Admiralty launch with a huge bouquet of red roses and tore up the gangway to meet Lady Georgiana. She is very lovely and was dressed in a navy-blue coat and skirt with beautiful red fox furs, hat shoes and gloves in the same lovely shade. I went down for dinner and my sympathetic table steward advised me to eat while the boat was still as it was going to be very rough again. That meal on the 17th had to last me a …continued on page 18 melbournmagazine@gmail.com

very long time, as it was at Port Said on the 20th before I could take the next one. One of the joys of real seasickness is that one feels so ill, that night and day are all the same and friends and relations do not matter. I must just add too that it was so rough that I was all covered with black and blue bruises as the lurching ship knocked its poor passengers into any post or pillar or chair in the cabins or lounges. I enjoyed my visit to Port Said and that walk on terra firma seemed to put me right for the rest of the voyage. There is nothing of any special interest to see at Port Said, but it is the first taste of The East and a traveller going East for the first time is almost bewildered by the scene. The natives are so brightly dressed and the dwellings so different from any of the western ports. It was very warm and we only stayed ashore about 2 hours. I was interested in all the strange sights, but it is so difficult to get along the streets as the beggars and street vendors worry the people from the ship all the time. The beggars perform all sorts of tricks too. The most popular is called the ‘gilly gilly’ trick. He shows a small egg to the interested spectator, and in a very few minutes 5 or 6 real live chickens appear apparently from space. We sailed from Port Said and by this time everyone on board was happy and friendly and I wondered how I ever could have felt lonely. We each knew our friends complete life story and I found that instead of being the only woman on board who had to pluck up courage to leave their homes and children, that I was one of many, and one of the very lucky ones, as my visit was really a holiday. We did not land at Suez, but we were fortunate to go through the Suez Canal by daylight. It is such a narrow canal that it seemed as if our ship would get stuck. I wish I could describe the wonder of it all. The huge desert stretching on either side, and the camels going quietly along with their burdens, often silhouetted against the sky line, made unforgettable and lovely pictures. Along the canal at intervals were little settlements, where an engineer has his home and at each someone came out to wave to our big ship, as it passed on its way. A tragedy befell me in the Red Sea. One morning I looked in my denture dish and thinking the water in it was not very fresh I emptied it out of the port-hole and with it my lower teeth. I felt terrible about it, I thought it would spoil my trip but apart from the fact that I could not eat very well I managed to live it down although at the time I was very sorry for myself and very annoyed at my own stupidity. I had many things told me for my consolation, the most comforting was a friend who wrote to tell me this story. A lady who shared a cabin with another travelling East, felt rather thirsty one night in her bunk. Without switching on the light, she reached out for a tumbler of water and finding it a little warm, she threw it out of the port-hole and took some fresh water and went to sleep. Can you imagine her feelings in the morning to find she had thrown away her cabin companion’s top and bottom teeth and do you wonder that they both had a most unhappy trip? Our next port of call was Aden and the temperature was over 100 degrees. As the ship sails in one had the impression of huge cardboard mountains cut out and stuck around the little town, enclosing it so gray are they and no sign of vegetation at all.

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I had a new and thrilling experience at Aden. A friend, who had been an engineer for 7 years on a cable ship found that his boat was in the bay and he took me aboard. There are 17 officers and a Captain all European and a native crew. The officers gave us a wonderful welcome. They had not had a female on board for months and months and out came all the snaps of their wives, sweethearts and babies. After breakfast which was jolly and lengthy and most unusual they sent my friend and me back to the Rajputana in their lovely motor launch. The men on these ships have a lonely life, often not calling at a port for months on end. Their job is to mend the broken cables radiating to many parts of the world, which means that they are frequently weeks at sea, out of sight of land. On Oct 26th the whole day was given up to the children of whom there were about 25 on board. In the morning they had sports watched with great interest by all the passengers. Tiny tots of 2 and 3 years caused great amusement, by entering into the various events with jest and vigour. At 4 p.m. the children had their party. No effort had been spared to make the tables attractive, and once again all the grownups trooped down to see the children have a lovely tea. At 5 p.m. prizes were given away and in addition each child was given a present. Then after Nuts-in-May and a few more jolly games the wee ones went off to bed with a memory, I am sure, which will last a very long time. I had a chat with the head steward, who told me some very interesting food facts, one which made a great impression on me. Everything is done to ensure fresh supplies of fruit and vegetables are from P&O’s own extensive farms in Australia to which they send out seeds from home, and so the ships can pick up a good supply of home produce for the return journey. All the bread and cakes are made on board, and as there were over 2,000 tomato sandwiches alone cut every afternoon, you can imagine the bakers were kept busy. We picked up fruit at each port, and so we were privileged to enjoy most delicious fruits as we got further east. It was a marvel to me to be able to get crisp lettuce in the middle of the Red Sea. The head steward, too, compiles the menus and I think he must have been a man of great imagination as at each port we had a suitable dish, for example at Marseilles the fish was Marseilles slips (small Dover sole) while at Malta the trifle was a Maltese one. Another source of great interest on big ships are the ladies fashions. The weather conditions are so hot that that alone is a good excuse for the girls to make frequent changes. For sport, which is indulged in nearly all mornings, the pretty cotton dresses and shorts are most suitable. Some of the girls wear slacks all the time but they cannot be cool and are not very becoming. Lots of people retire for a siesta after lunch and appear for tea in a little more frilly frock than the morning one. It is at dinner that one really sees the fashion parade. Girls who have been in shorts all day emerge in beautiful evening gowns of every colour and description making a really charming scene. You must remember it is so warm that evening dress is the coolest one can wear and it is easy to look ones best under these conditions. On the 28th about 3 p.m. we arrived at Bombay. The first thing one sees on entering the harbour is a huge memorial of the great war, called The Gateway of India.

Cyril, Sheina, Morag and Isa Hagger in their garden in Orchard Road, Melbourn in the late 1920s

We hired a car and paid a brief visit to the wonderful hanging gardens. Having seen all this beauty we decided to go to the Crawford Market. This is a huge covered-in market place, for fruit, vegetables, brass ware, carpets, curios and almost everything else one can think of. The beggars in this quarter are so persistent and the cripples all along the street in dozens, make one feel so unhappy we did not spend very long in that quarter, but during my brief visit I full realised the awful conditions under which these people must exist, to render them into this filthy and crippled state. After a visit to the Taj Mahal Hotel to which everyone who goes to Bombay seems to pay a visit, we were quite glad to get back to the ship. We were due in Colombo harbour on Oct 31st about 6.30 a.m. but long before my stewardess came to call me at 5.30 a.m., I was up and dressed, and as we sailed into Colombo harbour I could hardly realise that I had actually come to the end of my sea voyage, and that I would so soon meet my husband. As promised he was the first man on the ship and although I had looked forward so much to seeing him walk up the gangway, I was so thrilled that at the very critical moment I had to turn away to compose myself, and so I did not see him until he stepped onto the ship. We stayed about half an hour on the ship saying good-byes and then I landed in lovely Ceylon. An unabridged version of Isa’s ‘Voyage to Ceylon’ can be found at the end of this magazine. In the next edition of the magazine, ‘Days in Ceylon’. Isa spends seven months getting to know the country and the people. Cyril Hagger is part of a long established Melbourn Hagger family. James Hagger a saddler came to Melbourn around 1790. His son Joseph Ellis Hagger inherited the family business from his grandfather in 1824. J. E. Hagger and Son – described as Collar & Harness Maker, Dealer in Oil, Cutlery, Ironmongery, Rope, Hemp – continued trading until 1930. The shop was situated at what is now the Post Office in the High Street. Isa was born in Scotland and met Cyril when he was there on a business trip to Scotland. They married in 1919 and had two daughters, Morag and Sheina. In 1924 the family moved to The Maples, in Orchard Road in Melbourn. melbournmagazine@gmail.com

richardarnott.com GARDEN DESIGN & BUILD

Richard Arnott 07710547493/01763 263231 www.richardarnott.com mail@richardarnott.com

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MVC EDUCATION

U3A

PLAY SCHOOL NOTRE ECOLE PLAYGROUP

Education SCHOOL LITTLE HANDS PRIMARY

VILLAGE COLLEGE

Melbourn Playgroup & Moos

Little Hands Karen

01763 260964

Melbourn Playgroup

Jane Crawford

07842 151512

Notre Ecole Janet Whitton Pippins Children’s Centre Alison Wood

261231 223460

Primary School

Headteacher Stephanie Wilcox 223457 U3A (Univ. of Third Age)

Chairman Tony Garrick 01223 510201 Village College

Principal Simon Holmes 223400

WHAT THE PAPERS SAID Old Village surnames The question of old village surnames was recently questioned by some interested villagers. The name of Rumbold appears to be one of the oldest as there was a worker of that name on the Bury payroll about a thousand years ago, and there are now several of this name in Melbourn. There is in existence a complete list of the families living in the village 286 years ago (in 1600) and in this old list are names of families living in Melbourn today. They are French, Ellis, Harper, Stockbridge, Cooper, Willmott, Frost, Huggins, Day, Oliver, Taylor, Muncey, Wedd, Chapman, Ward and Woods Reporter and Royston Crow Friday January 18th 1946

We have a wonderful time at Melbourn Playgroup, Out of School Club and the Holiday Club.

Melbourn Playgroup

The Playgroup have been doing what they do best this term and learning through play! We have been in the forest hunting for the Gruffalo. We have been collecting sticks, counting them and then working out which one is the biggest and smallest. We have had stories in the yurt and had lots of fun with messy play both inside and out. We have had a visit from Wiggles the dog and taken the children to visit the library in the Hub. Thank you to all those who made these experiences for the children possible. We continue to try and offer all our children rich and varied experiences. As we move towards the end of the school year we are transitioning our pre‑school children to reception. They have had some wonderful visits into the school for stories and play. Thank you to Melbourn Primary School. I am sure it will lead to another year of children seamlessly starting the primary school in September.

Out of School Club (MOOS) and Holiday Club

MOOS have also had a great term. We have continued to enjoy lots of freely chosen, self-directed play along with lots of craft and creative work. Despite the ever-changing weather, we have also enjoyed lots of team games outside as well as dance routines and imaginative play. It is always a lovely experience to see children socialising, playing and growing during their time with us at MOOS. The year 6 children will be off to a new school career soon and we would like to wish them the very best of luck for September. We also look forward to welcoming a new intake of reception children in September. The Melbourn Holiday Club will be open during the summer holidays for 3–11 year-olds from 8am to 6pm, starting on 25th July until 10th August 2018. The holiday club is open to children at Melbourn Primary School and Playgroup and also for children outside of Melbourn. If you are interested in booking a place at our holiday clubs or want further info please contact us – moos@melbournplaygroup.org.uk or telephone us on 01763 223459. There is also lots of information on our website – melbournplaygroup.org.uk

Plans for the future We are also very excited to share with you the plans for the new extension to Melbourn Playgroup and MOOS, which will open in September 2018. The building work began after the Easter holidays and is well under way. We look forward to being able to offer more places to our local families, and to welcome new residents to Melbourn. melbournmagazine@gmail.com

Year 2 Trip to the Zoo

Display / Teaching

Existing Pre School Retained Not Enclosed

Toilets 7 m²

Office

Toilet

11 m²

4 m²

Pre School 2 67 m²

Toilets 9 m²

Lobby & Cloaks 9 m²

Melbourn Playgroup and Out of School is an Ofsted Outstanding provider. To keep up to date with what we do, we have a Facebook page – www.facebook.com/Melbournplay/. We are taking bookings now for 2018/2019. If you have any queries or would like to make a booking, please contact us at www.melbournplaygroup.org.uk or 01763 223459.

Melbourn Primary School

On Tuesday 20th March, Year 2 visited London Zoo to explore the rainforest and to see the rainforest animals, we have been learning about, up close. We had the most amazing day. “We saw a yellow spotty giraffe; it was lifting its long neck upwards slowly.” Ellie “I liked the jumpy little poisonous dart frog. It was tiny. You could hardly see it.” Olly “After that we went to the mini rainforest. Have you been to London Zoo? I saw a sloth. The sloth was as quiet as a leaf.” Hector “Did you enjoy your day at the zoo? I did! I had a lovely day!” Izzy W

As we venture into spring our school is well and truly blossoming. Along with the increasing pupil numbers the school is literally growing before our eyes. Many people have asked if the new building is on two floors. It isn’t. The high windows are to let light in. I have had my first tour of the building wearing a protective hat etc. and very glamorous boots! With four new classrooms, a hall extension, new library and new offices; it really is going to be fantastic when finished. Despite the complications of living in a building site, business has continued as normal:

Year 3 & 4 Inspiration Day

We had the most amazing inspiration day to launch our Greek topic ‘What the Greeks gave us’. The children wore wonderful costumes and the workshop was very exciting. The children were able to visit a range of stalls and made wax tablets, clay lamps, frescos and many other items. In the afternoon, they enjoyed Greek theatre and a feast of Greek food.

Year 5/6 Trip to West Stow Anglo Saxon Village FS/Year 1 Parent Workshop

On Tuesday 20th March, the Foundation Stage and Year 1 classrooms were awash with excited children and adults ready to take part in some egg-citing Easter themed activities. From hunting for Easter eggs to creating Easter crafts, making repeating and symmetrical patterns to testing parachutes to keep an egg safe, the children were busily engaged in some truly wonderful learning.

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On the 22nd of March, year 5/6 arrived at the Anglo-Saxon Village in West Stow. The journey took around 45 minutes, so we arrived at about 10:30am. Once we had split into groups, it was time to explore. We were split into the two groups and had two main activities, one was a visit to the museum, and the other was to explore the houses and village. Although the museum wasn’t huge, it was full of interesting information and artefacts. We saw a small child’s

skeleton (which was roughly 40cm long and 15cm wide); a wild boar’s skin and of course an ancient poo! Ben, the guide, told us that the poo was approximately 1,500 years old, but you would never guess what it was it looked just like a pile of dirt. After the museum, Ben gave us some time to explore the village. The houses incorporated different building techniques. All of the houses had a thatched roof, but the walls were made of various materials, including wattle and daub and wood. Most of the houses had raised floors. The house that stood out the most was the ‘sunken house’. This house was one of the first designs for Anglo Saxon living that was found at West Stow. The floor of the house sat below ground level, making the house cold and at risk of flooding. Ben later informed us, during a question and answer session, that actually this probably wasn’t how the houses were built and that all houses probably had raised floors. He explained that even though they know a lot about Anglo Saxons and how they lived, they are still learning. Overall, we found this trip extremely enjoyable and very interesting. By Lauren Schofield and Jessica Wainwright.

