Issue 103 Autumn 2020 by Melbourn Magazine

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

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...editorial We hope that everyone has survived lockdown without too many difficulties. We are fortunate in Melbourn to have so many volunteers willing to deliver food and services to us at home. Thank you very much from us all. The weather has also been relatively kind, apart from the end of August! Did you see the new comet, Neowise, in July? See page 24. Owing to Covid-19 there are no events to advertise, so this issue contains no Diary. Maybe this will change by the next issue – time will tell. However, we have some interesting articles, including a description of a walk on the Magog Downs on page 49 and Fowlmere Wildlife Reserve on page 36, both with excellent photographs. The Village College has been ensuring that students have access to computers so that their education is disrupted as little as possible, and are very grateful to people for their gifts of computers, see page 27. Playgroup reopened in June albeit in a slightly different form and is thriving. The Guides are having weekly online Zoom meetings, and have a different theme every week, see page 57, while the Dynamos Football Club for boys and girls, is winning commendations and has been recognised as an FA Community Hub Club, page 56. The Hub has reopened, and includes a marquee in the garden, see page 7. People are very pleased to see it back and it is well supported. There are many other interesting features including the Travelogue in the Himalayas, on page 22, book reviews, page 42 and Cricklewood’s Cars on page18. On page 64 there is an interesting overview of epidemics and pandemics. and much more. We hope that by the time the Christmas issue is published the situation will have further improved. Keep safe and enjoy our village with its many amenities.

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 inside back cover for details

Contents Village news feature

5 18

Cricklewood’s Cars

feature

The Standard Bearer

Travelogue

Travelling the Himalayas

feature

Comet Neowise seen over Melbourn

Education Nature

27 31

Waterlight film dvd and download

Nature

Fowlmere RSPB Nature Reserve

Village information Bin collection

feature

32 32 41

Lockdown Bloomsday Celebration

Review

The Beekeeper of Aleppo The Education of An Idealist Authors and their Books

Nature

A Walk at the Magog Down

Churches Together feature

53 55

Melbourn and the Middle East Conflict

Sports & Clubs feature

57 64

What goes around ... comes around!

Advertisers

Front cover Skylark at Magog Down. See page 49. Photograph by Garth Peacock

The magazine is available to read online at www.issuu.com/melbourn and to download to a computer, mobile or tablet. The download file is available at www.melbourncambridge.org. melbournmagazine@gmail.com

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Village news Village News Florrie Widger

RDCT on the Radio

The Melbourn Hub Shows its Worth!

Melbourn Mobile Warden Scheme

Library

Community Lifeline Service

Cambridgeshire Hear

Open Eco Homes Autumn Season

Relate Cambridge

Melbourn Springs

Melbourn Parish Council

From your County and District Councillors

Waterlight film dvd now available

Florrie Widger Sadly, Florrie died on June 25th aged 95. Many will remember her walking her little dog around the village. However, on retirement from the NAAFI she was very busy and involved with the Over 60s Club on Thursdays, which met each week at the Village College. She was a member of a Melbourn choir, The Melodians, who performed in Melbourn, Cambridge and surrounding villages entertaining at many venues. She moved with her husband Tom to Rose Lane in 1959 when the bungalow was just built. She had a lovely front garden, which many admired when walking past, and which was a riot of colour in spring and summer. Gardening was her interest and hobby as can be seen in the photograph below and even if she couldn’t get out so much of late the garden catalogues kept her busy. She had a long and comfortable life and we in Rose Lane will miss her.

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RDCT on the Radio Royston and District Community Transport, frequently used by Melbourn residents who have difficulty with transport, have had to reduce the journey types and frequency usually offered. This has meant a reduction in income, causing us to ask for help from our county. We were therefore delighted to receive a grant of £1,920 from the Cambridgeshire Community Fund. BBC Radio Cambridgeshire were made aware of our successful application and asked if we could supply a driver and passenger contact for a live interview with their presenter Dotty on their morning programme. I was asked to liaise with the programme researcher and it became apparent that, as well as background from a driver, what they really wanted was a passenger’s experience in the lock-down period. Our Office Manager Pru, well known to all who use our service, was able to suggest some Melbourn residents and I struck lucky with the first person I rang. Mr Colin Limming, who has used our service recently and is confident and articulate, agreed to take part even knowing the broadcast would not only be live but at 7:35 AM! To say the least I was relieved and reassured it would all be good. On the day we were rung just before broadcast time to check we were OK and speech quality was good. Then we were on, a brief explanation of our service from Dotty, and Colin was asked for his view. He gave a brief but succinct resume of how the RDCT was able to help him when other options for travel were not realistic. Colin explained

that sitting in the back with the driver and passenger masked did discourage the usual friendly chat, but the service was reliable and one call to the office number 01763 245228 was all it took to get things arranged. What we can now offer as well as the medical-related journeys that we have maintained throughout are social visits, shopping trips, hairdresser appointments, and similar, but with some restrictions. The journey time must be a maximum of 15 minutes each way and regretfully the driver may not be able to offer personal contact unless it is essential. Should you need our service please ring the office number 01763 245228 and we will try to help you – within current limits of course. Ron Comben Meldreth driver For more information Tel: 01763 245228 or visit www.roytrans.co.uk/ and www.facebook.com/ groups/1261245897399340/

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The Melbourn Hub Shows its Worth! Lockdown The role of the Melbourn Community Hub as the centre of village life was rudely interrupted by the Covid-19 crisis in March, sharing this dreadful experience with all other local businesses and of course residents. Our staff members were furloughed and loyal volunteers asked to stay at home. Many people had to self isolate and it was an intensely anxious time for everyone. The Hub café and the Library Access point were ‘mothballed’ and normal business came to a standstill. However, immediately before the lockdown was enforced the inevitable problems of isolation and social need were anticipated by the Hub management. It was clear that a task force should be set up. This new team was named the Melbourn Coronavirus Community Response (MCCR). A proposal was quickly agreed to re-purpose the Hub resources to help the village as the lockdown arrived, thanks to close co-operation and support from the Melbourn Parish Council.

a community support centre for those needing help during the pandemic and to secure resources for the initiative. Thanks to the swift action of all involved, the MCCR was set up and funded ready to support the community even before the lockdown was formally declared on 23rd March. Numerous volunteers stepped forward and they were either tasked with staffing the 7-day a week MCCR control centre or delivering services to those local residents in need. The Hub was transformed into a call and operations centre and the MCCR rapidly became central to the lives of more than 500 self-isolating residents, who depended on the prescription collection and food delivery services provided. This operation was staffed from 9.00am to 5.00pm six days a week with telephone emergency support on Sundays too. Services included a Foodbank and weekly pre-prepared food, supplied to targeted individuals and families. Two grants were secured to help fund the work, supplemented by massive public support

The MCCR The MCCR was set up in less than 7 days, operating from Melbourn Hub, managed by Cath Sharman and supported closely by District Councillor Jose Hales. The Melbourn Hub’s management group approached Cath, the Melbourn Timebank Coordinator and the Parish Council, to offer the idea and space to set up

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s ur ge nth Yo tga o or m m or 6 f id

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Connect with Care Network! During these challenging times our Community Navigators can help you find local support. This includes access to our Help at Home essential shopping and our Wellbeing Phoneline services Speak to your local South Cambs Coordinator today on 01954 212100 To learn more or donate to our Covid-19 response services please visit www.care-network.org.uk/ or call 01954 211 919

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It was a pleasure to receive the many cards and kind gifts of chocolates, cakes and biscuits from grateful residents. It was even more of a pleasure to be able to provide the much needed support! Huge thanks to all our volunteers who gave so generously of their time.

Welcome Back to the Hub! On the 27th July the Hub opened its doors again to café customers for the first time since March. There had been plenty of comments and requests from residents asking for this to happen as soon as possible and the moment was anticipated with joy. Customers have flocked back, enjoying both hot sunshine and showers. Full table service is now the order of the day and the customers just love it! Extended outside undercover seating in a marquee adds to the enjoyment. The Hub reopened with every aspect of customer safety in mind together with a new look menu. Following through the Just Giving website and assistance from the Parish Council. What a team effort! In total more than 2,500 hours were volunteered for the MCCR effort since its inception on 16th March 2020. This is what was achieved: With the support of existing key local organisations and individuals, Melbourn Timebank, Melbourn Hub,

the Parish Council, the Melbourn Mobile Warden Scheme and the District Councillor for Melbourn, the MCCR successfully operated for 20 weeks combatting the epidemic threat to vulnerable residents.

continued on page 10 melbournmagazine@gmail.com

a professional Risk Assessment the government Covid-19 safety regulations have been closely observed so that Hub management are confident of the services now on offer. John Travis, Chair of the Hub Trustees, said, “We care deeply about our customers, paid staff members and many volunteers. Our aim is to retain the welcoming space that sets the Melbourn Hub apart, while creating the safest possible environment for everyone. We think this has been achieved and our customers agree!”

Library The library was forced to close when lockdown was announced and at the time it was hoped that it would reopen within a few weeks as it is such a vital resource for so many people, young and old, in the village and surrounding areas. Sadly it looks as though it will be some time before this will happen. It is important that the Hub is able to function under the new restrictions and this has meant that the area formerly used by the library – the bookshelves and the librarians desk – are now needed to provided the café with the extra space it needs for social distancing. This means that for some months it will be impossible to open the library. It is hoped that as restrictions are gradually lifted we may be able to offer a pick-up service for books ordered on line or by phone. Currently main libraries offer this so library books are still available to all and there is no charge for the reservations. The one service we can still offer is taking in returned books. These should be put in the box in the entrance to the Hub. All the librarians are looking forward to returning to the library at the Hub and you may be sure that we will do so as soon as we possibly can. Jane Stevens Do you or a friend enjoy reading? Is there a book – old or new, long or short, any category – that you enjoyed? Would you recommend it to the readers of Melbourn Magazine? Contact Melbourn Magazine for full details email: melbournmagazine@gmail.com Telephone: 261144.

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

We offer help with:

• Friendship and support via twice weekly visits and daily phone calls

• Ordering and collection of prescriptions

• Basic shopping • Collection of pensions • Setting up Lifeline service • Bereavement support • Going to the Post Office to pay your bills

Community Lifeline Service Are you looking for peace of mind? If you live on your own or if someone in your family lives alone., t he Lifeline Service may be able to help you. In case of emergency, or if you need some reassurance – by pressing a button it connects you with someone in your family, a friend or neighbour, or the emergency services. Giving you that peace of mind you deserve.

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

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

The Community Lifeline Service

Jane Cage (Deputy)

The Community Lifeline Service allows people, young and old to stay in their homes longer and live independently. It is run by South Cambridgeshire District Council.

Melbourn Warden Scheme

07592 821976 email: janec55@virginmedia.com is a registered charity

www.melbourncambridge.co.uk

How it works In case of an emergency, you can press the lifeline button. This can be worn around your neck or on your wrist. When pressed, the button sends a signal to a small base unit that is connected to your telephone. This dials the monitoring centre who, after a few moments, will speak to you through the loudspeaker on the unit. You can then speak out loud and ask for the help you need. Everyone using the lifeline service needs to have a local emergency contact – a friend, neighbour or family member – who lives locally and has a key (or access via a key safe) to your home. In the case of an emergency you can ask the monitoring centre for one of your emergency contacts or the emergency services.

How much it costs The Community Lifeline Service costs £4.47 per week. This is payable every three months in advance by a £58.11 direct debit. (Whilst direct debit is the preferred payment method, it is possible to pay online or by payment card at the Post Office). The installation charge is £30. Additional buttons are available for £50. For tenants living on a South Cambridgeshire District Council Sheltered Scheme the cost is £3 per week charged separately to the rent account.

How to apply If you are interested in speaking with someone regarding the Lifeline Service, you can contact us by telephone on 01954 713470, email lifelines@scambs.gov.uk or online at www.scambs.gov.uk/lifelines If you live on a Sheltered Scheme, please contact your Sheltered Estate Officer or email alarm.calls@scambs.gov.uk. After applying, one of our local experienced staff will contact you to arrange a convenient time for installation. Here is a selection of what some of our customers say about the Lifeline Service: “I feel more relaxed about being at home – peace of mind is very important”. Lifeline user living in Melbourn “Very surprised at how quickly it was installed. Lifeline provides a link to people that can help me in an emergency”. Lifeline user living in Meldreth. “The Lifeline Service has enabled me to live

comfortably and independently in my own home knowing that I can call on someone in an emergency” Lifeline user living in Willingham. “The Lifeline Service has given me and my family great peace of mind” Lifeline user living in Sawston “A wonderful service to give help and peace of mind. An efficient and well-run service”. Lifeline user living in Impington. “Without a doubt the Lifeline Service has saved my mum at least three times” A quote from the son of a Lifeline user living in Histon. “Very friendly service. Took extra time to explain the service to ensure the service user understood”. Occupational therapist for lifeline customer living in Longstanton For more information and to apply for a lifeline, please call 01954 713470, email lifelines@scambs.gov.uk or look online at www.scambs.govuk/lifelines

Cambridgeshire Hear Do you use a hearing aid or find yourself hard-of-hearing … or does someone in your family? If so, please join the new ‘Cambridgeshire Hear for You community’ group. This is a new way of keeping in touch and to exchange views and ideas, whether it’s about hearing loss, or just your news, ideas and messages about literally anything! The group has been set up by local charity, Cambridgeshire Hearing Help, which maintains hearing aids, runs workshops on hearing loss and teaches lipreading. The charity also runs ‘Hear for You’ social groups, which are suspended because of current restrictions – so they’re going online for members old and new! The drop-in Hearing Help session at Vicarage Close Community Room, Melbourn, has been cancelled until further notice. For help and information: Telephone: 01223 416141 Text: 07852 699196 enquiries@cambridgeshirehearinghelp.org.uk or visit www.cambridgeshirehearinghelp.org.uk

continued on page 12 melbournmagazine@gmail.com

FROG END PET SUPPLIES We run free lip-reading classes in Cambridge and signpost to other lip‑reading classes in the county. We also run free ‘Living Well with Hearing Loss’ workshops in Cambridge for adults who have a newly diagnosed hearing loss.

Many people have used social media to keep in touch with family and friends in recent times. This is a chance to make contact with more people locally, who share your interests. It is being established on Facebook and is a ‘closed group’, giving members the extra safety and security that only other members will be able to see your comments. It is also completely free. You can join the Facebook group NOW by going to the ‘Cambridgeshire Hearing Help’ page on Facebook, click on ‘Groups’ then on ‘Join’. If you have any difficulty, simply enter the following link in your search engine: www.facebook.com/ groups/cambridgeshirehearforyoucommunity/ If you are new to Facebook, the charity has produced a simple guide of how to join the group, which is on its website. Or contact them at enquiries@cambridgeshirehearinghelp. org.uk Cambridgeshire Hearing Help launched the new group on 30 June. You can join at any time and take part in the initial messages between us. It’s a new and excellent way of keeping in touch – let’s all use it!

Open Eco Homes Autumn Season Has spending more time at home got you thinking about home improvement? The upcoming government Green Homes Grant offers homeowners and landlords grants up to £5,000 covering two-thirds of the cost of many home energy improvements. Local charity Cambridge Carbon Footprint is offering free advice on how to renovate your home to make it more comfortable and energy efficient with their Open Eco Homes Autumn Season. After 10 years running live events, this year they’ve offering their home tours and talks online. There are 8 tours and 3 talks to choose from, running between 14th September to 20th October. Details and registration at openecohmes.org/autumnseason.

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Relate Cambridge

Home-Start – eBay selling I don’t know about you, but one thing that has been bothering me over the last few weeks is just how much stuff I seem to have lying around my house. Everywhere I turn there are cupboards full of things I never use, touch or even look at. Does that sound familiar? Normally I have a little pile of things I no longer want sitting in the cupboard under the stairs; every so often, I bundle the pile and the children into the car and drop everything off at the charity shop. As long as I remember to collect the children from the toy corner before I leave again, it’s a pretty seamless process. Of course, all the charity shops have been closed during the lockdown, and my pile of unwanted things has now become a fairly serious problem. And yours has too? Well… There is a solution: eBay! eBay for Charities is the fundraising arm of the international selling site, and there a couple of ways to support your favourite good cause while using the service. You could become an eBay seller on behalf of a charity. This is where your piles of unwanted items come in. Why not sort out your items, photograph them, and pop them on eBay? It’s very easy, if you’ve never done it before. Right at the bottom of the page, once you’ve put in all the details about your item, is a little box inviting you to “donate a portion to charity.” After you’ve ticked the box, you can decide which charity should receive the donation and how much you want them to receive, and eBay does the rest. If you want to know more about selling on eBay and donating to charity, check out their guide pages: https://charity.ebay.co.uk/ Or, if you’re buying on eBay, you can choose to support a charity while purchasing other items: simply set up your chosen charity in your eBay account, and then, whenever you make a purchase on eBay, you have the chance to include a donation to your charity. Simples! So, the next time you look at your brimming cupboards in despair, look again: maybe this is your chance to de-clutter your space and support HomeStart, all from the comfort of your computer.

