Issue 109 Spring 2022 by Melbourn Magazine

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www.melbourncambridge.co.uk

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...editorial How nice that Spring is on the way and the pandemic seems to be abating! Already there are signs of life in the garden! We are very grateful for the support of our volunteers and contributors, especially TTP; we have not missed an issue over the past two years. Many thanks to everyone. Please bear in mind that we always welcome more volunteers to help with various aspects of the magazine, from writing articles to delivering around the village. If you would like to help please contact us. There are many ways to volunteer in the community – one being the Melbourn Fete. In this issue as well as village news, we have information on the refurbished HUB which is now open and serving delicious food, see pages 8–9. The Library is open again and of course, we have some new book reviews. We have an article on ‘Peep-Bo’ Salmon, ‘our’ famous photographer, who lived in the village after his retirement and a great source of photographs that were originally published in A glimpse into Melbourn’s past and Pictorial Melbourn, compiled by the Melbourn Village History Group. See page 16. And we have a prize-winning poet living at Melbourn Springs! See page 10. Our schools are getting back to normal and children can play together again; and clubs are now running. Enjoy the articles and photographs on nature around the village, and if you wish, travel further afield to Mexico from your armchair, see page 22. Enjoy the warmer weather this special year as the Queen celebrates her Platinum Anniversary! Front cover: Spring cutting at Fowlmere Bird Reserve See page 32. Melbourn Magazine offers a platform to local people and organisations to bring news and articles of interest to residents of the village. It is produced and distributed entirely by volunteers, and printing is funded by advertising. The Magazine is totally independent of, and receives no funding from, either the Parish or the District Council. Content is entirely at the discretion of the Editor. Contributions for inclusion are welcome from all residents, clubs and other organisations. Articles may be edited if necessary to reduce length or to remove offensive content. We do not accept political material.

Contents Village news Feature Percy R. Salmon (1872–1959) Nature What’s Behind the Fence? Travelogue Exploring the ancient Mayan empire in Mexico

Education Feature Melbourn’s celebrations

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for the 1977 Silver Jubilee

Bin collection Nature Fowlmere RSPB Nature Reserve Review Elizabeth is missing

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The Anarchy: The Relentless Rise of the East India Company

Authors and their Books Secrets never to be told

Walks around Melbourn & beyond

Walking at RSPB The Lodge Nature Reserve (Part 2)

Nature River Mel Restoration Group Churches Together Sports & Clubs Nature

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Early preparations for spring in Melwood

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

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

melbournmagazine@gmail.com

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Visit our showroom at Sage Blinds & Interiors Phillimore Garden Centre, Cambridge Road, Melbourn, SG8 6EY Tel: 01763 263399 Mobile: 07875 488955 email: sageblinds@icloud.com www.sageblinds.co.uk Opening times Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm Saturday 9am to 1pm Specialists in made to measureBlinds ~ Curtains ~ Shutters Awnings ~ Interiors

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Village news Village News Peggy Abrey Melbourn Community Library The Hall For All Defibrillator used! Could this be the end of the road for Melbourn Fete? New-Look Melbourn Hub for 2022 Melbourn W.I. – After Eights Melbourn & Meldreth Women’s Group Melbourn Springs Royston & District Local History Society Moorlands Court What’s On @ Melbourn Child and Family Zone A10 Cycling Campaign and Spring cycling Meldreth Station gardening

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Melbourn Magazine is delivered free to every household in the village by volunteers.

If you would like to help please contact Ann Dekkers on 261144 or email melbournmagazine@gmail.com

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Peggy Abrey 19th October 1930 – 21st December 2021

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Peggy was born in Melbourn, the daughter of Jack and Ivy Robinson. Her grandfather Harry Robinson owned the tailor’s shop at the corner of the Moor, and Jack, one of Harry’s 3 sons, worked in the shop. The cottage is still there, but the shop has gone. Peggy went to the village school in Mortlock Street, and after leaving at 14 went to work in Melbourn Post Office. She later moved to the Post Office in Cambridge. Peggy married Gerald Abrey in All Saints’ Melbourn and they moved to a small cottage in Meldreth. This was the only time that Peggy lived outside Melbourn. Peggy and Gerald both served the church faithfully over the years. Peggy was artistic and channelled her skill into dressmaking, needlework and embroidery. Gerald was not in good health for some years and Peggy took good care of him until the end. Peggy did not get out so much after Gerald’s death, but she kept up to date with all village goings on and still had a sharp mind even at the age of 91. melbournmagazine@gmail.com

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Local authors visiting Melbourn Hub on May 17th Nicola Upson is the author of a series of novels which feature the brilliant Golden Age writer Josephine Tey as their lead character. The books paint an atmospheric picture of England between the wars, and Nicola will talk about some of the settings and people which provide the backdrop to her mysteries, from Alfred Hitchcock and Marlene Dietrich to the infamous Edwardian baby farmers, Sach and Walters. She will also discuss her enduring fascination with Tey, and her latest books: The Dead of Winter, a riff on the Golden Age Christmas detective story; and Dear Little Corpses, set at the outbreak of World War II. Nicola’s first book in the series was adapted for Radio 4 by BBC Scotland and since then Nicola has contributed to BBC Radio programmes. Other titles are – An Expert in Murder, Angel with two faces, Two for Sorrow, Fear in the Sunlight, The Death of Lucy Kyte and Nine lessons. She has also published a stand-alone novel, Stanley and Elsie, about the artist Stanley Spencer. Mandy Morton began her professional life as a folk musician and freelance Arts Journalist, featuring on national and local radio including Radio Cambridgeshire. After losing her long-haired tabby cat, who was feisty and clever, she wanted to keep her memory alive so wrote a story about the Adventures of Hettie Bagshot and her No 2 Feline Detective Agency – a tongue in cheek homage to Alexander McCall Smith’s cosy crime series – and self-published it to raise money for a cat’s charity. As this book was very successful the series was picked up by a London publisher and she has now written ten books based on cats which she has since adopted, most recently The Cat and the pendulum. She says that “anyone who has ever been owned by a cat also knows that cats have the most incredibly different characters. You never get a cat that is the same. Cats can be incredibly cruel and selfish or self-effacing, lazy or full of beans and they can follow all the traits a human being would have.” The books are set in the 1970’s, in a town entirely populated by cats who live in a street based on Mill Road in Cambridge. Other titles in this series are The Death of Downton Tabby, The Ghost of Christmas Paws, Cat Among The Pumpkins, Magical Mystery Paws and Beyond The Gravy.

Melbourn Community Library It has been so good to have the library back in business again after being closed for so long. We were delighted to welcome back our regulars and a lot of new ‘customers’. The volunteer in charge of buying our books has been very busy restocking the shelves after the long hiatus. The new adult books are put on a shelf above the children’s section and it is always worth looking there for inspiration or perhaps to try a new author.

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

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

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

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

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

Melbourn Warden Scheme is a registered charity

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Our main priority since reopening has been the revamping and updating of our stock of children’s books, in particular the Young Adult and Junior Fiction. Much has already been done but this will be ongoing for the rest of the year and any comments and suggestions, particularly from our younger library members, would be useful. For our housebound readers, we are hoping to set up a ‘Library from Home’ service. The arrangement is that someone who is housebound, but would love to have access to the library, contacts us and they are then given a designated person who will choose library books for them and bring the books to their home. If anyone is interested in either having books delivered or in being the person who chooses the books and delivers them, please contact the library. Our email address is library@ melbournhub.co.uk or phone us on the Hub number. We are in the process of setting up a number of events at the library including visits by authors. Please see the Hub website and other social media for details of these as they will be interesting and enjoyable. They are open to all whether or not you have a Cambridgeshire Library Service card. Jane Stevens

The Hall For All Defibrillator used! Whilst we were all saddened to learn that it was necessary, I am nevertheless delighted to tell you that our lovely Defibrillator was used shortly after the beginning of the year. We discovered this because the Emergency Services contacted our designated Trustee to inform her of the fact. Naturally no details were given, other than that the machine had been used and therefore certain checks had to be made to ensure that all the parts had been returned and were in working order. I am so pleased we decided to mount it on the outside wall so that it is readily available to everyone.

We showed a short film on the use of the defibrillator at Coffee Stop in February and will repeat this every so often throughout the year. The more people become familiar with the process of using the machine the more confident they will feel should the need to use it arise. When our very popular Cinema Event starts up again (which we hope will happen in the spring) we shall include a clip on the defibrillator in the notices we show before the start of the film. We are delighted that so many groups and clubs are coming back to the Hall, it is good to see it being used again. I must say how grateful we are to our wonderful cleaners, who have kept the place immaculate and ensured that all the hand sanitizers were replenished. If you have not seen inside the Hall, do come down to Coffee Stop one Saturday morning and have a look around at the facilities we offer. Mavis Howard

Could this be the end of the road for Melbourn Fete? The Melbourn Fete Committee have essentially remained the same group of friends who have been organising the event for 20 years. We have often asked for volunteers to join us and indeed we have a very enthusiastic group of people who offer their help for the event weekend itself. However, with the odd exception we have had no new joiners to the organising committee itself. The last couple of years have seen the event cancelled, and that has given the committee members a chance to assess what they want to do about future commitments to the fete. Whilst some are happy to continue there were several resignations, which means the Fete committee is not viable. We have the following choices: a the summer fete ending b a significant number of volunteers joining the organising committee c a fresh start, with an entirely new group of volunteers taking over the entire operation. If you would like to be involved in saving our village fete I ask that you contact the fete committee through secretary.melbournfete@gmail.com by the end of May. It is important to note that the two fete offshoots, Melbourn Open Gardens and Turn on to Christmas, are much smaller and simpler events and the present volunteers involved in these allow for their continuation. As always, however, if you wish to be involved in these events your support would always be welcome. melbournmagazine@gmail.com

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New-Look Melbourn Hub for 2022 It’s been a strange and turbulent time for small businesses, and the Hub has had some ups and downs like most hospitality venues over the last two years. However, we are delighted to be fully open for business once again with a new-look building, new people and much improved meeting spaces.

The Covid crisis highlighted the importance of the Hub, especially our ability to support the entire community with practical help. The Hub building, its staff and volunteers stepped up to the plate in a time of crisis. For those of you that do not know, this included a food bank, counselling support, doorstep services for prescriptions and food shopping for those who became lonely and isolated. This project, delivered during the first 2020 lockdown, was of historic importance, providing crucial help to literally hundreds of isolating and vulnerable Melbourn residents, delivered through a dedicated team of volunteers. As 2020 came to a close we fondly thought that 2021 would be a better year. This unfortunately was not the case. A substantial new lockdown was again in place by January, that lasted to mid-year. Again the Hub was forcibly closed. This closure, however, proved to be a major opportunity.

Having already secured the needed finances from grants, the long-awaited upgrade and expansion of the Hub building was able to go ahead while the building was closed for business due to the Covid lockdown. After seven years of operation it had become clear that changes to the building layout would have major benefits. Staff and customers were thoroughly consulted on the best way of proceeding, and formal plans were submitted to and approved by the planning authority. The upgraded Hub now has more and better meeting rooms, dedicated staff facilities, first and ground floor toilet facilities and increased general storage while remaining fully disability accessible and compliant. The public spaces and building exterior were all repainted and remodelled with new furniture and decor to give a new-look Bookmark Café. The five star commercial kitchen was also improved and enlarged. It now offers an even better range of freshly baked and cooked food. Gemma Dowling, our new Catering Manager, seen here on the right with Maddie Windred and Hayley King, has now been in post since August, complementing an amazing transformation.

The Community Library was of course included in the upgrade plans. The volunteer librarians now operate from the main desk as you enter the building, with the benefits of purpose built storage and better IT systems. Smart new graphics adorn the main public

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spaces, with more improvements yet to come. Exciting plans are afoot, in conjunction with wider county organisations, to spice up the library offering with readings by visiting authors and additional bespoke services especially for children. Debby Brown and Siobhan Pitts looking after some young readers! Most importantly the new rooms offer privacy and seclusion to customers who are looking for confidentiality, such as Relate and Citizens Advice. The ground floor rooms are finished to be compliant with healthcare uses, such as NHS clinics.

Library volunteers Mandy Handscombe and Jane Stevens.

Expanded Meeting Room Offer When the Hub was first constructed there were only two meeting rooms, one on each of the ground and first floors. Following the expansion and upgrade the Hub now boasts four meeting rooms, two on each floor, and all with ‘state of the art’ facilities. The new room services are standard in every room and are included in the room hire rates. Customers benefit from secure digital communications, ceiling‑fitted projectors with motorised screens and air‑conditioning.

With the on-site catering facilities to hand, our room hire customers can naturally enjoy in-room catering or visit the Bookmark Café for meals and refreshments. Special offers are often available so make sure you ask when booking your room! First floor meeting rooms now have toilet facilities near by with full disabled access. To book a room online, go to melbournhub.co.uk/ roomhire You can also email hubadmin@melbournhub. co.uk with any enquiries you may have or phone on 01763 263303 #1. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook @TheHubMelbourn We look forward to welcoming you in 2022 We are proud to be open again, with the Café, Library and Room Hire facilities in a modern and welcoming environment. Our takeaways are ever increasing in popularity and we are now offering a ‘delivered or collection’ outside buffet service for customers who want catering support for parties or business lunches. Exciting community events are planned as we anticipate fully returning to normality in the Spring and welcoming even more people through the doors. Don’t miss the 13th March Craft Fair and our Mother’s Day Lunch event on March 27th! Melbourn Hub Management Team melbournmagazine@gmail.com

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Melbourn W.I. – After Eights I do hope you saw and liked our ‘Sprout Tree‘ at the Meldreth Christmas Tree Festival. We certainly had a lot of fun making them – some did seem to develop personalities of their own! After the weekend, the sprouts found their way onto the WI stall at Coffee Stop in December, where they were sold for our funds along with traditional WI festive fare. Some of us even managed to meet up just before Christmas to have a meal together in The Old Bull, Royston. We have an exciting and varied programme lined up for 2022: a talk by someone from Trinity House, a taste of Tai Chi, in March we shall be trying our hand at Felting, and so it goes on through the year. We are planning a summer party and something to mark the Platinum Jubilee. CFWI in Cambridge also hold frequent seminars and day schools, which you can attend in person or sometimes by Zoom. We meet at 8 p.m. on the fourth Wednesday of the month in the Community Hall in the centre of the village, and can arrange for lifts to and from the meetings if you are nervous about being out at night. We try to keep in touch by meeting for coffee in between the monthly meetings and we always welcome new faces If you would like more information, please do get in touch with our President, Gail McPhee at melbournwi@ gmail.com and she will tell you what is happening. Mavis Howard

Melbourn & Meldreth Women’s Group We are a small friendly group who normally meet on the 4th Tuesday of each month (except December). Our meetings begin at 7.45p.m. and we vary our venue between Melbourn & Meldreth. We make a nominal charge of £1 on the evening and there is an opportunity to support our charity for the year, which is “Stand-byme” Children’s Bereavement Support. If you wish to know more about us, please contact one of the committee members: Pat Smith (262575); Sue Toule (260955); Angela Leach (262793); Pat Ames (261130); Kimmi Crosby (07976228377); Mary Bailey (220171); Diane Blundell (221415). Our March meeting is on the 22nd, when we will hear a talk on behalf of the Marie Curie charity. This is scheduled to be in All Saints’ Community Hall beginning at the usual time of 7.45p.m. 26th April sees us meeting in Holy Trinity Meeting Rooms in Meldreth, when we will hear Dan Amis speak

to us. Dan has led a varied life and I am sure his talk will be interesting. We hope to have our Summer Supper on 24th May, where the committee organise ploughman’s supper and puddings for members and their guests. We continue to be aware of and sensitive to the fluctuating situation with regard to Covid and will endeavour to keep members informed of any changes to venue.