Mother’s Day

We were delighted to welcome over 160 mothers to our Mother’s Day activities, despite the lack of tea and cake! It was incredible to watch the enthusiasm with which the children and their female relations took part in the fitness activities and tucked into the delicious fruit kebabs and loaded rice cakes.

PE news

We have been busy with PE fixtures. We had a successful second round of the A Team High 5 netball competition, with this team progressing through to the A team plate finals after Easter. Our B team also took part in the finals of their competition at Impington Village College, showing great determination and perseverance throughout their matches. We have also played the final match in the South Cambs Riverside Football League, with the team winning 6–1 against Fowlmere Primary School. The girls’ football squad also took part in a friendly match against Barrington Primary School, developing their skills phenomenally during the match to eventually win 7–4.

Ambulance

The Foundation Stage children were awestruck to go out into the car park on a cold Wednesday morning to find an ambulance waiting for them. The children learnt about what the ambulance and paramedics do and how and when to call for them. They then got to sit in the driver’s seat and make the siren work before having a tour in the back of the ambulance to see what equipment was stored there and how and when it would be used. Thank you so much to Steve and Paul for bringing the ambulance in to visit us; it was truly a memorable occasion.

We are looking forward to all that the summer term brings, especially seeing more of the school extension take shape. One of the most exciting aspects for me is that the extension connects together the various buildings of our school. No longer will I need an umbrella to get around the school on those wet days that have seemed all too frequent lately. Here’s hoping for some sunshine, this term, too! Mrs Stephanie Wilcox – Headteacher melbournmagazine@gmail.com

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Melbourn Village College Melbourn Village College is a school firmly on the road to expansion. With the school achieving consistently excellent results it seems more students and parents are wanting to be part of the success story with intake numbers continuing to increase. The figures released for September’s intake indicate the new Year 7 cohort will be the largest year in the school, building on the 100 admitted in 2016 and 110 last autumn. “This is great recognition of what we are doing at the college,” said Principal Simon Holmes. “We look forward to welcoming the new students into our community in September.” Part of that work is championing the teaching of Mandarin as part of the curriculum and Melbourn’s work was recently highlighted nationally as a great example of how this can work in an in-depth on-line article from the Institute of Education at University College, London, and can be read here: https://ciforschools.files.wordpress.com/2018/02/ melbourn-village-college-report3.pdf Spanish is the other language now studied by all students starting Melbourn in Year 7 and the start of this term had a distinctly Spanish feel. Not only did Year 9 and 10 students participate in an Interaction Day with teenagers from partner school Salesianos in Santander, which included presentations in Spanish and a trip to the Imperial War Museum at Duxford, but 31 Year 8 students enjoyed the annual Immersion Trip to the Cantabria region of northern Spain. It was an amazing trip, linguistically and culturally. Students were taught Spanish by Spanish teachers in Spain – including on Saturday and Sunday morning! – but also visited a national park, the caves at Altimera and learned to hunt and make fire at an ancient Cantabrian Village as they learned how people lived in the Bronze and Iron ages. They also sampled authentic paella and chocolate con churros, as well as spending time on the beach, shopping in Comillas and visiting Capricho de Gaudi – a villa in Comillas designed by the famous Spanish artist. There was also plenty of time to sample the local ice cream!

Closer to home students have been hard at work both in college and outside with three students from Melbourn Judo Club, winning medals at the British Schools Judo Championships in Sheffield. Daisy King took the under-44kg category, winning all her fights in a pool of 14 players to take gold and earn herself a place in the Regional England Development Squad. Rebecca Frisby picked up silver in the over-63kg category, fighting a girl 14 kg heavier, while her brother Daniel took bronze in the over-66kg Year 8/9 competition. In London Ella Carolan performed at ‘Move It’, the UK’s biggest dance and performing arts event, after successfully auditioning for a place in Ryan Jenkins ID Company, which involves travelling to Covent Garden on a weekly basis. Ewan Walpole, in Year 11, was treated to a special leaving and good luck party by his friends in the World of Work group, who organised the send-off. This was part of Unit 5 (decision making and the process of making informed judgements) and pupils had to plan a class activity, which involved setting goals and identifying steps needed. Enrichment activities continue to inspire and engage students with a whole host of different extended learning opportunities available – and with the promise of more to come as Year 8 and 9 look forward to Activities Week at the end of term.

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British Schools Judo Championships Do good, feel good Volunteering is super flexible and it's rewarding too. Doing good things makes you feel pretty brilliant. Plus, you get to control when and where you do it and how much of your time you can commit. Volunteering can change your world; wherever you are, whatever you're into. vinspired is the UK's leading volunteering charity for 14–25 year olds. vinspired helps young people to make their mark on causes that they care about, whilst learning new skills and talents along the way. Volunteering helps young people thrive, and transforms the communities they live in. It teaches them vital skills and prepares them for the future. Make your good deeds count by totting up your volunteering hours for the vInspired awards scheme Get a volunteering CV and impress colleges, universities and potential employers with your achievements Volunteering is a fantastic way to make your mark on a cause that you care about and learn new things along the way. There really is a volunteering opportunity for everyone; whether sport or music is your thing, if you want to travel far and wide or help out closer to home, there will be an opportunity that's just right for you. For more information, telephone 02079 607 000 or visit the website https://vinspired.com/volunteer

Hope Gray (14) from Melbourn has recently been awarded her V100 certificate for over 100 hours of volunteering work, and is now going onto the next step of arranging a community project. Hope is very keen on volunteering as she has been able to extend her naturally humanitarian, inquisitive and helpful manner to helping others by giving freely of her time. She says "I really enjoy my stable work on Saturdays which gives me a chance to learn all about horses and stable management, and has helped to build my confidence and social skills in making new friends. I also deliver the Melbourn magazine which helps the village get their free copy, and I have recently begun assisting with my local church's arts and craft group, Messy Play. I really enjoy volunteering as it gives me pleasure to help others, and I learn a lot from it too. So much so, that it is also now useful for my Duke of Edinburgh Award. I would recommend volunteering to everyone – especially my age group – as it really helps build confidence and see new opportunities as well as helping others. I am also making plans with the Expedition Society and a church group which both provide opportunities to travel and volunteer at the same time! It is a win-win! and, it looks good on a CV especially when so many people are also getting excellent grades!"

Melbourn Village College finish 4th overall The British Schools Judo Championships took place on 17th/18th March at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield. A record number of 6 players were selected and entered from Melbourn Judo Club, but competed for their Schools. This is an extremely popular event, with top players from across the UK. Daniel Frisby (Melbourn Village College) and Kelli-Jay Cooper (Greneway) competed on Saturday in the year 8/9 event. Kelli was up against the eventual gold and bronze medallists but fought well in the U52 kg category. In the O66 kg category, Daniel took on some extremely big lads and came away with a bronze medal. On Sunday, it was the year 6/7 players in action. Josca Brown (Thriplow) was our youngest and least experienced competitor. He had a couple of tough fights, but did well, gained good experience and still has another year in this age band. Louis Clais-Burns (Knights Templar) was also in the U38 kg category and finished 7th out of 24 competitors, with 2 excellent wins. Rebecca Frisby (Melbourn Village College) took Silver in the O63 kg category and had to face a girl 14 kgs bigger! She fought extremely hard, but the weight difference was too much in the end. Daisy King (Melbourn Village College) was the star of the day. She won all her fights in a pool of 14 in the U44 kg category to win Gold. Daisy richly deserves her success and is also part of the Regional England Development Squad. Lesley Melbourn VC medalists. Left to right: Rebecca, Daisy and Daniel. Photographs British Judo.

Workers’ Educational Association (WEA) – Royston The Autumn course at Royston Town Hall will start on 18th September; details nearer the date. www.wea.org.uk melbournmagazine@gmail.com

Sheds, Summerhouses, Gazebo’s, Aviaries, Catteries, Kennels/runs, Chalets, Log Cabins. Bases undertaken.

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Summer Solstice ‘If we shadows have offended Think but this, and all is mended, That you have but slumber’d here While these visions did appear.’ William Shakespeare: A Midsummer Night’s Dream

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The summer sun of solstice Rises over mystic Glastonbury’s Tor, Peaks through Stonehenge, glows at Chichen Itza, Celebrations sing of rites and lore. A midsummer night’s dream Quivers over an enchanted eventide. Shakespeare captures this annual moment With words where myth and legends ride. The bard well knew that on this night Boundaries between the worlds are thin and porous, Evil spirits, with witches being active, Faery tricks and queer fancies make a magic chorus. When the sun is waxing the Oak King rules, But the Holly King now begins his reign. The Oak King withdraws to the circumpolar stars That never drop too low to fade and wane. This spirit night of the year, Midsummer’s Eve, now gives way At solstice, to a sun at greatest height, Lighting up a new Midsummer’s Day. Yvonne Chamberlain

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Nature

River Mel Restoration Group

As we write this we are fresh from attending a training session for volunteers from the River Mel Restoration Group, led by Rob Mungovan of the Wild Trout Trust, demonstrating the management of in-channel waterweed. The improvements to the River Mel over the past few years have led to a welcome increase in growth and diversity of the in-stream vegetation associated with chalk streams. The purpose of the training was to demonstrate ways of managing the growth of this in-river weed to the benefit of the river and its wildlife. Vegetation needs to be cut in a manner that creates channels through the beds of weed so that the water does not become impounded upstream, but this has to be balanced against removing too much weed and so risking dropping the water levels too far in summer. If left uncut, the clumps of weed can grow so large that they restrict the flow and lead to erosion of the bank so causing over widening of the river. As our work in the river has been to increase flow rates by selective narrowing of the river this is something we need to avoid. Rob provided one-to-one tuition in the river, demonstrating the use of a scythe to both shave off the top growth (rather in the manner of spoke shave on wood) and how to ‘guillotine cut’ the sides and downstream tails of the clumps of weed. Like a lawn, the weed grows better if cut ‘little and often’. This type of trimming also has the advantage of extending the growing season of the plants, thus providing a longer period of cover for fish and

invertebrates that live in the river. Studies have shown that managing weed in this way also increases the ability of the plants to over winter, thus encouraging earlier, beneficial, growth the following season. It was clear that this process needs care and patience, as it would be very easy to damage the delicate ecosystem of the chalk stream by over-cutting. In addition, the cut weed needs to be removed to the edge of the banks, so that any small fish and invertebrates inadvertently caught up in the trimmings can find their way back to the river. That said, it was a very pleasant occupation that coincided with the first really nice evening of the Spring. The Wild Trout Trust regularly deliver improvements on some of England’s best known chalk rivers. It is to their credit that this care extends to the smaller chalk rivers such as the Mel and the Shep. For further details about volunteering or the dates of future working parties, please contact Maureen Brierley on 01763 262752.

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Profile Pat Ames

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You might be forgiven for thinking that Pat Ames was a born Londoner, but in fact she was born and spent the first four years of her life in Stafford, so that when her parents returned to London she was mocked for her northern accent. Her parents were living in RAF quarters when she arrived in 1942, she still has the bill from the midwife for her delivery – 7/6d. The family was later completed by the arrival of a brother. Her father worked on photographic reconnaissance but had been a printer before going into the services – her mother had a greengrocers in Walthamstow. She has always been a bit of a rebel and could not wait to leave school at 16½, going to work in an insurance company in the City of London. She and a friend took a course in shorthand and typing and she was able to progress through the company to eventually become assistant secretary to the Big White Chief. In her late teens, she learned to ride a motor bike and it was in 1965 that she went to buy a new Triumph 21 from a young motor salesman called Colin Ames. They got married the following year and found a small flat above a transport cafe in Tottenham where their first daughter Sandrina (named after an Italian friend Alessandrina) was born. The flat was opposite a Jewish Residential Home and Hospital and Pat was working there as a secretary. She explained to them that she would have to stop work after the baby was born but the Home simply said you must bring the baby over with you and so it was that Sandrina was fussed over by the lovely residents of the Home. Pat has a great deal of respect for the Jewish Community in the East End. They saved hard and in 1969 were able to buy a house in Wood Green where Shelley was born. Colin was eager that his children should be their priority and so Pat stayed at home for ten years until she felt able to take on some part time work on the Electoral Roll in Harringay Civic Centre. By that time, she was Brown Owl to the 5th Wood Green Brownie Pack, she worked with the Brownies for 19 years and both her daughters went on to become Queen Scouts. Colin not only rode motorbikes (his first love was a Francis Barnett bike) but was also, and still is, a very keen road racing cyclist and a keen follower of the Tour de France. He cycles every weekend and still has a motorbike, although Pat is no longer so keen to ride with him! Colin’s brother ran a club ‘Unity Seventy’ for mentally and physically handicapped children and one day when he was stuck for a driver he asked Colin to help him out driving an ambulance to a BBQ, He really enjoyed working with the children and this led to them both being involved in fundraising. At one event, they met a charismatic amateur magician who happened to be the Superintendant Registrar at Harringay. Pat was working in the Council Planning Department and it was not long before Vic had persuaded her to begin training to be a Registrar. Vic Weldon was well known for performing in RAF Gang Shows (on one occasion working for Princess Diana at a party

