Issue 53 Spring 2008

...editorial How wonderful it is to see gardens waking up and the Spring bulbs emerging. Even though climate change seems to have almost done away with winter in our area it is still cheering to know that warmer weather is on the way.

At the end of last year Melbourn Community Awards were given to Pat Saunders, who ran the All Saints’ Melbourn Guides for many years, and Jan and Peter Simmonett who do the design and layout for this Magazine, and have done so since 1995.

Of course they have done more than layout for the Magazine, as they did the same for ‘Melbourn 2000’; also ‘A Glimpse into Melbourn’s past’ and ‘Pictorial Melbourn’ published four years later. The latter two books are still selling both nationally and internationally.

It doesn’t end there though, as just recently they were very much involved in the production of the new All Saints’ Church guide. Moreover, the Melbourn Green Man, which was featured recently by The Royston Crow and Cambridge Evening News, was actually discovered

by Jan while helping Peter take the photographs for the church guide. She must have extremely sharp eyes, as the carving has been there for who knows how many hundred years and no-one in the Parish seemed to know he was there! (see p 45) We are very pleased to publish the story, ‘Raindrops’,

by MVC student Ella Whittlestone, and hope that we can feature more from the College in the future.

Bessie Walker is also a student at MVC; we congratulate her on her success in the dancing world, she certainly works hard for it.

Recently we have had little information about sport in the village. We know that both the Cricket Club and the Tennis Club have closed, and that the Judo Club now operates from Royston, but would like to hear about any sport that is played in the village.

Thank you to Sue Cane for another cartoon! I hope that we can look forward to this as a regular feature.

Do contact us if you have an unusual or interesting hobby we can feature in a future issue. Do you keep exotic animals, collect strange items or concoct special recipes – if so, please do let us know!

We received many complimentary comments about the article and photos of badgers by Mr Wilkinson, and the photo of the robin by David Evans on the cover of the last issue and look forward to receiving more photos of Melbourn wildlife. We do have another photo on page 37, but there is some controversy about the species. Do you have an opinion?

Thank you to everyone who contributes regularly – without you, and of course, our advertisers and sponsor TTP, there would be no Melbourn Magazine.

Front cover photo: The Green Man and All Saints Church

Village News

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Parish Council

13

Safer Melbourn

17

feature Raindrops

19

Education

27

Village information

31

Important numbers

32

Diary

33

Nature

37

Profile

38

Don Littlechild

Church news

41

feature

42

Melbourn in the mid-20th century

feature

45

The Green Man

Entertainment

47

feature

49

Gardening Book

Sports & Clubs

51

feature

55

Interview with Bessie Walker

Letters

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Women’s Group Self Help Group Melbourn History Group Christmas Lights Competition Melbourn Village Fete 2008 Vicarage Close The Royal British Legion The National Trust Lifeboats RNLI Book Group Local History Society Disability Cambridgeshire Head Lice Trial Targets Melbourn Calling Community Nurses

TTP Group celebrates its 20th anniversary Sponsors of The Melbourn Magazine, the TTP Group celebrated its 20th anniversary by taking its staff and their partners to Paris for the weekend. Everyone stayed at the luxurious 5* Intercontinental Le Grand Hotel, where they were treated to an evening of entertainment, good food and fine wine. The evening included acrobats, singing waiters, a live band, disco dancing and a casino.

“It is a privilege to work with such talented and committed staff, and this weekend was TTP’s way of thanking staff for their continuing contribution to our success”, commented Peter Taylor, TTP Group’s CEO. “The party was a resounding success. The next few weeks should be fun too”, added Peter, “as we are holding a photo competition for the most French, most amusing, and most photographically excellent shot, taken by staff or their partners over the weekend. The winner of each category will receive a bottle of champagne and TTP will donate £500 to a charity of the winner’s choice in each category. All photos entered for the competition will be posted on the TTP intranet and staff will be able to vote for their favourite photo in each category”. In addition, the winners of the casino event will also get to choose which charities will receive donations of £500.

Through profits and spin-outs TTP has, since its inception, generated unmatched returns for shareholders and staff, most of whom are shareholders. Last year saw profits grow by 20% in 2007, TTP has seen its best first half on record!

TTP Group celebrates its 20th anniversary in style in Paris

COFFEE STOP every Saturday

at Vicarage Close 10:30am to 12noon Rombouts coffee & biscuits for 70p Oek Wh[ _dl_j[Z je ki[ j^[ 9e\\[[ Ijef je hkd ijWbbi je hW_i[ \kdZi \eh oekh =hekf eh \eh 9^Wh_jo$ Je WhhWd][ j^_i" fb[Wi[ h_d] (,&/++

continued on page 7 melbournmagazine

About TTP Group TTP Group is the award-winning technology and product development company based near Cambridge.

Our primary activity is creating new business based on advances in technology. TTP’s technology lies behind many products and processes in areas as diverse as digital printing, communications, instrumentation, consumer products, medical products, drug discovery, micro devices, optics and vision and software. We also work in a traditional consultancy role to help companies manage their business and technology better. Our customers include some of the world’s largest and most successful as well as some of the smallest and most ambitious. We incubate new companies and manage a Venture Capital fund which invests in early stage technology start-ups.

Enquiries to: Jean Thompson TTP Group plc, Melbourn Science Park, elbourn. SG8 6EE UK Telephone: 01763 262626 email: press@ttp.com web: www.ttpgropup.com

Women’s Group Melbourn and Meldreth We are a group of women mainly, but not exclusively, members of either All Saints’, Melbourn or Holy Trinity, Meldreth who meet once a month on the 4th Tuesday at 7.45pm in the Holy Trinity meeting room. We have a mix of meetings,

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with speakers, on a religious theme, food (always the most popular!), making our own entertainment, all sociable. In the Spring we will be having a Games and Cake Evening (food again), a talk on ‘Wild things and Gardens’ and ‘How women’s lives have changed in the last 100 years’.

Jane Stevens 261858

Melbourn and Meldreth Self Help Group Thursday Luncheon Club December was an exciting month for Luncheon Club. We started the month by celebrating Mary Nelson’s 100th birthday. Mary’s birthday was on Saturday 8th December, so our celebrations took place on Thursday 6th, which was also the birthday of Edna Renshaw from Meldreth and Inga Wright of Melbourn; both of whom are mere youngsters in comparison.

Mary very kindly brought in a birthday cake and some sparkling wine for us all to share after our main lunch.

Luncheon club presented Mary with a 100th birthday card signed by all the members together with a bouquet.

We also had our usual Christmas Dinner which was a very happy occasion. We were very pleased to welcome two of our drivers, plus Councillor Rosemary Gatward and Lady Wright.

Also in attendance was Father Christmas who gave each of our members a present. Thank you Father Christmas.

Sally also presented Doreen and Jack Hadrell with ‘thank you’ vouchers for all their work for the club over the past

25 years. Vouchers were also given to Elizabeth Hughes-Jones later at home, as Elizabeth had to leave early that day.

Luncheon club members would like to thank all three of them for all their hard work and dedication over the last 25 years. We will miss them all very much, but we are very pleased that Elizabeth will continue to open up for us and make coffee for the early birds setting up.

Thanks to all drivers and ladies who man the kitchen on a rota basis. Without your help Luncheon Club would have closed.

We would welcome anybody who is able to drive for us. We are always looking for drivers, and this might enable us to offer places to a few more people if we could get them to Vicarage Close on Thursday at lunchtime.

If there are any ladies or gentlemen in Melbourn or Meldreth who would like to go on our waiting list, please contact Jayne White (220250).

Mary Nelson’s 100th birthday

Doreen and Jack Hadrell

All Saints’ Church guide Most of the congregation were not aware of his presence but will now be able to see him, as well as many other photographs of the Church.

The grant of money won by the Group for their entry in the Cambridgeshire Villages Competition will go towards the provision of facilities at the new Riverside Park off Dolphin Lane. A final choice has not yet been made.

Colin Limming Chairman Melbourn History Group.

Christmas Lights Competition 2007 Results Elizabeth and Nevin Hughes-Jones

Melbourn History Group Members of the Group are often asked ‘What are you working on now?’ or ‘When are you bringing out another book?’. It is not always an easy question to answer, especially as the two we have produced were the result of four years hard work and research, but now we can answer ‘Look out for the new Parish Church Guide’. The brand new edition in full colour is now available, compiled by Mavis Howard and Sally Wright, with excellent photographs by Peter Simmonett.

It goes into the history of the building from its earliest days and included among the photographs is one of the head of a ‘Green Man’. Spotted by Jan Simmonett the face is almost impossible to see from the ground without the aid of binoculars but the photograph shows him in great detail. The ‘Green Man’ is an ancient symbol in English folklore and is associated with Jack in the Green, a forester and other mythological figures

The Melbourn 2007 Christmas Lights Competition was organised by members of the Parish Council this year as the original organiser, Mr. Mousley had to retire due to ill health. The Parish Council would like to thank him for organising this event in the past and wish him a quick recovery.

The judges found it very hard to make a decision between all the beautifully decorated gardens, windows, walls etc. However, in an age of growing concern about energy resources, the judges agreed that this Christmas the prize would be awarded for Simplicity and found two homes that reflected this; the first one at 12 The Lawns, and the second one at 2 Chalkhill Barrow.

Unfortunately, due to bad weather on the night of presenting the awards, melbournmagazine

Christmas is now behind us but we would like to thank everybody who helped make our Christmas Lunch and Christmas/Birthday tea, such a success. Special thanks to Joe who stepped in at short notice, to entertain us. The residents also enjoyed the trips out to see the Christmas Show at Wicksteed Park and the pantomime in Cambridge. Now we are into a New Year we are thinking of Easter and maybe a summer outing. The residents also enjoy a weekly lunch thanks to our helpers Sue, Olive, Freda, and Marg, with regular hairdressing from Sandra, and chiropody by Erica. Grateful thanks to all of these ladies for their help and support throughout the year.