Melbourn Springs Melbourn poet has poem published after winning competition Elizabeth (Betty) Murphy of Melbourn was delighted to finally see her award-winning poem in print after beating 300 other entries in a national ‘Poems in The Pandemic Competition’ which took place last year. Dan Amis, Deputy Manager at Melbourn Springs Care Home, entered Elizabeth into the Humour category (with Elizabeth’s authorisation of course) and to their surprise Elizabeth won with her extremely funny poem ‘Isolation Musings’. Elizabeth has even gone on to take part in a Zoom celebratory event and now that the book has been published, Dan could not wait to deliver a copy. Dan added, “All of our residents at Melbourn Springs love to hear Elizabeth’s poems when she very kindly sends them to us. Elizabeth has a real talent and it’s great that this has been recognised by her win. Although the competition was over a year ago I am so pleased the

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book is out and Elizabeth could have a copy just in time for Christmas!” Upon receiving a copy from Dan, Elizabeth said, “I am so very happy and aiming to get a few more copies to share with my family and friends. The book really is very well compiled and to have a poem of mine actually published is a very special moment!” For more information about Poems in a Pandemic please visit: www.caretalk.co.uk and for more information about Melbourn Springs please visit: www.barchester.com/home/melbourn-springscare‑home

Royston & District Local History Society www.roystonlocalhistory.org.uk Our website shows all the books we have for sale. Many of these result from the considerable work undertaken by our Publications sub-committee. The books may be ordered by post from David Allard 01763 242677. Some are also available at the Cave Bookshop in Melbourn Street. Our evening meetings are held on a Thursday evening at 8pm in the Heritage Hall (the main hall downstairs) at Royston Town Hall. » 3rd March – Climate Change – Mrs Anne Littlefair » 7th April – ‘The History of the Bedford and Cambridge Railway’ – Stephen Owen » 12th May – AGM 7.30pm followed at 8pm ‘In Common’ – a look at the origin, development and standing of the most English of institutions ‘The Common’ Annual membership £10 (Sept-Aug) (Under 18s half price) Visitors £2

Moorlands Court The end of 2021 was what could only be described as ‘concerning’ at Moorlands Court. We continued to deal with the pandemic, as the rest of the world did, with the constant worry about the huge uncertainty of what the new Covid variant would bring to our tenants and staff. We approached Christmas with trepidation, almost expecting it to be cancelled as it was the previous year, and eagerly awaited all updates from the Government. We took advice from the relevant agencies and decided to continue with our plans and try to provide as normal a Christmas as we possibly could. I’m so glad we did, as the festivities at Moorlands this year were very much needed and it turned out to be excellent.

What’s On @ Melbourn Child and Family Zone Welcome to our Child and Family Centres. Our aim is to support you and your family as your children grow, especially through these challenging times. We are following all COVID guidelines and you will be required to pre-book in advance. We ask that all staff and volunteers adhere to the latest Vovid-19 guidance. Charges apply for groups. Concessions may apply. Email:ChildAndFamilyCentre.South@ cambridgeshire.gov.uk Facebook: search for South Cambridgeshire Child and Family Centres Whats On @ Melbourn Child and Family Zone Mini Movers For mobile babies aged around 9–18 months, focusing on activities that encourage physical development. To book, please email or message us on Facebook. Mondays 10.00 to 11.30am Stay and Play Stay and play session for children from around 10 months or walking. To book, please email or message us on Facebook. Thursdays 10.00 to 11.30am

Baby Group (for parents of pre-mobile babies) Meet other parents and access support and advice from the Child and Family Centre team. Booking essential, please email or message us on Facebook. Thursdays 1.00 to 2.30pm Melbourn Child and Family Zone, Mortlock Street, Melbourn, SG8 6DB (adjacent to Melbourn Primary School)

continued on page 12 melbournmagazine@gmail.com

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We had a couple of new entertainers visit us in December who were both amazing and their shows were a huge success.

The Letting Centre

Christmas Entertainment Our tenants were treated to a music hall inspired singalong show by Lillian Lace. She belted out some classic oldies, including, Knees up Mother Brown, My Old Man’s a Dustman and Doing the Lambeth Walk. The audience were full of enthusiasm and were clapping, cheering and participating fully with the show. This was so lovely to witness as many of our tenants have dementia and so the interaction from those tenants was wonderful to see.

(Cambridge) Ltd Setting Standards in Property Management

• • One of the annual festive traditions at Moorlands Court is a visit from Little Hands Nursery. The children came along to sing to our tenants. Again, it had to be from outside the building to protect the tenants and the children. It certainly didn’t stop everyone enjoying the performance and the children were brilliant, their little voices lit up every single face of the audience. Another of our entertainers; Mikey Fordola, treated everyone to a show full of crooner swing hits, with a Christmas twist. He had some of the more able-bodied Moorlands Court Tenants and Day Centre clients up on their feet. Hearing everyone singing along was amazing and, from the feedback I’ve been given, I know everyone is very keen to have Mikey visit us again.

• • • • •

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It was a wonderful afternoon, we all enjoyed mulled wine, mince pies and sausage rolls provided by our talented kitchen staff, who have excelled themselves again this year. As usual, they have continued to provide amazing meals while faced with continued substitutions from some of our suppliers due to the pandemic, but never have they provided a meal that hasn’t been perfectly balanced or delicious… hats off to our kitchen team who have helped make Christmas amazing. Another of our traditions is the Christmas raffle. We were lucky to have some very generous donations from local businesses and individuals and all the money raised will go towards bringing more entertainers into Moorlands Court to entertain our tenants and their families. Cinema afternoon Last year, we introduced a weekly cinema afternoon and this has continued to grow in popularity over the past few months. Each week we find ourselves adding additional seats to the ‘cinema’. In the autumn we purchased a projector from funds raised throughout the year and this has added to the whole cinema experience, which we try to make as authentic as possible. Each week we show a different genre of film, have popcorn and everyone eagerly awaits the poster going onto the notice board to see what’s showing that week.

Day Centre Our Day Centre continues to be extremely popular and we have welcomed some new faces this year. From musical bingo, competitions to arts and crafts, and not forgetting the amazing lunches provided by our in house chefs, our clients are always very busy and their days with us are full of fun and laughter. Please call us if you would like to try a taster session. Every Tuesday we welcome the ever popular Jess the PAT dog to Moorlands Court. She is a firm favourite with Tenants, Day Centre clients and Staff. She is such a gentle dog and everyone eagerly awaits her arrival every week.

Scrabble club One of our new tenants has just set up a Scrabble club. It was the first session this week and was well attended. Our more able tenants really enjoy and need the interaction with their neighbours, who have also become good friends. It was a great way for them to get together, igniting the brain cells and getting to know their new neighbour a little better. I hope to report in my next update about the success of her club.

Newsletter We produce an in-house quarterly Newsletter and as part of the features we usually like to interview one of our tenants, but this quarter I decided to chat to a staff member for a change. What a great story I uncovered from Sabina, who is one of our cooks. I hope you find it as interesting as I have. Sabina came to the UK in late 2004 from a small Polish town called Swiebodzice. Her home town is situated close to the German border and the town has quite an infamous history. The Ksiaz Castle and its cave complex were expanded during World War II to create the private quarters of Adolf Hitler. She had been studying Economics at college in the hope of working within the banking/finance sector, but after her relationship broke down she felt the need for a fresh start. She heard through a family friend that a hotel in the UK was looking for staff and thought it would be a good opportunity to get away for a short melbournmagazine@gmail.com

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

Independent, local family funeral directors

Office & Chapel of Rest time to help heal her broken heart. Her plan was to come for a couple of months, earn some extra cash, move on from her relationship and gain some life experience. In December 2004, at just 19 and without speaking any English, she set off from Berlin for the UK. Her role at the hotel was mainly cleaning and waiting in the restaurant but her hard work and enthusiasm were quickly realised and it wasn’t long before she was preparing breakfasts and working behind the bar. She said she always had an interest in cooking, as her Grandmother and Mother were very good cooks and she enjoyed helping them when she was a child. She said she has very fond memories of those times. The role at the Hotel was challenging, as December in the hospitality industry is extremely hard work with the numerous Christmas Parties and lunches. Sabina didn’t have a single day off during her first month and found it exhausting. While at the hotel she met her partner and they quickly became a “couple”. They moved into a flat together and he helped her with the necessary paperwork to enable her to live and work in the UK. Within just 4 months of her arrival, she was in a position to move on and find a permanent position. After registering with an employment agency, she found a job in a staff cafeteria and also as a cleaner and worked two jobs. Her partner and his family were very supportive and told her about a vacancy at Moorlands Court. She applied and came for an interview, and in the meantime was also offered another job working as a cleaner. She then found herself in the very privileged position of having to choose between two jobs. She chose Moorlands Court and the rest is history! I asked Sabina some fun questions and here are her answers

12 Church Lane, Royston, SG8 9LG

Tel: 01763 242560 www.jeremyrulefunerals.co.uk

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What do you enjoy most about working at Moorlands Court? “I really enjoy working with elderly people, it reminds me of my Grandparents. I was very close to them. It’s so interesting to hear about their life stories too. Another thing I like about working here are my colleagues, they are all so easy to get along with. We have a great team here.” What are your biggest achievements to date, personal or professional? “Not being able to speak English when I came to the UK was challenging, but my sister helped me with the translation by writing notes in English and Polish. Also, becoming a qualified cook and taking my NVQ level 3 City and Guilds. I wouldn’t allow my assessor to help me with the translation, I wanted to do it myself to help me learn and understand the language.” What gets you out of bed every day – except for work? “My German Shepherd, Shona. She never allows me a lie in and is always waiting by the bedroom door in the morning for her walk. She only really likes me to walk her. If my partner takes her she reluctantly goes with him to do her business then wants to come straight home. When I take her we go for long walks around the village and have lots of different routes, I think she likes that better. She was a rescue dog and will be 11 in June.” When was the last time you laughed so hard you cried? “Oooh I can’t remember. I am a very positive person and I like to have fun and laugh a lot anyway, but this morning I did have a very good laugh with the handyman and the cleaner. We joked about the film 50 Shades of Grey; it was mainly a joke about how good women are. I always joke and laugh with the delivery drivers too; they brighten up the day.” What’s on your wish list for the next 5 years? “I’d love to win the lottery and buy a farm in Wales or the countryside of Norfolk. I wouldn’t want to be on the coast, just close enough to visit the sea. I’d prefer to live near a forest. I would have a farm with lots of rescue animals: chickens, pigs and cows, I’d let them enjoy the rest of their lives.” If you were planning a celebrity dinner party, who would you invite? “Lots of fit men……..ha ha ha. Maybe Tom Hardy, Ryan Reynolds, oh and my work friends of course. I also like Matthew Goode, he’s such a good actor. If I could invite someone who had passed away it would have to be Clarke Gable, he was such a handsome man. I had a bit of a crush on him when I was younger. Ricky Gervais would also have to be included because of his love for

animals and how funny he is and maybe Colin Firth too, he’s a real English gentleman.” What advice would you give to the 16 year old Sabina? “Ha ha ha……….don’t fall in love with an idiot!! Mind you, if I hadn’t done that then I would never have come to England so maybe I’d say choose a man who can clean and cook!” Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to chat with me Sabina, it was lovely hearing about your life.

Moorlands Services As always, we are here if you or a family member are in need of Extra Care in the community, from Meals on Wheels, help with housework, care needs, to a sitting service. We can offer extra support when needed so do not hesitate to give us a call for an informal chat if this might be something you are considering now or at some point in the future. Where possible, and dependent on availability, we occasionally have flats with Extra Care available within Moorlands Court. Please call us if this might be something you are looking for. Carol Bailey, Administrative Officer

Parish Council – Clerk’s Report Not For Sale! The Parish Council often receives enquiries about land to be made available for development around the village, particularly allotment land. It is not the Parish Council’s policy to sell land for development, and indeed the Parish Council has a duty to provide land for allotments. We are very lucky in Melbourn to have two allotment gardens, both on The Moor: St Georges Allotments, with 90 plots, is owned by the Parish Council, and Grays Allotments, with 7 plots, is managed by us under a long lease. Both allotment gardens are well established and well run (with thanks to the St Georges Allotment Association). The allotments are an important amenity for the village and there is absolutely no plan to sell the land that we own for development. Please contact the Parish office for more details about availability of allotment plots. The Draft Local Plan The first public consultation for the draft Greater Cambridge Local Plan was held in November 2021 and the responses received will feed into the draft Local Plan to be further developed during 2022. I will continue to share details about opportunities for public participation on our notice boards, website continued on page 17 melbournmagazine@gmail.com

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feature Percy R. Salmon (1872–1959) Celebrated by Royal Photographic Society Percy Salmon, a former Melbourn resident who was best-known locally for his photographs of the village, is being celebrated this month (March) by the Royal Photographic Society. Peep-Bo, as he was affectionately referred to, was a fellow and member of the RPS for more than 60 years; he lived in Melbourn from his retirement in 1927 until the mid-1950s. To celebrate the 150th anniversary of his birth in Waterbeach, Cambridgeshire on 12th March 1872, the society has commissioned an online talk about his career as a photographer, journalist and author. Among his many achievements, Mr. Salmon: • was a travelling photographer for the eminent photography firm of Lèvy & ses Fils of Paris, including a 6-month trip to Egypt, Palestine, Turkey and Greece in 1898; • was appointed Editor of the weekly paper Photographic News in 1901 at the age of 28, a post he held for five years; • was a successful freelance journalist who supplied articles to nearly 70 different titles and publications; • was the author of many popular books, notably All About Photography: How to Make Good Pictures published in 1925 by Ward, Lock & Co. The RPS talk is the culmination of research into his life by members of his family, notably his great nephew Stephen Martin and great-great niece Helen Barber. Mr. Salmon’s time in Melbourn is reflected in photographs that capture the changing face of the village, particularly during the 1930s. Many of these were originally published in 2005 in A glimpse into Melbourn’s past and Pictorial Melbourn, compiled by the Melbourn Village History Group. The publication proved so popular that it had to be reprinted.