for Princes William and Harry). Pat and Colin got involved in the Gang Shows and she showed me a specially bound book with names recorded in Pat’s hand (calligraphy is another of her talents) of the Gang Show performers over the years, including Tony Hancock, Peter Sellers, Dick Emery and Harry Worth. The book belongs in the RAF Church St. Clement’s Dane and Pat has recently had the sad task of adding Vic’s name to the parchment pages. Pat started in 1984 to train as a deputy, moving up through Marriages, Births and Deaths to become Superintendant. The Registrar is responsible for taking all the details then the Superintendant performs the marriage and signs the certificate. Pat has many tales about weddings at which she has officiated, both funny and sad. The Registrar has to be certain that both parties consent to the marriage, sometimes the bride is under duress, sometimes the wedding is taking place to obtain British citizenship – that in itself is not illegal unless it can be proved that money has changed hands. It was not unknown for the bride to be completely ignorant of her husband’s name! The Registrar’s job was very stressful and emotionally demanding and in 2003, after 19 years of hatches, matches and despatches Pat was conducting a marriage when she had a stroke, as it happened both the bride and groom were doctors so the damage was contained, but it was enough to make Pat and Colin re-evaluate their lives and it was thus that they moved to Melbourn twelve years ago to be near their daughter Sandrina. Colin can turn his hand to anything – although he spent some time in the motor business he was by trade a sign writer and is obviously good with his hands as he made his granddaughter Lara a guitar! Pat then told me that he had made her a beautiful box for her bow. Her bow? Oh yes, she is an archer and has a 5’ 7” English ‘takedown’ Longbow drawing 41 lbs. Takedown means the bow breaks down Pat in her young days

into three parts and, as I was shown, fits beautifully into the custom made brass bound box with Pat’s name on it. She got into archery through the Scout movement, which also introduced the couple to American Square Dancing in 1991 when they attended classes in Winchmore Hill. American Square Dancing is a cut above Square Dancing, which is above Line Dancing and yes, Barn Dancing is at the bottom of the pile. Pat has been a Caller in her time and still keeps in touch with all their dancing friends. You might have noticed Pat about the village – unmistakable with her pink/mauve/blue hair, depending on her mood. She started dying her hair when she was 15 – her hair was originally auburn and very long. Bishop Stephen certainly noticed it when he came to bless the new bells in Meldreth, he liked the fact that her nails matched her hair! Singing in the church choir is another of Pat’s hobbies. Brought up as Church of England she attended a missionary school and in her teens sang in a Baptist Church. She was not confirmed until she was 31, that was partly due to her involvement with Brownies and Church Parades and the fact that she was singing in the choir at St Michael’s, Wood Green. She has very strong views on religion, as on most things! She loves her grandchildren, holidays in the sun, gardening, has helped with reading one to one at Melbourn Village College and likes writing poetry, having had a poem published in The Athlete. (Why don’t you write a poem for us, Pat?) Oh, and she just throws in dressmaking and wedding cake making as well. Colin has run three London Marathons and goes out cycling most Sundays and still does marshalling for cycle time trials. His present bike is an AJS 250 Stormer motorcross converted to a road bike. He is proud of the fact that he is a true cockney whereas Pat, although her parents were Cockneys, was actually born ‘oop’ north. Colin’s woodworking skills were learned from Pat’s father, not his own father, I think making a guitar from scratch with no previous knowledge of making musical instruments is pretty amazing. I have been doing village profile for many years and I never fail to be amazed at the stories people have to tell. Get Pat talking about some of the spicier weddings at which she officiated! Mavis Howard melbournmagazine@gmail.com

For the Community by the Community Supporting local artists at the Hub The Hub is proud to provide a variety of services for a diverse local community. We installed a gallery during the last year to provide a space for local artists. Artists have the opportunity to exhibit their work on the Hub walls which provides a light and bright space to showcase their wonderful creations, with a steady stream of people providing an audience whilst enjoying the cafe and library. Customers can come in for a cuppa, meet the artists and view the paintings and photos which are also available to purchase. Please come and support the local artists and maybe even purchase a painting! For each piece of art that is sold, a percentage of the sale goes towards the ongoing running costs of the Hub. Details of upcoming exhibitions and info about the artists can be found on the online calendar on the Hub website www.melbournhub.co.uk/events-calendar

Banish niggling aches and pains! We keep many local people supple and mobile with our range of osteopathy and complementary treatments including sports massage, chiropody and acupuncture. Please call us on 01462 490141 to book. The Melbourn clinic times have been extended so more appointments are now available.

A MBER H EALTH

A big thank you to all the artists that have already exhibited, or will exhibit in 2018; Sue Cane, Gordon Shaw, Ros Ridley, Phyllis Dunseth, Christine Pattison, Vivienne Machell, Valerie Pettifer, George Meliniotis, David Hone, SiĂ˘n Davies, Gina Ferrari and Anna Pye.

Contact us for more information Email centremanager@melbournhub.co.uk or call 01763 263303 visit our website www.melbournhub.co.uk

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Serving the local community www.amberhealth.co.uk Appointments available in Ashwell, Melbourn and Baldock Easy parking at all 3 clinics

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Opening Hours

Monday-Friday 9am to 5pm Saturday 9am to 5pm

MELBOURN PARISH COUNCIL 30 High Street Melbourn SG8 6DZ Telephone: 01763 263303 ext. 3 e-mail: parishclerk@melbournpc.co.uk Parish Office opening hours: Monday: 10.00am-1.00pm | Wednesday: 1.00pm-3.00pm Friday: 10.00am-1.00pm (Alternatively, please call to arrange an appointment) www.melbournpc.co.uk

Melbourn Parish Clerk Simon Crocker parishclerk@melbournpc.co.uk

Assistant to Parish Clerk Claire Littlewood assistantclerk@melbournpc.co.uk

Councillors Richenda Buxton The Long House, SG8 6EA Telephone 07884 071933 Graham Clark 3 Cooks Garden, SG8 6FT Telephone 07899651561 Dr Ian Cowley 37 Orchard Road, SG8 6HH Telephone 07979 474830 Sally Ann Hart 62 High Street, SG8 6AJ Telephone 222256 Steve Kilmurray Bramley Lodge, Back Lane, SG8 6DD Telephone 268674 Julie Norman 31 Station Road, SG8 6DX Telephone 263462 Mike Sherwen 3 Hale Close, SG8 6ET Telephone 260070 Christopher Stead 70 Russet Way Telephone 260743 John Travis 16 Cambridge Road, SG8 6HA Telephone 232692

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

South Cambs M.P. Heidi Allen – 01954 212 707 heidi.allen.mp@parliament.uk

Village information IMPORTANT NUMBERS

Melbourn History Group Ann Dekkers 261144 Melbourn Mushroom Club John Holden Orchard Surgery email: frog.end@virgin.net Appointments & Dispensary 260220 Melbourn Pottery Club Maggie 01223 207307 For repeat prescriptions send Meldreth Local History Kathryn Betts 268428 email: prescriptions.orchardsurgery@nhs.net Mothers’ Union Pauline Hay 260649 National Trust Marian Bunting 246122 Hospitals Addenbrooke’s 01223 245151 bunting@uwclub.net Royston 01763 242134 New Melbourn Singers Adrian Jacobs 243224 Photographic Club Bruce Huett 232855 NHS111 – Urgent Care 111 Ramblers Dave Allard 242677 24hr helpline Royal British Legion Women Elizabeth Murphy 220841 Medical help when not a 999 emergency Royal National Lifeboat Institution Jean Emes 245958 Police Non Emergency number 101 Royston and District Local History Society Help when not a 999 emergency David Allard 242677 Royston Family History Society Pam Wright Fire & Rescue Service 01223 376201 frierley@ntlworld.com Crimestoppers 0800 555111 Royston Lions Chris Cawdell 448236 Neighbourhood Watch 260959 RSPB Fowlmere Doug Radford 208978 Maureen Townsend maureentownsend1@aol.com SOAS (Supporters of All Saints’) Colin Limming 260072 St George’s Allotments Assoc. Bruce Huett Telephone Preference Service www.tsponline.org.uk 0345 070 0707 brucehuett@compuserve.com Thursday Luncheon Club at Vicarage Close Jeannie Seers 07599 292327 EDUCATION Women’s Group Pat Smith 260103 Melbourn Playgroup Jane Crawford 07842 151512 Library LAP Jane Stevens johnjane.stevens@tiscali.co.uk PLACES OF WORSHIP Little Hands Nursery School 260964 All Saints’ Church Revd. Elizabeth Shipp 220626 Out of school times 01223 503972 vicar.melbournmeldreth@gmail.com Notre Ecole Janet Whitton 261231 Churchwardens Roger Mellor 220463 Primary School Headteacher Stephanie Wilcox 223457 David Farr 221022 U3A (Univ. of Third Age) Baptist Church Rev. Stuart Clarke 261650 Chairman Tony Garrick 01223 510201 Secretary Brian Orrell 07568 376027 Hon Sec Hilary Docwra 222486 United Reformed Church Mem Sec Chris Davison 264189 Minister Rev. Duncan Goldie 260747 Village College Principal Simon Holmes 223400 Secretary Rosaline Van de Weyer 01223 870869 Hall booking Beryl and Barry Monk 246458

HEALTH

Age UK Cambridgeshire 01223 221921 Blood Donors 0300 123 23 23 Chiropodist 263260 Dentist 262034 District Nurses (Primary Care Trust) 01223 846122 Home-Start 262262 S. Cambs PCT 35 Orchard Road Child & Family Nurses 262861 Car Scheme 245228 Osteopath Kath Harry 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

SPORT Badminton Steve Jackson 248774 Bowls Arthur Andrews 261990 Croquet Janet Pope 248342 Jazzercise Maxine Rustem 07963 161246 Judo Iain Reid (Chief Instructor) or Lesley Reid 241830 email melbournjudoclub@gmail.com 07974 445710 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

COMMUNITY SERVICES Community Hall Contact hallbookings@live.co.uk 07821 656033 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

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DIARY JUNE

Friday 1

Coffee URC 10.30am Saturday 2

Coffee Stop ASCH 10.30am The Bookshelf Safari Supper contact Mavis 260686 Jane 260306 Sunday 3

BCP Holy Communion All Saints 8am URC Service 11am Baptist Service 10.30am

JULY

Saturday 16

Coffee Stop ASCH 10.30am Meldreth Church Fete Sunday 17

Said Eucharist 8am Sundays @11 All Saints URC Service 11am Communion Service Baptist Church 10.30am Tuesday 19

Toddlers Plus 9.30-11.30am (TT) Wednesday 20

Sunday 1

BCP Holy Communion 8am All Saints Baptist Church 10.30am URC Communion Service URC 11am Baptist Communion 6pm Monday 2

Drop-in Surgery with Councilors at The Hub 3-4pm Melbourn Bridge Club every Monday URC Hall 7pm

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

contact Howard Waller 261693

Thursday 21

Melbourn Bridge Club every Tuesday URC Hall 2pm

Said Eucharist All Saints 10am Craft & Chat URC 2-4pm

contact Howard Waller 261693

Friday 22

weekly The Hub Wednesday 4

The Hub 10-11am

Coffee URC 10.30am All Saints Community Hall 10th Anniversary Celebrations starting with Melbourn Cinema Night 7.45pm for 8pm showing The Greatest Showman £5 Licensed Bar available all weekend events. Tickets 261154/260686

Wednesday 6

Saturday 23

Baptist Church Craft Club 9.30am Coffee Break

Coffee Stop ASCH 10.30am Melbourn Fete 12 noon onwards Prosecco Monologues + light supper + Licensed Bar £10 ASCH 7.30pm

Communion Service Baptist Church 6pm Monday 4

Drop-in Surgery with Councillors at The Hub 3-4pm Melbourn Bridge Club every Monday URC Hall 7pm contact Howard Waller 261693 Tuesday 5

Toddlers Plus Baptist Church 9.30-11.30am (TT) Melbourn Bridge Club every Tuesday URC Hall 2pm contact Howard Waller 261693 Melbourn Short Story Reading Group weekly

Baptist Church 10.30am Thursday 7

Said Eucharist All Saints 10am Craft & Chat URC 2-4pm Friday 8

Coffee URC 10.30am Saturday 9

Coffee Stop ASCH 10.30am Sunday 10

Sung Eucharist All Saints 9.45am Baptist Service 10.30am URC Communion Service 11am Tuesday 12

Tuesday 3

Melbourn Short Story Reading Group 10-11am

Coffee Break 10.30am Baptist Church Thursday 5

Said Eucharist All Saints 10am Craft and Chat URC 2pm-4pm weekly Friday 6

Coffee at URC 10.30am Saturday 7

Coffee Stop ASCH 10.30am The Bookshelf Sunday 8

Sunday 24

Sung Eucharist All Saints 9.45am

Sung Eucharist 9.45am All Saints URC Service 11am Baptist Service 10.30am Afternoon Tea and Jazz £15 includes a glass of prosecco ASCH 3.30pm

Morning Service Baptist Church 10.30am

Tuesday 26

contact Howard Waller 261693

Toddlers Plus 9.30 – 11.30am (TT) Women’s Group Melbourn Dogs For Good 7.45pm

Tuesday 10

Wednesday 27

Baptist Communion Service 6pm Holy Communion URC 11am Monday 9

Melbourn Bridge Club every Monday URC Hall

Toddlers Plus Baptist Church 9.30-11.30am (TT) Mothers’ Union contact Diane Blundell 221415

Craft Club 9.30am followed by Coffee Break

Craft Club 9.30am followed by Coffee Break Baptist Church 10.30am British Legion Women’s Section Vicarage Close 2pm Melbourn WI ASCH 8pm Talk on Synaesthesia by George Meliniotis

Baptist Church 10.30am

Thursday 28

Hub Club Lunch 12.30pm

Said Eucharist All Saints 10am

Thursday 14

Said Eucharist All Saints 10am Craft & Chat URC 2-4pm weekly

Said Eucharist All Saints 10am

Friday 29

Friday 13

Craft & Chat URC 2-4pm

Coffee URC 10.30am

Coffee at URC 10.30am

Friday 15

Saturday 30

Saturday 14

Coffee URC 10.30am

Coffee Stop ASCH 10.30am

Toddlers Plus Baptist Church 9.30-11.30am (TT) Mothers’ Union contact Diane Blundell 221415 Wednesday 13