Our recycling is still working well. We are collecting used greeting cards, clean glass jars, used stamps, mobile phones, and (still) plastic tops from milk containers etc. All these items, which we often just throw away, are reused to raise money for various charities and good causes. We are very grateful for the continued support from residents and hall users for collecting these items.

If you wish to contact me I am available (most of the day) at Vicarage Close on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays and you can leave a message on 263389, which I will return as soon as possible.

Joy Hyde Sheltered Housing Officer

before I was approached with regard to becoming The Chairman. The previous Chairman having moved out of the district, I accepted.

I was soon under the eagle eye of the now, sadly, late Terry Rolt. Terry’s reputation had preceded him, so I was well prepared with his documented knowledge and the support of The Committee to weather the administrative storm ahead.

First on the list was to try and fill the gaps left by Terry’s recent passing, no easy task I can tell you as Terry had years of “on the job” experience. We honoured Terry’s last wish by giving him a Legion funeral and also to be the first person buried in the new Melbourn cemetery.

Now came the big one, the annual Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal. This was a daunting task for a first timer like me, but again with the help of our branch members and supporters, the appeal got under way successfully.

Next came The Armistice Day commemorations, with the parade and church service that was well attended in spite of not having a band or bugler, (I’m always on the lookout for a good bugler). There was also a moment of panic when our experienced standard bearer was unable to attend due to ill health. Fortunately Mike Cooke, new branch member, was able to save the day.

Seventy one poppy boxes were delivered to our loyal door to door, workplace and business running poppy sellers in Melbourn, Kneesworth, Bassingbourn, Abbington Piggotts and Littlington.

The grand total at this time of writing is £7500, an amount thought to be the highest ever, a tribute indeed to the kind generosity of those who gave, and the hard work of all our members and volunteers. Special thanks also to John Chamberlain who dealt with the Meldreth and Shepreth collections.

Patrick Parkinson (01763 262617 Chairman & Secretary

The Royal British Legion

Women’s Branch

the photos didn’t come out, so we have none to show but both householders were very pleased that we had chosen their designs and have said they would give the money to charities of their choice, one being a local charity and the other Breast Cancer Research.

We would like to thank all the homeowners who took part in this competition.

The judges had a lovely time looking at all the displays and hope that they enter again next year. If anyone would like to be a judge please let the Parish Office know in plenty of time for judging the 2008 competition.

Maureen Townsend and Roger Mellor

Melbourn Village Fete 2008 Sunday 29th June With the success of last year’s event and all the positive feedback from all the participants, this year’s fete is well under way. Also the Fete committee is fully aware of the need to build on that success. With that in mind we are eager to encourage more local groups and societies to get involved to highlight their particular cause.

As with any large event we would love to add some more attractions, but money is always an issue i.e. the bigger the event the more it costs to put on. We have already approached some local companies who have generously committed themselves to some much needed sponsorship BUT would hope some more may come forward and help with funds as well (contact details below).

Building on the success of last year will also mean we are looking for more help.

The committee is now up to 14, which is excellent news. However, to put on a larger event we will need more volunteers on the day. So if you can spare some time for a worthy and rewarding cause, whether it be a few hours or more, please contact us as below.

Melbourn Village Fete Committee Jayne White (Fundraiser) 220250 or Jaynewhite1@ntlworld.com Brian Collingbourne (Chair) 263115 or Melbournfete@aol.com

Vicarage Close

When The Poppies Bloom At last, that long awaited breathing space has arrived, time to sit back and reflect on the various events of the past year. Having moved from Bassingbourn to Melbourn, I decided to join the Melbourn branch of The Royal British Legion, and it was not long

Branch members are looking forward to the rest of the year. The Programme is varied and interesting, with another Mystery Trip in July. melbournmagazine

Branch meetings are held on the 4th Wednesday of each month, except December, in the Vicarage Close Community Room at 7 p.m. Anyone wishing to join us may contact Chairman Mrs Murray (01763 220841).

Members continue to place flowers on the War Memorial.

Mrs E A Murphy.

The National Trust April will see the end of the local Association’s indoor programme before they venture out on a series of outings and the annual holiday trip. In March we will find out how much we have donated to the Trust for use by local properties together with a report by the officers on how the year has gone.

At Wimpole the date of 15th March is ringed round on many a volunteer’s calendar as this is the day the Hall and Estate re-open although much will have happened during the winter. The walks have been opened every day, the restaurant has provided meals and the art gallery has been busy staging a series of exhibitions by local artists and craftsmen.

In March the ever popular lambing weekends will take place and readers are advised to look in the local press for full details.

We entertain countless families who come to see the newly born lambs as well as many of the rare breeds that are housed at the Home Farm. There is always a full programme of family events throughout the year. Leaflets are available at the Estate, in the local libraries and many other outlets.

Colin Limming.

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Lifeboats RNLI It is amazing to think that this Magazine takes us to June!

As I write rescue teams are battling to save twenty people, including a man with a broken leg, from the 100 metre long Ice Prince which is in severe difficulties. A coastguard helicopter and RNLI lifeboats are at the scene.

Come the better weather there will be different emergencies to attend, on rivers as well as beaches full of holidaymakers.

In 2007 RNLI rescued 8,015 people, an average of 22 a day.

Thanks to the bravery of our volunteer crews, these people celebrated Christmas with their loved ones beside them.

Due to your ongoing support, the work goes on. Please support us on Lifeboat Day in Royston on 12th April. It will help to ensure that crews receive the best equipment and training, so that more and more families will see their loved ones brought safely home.

Jean Emes, Secretary, Royston Branch RNLI 01763 245958

Book Group Do you enjoy reading?

Are you interested in forming a Book Group to discuss your favourite reading and explore new authors? Meetings could take place once a month or six weekly on a weekday evening.

Interested?

Sue Crowley 01763 263129

Royston & District Local History Society Our meetings are held in the Heritage Hall, Royston Town Hall starting at 8pm.

Mar 6th On the road in 1910, illustrated Peter Ibbett Apr 3rd Digging up Robert Sayle, illustrated Alison Dickens May 8th AGM 7.30pm followed at 8pm The Chinese Gooseberry Man, the travels in China of E H Wilson, the famous plant-hunter.

A Travelling Theatre Presentation by Geoff Hales The evening concludes with a buffet and drinks.

Annual subscription £5 (under 18 £2.50). To join send a cheque payable to the Society to David Allard, 8 Chilcourt, Royston, Herts., SG8 9DD or join at a meeting.

Admission to visitors is £2.

The Royston Cave in Melbourn Street, attributed to the Knights Templar, opens for the season on 22nd March. It will be open on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays 2.30pm to 5pm. Tickets from the Cave Bookshop adjoining the Cave.

Adults £3, Concessions £2. Accompanied children free.

Website: www.royston.clara.net/localhistory

Disability Cambridgeshire Can we help you or anyone you know?

Disability Cambridgeshire (previously known as Directions Plus) is a registered charity working for disabled/older people and carers living in Cambridgeshire. We provide free, confidential and impartial information and advice on all disability and access issues including:Discrimination Direct payments and independent living Entitlements, including challenging decisions Holiday and leisure Residential care, respite etc.

We also provide: Advice to companies and individuals about employment Disability Discrimination Act and Disability Equality training Information in fact sheets, newsletters and on our websites Start up and infrastructure services for Forums of Disabled people Work experience and training.

We are always looking for volunteers to help in our Cambridge office. We would hope that some of these volunteers, with training, could represent us and disabled people at meetings throughout Cambridgeshire.

Contact us at: 1 Orwell Furlong, Cowley Road, Cambridge CB4 0WY Telephone adviceline: 01223 569 600 E-mail: info@disability-cambridgeshire.org.uk www.directions-plus.org.uk www.disabilitycambridgeshire.org.uk

Head Lice Trial Targets Melbourn Area Melbourn and the surrounding villages have been selected by Medical Entomology Centre (MEC) as a target area for carrying out head lice treatment trials. The trials are to prove the effectiveness of a newly formulated treatment for combating the problem of head lice, a common condition that affects most children at some point during their schooling.

Senior Entomologist and Trials Manager, Elizabeth Kidmann says: “We would like to hear from parents of children with head lice who are willing to let them take part in our trial. The process is simple. We come along and treat the problem, returning on specific days to check that the treatment has worked effectively. Visits are quick and discreet.”

Contact MEC on 01763 263011 or 0845 4300 300 Head lice have been the bane of parents with school-age children in recent years. Although lice cannot fly, jump, hop or swim they do love to crawl from head to head. The lice like nothing better than the opportunity to move around from host to host when children are playing together.

Calling Community Nurses If you are an experienced Community Nurse and have the capacity to take on occasional extra work, Medical Entomology Centre would like to hear from you.

We are building up a bank of nurses with community health experience who can undertake home visits within the area as part of our trials programme.

The work is intermittent when the trials are in progress, payment is per visit. Most of the visits take place after school hours (late afternoons or early evenings).

Own transport is essential, for which travelling expenses are payable.

If you would like to know more, please contact Ian Burgess (Director) at Medical Entomology Centre on 0845 4300 300.

Paper Shredder The new office boy stood before the paper shredder looking confused.

“Need some help?” a secretary walking by asked.

“Yes,” he replied, “how do you work this thing.”

“Simple,” she said quickly taking the fat report from his hand and feeding it to the shredder.