In Melbourn, Mr. Salmon lived with his wife Eliza at ‘Crossways’ on the High Street opposite the Cross. Among the material discovered during research for the talk was a letter he wrote in March 1941, at the height of the Second World War, to F.J. Mortimer, the then President of the RPS. He told Mr. Mortimer: “During my residence here, I have made a complete photo survey of the village, about 500 quarter plate negatives. There are 392 houses and a pre-war population of 1260. Now we have 150 evacuees.” He also reflected on how Melbourn’s proximity to the RAF bases at Duxford and Bassingbourn meant that he had not had an uninterrupted night’s sleep for six months because of air raids. “We … often catch it pretty hot, but so far no damage to house or persons. Bombs abound and craters galore outside the village. It is now 1am and we are awaiting the ‘all clear,’ but do not expect it till 4am.” **The talk, presented by photographic historian Dr. David Barber, lasts about 20 minutes, and will be available to view on the RPS YouTube channel from Saturday 12th March 2022 – The Royal Photographic Society – YouTube https://w w w.youtube.com/channel/UC9ftjVyEVg9pXWvxgDLsuA

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and social media pages. More information is available from the Planning Authority online at: https://www. greatercambridgeplanning.org/emerging-plans-andguidance/greater-cambridge-local-plan/ The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee The Parish Council is looking at different ways to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, and we plan to organise events that will be open to all Melbourn residents. Watch this space for more details. Enjoying the great outdoors At the time of writing, on a cold and rather bleak January afternoon, springtime cannot come soon enough. However, we are so fortunate in Melbourn to have beautiful open spaces to enjoy all year round. Millennium Copse: I am happy to report that many local people have taken the opportunity to plant a tree in the Millennium Copse. The area is looking absolutely beautiful and the new trees are thriving. If you would like to find out about planting a tree, please call the Parish office. River Mel: The River Mel Restoration Group continues its good work along the Mel with the support of Rob Mungovan of the Wild Trout Trust. The Mel is an important chalk steam and we are very grateful to all the volunteers for their hard work. Stockbridge Meadow: The nature reserve is home to a wonderful array of wildlife such as badgers and muntjac. Reptiles including the common lizard and grass snakes can be found amongst the log piles and scrub habitats. Damp marsh and wetland areas provide ideal habitat for invertebrates and bird species such as the reed warbler, buzzard and red kites. Plans to replace the damaged boardwalk continue and we will soon be inviting tenders. In the meantime, Stockbridge Meadows Nature Reserve remains open for all to enjoy. Community Grants Do you need money for a good cause or project to benefit the community? The Parish Council considers grant funding applications twice a year, in April and November. The fund is not just for existing groups and organisations. If you want to start a brand new organisation then there is money available. Why not apply? Applications must be made on the grant application form available at www.melbournparishcouncil.co.uk or from the parish office. The next call for applications will go out in April 2022. Speed reduction and road safety The Futures Working Party have successfully obtained funding for an MVAS camera which residents will have seen at the entrance to the village in New Road. The

unit will soon be moved to Cambridge Road, then to other entrance points to the village. Our aim is to increase awareness for motorists entering a populated village, with many pedestrians, and school and college children using our roads. We need to encourage all drivers to adhere to the official speed limits. This is a first step towards this initiative. Dog Fouling The parish office is receiving an increasing number of reports about dog fouling, particularly around Orchard Road, Mortlock Street and Little Lane. These roads are close to the primary school and apart from being antisocial, dog fouling presents a health hazard. Please clear up after your pet. Claire Littlewood, Parish Clerk

From your District Councillors and County Household Support Fund Reminder! Please help spread the word: This fund aims to help those struggling to pay for food, energy or other essential items this winter. Cambridgeshire County Council has been allocated £3.58 million as part of the Government’s Household Support Fund to help people who need financial support. The Household Support Fund itself is a new oneoff grant, which is live until 31 March 2022. This usually provides £49 (for a family) or £29 (for an individual) to cover food or household energy costs, but more funding may be available for people who can demonstrate a higher need – for instance for higher costs of filling an oil tank or buying a new cooker. To be eligible for the Household Support Fund residents will need to earn less than £17,940 or receive any of the following: Income Support; Income-based Job Seekers Allowance; Income-related Employment and Support Allowance; Pension Credit; Universal Credit; Working Tax Credit. Details of how to access the scheme can be found here (or please feel free to contact any of us): https:// www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/residents/coronavirus/ household-support-fund Inconsiderate Parking We’re pleased to report progress on ‘Civil Parking Enforcement’, in which the Council would have the means to enforce parking infringements locally. For years now, the absence of police support to monitor and enforce parking been incredibly frustrating – so we look forward to positive practical steps ahead. continued on page 19

melbournmagazine@gmail.com

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for We’re here oo Addenbr ke’s. Jan & Matt wanted to show thanks to their hospital, “Leaving a gift in a will is just something we can do so easily.” email wills@act4addenbrookes.org.uk

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Do you need support with your or your family’s cancer diagnosis? At Maggie’s we can help. We provide free practical, emotional and social support to people with cancer, their family and friends, from diagnosis through to living with the effects after cancer. Maggie’s has been providing high quality, evidence-based support in the local area since 2013. We help over 8,000 people a year to achieve the best possible state of psychological and physical health during diagnosis, treatment and throughout their cancer journey. People across Cambridgeshire and beyond can come to Maggie’s at any stage, for as long or as little as they like. We believe that the built and natural environments in which people are cared for have a direct impact on wellbeing and how a person responds to the challenge of cancer. Our Centre is staffed by Cancer Support Specialists, a Benefits Advisor, a Nutritionist, Counsellors and Psychologists, who can support people in whichever way is best suited to their needs. Maggie’s is a place to find practical advice about benefits and eating well; a place where qualified experts provide emotional support; a place to meet other people or simply to sit quietly with a cup of tea. You don’t need an appointment – just come in for a chat to find out more about the support offered to them. Our centre is open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm. Find us at: 21 Milton House, Puddicombe Way, Addenbrooke’s, Cambridge CB2 0AD T: 01223 249220 E: cambridge@maggies.org Website: www.maggies.org

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Speeding traffic We continue to hear concerns from residents about traffic speeding through the village. In response to the same concerns from villages across the county, the Council is looking to make it much easier for villages to apply for 20MPH speed limits in residential areas, if this is something desired by the local community. Road and pavement resurfacing We’ve made a special plea to County Highways for repair to the deteriorating surface of the road at the traffic lights – an awkward spot which would require road closure to repair, but critical! Fingers crossed. Thanks to everyone for reporting highway faults on the Highways Reporting Page, which you will find on the internet by searching ‘Cambridgeshire Report a Fault’. If you don’t have a computer but would like to make us aware of a problem, please feel free to contact us by phone (see page 21). Drains Overflowing gulleys are a constant problem in some areas. For a number of years, regular gulley cleaning had been completely suspended, and when we managed to get a thorough gulley clearing done to a number of Melbourn roads last Spring, the job was overwhelming due to the build-up of silt. County Highways is now rolling out its new gulley mapping & cleaning capability. This will allow the Council to fully map about 100,000 gulleys and then prioritise those causing most problems and re-visit them on a more regular basis for clearing. Painstaking work but we hope this will begin, slowly but surely, to put things on a better footing! South Cambs District Council – support for local businesses Loads of support is available for local business via South Cambs District Council, including support to apply for government grants, and a series of free events and webinars that provide a chance for local businesses to engage with Council services and develop skills to help you run your business successfully. Please see the Business page: https://www.scambs.gov.uk/business/ Business grants update 1: Hospitality and Leisure Grant and Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) top-up On 21st December the Chancellor announced £1 billion in support for businesses most impacted by Omicron across the UK. Amongst other support, businesses in the hospitality and leisure sectors in England will be eligible for one-off grants of between £2,700- £6,000 depending on premises rateable value. Additional discretionary funding will be made available for Councils to support other businesses affected. We hope that by the time you read this, it will

be possible to submit grant applications for local businesses – please keep an eye on the website above. Health and social care reforms juggling act – Zoom chat March 9th A major reorganization of health and social care is happening now, with legislation in the process of passing through Parliament. This sounds heavy! Is it important? We think it impacts on us all. The reforms include: raising money through the National Insurance contributions that working people pay; widening eligibility for County-funded social care from about 4% of the population now to an estimated 14%, in Cambridgeshire (which must be paid for of course); and requiring the local NHS (our local GPSs, hospitals, etc) and the Local Public Health and Social Care Authority (Cambridgeshire County Council) to collaborate and integrate, and think at a ‘neighbourhood’ level. Prevention is a constant theme – how can we live better and avoid getting sick in the first place? How can we give children – from birth – the best chance of a healthy life? What more can local communities be doing to play a part? Some of the principles seem overwhelmingly positive but other aspects of the reforms are daunting. These are huge bureaucracies and whatever new money is raised will be directed first to the enormous Covid-induced waiting lists. That will take time to work through. Nevertheless, from July this year it will be a legal requirement for ‘Integrated Care Systems’ to be up and running with the basics in place. This means that all these organisations, already working to deliver vaccinations, tackle waiting lists and attract new staff to a depleting workforce, also need to find time to reflect and prepare for new obligations under the Health and Care Bill. Given that this new legal requirement involves local government, we’ve been learning fast and furiously. Susan is chairing the ‘Cambridgeshire Health and Wellbeing Board’ where the NHS and Local Authorities formally come together. If you’d like to know a little bit more, or if you can teach us a thing or two through your own experience and expertise, please join us for a Zoom coffee and chat on March 9th, 6-7PM – just let us know your contact details and we’ll send you the link. A tidy tour of a major building site We were delighted to have the chance to tour ‘Project Birchwood’ on Melbourn Science Park, and to see first-hand the new premises for TTP that are emerging on the new section of the Park, set back from the Cambridge Road entrance and toward melbournmagazine@gmail.com

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the A10. We were not the first local visitors by any means: Melbourn Village College students and neighbourhood residents had already been on site, donning the same protective boots, hard hats and high viz for what can only be described as a dazzling tour across an incredibly well-organized site, amidst gallons of inevitable construction site January mud somehow kept in its place. The creative space for inventive working that defines TTP was already clear to see, and we very much look forward to seeing the finished product next year! Zoom Cuppa Surgeries Wednesdays 5-6PM If you’d like to meet with your councillors by Zoom, to bring any concerns or ask any questions, please come along to our weekly Wednesday Zoom Cuppa Surgery, 5–6pm. Please contact Sally Ann for a link: Sallyannhart@riskingonpurpose.com. Or contact us any time by phone, email or snail mail! District Councillors Sally Ann Hart and Jose Hales, and County Councillor Susan van de Ven sallyannhart@riskingonpurpose.com, Tel 07791 233303 jose@josehales.me.uk, Tel 01763 221058 susanvandeven5@gmail.com, Tel 07905 325574

A10 Cycling Campaign and Spring cycling If you are new to Melbourn and enjoy cycling, please consider joining the A10 Corridor Cycling Campaign, which has helped to deliver the existing cycle route from Melbourn to Cambridge. The campaign is now focusing on efforts for an off-road path and bridge over the A505 at the Royston junction, in order to provide a safe walking, cycling and scooter link between Melbourn and Royston. The ‘Melbourn Greenway’ project is anticipated to support these aims – and also to improve the existing route to Cambridge, particularly around Harston and Hauxton. Things have been a bit slow in the past 18 months, but we expect to see things get moving again soon. Our campaign meets two or three times per year, and hosts an annual ‘A10 Awareness Ride’ to familiarize people with the route. We get involved in cutting back brambles along the route, and this includes a TTP staff group on their lunchtime break who go out with their secateurs. The campaign has become a generator of many new friendships within Melbourn and across the villages and Royston. More at www.a10corridorcycle.com, which has links to join our mailing list and Facebook page. Susan van de Ven Contacta10cycle@gmail.com susanvandeven5@gmail.com Tel: 07905325574

Nature

What’s Behind the Fence? The last two years have been a challenging and difficult time for the River Mel Restoration Group, as it has been for most organisations, the consequence being that our maintenance programme has been severely curtailed. To get things back on track we have been working with the Parish Council, who have employed a contractor to cut back the thickets of brambles that have steadily encroached upon the river where it runs through the playing fields at the back of the Village College. If left unchecked, they would completely smother the marginal plants, such as the sedges that provide safe cover and food for the water vole colony. We are very fortunate that we have such an active colony of these attractive and endangered species on our doorstep. In order to protect them as their food sources recover, it has been necessary to fence the small stretch of river where they are most active, while the vegetation recovers. For further details about volunteering or the dates of future working parties please telephone Maureen Brierley on 01763 262752.

Meldreth Station gardening – all volunteers including Duke of Edinburgh Award students welcome If you enjoy community gardening or are looking for a way to fulfil your Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award volunteering requirement, please read on! The Meldreth, Shepreth and Foxton Community Rail Partnership is always looking for volunteers to join our gardening team – just helping out with watering the platform tubs makes a huge difference to keeping the station environment in good shape. A Meldreth station garden tidy up will be taking place on March 12. If you’d like to get involved in any way, or to find out more, please get in touch – we’d be delighted to hear from you. Sarah Grove and Susan van de Ven Meldreth, Shepreth and Foxton Community Rail Partnership Sarahgrove.msfcrp@gmail.com, susanvandeven5@gmail.com melbournmagazine@gmail.com

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Travelogue

Exploring the ancient Mayan empire in Mexico After describing the great empires that impacted on the Silk Routes in Asia, I am now going to take you to an empire on the other side of the world: the Mayan Empire. Mayan archaeological remains have been dated back to 2,600 BCE, but the empire operated from around 250 CE until an unexplained collapse in the 9th century CE. Even though the Spanish conquered the area in the 16th Century CE there are remnants of the original Mayans still living in areas of Mexico, especially the Yucatan. My first encounter with Mayan territory in 1966 was a mind bending experience. I flew in from Florida, having spent the previous few days amongst the glamorous international jet set in Miami (not that I was one of them – I was backpacking!). The contrast couldn’t have been greater. In just two hours I was transported from opulence to subsistence poverty. From the airport, I had to hang onto the outside of a bus, occupied by locals with commodities for market, including their scrawny live chickens. I did return with the family to a resort at Cancun in the 1990s. The beach on which I had slept in the 1960s was now full of luxurious high-rise hotels, discos and bars (which delighted my teenage daughters!). The Mayan sites which I had visited by travelling on local buses, and which were almost deserted, were now full of international visitors arriving in their air-conditioned coaches. Both Chichen Itza and Palenque had lost some of their primitive charm, having become standard globalised tourist destinations. However, the local Mayan

Above: El Castillo (pyramid of Kukulcán) in Chichén Itzá. Below King K’inich Kan Balam II of Palenque, Temple XVII panel.