Wednesday 11

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

Craft & Chat URC 2-4pm

AUGUST

Sunday 15

Said Eucharist All Saints 8am Sundays @11 All Saints 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

Said Eucharist All Saints 10am Coffee & Chat URC 2-4pm Friday 20

Coffee URC 10.30am Melbourn Cinema Night showing Darkest Hour contact 261154/260686 Saturday 21

Coffee Stop ASCH 10.30am Coffee Morning raising funds for Home-Start. 10.00-12pm – 52 Sun Hill, Royston Songs from the Musicals & More The Hub £5 licensed bar Sunday 22

Sung Eucharist All Saints 9.45am Family Service Baptist Church 10.30am URC Service 11am Tuesday 24

Wednesday 1

Coffee Break Baptist Church 10.30am Thursday 2

Craft & Chat URC 2-4pm weekly

Wednesday 22

Coffee Break 10.30am-12 Melbourn WI ASCH 8pm ASCH Melbourn History Group by Colin Limming Thursday 23

Craft & Chat URC 2-4pm weekly

Friday 3

Friday 24

Coffee URC 10.30am Coffee Stop ASCH 10.30am The Bookshelf

Coffee at URC 10.30am Melbourn Cinema Evening showing Finding Your Feet 261154/260686

Sunday 5

Saturday 25

BCP Holy Communion 8am All Saints

Coffee Stop ASCH 10.30am

Holy Communion URC 11am

Sunday 26

Light & Deep Summer Service Baptist Church 10.30am

Sung Eucharist All Saints 9.45am Dahlia Day URC Service 11.00am Light & Deep Summer Service Baptist Church 10.30am Summer Fun Day The Hub 12 noon stalls, licensed bar + BBQ. Free entry

Saturday 4

Communion Service Baptist Church 6pm Monday 6

Melbourn Bridge Club URC Hall weekly 7pm contact Howard Waller 261693 Tuesday 7

Melbourn Bridge Club URC Hall weekly 2pm contact Howard Waller 261693 Wednesday 8

Monday 27

Bank Holiday Tuesday 28

Coffee Break Baptist Church 10.30am

Children’s Holiday Club Baptist Church morning Women’s Group 7.45pm contact Pat Smith 262575

Hub Club Lunch 12.30pm

Wednesday 29

Thursday 9

Children’s Holiday Club Baptist Church morning Coffee Break Baptist Church 10.30am-12 Royal British Legion Women’s Section Vicarage Close 2pm

Craft & Chat URC 2-4pm weekly Friday 10

Coffee at URC 10.30am

End of term

Saturday 11

Toddlers Plus 9.30-11.30am Baptist Church

Coffee Stop ASCH 10.30am

Women’s Group 7.45pm Meldreth Musical Bingo

Sunday 12

Evening 262575

Sung Eucharist All Saints 9.45am

Wednesday 25

URC Service 11.00am

Baptist Church Craft Club

Light & Deep Summer Service Baptist Church 10.30am

Coffee Break Baptist Church 10.30am

Tuesday 14

British Legion Women’s Section Vicarage Close 2pm

Mother’s Union contact Diane Blundell 221415

Melbourn WI ASCH 8pm Summer Party

Wednesday 15

Thursday 26

Coffee Break 10.30am

Said Eucharist All Saints 10am

Thursday 16

Craft & Chat URC 2-4pm

Craft & Chat URC 2-4pm weekly

Friday 27

Friday 17

Coffee URC 10.30am

Saturday 28

Saturday 18

Coffee Stop ASCH 10.30am

Sunday 29

Sunday 19

Said Eucharist All Saints 8am

Said Eucharist 8.00am All Saints

Light & Deep Summer Service Baptist Church 10.30am

URC Service 11.00am

URC Service 11am

Light & Deep Summer Service Baptist Church 10.30am

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

Children’s Holiday Club Baptist Church morning Said Eucharist All Saints 10am Craft & Chat URC 2-4pm weekly Friday 31

Children’s Holiday Club Baptist Church morning

e date for th g in s lo c e Th is Friday next issue hich will be 13th July w eptember, in S er, published in Septemb ts n e v e g n ti lis ber. nd Novem October a

We’re Searching for

Volunteers Melbo

urn 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 Repeat prescriptions can be made either, by post, in person or by registering to use the online NHS service. Prescriptions can still be collected from: Surgery

Co-op

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

Tesco in Royston

Prescription Home Delivery The surgery offers home delivery service for prescriptions, on a Tuesday & Thursday. For more information on any of the above, please see their website or contact the surgery.

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

30 May

Black

Blue & Green

5 June

12 June

Black

19 June

Blue & Green

26 June

Black

03 July

Blue & Green

10 July

Black

17 July

Blue & Green

24 July

Black

31 July

Blue & Green

7 August

Black

14 August

Blue & Green

21 August

Black

28 August

Blue & Green

4 September

Black

11 September

Blue & Green

18 September

Black

25 September

Blue & Green

WEDNESDAY

For an update on collections visit: www.scambs.gov.uk/binsearch For more information and collections of large household items Telephone 03450 450 063

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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

Melwood: Your Local Nature Reserve

Spring cleaning time in Melwood Despite the piles of twigs and small branches from last autumn’s coppicing, which are still remaining in some parts of the wood, most areas have now been prepared for spring. The last of the long grass has been cut, giving light to bluebells and providing a green mulch for some bare areas at the back of the wood. Piles of ivy covered debris have been cleared and open ground revealed, where 2 new trees will be planted. A Hornbeam and a crab apple will be in place by the time this magazine is circulated. Periodically it is necessary to clean and sometimes repair the nest boxes. They were not disturbed in 2017, so the February 2018 check was important. Most boxes showed evidence of use over the 2 year period and even as early as mid-February one box had to be left, as it was already being attended by a pair of Great Tits. Most boxes are of the traditional structure with a round hole for Blue Tits or Great Tits, but there are also a few with a more open front preferred by species such as robins. One of these had been taken over by a wood mouse, using the previous occupants nest material to keep warm in winter. Spring cleaning naturally involves getting rid of rubbish but the conservation group has a rota for this, so there is generally little to be picked up by work parties. We have heard a lot in the media about the problem of litter, and especially plastic in the environment but very occasionally an enterprising member of the wild fauna will put a piece of rubbish to good use. After clearing the debris of previously fallen trees from an area at the back of the wood, I discovered an old beer bottle surrounded by a pile of broken snail shells. Thrush’s Anvil – Photograph Jim Reid

This was a thrush’s anvil, used to break shells and get at the meal inside. The thrush holds the shell in its beak and usually bangs it on a rock to break it but Melwood has few if any rocks and wood is too soft and springy. The beer bottle was just what was needed. I hope that being more exposed will not deter its user. The main trees of Melwood and much of the other woodland along the River Mel are Ash and Sycamore. Both these species are notorious for producing carpets of seedlings, which need regular control. The conservation group’s Ash Die back policy for the long-term Photograph Imperial college London regeneration of the wood has therefore been to permit good quality seedlings to grow on towards maturity. Alongside these, Ash trees are recovering from previous coppicing with new growth that has now reached over ten feet in height. In the margins of the wood, mature Ash will be seen with 3 or 4 trunks growing from one base. These are trees that have grown from coppiced trunks many decades ago, so the group’s policy is nothing new. Recently and quite suddenly, a major threat to the regenerating Ash has appeared in the form of Ash die-back disease. This is a fungal disease caused by Hymenoscyphus fraxineus (previously known as Chalara fraxinea). It seems to affect young new growth in the lower levels of the wood much more than the upper canopy and in Melwood, most new coppice and growing saplings are affected. The group now faces a challenge over long term planning. Affected wood and leaves need to be removed and burned as soon as possible to limit sources for further spread and that will be a task for the next work party. As with Dutch Elm disease, the hunt is now on for resistant strains of Ash and DEFRA are already announcing some early success. Time will tell if this can be converted to commercial stocks but the ability to identify genetic markers for resistance may make success easier than it was in the early days of Dutch Elm Disease. In the meantime, the group must consider alternative trees to form the future standards if mature Ash is lost on a large scale. Jim Reid: Melwood Conservation Group Work Leader Anyone interested in helping with our conservation initiatives should contact Graham Borgonon on 01763 260 358 or Jim Reid on 01763 260 231. Further information is available on our website: www.melwood.btck.co.uk. melbournmagazine@gmail.com

Travelogue Travelling the Himalayas A mystery wrapped in an enigma I have been lucky enough to have travelled to the Himalayan regions annually for almost 15 years. This has involved India, including Sikkim, China including Tibet and Yunnan, Nepal and Bhutan. Dr Waddell, the medical officer on the British invasion of Tibet in 1904 wrote about the Tibetan capital Lhasa: “Wreathed in the romance of centuries the secret citadel has stood shrouded in impenetrable mystery on the roof of the world .... With all the fascination of an unsolved enigma it has held the imagination captive as one of the last secret places on earth”. This fascinated me and linked to stories I had read in the Boys Own Paper of these mysterious countries: lamas with special powers, yetis, yaks and miraculous deeds in the snow at sub zero temperatures. In a series of articles, I want to share with you my experiences of this fascinating region, its landscape, peoples and cultures. To place the range in context; the Himalayas are one of the youngest mountain ranges on earth, but have the highest peaks and are still rising at about 1cm per year. However, the top of the range isn’t getting higher as erosion reduces it by about the same amount each year. The Himalayas and the Tibetan plateau formed as a result of the Shishapangma mountain, Tibet

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collision between the Indian Plate and Eurasian Plate around 50 million years ago (225 million years ago India was a large island off Australia!) I initially visited as a tourist, but over the years have gradually begun to understand more about the people who live in these harsh environments and count several as friends. I am not a mountaineer, so have not been further towards the summit of the magnificent peaks than the base camps at Everest and Kangchenjunga. However, I have trekked a lot on the lower slopes and experienced the rarefied air of the Tibetan passes at above 5,000 metres. Luckily I do not suffer from altitude sickness, but have experienced the difficulty of functioning effectively when walking and performing basic tasks at these altitudes. This includes breathlessness and mild headaches and feet that at times feel like leaden weights as one tries to put one foot in front of another. This unique stress at high altitude is hypobaric hypoxia. It is caused by the fall in barometric pressure with increasing altitude and therefore fewer oxygen molecules in a breath of air so there isn’t as much to drive the muscles. However, for the occupants of these areas, this is their normal existence and they go about their daily lives as we do at our lower altitudes. Their ability to function normally is largely due to the way in which their bodies have become adapted, over millennia, to the thin atmosphere. A study in 2014 found that a gene variant from ancient ancestors, known as Denisovans, provided this adaptation. The Denisovians, went extinct about 40,000 years ago but had already mated with other ancestors of Europeans and Asians. These genes help the Tibetans use smaller amounts of oxygen efficiently and transport enough of it to their limbs to function effectively at high altitude. Tibetans have adapted by having less haemoglobin in their

blood (the occupants of the high-altitude Andes in South America have a different physiological adaptation with more haemoglobin). Scientists think this trait helps them avoid serious problems, such as clots and strokes, caused when the blood thickens at high altitude. The adaptation is due to natural selection as women with these genes (and hence high oxygen saturation) have more surviving children. This example of natural selection is possibly the fastest case of human evolution in the scientific record as it is seems to have happened in less than 3,000 years. It is interesting that yaks, the iconic herded animal on the Tibetan plateau and the higher southern slopes, (roughly estimated at 14 million animals on the plateau) is also genetically adapted to high altitude life, as is the Tibetan mastiff dog. Yaks do not function as effectively below 3,000 metres. Cows do not live easily at these high altitudes, although there is a cross breed which can operate a higher altitude: dzo (dzomo – female). Migration patterns onto the Tibetan plateau and onto the Southern slopes are disputed and there have probably been many waves often initiated by strife or famine on the plateau or in China: from North East China onto the Tibetan plateau in prehistoric times (Palaeolithic); repeated further migrations from Northern China and Mongolia during later pre historic times (Neolithic) and early historical times; migrations from the plateau and southern China to the southern slopes in the Neolithic and possibly earlier; migrations documented in the medieval and subsequent periods; significant migration from the plateau to the southern slopes after the Chinese presence in the 1950s.

• • • • •

Labuk by the Peikutso Tso (or lake) in Gyirong county (from where you can see Shishapangma) central west Tibet.