“Thanks,” he said as he watched the report disappear, “But where do the copies come out?” melbournmagazine

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MELBOURN PARISH COUNCIL 28 Station Road Melbourn Cambs SG8 6DX Telephone 262494 e-mail: parishclerk@melbournpc.co.uk Chairman Cllr. Rosemary Gatward, 94 High Street SG8 6AL 261225 V-Chairman Cllr. R. Trimble, 11 Greenbanks, SG8 6AS

220165

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

262494

E-mail parishclerk@melbournpc.co.uk Website www.melbourncambridge.co.uk

From the Parish Clerk – Avril Mellor

Councillors Irene Bloomfield, 78 Russet Way, SG8 6HF

222558

Colin Charter, 58 Bramley Avenue, SG8 6HG

262278

Janice Guest, I Mortlock Street, SG8 6DB

260894

Jean Henry, 109 Beechwood Ave, SG8 6BW

261425

Donald Mowatt, White Walls, 23 High Street

268388

Clive Purbrook, Glebe House, High St, SG8 6DZ 260899 Jocelyn Robson, 91 High Street Mike Sherwen, 3 Hale Close, SG8 6ET

260070

Christopher Stead, 70 Russet Way

260743pm

Maureen Townsend, 32 New Rd, SG8 6BY

260959

Richard Wakerley, 32 Chalkhill Barrow, SG8 6EQ

262247

David Wherrell, 5 Mortlock Close, SG8 6DA

260966

Employees Handyman and Caretaker Peter Andrews Emergency mobile. 07778-682245 Village Ranger Keith Rudge, 4 Dolphin La, SG8 6AF Internal Auditor Peter Chilvers, 68A High Street, SG8 6AJ

243312

221212 260742

County Councillor David Charles McCraith 104 North End, Bassingbourn D-Rmccraith@supanet.com (send agenda by e-mail) County Hall 01223-833555 District Councillors Janice Guest, 1 Mortlock Street, SG8 6DB Valerie Trueman, 2 Russet Way, SG8 6HE South Cambs M.P. Andrew Lansley

260894 220402 01954 212707

The Parish Office at 28 Station Road, is entered by the door at the front of the building directly opposite Sheene Mill.

The Parish Office is now open on Mondays from 9 am to 1 pm, on Tuesdays from 2 pm from 4 pm, and on Thursday from 9 am to 1 pm. The office is not normally open on Wednesdays or Fridays. As the Clerk is sometimes out on Parish business it is better to ring 262494 to ensure that she is in the office.

Meetings of the Planning Committee are normally held on the 1st and 3rd Mondays of every month commencing at 7.15 pm. Council Meetings are normally held on the fourth Monday of each month at 7.15 pm at Vicarage Close Community Centre.

The Press Royston & Buntingford Mercury Tom Ship, Media Centre 40 Ware Road, 01992 526639 Hertford, SG13 7HU Royston Crow Heath House, Princes Mews, Royston, SG8 6RT 245241 Fax 242231 Cambridge News David Williams, 3 Melbourn Street, Royston, SG8 7BP 249144 Fax 244502 BBC Radio Cambridge Reception Newsroom

It is hard to believe that Christmas is behind us and once more the village has been stripped of its decorations and has entered into another New Year. I do hope that 2008 will be a peaceful and healthy year for you all.

The annual Christmas Lights competition was judged this year by the Parish Council as Mr Mousley has unfortunately had to retire due to ill health. There is an article elsewhere in the magazine on the competition, where the winners are announced. In keeping with the Council’s aim to work towards sustainability in all its projects, the judges bore this in mind when making their decision.

The village has already seen some changes this year as the first occupants of the new development off Dolphin Lane, which is to be called Stockbridge Meadows, moved in on the first week of the year. It is hoped that the conservation area will be open to the public in early spring. The Parish Council is very pleased with the efforts the developers are making to create this natural area.

As I write this the precept for 2008/09 is being worked on and each committee has put forward its budget for the year. This is presented to the full Council meeting at the end of January for approval. The final figure is submitted to South Cambs.

District Council at the beginning of February for inclusion within the Council Tax calculations. The precept funds all the working of the Council and is paid in two halves, in April and September.

Plans for a Community Building are still being worked on and it is hoped to put in a planning application before the end of March. Once this has been agreed to

by South Cambridgeshire District Council Planning Department, the Parish Council intends to proceed with the purchase of the car park, where the building will be erected. The next stage will be to apply for a government loan for the building. It is anticipated that this building will be well used by the residents of the village.

Finally, I welcome Val Barrett to the Parish Council, which now has a full quota of fifteen councillors. Cllr. Barrett has served on the Council before, so is an “old hand” and understands the workings of the council.

Child and Family Nursing Team Well Baby Clinics Drop in clinics for parents and babies are held at Melbourn clinic every Wednesday between 9.30 and 12 noon at 35 Orchard Road, Melbourn Telephone 01763 262861 Also at: Cambourne clinic every Monday between 9.30 and 12 noon at Room 12 Sackville House Cambourne Tel: 01954 282830

01223 259696 01223 358510

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From the Chairman of the Parish Council

Profiles

Rosemary Gatward

Rosemary Gatward

You may like to hear of the Parishioners who received Community Awards which were presented at a Parish Council pre-Christmas reception. This year awards were presented to Pat Saunders for her long and dedicated service to 1st Melbourn All Saints Guides and to Peter and Jan Simmonnett for the voluntary contribution of their professional skills in the production of Melbourn Magazine. Other members of the community who volunteer in various ways were also invited. We would be pleased to add names to the invitation list which, because we have so many, have to be rotated annually. We are lucky in Melbourn to have so many generous and helpful friends amongst us. Please do let us know your thoughts on this.

We were very pleased with this year’s Christmas tree which kindly donated by Fieldgate and as usual, the electricity was donated by Leech, the Butchers. Thank you to them both.

The Christmas lights competition was very popular and well supported this year, you will find a full report on this from Councillor Maureen Townsend elsewhere in his magazine. I would like to congratulate the winners, who are resident in The Lawns and Chalkhill Barrow. Thank you to to Maureen Townsend and Roger Mellor for dealing with the whole competition including the judging.

The first residents have moved into Stockbridge Meadows (off Dolphin Lane) and the contractors are at present forging ahead with the work involved in developing the public open space and riverside walk behind the new houses. Planting of trees and shrubs is happening at the moment and work is scheduled to clean the river to improve its flow in early February. Construction of the board walk will follow along with planting wildflower plugs, fencing to stop damage from rabbits and deer, installation of a picnic table and surfacing the car park among other features. By midsummer the park should be a very pleasant place for us all to enjoy.

There have been many complaints about the mud on the roads and the loss of the grass on the wide verge at the entrance to Back Lane from Royston Road.

Unfortunately it was work that had to happen as the developers prepare the services for new houses in Rupert Neve Close. The developers have been asked to reinstate the grass and a large area of Daffodils which were planted there. The completion of the long awaited tree work on the edge of the woodland opposite the Bury Meadows will be a relief to passing motorists during times of high wind.

Finally, welcome to those new residents of Melbourn who have either moved into new houses or into established areas around the village.

I was born in Cambridge, lived in Meldreth as a child and had family in Meldreth and Melbourn, living briefly elsewhere Douglas and I were married at AllSaints’ in 1959.

We have three adult children who all attended Melbourn Primary School, Village College and Long Road Sixth Form College, Cambridge. I have been a Parish Councillor since Rebecca, our youngest Daughter, was at the Primary School. She would not appreciate me telling you how long ago that was , my time as a Councillor must be coming to an end soon.

I have served on the Planning, Play Areas and Recreation Grounds, Conservation, Highways and Rural footpaths and Cemetery Committees. As part of my work for the council I have also served as a Governor at the Primary School.

Long ago I was secretary to the Editor of Essex Countryside and Thames Valley Countryside Magazines.

After our two elder children were born I was jointly responsible for setting up All Saints’ Playgroup in 1968 and was involved with the daily running of the group until a few years ago.

My time as Chairman of the Parish Council started in 2006 and I am enjoying the role, for a short time.

Val Barrett I came to live in Melbourn in 1978 with my husband Rob and daughter Gail.

Since then, I have spent most of the nineties serving on the Parish Council with several sub-committees. I was on the Fete Committee for a few years, ending my time there as Chairman.

Also during the nineties, I was elected and served on South Cambridgeshire

From top left: Chris Stead, Clive Purbrook, Maureen Townsend, Irene Bloomfield, Jocelyn Robson, Colin Charter, Mike Sherwen, Janice Guest (Parish and District Councillor), David McCraith (County Councillor), Val Barrett, (front row) Avril Mellor (Parish Clerk), Rosemary Gatward (Chairman), Bob Trimble (Vice Chairman), David Wherrell. melbournmagazine

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District Council until ill health prevented me from standing for a further term. For the past ten or so years, I have acted as Coordinator of the Volunteers at Melbourn Police Station. In December, 2007 I was co-opted onto the Parish Council and look forward to again becoming more involved in the life of the village Janice M. Guest District and Parish Councilor Melbourn has been our family home for 38 years. We have two daughters, both are married and live in the village and our grandsons now attend Melbourn Primary School. At the present time I work at Moorlands Residential Home as an Administrative Assistant.

Over the years I have been involved with various local groups and fundraising organisations, which I have enjoyed very much. I became a co-opted member of the Parish Council following my election to the South Cambs District Council in 2006 as representative for Melbourn, The Chishills and Heydon. As both a Parish and District Councillor I am a member of a several committees including planning, highways and paths, and licensing.

The Melbourn Community Centre Jan 08 We have moved forward since my last report in October although to the outside observer this is not too apparent.

You will recall we were about to start on a new strategy for raising the necessary funds via a government loan, this again involves a ‘Business Plan’ and a lot of the work done for the BLF application has been useful here. The procedures and terms applicable are clearly defined so our first step is to obtain planning permission for the Community Centre building. This in turn enables the purchase of the car park and that will be the ‘starters gun’!