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Tikal (Guatemala) Temple

town near Cancun, where I went for some traditional Mexican food, still had an impoverished air, and a trip to Guatemala to see the Tikal ruins again transported me back to subsistence living. Ironically, in the small hotel where I stayed in Guatemala there was only instant coffee available, in a country which is a significant coffee producer! The reason that I had come to the Yucatan was to visit the ceremonial sites with their dramatic pyramid structures, and I wasn’t disappointed. The first site was Chichen Itza. This was a large city of 4 square miles in area and with a population of 35,000 population at its peak. It was inhabited from about 600 to 1,000 CE. It would have connected with other Mayan cities along the raised paved roads (sacbeob – white ways; singular sacbe) made of rubble covered in limestone stucco. These stretched along the coast to Guatemala and in the other direction into central Mexico, and must have been an impressive sight seen from afar gleaming in the bright Mexican sun. In some places, there were large ceremonial arches. However, pre-conquest, the Maya did not have animals for carrying goods so the trade must all have been transported on human backs. In addition to trade these also probably had ritual significance for pilgrimages, and prayers were still said by the local Mayans in 1840 when crossing the roads. Chichen Itza is one of the largest Mayan sites and has a variety of architectural styles, including Toltec (a Mexican society to the South). The name may link to water and there is evidence of good supply with 4 natural sink holes (cenotes) still

visible, linking to underground water sources (there is no surface water). There is a more gruesome story regarding these holes, however, as they were used for human sacrifice to the rain god Chac (appearing as fearsome statues around the site), as evidenced by scarred human bones found in them. The most impressive structure is the Kukulcán temple (named El Castillo by the Spanish). The sun produces a serpent effect along the edge at the spring and autumn equinox. The name comes from a feathered serpent deity. It is 98 feet high, with steps 8.43 feet high at an angle of 45 degrees – a hard climb in the sun for someone with severe vertigo! A cool Mexican beer was very welcome after the descent! There is a 20ft temple on the top and the rituals (possibly involving human sacrifices) performed by the ceremonially clad priests must have looked stunning to the crowds gathered below. Inside the pyramid was a red painted Jaguar throne with spots made of jade. There was also a Chac Mool statue. Another large structure is the Temple of the Warriors decorated inside with murals (there is even speculation that one depicts Vikings!) There are remains of other smaller temples, one linked to one of the 13 ball courts on the site. The ball game was a popular activity; but may also have had ritual significance – possibly with a human head as the ball! The largest court is 551 by 230 ft. Surrounding the court are benches in front of a high wall. Statues of the ball players decorate the site, including one in which a player is decapitated with the blood flowing out from the neck in the form of a snake. A risky sport! There are a number of ritual platforms around the site. One is where skulls were impaled horizontally – another gruesome sight. The platforms and temples are connected by about 80 sacbeob, the largest of which is 890ft. long and 30ft wide, probably originally with columns at one end. There is also an observatory. This was a civilised society, with a steam bath complex on site. Stones were heated and cold water was poured onto them to produce the steam. They had sophisticated writing, calendars and produced books (codicils). I don’t remember much about the food apart from one dish: chicken mole. This couldn’t be found in the Mexican restaurants in the Cancun resort so I had to go into the local town and find one used by the locals. This uses spiced chocolate and chillies in the sauce together with a subtle blend of spices: coriander, allspice, nutmeg, fennel, cumin, cloves, oregano, cinnamon. A recipe can be found at: https://www.wandercooks.com/mexicanchicken-mole-recipe. Enjoy! Bruce Huett All photographs shown on this spread are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share International license. melbournmagazine@gmail.com

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MVC EDUCATION

Little Hands Karen

U3A

PLAY SCHOOL NOTRE ECOLE PLAYGROUP

Education SCHOOL LITTLE HANDS PRIMARY

VILLAGE COLLEGE

Melbourn Playgroup 01763 260964

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

223457

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

223400

We were very excited to be able to offer our families the opportunity to come to playgroup with their child for two ‘Wild Together’ sessions. The sessions ran on two Saturdays in January and we were really pleased that 13 families attended. Wild Together is all about supporting families in taking pre-school children out into their natural environment to be able to enhance their understanding of the wider world around them and develop the vocabulary they need to be able to talk about their experiences. The first session took place on a chilly, foggy morning. The first activity was collecting natural treasures to fill an egg box museum. Next the children collected different leaves and had a go at identifying them using a simple chart. The children then used the leaves to make leaf lanterns which involved sticking leaves onto the outside of a glass jam jar which can then be hung up in the garden. The final activity was collecting sticks and putting them into a tin can to make bug hotels. For the second session when the families arrived they were greeted by a camp fire, which was lovely as it was a very frosty morning. The first activity was making seed bombs, this was a little messy but great fun. To make a seed bomb the children mixed together half a cup of flour and one cup of soil then we added some seeds. Once it was all mixed up they made them into balls and put them in an egg box to keep until we are ready to put them out onto the ground, this will be after all the frosty mornings have stopped. The children then made kites out of a sheet of paper, string and a stick. Sadly it wasn’t very windy but with lots of running about we did get the kites to fly! The session finished by roasting a marshmallow over the camp fire and then making up our own stories using story cubes. Thank you to Heidi from PECT for running these session for us. We are really looking forward to developing our outside at playgroup too

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and we would like to say a big thank you to James at Shire Trees Ltd for our new tree. We are looking forward to seeing it grow and being able to watch the leaves change colour in Autumn.

Melbourn Primary School Melbourn Primary School is a values-based school which means that we explicitly teach and promote core values to our children. A value is a principle or behaviour that we consider important in shaping the way that we live our lives. Our values were decided by the school community and can be found on our website https://www.melbournprimaryschool.org.uk/vision-values/. At the time of writing, our value for the half term is kindness. Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe, a 19th century poet and writer, said that, “kindness is the golden chain by which society is bound.” In our assemblies and classrooms, we have been considering what it means to be kind – the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate. We have discussed how it is easy to be kind to our friends and family, but perhaps harder with people we don’t know so well. As part of this work, we have reflected on the story of The Good Samaritan and how this encourages us to be kind to everyone we meet regardless of their status, race or religion and without any hope of a reward. This can be a challenge in a modern-day context, where sadly the emphasis is often on ourselves. If you were to spend any time in our school, I am confident that you would see and feel kindness pervading amongst the children and staff – it is stamped through us ‘stick of rock’ style! This was noticed by the inspector in our recent Ofsted inspection, who reported that, “this is a happy school where individuals are valued. Pupils are supported to be the best they can be. They are caring, kind and respectful to each other.” We were proud that our ethos and values were so tangible and we were once again identified as a ‘GOOD’ school. We began the 2021-2022 school year with a whole school trip to Thetford Forest to celebrate being reunited as a school family, post ‘bubble’ school. We enjoyed a picnic together and groups of children took part in the Gruffalo trail, archery and even completed the Go Ape tree top challenge. We have also appreciated trips to places such as Colchester Castle and Flag Fen archaeology park. It is important to us to provide the children with the wider opportunities they missed during school closures. We did not anticipate being stopped in our tracks in January 2022 whilst experiencing extremely high cases of COVID-19. Despite restrictions being lifted across the country, it proved to be a very challenging time for us with many of our staff ill and absent from school. Throughout this period, we were supported by kind and encouraging words from our parents. The partnership we share with our families has illustrated the very essence of kindness and has proved to be one of the important golden chains that most definitely binds us together as a school community. Stephanie Wilcox (Headteacher, Melbourn Primary School)

Chris Thomas

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Melbourn Village College Rather than ‘Happy New Year’, the start of 2022 was rather ‘more of the same’, due to the Omicron variant. Once again, our priority was to minimise the number of pupils who were missing school by keeping Coronavirus cases as low as possible. Over the first few days of term, our amazing team of community volunteers tested the whole school as we then grappled with the fastchanging government guidance on isolating and masks. Unfortunately, the removal of masks came too early for Cambridgeshire schools, who had been experiencing increasing numbers of cases since the start of term. At the time of writing, pupils are still wearing masks in communal areas, but we hope to be able to remove this requirement soon. One of the saddest consequences of Coronavirus has been the amount of time and energy it has taken away from other projects at the school. Nonetheless, there are a number of exciting developments underway. Firstly, this term has been the first term where we have been able to make full use of the new Astro-turf, and what an amazing facility it is. It has been a long road to here, with lots of central Cam Academy Trust input and time to oversee the application, planning and building, but we are left with a fantastic pitch for the whole community, underlining the wider role of the village college. Earlier this term all Year 7 pupils received a personal iPad for their use and are using them to support their learning in class. Initial reaction from both students and staff has been very positive with teachers enjoying trying out new ways of improving and enhancing the learning in their lessons. Mrs Neville, maths teacher, remarked that “Using the iPads in maths meant I could get instant feedback on how well the pupils were understanding the lesson.” Jack (Yr7) said: “I like the way that teachers put work on the apps because this makes it really easy to see. Having the iPads, I feel like I am much more independent with my learning.” As we go forward, we are working closely with other Trust schools that also have iPads, sharing ideas and resources to the benefit of all. We already have plans to expand the scheme and hope it won’t be too long before every pupil at MVC can benefit from having an iPad. The PE department wasted no time in organising sports fixtures this term. Our U16 football team put together a very strong run in the national English Schools Football Association (ESFA) Small Schools Trophy tournament. This included trips to Hastings and Hemel Hempstead; the latter was the site of a hard-

fought 5–4 victory, where the team repeatedly showed resilience in coming from behind to snatch victory against Laureate Academy. The U16 girls’ netball team have also been successful, including beating Comberton 24–2 in their first fixture of the season. All 15 pupils in the squad played with passion and determination. We were also very proud of our Student Support Centre pupils, who were runners up in the Panathlon Challenge at Cambourne Village College on 21st January. After competing in a variety of adapted sports including Boccia, basketball, target practice, bowling and kurling, they came away with individual medals and a silver team trophy! Extra-curricular clubs have also been back in full swing with lots of options such as table tennis, football, art, Minecraft, Warhammer, running club, basketball, show band, creative writing and electronics. Mr Barnes said “We are delighted that the Warhammer club has started! Pupils have been building and painting their characters, ready for the games to begin.” Thanks to the Warhammer shop in Cambridge who kindly donated the model kit. One of the things that we are proud of at MVC is our support staff. Teachers often get most of the headlines, but we are very lucky that we have well-qualified support staff with excellent specialist knowledge. This term we have used this expertise in some of our Key Stage 4 Personal, Social, Health and Economics (PSHE) lessons, with contributions from both our Pastoral team and First Aiders, the latter running sessions on how to perform CPR. At this time of year, thoughts start to turn to the Summer and beyond. Our Year 11 pupils will soon be moving on and have all completed their post-16 applications to local colleges and sixth forms. As well as A-Levels, they have been applying for apprenticeship opportunities in various sectors such as Law, Business, Finance, Engineering, Retail, Advertising, Construction and Hair & Beauty. This Summer will also hopefully see the next stage of our school facilities improvement, the main focus of which will be an extended and redesigned Food and Nutrition classroom, to support the excellent work done in that area by Ms Giles and Mrs Teversham. We look forward to announcing subsequent developments in due course. And finally, we have also been getting close to nature with the help of a local Owl Expert who lives near the college. He very kindly donated two owl boxes and helped to identify suitable locations to install them within the school grounds. Owls can often be heard from our site at night, and it is wonderful to be able to care for them with help from the local community. melbournmagazine@gmail.com

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feature Melbourn’s celebrations for the 1977 Silver Jubilee

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

I became a South Cambs District Councillor and a Parish Councillor in May 1976, and the first job I was given was to form a committee to organise the Silver Jubilee celebrations in Melbourn for the following year. That is called being thrown in at the deep end! There was no funding, so we had to swiftly think of some fundraising activities and the programme we came up with was quite impressive. I have a copy in front of me. I think now that the range of activities was awesome: a Treasure Hunt, Combined School Concert, Jubilee Entertainment (admission 50p), Disco to choose the Carnival Queen, Pet Show and Baby Show (never again, do not go down that road!), Under 5’s Fun Day, Whist Drive, Scouts Camp Fire, Bowls Drive, Single Wicket Competition, Sports Day with Tug of War, Best Kept Garden, Flower Festival, Over 60’s party and of course the Jubilee Ball, music by Tom Collins, the Carnival Procession and much more. We also held an Elizabethan Fayre. This was a great success and we raised a lot of money – everyone threw themselves into dressing up with great gusto; I wonder how many people remember it? We had stocks in the churchyard with wet sponges to throw and lots of stalls. Barry Russell (husband of Carol the hairdresser) made a series of shields spelling out ELIZABETHAN FAYRE and two Beefeaters – these were placed around the edge of the green round The Cross and were used in various ways for many years afterwards. We also had Melbourn Jubilee Mugs and teapot stands for sale – who still has one? At the Under-five’s Fun Day we provided clowns, balloons,

Phone: 01763 260007 www.boilercareandrepair.co.uk 28

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donkey rides and a magician, and I presented a crown to each of the children. I went to all the schools and presented crowns and many months later Robert Childs at the Post Office told me that for days afterwards lots of children were coming in and spending them on sweets! Is there anyone in Melbourn today who has one of the Jubilee Crowns I gave them? Ray Ellis gave a slide show of his Old Melbourn slides, with various village artefacts, and of course we had a Jubilee service in church. On 3rd June, we held a tea party for 400 at the Primary School, and I read in my diary that my allocation was to make 100 jam tarts, 100 scones, two trays of chocolate crunch and 160 fairy cakes. My younger daughter Sarah, who at that time was intent on becoming a chef, had offered to oversee the tea party and although she was only 15 she did an excellent job. For days before, every surface in the house was covered in 400 jellies and chipolatas, cakes etc. On Monday 6th June, the weather finally let us down for the Sports Day and it rained all the morning, although it did dry up for a couple of hours so we could run most of the races in the afternoon. There was a Whist Drive that evening. On the 7th we had the big Carnival Procession starting in the Neve car park at the Royston end of the village. The procession wound its way through the streets finally coming down Norgetts Lane and The Moor to the recreation ground, led by a police escort and youngsters carrying Barry’s Elizabethan shields. There were decorated prams and bicycles, floats with Brownies, Guides, playschools etc (flatbed lorries – what Health and Safety?), everyone in fancy dress, and of course there was a prize for the best in each category. In the evening, we had music and a firework display. At the end of the jollifications we still had about £400 left over – quite a lot of money in 1977. We decided to erect a village sign and George and I went to see the famous Harry Carter, the Suffolk Sign Maker (and incidentally cousin of the Harry Carter who discovered the tomb of Tutankhamen – there were lots of Egyptian objects on display in the house!) with subjects for the sign and he liked the idea of portraying John Bunyan preaching under the Old Elm on The Cross. I collected all the photographs which had been taken over the months of the Jubilee events and had them bound in a book, which went the rounds of all the schools and organisations in the village so that everyone could have a look at it. The library did not want to have the responsibility of looking after it, so after some discussion it went to the Cambridge Collection. We have had it out on several occasions where it has been on show in the village – I believe the launch of the Melbourn History Book was one such time and the Millennium was another.

After we had been discussing at the Parish Council what we would do with the scrapbook, the clerk to the Parish Council, Sid Waldock (affectionately known as Tadpole) came up to me and said: “Mrs. H, I have a big old book under my bed.” “Have you”, I said, “what is it?” “I don’t know – I was given it in 1934 when I took over as Clerk and it has been under my bed ever since. It has some maps and pictures and big brass clasps.” “I had better see it”, I said – and the following day he came up the drive to Lordship Farm with a big box balanced on the handlebars of his sit-up-and-beg bike. He dumped it on my kitchen table – it was only the Melbourn Enclosure Book, dated 1839, a fabulous item with watercolours of the Church and The Bury, maps and lots of big red seals. I immediately rang Mr. Pettit at the Cambridge Collection and he was beside himself, our book had long been thought lost or maybe sold to America, but certainly no one had ever thought that it was lurking under a bed in Norgetts Lane! It is now safely housed in the Cambridge Collection and may also be borrowed for special occasions by the village. One of the things we did was to send a letter of congratulation to Her Majesty on behalf of the village, and I received a very gracious acknowledgement. I would rather like to think that the letter is framed and on the wall in the Parish Council Office, but I doubt it! I got into BIG trouble for having held the Elizabethan Fayre on The Cross without having asked permission of the British Legion! I confess it had not crossed my mind; I had cleared it with the Church but the Legion was most upset and I had a rocket from them. My plea was that all the men whose names were inscribed on the Cross had given their lives to give us the freedom to be celebrating, and I just about escaped being put in the stocks. However, being Chairman of that Jubilee Committee was a wonderful experience for me and I got to know many, many people in the course of that year. I know that ‘real’ Melbourn people will still think of me as an incomer even after 60 years, but that first experience of getting involved in the village and later having the privilege of working on the Melbourn History project have been amongst the highlights in my life. Mavis Howard melbournmagazine@gmail.com

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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

15 22 01 08 15 22 29 05 12 21 27 04 10 17 24 31 08 14 21 28

February February March March March March March April April April April May May May May May June June June June

Black Blue only Black Green and Blue Black Green and Blue Black Green and Blue Black Green and Blue Black Green and Blue Black Green and Blue Black Green and Blue Black Green and Blue Black Green and Blue