New statistics show East of England’s lockdown ‘relationship realisations’ New research released by Relate, the leading relationships charity, paints a divided picture of relationships in the East of England and the rest of the UK as lockdown is eased. Across couple, family and social relationships, people have had a range of ‘relationship realisations’. A heartwarming 60% of respondents in the East of England said that lockdown has made them realise relationships are the most important thing in their lives and more than a third (36%) of respondents in the region who have parents feel emotionally closer to them. Sadly, just under a quarter (23%) of respondents living in the East of England who have a partner have struggled to support them emotionally during this time and 7% noted that lockdown has made them realise they need to break-up, divorce or separate. 60% of respondents in the East of England said that lockdown has made them realise relationships are the most important thing in their lives The poll of 2,058 UK adults found that more than half (57%) of respondents in the East of England said their relationships with loved ones have helped them get through lockdown. As Relate launches its first ever Relationships Week (20–26 July), Relate Cambridge is asking people to share their #RelationshipRocks via social media – with a picture or video and a short message about how someone has been a ‘rock’ to them lately. Claire Godward, Centre Director at Relate Cambridge said: “Most of us can’t remember a sustained period of pressure on every aspect of life on such a scale. Relationships are central to health and wellbeing and we want to raise awareness of their power to protect and sustain us in the worst of times. Relationships are now in the spotlight more than ever, so we want to grasp this opportunity to encourage everyone to talk about them more openly – the good, the bad and the ugly. That’s why today marks the start of our first-ever Relationships Week and we’re calling on people in Cambridgeshire to join in the conversation.” Make or break time for couples When it came to couple relationships, almost a quarter (23%) of people in the East of England who have a partner said they have struggled to support their partner emotionally during lockdown. Just over one-in-seven in the region (15%) were anxious about how their relationship with their partner will change when lockdown ends. 6% of respondents in a relationship said lockdown has made them realise they want to propose to their partner, while 7% came to the conclusion during lockdown that they need to end their relationship. continued on page 14 melbournmagazine@gmail.com

Socially distanced but emotionally closer to family and friends While we may have been practising social distancing during lockdown, many have realised their emotional bonds with loved ones have strengthened. More than a third (36%) of respondents in the East of England who have parents said they felt ‘emotionally closer’ to them as a result of lockdown. Despite this, 15% have argued or had a disagreement with their parents during lockdown. 35% of respondents living in the region who have a sibling felt emotionally closer to them since lockdown, and 25% of respondents felt closer to their neighbours while 29% felt closer to their friends. Relationship hopes post-lockdown Lockdown has made many people experience first-hand the benefits of quality family time. More than half of respondents in the East of England (52%) agreed that the experience has inspired them to make more effort with loved ones in the future. When asked exactly what lockdown relationship habits people would like to continue in the future, family walks/spending time outdoors together came in top (30%), followed by video calls with family (28%) and spending more quality time with family (25%) Claire, concluded: “This Relationships Week, we want to help everyone in Cambridgeshire celebrate the best of their lockdown relationship realisations and address the more difficult ones. I’m encouraging everyone to start a conversation about their relationships this week, whether it’s to thank someone for their support during lockdown or to begin addressing issues that have been swept under the carpet in recent months.” Relate Cambridge is now taking appointments for counselling sessions, including virtual sessions via Zoom or telephone. The appointments line is available Monday to Friday between 9am and 1pm. Please call on 01302 347 866 to book your appointment. For more information about relationships week, visit relate.org.uk/relationships-week.

Melbourn Springs We have welcomed our first permanent residents to Melbourn Springs and look forward to welcoming those planning to move into our beautiful home in the next few weeks. Fortunately, I can confirm that our home has remained free of the virus and all our staff and residents have tested negative. We are also enrolled on a re-testing programme too! It has been so lovely to create many happy memories together and make each of our residents’ individual experiences special, with moments of life skills, arts and crafts, enjoying the beautiful sunshine, starting our home’s raised vegetable plot/herb gardens – not forgetting the

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• Boiler servicing & repairs • Landlord certificates • Boiler replacements • Bathroom suites • Natural gas, oil & LPG • Heating system upgrades • General plumbing & repairs

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Sunflowers that our residents have planted alongside the Melbourn Primary School Sunflower Competition. The residents have enjoyed their meal-time experiences which have included delicious favourites, homemade baking and a scrumptious Roulade too! Respite Breaks are also a great way to have a little boost to re-charge – they can even be booked a year in advance and rooms are always available! Our resident family garden visits are also working well to ensure that we keep everyone safe and protected. I look forward to many more sunny days ahead and many more special moments at Melbourn Springs. General Manager, Karen Allen Queens Official Birthday To celebrate the Queen’s official birthday we held a special afternoon tea for our residents to enjoy the occasion together, topped off spectacularly with a cake fit for a Queen made by second chef Annie Symonds. Our residents helped decide on the actual colour and it was a close call between Red, Blue or Purple for the Crown, but the team agreed with Royal Purple for our creation. Staff voted on the design and The Crown won, nominated by manager Karen Allen. We were all blown away by Annie’s amazing cake, with resident Iris exclaiming, “I have never seen anything like it – absolutely excellent!” It seemed a shame to cut the ‘work of art’ but we all enjoyed a slice together, which was truly delicious, and there were smiles all round as we sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to our Queen. This special cake and day will definitely be remembered by all of us at Melbourn Springs for many years to come. Said Karen: “We have a hard working and vigilant team and we are welcoming new residents with strict protocols in place. It will mean the world to everyone this week that we can also finally welcome families in to see their loved ones as well.”

Revd Lizzie proceeded to bless the Reception, Dining Room, Lounges and some of the homes residents’ bedrooms

Melbourn Springs Home blessing The staff and residents were delighted to welcome Revd Lizzie Shipp to bless their home. Originally planned before the home opened it was a really special day for the blessing to actually take place – after the home’s meet and greet checks had been completed and socially distanced from home gardens of course. Revd Lizzie kindly produced an order of service and was welcomed by General Manager Karen Allen, Home Services Advisor Dan Amis, and the home team. After a deluge of rain earlier in the day fortunately there was not a single drop throughout the service. Revd Lizzie proceeded to bless the Reception, Dining Room, Lounges and some of the homes residents’ bedrooms (which all have access to the home gardens) Karen Allen said, “This is truly a special day, a few tears of happiness were shed and this moment will be sure to be remembered for many years to come. Thank you very much Lizzie!” Dementia Awareness Week Our Home Services Advisor Dan conducted a Dementia Friends session for our staff at Melbourn Springs, to support National Dementia Action Week and the extensive Barchester Dementia training programme that all our staff have already completed. Laura, our Activities Coordinator, also demonstrated our Magic Table – a specialist sensory table in our Memory Lane Activity Cafe. Keep an eye out for the next Dementia Friends session and Magic Table community events at Melbourn Springs. Hampton Court Comes to Melbourn Rain certainly did not stop our residents gardening activities as they prepared their very own hanging baskets for our home gardens. After careful selection and positioning of the flowers we think you’ll agree that our residents did a sterling job and their baskets look absolutely splendid, with one resident chuckling, “Who needs Hampton Court when you have our gardens at Melbourn Springs?!?” continued on page 16 melbournmagazine@gmail.com

Anyone for Ice-cream? As our residents cannot visit the Ice-Cream van at the moment, our Activities Coordinator Laura organised a special Ice-Cream afternoon to bring the ice-cream to Melbourn Springs. One resident said: “Oh, it reminds me of when I visited the pictures years and years ago – the best bit for me was always the ice-cream at the interval, but I was a bit boring really as Strawberry was always my favourite. Everyone had a lovely afternoon and Vanilla was definitely the most popular choice – with a Flake of course” Alzheimer’s Society annual cupcake day To mark the Alzheimer’s Society annual Cupcake Day, our Activities Coordinator Laura hosted a classic baking afternoon at Melbourn Springs. Our residents really enjoyed getting stuck in and by the end of the afternoon there was not even one cupcake left – they certainly were very tasty! “They Matter” fiddle mats donation Hilary Curtis and the “They Matter” Group from the Buntingford U3A have kindly donated a selection of bespoke handmade fiddle/activity mats for our Elstar Memory Lane Dementia Community. The mats make a huge difference to our residents’ lives alongside our empathy dolls and magic table. Thank you so much to all at the “They Matter” group – we really do appreciate your generous gifts. A winner for Melbourn Springs Home Services Advisor, Dan Amis from Melbourn Springs has been selected out of 2,800 nominations for his dedication, passion and contribution to become the Divisional winner for Community Engagement at the National Care Awards. As the divisional winner, Dan was also presented with a Certificate and £40 prize voucher by Home Manager, Karen Allen. Dan has been invited to the Care Awards Finals where the overall winner will be announced on 8th October 2020. This year the ceremony will be a virtual event and the Melbourn Springs team and the home’s community friends are all keep their fingers crossed that Dan will be named the National winner. Mayor of Royston Rob Inwood shows his support for Melbourn Springs Royston Mayor, Rob Inwood kindly visited Melbourn Springs to meet some of the care home team in the grounds. The Mayor wanted to show his support with how the home has remained completely free of the virus over the last few months and congratulated the home for being part of a re-testing programme to ensure the home’s community of residents and staff is always kept

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Melbourn Springs Dan Amis of Melbourn Springs National Care Award Winner Prize Presentation by General Manager Karen Allen

safe. Rob was also able to meet a family who were visiting their relative during a pre-booked garden visit, and heard directly from them about how the home was the safest place to be right now.

Melbourn Parish Council Millenium Copse The Millenium copse is an area of open space behind Melbourn Sports Pavilion and is there for residents to plant trees in dedication. If you are interested in having a tree planted, please contact the Parish Office on parishclerk@melbournpc. co.uk or (01763) 263303 The old Recreation ground Residents may have notice surveying activity taking place on the Old Recreation ground. This is preparatory work connected to the forthcoming science park expansion. Sewage pipes will be laid in trenches and connected to the pumping station situated on the old rec, and then the area will be made good so sport can resume. There will be no other development and the land has not been disposed of. Words from The Parish Chair When we started the last financial year in April 2019, no one would have contemplated the social and economic effects that we have seen around the country. Melbourn Parish Council had to adapt to the prevailing circumstances quickly. Our staff have all pulled together to ensure that we have continued to support the village as best we can. Our office-based staff and our wardens have ensured that as near as possible we have been able to maintain business as usual. Fortunately, we have got in place robust operating processes and procedures and we have largely been weathering the situation well. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our employees for ensuring the continued smooth running of the Parish Office and business under extremely difficult circumstances. I would also like to thank all of our contractors who throughout have continued to support the village and ensure that the village has remained tidy and clean. I am happy to report that we have remained on track

to meet our financial objectives during the last financial year. We have continued to build up our reserves and are now close to meeting our six-month reserve objective. It does fill me with hope for the future, having experienced so much good will in the village during this unusual time. If there is anything good to come from the awful situation that we have found ourselves having to deal with it is the coming together of so many different areas of our society to support our residents during this extremely testing period. Graham Clark, Chair of Melbourn Parish Council Changes at the Council Lastly, I would like to take this opportunity to inform parishioners that I will be departing for pastures new at the end of September 2020. I am delighted to announce that Claire Littlewood will be stepping up and assuming the role of Parish Clerk to the Council. I wish her every success in her new role. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the residents of Melbourn for making me feel welcome, and will always remember Melbourn with fondness. The Parish Council is now seeking to recruit a new assistant to the Parish Clerk. If you are interested, please contact the Parish Office.

From your County and District Councillors Melbourn Greenway: a big step forward Many improvements are now in the pipeline to form a continuous pedestrian/cycle ‘active travel’ route between Royston and Cambridge, as part of the Greater Cambridge Partnership’s wide-ranging Greenway project that encompasses 12 schemes radiating in and out of Cambridge. The Melbourn scheme had by far the highest public consultation response, and one which was overwhelmingly positive. The decision to take the scheme forward (with various elements to be further consulted on) was made at the June Board meeting. This reflects a great deal of work by local Melbourn residents over many years – thanks to all who’ve been involved. Key features of the Greenway include a bridge over the A505, subject to collaboration with Hertfordshire County Council; a connecting path from Royston to Melbourn along the eastern side of the A10; a 20MPH limit in Melbourn and Foxton plus village junction improvements; a 30MPH limit over Foxton Level Crossing and a two-way cycle lane over the crossing (retaining the wicket gates); widening of the Hartson-Hauxton path to three metres; new alignment of the Trumpington Country Park path in association with the new Travel Hub there, including a new non-motorized user bridge

alongside the existing farm bridge, to avoid the M11 roundabout. The Grinnell Hill connection from Melbourn village to the A10 junction with Royston Road has been dropped, as the public consultation clearly indicated that this was unpopular. Instead the alignment will be along the Royston Road itself. Timescales are long (years not months) and there will be further authorisations needed for some of these segments, but all in all it’s a big step forward. Highway Code: consultation on safety improvements for pedestrians, cyclists and equestrians Another in the suite of government initiatives to encourage active travel is the consultation on safety improvements for active travel in the Highway Code, which runs until October 27th. Please google ‘Review of Highway Code for cyclists, pedestrians and horse riders’ for the full consultation document and ways to respond. If you don’t have access to the internet but would like to respond, please contact us and we’ll help. Protected A10 verges – chalk hill grass We’ve had a number of questions about cutting back the grass alongside the track by the A10 slope between Melbourn and Royston. Cuts are limited due to Protected Verge status for chalk hill grasses. ‘Gulley cleansing’ (drains!) – a sign of the times It’s a shocking state of affairs when the County Highways no longer has a dedicated budget for preventive gulley continued on page 21 melbournmagazine@gmail.com

feature Cricklewood’s Cars

Dagenham, Cowley, Luton, Coventry, Cricklewood. Many people, even those with little or no interest in cars, would I suspect instinctively associate the first four of those names with the ‘golden age’ of British post war car production; but Cricklewood? Cricklewood is just a few miles from central London and lies on the route of an ancient track which later became the Roman Watling Street, is now the A5 out of London and best known as ‘The Edgware Road’. During the early part of the twentieth century the area was developed as a major industrial centre and many well-known companies including Smith’s Industries and Staples the mattress makers chose Cricklewood as a base. In later years it was also home to Rolls washing machines, a company founded by the infamous entrepreneur John Bloom which offered the public ‘cut-price’ white goods but eventually ran into financial difficulties and was liquidated in 1964. Among other businesses was a firm of coach builders with the somewhat evocative name, ‘Thrupp and Maberly’, which had moved out from their central London premises. The company was formed around 1860 by the merging of the interests of two long established coach building firms; Joseph Thrupp was constructing carriage bodies as early as 1760. Montgomery’s Humber Staff Car (Coventry Transport Museum)

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Henry Segrave’s Golden Arrow