As the work done for the BLF application virtually finalised the design for the Community Centre we are well advanced with this stage. It has always been our intention to incorporate the best ‘clean and green’ features in the design and the recent emphasis on carbon footprint and environment friendly features confirms our commitment to this. We feel this so important that we have commissioned a consultant specialising in ‘clean energy’ to collaborate with us at this early stage.

By the time this article is published we will be under way with the incorporation of these recommendations into the planning application.

One of the stalwarts of our working party, Arthur Alderton, reluctantly left us late last year, I would like to take this opportunity on behalf of the WP to thank him for his hard work and welcome (frequently hilarious) input to the project, he will be much missed. Fortunately, for both the Parish Council and this working party two recent new village residents have joined us and are providing invaluable advice and expertise at this crucial stage for us.

We still must make every endeavour to raise funds for so will be holding events during the course of 2008. Please support us with help on the day, attending as a participant or joining the working party, we do need an event co-ordinator so here is the chance of a lifetime!

All you need to do is ring one of the following: Mike Sherwen 260070, Bob Trimble 220165, Dave Wherrell 260966 or contact the Parish Office 262494.

District Councillor Janice Guest As local member for Melbourn, as well as The Chishills and Heydon, I have been very active and, after considerable time, have negotiated with the Environmental Health Department for a second plastic recycling bin for Melbourn to be installed.

Some would argue that this is not the best outcome, but during the time when we only had one bin there was always an excess of plastic containers left in the Car Park. On a number of occasions the bin has been turned over with disastrous consequences, which has involved members of the Parish Council having to clear up the mess. On one occasion the dumping of material beside the bin led to the issue

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of a fixed penalty notice to the offender.

Nevertheless, it is good to see so many people making good use of the facility.

It had always been the intention of South Cambs DC to consider kerbside collection of plastic but with cutbacks in government funding for 2008-09 this will unfortunately have to be put on hold.

It is understandable that residents in the vicinity of the High Street, Melbourn are concerned about the speeding traffic and parked vehicles, but after looking at all of the alteratives available together with the potential costs involved, the only immediate solution is for the law to be enforced far more vigorously and drivers themselves to take more care.

The problem is not going to be easily resolved but I will support any viable long-term solution.

Regarding the matter of the frequent unauthorised travellers’ camps on Black Peak By-Way, it is unfortunate that this issue is taking a great deal of negotiating and is ongoing between landowners and Cambridgeshire County Council, but in the meantime South Cambs DC and Cambs CC attempt to keep the disruption and inconvenience to a minimum.

I have recently been appointed to the committee of the Francis John Clear Almshouses, an appointment that I am pleased to accept. This is yet another opportunity for me to be involved in the village together with my involvement in the management board for Melbourn Community Sports.

Should you have any matters, which you think I can assist you with, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Janice M Guest 01763 260894

Police & Neighbourhood Watch Robberies In South Cambridgeshire OFFICERS are linking 19 robberies and burglaries in South Cambridgeshire since November 4, 2007, where elderly victims have been targeted. Similar incidents have been happening across the region in Hertfordshire, Essex and Bedfordshire. The two latest incidents happened in Hildersham and Fulbourn on Monday, January 14th * The first incident happened at around 7.20pm at an address on Fromont Close, Fulbourn.Three men entered the house saying they were police officers.

They then searched the property and left with an amount of money. * The second incident happened at about 7.50pm at an address in Meadowlands, Hildersham.

Two men claiming to be police officers entered the house and stole an amount of money and three shotguns.

The first man is described as around 38-years-old, 5’6” tall with a stocky build and dark brown short hair.

He had a round reddish face with stubble and was wearing a dark blue baseball cap.

The second man is described as around 45-yearsold , 5’6” tall with a stocky build and stubble on his face. He was wearing a duffle coat with dark trousers and a hat.

Detective Inspector Alan Page said: “These offenders are not dressed like plain clothes police officers.

They are wearing baseball caps and duffle coats. In all most all occasions when house to house enquires are being carried out following a burglary or robbery the officers will be in uniform.

“I suspect that as the elderly have started to close the door on people claiming to be from the Water Board the offenders have now switched to claiming to be police. They are using this ruse to trick people into showing them where there valuables are kept.

“These are despicable crimes and I would appeal

Non emergency phone number 0845 4564564 or 01480 456111

to the community to report anything suspicious they may see. I suspect that the offenders are riding around looking for addresses to target so if you see a vehicle not local to the area riding around with multiple male occupants in an area where the elderly live phone the police control room saying you have a suspicious incident that relates to Op Promenade.

An officer will be dispatched to check these people out.”

People in the area are being are advised to keep doors and windows locked and to call 999 if you discover someone in your home claiming to be a police officer.

Anyone with any information can contact DI Page at Parkside Police Station on 0845 456 456 4 or call Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

Lee & Emma.

Police Report Jan 2008 I write to keep you informed about the recent series of incidents, largely in rural areas where elderly residents were being burgled. There has been extensive publicity about these crimes and you will recall the suspects either entered homes through insecure doors and windows or used bogus stories to gain access. For example, they claimed to be police officers or used a variety of stories to justify their presence.

Cambridgeshire Police set up Operation Promenade in response to this series of crimes. The operation consists of high visibility patrols, detectives assigned to the operation and preventative measures and advice by the Police Crime Reduction Unit and partner agencies.

We have received a number of very helpful telephone calls; identifying vehicles and sightings of possible offenders (We have a photo‑fit ID for one suspect and footprints from another site): these are providing us with useful lines of enquiries ‑ so do please continue to be vigilant and keep calling! (See below).

The Crime Reduction Unit, the Distraction Burglary and Rogue Trader Task Group and South Cambridgeshire Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership have all made significant contributions towards raising the awareness of the problem and the simple steps you can take to keep you safe, If you would like a talk from one of our Crime melbournmagazine

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Reduction Advisers, please do call Hilary Conner, manager of the Police Crime Reduction Unit on 0 1223 823479.

Thank you for your continued support and please continue to help us to keep our communities safe. We must keep up our guard.

Here is a reminder of a few simple steps that you can take: Ensure your front and back doors are locked (to prevent anyone just walking into your home) Ensure all windows, especially those on the ground floor are fitted with locks.

An intruder can gain entry through an opening no larger than 9” (22cm) so please take care with open windows.

When answering the door to a caller remember the following­.

Locked Before opening the front door, ensure the back door is locked.

Stop Think ‑ Are you expecting anyone? Do you normally get callers at this time?

Chain Always put the door chain or door bar across before you open the door. (This presents a physical and psychological barrier which shows the caller that you are in charge) Check Never assume that what the caller is saying is true.

Always ask for their I. D., take your time to check it and feel free to close the door whilst the checks are being made. Be aware that a bogus caller will have bogus I.D. so don’t always believe what is on the card e.g. telephone numbers especially mobile numbers. Always use the phone directory to authenticate identification.

Remember a genuine caller will not mind waiting or will call back at a more convenient time.

If you are still not sure, don’t open the door If you or a neighbour have any information about suspicious callers/vehicles in your area please call the Police on 0845 456 456 4 quoting Operation Promenade.

If you feel you are the victim of a crime and the suspect is still in the vicinity or you are witnessing a crime dial 999 immediately.

With your help we can put a stop to these despicable crimes.

Hilary Conner Crime Reduction Unit Manager Parkside Police Station Cambridge

Sat Nav theft Protect your Satellite Navigation System by registering it on www.immobilise.com.

Immobilise is a FREE way to identify property and catch thieves This site is searched thousands of times every day by police officers resulting in thieves being removed from the streets and property returned to its rightful owner.

It is very simple to register items on www.immobilise.com. A user I.D. and password is generated allowing YOU to access your site and add or delete items at any time. There is no limit to the number of items you can register. Registered items are instantly identifiable making it far more likely that your property will be returned, the thief found and a successful prosecution achieved.

Any item with a serial number, like Sat Navs, Laptops and ipods can be registered FREE of charge.

For items like jewellery, antiques or horses there is the facility to upload photographs.

Imagine the scenario that your house has been burgled and your computer, which contains the inventory of your belongings, has been stolen. If you had registered with www.immobilise.com you could go to any computer, log on with your own I.D. and password and print out an inventory for the insurance company and the police.

If you had a mobile phone stolen it is possible to register in retrospect on immobilise simply by contacting your airtime provider and asking for the IMEI number.

The reason for doing this is as follows: Having registered the IMEI number of the phone it is possible to go straight into the account and register the phone as lost/stolen. This means that, if the phone turns up in the hands of the police anywhere in the country, when they run a check on the IMEI number it will not only show that you are the registered owner but also the crime details. This will give police a fighting chance of finding out who committed the theft. It can give good evidence to support a successful prosecution and once blocked the handset will be ‘Immobilised ‘ and even replacing the Sim Card will not make the handset work again.

Don’t make it easy for thieves.

Go onto the ‘immobilise’ website and see how easy it is to register your property.

www.immobilise.com

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

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feature Raindrops

by Ella Whittlestone Year 10, Melbourn Village College Chapter 1 Rain is a really strange thing. We spend so much time complaining about it that we miss the fact that rain is actually millions of droplets of crystal clear water, falling from the sky.

Like fresh little diamonds; a gift from heaven. Would you not find it rather alarming if milk suddenly began to fall from the sky?! So why do we find water normal? Also, if we stopped trying to avoid it, we would realise how beautiful it is. And I did realise, and appreciate the rain as it fell on that Monday morning in November. But, ironically, it was that same day that the rain caused something awful to happen. In fact, awful doesn’t begin to cover it but, seeing as I can’t find a word that does, it will have to do.