Tshechu lake (which translates as life-water). East of mount Everest and is used for divination

There is a particular tradition of ‘revealed’ scriptures, called terta, ‘discovered’ by terton (the tradition continues to the present day) that describe ‘hidden valleys’ (beyul) located on the southern slopes. The scriptures describe how these can be opened with appropriate ritual ‘keys’. Some scholars interpret these documents as a licence for the Tibetans to populate the southern slopes when times were hard on the plateau. These southern slope areas are certainly more bio diverse with significant amounts of medicinal and paper making plants. The initial inhabitants, possibly about 40,000 years ago, were hunter gatherers. The traditional lifestyle on the Tibetan plateau was nomadic herding of yaks, sheep and goats, moving between summer and winter pastures and living in yak skin tents (although during the winter people now more often live in houses), and this still continues. There were elaborate rituals for determining the times for moving from winter to summer pastures: ‘the opening of the gates’. However, there is also agriculture and this is the predominant lifestyle on the lower southern slopes and expanding with the introduction of greenhouses and irrigation. There are also those which practice both. Traders were also a significant group in Tibetan society. Some of you may have seen the movie: ‘Himalaya’ which documents the trial and tribulations of transporting salt on Yaks across the Himalayas. The location of the passes through the mountains was key for the trading routes, which also facilitated cultural exchange. Religion, particularly the Tibetan variant of Buddhism, is an important element in the life of these societies and I will deal with this in more detail in a later article. Like all regions around the world it is experiencing profound change with a move from rural to urban life, increasing industrialisation and mining, the development of tourism and the impact of climate change on the Himalayan glaciers and the grasslands of the plateau. However, I hope you will agree with me by the end of the series that it still has its enigmas and mysteries. Bruce Huett and Hildegard Diemberger Photographs by Bruce and Hildegard …continued on page 43 melbournmagazine@gmail.com

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About the authors

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Bruce Huett is a retired accountant with a wide range of interests who has lived in Melbourn since 2007. He travelled to Tibet and Nepal as a tourist with a Cambridge University alumnus group in 2004 and where he met Hildegard who was the guide providing expert information on the culture and the sites visited. He was then invited to join a research trip the following year and then began to visit the region on a regular basis. Bruce now also attends conferences and workshops about the area, even being invited to present papers at events at Chinese universities, including in Sichuan and Yunnan, which have Tibetan populations. The research interests have also enabled trips to Nepal, Sikkim and, other parts of northern India and Bhutan. The Nepal link involved establishing a verbal and postal communication link between a primary school in Steeple Morden and one in Dhikure village in Nepal and one in Lombardia, Italy. This focused on sharing cultural and environmental knowledge. This expanded to a 5-year project between the Social Anthropology department and the Education faculty at Cambridge University with cross cultural links established between primary schools in the fens, Mongolia, Mexico and Alaska. Bruce’s current research interests are on traditional papermaking in the Himalayas and conservation activities in the region. Hildegard Diemberger, lives in Cambridge and is the research director at the Mongolia and Inner Asia Unit which is part of the Social Anthropology Department at Cambridge University (she is also a director of studies and a tutor at Pembroke college). Hildegard has visited the region regularly since the 1980s. She is fluent in Tibetan and has published some important translations of Tibetan texts. The most recent is “When a woman becomes a religious dynasty: The Samding Dorje Phagmo of Tibet”. Her list of research projects is extensive, including ones related to the Tibetan and Mongolian document collection in the university library at Cambridge. She helped curate an exhibition at the archaeology and anthropology museum in Cambridge in 2014: Buddha’s Word. The latest research project in the Himalayas with which she is involved is a study of how communities in the West of Nepal and in Bhutan have coped, over time, with natural disasters. Hildegard is the secretary of the International Association for Tibetan Studies and a trustee of a charity operating in Nepal: Ecohimal.

WHAT THE PAPERS SAID Good for Hollyhocks Hollyhocks appear to do well in Melbourn. Their normal height is six feet, but last year one in the village grew to 13 feet. This year one specimen seen by travellers along Mortlock Street reached 14 feet and would have grown even taller had not the wind and rain last weekend knocked off its blossoming head and stunted its growth. Independent Press Friday September 6th 1946

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feature

A visitor to the parish Thomas Rayson Thomas Rayson, was an architect from Oxford, who had a passion for drawing and watercolour. In the early 1900s, whilst working in Cambridge, Thomas visited Melbourn and spent some time illustrating and painting the buildings in the village. The history group were fortunate to have received some of his illustrations, which appear here. Born in 1888, Thomas trained as an architect in London, eventually moving to Oxford, where he became the Chairman of the Oxford Art Society. He was also an accomplished musician and ran a quartet with friends and played with the Oxford Orchestral Society.

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Thomas continued to work as an architect until ill health caused him to retire in 1974. He carried on his passion for art, until his death in 1976.

Photograph by Nigel Cox

Churches Together All Saints’ and Holy Trinity We had a fantastic Easter at All Saints’, and Holy Trinity: a full programme of services for Holy Week, including a Palm Sunday procession in Meldreth with Noah the donkey, and our friends from the URC and Baptist Churches – we were supported in our hymn singing by a trumpeter, so those who had overslept when the clocks went forward knew they were late for church! We welcomed for worship even more people for Holy Week and Easter than last year, which

is testimony to all the hard work put in by our musicians, florists, servers, welcomers, cleaners, bell-ringers, sidespeople, and every other kind of supporter – well done! This summer, we look forward to a number of weddings in both churches, as well as more and more baptisms. If you’d like to enquire about being baptized or getting married at Holy Trinity or All Saints’, do please just drop us an email, and we’d be glad to hear from you. On Saturday 16 June, we will be holding our annual Meldreth Church Fete at Holy Trinity: do say a prayer for good weather – and do come along and join us for an afternoon of fun, food, and festivities! The weekend of 22–24 June sees the 10th anniversary of All Saints’ Community Hall – do keep an eye out for an exciting programme of activities and celebrations. On Sunday 8 July, we have our summer Messy Church at Holy Trinity, again, at 3.30pm. There’s so much going on this summer – we’d love to welcome you to the party! Keep an eye out on www.allsaintsmelbournholytrinitymeldreth.co.uk or Facebook: @ASMHTM

United Reformed Church Women’s World Day of Prayer

This years’ service was held in the Baptist church coffee lounge on Friday 2nd March at 2.30pm. It was a bitterly cold day and it had started to snow. Despite the weather a number of people braved the elements to attend the service which had been prepared by the Christian women of Suriname on the theme 'All God’s Creation is Very Good!' We reflected on God’s wonderful creation and on our personal responsibilities and accountability to God as stewards. Seven of us in turn unwrapped an object and threw the wrapping on the floor, we then picked up the discarded wrapping and placed it in the appropriate recycling box. We found the service uplifting and relevant in our battle to keep our melbournmagazine@gmail.com

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country free from litter and to reduce the use of plastic which is causing pollution and endangering wild life and our seas and its inhabitants. The collection sent to the Women’s World Day of Prayer totalled £60.56 and will be used in their work and projects run by Christian charities around the world. There was a welcome hot drink and refreshments after the service and a time to share fellowship before we returned home in the snow.

Homelessness Sunday

We marked Homelessness Sunday on 28th January by donating various items, including blankets and hats made by our talented Craft & Chat Group, to Jimmy’s Night Shelter in Cambridge as shown in the display. A cheque for £156 was also given to Jimmy’s.

Saturday 24th March. Members and friends from all four churches in the Linked Pastorate as well as friends from the Melbourn and Meldreth Churches Together Group attended a most enjoyable gathering. There was plenty of delicious food and Duncan cut the special cake which was shared around. Duncan was presented with signed cards and gifts including an engraved tankard. Several people attended Duncan’s induction into his new pastorate at Sherborne in Dorset on Saturday 21st April at 3pm.

Spring Concert

We held a Spring Concert on the evening of Saturday 14th April given by Boniface Consort, a talented group of musicians and singers led by Adrian and Naomi Brind. They played the cello, violins, viola, flute, saxophones and piano. We were wonderfully entertained with a wide range of music and songs. The first half comprised several pieces of music played on the flute and strings and 17th, 19th and 20th anthems sung unaccompanied including arrangements of God so Loved the World and Be Still for the Presence of the Lord. During the interval canapés and a glass of elderflower presse were served. The second half began with a Gershwin Suite for Saxophone Quartet followed by a medley of popular songs including The Lady is a Tramp, Feeling Good and Simon & Garfunkel’s The Sound of Silence and Bridge over Troubled Water. The concert ended with some fun pieces by Richard Stilgoe and Peter Skellern. We then retired to the hall to enjoy a hot buffet supper, pudding and wine. The evening also included a raffle. We all had a thoroughly enjoyable time which also raised money for church funds.

Duncan’s Farewell

A Farewell Afternoon Tea for our minister Rev’d Duncan Goldie was hosted by our friends at Bassingbourn URC on

The Word of God Sing unto The Lord, show forth His salvation. Declare His glory among the heathen. He is to be feared above all gods, for all the gods of the people are idols, but The Lord made the heavens. Give thanks unto The Lord, for he is good; His mercy endureth for ever. Oh! Lord of our salvation, gather us together and deliver us from the heathen, that we may give thanks to Thy Name, Thy Holy Name, and glory in Thy praise. (1 Chronicles 16 verses 23-26 and 34/35) from David Burbridge

WHAT THE PAPERS SAID Animated matting Writing of the recent jumble sale in the Church Room, the Vicar says in the July Parish magazine; ‘We had a very successful jumble sale (June 19th) the final result was some £43. Many thanks to donors, helpers and buyers. A large piece of coco matting disappeared from the Church Room. It must have walked off by itself, leaving no trace. Maybe it will walk back again!’ Independent Press July 4th 1947

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Review The Cambridge Art Book The City Through The Eyes of its Artists Emma Bennett, Editor UIT Cambridge Ltd

What does Cambridge mean to you? For me it evokes hazy summer days spent with my older sister, sitting on the greens or singing. And to many others it means punting, bikes, wind, history, bridges and learning. For anyone with a history in the city, or for those still its residents, The Cambridge Art Book gives a colourful, visceral pull to the places you know well, but showcases them in new and varied ways.

King’s Parade, Naomi Davies

Trinity College Library is stunningly intricate, and the papers used to create it are all works connected with the library and famous students who attended, including Sir Isaac Newton and AA Milne. Susan Abbs’ Parker’s Piece also took me back over a decade to sultry afternoons spent making memories there. I’ll admit I got quite emotional whilst reading. The book really is a compilation of what Cambridge means; personally, culturally and historically. Whatever it is to you, a tour of a city, a stroll down memory lane, The Cambridge Art Book is a worthy and charming addition to any library. Charlie Brind

he A Novel by John Connolly Hodder & Stoughton

Passageway, Pamela Marshall Barrell

The collection of works encompasses a wide range of different mediums and styles, and the talent held within is indisputable; as an artist, myself it is awe inspiring to see how others work with such vastly different materials but the same subject matter. Many pieces are tangibly seasonal, showcasing how completely the mood of Cambridge changes with the weather. There are also intimate, personal moments captured, along with the architecture and culture that Cambridge is famous for. As I read the book, a few favourites began to emerge. The collages of John Tordoff stood out to me, somehow imbuing a near realism in his pieces despite the stylisation and text print visible. Beth Lievesley’s collage of the 16th Century

I recently spent a very pleasant relaxing evening at nearby Pirton Community Cinema. The Programme on offer, as often with Pirton, was a fantastic night: famous comedy film from the silent era. Two restored classic silent films, Harold Lloyd’s Safety Last (1923) and Buster Keaton’s The General (1926), were screened while an elderly gent provided the live piano accompaniment on piano. Between the films were several restored ‘PATHE NEWS’ reports, along with a slightly damaged ‘PATHE NEWS’ original profiling a gifted child musician Clifton Hughes as a London musical ‘Boy Wonder’. This Clifton Hughes had retired to live locally and was the very same elderly gent who was providing the piano accompaniment! What a joy! Appetite whetted, I turned a few days later with great anticipation to John Connolly’s latest work he A Novel. It is a reimagining of the life of Stan Laurel, one half of the world famous ‘Laurel and Hardy’ comedy partnership which began in the silent era and had roots going deep into the Vaudeville traditions of Britain and America. John Connolly is a writer of great ability and great distinction. He has written many works in several genres for both adults and young adults. he A Novel is a major departure even for him as it breaks new ground in both technical skills and subject matter. Connolly goes back and forth repeatedly, tracing an arc between the present (with an imagined Stan Laurel retired at his Oceanic Apartments in Santa Barbara) …continued on page 50 melbournmagazine@gmail.com

and the past (being the many high and low points of a career of great creativity and endeavour and the grinding effort to establish and sustain that career). The book at 453 pages is long, but the 203 chapters are each very short and it is not in any way difficult to read. It delivers great insights from a writer who has a fondness for both the artistic medium of film and that era. It is an account of a performing artist’s huge personal ambition, with fame and fortune achieved, but at his core a deep personal sadness. Connolly’s skill as a writer is to reveal and explore, even as the fame and fortune soared, that overwhelming sadness he believes resides at the core of the person and artist that was Stan Laurel. There are passages of writing that are of great beauty. Their number and quality is such that one stops to re-read and so enjoy again what Connolly has honed so finely for his reader. There is also great humour, with the text sprinkled liberally, and always appropriately, with very funny one-liners delivered in context by stars who knew about such things. And there are many such stars featured: aspiring; established; still remembered; others sadly longforgotten despite the life-enhancing and cultural enriching contributions they made. A four letter word is used frequently by the author, always correctly as a verb to describe the act of intercourse, but it is unnecessarily coarse, and it does jar. He also uses a gentle unobtrusive device whereby telling incidents from his subject’s future are dropped into the narrative to grant greater illumination to issues under consideration. So a different and unusual book: not a biography of Stan Laurel but a thoughtful novel – one great writer’s truthful re-imagining of a life led by one-half of a legendary film partnership. Stan Laurel’s creative mind and energy brought into being enduring works of art – many subsequently lost – during an era which touched many of us in our youth and can still touch us today, as it did me in nearby Pirton some few months ago. Hugh Pollock Erratum In the last issue of the magazine we carried a review of the book Royston’s Heritage Buildings by Peter Robson. Unfortunately, the name of the author was spelt incorrectly and should have read Peter Ranson. We apologise to the author for any inconvenience this may have caused.

Book Reviewers Wanted Would You like to review a book? contact us at: melbournmagazine@gmail.com

(If under 16 please seek permission of parent/guardian)

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Sports & Clubs

Bowls Arthur Andrews 261990

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

Guides – Ist Melbourn Hilary Marsh 261443

Melbourn Judo Club Iain Reid 241830 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

Swimming Club Jenny Brackley 244593

Tennis (Melbourn) Dave Liddiard 07508 995 781

Tennis (Meldreth) Tracy Aggett 243376

1st Melbourn Brownies 1st Melbourn Brownies have been up to a lot since our last update, including craft, cooking, badge work and trips. We ended the autumn term with a great Christmas meal at the Jolly Postie in Royston where we were joined by the 2nd Melbourn Guide group. Since then we have been learning about the Girlguiding World Centres by trying a craft from each of the countries in which the centres are located. We also had an evening preparing foods from each of those countries and had an international feast at the end of the evening. Several of our Brownies attended the annual World Thinking Day District event. This year it was a trip to the cinema for a special screening of Moana just for local units and their leaders. More recently, we have made decorative boxes and cards for Mothers’ Day. In the last few weeks of the spring term, Easter celebrations were underway which included pompom spring animals and an Easter egg hunt. If you (or your daughter) would be interested in joining in the fun, please contact Steph (Brown Owl) by phone 01763 220272 or email stefclifford@hotmail.com.