Over the years following the merger the company progressed from horse-drawn carriages to motor cars, building bodies for Rolls-Royce and Bentley together with many other luxury marques. During the First and Second World Wars they built military staff cars, supplying the bodywork for the Humber Super Snipe based open top tourer used by Field Marshal Montgomery in Europe after the D-Day landings. The bodywork for Henry Segrave’s Golden Arrow, which won the land speed record in 1929, was also supplied by Thrupp and Maberly. I joined the company as a member of the buying office team in 1962 when I was in my late teens. At that time it produced the convertible variants of the Rootes Group cars (Rootes having acquired the business in the late 1920s). Alongside the open-top Sunbeam Rapier and Hillman Minx they also produced the Humber Super Snipe Limousine. Within a few months of my starting work there was much excitement when it was announced that we were to assemble the Humber Sceptre, a new luxury car based on the Hillman Super Minx. Our office overlooked the production area and we were able to watch as the first bodies started on their journey down the production line. I recall that our then managing director, Mr Light, ordered one of the first cars, having decreed that it should have black paintwork. These were the days when an autocratic M.D. was to be obeyed without question and the workforce responded accordingly. As the car slowly made its way down the line Mr Light was to be seen closely inspecting ‘his car’ at every stage until he was satisfied that every detail was correct. One of my jobs was to ensure that the four production lines were fed with all the necessary parts

required to complete each vehicle. This was long before highly sophisticated, computerised ‘Just in Time’ delivery methods were adopted. Each part had a set re-order level and every day lorry loads of metal stillages or pallets would arrive with thousands of nuts or bolts or just a few hundred door handles. If we got the order quantity or delivery schedule wrong or there was a holdup in the supply chain then alarm bells would start to ring (not literally). I would have to collect up from the stores the last few remaining stocks of a specific part and go onto the production lines giving each work station perhaps only a handful of fixings, carefully counted out, in order that (fingers crossed) they would have sufficient to ensure that production was maintained until the next delivery was made. In the mid 1960s Rootes was bought out by Chrysler and famous marques such as Humber and Sunbeam were slowly phased out as unique models. Thrupp and Maberly’s days were also numbered as the market for their products declined. By the end of the decade the factory had been closed and the company wound up bringing to an end volume car production in Cricklewood. The factory was finally demolished during the 1980s and the site re-developed as a business park. Strangely, I still, even after all these years, retain an affection for the Humber Sceptre although I am far from a classic car enthusiast. When I come across a Humber Sceptre Mark 1

particularly well-preserved example on display at a local village fete my thoughts will wander back nearly sixty years as I gaze upon its gleaming bodywork. But I confess, what comes to mind is not whether it will still achieve 0 – 60 in 14.4 seconds or how blemish free is the paintwork. No, what I am recalling is the long part number of that slightly dented side moulding or of the perished rear window seal. How sad is that! David Sansom

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feature

The Standard Bearer The Standard is a flag and a constant symbolic reminder to members of the Royal British Legion’s motto, ‘Service not self’. The crosses of St George, St Andrew and St Patrick symbolise unity, chivalry and loyalty to the Sovereign, community and nation. Here is Pauline’s story about her time spent carrying the Standard: My name is Pauline and I was a member of the Royal British Legion’s Women’s Section, Melbourn and Meldreth District Branch for many years. I became a ‘Standard Bearer’ in 2009 and have carried the Standard to many ceremonies including: The Birmingham Tattoo | Ely Cathedral Eastbourne Annual Conference | The Guildhall Cambridge Melbourn and Meldreth Remembrance Parades I also had the honour of being the Standard Bearer to those of our members who have sadly passed away. I would have found all of this pretty difficult, as I have never been in the Forces, and was grateful for the special training I was given, which involved twice monthly meetings in various halls and practising in the garden. Sadly, after 80 years the branch closed and the Standard is awaiting the official laying up ceremony, which will take place in All Saints Church, officiated by Reverend Lizzie Shipp at a future date. I would like to say what a privilege it has been to carry the Standard and represent Melbourn and Meldreth all these years. Pauline shared a poem by Betty Murphy that is very dear to her: When it’s at the ‘order’ I firmly grasp the stem I pause for just a moment And say a prayer for them When it’s at the ‘carry’ Flying high and free I do believe their spirits Are watching over me And when it’s at the ‘dip’ Which it does without a sound A salute to all the heroes Who lie beneath the ground

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cleansing – meaning there is no automatic cyclical maintenance for drains on the highway. While central government offers one-off grants for capital projects, they no longer feed into council revenue budgets, meaning maintenance for infrastructure. Instead, councils must find funding through their own revenue funding, such as council tax and investments. This has been a fundamental change over the past ten years in the way public services are funded. Things have not improved with Covid, which has put additional strain on budgets. So, any work on gullies needs be commissioned via the Local Highways Officer’s budget. It’s important therefore highlight any pooling or other concerns around individual drains direct to Highways – please google ‘Cambridgeshire report a fault’ and follow the links. And thanks very much to everyone who’s already doing so. Meldreth Shepreth & Foxton Community Rail Partnership: Dept for Transport accreditation On the basis of sound financial management, strategic planning and community involvement, the Community Rail Partnership has been given accreditation status by the Dept for Transport, putting it in the frame for new future funding opportunities.

‘Beechwood Avenue cut-through’ and village traffic issues Last year a public meeting was held to hear concerns about traffic problems in Beechwood Avenue; that discussion opened up many others about safety concerns around the village. The parish council agreed to commission some detailed traffic surveys in order to allow further discussions and considerations of any possible intervention measures to be guided by as much information as possible. As with many things, Covid-19 lockdown created a lengthy interruption, but also new opportunities of sorts, given the government’s array of incentives to encourage safe, local ‘active travel’ – mainly walking and cycling for local journeys. We are now in the process of looking at the results of the traffic surveys and will be reporting back to the parish council soon. Bus services No doubt those of you who use the Stagecoach service are already be aware of fundamental changes coming into force on August 30, with the ‘Busway A’ service to be replaced by the 915. The new service runs between Royston and Drummer Sreet Station Cambridge, including a stop at Trumpington Park and Ride for a short wait for anyone wishing to change to the ‘Busway A’ service from there to Addenbrooke’s. The reason for the change – which take place throughout Cambridgeshire – is unsurprisingly due to the drastic effects of the Covid pandemic upon public transport, both in terms of reduced users and revenue, and a reduced workforce. Stagecoach have told us they are looking at this as a temporary alteration and hope to build back. Meanwhile, for those bus passengers disembarking at Addenbrooke’s, the bus stop outside of Outpatients had been disadvantageously moved, in order to accommodate alternations relating to Covid, when an enlarged space for ambulance access to the Emergency Department was needed. The good news is that the bus stop will be restored in the next few weeks. And finally – please, still, don’t throw away your old computers! Thanks to everyone who donated unwanted second-hand computers to the Meldreth Screenbank project, which undertook to refurbish computers for Melbourn Village College, in order to ensure that all students are set up for home study. Donations came in from far and wide. The project has now been replicated in Bassingbourn, and we’re helping out by sending any surplus donations in their direction. Please contact us if you have IT equipment looking for a good home – it can be put to use! Any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Susan van de Ven, County Councillor and Jose Hales, District Councillor.

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Travelogue

Travelling the Himalayas Travelling the Chinese stretch of The Silk Road: Stunning Buddhist Art at Dunhuang Lanzhou is now an uninteresting modern Chinese town. However, it was called “The Golden City” and was important as a key Yellow river crossing, providing a major link point to the northern silk road. Bits of the Great Wall can still be seen in the city. At times it was controlled by both the Tibetans and the Tanguts. The Gansu provincial museum gave a good introduction to the silk routes and their importance. South of the town we visited the Binglingsi cave complex. Although less impressive than the ones visited later at Dunhuang, they were set in a charming location accessed by boat across the Yellow river and gave a good introduction to this ancient style of Buddhist art. From Lanzhou I travelled North West to Dunhuang. This town dates back to the second century CE when it was a Chinese fortress town. It later became an important first trading point and during the Tang Dynasty (618 to 917 CE) it became the main eastern

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Reclining Buddha in cave. Copyright Krister Blomberg Creative Commons

commercial Silk Road hub and a major pilgrimage centre, providing a cross cultural communication point for several Asian cultures. Seated Buddha Binglingsi grottoes

Map of the Dunhuang Mogao cave site

The pilgrimages focused on the nearby caves (Dunhuang, Mogao, or ‘Thousand Buddha’ caves). The ridge above an oasis valley has about 500 caves containing Buddhist temples with a unique and wonderful display of Buddhist art spanning the 5th to 14th centuries. The murals (490,000 square feet) and sculptures (2,400 in total) give a unique insight into ancient life and artistic genres in this part of the world. Early examples show influences from India and Central Asia. The largest reclining Buddha is 15.6 m long and the largest standing Buddha sculpture is 35.5 m high. Significantly for me they were the source of some of the most ancient documents in Tibetan script. The view is very impressive: caves extending across the whole field of vision as one walks up from the springs and streams below. The first caves date from 366 CE when they were caves for meditation. Later, it became an important devotional site with patrons competing to provide the best murals or statues. Because it was so close to the silk road patrons came from all the polities along the road and hence there is a wide variety of clothing styles and facial features depicted. The “library cave” was particularly exciting. I had heard about the very significant Tibetan documents found there, so it was stimulating to actually see the site. There may originally have been as many as 50,000 documents (sic). These were found in 1900 hidden behind a false wall which had been built in the 11th century, possibly because fear of looting of the caves, or just for storage as

Example of the exterior of a Mogao cave

manuscripts became supplanted by printed material. The documents, dating as far back as the fifth century CE, are still being studied around the world and particularly at the British Library, where I have been privileged to see some of the fragments. They also give a fascinating insight into continued on page 25 melbournmagazine@gmail.com

feature

Newly discovered comet Neowise seen over Melbourn This beautiful photograph of comet Neowise was taken from Chapmans Close by Ian Edwards, in July. The comet (C/2020 F3) was spotted by Nasa’s Neowise satellite on March 27th as it made its approach to the sun. It was visible at dawn and dusk for most of July. It is easier

to see at that time when there is just enough sunlight to see it against the night sky. It is easy to see with binoculars. A comet is a mass of ice, dust and rocks left from when the solar system was formed more than 4.6 billion years ago. The first recorded comet seen was in 1051 BC. We hope that you didn’t miss Neowise this year as you won’t have a chance again for 6,800 years! Thank you very much Ian for a wonderful photograph.

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life along the silk road including Tibet, the Uighurs, the Tangut Empire, the Khotanese and the Sogdians (who we shall meet again later on our journey). Most documents are in Chinese. However Sanskrit (the ancient Indian language), Old Turkic, Tibetan and silk road languages :Khotanese, Sogdian, Tangut, and Old Uyghur languages are represented. There are Nestorian Christian documents, Manicaean (an ancient Persian religion) texts and even a manuscript in Hebrew. This cave contained the earliest surviving printed book (the Diamond Sutra), as well as other early wood-block printed material and very rare paintings on silk and paper from the Tang dynasty. We also visited another cave complex near Dunhuang, the Yulin caves, also containing beautiful murals and statues. As I have mentioned the cave complex gave a visual impression of the major cross-cultural dissemination that occurred on the silk road as merchants from all the societies along the routes exchanged stories, ideas, practices and rituals. The caravanserai (“inns” en route) were melting pots providing an opportunity to exchange ideas and provided a significant stimulus to development along the route. Trade was actually quite small, but the cultural exchange was extensive. Archaeology (at Niya, Loulan, Miran and Yingpan) has established that there was a large Kingdom (Kroraina) at the Eastern end of the Silk routes from 200CE to 400CE, and that this kingdom developed its writing technology from immigrants that travelled West from northern Afghanistan / Pakistan (Gandhara) in around 200CE (wooden documents found here record trade and land transactions). At the Eastern end of these silk routes on the Karakorum Pass are Buddhist images, but also ones by Zoroastrians following the teaching of Zarathustra from Persia (now Iran). Other inscriptions are in Chinese, Tibetan, other Persian languages and even one in Hebrew. At another site further South there are inscriptions in Sogdian, the language used by the residents of Samarakand which is now in Uzbekistan. The Sogdians were significant traders on the silk routes, especially between 500 CE to 800 CE. Interestingly, one describes his planned journey to Tashkurgan, a magical valley in the Pamir mountain range near Pakistan, which is where this story will eventually end. Bruce Huett Photographs by Bruce Huett except top page 22

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MVC EDUCATION

Little Hands Karen

U3A

PLAY SCHOOL NOTRE ECOLE PLAYGROUP

Education SCHOOL LITTLE HANDS PRIMARY

VILLAGE COLLEGE

01763 260964

Melbourn Playgroup Claire Armstrong and Jennie Riggs 01763 223459 07842 151512 Notre Ecole Janet Whitton 261231 Primary School Headteacher Stephanie Wilcox

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U3A (Univ. of Third Age) Chairman Tony Garrick 01223 510201 Village College Principal Simon Holmes

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Melbourn Playgroup and Out of School Club Like all of us at the beginning of this year, little did we know how this year was going to pan out. We had lots of plans in place for both the playgroup and MOOS, and all of a sudden Covid-19 arrived. Sadly, MOOS our after-school club had to close temporarily as government guidance and staff shortages meant we were unable to stay open. At the time of writing, though, we are planning to open again in September if government guidance will allow, and we can’t wait. Playgroup also closed for a while, but we were pleased to open again to a small group of children in June. Opening post Covid-19 presented lot of different problems and challenges which both the staff and children that returned coped with amazingly. Again, we are unsure of what guidance will be in place in September, but we hope to be opening our doors to as many children as we can. The children who did return to us in June soon adapted to the new routines of playgroup, and had lots of fun taking part in many activities. The walls were looking a bit bare so the children created an underwater scene. They painted the background outside on some bubble wrap to make the water and made hand prints for fish, jelly fish and crabs. The children enjoyed painting their hands and ours too! Outside we went on a mini beast hunt using our binoculars we had made with toilet rolls with a race around the garden to see who could find them all first. The checklist helped to make sure we didn’t miss any. continued on page 29

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Jeremy Ashworth Changing attitudes by education

Electrician and Property Maintenance

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Social Distancing Social distancing has become a new way of life and walkers and joggers in the village are doing a splendid job of adhering to the recommendation of a 2-metre separation gap. The reason for maintaining this gap is to reduce the risk of catching COVID-19 during our permitted activities. Another type of social distancing can reduce the risk of collision whilst driving or riding a motorcycle. All you have to do is to change metres into seconds. Rule 126 of the Highway Code states that you should allow at least a 2-second gap between you and the vehicle in front when driving on faster roads (i.e. any road with a speed limit over 30 mph). The 2-second gap applies equally at 30 mph as it does at 70 mph. This gap gives the driver (or rider) an opportunity to react to events that are unfolding in front of them and take the appropriate action to avoid a collision. Remember that your overall stopping distance depends upon your speed and the condition of the road. To check the gap between you and the vehicle in front, pick a fixed point on or adjacent to the road (it could be a lamp standard, tree, change in road surface or even a shadow) and when the vehicle in front passes that point count the number of seconds until you pass the same point. If you don’t know how long 2 seconds is, you can always recite “only a fool ignores the 2-second rule”. If you can say the phrase before or as you pass the point, then you have the correct gap. If you are too close to the vehicle in front just ease off the throttle and adjust the gap. On wet roads the gap should be at least 4 seconds and increased still further on icy roads. Top tip: maintain your concentration during this period of reduced traffic. Recently two vehicles in this area had a head-on collision whilst travelling on an otherwise empty road. Both drivers had lost concentration. Luckily, there were no serious injuries. Visit our website at www.roadarc.org.uk for further information.

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

07815 093166 jeremy.ashworth@ntlworld.com

Melbourn Village College Melbourn Village College is excited about welcoming back all its pupils in September. On Monday 7th September we will welcome year 11 and our new year 7 pupils. On Tuesday 8th September, years 9 and 10 will join them and on Wednesday 9th September year 8 will complete the school community. All pupils will be asked to clean their hands on entering the school, and entering/leaving every classroom, as well as follow a one-way system around the school. Pupils will be kept within their year groups in lessons, at break and at lunch time. They will have separate areas of the school site available at break and lunch, including marquees which we have brought in for additional covered social space. Not all lessons will be as normal as we accommodate all the necessary changes to keep everyone safe from Covid‑19. In order that pupils reacquaint themselves with their friends and learn again how to socialise in person, another major change will be that pupils will not be allowed to have mobile phones in school, as we also try to encourage pupils away from too much screen-time following a long period of online learning. We are looking forward very much to welcoming back all the pupils – we hope that pupils are just as excited!

Building new computers out of secondhand donations Our herb garden is growing well and in the very hot weather we made sure they got lots of water. The children enjoyed watering the plants and smelling the leaves. We talked about what we have been doing at home in the garden and if anyone had been planting. Jennie showed a picture of her sunflower which has grown to 5ft tall. Inside, as well as lots of craft we have played games, completed lots of puzzles and of course had lots of pretend cups of tea and plates of food made by the children in the home corner. We have also been amazed by some of the creations the children have made in the construction corner – amazing towers, houses, castles and roads. We are looking forward to September when we hope that all of the children can return and we can welcome all the new children too. Have a lovely summer. Jennie, Claire and all the team If you are interested in booking a place for your child at playgroup or MOOS, please contact us and you can find further information on our website www.melbournplaygroup.org.uk .