So first I guess I should tell you a bit about me. I’m Lizzy Fisher, 15 years old and all that. My real name is Elizabeth but only teachers and my parents (when they are feeling daring) call me that. Elizabeth sounds so posh - and anyway, I was Elizabeth when I was younger. Now I’m Lizzy. In my ‘youth’, I was one of those children who made all the other mothers say things like ‘I hope my Florence grows up to be like your Elizabeth’, with soppy little grins on their faces. I sure was a sickly sweet child – the kind that women in their 30s simply adore. With my little pigtails and rosy cheeks, I left a trail of “Aww what a precious little girl!” everywhere I went.

But I was more than just a cute face. I’ve always been clever, but not so much with things like trigonometry and chemical formulas – it’s always been a more psychological thing. For example, from the age of 6 I was able to resolve my parents’ arguments. I would sit, listening to the words being shouted back and forth, and when I felt it was right, would come in with my advice. They saved a lot of money on relationship counselling!

However, some time after I had turned 13 I discovered that maturity and wisdom were not something people classed as ‘cool’. That’s when things started to go wrong. I decided to ignore the side of my brain full of morals and began to change; in a year I was smoking and staying out with friends all night. My once long, plaited hair was cut short, dyed black and hid most of my face. I had turned into a textbook rebel and the strange thing was – I knew it! Because my brain was so developed, I found it easy to separate myself from ‘good girl Elizabeth’ and become the girl every mum dreads their daughter turning into. I could feel myself changing and suddenly those admiring parents from long ago found themselves taking back their wish. I no longer attracted cooing but tutting from women who knew ‘my sort’.

None of this particularly bothered me – I had been forced to develop a pretty tough skin. But some thing that did get past the barrier and pierce my heart slightly, was the fact I was growing apart from the most important person in my life.

As a result of my sudden personality change, my previously good relationship with my mum spiralled into arguments and slammed doors and soon we were nothing more than two people who lived in the same house. And it was this bad relationship that had developed between us that was the cause of my haunting guilt. I guess it’s time to explain what this is all about.

So it was a typical Monday morning. The rain was hammering down outside as my mum hurried around getting ready for work. The phone rang and I got up from my spot by the window to answer it. It was Holly, one of my friends.

She was phoning to see what our plans were, as a biology test at school equalled bunking off to Holly. We agreed to meet outside school with clothes to change into before getting a train into town. I knew it was wrong and that we could get caught, but I had been numb with pretence for so long I didn’t take any notice of the angel on my shoulder. It was much easier to listen to the devil. I hurried upstairs with my school bag and into my room. I dug through the pile of clothes on my bedroom floor like a mole digging through a pile of earth. I found a pair of clean jeans and a navy hoody and stuffed them into my bag.

“Can we go now?” I called across the landing.

Without answering, my mum sped out of her bedroom and down the stairs, grabbing the keys on the table at the bottom. I followed after her – my taxi driver, that’s all she was to me.

We didn’t speak most of the way there. Several rather serious arguments the day before had left us as strangers.

When she stopped by the school gates, I leapt out of the car, spotting Holly. She wound down the window and shouted after me: “Do I not get a thank you?”

I thought this question through in my head. Holly was in earshot and I had been putting on an act of hating my parents for so long that what I said next didn’t even make me flinch.

“Of course not. I hate you.” And without looking back at my mum’s bewildered and most probably hurt face, I strode over to my friend to begin another day of pretence.

Chapter Two I don’t remember much about what happened between then and when I heard the news. All I know is that Holly and I got a train as planned but I can’t really recall what we did in town before my mobile went.

It was my dad, which came as a surprise. My relationship with him was better than with my mum, but we still weren’t close. We had been though, before I changed.

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I used to look up to my dad so much – I thought he knew everything. If I ever needed help with homework, he would sit me down and tell me all there was to know on that subject, and more! Most children would find this tiring and beg their dad to stop ‘lecturing them’ but I simply loved it. He was so animated and inspiring – there was a magic in his eyes!

But the magic in our relationship fizzled and died as soon as I stopped doing my homework. And it wasn’t because I didn’t ask for help any more – if I had he would have made an excuse. It was because he didn’t want to teach me anymore.

He no longer had expectations of me to get good grades and become an intelligent person with an amazing job. He gave up on me. So I just saw him as the man who paid for the food to go on our table and he saw me as the disappointing child who could have made something of her life.

So I saw that it was my dad and my first thought was, ‘I’ll have to pretend I’m at school.’ But when I answered the phone and heard the unfamiliar tone in his voice, I knew that him discovering I was skiving was the least of my worries.

I stubbed out the cigarette I had been smoking and answered the call.

“What is it? I’m at school and…” I began.

“Lizzy, this is… you know when… I just…I can’t….” he stuttered.

“What!?” I cried. Then suddenly, before I was ready (not that I could ever be ready), he blurted out: “Your mum was in a car crash and she’s in a coma.”

Chapter 3 The moment those words had left my dad’s lips everything went into slow motion. Time seemed not to exist, or maybe it just didn’t matter. I remember not knowing what to do; what to say. I took the phone away from my ear and just stood there, lost in a mist of confusion and unaware of my surroundings. It felt as though a haze had descended upon me, closing in, detaching me from the rest of the world. I stared intently ahead of me, as if searching for someone in a crowd – but in reality I saw nothing. I discovered later that Holly was speaking to me and asking what was the matter, but I wasn’t conscious of it at the time. All I kept thinking was that I had left my mum upset and in distress…

So the next thing I knew, I was crouched next to a hospital bed, looking down at my mum. There were all sorts of wires surrounding her and she had bruises and burns on her face and neck. She looked so pale and vulnerable. I leant over and gave her a soft kiss on her cheek – something I hadn’t done in years. Sighing, I rested my forehead against the side of the bed. The metal was cold and unwelcoming. I gazed down at my mum’s face – willing her to open her beautiful hazel eyes and whisper comforting words that would bring warmth to my stone cold insides. But she slept on.

Morning light swept through the thin curtains, filling the small room with a fresh glow. I had lost all sense of time and location. I knew, of course, that I was in hospital, but how and when I had got there was a mystery to me. Everything in my head was so messed up. For the first time in my life, I didn’t know how to feel. I’d experienced a lot of emotions: anger,

hate, desperation, fear – and had always thought they were the worst ways to feel. But I was so wrong. Looking down at my mum that day I had such a huge mix of emotions, all tumbling around inside me. My body simply couldn’t control them and so they all added up to a kind of numbness – that was the only way to describe it. I could not see, I could not hear, I could not think, I could not feel. I was numb.

Chapter 4 I was awakened by the sound of mumbling nearby. As I looked up, bleary eyed, I saw my dad having a hushed conversation with a stern-looking doctor. He stopped, mid-sentence, looking down at me. The corners of his mouth twitched as he attempted to smile, but I could see there was too much pain inside him. He came over to where I was slouched. I looked up and whispered: “How did it happen, Dad?” “The windscreen wipers broke – they got jammed. There was so much rain – your poor mum couldn’t see a thing. She panicked, tried to swerve and went too far. She drove into a brick wall, Lizzy.”

I didn’t know how to take this news. I sat still for a moment.

And then I collapsed, sobbing into my hands. It had been so long since I had properly cried that I found myself not only crying for my mum, but also crying for the way my life had turned out. Hot tears flowed down my face as my dad bent down to hold me.

After some time he whispered, “C’mon. Let’s get you home to bed.”

He pulled me up gently and then stopped, gazing down at Mum. I watched his face crease as grief filled him. His eyes sparked with tears as though it was the first time he had truly realised what was going on. After a few seconds, he gave a heart-breaking sigh and slowly guided me out of the room.

By the time we got home, both of our faces were wet and sticky. It had been a long day.

The next morning I woke early and decided to go for a walk to sort out my scrambled head. Dad was still in bed so I crept silently out of the house, into the frosty air. I walked along the road for a bit until I got to a dirt track. My feet felt very heavy as I walked on the hard ground. As I breathed in and out, a mist rose from my mouth to join the surrounding air. I pulled my coat tighter around me, shivering slightly.

Looking up ahead, I saw the top of the track where it met the motorway. The cars driving along it looked as small as match tips, but I knew I could get there. I walked on at a steady pace, scuffing pebbles with my trainers. I thought about my mum and all the things I loved about her. I pictured giving her a hug and breathing in her sweet perfume as she stroked my hair. I pictured her dropping me off at school, telling me to have a good day. I pictured her snuggled up on the sofa with my dad, drinking wine with him – laughing together.

Then I pictured her in the hospital bed – lifeless. Would she ever wake up? And if she did, would things simply go back to how they were before the accident – back to the arguments?

I hoped not.

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I decided it was time to analyze my life. I had avoided the topic for so long that it was a daunting prospect, but I knew it was the only way to make things right. I thought back to my childhood and was suddenly flooded with a feeling of warmth and happiness. I had no regrets from this time and remembered the feeling of being comfortable just being myself. This was the sunshine part of my life. However, thinking back, I almost despised the child I once was, for being so carefree and true to herself. Why did everything have to get harder all of a sudden? I then thought about how it all changed – a time of bitter confusion and disorder. This part of my life was the rain. But I didn’t want to get wet anymore. I was soaked through and it had done me no good. At that very moment I reached the top of the track. Staring in a trance at the cars whizzing past, just a few metres away from me, I realised that the only way I could ever get dry was to make the sun appear again. Waiting for it didn’t work – you had to find it yourself.

And so I did.

Chapter 5 The sun is a really strange thing. If someone told you about a place where there is a ‘huge hot thing’ in the sky, millions of miles away, that somehow keeps people alive, you would think they were a little on the batty side. But that place is our earth. That huge hot thing is our sun. The other strange thing is that, in general, we prefer the sun because the rain gets us wet while the sun warms us up. However, the sun can potentially do a lot more damage, being a scorching hot ball of fire that can blind you if you look at it for too long, than a few drops of water. This said, it was the sunshine that had filled my childhood I was seeking to reignite, not the rain.