NHS Hearing Aid Maintenance Centre open at

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

Thursday Wednesday Wednesday

Wednesday

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

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

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

www.melbourncambridge.co.uk

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

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

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

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

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

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

Councillors

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

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

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

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

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

IMPORTANT NUMBERS

Melbourn History Group Ann Dekkers

Orchard Surgery Appointments & Dispensary 260220 Hospitals

Addenbrooke’s Royston

01223 245151 01763 242134

NHS111 – Urgent Care 24hr helpline

111

Police Non Emergency number Help when not a 999 emergency

101

Medical help when not a 999 emergency

Fire & Rescue Service

01223 376201

Crimestoppers

0800 555111

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

0345 070 0707

EDUCATION Melbourn Playgroup Library LAP Jane Stevens

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

Little Hands Nursery School Out of school times

260964 01223 503972

Notre Ecole Janet Whitton

261231

Primary School Headteacher Stephanie Wilcox

223457

U3A (Univ. of Third Age) Chairman Tony Garrick

01223 510201

Hon Sec David Allars

01223 871480

Village College Principal Simon Holmes

223400

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

HEALTH Age UK Cambridgeshire

01223 221921

Blood Donors

0300 123 23 23

Chiropodist

263260

Dentist

262034

District Nurses (Primary Care Trust)

01223 846122

Home-Start

262262

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

262861 245228

LOCAL CLUBS After Eights

melbournwi@gmail.com

Air Cadets 2484 (Bassingbourn) Squadron

249156

Tony Kelly Mon & Wed evenings 7 – 9.30 p.m. Bell ringing – Tower Correspondent for Holy Trinity in Meldreth and All Saints in Melbourn Sandra Webb 261451 Email: sandra@rivermel.com Bridge Club Howard Waller

261693

1st Melbourn Rainbows Mrs Stef Cooper

07922 053801

Brownies 1st Melbourn Stephanie Clifford

220272

Guides 1st Melbourn Hilary Marsh

261443

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

232622

Meldreth Local History Kathryn Betts

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’ Association Dave Allard 242677 www.ramblers.org.uk/royston Royal National Lifeboat Institution Jean Emes 245958 Royston and District Local History Society David Allard 242677 Royston Family History Society Pam Wright frierley@ntlworld.com Royston Lions Chris Cawdell 448236 SOAS (Supporters of All Saints’) George Howard 260686 Women’s Group Pat Smith 260103

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

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

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

melbournmagazine@gmail.com

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

08/02/2022 10:53

Nature Fowlmere RSPB Nature Reserve Above: preparation for Spring, a Weed Cutting machine clearing the channels. In this article, local birder Ade Cooper sets out his diary for the months of November, December and January. November – Colder temperatures and a northerly wind at the beginning of the month prompted a start to the migration of winter Thrushes. Tens of thousands were passing through southern England on the 4th. I wasn’t able to get to Fowlmere to see this, but watched from my back garden, where flocks of hundreds were seen in just a few minutes. It was good to hear the chacking of Fieldfares once again! The passage of Thrushes halted just after 09.00, and at the reserve in the afternoon I noted none had been grounded, there were just the site’s first 30 Fieldfares of the season and 40 Redwings going straight through. The Starling roost increased over the first few days, with around 2,500 coming in on the 5th, but just a week later the numbers unexpectedly reduced to almost nil. Three Gadwalls on the mere were joined by a female Gadwall on Ice

Male Wigeon. all are first winter

Shoveler on the 5th, while there were 9 Snipe on the mere edge and also Water Rails coming out to show occasionally. Large numbers of Lesser Black-Backed Gulls were passing over at dusk to roost further north, with a Few Yellow-Legged and Herring Gulls in amongst them. A visitor reported a juvenile Marsh Harrier briefly over the reedbed on the 5th. In the morning of the 7th a newly arrived female Wigeon was on the mere with the Gadwalls and the Shoveler. More birds were seen flying over than on the reserve itself: Fieldfares and Redwings, Golden Plovers, a Raven, a Red Kite and a Cormorant. Later in the day I saw the first winter Goosander on the mere. It roosted overnight on the mere and was still present the next morning. By the 14th the Gadwall numbers had risen to 5, with the Shoveler still

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present. Siskins were lingering in the alders in variable numbers, and small flocks of Golden Plover were using the surrounding fields and flying over quite frequently. Redpolls and Bramblings were on the move and being heard on most days flying over. As the month progressed, the shorter days meant less opportunity during the week to visit the reserve. A short visit late on the 17th found a male Mandarin on the mere, only the second record this year. Being an introduced feral species they can be seen as unwelcome but there’s no doubting their exotic, attractive looks!

Beautiful male Mandarin on the mere

A Chiffchaff seemed likely to overwinter along the bridleway at this time. Little Egrets, Snipe, a Kingfisher and Teals were in evidence around the mere. Birds flying over included Redpoll, Brambling, Red Kite, Grey Wagtail and Cormorant. The new boardwalk was progressing well, now incorporating a new spur with a viewpoint looking towards the Reedbed hide. The third week brought some interesting sightings. First, a Green Sandpiper flew down to the mere edge near dusk on the 22nd; Fowlmere doesn’t get many winter records of this bird so it was good to see. Marsh Harriers are also not usually seen at this time of year, but a female came in on two afternoons, 23rd/24th. This bird must have been regularly around the area as visitors

Three Gull species on the mere

had also reported it in the previous couple of weeks – assuming there was just the one! A new male Shoveler arrived to join the two birds already present on the mere, with the 5 Gadwalls and up to 29 Teals. Water Rails were regularly seen feeding tight to the reeds on the back edge of the mere. Gulls were popping in and out to rest on the mere: the most seen at any one time was 37 Black-Headed, 1 Common and 1 Herring Gull. It’s good to have these Gulls using the mere as they may bring more interesting birds in with them. December – In the first week 3 Mute Swans, 2 adults and a juvenile, arrived and stayed throughout the weekend. We see few of these on the mere now, since a pair stopped nesting a few years back. The Gadwalls also increased by 1 male, giving 4 drakes and 2 ducks in total to join the 3 Shovelers and 2 dozen Teals; the mere was quite lively at this time! Juvenile Mute Swan

Green Sandpiper at dusk

The Barn Owls were showing regularly from the edge of the nesting box in front of the Reedbed hide, and late in the afternoon of the 5th another Barn Owl, not one of our pair, was also seen hunting the reedbed. Two species that normally do not overwinter on the reserve are Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps, but one of each was seen over the first weekend. One Blackcap and two melbournmagazine@gmail.com

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Wigeon and Teal. First winter male Wigeon (brown markings in white wing

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Chiffchaffs were still present a week later. I expected them to move off to the villages when the weather became colder, but a Chiffchaff was still in evidence at the end of the month. Two Ravens put in a flyover appearance on the 5th and 2 Red Kites were lingering over the poplar wood, with quite a bit of interaction between the pair. Dawn on the 11th brought a spectacular bright sunrise. An additional Mute Swan was then on the mere and the Gadwalls had increased to 8: a good number for the reserve. Cold and snowy weather up north had forced a few Thrushes to move and this was evident with the number of Blackbirds around the site, but more noticeable was the number of Redwings, with 100 feeding in the sheep field by the entrance and at least another 50 on the reserve. There were few Fieldfares, however, not even double figures which was strange1. By the 19th the mere was still quite lively but the misty weather meant the rest of the reserve remained quiet. 4 Wigeons arrived during the week and steadily increased to 11 by the weekend. The flock consisted of 7 males and 4 females, a good count for the reserve. Also on the mere were the long staying Gadwalls, Shovelers, Teals, Mallards, the 4 Mute Swans, Moorhens, Little Grebes and Little Egrets. It was good to see so many birds using the mere; sometimes there are none at all. On Christmas Day a Peregrine Falcon was reported to have been seen, then on the 28th the 10th reserve record of Goosander was recorded, with 3 birds flying straight through, going purposefully south east. 2 Ravens flew over south on the same day. On the mere duck numbers were varying day by day. The previous week’s Wigeons had all moved on, but 3 Mute Swans were still present and seemingly well settled. Four Little Egrets were feeding in the flooded sheep field by the Guilden Brook; I am still hopeful of seeing a Cattle Egret in there. There were few Passerines2 around the reserve: hardly any winter Thrushes, but there were Siskins in the alders and 2 Bramblings were feeding in an ash tree.

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January – New Year’s Day was unseasonably warm and some birds thought it was Spring already. I heard Great Tits, Goldcrests, Mistle Thrushes and Corn Buntings singing. A pair of Ravens were seen flying around over the reserve several times. They had been coming down to feed on a dead deer in the field opposite the entrance. On the mere there were just a few ducks: Shovelers, Gadwalls, Mallards and Teals. 4 Mute Swans flew over but didn’t land, while a mixed flock of Siskins and Goldfinches was in the alders. The following week saw some temporary disturbance to the wildlife as routine management work was being done in preparation for Spring. A Truxor Weed Cutting machine was used to clear the channels, opening them right up, and other trimming back, including the bushes around the Barn Owl box, was undertaken. The Barn Owls initially left the box, but they did return and could be seen at dusk from the Reedbed hide. At this time a third bird was also hunting the reedbed, to the disapproval of the breeding pair, giving rise to much calling. One good outcome from the work was that 4 Woodcock were flushed up by Warden Iain in areas away from the public paths. It was great to know there are so many on the reserve. I flushed another in a different area over the weekend, so there may well be many more! On the 8th 70 Golden Plover flying over to the east fields was the best of the birds seen. By mid-month signs of Spring were already starting to appear. The first pair of Coots returned to nest on the 14th. Over recent years Coots have come back earlier than they used to: the end of February is more usual. A reserve record count of Gadwalls came in on the 15th, 11 males and 4 females, beating the previous record by 3. Two pairs of Ravens flew over together on the 16th, one bird bellowing out a loud and deep call, seemingly a bit disgruntled about the other pair being around. 10 Water Rails were counted calling around the reserve and at least 2 Bramblings came into roost with a small number of Chaffinches near the Spring hide. A female Marsh Harrier was around the reserve for the whole of the second half of the month, not only roosting but also lingering through the day. On the 22nd it was showing nicely over the reedbed and at times close to the Reedbed hide. At least 4 Snipe were on the mere edge as well as Water Rails showing every now and then. There were still good numbers of Siskins and Goldfinches in the alders. The half frozen mere had its usual complement of ducks, but on the 23rd a Chiloe x Eurasian Wigeon also appeared there. This was the third time I had seen it at Fowlmere recently. It comes from the Dernford

Female Marsh Harrier

collection, often being seen on the reservoir, and we call it the Dernford Duck! The close of the month saw the mere hosting 13 Gadwalls ,up to 4 Shovelers coming in and out and 11 Snipe, the highest count so far this winter. Five Coots had also now returned. Several species were now gearing up for the breeding season: Kestrels and Red Kites had been seen pair bonding, with the Kites particularly putting on nice displays. The Barn Owl pair were regularly coming to the nest box in the late afternoon and, less impressive, 2 pairs of Greylag Geese had returned. My favourite reserve sighting that week was a single male Lesser Redpoll, feeding in the alders with the Goldfinches and Siskins. We rarely get Redpolls stopping to feed these days. Greylags

1 Blackbirds, Fieldfares and Redwings are all members of the Thrush family. 2 “Perching birds”. Includes all songbirds.

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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Review Elizabeth is Missing Emma Healey

Many will have seen the excellent 2019 BBC drama Elizabeth is Missing, starring Glenda Jackson as an elderly dementia sufferer searching for her friend, but perhaps not all will have known that this was a dramatisation of a book of the same name. I first became aware of this when I saw the book in the Library, and was interested to read it to see how close the story was to the drama. It often happens in adaptations for film or television that significant parts of a book are cut in order to streamline a production, and this was the case here. The book features more detail and additional side plots, making a very satisfying read. The story centres around Maud, an elderly lady with dementia, and her daughter and granddaughter who try to care for her. Maud’s condition means that she has very little short term memory, but still has clear memories of when she was a girl growing up. Maud is very worried because her friend Elizabeth is not at home. She visits over and over again, still finding her not there, but can’t seem to convince anyone that Elizabeth is missing. As the story develops we gradually find out what happened to her, and another mystery from the past is also uncovered and eventually solved. The story is narrated by Maud herself, giving a unique insight into what it must be like to suffer from this condition, and what might prompt some of the well-recorded strange behaviours of dementia sufferers. The character of her daughter is also well-drawn, and the glimpses we have of her frustration at Maud’s actions and her wish to find ways to care for her while still holding onto a full-time job ring very true. The book is absorbing on two levels. The mysteries are gripping and Maud’s attempts to solve them (with no memory of the actions she has taken before) are heartbreaking. At the same time, as the book progresses, Maud’s condition advances and deteriorates until at the end she no longer recognises her own family and, now unable to read, sees reminder notes which she had previously written for herself as mysterious pieces of paper with marks on. This book is well worth reading, even for those

Emma Healey

who already know the ending, as the extra detail gives additional perspective to the story. It well-deserved the Costa First Novel Award which it won. The combination of the gradually unfolding mysteries and Maud’s limited perception of events as they happen is gripping, drawing the reader into the situation and, at least in my case, prompting a wish to get in there and help her! An excellent book, highly recommended. Christine Orchard

The Anarchy The Relentless Rise of the East India Company William Dalrymple

Professionally, Britain’s great historian William Dalrymple has won many awards and honours; personally, he possesses great literary gifts and vast experience. This book, published in 2019 for the general reader, was a Sunday Times Bestseller. I found the recommendations listed on the jacket by Dalrymple’s respected fellow writers to be statements of truth, including: “An outstandingly gifted historian” (Max Hastings); “Dalrymple researches like an historian, thinks like an anthropologist and writes like a novelist” (Maya Jasanoff). A few minutes spent adopting a bird’s-eye view of the book’s layout – enjoyable and enchanting in itself – will repay great dividends: clarity and the readers’ needs are central for the author. There are nine chapters and the Introduction makes clear what is to come: “This book does not aim to provide a history of the East India Company, still less an economic analysis of its business operations. Instead it is an attempt to answer the question of how a single business operation, based in one London

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office complex managed to replace the mighty Mughal Empire as masters of the vast subcontinent between the years 1756 and 1803.” (p. xxxi). The geography is India, the landmass lying between the Arabian Sea to the east and the Bay of Bengal to the west, and it is considered in two sectors: the provinces in the North; and those in the South. The book’s many images and illustrations – photographs, pictures, drawings, all reproduced in wonderful colour and detail and with important insightful captions – bring vividly to life the individuals, events, and places described. At the start, a ten-page index sets out seven descriptive groupings of local and external principal actors – the British, the French, the Mughals, the Nawabs, the Rohillas, the Sultans of Mysore, and the Marathas. The East India Company, a private company with Directors in London, grew rapidly to command an army numerically greater and vastly better resourced than that of the London government. With that army, it controlled more than half of world trade and a territorial land mass greater than that held by the London government itself. Dalrymple considers the extent and fabulousness of the wealth “looted” and shipped to London throughout the various decades of the story. Like the items themselves, the sums involved are almost beyond description and comprehension. Yet excavation of all the circumstances over the period is the task the author set himself: the policies of war and exploitation; the brutal suppression and deliberate destruction of indigenous peoples; the break up and extinction of their culture and long standing traditional way of life through coercion, co-option or infiltration; and driving it all the single-minded pursuit of profit and economic gain by a private company. He also addresses and evaluates the role of the London government throughout the period and considers the consequences that ensued and endure to this day. His account of the impeachments held by William Dalrymple

the London Parliament and the several investigations by Select Committees of the House of Commons into the Company’s activities make gripping reading. In counterpoise are his magnificent descriptions of the Company’s far off bloody military campaigns that brought devastation to indigenous powers, leaders and peoples. These were a series of vast battles – wars planned and executed following the policy decisions of a handful of Company directors in London – effectively a State within a State. Dalrymple has visited and researched across numerous archives, institutions and cities; he quotes from many manuscripts of the period; his language is rich, vivid and fluent. He displays great command of all these multi-stranded resources and materials, all neatly corralled and referenced for the more inquisitive reader. The writing sparkles on every page, much as the unimaginable quantities of looted gold, silver, and precious jewels of all kinds sparkled as they were carted off, along with huge amounts of other wealth, and loaded into ships for transport to London. Dalrymple’s best-selling book is a work of measured enlightenment that explains how the world our forebears created for us in Britain came into being. If you have any interest in such matters this book is for you. Dalrymple demonstrates that, on a vast scale, those who created and charted the course that was pursued by the East India Company have left an appalling legacy. The history recorded is real and beyond dispute. We are today a wealthy first world country and how we arrived here deserves to be understood. Dalrymple demonstrates beyond doubt or dispute how a private company was able to act “consolidating a land empire that controlled over half a million square miles of territory and which, fifty years later, would become the British Raj.” (p. 381) History should be honestly taught and its truths understood. Promotion of fairy tales, populist flagwaving, and jingoistic falsehoods about our history are neither helpful or acceptable. The book’s ‘Epilogue’ considers the power still wielded by some private companies, all household names, controlled by a handful of individuals unchecked by national governments, which today roam unfettered across national borders. The private banks at the heart of the recent ‘banking crisis’, and the print and electronic media communication companies are but two examples he considers: private companies today acting in plain sight in pursuit of their own narrow interests and left unchallenged by national governments. Like Spring on the horizon this book promotes discussion and brings hope of change and a new awakening. Hugh Pollock melbournmagazine@gmail.com