Students at Melbourn Village College who struggled to access technology to complete online work were given help from three different sources during lockdown. Initially it was the Cambs Youth Panel who supplied Chromebooks to students with the most pressing needs, and these were delivered by officers from Cambridgeshire Police. The next donations came from Meldreth Coronavirus Community Support, who collect unwanted computers, laptops, screens, mice and keyboards and build new ones to share with students — and older members of the community — who need them. Then, most recently, the college was gifted 10 personal computers, complete with monitors, keyboards and mice, as well as a laptop, by long-established Fowlmere-based Saker Computer Technology. Saker owner Tim Jackson made the donation, worth in excess of £2000, after hearing about the difficulties the school and students were having in ensuring everyone can work remotely. He said: “It is taken for granted that every child has access to a computer at home, but it isn’t always the case and I feel that all children should have equal learning opportunities. If I could help in a small way, then I was very happy to.” melbournmagazine@gmail.com

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the college was gifted 10 personal computers, complete with monitors, keyboards and mice, as well as a laptop, by long-established Fowlmerebased Saker Computer Technology.

Tim then further donated 20 wireless adaptors after hearing from Deputy Principal Niki Smith, herself a specialist Computer Science teacher, about the problems Melbourn were having in sourcing this vital piece of kit. Ms Smith said: “We are very grateful for the kindness of Mr Jackson. The PCs he has supplied have immediately been lent out to pupils who had been struggling getting access to their online work before this wonderful intervention. “The kindness of people is circular – we gave away PPE to the NHS and care homes, and then received wonderful donations of IT equipment ourselves!” Susan van de Ven, a local councillor and Melbourn VC governor who chairs the Meldreth Support groups said: “We are building new computers out of second-hand donations, to supply Melbourn Village College students who are on home study due to Covid-19 but lacking home computers. We’d also like to make them available to elderly, isolated residents, who’d like to get set up on the internet for the first time.” The computers are rebuilt by engineer Andy Thomas, at home in Meldreth on his kitchen table. They are then PAT tested by electrician David Coton. The first lot of new computers were delivered to Melbourn Village College at the height of the pandemic to the delight of Headteacher Simon Holmes, who said: ‘“We’re extremely grateful for this equipment as it has made a significant difference to those children and families who received it. Home schooling is not something any of our parents expected to be doing and for those children who have been trying to access their work on a phone or sharing a tablet or family computer, this was a huge step forwards. Our thanks go to all who have donated.” Susan added: “More computers are in the process of being rebuilt, but extra monitors are needed, as well as keyboards and mice. Laptops are particularly useful. Whatever might seem too old or unworkable can be stripped for spare parts – everything is useful.” Some historical nuggets lie within: Award-winning children’s author Frances Hardinge said of her donation: “This was my laptop while I was writing ‘A Face Like Glass’ and the first half of ‘Cuckoo Song’. It’s helped me conjure

up underground labyrinths, exploding cheeses, screaming dolls and supernatural secrets. I hope it will be of use to somebody else now!” Another children’s author, Rhiannon Lassiter, donated her old ibook G4, still worth a bob or two, so this will be sold to raise funds to pay for spare parts. Computer gaming guru Alistair Halsby has donated the smallest and largest computers so far. He said: “Both have about the same power — time shrinks things! The large computer was, in its day, an example of the best money could buy.” If you have any donations to contribute, please contact Susan van de Ven: 07905325574 or susanvandeven5@gmail.com.

Waterlight film dvd or download now available Many Melbourn residents enjoyed the Waterlight film about the river Mel when it was shown in the village last year. It has subsequently been shown at the David Attenborough Building in Cambridge under the auspices of the Cambridge Conservation Initiative and was enthusiastically received. You can now obtain your own copy of the film. Download: £4 | DVD: £ 4.50 (plus p+p) Both are available at the discounted price of £ 6.50 (plus p+p) The link below goes straight to the pay portal https://waterlightproject.org.uk/waterlight-film/ If there are any problems please contact: Nigel Kinnings Tel. 01223 260014 (home) 07973 163362 (mobile) email: nigelkinnings@hotmail.com

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Nature Fowlmere RSPB Nature Reserve In this article, local birder Ade Cooper sets out his diary for the months of April through to July.

APRIL At the beginning of the month, northern air flow was slowing the summer migrants coming in. There had been no sign of a Sand Martin, and only a few Blackcaps arriving. The main event to celebrate was the change in behaviour of a group of Whooper Swans, who had been feeding for some time in the field opposite the reserve entrance: they began coming over to the mere daily to bathe, thus becoming the 193rd species recorded at Fowlmere reserve! Over the next few days the weather became warmer and sunnier. The first Swallow appeared on the 3rd, with 6 more over the next few days, the first Sedge Warbler on the 5th and, at last, a Sand Martin. I also saw 2 Grass Snakes and the first Holly Blue butterfly of the year. A sad and puzzling sight was a dead buzzard upside down in the water – a later post mortem showed the bird had a broken neck and talon puncture wounds on its head, probably suffered during a territorial fight with another buzzard. By the 10th migrating birds were arriving nicely. Wonderful to see a male Wheatear in the horse field at the front of the reserve – these birds are seldom seen at Fowlmere now so this was an unexpected and beautiful sight. Also taking me by surprise were a male Cuckoo heard singing on the 10th, by far the earliest I’ve heard anywhere, and the first Reed Warbler singing on the Guilden Brook on the 8th, also the earliest ever. Other first arrivals at this time were Willow Warblers

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Green-Veined White

and a Raven, and one pair of Moorhens already had tiny, newly-hatched young. The winter migrants had mostly departed by this time, as had the Whooper Swans, although the latter were still being seen at other sites locally. Other wildlife on the reserve was also springing into life: large numbers of butterflies (Orange Tip, Speckled Wood, Small, and Green-Veined White), and Badger, Water Vole, Weasel, Stoat and Grass Snake had all been spotted. The middle of the month saw changeable weather and a predominance of northerly winds, so that migration stalled for a while. The first brood of Mallards hatched: a duck with 8 ducklings. There were some highlights: another Wheatear was very welcome, this time a female, although she stayed only 2 days, and a Grasshopper Warbler was heard “reeling” (a high, insectlike song characteristic of this bird) on the 11th. I did

Thrushes nesting by the reserve car park had fledged juveniles. Also new on the wing was the first Large Red Damselfly of the year. At the end of the month 3 male Common Whitethroats arrived, with 2 Lesser Whitethroats now on territory. A second Sand Martin was seen passing through and a Marsh Harrier. It was great to find two Grasshopper Warblers reeling on the 24th, with both birds still present on the 26th.

Grasshopper Warbler

record my first Yellow Wagtail on the 15th, and a pair of Ravens were lingering around the area, which was very interesting for the time of year. The third weekend brought first arrivals of Common Tern, Lesser Whitethroat and Hobby. It was nice to find two more Wheatears on the 19th in a field on the edge Marsh Harrier

Grasshopper Warbler

of Melbourn, with another on the 21st; almost a return to form for the species compared to the last 3 years or so. On the 22nd a calling Greenshank flew over heading north, and my second Grasshopper Warbler of the month was heard reeling in a grassy patch just off the reserve. New life was now being seen with some frequency as birds started to hatch and fledge: 2 more Mallard broods, a Moorhen with 3 fledglings, and a pair of Mistle

The resident birds were busy nest-building. A pair of Wrens finished theirs in 4 days – with the female doing most of the work. There were also 3 pairs of nesting Linnets, and like the Wren, it was the female doing the nest building; the male’s contribution was to perch at the top of the nesting bush and sing. Three Long Tailed Tit pairs had built nests, but 2 of these had been predated, one by a Jay which I actually witnessed. It was interesting to see the amount of feathers used for the inside lining – literally hundreds. The most numerous feathers being used were Woodpigeon and Pheasant, but I did find a Tawny Owl breast feather amongst them. Fortunately I didn’t think the Long-Tails had laid eggs yet. They will build a nest and leave it for quite some time before laying, so I expected the Jay was unlucky and the Tits would just build another one; all was not lost! Male Linnet posing

Hobby

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May Warm weather at the beginning of the month meant few passage migrants, the most interesting being a Whinchat seen in the distance. There was more activity from arriving breeding hopefuls. A pair of Spotted Flycatchers were back in the area where they nested last year and were quickly getting down to business, with the birds checking potential nest sites. A pair of Gadwalls had also settled down and were nesting: this is not a common breeder in Cambridgeshire, and certainly not down here in the south. Most exciting though, was the arrival of another reeling Grasshopper Warbler, making 3 birds on territory! From reading online it seems to be a bumper year for the species, as other sites also reported good numbers. Two days later yet another appeared, giving us 4 males in total singing in the area. Looking at my notes, I had to go back to the late 80’s to have as many recorded: a minor comeback, great stuff! A male Cuckoo also seemed to be hanging around in the area. This is a species that has been lost as a breeder in recent years. The bird was ranging from at least Fowlmere village to Melbourn village, a large territory typical for a Cuckoo. A sunny day is made more special with the sound of a Cuckoo singing. Soon after, he was joined by the returning Turtle Dove. It was great to have this very rare bird back, and I hoped this season would be more successful than the last two. Butterflies and dragonflies also began appearing with the sun: the first Hairy Dragonfly was out on the 6th, and also new for the year were the first Small Heath and Small Copper butterflies – beautiful little things! By mid-month the Spring passage was pretty much over with most of the migrants now settled in residence. A pair of Gadwalls were definitely nesting, for only the third time ever, and a pair of Shovelers had also arrived and had been seen mating. This would be the first breeding record at the reserve for this species, so very exciting. The Cuckoo was still back and forth between the villages, and the Turtle Dove was heard again briefly on Hairy Dragonfly

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Pair of Shovelers

the 16th. A Garden Warbler was still present and singing well, setting up territory; we don’t have too many of them nowadays so good to have this one stay. One of the Grasshopper Warblers was still singing, but the others had gone quiet and I hoped this was due to them pairing up rather than moving off. The other nesting species were still all in place. By the 22nd insects had started to come out in large numbers. Hundreds of Azure Damselflies, fewer BlueTailed, and it was good to see 4 Red-Eyed Damselflies, including a pair egg laying. Nicest of all was the first Banded Demoiselle of the year. Some large Dragonflies were also starting to appear, with both Four-Spot Chasers and Broad-Bodied Chasers on the wing. At this time there had been no sign of the male Turtle Azure Damselflies

Dove for several days, although two had been spotted in a neighbouring village so possibly ours was one of these. It seemed that nesting was unlikely this year again. It did put in another appearance at the Bank Holiday weekend, singing around the area in the morning of the 23rd, but was not heard again after that. Also worth a mention was a very close encounter with a Badger. I’ll let the photos do the talking!

fair numbers of Common Blue and Small Heath, and dragonflies and damselflies were now coming out by the dozen. The final weekend of the month brought the good news that the Gadwall babies had hatched! A female was seen with 3 small ducklings, although it was disappointing that it was only 3. Overnight one duckling was lost leaving only 2, so sadly it was not looking good for any becoming fully fledged.

June On June 1st the reserve reopened to visitors, with restrictions in place allowing a one-way clockwise walk around the area. All hides remained closed.

Female Gadwall and surviving duckling

Over the next few days the Gadwall ducklings were reduced to just one, the suspected culprit being a Grey Heron which had been seen trying to snatch the last one. The Shoveler pair also seemed sadly to have lost their eggs, and left the reserve shortly afterwards. As the month progressed both Small and Large Skipper butterflies began to appear followed later by the first Marbled White of the year, and there was a sighting The end of the month was hot and sunny. The breeding species were well into sitting on eggs or feeding young. Meanwhile, non avian subjects had livened right up with the warm weather. There were many butterflies, with the first Meadow Brown of the year and Meadow Brown

Great Crested Grebe

of an otter. Marsh Orchids were also coming into bloom, followed later in the month by two Bee Orchids. A major highlight was a sighting of a Great Crested Grebe on the 18th – a rare sight for Fowlmere, being the first for 25 years. continued on page 38

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

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

2 8 15 22 29 6 13 20 27 3 10 17 24 1 8 15 22

September September September September September October October October October November November November November December December December December

Black Wednesday Blue & Green Black Blue & Green Black Blue & Green Black Blue & Green Black Blue & Green Black Blue & Green Black Blue & Green Black Blue & Green Black

Due to the uncertainty of the duration of the government’s CoVid-19 measures, SCDC guarantee to empty your green bin every four weeks, but put it out every fortnight and they’ll empty it if they can. For an update on collections visit: www.scambs.gov.uk/bins/find-your-householdbin-collection-day/

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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

Cambridgeshire Hearing Help is a charity for people with hearing loss. The drop-in Hearing Help session at Vicarage Close Community Room, Melbourn, has been cancelled until further notice. For help and information: Telephone: 01223 416141 Text: 07852 699196 enquiries@cambridgeshirehearinghelp.org.uk or visit www.cambridgeshirehearinghelp.org.uk

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

MELBOURN PARISH COUNCIL 30 High Street Melbourn SG8 6DZ Telephone: 01763 263303 ext. 3 Parish Office opening hours Monday and Tuesday : 09:00 – 13:00 (except when a meeting is scheduled for a Monday evening) Wednesday to Friday : 09:00 – 16:00 (closed 13:00 – 14:00) www.melbournpc.co.uk

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

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

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

IMPORTANT NUMBERS

Orchard Surgery Appointments & Dispensary 260220 Hospitals

Addenbrooke’s Royston

01223 245151 01763 242134 111

NHS111 – Urgent Care 24hr helpline

Medical help when not a 999 emergency 101

Police Non Emergency number Help when not a 999 emergency Fire & Rescue Service

01223 376201

Crimestoppers

0800 555111

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

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

Councillors

Kieron Baker cllr.baker@melbournparishcouncil.co.uk Rebecca Barnes cllr.barnes@melbournparishcouncil.co.uk Richenda Buxton cllr.buxton@melbournparishcouncil.co.uk Graham Clark cllr.clark@melbournparishcouncil.co.uk Ian Cowley cllr.cowley@melbournparishcouncil.co.uk Sally Ann Hart cllr.hart@melbournparishcouncil.co.uk Claire Kent cllr.kent@melbournparishcouncil.co.uk Steve Kilmurray cllr.kilmurray@melbournparishcouncil.co.uk John Travis cllr.travis@melbournparishcouncil.co.uk Richard Wilson cllr.wilson@melbournparishcouncil.co.uk

Timebank Coordinator Catherine Sharman timebank@melbournparishcouncil.co.uk Village Wardens Keith Rudge Dennis Bartle

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

District Councillor Jose Hales, 23 Elm Way, SG8 6UH 01763 221058 jose@josehales.me.uk

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

268428

Mothers’ Union Pauline Hay

260649

Royston and Saffron Walden Nation Trust Association Avril Mellor

220463

avril.mellor@ntlworld.com Photographic Club

melbournphotoclub@hotmail.com

Ramblers Dave Allard

242677

Royal British Legion Women Elizabeth Murphy

220841

Royal National Lifeboat Institution Jean Emes

245958

Royston and District Local History Society 242677

David Allard Royston Family History Society Pam Wright

frierley@ntlworld.com

Royston Lions Chris Cawdell

448236

SOAS (Supporters of All Saints’) Colin Limming

260072

Women’s Group Pat Smith

260103

0345 070 0707

PLACES OF WORSHIP

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

Meldreth Local History Kathryn Betts

EDUCATION Melbourn Playgroup Library LAP Jane Stevens

All Saints’ Church Revd. Elizabeth Shipp 223459 or 07842 151512 johnjane.stevens@tiscali.co.uk

260964

Little Hands Nursery School Notre Ecole Janet Whitton Primary School Headteacher Stephanie Wilcox