I thought through all the things that needed to change, and bit by bit I improved my life. I went to the hospital every day to visit Mum, and told her how I was fixing all my mistakes. She probably couldn’t hear me, but I found it encouraging. It was almost as if saying it out loud to her made it more real and therefore something I couldn’t just ‘stop bothering’ to do. Time passed and Mum slept on. Nobody knew when, or if, she would come out of her coma, but we all lived in hope.

One rainy afternoon in late December, I went to visit her. I knelt down beside her bed as usual.

“Hey there, Mum,” I wobbled, taking her hand in mine.

“How you doing? I thought I’d come by to let you know – I’ve quit smoking for good. I always knew I was stupid taking up the habit, however much I ignored your pleading.

Every time I feel like picking up a cigarette now, I just picture you lying here and the addiction leaves me. I’m free from it, Mum! I’ve stopped hanging around with Holly and that lot too. A girl in my English class invited me round her house the other day – you’d really like her. And you know what? I really like her too. I can be myself with her. I’m doing much better in school – I surprise a new teacher every day! I wish so much that you could wake up – I think you’d be proud of me, Mum. I’m going back to being your little Elizabeth, only taller… and…and less pigtailed. But the great thing is, Mum, I’m not just doing this for you. I mean, you obviously triggered it, but I’m doing it for myself too. I know I’m becoming a bet-

ter person – the person I’m meant to be. I was never meant to be the girl who hated her mum… I’ve never hated you. Oh please just wake up so I can tell you that. I love you, Mum.” I sat there, by her side, for a really long time that day. I felt so at peace, telling her - mostly for my benefit, about how my life was improving. It was as if I was flushing out all the bad stuff and with the new came hope and happiness.

I couldn’t wait to see the pride in her eyes when she woke up – I always assumed she would eventually wake up. But after Christmas came and went, with only two in the house, I began to question this. I had never pictured what would happen if she simply didn’t come out of her coma. I had been too absorbed in my own life to think about hers. It seemed as if her life had been put on pause while I made the effort to change, but now that my life was sorted, however hard I pressed the play button to bring her back, she didn’t awake.

Hope slowly began to slip from my weakening grasp and I fell once again in to a maze of confusion. One day when I simply couldn’t bear it any longer, I decided to open up to my dad.

We sat in the living room and had a really long, refreshing talk.

I discovered that he had the same haunting fear as I did and that the load was slightly lighter once we’d shared.

It was the first time since my childhood that I had felt myself really admiring my dad. I could see that he wasn’t afraid to show his feelings and that really inspired me. I told him how I thought he’d given up on me. He said he’d never given up, he just thought I didn’t want to learn anymore. I told him how I’d just been afraid to be myself and thought it would be easier to change into someone that would fit in. He completely understood and I had a funny feeling the magic had returned to our relationship. And to be honest - a bit of magic in my life at that time was something I desperately needed.

Chapter 6 It was a Sunday afternoon in January. I had just been down to the local store to get some vegetables for our lunch and was on my way home when my mobile went. It was my dad.

Whenever I was out and my dad called I always got a glimmer of hope – thinking it would be news of Mum. It never was, so my expectations had dropped. However, I had a funny feeling about this call.

“Hi, Dad,” I said, softly.

“Lizzy – the hospital just called.”

My heart skipped a beat – it was either very good or very bad news. I crossed my fingers.

“She’s come round, Lizzy!”

I screamed down the phone and took the rest of the journey home at a run. When I got in, Dad was waiting in the hall and I dropped my shopping to run at him with a film-style hug. We jumped into the car and headed off to the hospital with hearts as light as cotton wool. I found myself wishing I could have been there to be the first person she saw once she woke up, like in the films, but I knew I was being selfish.

She was awake – something I had dreamt of happening for

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months. I was jittery and so eager to show her what I’d done while she’d been away. I kept making little squealing noises unintentionally – letting out the excitement that filled me.

However, right at the pit of my stomach was a small amount of fear. I would be strange to hear her voice again - like seeing your family after a long holiday with school. It’s great, but they somehow seem a little unfamiliar. I hadn’t thought, until then, about the fact that it would be strange to see her moving and speaking again. We pulled into the hospital car park and I sent this thought out of my brain. Excitement was a much better feeling.

We checked in at the hospital desk and made our way to Mum’s room. When we got there, standing outside was the doctor I had seen Dad talking to that very first night. Dad acknowledged him and went to pass him into my mum’s room, but he put a hand in the way of the door.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Fisher, I can imagine you are eager to see your wife. I must however have a word with you beforehand.”

He guided us slowly into the relatives’ room down the hall and we sat obediently.

“Is there something wrong, Doctor?” my father asked politely.

“I didn’t feel I should tell you over the phone,” he said, with a serious look on his face. Dad took my hand and I squeezed his.

“Your wife…” He looked at me. “Your mother… has suffered some memory loss. We didn’t notice it whilst she was in the coma, but now she has emerged from it she is showing very strong signs.”

Numbness filled me once again. Was it never to be easy?

“We aren’t sure quite how far back she can remember. It’s likely that she will remember both of you but she may not be able to recall the past few years.”

I gulped. Dad looked at me. The fear I had earlier felt crept back into my mind and began to encase it. I could tell by the look on Dad’s face that he felt the same way. We sat there and talked about it for a while with the doctor before he left us alone, saying we could go and visit her when we chose.

He did, however, warn us to ‘expect the worst’. This meant that there was a chance she wouldn’t know who we were.

That thought was too unimaginable so I pushed it out of my head. It was a lot easier that way.

Chapter 7 Whenever I had previously entered the little room, feelings of hope and sadness went in with me. But today my emotions were quite different. I was excited and yet anxious. I couldn’t decide which combination I preferred. It was beginning to darken outside and the familiar room was full of shadows. It took a few seconds for my eyes to adjust to the dim lighting, but when they did, I saw her. I had expected to find her in her bed, as usual, so was a little surprised to see her stood by the window at the far end of the room. Turning on her heel as she heard us enter, my mum gave a little jump of surprise.

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A thousand thoughts were scattering themselves around my brain. But none came out via my mouth. Dad was the first to speak.

“Hey there, stranger,” he whispered.

The room was so silent that his words echoed a hundred times in my head. The look on Mum’s face was hard to read.

Just as I was about to accept she didn’t have a clue who we were, she ran at me - grabbing us both into a huge embrace that sent warmth shooting up my spine.

“Look how you’ve grown!” Hair and clothing muffled her cry but it was so good to hear her voice again. I realised she was referring to me and wondered how big I was last time she thought she saw me. But at that moment it simply didn’t matter – I didn’t care! I had my mum back and it was the best feeling in the whole world.

After a while of standing around in shock and tears, we sat down on the bed to talk.

“So… what have I missed?” Mum asked, with a look of contentment on her face. I looked at Dad. “How far back can you remember?” he asked.

“Oh gosh…” She stared into space for some time. “I remember Elizabeth being born, of course.”

My ears pricked up at the use of my old name.

“I distinctly remember her 10th birthday for some reason.

I have this very strong image of us all stood round a cake singing happy birthday. I remember your first day of college, Elizabeth! But after that it’s all a bit of a blur.”

Then, all of a sudden, I realized that if Mum could not remember anything that happened in the past few years at least, she would not remember my transformation from Elizabeth to Lizzy. I gave an inward gasp as it all became so obvious – how had I not realised it before? Dad turned to face me; he had worked it out too. Mum had no idea that my life had taken a dramatic turn. She knew not that I had strayed off my designated path to climb barbed wire fences.

As far as she knew, I had stayed on my path and picked wild flowers on the way. I was just about to open my mouth and tell her exactly what she’d missed, when something stopped me. What good would telling her do?

I shut my mouth and smiled quietly to myself. Everything was going to work out.

Chapter 8 A few years on, I am sitting in an English class. We are studying famous quotes and there is a list with one for each person in the class to read aloud. It comes to my turn. I look down and clearly read: “You need both sunshine and rain to make a rainbow.”

As soon as I’ve read it, I know that this is the phrase that sums up my life. I had enjoyed the sunshine of my childhood and borne with the raindrops that came in my teens. With a little work on my part, and a little magic in the sky, a rainbow was formed.

A rainbow is a really strange thing…

Strange, but beautiful.

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To make an appointment please contact:

01763 261777 or 260894 mobile 0795 607 5166 melbournmagazine

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www.melbourn.org.uk

Community Education Val Tookey 260566

Melbourn’s’outstanding’ Nursery School – ‘Little Hands’

Little Hands Karen on 01763 260964

The “Little Hands” Nursery School on the Moor in Melbourn provides private preschool education for children aged 2 to 5 years. The school operates during term times and also offers holiday clubs during the main school holidays.

In November 2007 the Nursery School was inspected by Ofsted who rated the quality and standards of care provided by ‘Little Hands’ as ‘outstanding’ and the quality and standards of the Nursery Education provided by ‘Little Hands’ again as ‘outstanding’. Basically this means that in terms of both the care and Nursery Education provided, Ofsted think there are no areas of the services provided by “Little Hands” which can be improved upon.

Very few private Nursery Schools receive the accolade of ‘outstanding’ from Ofsted as basically it means that all aspects of the provision are of exceptionally high quality.

This is a ringing endorsement of the practical philosophy of ‘Little Hands’ which is, and always has been, ‘Learning Through Play’.

‘Little Hands’ offers morning, afternoon and lunchtime Nursery School sessions as well as Pre-School sessions, to prepare our older children for infant school.

Holiday clubs for children from 2 to 8 years of age are also held in the main school holidays.

Free funded sessions are available every afternoon from 1.30 ‘till 4.00pm.