1st Melbourn Guides It’s not an urban myth; there really is a Guides chocolate badge! In three weeks before Easter, our Guides learnt about the history of chocolate, the economics of Fair Trade and chocolate production, and drew a graph to compare their chocolate eating habits. They also learned to make fudge and dipped fruit using melted chocolate. February 22nd is Scouts & Guides Thinking Day when we remember our founder Lord Baden Powell, and acknowledge the spread of Guiding around the world. We celebrated Thinking Day by sending home-made cards to our Guide pen-friends in Morley, playing History of Guiding dominoes, and learning about time zones and flying times to places where there are Guides around the world. The Guides always have a say in our weekly programme, and one request was a pamper evening, during which we had a go at face massage, nail buffing, and hair braiding. Cooking is always requested too, so one evening there was a cake decorating competition, and on another night two patrols competed to produce a Chinese meal from basic ingredients and flavourings. Other activities this term have included an evening at the swimming pool, and a cake stall at Coffee Stop where we raised £26 for Wood Green Animal Shelter. If you would like to know more about joining our Guide unit or becoming 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 melbournmagazine@gmail.com

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Cub Scouts

Melbourn Bridge Club

In the last term, we’ve tie dyed T-shirts, hiked with torches along the Icknield way to Royston, made slime, bird-feeders and pancakes (not all at the same time!), held a meeting in the dark to learn about the environment and celebrate Earth Hour, played many a game, and discussed our hobbies. Cubs even learned useful skills like ironing, sewing and making tea. Our plans to go to clip and climb were foiled by an early March blizzard, but the cubs didn’t seem too upset – half of them were on the heath sledging the next day and we’ve rescheduled for May. Five of our eldest cubs attended a sleepover weekend at a very muddy farm with other cubs from Royston, doing archery and cooking over a fire, and another group learned bushcraft skills like fire-lighting and bivouac building.

The Bridge Club continues to thrive, Monday nights are duplicate bridge nights and attracting 40+ players each week, Tuesday afternoons is foreigners and improvers and is attracting similar numbers. Before long this may prove a problem as we can manage no more than 48 players for each session! Melbourn Bridge Club was founded by Howard Waller and Tony Allan and between them they attend to the dealing and the scoring, as well as sending out emails of results and news. It is fortunate to have the expertise of Mike Thrower as a tutor for the beginners, who runs a six to eight-week course on a Tuesday afternoon. The beginners then progress through to the improvers and then on to Monday evening. We are also lucky to have the knowledge and experience of Jane Tulloch to guide us through the mysteries of computers and the web. Malcolm Dean completes the set up as a fully qualified English Bridge Union Tournament Director. Should any Melbourn Magazine reader wish to join us, at any of our levels of play, please do not hesitate to contact Howard Waller on 01763 261693. Mondays arrive at the United Reform Church Hall Orchard Road at 18.30, Tuesdays arrive at 13.15. Sessions will last for three hours Our determined ethos is for joyful bridge and this is certainly how our players want it to be.

Winter is finally behind us, and the cubs of Melbourn and surrounding villages can look forward to our most eventful term ever. Not one, not two but three camps await us over the next three months. The cubs meet at Melbourn Primary School every Friday 6:45–8:00pm. Any adults interested in volunteering to join our fun and adventure please contact me at cubs@1storwellscouts. org.uk. We are full at present and unfortunately cannot accept more cubs until we get enough adult volunteers to open another pack. Young people can join our waiting list by contacting admissions@1storwellscouts.org.uk. Mike Woodrow, Cub Scout Leader. First Orwell Scout Group

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 (5–7 miles) are held on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Our evening walks (3–5 miles) will be on a different day each week and will continue to the end of August. Prospective new members may come on three walks before deciding whether to join. www.ramblers.org.uk to join.

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 …continued on page 55 melbournmagazine@gmail.com

feature A Secret World

and a pleasant bike-ride to Cambridge I’d like to show you a secret world. Hitherto only known about by a few initiates, here is a garden of delights almost hidden in plain sight. Find your way up the A10 towards Cambridge. Just north of Harston, the road bends around sharply and crosses over the river Granta. If you’re driving, there’s a little parking area just north of the bridge – park there. But you can cycle there from Melbourn on a nearly traffic-free route in about forty minutes without the need for sweat or lycra. Anyway, the gateway to the secret world is on the left of the A10, just after the bridge. A path leads off the narrow pavement and away from the noise and fumes of the traffic, and sets off across an open field. Come with me – on foot or by bike – and discover a little oasis hidden from view.

1 Within minutes, the bustle of traffic gives way to birdsong and bleating sheep. The path eventually joins up to an old concrete farm road, taking you gently up the rise towards the M11. Despite being within a few hundred metres of two busy roads, it is surprisingly quiet. This is the beginning of the new Trumpington Meadows Country Park – land that was once used by the Plant Breeding Institute for crop trials. The Maris Piper potatoes and Maris Otter malting barley have now given way to rough grassland and wildflowers. Eventually, you

2 will reach a dogleg in the path and a bridge over the busy motorway. Beyond the bridge, there are two routes. Bear left to explore the rest of the country park, which eventually will lead you to Byron’s Pool and Granchester Road. Keeping straight ahead on the concrete farm road, you should then quickly bear right onto a path that runs parallel to it. This is a temporary path – in the sense that it’ll be with us for at least five years – that runs around the edge of the new housing development and comes out at the traffic lights where the Addenbrooke’s link road joins Hauxton Road. You can then walk or cycle a few hundred metres to the Park and Ride site and join the path along the guided busway to reach central Cambridge or Addenbrooke’s. If you’re trying to walk or cycle between Harston and Cambridge, this route is much more pleasant than the narrow path alongside the A10 and having to cross the M11 roundabout. A ride from Melbourn to Cambridge station at a leisurely pace will take you about an hour. If you’d like to see local routes for walking and cycling continue to be improved, please join the A10 Corridor Cycling campaign. Details are at www.a10corridorcycle.com Mike Prior-Jones

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ordered by post from David Allard 01763 242677. They may also be purchased at the Royston Museum & Arts Gallery in Kneesworth Street (open Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays 10 a.m. to 4.45 p.m.) and some are available at the Cave Bookshop in Melbourn Street or at Royston Library. The society is responsible for the opening of Royston Cave, Melbourn Street, Royston which will be open on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays until the end of September 2p.m. to 4.30 p.m. (last admission 4p.m.) www.roystoncave.co.uk. Our evening meetings, which are held in the Heritage Hall (the main hall downstairs) Royston Town Hall will re-commence on 4th October and thereafter on the first Thursday of each month. Annual membership £5 (Sept-Aug) (Under 18s half price) Our annual coach outing is on Saturday 2nd June to the north Norfolk coast. Email: david.allard@ntlworld.com

Cambridgeshire Family History Society Our monthly meetings are held in the Central Library, Lion Yard, Cambridge, between 10.30am and 3.30pm. Everyone is welcome and entry is free. The meetings follow a pattern of research being available all day plus talks at 12.30 and 2pm. »» 9 June 12.30 The 4 Rs – Parish Registers (2) with Caroline Norton. Following on from last month, we will consider how to try locating ‘your’ parish registers, and offer some practical ideas for making the most of online searches. 2.00 The History of the Arthur Rank Hospice Charity with Bec Beattie. “A talk about the transition of the Arthur Rank Hospice Charity from the start of the hospice movement to present day” »» 14 July No Speaker – Help and information only »» 11 August No Speaker – Help and information only

The information above is correct at time of publication but should there be any change it will be advised on our website www.cfhs.org.uk either on the Home page or in the monthly Newsletter.

Melbourn Bowls Club By the time this article is published the Summer Season will be well under way. The winter has not been wasted as more updating and maintenance of the Clubhouse has been carried out as well as continuing with our fortnightly Whist evenings to keep our members involved with the club. In addition, we arranged for further work to be carried out on the green with what appears to be encouraging results. We are looking forward to integrating the new members who joined last year with coaching sessions arranged for those who were new to the game to help them perform in the various league teams. Many of them made a very made a very promising start last year and we are hopeful that they will further improve and prove valuable members of our league teams. We are continuing to run our weekly Coffee Mornings under the able supervision of Muriel Cooper. These take place

every Thursday at the Clubhouse from 10.30 till 12.00 noon and all are welcome whether members or not. This is a good opportunity to meet on a social basis and we try to make everyone feel welcome and pride ourselves as being a friendly group. There is normally some activity on the green and you will have an opportunity to watch member’s efforts. We hold informal ‘Roll Ups’ every Monday afternoon and if you are interested in taking up the game of bowls we would welcome you turning up at the green on a Monday afternoon, when members will always be on hand to explain how to play to those new to the game or to discuss membership with experienced Bowlers. League games are generally played in the evenings and on Wednesday afternoons, while friendly matches are normally played on Sunday afternoons. We welcome spectators and for those who have no knowledge of the game there will always be members available to explain what is going on. If anyone is interested in taking up the game and would like to discuss the possibilities, then please contact Arthur Andrews (tel 261990) who will be pleased to discuss how the club can help.

Melbourn Dynamos Football Club All welcome!

www.melbourndynamos.co.uk Melbourn Dynamos FC is a friendly community youth football club that gives boys and girls the opportunity to play regular football regardless of their experience or ability at all ages from 3 through to 18. We are a successful club defined by the strength of support from members and families, the praise and recognition of fellow clubs and FA Leagues, the work with our Community partners including Melbourn Village College and Melbourn Parish Council, and of course our players’ achievements on the pitch and their support for the community. With the support of our benefactors and community partners, we are making the club more inclusive by assisting players whose families are unable to afford the necessary fees. Nationally, there has been much concern about historical failures to protect children in youth football. MDFC takes these concerns very seriously and reassures our community that as a Charter Standard Club we have the required child protection measures in place, that we are annually audited by the FA and that we remain vigilant. All coaches and assistants are both qualified and DBS/CRB checked before they work with our players. We have had a successful season with new teams and players welcoming the opportunity to play for Melbourn Dynamos. We have had more 40 players in our Girls’ Teams at U10, U11, U13 & U17 and including our Dynamites and 13 other teams, we have more than 230 players at the club. Disappointingly, like many youth football clubs, we have not had sufficient players this season to run an U16s or U18s team. This trend has been recognised by the FA and we are working hard with our younger teams to ensure that we maintain melbournmagazine@gmail.com

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U13s team who reached the Cup Final of the Royston Crow Youth Football League

strong squad sizes as they progress to 11-a-side football and the senior teams. Since the beginning of the year, bad weather and waterlogged pitches have caused frustration and a number of cancelled matches. Congratulations are due to our brilliant U13s team who have reached the Cup Final of the Royston Crow Youth Football League played on 6th May at Buntingford. This is a very special day for our players, providing them with a real cup final experience at a larger ground with many supporters creating a great atmosphere. We are also 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 qualification in June 2015 and is our Football Development Officer. This year in recognition of his tremendous work for the club and community, Dee has been nominated as Coach of the Year as part of the FA’s Community Awards. 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 a.m. 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 one hour session is free thereafter we charge £2. Everyone is welcome to the Melbourn Dynamites so why not bring your kids along so they can check it out. This year the Club has been invited by the Melbourn Fete Committee to be partners in the Village’s major fundraising raffle. Fundraising is an important part of the club’s income to help minimise fees, support and develop youth football in the village, our community work and help make the beautiful

game accessible to all. The club will be appearing at the Fete this year with some of our younger players demonstrating the skills that they have been developing. We hosted the Royston Crow Youth Football League’s U9s’ Tournament on 19th May. We are welcoming many visitors to the village to enjoy the great facilities that we are fortunate to use and the beautiful setting. We are also looking forward to the club’s Presentation Day on Sunday 10th June. Once again Melbourn Village College has kindly agreed to host our annual celebration. As in previous years we will presenting the Tom Whitely Community Award to one of our many players who best demonstrate the club’s commitment to our Community. Tom was one of our players and at this event we will also be raising money for Tom’s Trust www.tomstrust. org.uk. All our coaches are DBS/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. Everyone is welcome and we are delighted to offer opportunities from age 4 upwards. Why not find out more about MDFC and the opportunities to play football with us by contacting 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. If you feel that you would like to contribute to the club as an administrator, communications leader, fund-raiser, fixtures secretary, coach, 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 from the club’s Website: www.melbourndynamos.co.uk. melbournmagazine@gmail.com

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Kids Activities With the summer holidays, fast approaching, it’s not too early or too late to start planning your summer sports. We have a variety of activities to choose from, including our Ofsted Registered Playscheme (The Kidz Factor), Trampoline Crash Course, Sport Taster Sessions and Swimming Crash Course. Also available are our very popular Children’s Sports Camps, always a fun way to try out both mainstream and specialist activities. Get Fit For The Summer! Why not let us help you shape up before your summer holidays? We have loads of classes to keep you fit and healthy, including Boot Camp, Body Sculpture and Aquafit. 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. We also welcome back the outdoor sports and tennis season. For all you budding Wimbledon stars, courts can be hired midweek and at weekends. For those that want to improve their ability or to take their tennis to the next level, then why not have some lessons? We’ve teamed up with MF Tennis to offer coaching session on a Saturday morning/afternoon, as well as midweek slots on a Wednesday evening. For further information please contact Matt Fellingham 07779 273655 or e-mail: matt@mftennis.com Party Time! Looking for the perfect venue to hold your children’s birthday party? Then your search is over! We have all the facilities here for a fun-packed event with a variety of activities for your guests to enjoy, including trampolining (always a popular choice), football and traditional pool parties. We will also be holding a Family Fun Day on Saturday melbournmagazine@gmail.com

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Keepfit Sessions For Teenagers ‘Teen Training’ An hour fitness session using our fitness suite machines. Age range: 14 years upwards Date: Monday – Fridays 15.30–16.30 & Weekends 14.00–15.00 Price: £2.50 per session/10 sessions for £20.00 Plus: Swimming Lessons / Lifeguard Courses / Tennis Coaching / Table Tennis / Badminton/ Pilates / Triathlon Sessions / Tennis Coaching / Squash And Much More! We are also the home for various clubs and coaching activities including: • McSplash Swimming Club www.mcsplashsc.org.uk • Meridian Triathlon Club www.meridiantriclub.co.uk • Kamaete School of Karate www.kstsk.co.uk • Melbourn Dynanos www.melbourndynamos.co.uk • Melbourn Tang Soo Do https://www.facebook.com/ashley. robertson • Royston Heath Archery Club www.roystonarchery.org • Melbourn Squash Club www.melbourn-squash.co.uk • Matt Fellingham Tennis Coaching www.mftennis.com For further details on these or any other activities, please drop in, call 01763 263313 or go online at www.mc-sport.co.uk We look forward to seeing you this season!