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Authors and their Books Fiona Chesterton “Secrets Never To Be Told” The true story of a windfall inheritance and a very personal investigation Introduction The book tells what happened when the author received an inheritance from a mysterious Canadian man. It led her to investigate the remarkable story behind it – of a young woman, born illegitimately to a farmer’s daughter in Cambridge and raised for a life of domestic service, who emigrated alone to Canada in 1912. She finds parallels with her own life as she was born out of wedlock too. Extract from the Prologue What happens this quiet weekday December morning seems to mark the ending of a remarkable story. Instead, it turns out to be the start of another. Call it a personal quest, a journey of discovery or even a transformative experience, it begins here in my kitchen, in my house, in a small Cambridgeshire village. Our post lady Rose finds me, as I usually am these days, at home. She comes to the window and beckons me to go to the back door. She has a large package, a cardboard box around the size of a small suitcase, for me. As she proffers a delivery form for me to sign, she smiles, wishes me well with my early Christmas present and hands it over. It is surprisingly light and so is easy to carry inside and place squarely on my old pine table, bleached, scratched and stained as it is by thirty years of family use. I see the postmark of Vancouver and I can guess who sent it. Sure enough, I find inside a letter from a woman with whom I have been in correspondence for six months now. Mrs Jenkins, Estate Administrator from the Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee of British Columbia, sent me a bank warrant for 36,000 Canadian dollars a few weeks ago and now has written for the last time. Here are memorabilia as promised. Thank you for taking them. Most of the photographs are very old … I am also enclosing a copy of the family tree … We have now closed our file and thank you for your cooperation and assistance. This, then, was her last act in a case that had been opened the best part of two decades before. It was the end of Mrs Jenkins’s work and, as I did not realise yet, the start of mine.

The case that had occupied and, for much of that time foxed, not just Mrs Jenkins but also her predecessors in her office was that of a Canadian man who died in 1994. William Underwood left behind not only a substantial estate but a mystery: he had neither family, friends, nor any birth certificate it seemed. His mother Jessie, who had died a quarter of a century earlier, was even more of a conundrum. Mrs Jenkins told me it had taken several sets of genealogical detectives to crack where she had come from. They discovered that Jessie had arrived alone on a boat from England nearly a hundred years ago. Within three years of her arrival, William had been born. His father and Jessie’s were both unknown. They were both illegitimate and, until this summer, completely unknown to anyone in my family. It was only in May this year that Mrs Jenkins had finally been able to present a petition to the Supreme Court of British Columbia and won a decree to distribute William’s estate at last to ten beneficiaries. One of them, to my initial consternation and not a little scepticism, was me. Here now, in the box, in a family tree so painstakingly put together over seventeen years, is the proof of my amazing windfall inheritance. Biography Fiona Chesterton is a former BBC and Channel 4 journalist and producer. She has lived in Cambridgeshire for nearly thirty years, moving to Cambridge in 2015. In recent years, she has contributed essays and articles to several books on media subjects but Secrets Never To Be Told is her first full-length book. She was recently interviewed about the book – and particularly the issues she explores around the stigma of illegitimacy – for BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour. In June 2022 she will be talking about her book to members of the Cambridgeshire Family History Society.

Fiona Chesterton

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

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Walks

around Melbourn & beyond Walking at RSPB The Lodge Nature Reserve (Part 2) Following on from last issue’s look at RSPB The Lodge Nature Reserve, we revisit the reserve to look at some of the other walks and trails on offer. Situated in Sandy, the reserve itself is only around a half-an-hour drive from Melbourn and can provide that dose of nature we all need. The Woodpecker Trail, one of the reserve’s main walks, is its south-eastern trail, exploring both heathland and woodland. The first point of interest along this walk, after a short journey through woodland, is a newly created viewpoint that offers a stunning vista across sloping heathland, with Biggleswade clearly visible in the distance. This view can be enjoyed in comfort as a bench has been strategically placed there. The small patch of woodland opens up on the northern side of the path, revealing acid grassland. Whilst an unassuming stretch of land during winter months, it is an important site for many invertebrates and becomes a treat for the eyes as the sorrel flowers, turning the field red. A wind turbine spins away happily in the background, creating green energy that has drastically reduced carbon emissions at the reserve and generates the equivalent of over half the RSPB’s total energy usage.

Great Spotted Woodpeckers quarreling

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Continuing on, the path enters woodland, where goldcrests flit about and woodpeckers drum in Spring, before sloping downwards towards a valley. The path itself gets steadily sandier the further you go, revealing the sandstone foundations the area sits upon. The valley reveals The Lodge’s most established area of heathland, a truly beautiful sight in August when flowering. The path then splits offering a shorter option back to the bridleway, albeit with some steep steps, through what is known as Jack’s Valley. To the left, the longer option sweeps around more heathland, past a secluded pond which is a magnet for dragonflies and damselflies, whilst buzzards and kestrels can often be seen overhead. Eventually, the southern-most entrance to the reserve is met, offering a route to and from Biggleswade common. To finish the route, the bridleway must be followed north from here. It is a beautiful path through ancient woodland, where bat roosts can be seen amongst gnarled oaks and wildflowers sneak up through the undergrowth. The shortest trail at The Lodge is the hardest. The Nuthatch Trail takes you around the southernmost section of the reserve on a very undulating route. Starting off is simple enough, however, with a stroll past a meadow before arriving opposite the RSPB HQ. The main RSPB building has a stately-home look to it and was in fact built for Arthur Peel, MP and son to Robert Peel, in 1870. The RSPB acquired the site and buildings in 1961 after Princess Margaret had been advised against purchasing it, due to the public bridleway running through it seen as a security risk. Moving past the headquarters, the trail enters woodland that surrounds the main RSPB complex. Cliffs of sandstone appear throughout the walk which have holes of differing sizes. Many of these holes were made by sand martins nesting and other mammals creating a home, protected from the elements. These exposed sandstone faces were created when that area was a quarry, long-since disused. The rest of the trail winds round, through the woods, breaking every now and then for spectacular views, reminding you of how high you are. Although often difficult to spot, plenty of woodland birds make their home in here, with nuthatches and treecreepers being amongst the most impressive. Muntjac deer can be found wandering through as well as even the odd peacock that has sauntered in from nearby farms, making for an unexpected experience. Branching off from the trail are several paths that lead to the gardens. These gardens are to the back of the headquarters and still retain a lot of the stately home aesthetics. Classical busts hide amongst the greenery

Wisteria RSPB Sandy

and climbers wrap around columns as the garden undergoes a process of rewilding. The open swimming pool is now a pond and other areas are left to grow, with nectar-rich, native flowers the choice in the beds. This has had a profound effect as kingfishers have been spotted hunting here, rare species of saxifrage now grow and the place is alive with insects. It truly is a beautiful garden all times of the year but is especially spectacular in May and June when the wisteria flowers. The gardens make a wonderful place to stop and relax before heading back towards the entrance, however that does not have to be the end of a visit. For those with children who still have some energy left, there is a natural play area next to the car park, offering den building, bug hotels, a squirrel agility course and more. It is the perfect spot to sit with a cup of tea and watch the kids before the journey home. Den building in the play area

Vincent Wright Images courtesy of Robin Gilmore & Shannon Shaw melbournmagazine@gmail.com

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Nature

River Mel Restoration Group Early spring is when the river Mel is arguably at its most attractive, with early flowering marginal plants along its banks and the trees coming back into leaf. It is also a time when river levels are high, and we await the exciting first sighting of trout hatchlings. Yes, the river is looking good, but it is increasingly under threat from various factions. One thing that has been of concern for some time is the quality of effluent released into our river by Anglian Water’s Waste-Water Treatment Plant, otherwise known to most of us as the Sewage Treatment Works (STW). Increasingly we have been concerned about the normal, everyday, discharges into the Mel, as we now see a change in the colour of the water in the river when the sewage treatment works are discharging into the Mel. Moreover, in times of high rainfall, raw or part-treated sewage is also frequently discharged directly into the river. Published data show that in 2020 this occurred 62 times. These worries are not excusive to the Mel. The Environment Agency has been quoted in the local press as saying that downstream of us in Cambridge, the Cambridge (Milton) Water Treatment plant has been releasing more treated sewage effluent into the river Cam than its permit allows since 2015. Even the national press has taken up the call to arms, reporting on widespread pollution of rivers and other chalk streams across the country. With this background in mind, we were very interested to hear that the Cam Valley Forum (CVF), a Cambridge based environmental group that campaigns to protect the River Cam and its environs, had last summer carried out a pilot study to monitor the water quality on the River Cam, as well as at points further upstream in the Rhee. Preliminary samples were taken to test for E coli and other faecal pollutants in the river and at the sewage works at Milton and Haslingfield. Unexpectedly, the results showed that the river Rhee was much more

contaminated than the Cam, and that this seemed just as bad further upstream towards the Meldreth-Orwell Road bridge in Malton Lane. This suggested that there must be a major discharge of pollutants, usually associated with sewage (though agriculture can contribute), occurring somewhere upstream of Malton Lane. While there are several sewage treatment works that ultimately discharge into the Rhee, could this, at least in part, be from the Melbourn STW via the river Mel? So, when the Cam Valley Forum approached the RMRG with their proposals to carry out a more extensive study we were delighted to get involved. The first round of sampling took place in mid-January at multiple points along the Rhee, the Cam and its tributaries. Our task was to collect samples from different points along the Mel at a time when the treated effluent was being discharged. Samples were collected at four points: a sample of the effluent from the Melbourn STW as it was discharging into the Mel, plus a sample of the river water from upstream to act as a direct comparison. Samples were then collected from two further points downstream of the discharge point, in an attempt to understand any dilution effect as the effluent mixes with the natural river flow. Once collected, the samples were immediately taken to a central collection point in Cambridge so that they could be sent by courier to the analytical laboratories for testing. As we write, we are still awaiting the results… Since collecting our samples, we have heard that the CVF has secured funding from the Technology Partnership (TTP) that will allow two further rounds of comparative testing in late winter and early summer. This should provide a much more robust set of data. Of course, we realise that these studies are relatively crude and could be affected by many variables, such as the level and flow rate of the river at time of sampling. However, they will be highly indicative. We hope that this study is just the beginning of our understanding of how STWs affect our local rivers, and that it will lead to improved water quality in not only the Mel, but in all our local rivers for the benefit of wildlife, its habitat, and for recreational users (children, swimmers, and dogs). The River Mel Restoration Group can be reached by emailing: info@rivermel.com melbournmagazine@gmail.com

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Churches Together All Saints Church Melbourn & Holy Trinity Meldreth At the time of writing this article, in the early New Year, we are pleased to have been able to hold our services over Advent and Christmas although with some differences due to Covid measures. Our thanks to all who helped prepare our churches and to all who attended. Our Crib Service on Christmas Eve was outdoors this year, and thank you to all who contributed to the collection which was donated to EACH (East Anglian Children’s Hospice) March leads us into a period of reflection and preparation before Easter, which most people may note by making pancakes on Shrove Tuesday. Shrove Tuesday this year falls on the 1st of March, which the Welsh members of our communities will know is also St David’s Day. Shrove Tuesday (Pancake Day) is when people traditionally used to go to Church to confess their sins before Lent began the next day. On Wednesday March 2nd, we will be having an Ash Wednesday service in either All Saint’s Church, Melbourn or Holy Trinity Church, Meldreth and this marks the beginning of the six-week period of Lent.

Mothering Sunday will be marked on the 27th March in All Saint’s Church, Melbourn; this is an opportunity to give thanks for our own mothers and for Mary the mother of Jesus. In Victorian times servants, would have had the day off work to go back to their homes, and people would often visit their mother Cathedral. We would hope to have some Lent study groups during this period; please look to our website or magazine for further details. April sees the activities of Holy Week commencing with Palm Sunday on the 10th, and we may have Noah the donkey with us again prior to the service. For details of services during Holy Week please see our notice board, magazine or Facebook page. Easter Sunday falls on the 17th April, and again details will be available nearer the time. As we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus and the promise of new hope which it brings with it, let us hope that Covid developments and research bring new hope to all around the world. Attached are pictures of our Easter Cross and Easter Garden from last year. We continue to keep our churches open for private prayer and reflection and our thanks go those who ensure that it is a clean and safe environment. Whilst Lizzie is on maternity leave please contact Revd. Mary Price on 01763 261569 (maryprice9486@ gmail.com) or Pat Smith (Licensed Lay Minister) on 01763 262575. If you would like to receive our melbournmagazine@gmail.com

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weekly e-newsletter please contact Lesley Hollamby (lesleykhollamby@btinternet.com). If you would like to receive a copy of our Parish Magazine ‘The Melde’, please contact Diane Blundell on 01763 221415

Melbourn United Reformed Church Tastes of Christmas We were fortunate to be able to have our Tastes of Christmas again in 2021, having been unable to hold it in 2020 because of Covid. The virus meant that we had to do things slightly differently to ensure everyone was safe and to incorporate the distancing measures. We had the raffle of food hampers/vouchers, also stalls for cakes and preserves, home crafted cards, Christmas wreaths and crafts. There were hot lunches served at the tables, including baked potatoes with various fillings, burgers, mulled wine, cake and coffee. We were pleased so many people came and supported us and to receive such positive feedback and that everyone enjoyed themselves. The event raised £1,148.60 for church funds. Carol Singing Meldreth and Melbourn Churches Together went carol singing at the Black Horse pub on 16th December and gathered at Melbourn Cross on 18th December. Alex Fender got together a small band to accompany the singing, which attracted some attention at Melbourn Cross. We raised £245.11 for the Home Start charity. Manger Scene During the Christmas period we had an illuminated manger scene outside the church to welcome worshippers and remind passers-by that we were celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. Christmas Services We held a Christingle service with the Brownies on Tuesday evening 7th December. Over 20 Brownies made their Christingles in the hall before carrying them into the church for the service led by our minister, Rev’d Sue Carol singing at the Cross