Secretary Brian Orrell

223457

United Reformed Church

221022

Hon Sec Hilary Docwra

222486

Mem Sec Chris Davison

264189

Village College Principal Simon Holmes

223400

HEALTH 01223 221921 0300 123 23 23

Badminton Steve Jackson

248774

Bowls Arthur Andrews

261990

Croquet Janet Pope

248239

Jazzercise Maxine Rustem

07963 161246

Judo Iain Reid (Chief Instructor) or Lesley Reid

263260

Dentist

262034

Melbourn Dynamos FC Gordon Atalker

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

262262 262861 245228

LOCAL CLUBS Air Cadets 2484 (Bassingbourn) Squadron

246458

SPORT

Chiropodist

01223 846122

01223 870869

Hall booking Beryl and Barry Monk

email melbournjudoclub@gmail.com

Home-Start

261650 07568 376027

Secretary Rosaline Van de Weyer 01223 510201

District Nurses (Primary Care Trust)

220463

David Farr

261231

U3A (Univ. of Third Age) Chairman Tony Garrick

Blood Donors

Churchwardens Roger Mellor Baptist Church Rev. Stuart Clarke

Out of school times01223 503972

Age UK Cambridgeshire

220626

vicar.melbournmeldreth@gmail.com

241830 07974 445710 07770533249 07730488743

Blake Carrington 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 249156

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

Community Hall bookings@communityhallmelbourn.com

07821 656033

Bellringers Barbara Mitchell

261518

Dial-A-Ride

01223 506335

Bridge Club Howard Waller

261693

Home Start Tracy Aggett

262262

1st Melbourn Rainbows Abigail Roberts

261505

Melbourn Community Hub

263303

Brownies 1st Melbourn Stephanie Clifford

220272

Melbourn Springs Care Home

01763 722734

Guides 1st Melbourn Hilary Marsh

261443

Mobile Warden Scheme Jeannie Seers

07808 735066

Luncheon Club at Melbourn Hub (Wednesdays) 263303 op1

Moorlands Denise Taylor

260564

MADS (Melbourn Amateur Dramatics Society)

Southwell Court Telephone

750006

Vicarage Close Warden Eileen Allan

263389

Donna Sleight Melbourn History Group Ann Dekkers

232622 261144

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

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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In the second half of the month we began to see failed- or non-breeding birds depart to head south along with other passage birds at the beginning of the autumn migration. A Green Sandpiper was seen feeding in the shallows of the mere on the 20th and for several days after, and an adult Raven in very heavy moult lingered for a while before heading south across the fields. There was much evidence of successful breeding, however, with pairs of birds still in residence (including the Grasshopper Warblers) and sightings of juveniles. Two newly-fledged Spotted Flycatchers being fed by their parents were a delight to watch.

indeed a singing Baillon’s Crake, a major national rarity! It was not heard after this: the windy weather did not help but it could simply be that the bird moved on. Towards the end of the month the hot sunny weather brought huge increases in the insect life, with particularly large numbers of Dragonflies over the mere. The majority of these were Black-Tailed Skimmers, with a few Southern Hawkers and Ruddy Darters. A little surprise was the first Willow Emerald Damselfly of the year, in bushes next to the Drewer hide. A 5 hour butterfly count on the 25th recorded an astonishing 460 individuals of 15 different species – mostly Meadow Brown 153, then Large/Small Skipper 101, Ringlet 81, White species 71, Marbled White 39 and Tortoiseshell 19, with lesser numbers of Comma, Red Admiral, Small Heath, Speckled Wood, Peacock and Brimstone.

July The windy, showery weather brought down a BlackTailed Godwit to the mere edge on the 1st, and by the next evening 10 were happily feeding in the shallow waters, the highest count of the species to land on the mere. Another single Black-Tailed Godwit was seen on the 3rd, giving quite an unprecedented run of them at Fowlmere.

Black-Tailed Godwit

Top adult Spotted Flycatcher above newly-fledged Spotted Flycatcher

On the 24th visitors recorded an unusual call between the boardwalk and Drewer hide at midday and sent it to warden Beth, who passed it on to me with the message ‘possible singing Baillon’s Crake’. I was definitely sceptical that this would be correct, instead expecting to hear some sort of amphibian (Edible Frogs sound particularly similar) or possibly a Water Rail, but after consulting others familiar with bird song we agreed that it was

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One Green Sandpiper also arrived on the 3rd and with mud now showing on the mere edge there was hope of more waders to come. Two pairs of Tawny Owls had owlets out of the nest, and they could be heard calling at dusk in the alders at the Spring hide and in the poplars along the bridleway. The young Barn Owls in the nest box in front of the Reedbed hide made their first appearance on the box shelf, and by the following week 3 were seen close to fledging. Grasshopper Warblers were still reeling at the end of the boardwalk, but infrequently due to the weather. The nesting Little Grebes on the mere had hatched one young but already seemed to have lost it.

Three young Barn Owls

The second week brought some welcome rain to top up the mere, which had evaporated quickly to only 40cm at deepest. There was still a good amount of mud at the edge and the Green Sandpiper had stayed until the 5th, but no further waders had yet arrived. Juvenile birds were beginning to disperse from where they were hatched, with the year’s first Black Headed Gull on the 4th and a Coot arriving on the 8th. At this point there had – unusually – been no Coots on the reserve for 2 months, so we knew this was an incomer and not one hatched here. Large numbers of Swifts were already moving south, and a Yellow Legged Gull was also seen passing over. As the month progressed we began to see more birds on the mere: a Green Sandpiper, Lapwings and Yellow Wagtails feeding around the mere edge. Two Kingfishers were flying around and Yellow-Legged Gulls and a Sand Martin were seen passing overhead. A second brood of Spotted Flycatchers had fledged: I saw a youngster being fed by an adult alongside a fully independent juvenile from the first brood. An exciting sight was 2 Oyster Catchers on the mere mud on the evening of the 15th. This species is extremely rare at Fowlmere and the first time it has been seen on the ground rather than just flying overhead. By the 26th it was beginning to feel like autumn, with flocks of Gulls and Lapwings along with groups Little Egret and Lapwings

Little-Ringed Plover in the company of an adult Dunlin

of Blackcaps in Tit flocks. The good run of Black-Tailed Godwits continued, with a flock of 15 on the 28th – a reserve record, and at times a Little Egret joined the Lapwings on the mud. The final few days of the month brought a number of good sightings. On the mere edge, there was a juvenile Little-Ringed Plover in the company of an adult Dunlin: both first sightings this year at Fowlmere. Then a single Common Snipe was seen, the first returning bird this autumn. A Hobby hunting the reedbed showed well, Grasshopper Warblers were still reeling along the boardwalk, the Spotted Flycatcher family continued showing well around the loop, Red Kites went over, 4 Teals were on the mere and 2 Kingfishers were in evidence. On the evening of the final day, just above the reeds on the front edge of the mere I could see the head of a Great-White Egret, amazing! It was the first time I had seen Great-White on the mere, my only previous record on site was a flyover, so this was very exciting to see. A lot of the time the bird spent partially out of view but it did eventually come out into the open. A Yellow-Legged Gull briefly came in for a drink but it then got even better with a reserve tick when a calling Crossbill flew over heading south. As far as I know there hasn’t been a Crossbill recorded here since 1997. Then, just a short time later, 3 juvenile Goosanders came in and landed on the mere, only the third time I had seen them here. Being juveniles and only the end of July, these birds were probably from a local breeding pair, just a few miles away. A series of rare sightings to make an excellent finale to the month! This article is a synopsis taken from the website produced by Ade Cooper and Caroline Scott about Fowlmere Bird Reserve. To see the full version and other interesting visits Ade and Caroline have undertaken in the UK and abroad, visit: www.cooperandscott.wordpress.com melbournmagazine@gmail.com

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Lockdown Bloomsday Celebration in Melbourn A lockdown Bloomsday: 16 June Celebration was held in Melbourn’s United Reformed Church cemetery, to celebrate the joys of reading and James Joyce’s great life-affirming novel Ulysses. Published in 1922 and celebrated now across the world on Bloomsday: 16 June as one of the greatest novels ever published, the action of the novel is spread across a single day, 16 June 1904, in Dublin. Ulysses represents a creative act of love from James Joyce for the Galway girl Nora Barnacle, whom he first walked out with on 16 June 1904, and who remained his partner and wife for the rest of his tumultuous life. The novel follows Joyce’s Everyman hero Leopold Bloom, a local ads salesman of Jewish Hungarian descent, going about his ordinary working day, early till late, criss-crossing Dublin’s streets visiting commercial premises, pursuing work and following up contacts. The Melbourn Bloomsday Celebration Group was founded five years ago in support of WaterAid, an international charity based in London which provides piped water to impoverished village communities in deprived countries. WaterAid’s work has increased massively since repeated hand-washing and personal hygiene – the only defence available against COVID 19 – is impossible without piped water. Group Co-ordinator Hugh Pollock learned of the greatly increased demands confronting WaterAid during this pandemic. So, from the depths of lockdown in Melbourn, the Group’s four founders simply decided to raise the WaterAid Banner, celebrate Bloomsday, and ask everyone – particularly anyone who enjoys reading books – to make an urgent

donation direct to WaterAid. The donation details are below and the need remains really huge. The weather was kind to us throughout the strange celebration and the sun shone as musicians Adrian and Naomi Brind performed. Their rendition of Somewhere Over the Rainbow neatly linked the circumstances of the novel, the cemetery venue we had chosen, and the dreadful COVID deprivations with its social distancing which affects us all. The selected readings from the novel, delivered by Eirwen Karner, revealed the racism and anti-semitism from the novel’s ‘Dalkey schoolroom episode’. The two viruses of racism and anti-semitism are even today still with us, rampant and undefeated. Hugh Pollock followed by reading the ‘Glasnevin cemetery episode’ describing the events of the funeral of Bloom’s friend and neighbour poor Paddy Dignam, which included Bloom reflecting sadly on the death of his own child Rudi. A very dignified Minute Silence was then called for and led by Naomi Brind, in a tribute to all those who lost their lives – many before their time – as a result of COVID 19. Both musicians then played Adrian’s moving arrangement of the anthem You’ll Never Walk Alone in sympathy with the bereaved families and as tribute to all NHS staff and all Key Workers who stand on our front line of defence. A fitting conclusion to a very simple Melbourn Bloomsday Celebration – held in support of WaterAid, outdoors and in line with all social distancing regulations – during an unprecedented time of lockdown. Donate direct to WaterAid via the online form at www.wateraid.org/uk/donate. Cheque or bank transfer also welcomed. To arrange call the Supporter Care Team on 020 7793 4594 For further details contact Hugh Pollock, Co-ordinator, Melbourn Bloomsday Celebration Group T: 01763 260253 E: hugh.m.pollock@gmail.com Hugh Pollock

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Review

The Beekeeper of Aleppo Christy Lefteri

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One of the delights of the postlockdown period was the limited reopening of Royston Library, giving the opportunity to obtain some more books. Browsing was not permitted due to Covid-19 restrictions, but borrowers were able to submit an online request for what were termed “Ready Reads” – a selection of 6 books picked by the librarians from a category chosen by the requestor. I opted for “Contemporary fiction”, with not much hope that I would enjoy more than a couple of them – how wrong could I be? All but one were excellent, but the stand-out winner for me was The Beekeeper of Aleppo. I had left it till last, not thinking I much fancied it from the outline on the cover, but it proved to be a gripping and enlightening read. The book tells the story of a Syrian family. The husband, Nuri, who narrates the story, works with his cousin Mustafa, keeping and propagating beehives and selling honey and honey products. Nuri and his wife Afra have a 7 year old son, Sami. The early pages of the book describe the near idyllic life they lead, relatively well-off and happy living on the outskirts of the beautiful city of Aleppo. The contrast with the situation on the outbreak of war is shocking. The city is ruined, ISIS activity is increasing and their son is killed by a bomb while playing in the garden. When the hives are vandalised and destroyed, Mustafa decides to leave; Nuri and Afra remain, but a short while later Nuri is accosted when out buying food by two men who demand that he should accept a gun and join them, otherwise they will kill him. He manages to buy some time by claiming that his wife is very ill and arrangements must be made to look after her, but later that same night the men return, looking for him. Nuri and Afra are lucky to Author Christy Lefteri

escape, hiding in a concealed shelter in the garden while the men ransack the house. The choice is now clear – they must flee the country to save their lives. The remainder of the book covers their slow, painful journey to reach England, where Mustafa has arrived and is setting up a new enterprise, again with bees. The people they meet, the horrors they encounter and the suffering they undergo themselves bring home very clearly the fact that they are refugees driven by a search for safety, not “migrants”. Even more startling are the final pages of the book, where the author explains that she worked for a time as a volunteer in a refugee centre in Athens. She witnessed at first hand the conditions in the encampment, and heard the stories of those living there. The incidents she describes are all based on the experiences of people she met. She found it a real eye-opener, and felt moved to write the book so as to tell others what was really happening to these folk. The book is extremely well written and difficult to put down. It employs the modern device of moving to and fro on the timeline, which in some books is very annoying but works particularly well in this one. Descriptions are vivid and atmospheric, drawing the reader into the scene described, and some key facts are communicated in subtle and imaginative ways, allowing the story to be pieced together by the reader as the book progresses. In summary, this is a beautifully crafted book which, regardless of its background message (which is never preached but left entirely to the reader to conclude) stands out as a work of literature. As with all good literature, it presents a view of our world to be considered and reflected upon, and it had a profound effect on me. I came away from it not only with a totally different viewpoint on the people risking their lives on dinghies in the Channel, but also with the conviction that this story will stay with me for a very long time. Christine Orchard

The Education of An Idealist Samantha Power

The great importance of the regional, international and global issues which are addressed in this book – published in 2019 by a former American senior public servant – make it a work which will appeal to many. As well as being a beautifully designed and produced book, it is pitched at the ordinary reader and is very easy to read. Spread

Author Samantha Power

across forty crisp, well laid-out chapters, the content is both fascinating and captivating. It is clearly written, and has a warm, easy and engaging style as befits a former international news reporter and journalist, and, indeed, a winner of the Pulitzer Prize. It is also deeply informative with a personal honesty and integrity that shines and glitters on every page. This is not a ‘kiss an’ tell’ book written from pique or from the frustrated personal ambition which has motivated some American senior public servants in recent years. Neither is it an offering in the style of ‘I refused to testify at President Trump’s impeachment because I wanted to assassinate him politically with a book and make myself a lot of money’ as has just been published by President Trump’s recently dismissed National Security Adviser John Bolton. The author is Samantha Power, a writer and activist with a career in international news reporting and journalism, who then served for four years as President Obama’s human rights adviser and then, in June 2013, was nominated by him as the youngest ever US Ambassador to the United Nations. To have achieved so much at such a tender age in such dangerous territory as personally witnessing, and later reporting and analysing, ongoing civil and international wars, including genocide, is by itself astonishing. Then to achieve so much more during an eight to nine year period at the highest level of US politics, including almost four years in a position of international power – is even more astonishing and an indicator of her huge ability, commitment and work output. Born in Dublin in 1970, Samantha Power emigrated from Ireland to the United States in 1979 as a nine year old child with her mother and younger brother, just as her Irish parents, who were both professionals, separated and then divorced. Tragically, her father’s alcoholism was a major factor in that separation and divorce, with consequences she carried as formative influences into adulthood. Part personal memoir, she addresses these childhood demons throughout with the same honesty and rigour she later brings to the wider political issues and influences that comprise her incredible life story. The book is divided into two parts and is illustrated melbournmagazine@gmail.com

Changing attitudes by education

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Social distancing from pedestrians – in this time of social distancing give a thought to the most unpredictable of road users i.e. the pedestrian. When we are driving or riding, how much thought do we give to pedestrians and the potential risk that they pose to us? Pedestrians can fail to look properly, fail to judge a vehicle’s path or speed, be impaired by alcohol, drugs or both, be suffering from an illness or disability (mental and/or physical), be careless or reckless when crossing a carriageway or using a pedestrian crossing, or simply be wearing dark clothing at night. Pedestrians are so vulnerable to injury or death when involved in a collision with a vehicle or motorcycle. Why is that? It is because they have no protection from the impact. Car drivers have seatbelts, air bags and a vast amount of metal around then which is designed to absorb impact. Motorcyclists and cyclists have some level of protection from helmets, gloves and protective clothing. A pedestrian struck at a speed of around (say) 15 mph is likely to suffer injury that can sometimes be serious. At speeds over 15 mph the chances of serious injury or death are greatly increased and over 40 mph the likely outcome will be the death of the pedestrian whilst the driver will probably be physically unscathed. Even if the driver or rider is an innocent party the mental damage can be long lasting. You don’t have to pass a test to become a pedestrian. You only need to be able to walk, run or stagger. Pedestrians have different priorities to other road users. They can be using their mobile phone, listening to music through headphones, watching what their dog is doing, talking to a companion or any number of other things. Rain also creates a degree of potential self-destruction by the pedestrian when they rush around with their head down, hood up or create an “invisibility cloak” by using an umbrella. If you are in an area where pedestrians are likely to inhabit keep scanning, especially, to the front and sides of your vehicle and also look under parked vehicles for the movement of feet as this will give you an early warning that a pedestrian could be likely to emerge into your path. Give pedestrians as much room as reasonably possible or slow down. Visit our website at www.roadarc.org.uk for information on the car and bike training that is available.