Grinnel Hill BMX Club

Spring saw the completion of a major re-design and development of the top half of the site, as well as a small adjustment to the advanced line at the bottom end of the site. Since then there have been many club members returning from far and wide, including all the way from Australia! There are also plans for an End of Season Jam in the late summer as a fund-raising exercise for the club! The club is open annually April to September. Strictly for BMX use only, 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. melbournmagazine@gmail.com

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We can make life a little easier

Local Community Services delivered from Moorlands Court Homecare : our fully trained carers visit you in

your home.

Sitting service : a visit from our experienced staff gives family carers time for themselves.

Day Centre : based at Moorlands Court with a friendly and sociable atmosphere and includes a tasty 2 course lunch.

Meals service : nutritious, hot lunchtime meal delivered to you.

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

Brand new purpose built site Flexible options for home and business Monitored CCTV, gate entry by key fob Easy access for removal company lorries Entry from 06.00 to 22.00, 7 days a week Insulated, damp free containers owned from new and carefully maintained Over 10 years of experience Friendly and family run Visit our website: www.lawstorage.co.uk Call us: 01223 874629 Email us: paul@lawstorage.co.uk Please note, we have moved to: Butts Farm, Malton Road, Orwell, SG8 5QR Let us lighten your load

Our aim for the club is to promote an activity for the young community of Melbourn and surrounding areas to participate in, with the guidance of our committee and experts, in 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 Acknowledgements: Melbourn Parish Council for their ongoing support at all levels to keep the club sustainable and open; Norburys Builder Merchants for their supply of aggregates and plant to move it around our site; Frog End Pet Supplies Melbourn for their supply and delivery of wooden pallets to help keep our tarpaulins in place to protect the site over the winter months; 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.

WHAT THE PAPERS SAID Sundayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Paperchase After further strenuous training another paper chase took place last Sunday morning on the course from the village green to the railway station, and among the many local competitors were several holiday makers and evacuees, but keen as were the visitors some were not well acquainted with the course and a few lost their way. Many of the natives managed to secure copies of a newspaper for themselves and for their neighbours and friends, some capturing a dozen, with the result that many regular and stay-at-home villagers were deprived of their Sunday newsprint. It is reported that there was a most exciting happening at the winning post when one of the first and most selfish villagers to reach the newspaper sellers was refused to be supplied owing to his most unsportsmanlike action. The newsboys expect to find among the earliest arrivals women without lipstick or stockings and in the scantiest attire, also men without collars, coats, waistcoats and even shoes, but they rightly disqualified and refused to supply the man on a cycle who in his greedy haste to get a newspaper had omitted to don his nether garment he arriving at the goal absolutely trouserless a state of undress rightly considered to be most unfair. Had this newsgrabbers indiscretion and unseemly behaviour been excused there is no telling what it might have led to, and to what curious sights we might see on coming Sunday mornings. Independent Press Sep 1st 1944

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feature Prehistoric discoveries in Melbourn Melbourn is surrounded by over 50 archaeological sites and excavation of these has provided evidence of human habitation for over 12,000 years. Iron Age and Roman settlements and burial monuments can be found throughout the Parish, many identifiable on aerial photographs, which show up as cropmarks and soilmarks. There are also two prehistoric trackways that passed through the Parish – Ashwell Street and the Icknield Way, both Romanised in 42–410 AD. The earliest known archaeological dig in the village took place in 1952 and captured the public’s interest. The site covered the area where Saxon Way now stands. Unfortunately, before the archaeologists began work on this Anglo-Saxon cemetery, residents plundered the site and took many artefacts as ‘souvenirs’, including human bones. Fortunately, today archaeological excavations are controlled. Since the 1950s there have been at least ten further archaeological digs throughout the Parish, some nothing more than an explorative dig to see if the ground held any archaeological value. Most contained little more than flint, pottery and animal bone. The most significant dig in Melbourn was in 2000 when a large Anglo-Saxon cemetery was discovered at the top of Water Lane, now Chalkhill Barrow. There were some 59 individuals buried on the site and some very interesting finds, which included a Square Headed brooch and a Radiate brooch.

In 2017 a team of archaeologists from ‘Oxford Archaeology East’ excavated the site in New Road where 199 homes are to be built. The following is their report. Earlier investigations suggested the site contained scattered evidence for prehistoric Neolithic and Bronze Age (roughly 3000–1200BC) activity, partly overlain by a medieval or post-medieval ditched road. Further investigation threw up several surprises.

Well

Barrow Roundhouse

Bronze Age Ditch

New Road excavation site

Roundhouse

Barrow

Post Medieval Track

Neolithic Pits

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Further detailed analysis of the finds and reporting of the excavation results of the New Road site is now underway, with a program of radiocarbon dating expected to improve our understanding of site’s use over time. www.oxfordarchaeology.com

Burial of an adolescent, crouched on their side holding a flint knife.

A pit containing antlers of red and roe deer

The evaluation had hinted at early land use with the discovery of several glacial hollows containing Mesolithic (3000 BC) and early Neolithic (10,200 BC) finds, but the recent excavation also uncovered a collection of later Neolithic pits. These contained Grooved ware pottery sherds, hundreds of flints, hazelnut shells and a haul of animal bone, including those of aurochs as well as domesticated cow, and most of an antler. Another such pit contained the collected antlers of red and roe deer as well as elk. One Bronze Age barrow had been identified in the earlier site evaluation, but the excavation revealed another double ditched barrow. At the centre of this barrow was a Beaker period (Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age) burial of an adolescent, crouched on their side holding a flint knife, which just survived centimetres from the hollow way of the road. While no early dating evidence for the road has emerged, there were clearly several phases of ditch cutting and realignment and it possibly formed part of a known Roman route â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Ashwell Streetâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. which can be traced to the west of Melbourn and to the east through a Roman settlement in Fowlmere. Further surprises lay just north of this road, where a previously unsuspected Bronze Age settlement site was discovered. Further investigation revealed at least 9 roundhouse-style structures and several lines of former post

Beaker period adolescent laid in position as it was found in the grave (see above). Exhibition at MVC. Photograph, Jan Simmonett

fences. Finds recovered included Bronze Age pottery and worked flint tools. A particularly unusual feature of this enclosure is that it was built from closely spaced timber posts in the late Early Bronze Age and was then replaced with a ditched boundary during the early Middle Bronze Age.

A replica of a round-house (not in Melbourn).

Post holes that revealed 9 roundhouse style structures.

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Melbourn, Cambridgeshire, sg8 6dx - 01763 261000 - www.ESSE.uk.com

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What’s On Adventures of Dr Dolittle Fowlmere Village Hall Recreation Ground

Friday 1st June – 7.30pm

Mrs Simpson’s Little Consort with “Purcell’s Sweet Torment” Caldecote Church

Sunday, 10th June at 3.00 pm Tickets £10. Info how to book on our website www.caldecotechurchfriends.org.uk

Gates open at 6.30pm

Fuchsia Festival

Tickets are £14.00 adults, £7.00 Child (5–16).

Caldecote Church

Available from illyria.co.uk (+5% fee) or telephone 01763 208516 or from Foxton and Thriplow Village Shops. Bringing to life a funny, much-loved and exciting adventure, with a strong message about responsibility to animals and the environment. This is a fund-raising event in aid of Fowlmere Village Hall.

A NIGHT AT THE RACES Meldreth Village Hall

Friday 22nd June 7.00 for 7.15pm Have a flutter in aid of Home-Start Royston and Cambridgeshire Tickets: £12.00 – to book please ring 01763 262262 Email admin@hsrsc.org.uk or buy on-line at www.ticketsource.co.uk/hsrsc www.hsrsc.org.uk

21st and 22nd July If you have hand crafted goods to sell, please get in touch. Grazyna Tutak, Caldecote Church Friends email: grazyna.tutak@ntlworld.com

‘A Sprig of Thyme’ Royston and District Choral Society’s concert

Saturday 30th June – 7.30 pm at Barkway Parish Church Join us in beautiful Barkway for a wander down a rustic memory lane. Tickets £12 (concessions £9, school students £1) at www.bit.ly/RCSJun2018, on the door or from Caroline Franks telephone 01920 822723/ email caroline.franks@rf152.co.uk

Party in the Barn Leyhill Farm Whaddon

Saturday 7th July Dancing from 8 pm until Midnight with guest DJ Steve Cross from London’s Reflex Club. Bar-Champagne Bar-BBQ Tickets on sale now! Call Bob on 07788 950632 or visit Whaddon Golf Centre Tickets are £10 per person. (Over 18’s only) All proceeds to Whaddon Playground, Village Hall & Cricket Club and nominated charities

Commonly called Rob Roy … an exhibition!

Celebrating the 200th anniversary of the publication of Walter Scott's novel Rob Roy, this one-off pop-up exhibition explores the changing faces of Scotland's 'Robin Hood'. Vintage playbills, cinema lobby cards, illustrations and twentieth century comics.

Thursday 13 September to Saturday 6 October 2018 Royston Museum. Free entry.

… illustrated talk by Graham Palmer Thursday 27 September 2018, 7.30pm Bar – Beers, Pimms & Prosecco BBQ Refreshments Ice Cream

Climbing Wall Inflatables Coconut Shy, Hook a Duck & Games Tombolas

Ride on train Face Paint Raffle and much more…

Royston Methodist Church. Admission is free but donations will be welcome. melbournmagazine@gmail.com

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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@gmail.com

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

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Melbourn magazine is non-profit and all work on the magazine including design and layout are 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

B/W

Colour

1/4 inside page (79 × 128 mm) 1/2 inside page (163 × 128 mm) Full inside page (163 × 262 mm)

£105 £180 N/A

£155 £250 £480

Advertising rates are per year (four issues)

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

We are grateful to The TTP Group for their continued sponsorship Melbourn Magazine Committee Editorial Editorial\Production Advertising Distribution Parish Profile Proof reading Village Diary

Ann Dekkers Peter Simmonett Vernon Gamon Eric Johnston Mavis Howard Brenda Meliniotis Jane Stevens Colin Limming Brenda Meliniotis

261144 220363 221965 220197 260686 261154 261855 260072 261154

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Memory Lane Voyage to Ceylon Unabridged version In 1937, Isabella Hagger of Melbourn embarked on a sea voyage to Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) to visit her husband Cyril who was working for the Admiralty, constructing oil storage tanks. Isa (as she preferred to be called) kept a detailed journal of her out-going journey and of the seven months she spent in Ceylon. This journey was at a time when few ventured out of the country to see the world. On her return Isa was asked to give a talk about her experiences to the Congregational Church Women’s Group. Below is an abridged version of this interesting story which she wrote 80 years ago. Mrs. Davis and fellow members, before I left Melbourn for Ceylon I had to give my solemn promise to Mrs. Davis that on my return I would speak to you at our Women’s meeting. It was very easy to promise as it seemed such a long off, but now that the time has come, it is much more difficult. I do not want any of you to imagine that I am going to give a learned discourse on Ceylon – I am not nearly clever enough to do so, but I would like you to imagine that you have just dropped in to pay me a visit and that we are sitting around the fire and I am retailing a few stories and incidents that happened to me on my voyage to Ceylon and during my holiday there. My friends were all very kind and gave me a wonderful send off from Melbourn on Oct. 8t” when I left about 8 a.m. to start on my journey to join my ship the “Rajputana” at George V docks London. We had an uneventful motor run to the docks and my family tried to make the parting as easy for me as possible. I will never forget the moment when the Rajputana slid out of the docks at 1 p.m. and I had started on my long journey. The lump in my throat seemed too big for me to control, but on looking around I found many people who had quite lost control and were making very distressing scenes and this helped me to compose myself, and give a watery smile and a wave as the car containing my girls drove away. Lunch was served as soon as the ship sailed, and on my brother’s good advice I had some soup “because it slips over the lumps so easily”. I spent the afternoon unpacking and walking around the decks all alone, and I must admit feeling rather miserable. We had tea at 4.30, and as soon as that was over the bell rung for boat drill. I had imagined that would be a fearful ordeal and pictured myself scrambling into a given place in one of the small boats, and I even thought there was a probability of the boat being lowered, www.melbourncambridge.co.uk

but I was quite wrong and the drill was over in a very few minutes. We merely put on our life belts and listened to a few instructions, given by one of the ships officers. At dinner we were put at our allotted places in the dining saloon and were able to exchange remarks with our table companions, and as soon as dinner was over a red headed scotch lady from Glasgow came up and spoke to me in the lounge, and made plans to meet me on deck next morning and she proved to be a very good friend to me and remained so throughout the voyage. We arrived at Southampton the next day and I went ashore for two hours. We sailed from Southampton at 2 p.m., and the voyage started in earnest. Very soon the wind started to blow and the sea became very rough and I felt very very sick. I had heard that the state of feeling seasick is purely mental, and that if one fights against it, one is alright. Believe me, I fought as hard as I could and tried every suggested cure from Glucose D to green apples, but I had to retire to my little bunk in my cabin, with the very big basin the P&O Company so very kindly provides for the convenience of their sea sick passengers. It is best for me to draw a veil over the next few days, unless to remark on the great kindness I received. The stewardess was kindness itself to me, and helped me in every possible way. She was a motherly soul, who loved her work and put many more hours into it than ever she was paid for. She was Scotch, and this of course was a great bond between us. She would bring me all sorts of dainties, to try to make me eat and say “you must eat lassie or yer man won’t know you when you arrive at Colombo”. I felt somewhat better by the time we arrived at Gibraltar and was so thrilled at the sight of the Rock that I quite forgot I had been ill. There it stands so big, so strong and so truly British, that I felt really proud to be a Briton. I did not go ashore at Gibraltar although lots of the passengers did so, but I shall always be glad to think that I have been privileged to see this ‘Guardian of the Mediterranean’. We sailed from Gibraltar again, about 5 p.m., and as we sailed along we could hear the Spanish guns and see the flashes. As night fell a huge ensign was flood lit on the ship’s stern to proclaim to all the world that we were British. Some nervous souls on board circulated most alarming rumours about mines, and Spanish airplanes etc, but we never were in any danger and we were well protected by British war ships all through the Mediterranean. Our next port was Marseilles and as we stayed there a whole day and night most of the passengers had a trip melbournmagazine@gmail.com