If you would like to learn more about what ‘Little Hands’ has to offer you and your child please telephone Karen on 01763 260964 during school hours or Jane on 01223 503972 at other times. Alternatively you can e-mail Karen at lh-melbourn@ btconnect.com or Jane at janemarshall@littlehands.co.uk.

Melbourn Playgroup Jane Crawford 07842 151512 Notre Ecole Janet Whitton 261231 Primary School Headmaster Maynard Dunlop 223457 Toy Library Yasmin Croxford 220246 U3A (Univ. of Third Age) Chairman John Stevens 261858 Village College Warden Elaine Stephenson 223400

Melbourn Primary School “Round the back!” shout the innkeeper and his wife. “Round the back!” they shout at each intrusion into their night-time slumbers. It’s the week before we break up for Christmas and our youngest children are performing their variation on the nativity play to their parents. Genuine but polite laughter follows each time as the shepherds and the kings are treated with something less than good manners and directed to the stable, which is “round the back”. It is good to see that the humour appeals equally to our children as they gain confidence from the audience’s reaction. I am tempted to say that the story is a modern variation on the traditional theme but it is more than that. It contains all of the elements of the stable in Bethlehem and thus keeps with the traditional but the words coming from the innkeeper bring a twenty-first century dimension. Polite tolerance with a strong sense of frustration. Life is so hectic that the hours of sleep are vital, no time to stand back and marvel at the wondrous event, blaming everyone else for your life being hard, blaming others for messing up our normal life pattern…

Luckily, on seeing the new-born baby the innkeeper and his wife soften – “Aaah, what a lovely baby!” they both say and the audience mirrors the line with their own expressions of joy and wonder.

In the same week our older children offer a well-presented production that is melbournmagazine

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written entirely by themselves. Poems highlight the various Christmas themes and traditions again leave a warm feeling that despite the pressures of life (and even ten year olds suffer from pressures) a time to reflect on families and love is no bad thing. Equally successful, the production draws praise from parents and generosity in their comments, not only about the hard work of the children but also the maturity of their thoughts.

At both productions an exit collection is gathered, producing £360 for Childline, our chosen charity for the year. Childline is now part of NSPCC and focuses on supporting children who are victims of child abuse. That parents give so generously reflects both their appreciation of the children’s efforts and the acknowledgement of the realities of our society that cause an organisation like Childline to exist.

Prior to Christmas we had a busy but long Autumn term.

Illnesses affect huge numbers of children and, for the younger children especially, the end of term can’t come too soon.

However, being busy and doing exciting things carries us all through. A group of children formed a choir and over a number of weeks they gave up their lunchtimes to learn carols and songs. They perform firstly at Country Gardens to an audience of parents and shoppers and then as part of our inschool productions. Another performance is for the residents of Southwell Court and many of them join in with carols that they know. All seem to value the children’s presence and our children respond with friendly chatter around a biscuit and a drink.

On the penultimate day of term our cooks served the Christmas dinner (a mammoth production – serving two hundred meals in an hour!) and then the children had an entertainer and party fun. The final morning saw a long-awaited talent show with over twenty acts providing a wide range of acts from singers to magicians, from musicians to majorettes.

Over the past weeks members of the School Council had sat through auditions to trim down the keen and willing to a

manageable number for the show. With a mixture of patience and sensitivity the “judges” compiled a well-balanced and entertaining show. Whilst television versions of this process may have offered a model for the judges’ behaviour, it was refreshing to see thoughtfulness and consideration for all and their abilities. At the end I realised that not only does Melbourn have talent, it also has good manners!

Our term ends and I wonder why, despite the busy nature of the Christmas period, that this time of year in a primary school is so enjoyable. Staff and children are justifiably ready for a break but we are all prepared to go that little bit further, to try to bring joy and pleasure to the lives of others, to put others first and ourselves last.

Maynard Dunlop, Headteacher

Melbourn Primary School PTFA present A Quiz Night for quiz masters and those just wanting a fun night out!

Sat 8th March, 7.30pm, Melbourn Primary School Hall Teams of 4-6 people, £7.00 per person including fish and chip supper Licensed bar available.

Sign up sheets are available from the School Office during School hours, and must be booked in advance. email:awkhwebb@aol.com if more information required.

Alison Webb PTFA member of Melbourn Primary School

“Round the back” – infant Christmas production melbournmagazine

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Village College Head Boy, Head Girl and ‘House’ System A number of changes to the organization of the College have been agreed in recent weeks. In September, Year 11 prefects took up their posts of responsibility. On this occasion, however, a further refinement involved the appointment of a Head Boy and a Head Girl whose job, ably supported by the Deputy Head Boy and Girl, is to represent the voice of our students and to represent the College as a whole. The successful candidates were Tom Preston and Katie Dean.

From September we also introduced a new ‘house’ system.

This will provide a framework for a wide range of college activities, including sports competitions and arts activities. From a shortlist of 10 famous names, all of them having strong associations with Cambridge University, our students voted for the following four: Darwin, Franklin, Lewis and Newton- an eclectic selection! Charles Darwin, C.S. Lewis and Isaac Newton are well known. The fourth name, Rosalind Franklin, is perhaps less familiar. In fact, she was an important early pioneer in the discovery of DNA, working at the same time as Francis Crick and James Watson.

Performing Arts A wide range of performing arts activities continued to be made available during the Autumn term. There were two outstanding concerts- the traditional Christmas concert in December and, earlier, two evenings of ‘MVC at the Movies’, the theme of the latter being the songs and soundtracks to some of the country’s best loved films. Those people lucky enough to get tickets will probably never listen to ‘Saturday Night Fever’ in the same way again!

Just before the Christmas break, members of the Year 11 GCSE Drama group were fortunate enough to see the London production of ‘The Woman in Black’, a play version of Susan Hill’s gothic chiller. Even better, they were invited to take part in a Drama workshop with some of the professional actors. Luke Davis’s review of the performance itself appears below.

OFSTED Following our two-day inspection for PSHEE (Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education), much of the extra-curricular work undertaken in our Independent Learning Plan programme, Sports Leaders initiative and Extended Schools activities was praised by Ofsted.

In addition, the students were judged to be very polite, mature and thoughtful. The Inspector felt that they are good listeners, able to articulate their thoughts and question appropriately. Student Council members were perceived as making a positive contribution to the College and feeling that they have a range of adults that they can talk to. The Inspector was also very complimentary about the quality and range of healthy food choices available to students at break and lunch times.

Stop Press We have just received news that the College is to be presented with the ‘Sportsmark’ award. ‘Sportsmark’ recognizes those schools where the percentage of students participating in at

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least two hours of high quality PE and school sport each week is significantly above the national average.

Andrew Allsworth Deputy Warden

Review of ‘The Woman in Black’ It was a cold, dark December afternoon and the Melbourn Village College Year 11 Drama GCSE class all screamed in unison. Having made the excitable journey to London, we had reached The Fortune Theatre where we were to see a matinee performance of the spine-chilling play, The Woman In Black.

After attending a short workshop in the theatre, we took to our seats. None of us was prepared for what was to follow. It was the first night of a new cast for the production but this didn’t show through. The infamous play was brought to life before our eyes in all its terrifying glory. The brilliant performance by the two-man cast combined with the heart-stopping use of stage, lighting and sound techniques had many of the Year 11 girls (and too many of the boys) hiding their eyes. The amazing tension created in the perfectly small, Victorian-style theatre made it hard to distinguish between the screams which were intended sound effects and those coming from members of the audience. As the play drew to a close, a spooky tapping noise in the middle of an eerie silence (which the actors later revealed had had nothing to do with them) had inspired such fear in us that we were somewhat unwilling to walk into the darkness to begin our journey home. There was, however, one person who appeared completely unfazed by the whole ordeal. Mr Belbin, our music teacher who had accompanied us on the trip, had dozed off in his seat before the interval.

Luke Davis, Year 11

Public Speaking and Magistrates Court Competitions Four of our Year 8 students recently took part in the South Cambridgeshire Rotary Club Speaking Contest. They were the winning team in this district event, beating off competition from twelve other schools, and now move onto the regional contest in Bury St Edmunds in February, when their topic will be ‘bullying should become a criminal offence’.

A selection of Year 8 and 9 students who have an interest in the law are practising to take part in the Citizenship Foundation’s Mock Magistrates’ Court Competition. Students take on the roles of lawyers, witnesses, magistrates and court staff and prepare the prosecution and defence of specially written criminal cases. Our team will compete against other schools in a live format at Cambridge Magistrates’ Courts in March, with their performances judged by Magistrates and other legal professionals.

PTFA The PTFA continues to support the College in a number of significant ways. They organized a Christmas Craft Fair which took nearly £2,000, whilst a more recent ‘Murder Mystery’ evening raised £540. This, together with other money raised so far this year, is being used for projects around the College, including a

continued on page 35

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

Milton

Thriplow

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

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

• Glass • Scrap metal

Melbourn Bus Timetables

• Waste oil

Note: These times have been taken from the companies website, but are subject to change, please telephone the company for updates.

• Fridges/freezers • Car batteries • Textiles • Cardboard • TVs and computers (incl. monitors) Please Note: the sites will only accept waste from household sources.