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with more than eighty captioned and evocative colour photographs that relate well to the personal and professional events described. Part One covers her international career and ends in November 2008 with Barrack Obama’s election to power as US President. Part Two addresses the following eight years which end with President Obama’s departure from office in November 2016 and her departure from the post of US Ambassador to the UN in January 2017. Samantha Power, apart from being the youngest US Ambassador to the UN, achieved many other firsts, whether personal achievements in the form of ‘first woman’ breakthroughs or ‘policy achievement firsts’ that demonstrably would not have occurred had she not been in post. The text records the many occasions she was the only woman present – not to mention a woman holding great power – and her efforts to correct this glaringly blatant injustice against women. As to policy achievement firsts, and there were many for which she was responsible, one human rights example from President Obama’s annual address to the United Nations General Assembly in September 2011 was the ground breaking commitment: “No country should deny people their rights because of who they love, which is why we must stand up for the rights of gays and lesbians everywhere.” In recounting this episode in great detail, having first identified and praised her colleagues who had worked hard with her to achieve that outcome, she states with undisguised elation: “As I left the General Assembly hall, I forwarded a copy of Obama’s remarks to Sally Brooks, my close friend from high school, whom I had watched struggle for acceptance as she came out when we were teenagers.” (p280) Any reader who as an adult lived through the years discussed in this book will feel a familiarity with the worldchanging regional and global events that are presented in great detail and evaluated. Brought easily to the forefront of every such reader’s mind will be: numerous national and international disasters, most rooted principally in poverty and inequality; national and civil wars that were fought, sometimes for years on end; the associated atrocities generating huge humanitarian crises with refugees, ethnic cleansing, genocide and much more, all meshing and overlapping with great momentum and ferocity. Yet her analysis is clear, forthright and readily understandable. It will bring all such hazy memories of the reader sharply into focus. The insights gained from reading this insider’s account and her finely judged evaluations are an investment well worth making. While exposing, and trenchantly condemning, the duplicity and complicity of the regional and global powers in horrific atrocities and human rights abuses that were permitted to go on and on, perhaps

uniquely amongst such accounts she does not spare criticism of friends, colleagues and allied governments and other agencies for the inadequacy of their response, nor does she spare herself. The chapters she devotes to what many regard as the defining crisis of the Obama years are the saddest and most perceptive of the many honest evaluations the book contains. This remains the famous (more accurately, perhaps, infamous) “red line” set down by President Obama, being his threat to carry out a military response to constrain the actions of a single outrageous tyrant who headed a family of tyrants, the medical doctor and post-graduate educated in London: President Assad of Syria. A “red line” that was not only crossed by President Assad but trampled into oblivion by that tyrant as he continued to blast into the same oblivion thousands of Syrian lives using long-banned chemical weapons. Surely one of the worst tyrants in rather a crowded international field – and as of today, years later, still unconstrained and continuing almost daily to commit dreadful atrocities in Syria. Most readers will be disappointed beyond measure to read the evidence and assessment this book contains that many of these internationally known tyrants and human rights abusers remain in place, with their positions, power, and deep-rooted networks and power structures for the most part intact. Indeed, the evidence presented is that despots everywhere are strengthened and emboldened by the policies of the present United States Government, as it unilaterally withdraws from: world leadership; international institutions; and from legally binding treaties and agreements. These powerful pressures within the US were sometimes defeated during the period Samantha Power describes, but often they were overwhelming, even as the wider world continued to cry out for justice, equality and basic human rights. Today Samantha Power clearly remains positive and steadfast. Still young at only fifty years of age, and still a passionate advocate for justice, equality and human and civil rights, she demonstrates throughout this book a path forward for those who might share her beliefs but who yet stand on the sidelines, silent and doing nothing to assist. She makes clear to every reader – no matter their age or background – that to do nothing is unfortunately an act with outcomes. She demonstrates that doing nothing in fact enables and strengthens those whose decisions and policies bring devastation and death to many, and so impoverishes all humankind. Read this book and you will be impressed and moved to action. Samantha Power has spent a lifetime encouraging all to action. Her final sentence is one of hope: “People who care, act, and refuse to give up may not change the world, but they can change many individual worlds.” Hugh Pollock melbournmagazine@gmail.com

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Authors and their Books Introduction Returning to Argentine tango after a long gap, I was excited to discover the profound and dramatic impact of the dance on my experience of Parkinson’s. With the help of two Cambridge tango teachers, I began to explore and document the extraordinary effects. Together we wrote an article which grew eventually into this book: The Tango Effect: Parkinson’s and the healing power of dance, Unbound, 2020. Kate Swindlehurst. An Adapted Extract “So what is it about tango that has the power to transform? Sceptics often ask a second question: ‘Is it just..?’ Answer: No, it’s not ‘just’… the rhythm, or the music, or any one aspect which makes tango different from aerobics or cycling, or even salsa or ballroom. In my own experience, each feature of the dance hits a particular Parkinson’s spot, with dramatic results. Take the element of grace. Off the dance floor, those with Parkinson’s rarely achieve grace. It is common both to become ‘stuck’, unable to move when you wish, and to be unable to be still when you choose, beset by tremors and twitches which rattle on in spite of your best efforts to stop them. Characteristic movement aberrations include unpredictable stopping and starting, or moments spent teetering on the brink of motion followed by a sudden lunge. Functional mobility – the range of movement needed for normal daily living – is compromised in Parkinson’s. Bradykinesia, slow movement, is one of the less dramatic signs. It’s uneven, unpredictable, intermittent, selective. There are other specific gait difficulties associated with Parkinson’s. As well as speed (or the lack of it), individuals may struggle with turning, walking backwards and stride length. One study refers to the importance of external cues in helping those with Parkinson’s to achieve ‘nearly normal speed and amplitude’. The writers suggest that particular features of tango – stepping over a partner’s foot, for example, as well as the cross (where the follower’s left ankle comes to rest crossed in front of the right, transferring the weight to the left leg) – are similar to exercises used to help counteract freezing and may serve as visual cues. The frequent weight changes demanded in tango also mirror a strategy used in treatment to address freezing. Pivoting, twisting and turning on the spot are all fundamental to Argentine tango and can be seen to target the difficulties with turning experienced by those with

Kate Swindlehurst

Parkinson’s. The pivot in particular is an integral part of the ocho, the figure of eight that the follower completes in two steps across the front of, or around, the leader, while keeping her upper body turned towards her partner, maintaining the chest-to-chest connection. The biggest challenge of Argentine tango does not lie in the complexity of the steps, however. Unlike sequence dances, where couples work through a set routine, tango is improvised, with frequent changes in pace, rhythm and direction. Although there are figures which may be taught in classes and repeated in practice, they rarely occur in the dance predictably or in their entirety. They are, rather, the vocabulary that the dancers draw on to build their conversation. If the role of the leader is to initiate and guide this conversation in response to the music and to his partner, the follower’s challenge is to listen, to be so much in tune with her partner’s intention that she moves with him at his speed, in the direction he chooses, taking her time to maintain elegance without falling behind, matching his energy with her own. This is no easy matter. It requires full attention, stillness, balance, confidence and control of movement – any or all of which are likely to be problematic for someone with Parkinson’s. The music supports the dancer, but also demands an active response, from the follower as well as the leader.” Biography Thirty years as an English teacher in London, the North of England and Mexico City; moved to Cambridge and won a distinction in the MA in Creative Writing at Anglia Ruskin University; winner Arts Council Escalator Award; Writer in Residence at Cambridge University Botanic Gardens which produced a short story collection, Writing the Garden; her novel The Station Master won the 2017 Adventures in Fiction Spotlight competition for debut novelists and was shortlisted for the Caledonian Novel Award in 2019.

Are you or a freind an author with a published book? Tell the readers of Melbourn Magazine about how and why you came to write your book, provide an abridged extract, and some biographical details. Contact Melbourn Magazine for full details email: melbournmagazine@gmail.com Telephone: 261144. melbournmagazine@gmail.com

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Nature

A Walk at the Magog Down Just 9 miles north-east of Melbourn is an oasis of calm natural beauty: the Magog Down. Set on part of the Gog Magog Hills, it affords glorious views of the City of Cambridge to the north and of Hertfordshire and Essex to the west and south. Come with me on a thirty-minute stroll around the northern section of the Down. You will need rather longer to circumnavigate the entire 165-acre site! We start by entering the North Down from the car park through the Vestey Gate (see accompanying map). In Spring the land is awash with cowslips which, in time, make way for swathes of oxeye daisies. Away from the well-trodden paths we may see skylarks rising into the air from their nests in the long grass. This is just one of about thirty species that regularly breed on the Down, according to surveys undertaken annually by the local bird club. Marbled White on Scabious

Skylark. Photograph Garth Peacock

Walk up to the crest of Little Trees Hill – as shown on the map (page 51) – and turn around to look back on Cambridge spread out in the distance. The chalk grassland beneath your feet was once part of a larger area on the East Anglia Chalk ridge that runs from the Chilterns to the Fens. Much of that has, of course, been lost to agriculture and even the relatively poor soil of the Magog Down was once farmed with the aid of vast quantities of fertiliser. Now, however, after 30 years of steady conservation effort, wildflowers thrive once again. Butterflies such as the Marbled White are in abundance and, just this July, to great excitement, the first ever sighting of the wonderful Small Blue on the Magog Down was recorded. Walk a few paces to the west and we encounter the Magog Down’s pre-historic past. Although only visible from aerial photographs, we are now standing at the centre of a Neolithic (c. 2,500 BC) hilltop enclosure, and beside us is a Bronze Age burial mound, Bowl Barrow – also shown on accompanying map – which dates back to circa 2,000 BC. April Cowslips Magog Down

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Walking on down the hill, we come to the steps at the start of the boardwalk on Jane’s Piece. This is part of the lead-free dog walk shown on the map, that follows the perimeter of the site and attracts dog lovers from far and wide. At the end of the boardwalk, we follow the path through a gate into Colin’s Paddock and walk on up past the clunch pits. Like many such features in other parts of Cambridgeshire, these quarries produced a form of local building material. But now, long disused, they can provide – as we have created here for all to enjoy – a haven for many varied fauna and flora. Then, pausing to look south, you may see sheep grazing in the paddocks, and beyond, stretching away, waves of cereals or sugar beet growing in the arable fields. Continue walking on to Foy Gate, from which point a return can be made to the car park and, perhaps, well-earned refreshments in the picnic area. Alternatively, why not spend a little longer, take a seat on one of the many benches, enjoy the sunshine, listen to the birds, watch the butterflies and the bees as they flit from flower to flower and reflect on how far we have all journeyed since those Neolithic times. Suitably refreshed, consider walking further around this amazing 165 acre site on the door-step of Melbourn before returning – possibly physically tired but certainly in spirits restored and uplifted – to the demands of your everyday life. Chris Bow. Trustee, The Magog Trust. More information about The Magog Down and the charity that owns and maintains the site can be found at www.magogtrust.org.uk. Small Blue. Photograph by Ian Ellis

Oxeye Daisies. Photograph Terry Childerley Vestey Wood Abington

Roman Road Gate

Not to Scale Public Footpath

Perimeter Path

Easy Access Path

Perimeter Path

Informal Footpath Woodland Walk Dogs may be let off lead at owner’s risk

South Down Arable Fields No Access

Seat Dog Bins

Memorial Wood

Gate Off-lead area No Dogs

Arable Walk

Grassland – Dogs on Lead at all times

Villedômer Wood

Barnes’ Copse

South Down

Sheep Paddocks No Access

Colin’s Walk Shepherd’s Walk

Wandlebury Gate Elford Gate Coppock Gate

Colin’s Paddock No Dogs

Middle Walk

Magog Wood

Foy Gate

Clunch Pits No Access

Little Trees Hill Bowl Barrow

North Down Dogs on lead

Colin’s Wood Vestey Gate

Fairfield

Bagfield Youth wood Cambridge

Picnic Site No dogs

Rotary Wood

Car Park

Entrance

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Churches Together Melbourn Baptist Church Well the pandemic has been a world-wide phenomenon, as the virus has claimed many lives, a creeping fear, has gripped the world. Yet this fear in many ways has given us, an appreciation of community, the beautiful tributes to the NHS, movement of being neighbourly, a closer sense of community has been found in our streets. For many of us, we have experienced great changes, as work places have become distanced, many now work at home, some having to home school. We find ourselves, living in village community life, in a new way. The Pandemic has brought change to the way we live our lives. It has certainly brought change to the way we have done church in the last six months. We in the Baptist Church are known for lively musical services, aimed at being interactive for children, bringing energy and life to being church. In the last six months our services have gone online, our youth and children’s activities, and the way we communicate has become zoom meetings. We hope to still offer this service through the next quarter, to allow everyone connected to church, to experience church in some way whether they can gather or not. We hope in September, with our risk assessment in place, our face masks on, to meet again for a reflective time of worship in the Evening at 6.30.p.m. on 20th of September. We will meet every two weeks. It will be great to open the doors of the church, again to enjoy being together! It’s been along time coming but we believe as church it’s right to follow all guidelines and keep people safe, It may still be a while before we are allowed to sing and conduct lively musical services together but we can still worship in many ways. What I have loved, in this time of pandemic is moments

of social action. We in the church, have enjoyed helping the hub make deliveries, for the food bank through lock down. It has been a privilege to host the food bank for six weeks, after the hub reopened for August as a cafe. The food bank has now closed, as we go into September, we want to thank, the hub and time bank, as we have worked with them though lockdown. In moments like these we have been reminded, that working together in the community is important, in a time of crisis. As the lock down loosens, my hope is that the village community we have discovered, might continue to help us be neighbourly. If you would like to join us for any of our activities we would love to see you, check out our website for more details. Stuart Clarke, Minister

United Reformed Church Update During lockdown and ongoing COVID-19 pandemic the elders have had regular meetings using conference phone calls to share matters of pastoral concern and make sure our premises are checked and maintained. Our congregation have accessed “broadcast” services from many different sources enabling them to continue to worship. The elders are keeping abreast of current guidelines and working to provide the appropriate protocols and putting in place measures to enable our church to reopen for worship albeit in a different way to normal. We are hoping to be able to worship together again in the not too distant future. Please look at our notice board and website for further details. Our harvest celebrations are planned for Sunday 13th September should they take place. We continue to live in uncertain times and we pray for each other and our community as we move forward. melbournmagazine@gmail.com

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feature

Melbourn and the Middle East Conflict: An Update I wish in this ‘Update’ to pay tribute to two longstanding and greatly respected Melbourn institutions: Melbourn Magazine and Melbourn’s United Reformed Church (URC). The June-August issue of the magazine – published only online due to the COVID lockdown – carried my report of a talk recently given in the URC’s Orchard Road Church by URC Eastern Synod Member Richard Lewney. He had some few months earlier led a delegation of 22 URC members on an educational visit to Israel and Palestine. His talk set out clearly what his delegation had witnessed. I – someone who is not even a Church attender – was present because I had read the public notice advertising the Speaker and promising an ‘Evening of Information and Discussion’ on the topic “Understanding Violence Between Israelis and Palestinians”. The views that were expressed on the evening – put forward as personal eye-witness testimony and illustrated with his own overhead slides – were, of course, those of Richard Lewney. My submitted article published by Melbourn Magazine was simply a full and accurate account of the talk given. Melbourn Magazine deserves great credit for performing so admirably over many years the arduous task of reporting to its readers what is taking place in the village. Also worthy of praise is the magazine’s policy of making its pages available, without fear or favour, to residents who wish to submit related articles likely to be of interest to those same readers. Richard Lewney presented much that I and others present found deeply shocking. Some of the questions he raised, however, were such that they could not be explored fully, even in the Question & Answer session which followed his talk. But as the article stated they were certainly important questions that were worthy of detailed consideration. Readers will be interested to know that arrangements are now afoot within the village to establish if such an exercise can be pursued – while respecting corona virus obligations – in the near future. In addition to that very likely development, and equally arising from the talk that was delivered by Richard Lewney, I proposed to Melbourn’s Parish Clerk that Melbourn Parish Council, as the village and the parish’s main civil local authority, discuss and consider marking Holocaust Memorial Day. The Parish Clerk replied and, having requested and received further information from me, was supportive and undertook to arrange discussion of the proposal by the Parish Council.