into the town. Marseilles is a fine big city, but as the town is 3 miles from the docks one has to take a tram or a taxi. A party of five of us went ashore as safety in numbers seems to be the rule, with all passengers landing at Marseilles. Even with this party we had the unpleasant experience of being followed for 2 hours by an objectionable looking man. So persistent was he that we had to ask a Gendarme to speak to him, while we got a taxi to get away from him. We all wished we had been a little more studious with our French at school, as we had the utmost difficulty in stating our case to the police man, and he could not speak a word of English. We did not do any sightseeing as we were all bent on shopping, but we were long enough ashore to realise the truth of the saying that every nationality can be found in Marseilles. We found good bargains in the shops as the rate of exchange was in our favour. I went into the store where the devastating fire took place last week. As we were nearing Malta the ship began to roll again and only by sheer will power was I able to stay on deck. It was dark and we were not allowed to land but I spent a whole day there coming home, and I was charmed with the wonder of the harbour, the cleanness of the buildings, and the quaintness of the little streets. We had some distinguished passengers on board for Malta, among them Lady Georgiana Kidston (The Earl of Howe’s daughter) with her baby, nurse and ladies-maid. Naturally the women passengers were interested in the arrival of her husband to meet her and although we were told that society people make no fuss on these occasions, he arrived in an Admiralty launch with a huge bouquet of red roses and tore up the gangway to meet Lady Georgiana. She is very lovely and was dressed in a navy blue coat and skirt with beautiful red fox furs, hat shoes and gloves in the same lovely shade. The baby in a mosses basket was simply sweet in palest pink wraps and half way down the gangway Lord Kidston took the basket from the Nannie and peered in to see if his wee daughter was alright. I went down for dinner and my sympathetic table steward advised me to eat while the boat was still as it was going to be very rough again. That meal on the 17th had to last me a very long time, as it was at Port Said on the 20th before I could take the next one. One of the joys of real seasickness is that one feels so ill, that night and day are all the same and friends and relations do not matter. It is a full time job! I must just add too that it was so rough that I was all covered with black and blue bruises as the lurching ship knocked its poor passengers into any post or pillar or chair in the cabins or lounges. By that time I had become quite used to the men who came into my cabin to shut and open the port hole, as the weather and storms would allow. Although I must admit that even at the end of the voyage I still used to wish that the bath steward would not thurst his arm into my bath to test its temperature. I enjoyed my visit to Port Said and that walk on terra www.melbourncambridge.co.uk

firma seemed to put me right for the rest of the voyage. There is nothing of any special interest to see at Port Said, but it is the first taste of The East and a traveller going East for the first time is almost bewildered by the scene. The natives are so brightly dressed and the dwellings so different from any of the western ports. Port Said has one huge store called Simon Arzt to which everyone seems to pay a visit. It is full of curios and souvenirs, and lots of people buy their sun helmets and topees there. It was very warm and we only stayed ashore about 2 hours. I was interested in all the strange sights, but it is so difficult to get along the streets as the beggars and street vendors worry the people from the ship all the time. My husband had wanted me never to go ashore without a man in the party and here I realised what good advice that was. The beggars perform all sorts of tricks too. The most popular is called the ‘gilly gilly’ trick. He shows a small egg to the interested spectator, and in a very few minutes 5 or 6 real live chickens appear apparently from space. No one has ever found out the secret of the trick. It is very easy to land at Port Said as there is a pontoon from the ship to the street. One merely walks down the gangway on to the pontoon and so ashore, doing away with all the queuing up for small boats that there are at so many ports. We sailed from Port Said and by this time everyone on board was happy and friendly and I wondered how I ever could have felt lonely. We each knew our friends’ complete life story and I found that instead of being the only woman on board who had to pluck up courage to leave their homes and children, that I was one of many, and one of the very lucky ones, as my visit was really a holiday. Lots of mothers, I found, had left children for 2, 3 and even 5 years. Deck games were in full swing, dances, concerts and cinema shows were arranged and everyone was jolly and friendly. We did not land at Suez, but we were fortunate to go through the Suez Canal by daylight. It is such a narrow canal that it seemed as if our ship would get stuck, but the pilot seemed to know his job and we just glided along. I wish I could describe the wonder of it all. The huge desert stretching on either side, and the camels going quietly along with their burdens, often silhouetted against the sky line, made unforgettable and lovely pictures. Along the canal at intervals were little settlements, where an engineer has his home and, at each, someone came out to wave to our big ship, as it passed on its way. A full moon came up that evening and no one thought of bed we just strolled on the decks, looking at these lovely scenes, all turned to silver by this huge moon. It was very warm going through the Red Sea and the same full moon lit up the sea and the decks and enabled us to keep on deck to cool down after dinner. In connection with this moon I must tell you of a young Scotch lad on board. His name was Hughie and he was only 20. He had left his home at Port Glasgow to go to Singapore for 5 years. He had left a mother and father, 5 brothers and sisters and a sweetheart. He was leaning against the rail one night looking at this lovely moon, and as I noticed he was melbournmagazine@gmail.com

alone and seemed very disconsolate, I went to speak to him saying “Isn’t that a lovely full moon Hughie?” “Yes” he replied “it is, but it makes me so home-sick to think that that same moon is shining down on all my folks at Port Glasgow”. Hughie, too had been very ill during the early part of the voyage, and hearing from my stewardess that he was feeling pretty bad, I went along to see him in his cabin. He looked very green and such a boy with his rumpled fair hair and I asked him if there was anything he wanted. “Yes” he said “my Mother”. However, he soon cheered up after I had asked to see his photographs of all his people and his girlfriend. This I found was the best form of consolation to any lonely soul on board ship. Whenever the snaps came out, the owner smiled and confidences were soon exchanged. Some of you may have heard of the tragedy which befell me in the Red Sea. One morning I looked in my denture dish and thinking the water in it was not very fresh I emptied it out of the port-hole and with it my lower teeth, which I had only had a short time before I left home. I felt terrible about it, I thought it would spoil my trip but apart from the fact that I could not eat very well I managed to live it down, although at the time I was very sorry for myself and very annoyed at my own stupidity. I had many things told me for my consolation, but I think the most comforting was a friend who wrote from home to tell me this story. A lady, who shared a cabin with another travelling East, felt rather thirsty one night in her bunk. Without switching on the light, she reached out for a tumbler of water and finding it a little warm, she threw it out of the port-hole and took some fresh water and went to sleep. Can you imagine her feelings in the morning to find she had thrown away her cabin companion’s top and bottom teeth and do you wonder that they both had a most unhappy trip? Our next port of call was Aden and it was a very hot job walking around the little town as the temperature was over 100 degrees. As the ship sails in one had the impression of huge cardboard mountains cut out and stuck around the little town, enclosing it so gray are they and no sign of vegetation at all. I spent about an hour in the queer little shops and looking at the curios and silks. I had a new and thrilling experience at Aden. A friend, who had been an engineer for 7 years on the cable ship the Mirror found that his boat was in the bay and he took me aboard. There are 17 officers and a Captain on the Mirror all European and a native crew. The officers gave us a wonderful welcome. They had not had a female on board for months and months and out came all the snaps of their wives, sweethearts and babies. When they found I was really interested in their photos, they could not do enough for me and after a breakfast, which was jolly and lengthy and most unusual, they sent my friend and me back to the Rajputana in their lovely motor launch. The men on these ships have a lonely life, often not calling at a port for months on end. Their job is to mend the broken cables for the Eastern Telegraph Company radiating to many parts of the world, www.melbourncambridge.co.uk

which means that they are frequently weeks at sea, out of sight of land. On Oct 26th the whole day was given up to the children of whom there were about 25 on board. In the morning they had sports watched with great interest by all the passengers. Tiny tots of 2 and 3 years caused great amusement, by entering into the various events with jest and vigour. At 4 p.m. in the dining saloon the children had their party. No effort had been spared to make the tables attractive, and once again all the grownups trooped down to see the children have a lovely tea. At 5 p.m. the prizes were given away and in addition each child was given a present. Then after Nuts-in-May and a few more jolly games the wee ones went off to bed with a memory, I am sure, which will last a very long time. As we are all women with daily meals to prepare I thought a few words on the food and catering on the ship might be of interest. I had a chat with the head steward, one day, who told me some very interesting food facts, among them was one which made a great impression on me. Everything is done to ensure fresh supplies of fruit and vegetables and the P&O Company’s own extensive farms in Australia, to which they send out seeds from home, and so the ships can pick up a good supply of home produce for the return journey. All the bread and cakes are made on board, and as there were over 2,000 tomato sandwiches alone cut every afternoon, you can imagine the bakers were kept busy. We picked up fruit at each port, and so we were privileged to enjoy most delicious fruits as we got further east. It was a marvel to me to be able to get crisp lettuce in the middle of the Red Sea and shows how well the refridgerators act. The head steward, too, compiles the menus and I think he must have been a man of great imagination as at each port we had a suitable dish, for example at Marseilles the fish was Marseilles slips (slips are small Dover sole) while at Malta the trifle was a Maltese one. The stewards are so considerate and so anxious to please that even a fastidious soul who could not make a choice from the very long menu can still have some special dish made to order. Another source of great interest on big ships are the ladies fashions. The weather conditions are so hot that that alone is a good excuse for the girls to make frequent changes. For sport, which is indulged in nearly all mornings, the pretty cotton dresses and shorts are most suitable. Some of the girls wear slacks all the time but they cannot be cool and are not very becoming. Lots of people retire for a siesta after lunch and appear for tea in a little more frilly frock than the morning one. From tea till dinner nearly everyone takes exercise and walking is the most popular form at that hour. It is at dinner that one really sees the fashion parade. Girls who have been in shorts all day emerge in beautiful evening gowns of every colour and description making a really charming scene. You must remember it is so warm that evening dress is the coolest one can wear and it is easy to look ones best under these conditions. I expect I must just touch on the ship board romances of which we read melbournmagazine@gmail.com

so much. I sat at a table with nearly all young boys and girls going East for business or pleasure. The amusing part was that they so quickly changed their affection, from one to another that one knew that they were all just “ships that pass in the night” although I did hear later of one romance which seemed to be more than that. On the 28th about 3 p.m. we arrived at Bombay. The first thing one sees on entering the harbour is a huge memorial of the great war, called The Gateway of India. I went ashore with a party of friends in intense heat, sightseeing. I was impressed by the town and the good solid buildings and shops, which had quite an English air about them. We hired a car and went all around Malabar Hill, and paid a brief visit to the wonderful hanging gardens, and all the rare and lovely flowers there. Having seen all this beauty we decided to go to the Crawford Market, and see the other side of the town. This is a huge covered-in market place, for fruit, vegetables, brass ware, carpets, curios and almost everything else one can think of. The beggars in this quarter are so persistent and the cripples, all along the street in dozens, make one feel so unhappy we did not spend very long in that quarter, but during my brief visit I full realised the awful conditions under which these people must exist, to render them into this filthy and crippled state. After a visit to the Taj Mahal Hotel to which everyone who goes to Bombay seems to pay a visit, we were quite glad to get back to the ship. The last two days on the ship seemed to be taken up by packing and good-byes, and on the Saturday night before I was due at Colombo I felt quite sorry to leave all these kind friends, who had made my voyage such a pleasant one. What shall I say of my arrival at Colombo on Oct 31st? We were due in the harbour about 6.30 a.m., but long before my stewardess came to call me at 5.30 a.m., I was up and dressed and as we sailed into Colombo harbour I could

hardly realise that I had actually come to the end of my sea voyage, and that I would so soon meet my husband. When a big liner gets into harbour there are many formalities before anyone can board the ship, and all these take a considerable time, at each port, but at Colombo they seemed to me to take twice as long and it was 7.30 a.m. before the launches were allowed out to the ship and I saw my husband waving to me from a lovely little white launch called “The Jean”. As promised he was the first man on the ship and although I had looked forward so much to seeing him walk up the gangway, I was so thrilled that at the very critical moment I had to turn away to compose myself, and so I did not see him until he stepped onto the ship where I was standing at the top of the gangway. We had a long chat in my cabin and although I had arranged about my luggage and my passport and had done my tipping I had quite forgotten about breakfast so we had it together while my kindly table steward beamed upon me, with his dark face, white teeth and flashing smile as much as to say “well you are alright now”. We stayed about half an hour on the ship saying good-byes and then I landed in lovely Ceylon. Cyril Hagger is part of a long established Melbourn Hagger family. James Hagger a saddler came to Melbourn around 1790. His son Joseph Ellis Hagger inherited the family business from his grandfather in 1824. J. E. Hagger and Son – described as Collar & Harness Maker, Dealer in Oil, Cutlery, Ironmongery, Rope, Hemp – continued trading until 1930. The shop was situated at what is now the Post Office in the High Street. Isa was born in Scotland and met Cyril when he was there on a business trip to Scotland. They married in 1919 and had two daughters, Morag and Sheina. In 1924 the family moved to The Maples, in Orchard Road in Melbourn.

Cyril, Sheina, Morag and Isa Hagger in their garden in Orchard Road, Melbourn in the late 1920s

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