Manger Scene outside the URC

Fender. Carols were sung and four Brownies read the lessons. Sue brought six carrier bags. Five were opened by the Brownies and contained items representing the parts of the Christingle: a blow-up beach ball for the world, four coloured sticks for the four seasons, vegetables for plants and food, a red heart for love and a candle for the Light of the World. Brown Owl was invited to open the sixth bag which contained chocolates to be shared out amongst the Brownies after the service. There was a Watchnight service on Christmas Eve, held in candlelight, and an early morning service on Christmas Day. These services were led by our minister, Rev’d Sue Fender. Crackers were pulled by various members of the congregation during the Luke reading on Christmas morning. The contents were relevant to the reading of the Nativity. There were paper and a pencil, a sheep, an angel, gold coins and a paper hat for the crown. You can work out what each represented. Celebration chocolates were handed round the congregation. We sang carols, including O Little Town of Bethlehem, which was accompanied by the euphonium, saxophone and clarinet instead of the organ. After the service we went home to continue our celebrations. World Day of Prayer We are planning to hold the World Day of Prayer ecumenical service this year. The service will be in our church on Friday 4th March at 2.30pm. The theme is “I know the plans I have for you” and has been prepared by the Christian women of England, Wales & Northern Ireland. Easter Services Our Good Friday service on 15th April is at 10am. Easter Sunday service is at our usual time of 11am on 17th April when we celebrate our risen Lord. We wish you a happy Easter. continued on page 48 melbournmagazine@gmail.com

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Melbourn Baptist Church It seems premature, as I write, to be looking for the end of Winter – Spring seems a long way off, just now! After the extraordinary and stressful couple of years that we have just lived through, though, it is especially heartening to see bulbs pushing upwards towards the light. With Covid still making its presence felt in various ways, we need to see new life springing forth all around; there is also the hope that the sight of that new life brings with it, and we can be thankful that God blesses us this way at the start of each new year. In the UK, at least, we have the hope that something like normality is getting closer; we have the prospect of interacting with others, as we once took for granted, in workplaces, Clubs, Cinemas and, of course, places of Worship. Back in mid- September last year, here at MBC, we opened our doors again to Mums and carers for our popular ‘Toddler Plus’ on Tuesday mornings, our Wednesday ‘Craft Club’, and, also on Wednesdays, our ‘Coffee Break’ time, and these have continued to prove popular with those who enjoyed them previously or who have come along since. As the weather became colder, we also moved our Sunday morning services back entirely inside! It has been so good to see people begin to return for (COVID – secure) Worship in person. It would also be good to welcome more folk who may wish to join us! As a body of believers, we have been looking at how ‘the church’ can be present and, most importantly, relevant and useful, in our communities as we walk into this new, untried season. We also look forward to a series of events for fun and fellowship over the next few months; some of these for fundraising, but also, hopefully, something to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, celebrating her remarkable 70 years’ service on behalf of this nation. Speaking personally, I think she thoroughly deserves our appreciation – of course, a decent Summer would enhance the enjoyment of our local and nationwide events planned for the occasion! Another chance to once again, get together in ways we have so missed. Details of upcoming events, along with those of our Church Services, are available on our Website and Facebook page; we also have services currently on our YouTube channel. Contact details for the Rev. Stuart Clarke can also be found on the website.

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

The Word of God Hear, O earth: behold I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened to My Words, nor to My law, but rejected it. Jeremiah Ch. 6 v. 19 From David Burbridge

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Sports & Clubs Bowls Arthur Andrews 261990 Bridge Club Howard Waller 261693 1st Melbourn Rainbows Mrs Stef Cooper 07922053801 Brownies – 1st Melbourn Stephanie Clifford 220272 Meldreth Croquet Janet Pope 248239 Dynamos Football Club Les Morley 07739 593771 Guides – Ist Melbourn Hilary Marsh 261443 Melbourn Football Club Simon Gascoyne 07732 613555 Melbourn Judo Club Iain Reid 241830 Melbourn Karate Club Peter Khera 07866 374674 Melbourn Sports Centre Graham Johnson-Mack 263313 Melbourn Squash Jan Brynjolffssen 07730 406688 Melbourn and Meldreth Women’s Group Pat Smith 262575 Sue Toule 260955 Anne Harrison 261775 Photographic Club Bruce Huett 232855 Ramblers Dave Allard 242677 Royston and District Round Table Michael Seymour 221398 Swimming Club Jenny Brackley 244593 Tennis (Melbourn) Dave Liddiard 07508 995 781 Tennis (Meldreth) Tracy Aggett 243376

1st Melbourn Rainbows We have really enjoyed being back in the hall since September. The Autumn term not only brought new Rainbows but new volunteers! We welcomed Lilac, our new leader, and also Tulip and Peony – our young leaders. The girls had a very busy term, starting by making thank you cards for a person that they had been helped by. Some made them for teachers, family friends and nurses. We also received one for the Rainbow leaders, which was lovely. The Rainbows made the most of the ‘Cows about Cambridge’ event by visiting as many as possible. We created our own designs and earned a very special badge. We also had activities on recycling, traffic surveys, safe camping, and the weather. A highlight of the term must be Buttercup’s ‘armpit fudge’! The ingredients were measured into a bag, sealed, and then placed under the armpit to warm it up. Lots of kneading and warming then produced some lovely chocolate fudge, which the girls then ate on some biscuits. In November, we celebrated the 50th Birthday of Anglia Guiding by having our own party. We dressed in rainbow colours and had rainbow cupcakes, and we had lots of crafts and games. The Spring term has just started, and we have lots planned for the coming weeks. We started with songs and games, with Clover introducing some sign language to our Rainbow songs. The girls have been practising really hard to remember them and it’s lovely to watch them perform together. Last week they got very messy by painting some ‘Positivity stones’. These were finger-painted and will be varnished and hidden around the village for people to find and re-hide. Hopefully bringing a little positivity with it. Lavender, 1st Melbourn Rainbows

2nd Melbourn Brownies In January we took most of our Brownies along with the Meldreth Brownie unit to see Aladdin at the Gordon Craig Theatre. Everyone had a great time, it was lovely to see the girls joining in with ‘it’s behind you’ and the usual panto melbournmagazine@gmail.com

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fun! We hope for this to become a regular outing for the girls. After many years of being a Brownie leader, Tawny Owl has decided to have a break from Brownies. We will miss her and hope to see her again in the future. Our young leaders, Caitlin and Ellenor, are a real asset to our unit, they help with all the activities we run. They also get the girls playing all sorts of games and give the leaders a chance to plan new things for the girls to do. We have already celebrated Chinese New Year, we made dragons out of paper and toilet rolls. The girls had great fun making them: they were trickier than we thought but ended up looking really good. We have lots of other things planned for the coming weeks, including junk model monsters and pancakes. For World Thinking Day we are going to make bird feeders, and hope to finish the term with a time travel celebration. We were very proud of our Brownies when they took part in the parade on Remembrance Sunday. It is an important date in our calendar, and the girls learned about why we remember by making poppies and talking about what happened in the past. We strung up the poppies outside the United Reformed Church, where we meet. We are looking forward to the warmer and lighter evenings which will give us the opportunity to run some of our meetings outside, go for a country walk and play games. Next year we are planning on going away on pack holiday, after having to cancel our last one due to Covid. We haven’t as yet decided where we will go, but I am sure it will be lots of fun for the girls and leaders. We meet on a Tuesday evening at the United Reformed Church from 6pm – 7.30pm. If your daughter is between 7yrs and 10yrs and would like to join Brownies, please go to girlguiding.org.uk and register your daughter. If you are interested in being a volunteer at Brownies please email us at melbourn2ndbrownies@hotmail. com for more information. Snowy Owl

1st Melbourn Guides Learning practical skills is the best bit about being a Guide, and we enjoyed several new topics in the Autumn term.

To experience what Guides did during the war, the girls used the phonetic alphabet to spell their name, rolled and tied bandages, and competed to build a toy car and a tower from bamboo skewers and blu-tack. Then came the Bake-Off competition: for the technical challenge, they whisked up a mousse, crème patissiere, and baked pastry cases or shortbread. They learned to separate eggs, how to ‘bake blind’, and that shortbread mix can get sticky if you over-work it! The girls showed great creativity with biscuits and coloured fondant icing to produce Showstopper themes of Beauty & the Beast and a nativity scene on a pre-baked sponge base. With flowers kindly donated by Bury Lane farm shop, we finished the term making Christmas table decorations with a candle, oasis foam and lots of foliage. We started the new year with the First Aid badge, as well as games and a session at the swimming pool. Helping other people is also an important part of being a Guide, and every January we run a Coffee Stop session. The girls served hot drinks and washed up, and also sold home-made cakes and biscuits. We raised an impressive £60 which was shared between Macmillan Cancer Care and PDSA animal charity. If you would like to know more about our Guide unit, please contact me on: 01763 261443 or email: melbournguides@gmail.com. You can also look on the girlguiding.org.uk website to find out more. Hilary Marsh

The 1st Orwell Scouts The 1st Orwell Scouts, Cubs and Beavers were all immensely proud to take part in Melbourn’s Remembrance Sunday Parade back in November. All those involved invested time and effort to make sure their uniform was smart, and used the occasion to reflect on what the event means to them personally, but also more widely for the community. It is of course an honour to be involved in the Parade and the church service that follows. The darker nights of winter mean primarily heading indoors for the young people involved in 1st Orwell Scouts. For the scout section the programme often becomes more creative at this time of year. Over the

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past couple of months, the Scouts have been making, painting and holding battles with ‘Warhammer’ models. Warhammer is a table top miniature war game with a medieval fantasy theme that allows the players to simulate battles between armies of different factions. Needless to say, much fun was had by all. Turning their attentions to a more modern form of creativity, the Scouts have been thinking during this time about what makes scouting great for them and others, and then using these thoughts to create short videos to promote scouting to other young people their age. Many of the Scouts talked about how the diversity of the scouting programme is one of the main things that makes Scouts so enjoyable for them. In the more reflective element of the winter programme, the Scouts have also discussed issues around alcohol and drugs, and how even legal substances, when misused, can have disastrous consequences. Needless to say, no time of year is one spent completely indoors by the Scouts, and their creativity has also been used outside to build camp gadgets, using the traditional scouting skills of knots and lashings to create washing up bowl stands, tables, bucket holders and flag poles. And, of course, winter is the perfect time for a night hike, an activity always enjoyed by both the Scouts and the Cubs. In addition to a cold, wintry night hike, the Cubs have been conducting science experiments using, amongst other things, coins, cola and Mentos. They were also

excited to receive a visit from two Cambridgeshire Police officers, who spoke to them about the work that they do, and of course let the Cubs explore their police car and try on a variety of different caps and hats. The evening ended, much to the Cubs’ delight, with their leaders being put in handcuffs! Both the Cubs and the Beavers enjoyed an evening at Clip and Climb in Cambridge just before Christmas. The indoor climbing centre challenges the children’s resolve and determination across the variety of climbing challenges. They were able to race their friends face to face on a two-sided clear wall, speed climb against the stopwatch and channel their inner commando on the Jungle Gym. Many of the Cubs were also brave enough to take on the ‘Stairway to Heaven’ as well as the vertical drop slide. 1st Orwell Scout Group meets on a Friday evening in Melbourn. The Group is currently full, but please do contact admissions@1storwellscouts.org.uk to add your child to our waiting list. We are really keen to hear from any adults interested in becoming a leader as this will allow us to accept more children and reduce our waiting list. As a Beaver/Cub/Scout assistant leader you could inspire our young people to grow in ability and confidence through a huge variety of activities and challenges, which is incredibly enjoyable and rewarding; why not give something new a go! Please contact GSL@1storwellscouts.org.uk if you are interested in finding out more.

Bridge Club The Bridge Club has, along with other similar organisations, been affected by COVID restrictions. We are pleased to say, however, that we are back running both Monday evenings and Tuesday afternoon sessions at the United Reform Church in Orchard Road. Numbers in attendance have dropped considerably, but in comparison with other Bridge Clubs in the area, we have still managed most weeks to support 6/7 tables. Like most Clubs, we welcome players who live outside the village. As many will know, our Monday evening sessions are for advanced players, and Tuesday afternoons for those who are beginners and improvers. We are a very friendly and relaxed club, and, hopefully, no one finds it intimidating to play with like-minded people. As has always been the case, players are invited to come along on their own, and we will always find them a partner. At the time of writing, we play with windows open, hand sanitiser available, and anyone who feels more comfortable wearing a mask can do so. For further details, please contact Howard Waller – 01763 261693. melbournmagazine@gmail.com

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Melbourn Football Club About Us Melbourn Football Club is a men’s football club with two teams competing in the Kershaw Cambridgeshire County League; home games are played at The New Recreation Ground at The Moor. The club offers affordable sport within the village to players aged 16 and above, with our aim being to be competitive on the pitch and offer a friendly, sociable atmosphere off it. We hold a variety of fund-raising and social events throughout the year, with 25% of all profit donated to our current chosen charity, CPSL Mind – www.cpslmind.org.uk. Thanks to our fund-raising efforts and generous support from sponsors, we are in a very healthy position to be able to provide both excellent facilities and kit. We also have the highest level of player insurance cover against injury available from the county FA. Our signing on fee, which includes all playing and warm-up kit, is £30 per season, plus match fees at £6 per game. However, under 18’s, the unemployed and those in full time education are not charged. New players and supporters are always welcome. Please contact the club secretary or one of the team managers using the contact details provided later.