Holocaust Memorial Day falls next year on 27 January, as it has done every year since the Memorial Day’s foundation in the United Kingdom in 2001. The Government played a leading role in establishing Holocaust Memorial Day in 2000 when 46 Governments signed the Stockholm Declaration. Indeed, the Government ran Holocaust Memorial Day through the Home Office until 2005 when the national charity Holocaust Memorial Day Trust (Charity No 1109348) was established and the Home Secretary appointed Trustees. The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government has funded the work since 2007. The Holocaust Memorial Day 2021 theme is: ‘Be the Light in the Darkness’. It encourages everyone to reflect on the depths humanity can sink to, but also the ways individuals and communities resisted that darkness by seeking to ‘be the light’ before, during and after genocide. The specific proposal made to the Parish Council suggested that many would welcome a decision to mark Holocaust Memorial Day on 27 January in Melbourn with an occasion that was both modest and understated as well as decorous, appropriate and in keeping with the matters involved. The proposal I am pleased to report is due for discussion at the Parish Council’s September meeting. If you have a view do, of course, write to the Parish Clerk and convey that view. If the expected discussion at the Parish Council is advanced to a successful outcome, then it could perhaps be said that the village’s aged and venerable URC Orchard Road Church, and the venerable if not quite so aged Melbourn Magazine, were joint midwives to a very timely development: a public statement delivered annually by the Melbourn Community against anti-semitism and all forms of bigotry and racism. I am certain that the good Richard Lewney, having stood for almost two hours in the URC’s Orchard Road Church to deliver his talk and answer all questions arising, had no expectation that the ripples from the pebble he so gently dropped would travel so far. He and the educational delegation he led to Israel and Palestine – all people of great integrity and high moral principle – will I am sure be delighted to learn of this very timely development and will await its outcome with great interest. They undoubtedly created the possibility that the Melbourn Community would unite publicly at an annual occasion to mark Holocaust Memorial Day. That this endeavour was also enabled by the separate actions of two longstanding and greatly respected Melbourn institutions – the URC’s Orchard Road Church and the very much younger Melbourn Magazine performing the role of joint mid-wives – leaves all indebted to both these institutions. Let tribute be paid and let credit be given. Hugh Pollock melbournmagazine@gmail.com

Melbourn Community Hall is in the centre ofthe village behind All Saints Church If you would like to hire the hall contact email:

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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 Croquet Janet Pope 248342 Football Club Andrew Edwards 223109 Dynamos Football Club Les Morley 07739 593771 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 Guides When life gives you lemons, make...lemon cake in a mug in a microwave?! Melbourn Guides have fully embraced the ‘new normal’ and have been meeting online every week on Zoom, and getting quite ambitious as the weeks roll on. Each week has had a different theme, and follows a loose formula of ‘show something, learn something, and play something’. During Hedgehog awareness week we had a live talk from Terri of Shepreth hedgehog hospital, who showed us one of her homecare hogs and answered our questions; another week we learnt some sign language words and played Pictionary, and on another evening we had a “Guess the baby” photo competition. On the hottest day of the year we had a Beach Party; after showing off our ‘mocktails’ (nonalcoholic cocktails) we did a seaside safety quiz, then played a surfing game using roll mats on the floor. Our Performing Arts themed evening started off with a joke-telling session, then we learnt a simple card trick, and finished with a Charades competition. Our two new Young Leaders Mhairi and Abi made their Promise during a meeting, after which we did a Guiding quiz created by Mhairi, and ended with the aforementioned microwave mug cake, made from start to finish in 15 minutes. We have also managed to work on a Guiding programme theme called Take Action, learning how to campaign through art and peaceful protest, and we pledged to make small changes in our daily lives to further our chosen cause. The term ended with a party, playing games including a scavenger hunt, a quiz, and the presentation of badges. Several of the girls have done the Confectionery badge, learning how to bake sweets and cakes to

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Work from Home in a Garden Office Even before COVID-19, many people chose to work from home. And it wasn’t just the self-employed – many company employees chose to spend a few days a week working away from the office. Speak to long time ‘work-from-homers’ and they’ll tell you they get more work done and are less stressed. They’ll tell you that, working from home is good. It’s good for you, it’s good for your mental health, it’s good for work/life balance. And it’s good for employers because it makes you a more productive employee. The pandemic forced companies to let their staff to work at home. Surprisingly, they realised that it actually worked. Employees don’t ‘shirk from home’, in fact they’re more motivated and happier. It also makes financial sense to encourage staff to stay away from the office some of the time: organisations are realising that perhaps they don’t need to spend all that money on expensive rent and business rates for large corporate premises. But while home is a great place to live, it can be hard to project a professional business image with the washing machine humming in the background, the cat taking centre stage during the video meeting and the kids bowling in to your work area every five minutes. Finding a distraction-free workspace can be a challenge. One solution is to build an extension. But that’s not always possible or financially viable. You could convert the garage or the loft. But that’s expensive too, and you’d lose all that useful storage space. A better, cheaper and quicker solution is to install an AMC ETERNIT ANGLING CLUB Garden Office. Even a small garden can accommodate one of our offices, and most don’t even require planning permission. With full internet access, all the power sockets you’ll need, fullinsulation and double glazing they’re designed to be a fully 365 days fishing for £25.00 functional workspace to be used all year round. We also can design and fit built-in desk and bespoke storage for all your work essentials. Consessions AMC Garden Rooms was set up by for Foxton-based OAPs and Juniors AMC Exhibitions. We build garden rooms throughout Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire. To book a free site visit and 3D design see our website at www.AMCgardenrooms. Local lake stocked with Roach, co.uk or call 01223 871360. Bream, Perch, Rudd, Chub, Barbel, Ide, Carp and Crucian Carp

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celebrate different occasions and cultures, and have sent us photos of their bakes. t’s a shame we couldn’t do a tasting too! We aren’t sure if we can return to normal meetings in September, but we do know that we have so many new girls joining us that we will need to run two separate meetings. We therefore would love to hear from you if you’d like to join us as a leader or helper. If you would like to know more, please contact me on: 01763 261443 or email: melbournguides@gmail.com. You can also look on the girlguiding.org.uk website to find out more. Hilary Marsh

Dynamos Football Club All welcome! https://melbourndynamosfc.wordpress.com https://www.facebook.com/ melbourndynamoscommunity/ Founded in 2003, Melbourn Dynamos FC is a thriving and friendly community football club that gives boys and girls the opportunity to play regular football regardless of their experience or ability at all ages from 3 through to Adults. Like many people and groups in this country we have had to face the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. For the club this began on 13th March, ahead of the lockdown, with our decision to cancel all fixtures and training to protect our players, parents and other members of the community. After 5 months of necessary but frustrating inactivity, our players were able to return to limited training from the beginning of August subject to essential covid protection measures in line with government and FA social distancing and good hygiene requirements, details at https://melbourndynamosfc.wordpress.com/ latest-news/. At one stage, we feared that the start of our new season would be seriously delayed, but with the easing of lockdown, grassroots football has been given the green light and our season has a later than usual start from 20th September. In spite of the impact of the pandemic and loss of more than 2 months of our season, we had many important club successes:

We have established inclusive football teams to bring the beautiful game to a wider range of players at both youth and adult level. Thanks to the support of our wonderful club volunteers we now have the OWLS (Opportunities Without Limits), a team for adults who play in the Cambridgeshire FA Parability League. The Club was the first to receive the Pledge Project Certificate of Recognition from Cambridgeshire FA and we are very proud to have recently received the Project of the Year award from Cambridgeshire FA for our commitment to offer everyone with a disability the opportunity to get involved in football, either competitively or socially. The OWLS are coached by Gail Williams, Papworth Trust Activities Facilitator who says, “It has been a great first season for the team! Huge progress has been made in the weekly indoor/outdoor sessions and there’s never a shortage of enthusiasm and commitment which has enabled the team to take on unfamiliar opponents. During this difficult time it is fantastic to be awarded Project of the Year 2020. To be recognised by others is amazing and a BIG thanks goes to Melbourn Dynamos for the kits, guidance and support.” Melbourn Dynamos FC is very proud to have been recognised as an FA Community Hub Club, one of only eight in Cambridgeshire. What this means is that our growth and development has been recognised by Cambridgeshire FA for its important community contributions: • A football club at the heart of the community. • Providing football opportunities For All. • Developing young leaders and planning for a sustainable future. This recognition by Cambridgeshire FA has resulted from the tireless work of our club volunteers to develop and grow MDFC at the heart of our village. The Club is currently FA Charter Standard and will soon be applying for Community Club status. This will ensure a continued thriving partnership with Cambridgeshire FA who has been instrumental in the Club’s recent development. As a FA Hub Club we hope to attract further funding and support to secure and continue development at the heart of our community. For many years the club has been working hard with our community to establish Girls’ Football. Our latest initiative has been working with the FA to set up the Melbourn Wildcats providing girls aged 5-11 years with the opportunity to have fun, make friends and play football. This fun, friendly environment will develop young girls’ physical and social skills by encouraging a healthy lifestyle and inspiring them to develop a lifelong love of the game. Please use the following link to book your place http://faevents.thefa.com/book?sessionid=138685 melbournmagazine@gmail.com

We are pleased to learn that the Managers and Coaches of our many teams are seen as important role models in our community for young players. All are trained to at least FA level 1, so have a clear understanding of child safeguarding as well as physical first aid issues. At the start of the season a number stepped forward to request training in mental health first aid as well. This training is not compulsory for the club’s FA Charter Standard status, but we recognise the importance of mental health issues for young people in our community, are providing this training and have been very fortunate to receiving financial support from our sponsors. If you would like more information you can follow this link to Mental Health First Aid England – https://mhfaengland.org/mhfacentre/about/. We are a successful club defined by the strength of support from members and families, the praise and recognition of fellow clubs and FA Leagues, the work with our Community partners including Melbourn Village College and Melbourn Parish Council, and of course our players’ achievements on the pitch and their support for the community. With the support of our fundraising and community partners, we are making the club more inclusive by assisting players whose families are unable to afford the necessary fees. Our club is committed to developing our players through respect of fair play and a love of the game. This approach wins the respect of other clubs as well as providing the skills and commitment to win leagues and cup finals. This season we aim to build on the success of our 21 teams and more than 320 players. There are opportunities for all as we welcome new players and volunteers. Many of you will have seen the great news from previous articles about the full size all weather Astro pitch for Melbourn. Discussions with the Football Foundation have gone well and we are confident that that with the support of our community partners we will soon have this fantastic new facility for the village. This project is central to the continuing success and development of the club as well providing a much needed facility for the village. Thanks to the support of our members and the wider community, our fundraising has generated substantial amounts for this project and we are looking forward to confirmation that this is going forward for the new season. Our youngest players – the Dynamites, increasingly provide the core of our success with league teams from under 7 upwards. The Dynamites’ coaching team is led

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by Dipak Patel. Dee was Cambridge FA’s Community Coach of the year for 2013, gained his Level 2 coaching qualification in June 2015 and is our Football Development Officer. These players, aged 3-6, have fun and develop their skills before deciding whether to play league football as the club’s under 7s team. The Dynamites train with level 2 and level 1 FA qualified coaches in Saturday morning fun sessions at Melbourn Sports Centre. These feature lots of short activities aimed at improving individual skills, concentration and the ability to be part of a team. The first one hour session is free thereafter we charge £2. All are welcome to the Melbourn Dynamites so why not bring your kids along so they can check it out. Melbourn Dynamos’ continuing success and growth means that we need your help. Please contact David Atkins at secretary.mdfc@gmail.com or Blake Carrington at chairman.mdfc@gmail.com for further information about the following opportunities: • Volunteers: If you would like to contribute to the club as a Facilities Manager, Administrator, Fund-raiser, Fixtures secretary, Coach, Match day official or in some other volunteer capacity then we are very keen to hear from you. We know that there are many potential volunteers in our village who have skills and enthusiasm to support and develop our work in the community. • Sponsorship Partners: Our success and development comes at a cost as we need to pay for the £250 training and kit costs of our new volunteer coaches as well as ensuring that we have 2 trained coaches for each of our existing teams. In addition, our pitch fees are in excess of £9,000 per season plus maintenance costs. Therefore, as Melbourn’s major community sports provider, we would be pleased to hear from potential sponsorship partners who share an interest in our community work More information about the club and individual teams is available from the club’s Website: https:// melbourndynamosfc.wordpress.com .

Melbourn Football Club Firstly, on behalf of Melbourn Football Club, I would like once again to pass on our gratitude and best wishes to all of our Essential Workers who have been working so hard during these very troubled times to make our lives as functional as possible. This work, along with the public’s general response to adhering to the guidelines, has meant we have seen some relaxation of the Lockdown rules. This, in turn, has led to the return of top-level competitive sport and, for those of us involved with local sport, an opportunity to train in larger groups, subject to complying with the rules provided by each sport’s governing body. As a committee we are very proud to say that under the leadership of our new first team manager, Chay Wilson,

we were one of the first (possibly the first) local team to start group training sessions, which have been very well attended with excellent feedback from those who have taken part. As you will be aware by now, the football season for all grass roots football was brought to an early end, with the league placings being decided by dividing the total number of points gained from the matches played by the number of games completed. As I mentioned in my last report, the effect of this decision for Melbourn Football Club was not an issue as we were mid-table and have remained in the Kershaw Junior Division 2A (formerly the Mead Plant and Grab League). We will miss out on playing our local rivals Barrington Football Club, as they gained promotion to Division 1A and we congratulate them for this, however, with Harston and Guilden Morden being promoted into Division 2A we will be increasing matches against local teams with Litlington and Foxton Reserves providing us with four local derbies.