Footballing Matters At the point of writing, the First Team sit at the top of Division 1A with 31 points, having played 13 games, winning 10, drawing 1 and enjoying a goal difference of +23. Great Shelford Reserves and Debden are our nearest challengers with games in hand, giving the promotion chase a tantalising end to the season! The Reserve Team are in a similarly tight position in third place of Division 4. They have played 10 games, winning 7, drawing 1 with their goal difference showing +28. They have yet to play the current table toppers Ashdon United, and will be looking to avenge a narrow away loss early in the season to second placed Thaxted Rangers Reserves. The Ressies have a game in hand on both, so it’s all to play for. Recently there has been much disruption to fixtures, as often happens during this time of year, with games postponed due to unplayable pitches. Equally, the spectre of COVID-19 has reared its head, with ourselves and many other teams unable to fulfil fixtures due to infections in the squad. However, both teams are in an unusually fortunate position with the remaining league fixtures, with us not having to play those dreaded evening games during late April and into May! We are incredibly pleased to announce that we have returned to winter training on Wednesday evenings at 8pm on the brand new 4G pitch at the MVC, a

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fantastic facility provided through the efforts of many organisations within the village. It is a tremendous boon to have such a great resource available to grow communal sport in the village. Those benefits have already been realised in the increased numbers at training! S-106 Grant Money Over the last two years, we have been severely hampered in our fundraising efforts for obvious reasons. The club would therefore like to thank the Parish Council for the assignment of some grant money so that the club can buy essential training equipment and first aid supplies. Milestones Ben Fox has surpassed the 70 goal mark for the club, having now scored 72 in 131 appearances, while Kieran Butler has now scored 40 in 43 appearances. Events Recently we took the decision to postpone our annual Quiz Night, which was due to take place on January 29th. It was deferred owing to the high and increasing case rates for COVID-19, which we felt presented a risk to all attendees; given our responsibility as a local sports provider, we did not wish to increase the threat of infection. We have since agreed a new date with our hosts, the Village College, of Saturday April 30th and, given the on-going reduction in infection rates, we sincerely hope to see as many of you as possible at the quiz, particularly as our wonderful new venue has a 300 capacity. The quiz had become increasingly popular, so much so that our support of the Melbourn Church Hall had regretfully, run its course. As with previous Quizzes, there will be a licensed bar and informal snacks provided. Teams of up to six people at £5 per head, with a cash prize for the winning team. All are welcome. For tickets, please contact Stuart Smith on 07789 468165, (chadders2000@hotmail.co.uk), or Simon Gascoyne on 07732 613555. Before this date, however, we will have a Virtual Race Night at the Black Horse Public House on Saturday March 5th. There will be a betting system in place, with the races themselves being broadcast on TVs throughout the pub; the first race will start at 8pm. You do not have to book, but it would be wise to arrive earlier if you’d like to get a table and get your bets in on time. Memory Lane We have been representing the village for over 130 years, having been able to date back as far as 1891, and the date forms part of our new, updated, club badge – see image. As previously mentioned, games are played at The New Recreation Ground. That has been the ‘Home’

ground since at least WWII, as we understand previous home fixtures were once played in the grounds of The Bury. One of our older team photos on the MFC website was actually photographed at that location. The Old Recreation Ground (site of the annual Fair and Air Cadet hut) was also used up until the 80’s, but we are extremely interested to learn of any other any venues that may have been used? If you can elaborate on any of the above or, perhaps, provide photos or memorabilia from the past for our web site and social media, with names, we would be very thankful. Even stories from those days would be gratefully received. Please contact the club secretary for any submissions. Sponsors The club would like to extend our thanks to the following local businesses who support us with sponsorship: Conqueror Industries / Shire Trees Limited TJ Plastering Contractors / PJ Deards Plumbing and Heating / MJF Construction & Maintenance

If you are interested in sponsoring the club in any way, please contact the club secretary using the details below. We would like to thank Steve and Kerry Harrington & team at the Black Horse pub for their warm hospitality. We would also like to wish Sarah Deans good luck for her future endeavours, having left the pub before Christmas. Contacts Club Secretary: Simon Gascoyne, 07732 613555, simon_gascoyne@hotmail.com First Team Manager: Chay Wilson, 07966 573008. Reserve Team Manager: Ben Hammond, 07402 777584. Website: www.melbournfc.com

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

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Looking back at Winter 2021–22 Though it’s been another tough Winter with COVID still prevalent, we’ve managed to enjoy a very successful swimming lesson programme as well as utilise the new Astro Turf pitch (see below!) and welcome back our popular trampolining activity in the form of parties. It’s been great to see customers using the Badminton courts more during the darker nights. We’ve re-introduced the Healthy & Active For Life scheme with the support of South Cambs District Council, and are pleased to have Emma working hard to ensure the centre can offer the best support for locals with this exercise scheme. We also welcomed new members of staff to MSC, who are both already shaping up to be great assets to the team, as well as Alice undertaking a training programme for intermediate to advanced swimmers on Monday nights. New astro turf pitch As announced in last edition’s news, the long-anticipated full size Astro Turf Pitch is finally completed! Clubs and organisations are lining up to make good use of this fabulous facility addition to the Melbourn site, including local team Melbourn Dynamos. It’s so nice to see so many groups involved, including smaller local clubs. For more information on how to book the pitch, and for prices, please contact robbie@mc-sport.co.uk. Spring into action at MSC We’re really hoping to bring back trampolining classes to the schedule, as well as an extra AquaFit session. Both activities are really popular, so fingers crossed! We’re also looking to introduce new classes such as circuit training, so watch this space… March/April 2022 It’s a universally accepted fact – Mums are great! So this Mother’s Day, how about treating her to her own gym membership or purchasing a gift voucher for our other activities here at Melbourn Sports? We’ve got a bumper bag of Easter activities this year, including our OFSTED registered Play Scheme, where children can enjoy trampolining, swimming and creative crafts. Other holiday activities include Swimming Crash Courses. NB. These activities do require booking, as spaces are limited. May 2022 We welcome back the outdoor sports and tennis season this month. And for all you budding Wimbledon stars, courts can be hired mid-week and at weekends. Later this month, we will be running our children’s holiday activities once again to coincide with the Whitsun holiday, with Play Scheme and a mixture of indoor and outdoor activities available.

a gift voucher for our other activities here at Melbourn Sports? It’s a great way to help a loved one get fit! Plus why not start planning your summer sports early this year, with our holiday courses like the Children’s Sports Camps and Swimming Crash Course on offer? Bookings taken from June onwards. Other activities available this Spring and Summer include: • Our usual popular swimming lessons, both group and private • A range of aquatic exercise classes including Aqua-fit and Swim-Clinic (pool training session) Indoor and Outdoor Court Hire We’d like to end with a huge thank you for your continuing support. All leisure facilities, particularly smaller ones, are struggling to survive, but with your help and patronage, we will continue to thrive! For further details on memberships or any of our activities, please call 01763 263313 or go online at www.mc-sport.co.uk. You can also follow us on our Facebook page (melbournsports). We look forward to seeing you! Melbourn Sports Centre, The Village College, The Moor, Melbourn, Royston, Hertfordshire, SG8 6EF 01763 263313

June 2022 For something a bit different this Father’s Day, how about treating your Dad to his own gym membership or purchasing

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Nature Early preparations for spring in Melwood

Work at the autumn work parties was concentrated on ensuring that we have a fine display of spring and summer flowers. The coarse growth of earlier in the year was strimmed to clear a way for the new shoots. Areas where we expect to see spring flowers are now covered with a carpet of fallen leaves, which should provide a bit of winter protection before eventually decomposing to add valuable organic matter to the soil. This will be greatly appreciated by the bluebells we have planted over the last two years. For a while at least, the fallen leaves may also help to protect the leaves of primroses from rabbit predation. With foliage still on the trees and bushes when we held our last work party in November, coppicing has been put back to January or February, but small elder bushes have been cut back to increase the area of open ground. Large elders that are big enough to flower and bear fruit will be left in strategic positions for the benefit of birds and insects. One of the main tasks of the November work party was to clean the nest boxes and repair those that were not too badly damaged. We had 13 boxes on our list, but 2 were found to be missing, one was damaged beyond repair and one was removed for replacement of the lid. The 8 boxes inspected had all been used and we were surprised to find a field mouse sleeping under the old nest material in one of the boxes, despite it being about 15 feet up the tree. It was carefully left to continue its slumbers. Nest material in the boxes was a mixture of moss, lichen and feathers in almost all the boxes. This is typical of Blue Tit or Great Tit and was thus not surprising. One box, however, had a nest of broad dry grass leaves and little else. We have no idea what species produced that, as House Sparrows, a likely alternative, usually include a variety of other material with grass and feathers. We will watch that box carefully next year in case the same bird comes back to it. If it turns out to be a Tree Sparrow, it will be a new record for Melwood. The sides of the Meadow have been cut, in part to supress the nettles but also to allow a few more flowering plants introduced as seedlings to have space and light whilst they get established. The centre of the meadow used to have a small population of cowslips but these seem to have been overtaken by more robust

species. Cowslips thrive on grazed grassland, where the sheep or cattle keep the tallest growth in check, and on roadside verges, where cutting is required for the safe vision of drivers or simply to keep the verge tidy. They flower before the surrounding growth has a chance to overtake them. Similar cutting may serve the same purpose in Melwood. Usually, once summer is over, the pressure on the bonfire site in the wood declines, but this year it seems to have got worse. More large logs have been moved to create seating and we have even seen a second bonfire site emerge. This would not be too bad if the users took their rubbish away with them but the Melwood’s litter pickers have had more work to do than ever. It is very disappointing. However, a large party in January was tidied up, so maybe the message is getting through. Some wildlife is seen fairly regularly in the wood, but many residents are mostly nocturnal and known only from the evidence of their activities. Grazing of wild flowers and stripping of fresh green bark are common winter and spring signs of rabbits and deer. Other species may be present without ever leaving a trace. I spotted one recently, not in the wood but on an early evening visit to Dobbie’s garden centre. As I walked past the outside tables of plants, a fairly large bird scuttled away into the cover of the surrounding hedge. There was no mistaking it – it was a Woodcock. It must be 20 years or more since I last saw one of these in the Melbourn and Meldreth area. On that occasion, it was a pair in the dense cover of the back of Melwood. Such a shy and retiring species would probably remain in areas away from the paths these days, but there is some suitable cover along the woods beside the river and at dusk you may see one if you are very alert, very quiet and very lucky. The resident population is reinforced by a few migrant birds in November and December. Most of the tree and bush work in the wood will now wait for a spell of ambient weather. Damaged in January or February, nest boxes will then also be replaced and I hope it will be possible to introduce some bat boxes. The original ones installed quite a few years ago, were all wrecked by woodpeckers or squirrels. We will need some tougher protection this time. The snowdrops have again produced a magnificent display, especially at the back of the wood. As spring emerges, a wander down the footpath on one of the bright, frosty early spring days is recommended! Bruce Huett, based on Jim Reid article for Meldreth Matters Melwood conservation group Website : www.melwood.org.uk melbournmagazine@gmail.com

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The Highway Code has some major revisions that took effect on 29th January 2022. The revisions include a new Hierarchy of Road Users, which implies automatic culpability for drivers in collisions with more vulnerable road users (cyclists or pedestrians), while another change states drivers should stop and give way to pedestrians waiting to cross the road before turning into or out of junctions. The final major change will be establishing guidance on safe passing distances and speeds when overtaking cyclists or horse riders. A significant change is to give “overtaking or undertaking” cyclists going straight ahead a right of way over drivers turning into junctions. A brief summary of the major changes are as follows. Rule H1: New Hierarchy of Road Users – Drivers of vehicles that can cause the greatest harm in the event of a collision bear the greatest responsibility to take care and reduce the danger to others. This principle applies most strongly to drivers of HGVs, LGVs, cars/taxis and motorcycles. Cyclists and horse riders likewise have a responsibility to reduce danger to pedestrians. Rule H2: New priority for pedestrians at junctions – At a junction, drivers, motorcyclists, horse riders and cyclists should give way to pedestrians crossing or waiting to cross a road into which or from which you are turning. You should give way to pedestrians waiting to cross a zebra crossing (currently you only have to give way if they’re already on the crossing), and to pedestrians and cyclists waiting to cross a parallel crossing. Rule H3: New priority for cyclists when cars are turning – You should not cut across cyclists, horse riders or horse drawn vehicles going ahead when you are turning into or out of a junction or changing direction or lane. This applies whether they are using a cycle lane, a cycle track, or riding ahead on the road and you should give way to them. Do not turn at a junction if to do so would cause the cyclist, horse rider or horse drawn vehicle going straight ahead to stop or swerve. You should stop and wait for a safe gap in the flow of cyclists if necessary. The above is only a “snapshot” of the changes. Refer to the updated Highway Code for all the changes and recommendations. Should you wish to know more about the Group, visit www.roadarc.org.uk where you can obtain more information and can download a Membership Application Form.

melbournmagazine@gmail.com

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Little Hands Nursery School The Moor, Melbourn A Private Nursery School specialising in quality care & preschool education for the under fives

High staff to child ratio, individual child centred planning & learning Flexible booking system for the 08.00am – 5.30pm nursery day Optional holiday clubs available, dedicated baby room for children under two We accept nursery funding giving 15 and 30 hours per week of free funded nursery for all 3 and 4 year olds and eligible 2 year olds For further information contact Sharon Tutty, nursery manager on 01763 260964 lh-melbourn@btconnect.com Little Hands is also at Bourn, Linton and Newton visit the website at www.littlehands.co.uk

For your local domestic electrical needs. F ur

Telephone

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We are grateful to TTP for their continued sponsorship

Adertising rates

Advertisers

Page

All Eyes / Spectacle Makers – 01954 231545

Amber Health – 01462 490141

angliEAR / Hearing services – 01223 661399

Melbourn magazine is non-profit and all work on the magazine including design and layout are produced by volunteers. The Magazine is published four times a year in the first week of March, June, September and December. We print 2400 copies which are delivered free to every house and business in the village. Advertising revenue is used for printing costs only.

API Cleaning / Office & Commercial – 07368 262212

B.C.R / Plumbing & Heating – 01763 260007

Bumpkins Day Nursery – 01223 208777

Bury Lane Farm Shop – 01763 260418

Bury Lane Fun Barn – 01763 260418

Chris Thomas / Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning – 01223 836002

CHS / Local Community Services – 01763 260564

CSL Cheap Storage Ltd – 01763 262344

ESSE – 01763 261000

Adverts should be supplied as finished artwork and must be at the sizes shown below. Please send artwork to melbournmagazine@gmail.com. The current rates for advertising in the Magazine are as follows:

Fender Piano Services / Piano Tuning & Repairs – 0800 233 5440

Size per…

Greenlow Kennels – 01763 260624

GYC Photography family photographer – 07786 707869

Jeremy Ashworth / Property Maintenance – 07815 093166

Jeremy Rule / Funeral Service – 01763 242560

Langham Press – 01223 870266

Lawn Partners / Bespoke lawncare – 01763 244955

Width x Height

B/W

Colour

1/4 inside page (79 × 128 mm)

£132

£205

Law Storage Ltd – 01223 874629

£313

Leech & Sons / Master Butchers – 01763 260255

Little Hands Nursery School – 01763 260964

Melbourn Flooring & Interiors – 01763 262413

Melbourn Garage – 01763 263344

Melbourn Ironing Service – 01763 220996

Nancy Foster Footcare – 01763 261250

New Dawn Curtains & Blinds – 01763 243894

1/2 inside page (163 × 128 mm)

£225

Advertising rates are per year (four issues) For further information on advertising see committee list. Remittance or cheques should be made to Melbourn Magazine.

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

Newlings of Royston / Funeral Services – 01763 242375

Norburys / Building & Landscape Supplies – 01763 261740

Paul Hutley / Carpenter – 07702905915

Phillimore Garden Centre – 01763 260537

Editorial

Ann Dekkers

261144

Editorial, production, design and layout

Peter Simmonett

220363

Advertising Parish Profile

David Sansom 261107 email: davidthemelbournmagazine@idnet.com Mavis Howard

260686

Proof reading

Ann Dekkers

261144

Christine Orchard

221033

Jane Stevens

Printer

Langham Press

01223 870266

Prince Property / Property Improvements – 01763 269565

Richard Arnott – Garden Designer – 01763 263231

Rothwell’s Carpet Cleaning – 01223 832928

Royston Complementry Health – 01763 247440

Sage / Blinds & Interiors – 01763 263399

Simon Robinson / Bespoke Picture Framers – 01223 873123

Southwell Court Residential Home – 01763 750006

Sparkys Domestic Electricians – 01763 268507

Summit / Landscape Gardeners – 01223 929394

Taylor & Co /Chartered Accountants – 01763 248545

The Letting Centre – 01763 263039

The Spice Hut / Indian Takeaway – 01763 262425

TTP – 01763 262626

Wrights Mower Centre / Garden Machinery – 01763 263393

melbournmagazine@gmail.com

Melbourn Magazine 109.indd 59

PL Cooper / Flooring Specialists – 01763 260918

08/02/2022 10:53

Paying too much for your glasses? Save Money - Buy Direct! Visit our factory shop to see our fabulous range of Discount Prescription Eyewear • Hundreds of frames to

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Printed by The Langham Press

Melbourn Magazine 109.indd 60

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Issue 109 Spring 2022

Articles inside

Nature

Sports & Clubs

Nature River Mel Restoration Group

Nature Fowlmere RSPB Nature Reserve

Review Elizabeth is missing The Anarchy: The Relentless Rise of the East India Company

Walks around Melbourn & beyond

Feature Melbourn’s celebrations

Education

Travelogue Exploring the ancient Mayan empire in Mexico

Nature What’s Behind the Fence?

Village news