‘The Reserves are back!’ As I mentioned earlier, we have had excellent numbers attending training, and the quality of the players on display at training sessions has been exciting. This has led the club to take the decision of restarting a reserve team after 9 years of having just one Saturday team for men’s football. This decision was not taken lightly by the committee but we felt it was the correct thing to do in light of the interest we are getting as a club. The Cambridgeshire FA have accepted our application and the reserves will be playing in the Kershaw Junior Division 4A. Taking the reins as the new reserve team manager will be Gareth Crouch, who brings with him the experience of managing near neighbours Barrington Reserves last season. Gareth had this to say on his appointment: “It’s superb news the reserves have been accepted into the league. Training has been great and I’m looking forward to getting to know everyone, it looks like the squad will be strong. I can’t wait to get the ball rolling!” In addition, Gareth will be facing his old team as they are also in Division 4A along with Bassingbourn Reserves and Guilden Morden A, providing the reserves with three local derbies as well. I must also mention that as a club we are very pleased to have gotten to this stage in the clubs development, as it was only three years ago that we were the ‘click of a button on the keyboard’ from folding the club. The work of the committee, especially Simon Gascoyne and Ben Fox, has seen a turn around for the club, providing local people the opportunity to play and watch sport in the village! Kershaw Junior Leagues season start on the 12th September 2020 Again, subject to compliance with the rules provided by the Football Association, grass roots football will

restart on the 12th September and as a club we are well underway with preparations for this. The managers along with Simon Gascoyne have been busy arranging friendly fixtures and both teams have matches arranged for Thursday nights throughout August and the beginning of September; these will be played at The Moor in Melbourn, so if you are able then please come down and support the local teams! Training sessions are currently held at The Moor from 7.00 p.m. to 8.30 p.m. on Tuesday evenings. As I have said, these are very well attended, but if you are looking to play football locally then new players are welcome to train with us. Sponsors As I have mentioned in my previous reports, we have been supported well by a number of local businesses from the village, with generous donations allowing us to purchase new kits and training equipment, and on behalf of the club I would once again like to thank: Shire Tree Surgery | T J Plastering | P J Deards Plumbing MJF Construction | Conqueror Industries However, due to the recent problems caused by COVID‑19, we realise that sponsorship is going to be much harder to find and we will be increasing our fund raising activities to try and compensate for this. Of course, this will also benefit our charity fund raising as well, and we hope that many of you will be able to help by supporting the events that we hold in the coming season. If you feel that you are able to offer sponsorship in some way then please contact Simon Gascoyne on the contact details below. Charity Fund Raising Following the transformation and success of the club the decision was taken at the start of last season to donate 25% of any fund raising to a nominated charity. It was decided that this charity was to be chosen by the Players Player of the season; Carlin Pipe was the recipient of this award and his chosen charity was CPSL Mind, the mental health charity. As a committee member I am very proud to announce that the final figure raised for the season and presented to CPSL Mind was £1,829.76, which was welcomed by them. I can also advise that we will be continuing with this again this season, and we will continue to donate 25% of any monies obtained through fund raising for the club. Once again, the Players Player of the season was Carlin Pipe and he has again selected CPSL Mind as his chosen charity. I am sure you are all aware the recent problems caused by COVID 19 have had a real negative effect on charities, so any help we can provide as a local football club is much needed. melbournmagazine@gmail.com

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Contact Details If you are interested in joining Melbourn Football Club as a player, committee member or even as a supporter then please contact the First Team Manager, Chay Wilson on 07966 573008, Reserve Team Manager, Gareth Crouch on 07943 389562, or our Club Secretary, Simon Gascoyne on 07732 613555, or you can e-mail him on simon_gascoyne@hotmail.com You can also find us on social media and can follow us on Twitter: @Melbourn_FC, Facebook: www.facebook.com/MelbournFC, Instagram: @melbourn_fc and our website: www.melbournfc.com

Melbourn FC raise money for CPSL Mind CPSL Mind was thrilled when Melbourn FC chose them as their charity for the year. Even with the recent challenges of social distancing, they managed to raise a staggering £1,829.74 for their local mental health charity. The main part of their fundraising was their amazing Mental Health Awareness day, which they held in November. Many local businesses and community groups got involved, including The Black Horse Pub, Melbourn Hub, Classic Wings, Strand’s Hairdressers, Tony’s Barbers, The Dolphin pub, Melbourn Fish & Chip shop, Leech’s Butchers and Unlimited Logos. The day raised over £1,000. Other fundraising activities included an annual quiz night, and they even organised a virtual presentation and race night, which was highly successful. Mick Walker, Chairman of Melbourn FC said, “A number of people in the club put real effort into this prominent cause via fundraising activities and involving local businesses, and I’m immensely proud of this achievement.” Zoe Doherty, Fundraiser for CPSL Mind said, “We have been overwhelmed and so impressed with the hard work and dedication Melbourn FC have put into their fundraising. Not only did they raise an enormous amount of money, but they also encouraged their community to be involved and most importantly of all they raised awareness about the importance of talking about mental health and seeking support when you need to. We are also delighted that they have chosen us again to support next year. A big thank you to everyone who was involved.” For more information about this story, please contact Zoe Doherty on 07824 360 349 or email zoe.doherty@cpslmind. org.uk Left to right: Mick Walker (Melbourn FC Chairman), Steve Harrington (Landlord of the Black Horse), Emma Watters (Strands Hair Salon), and Jose Hales (District Councillor for Melbourn and representing Melbourn Hub). melbournmagazine@gmail.com

feature What goes around ... comes around!

When we produced the History book ‘1914-1918 The Great War’ in 2014, we talked about ‘The Unseen Enemy’ known at the time as the Spanish flu. Who would have thought that six years later we would be experiencing a similar situation? Today, we have come to appreciate the difficulties, uncertainties and dangers that people must have endured during the 1918 influenza pandemic. We also understand more about the virus that appeared suddenly, infecting 500 million people (about a third of the world’s population). The Spanish flu remained until April 1920. When and where the 1918 influenza pandemic began is a contentious issue, but when it first arrived at the battle front in Europe it spread rapidly. The soldiers were living in poor conditions – often nothing more than mud holes – without good food or drinking water and exhausted from lack of sleep. There have been numerous reports about its origin. One of the latest US theories is that the source of the Spanish flu pandemic was from China, due to the mobilisation of nearly 100,000 Chinese labourers that worked behind British and French lines on the Western Front – a similar respiratory illness was said to have previously struck northern China in late 1917. Another suggestion is the flu pandemic first developed at a troop staging and hospital post in Étaples, France. The conditions were ideal for the spread of influenza at the overcrowded camp and hospital, which treated thousands of war casualties and victims of chemical attacks, with over 100,000 soldiers in transit through the camp every day. It was also home to a pig and poultry farm, with animals being regularly brought in from the surrounding villages. This gave rise to speculation that a significant precursor virus, harboured in birds, had mutated to migrate to pigs that were kept near the front line and had then passed to soldiers. The Spanish flu virus was a particularly deadly strain of Avian influenza known as H1N1, normally found among aquatic birds. This particular strain has since re-appeared in 10 different countries around the world during the past 100 years with 1918 and 2009 being pandemic events. Not unlike Covid-19 and the returning holiday ships, in a short space of time the 1918 influenza epidemic had

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reached pandemic proportions across the globe, carried by troop ships with returning soldiers. By early spring of 1918 a much more virulent strain of the virus had developed and spread rapidly throughout Britain. The government closed down communal gathering places such as theatres, dance halls and churches and other public open spaces such as recreational parks, in an attempt to curb infection. Streets were sprayed with chemicals and some factories relaxed no-smoking rules, believing that cigarettes would help prevent infection. The general public were advised to wear face masks for protection and like today there was resistance and enforcement regulations were brought in to ensure they were worn in public places. Campaigns in newspapers and posters were used to counteract its opposition. In America, the hostility became very vocal which led to the ‘Anti-Mask League’ holding rallies, and in some states rioting took place. A Red Cross advert was very clear in explaining why the wearing of face masks was important. Wear a mask and save your life … You should wear a mask to protect yourself against the flu, pneumonia, and death, but also to protect your children and your neighbour.

What’s in a name? The governments of France, Britain, Germany and the United States feared that the influenza pandemic would be seen as a military weakness by openly admitting that the soldiers had succumbed to the illness and so imposed wartime media censorship on the virus. Newspapers were not allowed to report on anything that could be detrimental to the war effort, including

the news that the crippling virus was sweeping through troops. However, Spain was a neutral country during the war and unlike its European neighbours, did not impose any censorship on its press – Spanish journalists therefore were some of the few reporters openly discussing the flu outbreak. When restrictions were eventually lifted from the European and American press, it came across as though Spain was the centre of the pandemic. This led to the foreign press calling it the ‘Spanish flu.

Sales pitch! Following the outbreak in 1918, it didn’t take long for entrepreneurs and merchants to seize the opportunity to sell their products by offering cures and ways to fight the pandemic often at the expense of the public’s anxiety. Some well-known branded products of the day professed to be the cure-all remedy.

Horlick’s sold their product as the The Diet during and after Influenza whilst Veno’s went further by advertising that Spanish Flu can be Prevented by prompt use of Veno’s.

An advert for Lysol Shaving Cream claimed that the ‘antiseptic’ shaving cream helped. It stated that Owners of buildings and large employers were now taking up its use to protect the health of the workers… and that During the Influenza Epidemic Lysol is used in several hundred thousand homes, and by a great number of business institutions. Jeyes’ Fluid disinfectant was sold in either liquid form or soap bars and in 1918 it was being promoted to Guard against Influenza, Scarlet Fever, Small Pox, Measles and all other Infectious Diseases and was invaluable when tackling germs in the home, school and office.

Lifebuoy adverts declared that their product tackled The Influenza Scourge’ and left the whole family in ‘smiling health’ The manufacturers, Lever Brothers used their adverts to ‘educate’ the public about hygiene. The ads were portrayed as if it was a public-health warning and explained the importance of washing your hands, and how their soap would leave skin ‘antiseptically clean.

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The humble OXO cube provided an interesting if not questionable advert that used a quote from a so-called ‘Doctor’ to help sell their product. The advert began: OXO Fortifies the System against INFLUENZA INFECTION… and went on to quote the doctor: A cupful of OXO two or three times a day will prove an immense service as a protective measure. Its invigorating and nourishing properties are more rapidly absorbed into the blood, and thus the system is reinforced to resist the attacks of the malady ... a strong healthy person will escape contagion when the ill-nourished one will fall a victim… They said that … the benefits were more essential than ever to maintain health and prevent flu, and compensate for the shortage of meat! Possibly one of the strangest adverts in America shows clearly somebody out to make money by using old folklore tales. The poster headlined Patriotic drive against FLU. Eat More ONIONS…One of the best preventatives for Influenza. In America notices were put up telling the public it was their patriotic duty to Eat More Onions as part of a Patriotic Drive against the ‘Flu. Maybe eating plenty of (raw) onions would help with social distancing (...but as a cure?) With no medical or institutional guidance, many turned to folk remedies to prevent and to treat the influenza. Camphor used in moth balls was thought to be protective against the disease, although there was no scientific basis behind this idea. Like the onions mentioned earlier, the smell would have helped with social distancing! Other remedies included rubbing sulphur on the chest before going to bed at night or wearing a string of garlic around the neck during the day. A small spoonful of whisky,

was also seen as a great remedy, if anything it probably just made sick people feel a little better. Of course, there was always the good old chicken soup! Spitting was a very common practice, and seen as another way that spread the virus. There was no cure for the 1918 influenza and like

today, traditional nursing care provided the best and only effective treatment for the disease. However, doctors and nurses were in short supply as many nurses had volunteered to help with the war effort. And again, like today, the situation was further exacerbated when many of the health workers contracted influenza themselves. Boots the Chemists placed a very lengthy advert in newspapers that encouraged washing with soap, and quoted the Ministry of Health: Our country’s greatest asset is its people. Although the advert used jargon common for the day, one wonders how the average person understood it. An abstract of the text below shows how the guidelines were used to promote products sold at Boots. The poster began, The Ministry of Health well recognises that ‘Our county’s greatest asset is its people.’ They are wanted for its reconstruction and development, and upon their fitness depends the nation’s future. Men have died in their thousands for Britain and now we must all live for, Britain and for Humanity. The better our individual health, the richer and fuller will be our national life. Many a C3 child, carefully tended, develops into an A1 adult; and many an adult of low category effects by prudence such an improvement in physical and general efficiency as to accomplish the work of a giant. Be sedulous in personal cleanliness to counteract the negligence-often unsuspected in quarters out of your control. The guidelines advocated the use of … a good, reliable soap for the healthiest skin, a good toothbrush and tooth powder at least twice a day because the teeth-are the millstones that grind the food for the nourishment of melbournmagazine@gmail.com

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the body, and they should be kept perfectly antiseptic … never use a towel, hairbrush, or drinking vessel that has been used by someone else. Get plenty of fresh air and reasonable exercise and as much sunshine as possible. Wear suitable clothing adequate to afford protection from chills. Avoid tight and uncomfortable garments. Do not neglect your footwear. If your feet and body are warm, you can resist sickness.

Full circle – 2020 Times and the virus may have changed, but those trying to cash in on the fear and anxiety of the public are the same. Nowadays we are bombarded by social media and unwanted phone calls from call-centres, badgering us with offers of life insurance and funeral deals. Since the arrival of Covid-19 the telephone and email are being used to scam people. • Track and trace scam: callers contact residents saying they are from NHS Track & Trace and that they the resident has been in contact with someone suffering from Covid-19 and need to have a test sent out to them. This is swiftly followed with a request for the resident’s bank details; the caller states that the test and results will cost up to £500. • E-mail scam: an email is sent saying something along the lines of: ‘Where are you presently? I need your help for something very urgent so please get back to me via email as soon as you get this message.’ This is a request scam for money from someone pretending to be recovering from the coronavirus. • Covid-19 doorstep scam: there are people calling door to door claiming to be carrying out Coronavirus testing on behalf of NHS or GP. Please note, NHS teams are NOT conducting any door to door testing for the Coronavirus – these are thieves trying to get into your home. There is currently, no treatment yet approved in the UK by the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency (MHRA), which means companies cannot make medical claims on their products relating to coronavirus. However, this didn’t prevent one company using social media, to promote its Vitamin C rehydration sachets that could boost immunity and help cure Covid-19. Another claimed to offer protection against Covid-19 by declaring its ‘£350 ‘super immune system booster’ intravenous (IV) drip is an effective way to protect and prevent against the new strand of virus (known as the Coronavirus). This advert was declared potentially dangerous. Both adverts were eventually banned. Probably one of the most bizarre modern selling techniques involved the President of the United States. In April 2020, a self-styled ‘archbishop’ of the Genesis II Church of Health and Healing in Florida USA, together

Like the children’s rhyme ‘Ring a Ring a Roses’, that came about because of the Great Plague of 1665, the Spanish flu also produced a rhyme ‘I had a little bird, its name was enza, I opened the window, and in-flu-enza.’ with his three sons, sold a ‘miracle cure’ or ‘Miracle Mineral Solution (MMS)’ for Covid-19. They also claimed their remedy can cure 95% of all diseases in the world by making adults and children, including infants, drink or inject their ‘industrial bleach’. The ‘archbishop’ Mark Grenon had apparently written to Donald Trump telling him their cure known as ‘sacraments’ can rid the body of Covid-19 and encouraged him to embrace the product in his efforts to contain coronavirus. A few days later, the President appeared on national TV in his daily coronavirus briefing and raised the idea of injecting industrial bleach into the body to fight Covid-19. “Is there a way we can do something,” he asked at a news briefing, “by an injection inside or almost a cleaning?” The product contained chlorine dioxide, a powerful bleach that is labelled ‘Hazardous Substance’. It is used both on textiles and in the treatment of water and has been banned in most countries around the world for use as a medical treatment. Possible side-effects from drinking or injecting their Miracle Mineral Solution, include nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, severe dehydration and in the case of several people death. Mark Grenon and one of his sons are currently in prison! The distinction between an Epidemic and Pandemic is generally a matter of scale and the definitions shift and evolve over time. An Epidemic is defined as an unexpected increase in the number of disease cases in a specific geographical area. Whereas a Pandemic such as the coronavirus (COVID-19), is seen as an epidemic of a new disease that has spread between countries which then becomes a global outbreak. Throughout history there have been many pandemics, the first recorded was known as the Plague of Athens in 430 BCE. Over two-thirds of the population died. It was thought to be typhoid, and was a factor in the defeat of the Athenians by the Spartans. The Plague of Athens was an Epidemic rather than a Pandemic. Bubonic plague, smallpox and leprosy are among other causes of plague outbreaks. In the ‘80s HIV/AIDS became one of the world’s worst pandemics. It is spread by contaminated blood, and therefore by transfusions. Cases increased in the ‘90’s and reached a peak in 2005–6, when nearly 2 million people died in each year. Since then numbers have been dropping. 2017 was the first year in which fewer than one million people died of AIDS. melbournmagazine@gmail.com

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Fuel economy and CO2^ results for the MG ZS. Mpg (l/100km) (combined): 38.6 (7.3) to 41.5 (6.8). ^CO2 emissions: 140–145 g/km. Figures shown are for comparability purposes; only compare fuel consumption and CO2 figures with other cars tested to the same technical procedures. These figures may not reflect real life driving results, which will depend upon a number of factors including the accessories fitted (post-registration), variations in weather, driving styles and vehicle load. ^There is a new test used for fuel consumption and CO2 figures. The CO2 figures shown however, are based on the outgoing test cycle and will be used to calculate vehicle tax on first registration. Model shown: MG ZS Exclusive with Dynamic Red paint at £16,490 on the road (OTR). OTR prices include VAT where applicable, vehicle first registration fee, delivery, number plates and 12 months’ Vehicle Excise Duty. Prices are correct at time of being published and are subject to change without notice. Please see your local dealer or visit MG.CO.UK for details. *Exclusive and Excite models only. **Exclusive models only.

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Printed by The Langham Press

Issue 103 Autumn 2020

Articles inside

Melbourn Springs

Relate Cambridge

RDCT on the Radio

Open Eco Homes Autumn Season

Melbourn Parish Council

Florrie Widger

The Melbourn Hub Shows its Worth

Cambridgeshire Hear