Bin collection

reminder for Melbourn Box Box** Box

Box Box Box Box

** Saturday collection

45 650 0280 Wheeled Bin Hotline 08 For collections of large household items

n telephone For more informatio 0845 0450 063

Cambridge Drummer Street bay 7 The Leys School Trumpington Maris Lane Harston village hall Foxton Memorial Shepreth garden centre Melbourn car park Royston bus station Royston Tesco Royston Burns Road

0840 0845 0851 0859 0905 0907 0911 0920 0926 0928

0940 0945 0951 0959 1005 1007 1011 1020 1026 1028

40 45 51 59 05 07 11 20 26 28

1440 1445 1451 1459 1505 1507 1511 1520 1526 1528

1540 1545 1551 1559 1605 1607 1611 1630 1621 1623

1640 LR 1656 1704 1710 1712 1716 1735 1726 1728

1740 1746 1751 1759 1805 1807 1811 1820

1840 1846 1851 1859 1905 1907 1911 1920

1826

1926

until

Box

26

DAYS (EXCEPT PUBLIC HOLIDAYS) Cambridge to Melbourn (Royston)

until

Box

MONDAYS TO SATURDAYS (Except Public Holidays)

1548 1552 1554 1600 1608 1614 1620

1648 1652 1654 1700 1708 1714 1720

1748 1752 1754 1800 1808 1814 1820

Melbourn to Cambridge Melbourn car park Shepreth garden centre Foxton Memorial Harston village hall Trumpington Maris Lane The Leys School Cambridge Drummer Street

0708 0712 0714 0720 0728 0734 0740

0738 0742 0744 0750 0758 0804 0820

0918 0922 0924 0930 0938 0944 0950

0948 0952 0954 1000 1008 1014 1020

hourly at

Box

then

Black Bin Green Bin and Black Bin** Green Bin and Black Bin Green Bin and Black Bin Green Bin and Black Bin Green Bin and Black Bin Green Bin and Black Bin Green Bin and Black Bin Green Bin and Black Bin Green Bin and Black Bin Green Bin and Black Bin

hourly at

March March March March April April April April May May May May May June June June June July July July July

then

7 14 22 29 4 11 18 25 2 9 16 23 30 6 13 20 27 4 11 18 25

48 52 54 00 08 14 20

A on Saturdays and during school holidays may arrive at Drummer Street up to 10 minutes earlier

Local Bus companies Stagecoach in Cambridge 01223 423578 – Huntingdon & District 01480 453159 – Alans Bus & Coach 01763 245073

melbournmagazine

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important numbers

Places of worship

Police (non emergency) 0845 456 4564 Crimestoppers Freephone 0800 555111 Melbourn Police Station opening Hours Mon to Thu 10am-12 noon/7pm-9pm* This station is open to the public at times shown above, with trained Community Volunteers. Opening hours may vary, please see notices displayed at the station and around the village.

Neighbourhood Watch Steven Cambery s.cambery@ntlworld.com CAB Royston Childline

01763 238020 0800 1111

Samaritans

08457 909090

Hospitals Addenbrooke’s Royston

01223 245151 01763 238020

OUT OF HOURS EMERGENCIES

Camdoc NHS Direct (queries 24hrs)

Education All Saints Playgroup Jane Crawford 07842 151512 Childminding Group Sec. Vacancies Co-ordinator Heidi Hardwidge 221625 Community Education (activities from toddlers to adults) Val Tookey 260566 Library LAP Mike Stapleton 269956 Little Hands Nursery School 260964 Out of school times 01223 503972 Notre Ecole Janet Whitton 261231 Primary School Headmaster Maynard Dunlop 223457 Toy Library 261261 U3A (Univ. of Third Age) Chairman John Stevens 261858 Hon Sec Hilary Docwra 222486 Mem Sec Arthur Alderton 260399 Village College Warden Elaine Stephenson 223400 Health

01223 464242 0845 4647

Services Anglian Water 08457 145 145 Gas emergency 0800 111 999 Electricity 08007 838838 South Cambs District Fire & Rescue Service 01223 376217 Transport British Rail Enquiries 08457 484950 Stagecoach Cambus 08706 082608 Melbourn Magazine Ann Dekkers Editor Peter Dekkers Advertising Mavis Howard Parish Profile Eric Johnston Distribution Peter Simmonett Design & Village website Mary Woodcock Village Diary & Proof reading Anne Lambert Information Collection Shaun Coles Information Collection Brenda Meliniotis Information Collection

All Saints Church Rev Andrew O’Brien Melbourn Vicarage 260295 Curate Mary Price 261569 Churchwardens Christine van Vliet 223063

Colin Wilson 261705 Baptist Church Rev. Stuart Clarke 261650 Secretary Georgie Wilson 261223 United Reformed Church Minister Rev. Duncan Goldie 260747 Non-stripendary minister Rev. Carol Pearle Secretary Anne Field 220869

261144 261144 260686 220197 220363 260818 261480 260327 261154

email: magazine@melbourn.org.uk

Age Concern 01223 506002 Blood Donors Sue Cane 262320 Chiropodist 263260 Citizen’s Advice Bureau 238020 Community Care Val Trueman 260191 Dentist 262034 District N s (Primary Care Trust) 261775 Homestart Sarah Dixon & L Davies 242919 S Cambs PCT 35 Orchard Road Child & Family Nurses 262861 Melbourn and Meldreth Self-Help Jayne White 220250 Car Scheme 245228 Orchard Surgery Appointments 260220 Dispensary 261246 For repeat prescriptions send email: prescriptions.orchardsurgery@nhs.net Osteopath Kath Harry 261716 St John Ambulance Robert Jakubiak 220507 Warden & sheltered housing schemes Dial-A-Ride Mobile Warden Scheme 24 hr Emergency No. Val Trueman Neighbourhood Watch Scheme Stephen Cambery

We shall be pleased to receive contributions in any form, articles, poems, drawings, photographs, letters etc., pertaining to Melbourn. Please send any contributions to the Office of the Parish Clerk, Council Offices, 28 Station Rd, Melbourn SG8 6DX, marking them ‘MELBOURN MAGAZINE’ or you can email them to magazine@melbourn.org.uk Apart from printing, all work on the Melbourn Magazine, including layout and design is produced by volunteers.

The cost of production comes entirely from advertising and sponsorship. No public money is used.

01223 506335 220402 07403 251226 261520

Safer Melbourn Initiative Val Trueman 220402 Vicarage Close Warden Sally Miller (Mon 9 am to Wed 1pm) Joy Hyde (Wed 1pm Fri 5pm) 263389 John Impey Way Jeanette Holland 269596 Southwell Court 262121 Moorlands 260564 clubs Air Cadets 2484 (Bassingbourn) Squadron Martin Stamp 249156 Mon & Wed evenings 7 – 9.30 p.m.

Army Cadets Ted Neathey 0775 1334 314 Tuesday evenings at The Moor 7.15 to 9.30pm Bellringers John Gipson 262846 Brownies Samantha Pascoe (Brown Owl) 261400 Brownies 1st Melbourn Stephanie Clifford 220272 Cambells (Handbells) Eira Martin 261221 Dramatic Society Kathy Wholley 223805

email k_wholley@hotmail.com

Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Stuart Morris 208634 Gardening Helen Powell 245887 Guides Hilary Marsh 261443 Mother’s Union Anne Harding 260759 Melbourn & District Mushroom Club Helene Davies 01954 789 947 or m.07903 456 628 National Trust Colin Limming 260072 New Melbourn Singers Pat Vince 260300 Photography George Statter 261341 Ramblers Dave Allard 242677 Royal British Legion Patrick Parkinson 262617 Royal British Legion Women Elizabeth Murphy 220841 Royal National Lifeboat Institution Jean Emes 245958 Royston and District Local History Society David Allard 242677 Royston and District Round Table 221398 RSPB Doug Radford 208978 SOAS (Supporters of All Saints’) Doreen Johnston 220197 Youth Club Amanda Bernard 223407 Women’s Group Jane Stevens 261858 sport Badminton Steve Jackson Bowls Jacqui Dodds Croquet Janet Pope Football Club Andrew Edwards XMVC Dolphin FC Simon Gascoyne Judo Derek Coult Melbourn Community Sports Meldreth Tennis Club Sue Davies Swimming Club Jenny Brackley Squash Club Nick Sugden

248774 243667 248342 223109 261703 225004 263313 220174 244593 261064

If the code is NOT given before a telephone number it is 01763. This list will be updated in future issues on the basis of information received

Adverts are to be supplied as finished artwork and must be at the sizes below.

Please send artwork via post or email to magazine@melbourn.org.uk We print 2200 copies of the Melbourn Magazine which is delivered free to every house in the village four times a year. The current rates for advertising in the Magazine are as follows: Size per…

Width x Height Issue Annum Colour 1/4 inside page (79 × 128 mm) £19 £69 £90 £120 £150 1/2 inside page (163 × 128 mm) £34 Full inside page (163 × 262 mm) £66 £237 £300 1/2 back cover (180 × 128 mm) – – £180 (outside colour only) Full back cover (180 × 262 mm) – – £375 (outside colour only).

magazine@melbourn.org.uk

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

Payments for an entire year are at a discount of 10%.

Remittance or cheques should be made to Melbourn Parish Council.

The closing date for the next issue is 16th May which will appear in June, listing events in June, July and August

MARCH MARCH continued Sat 1st Mon 3rd Tue 4th

Wed 5th Thu 6th

Fri 7th Sat 8th

Tue 11th

Wed 12th

Fri 14th Sat 15th

Tue 18th Wed 19th

Thu 20th

Fri 21st

Sat 22nd Sun 23rd

Coffee Stop’ in Vicarage Close, 10.30 – 12 noon Homestart Course, Queen’s Road Methodist Church, Royston 9.30 a.m. – 12.30p.m.

Photographic Club: Inter-Club Print and Slide battle. Melbourn/Saffron Walden/Letchworth Judge, Barrie Hatten Coffee Break; Baptist Church Hall 10.30–12 noon Royston & District Local History Society Royston Town Hall 8 p.m: On the road in 1910, illustrated. Peter Ibbett World Book Day Friday Coffee at URC Women’s World Day of Prayer URC ‘Coffee Stop’ in Vicarage Close, 10.30 – 12 noon, with British Legion Cake Stall Primary School Quiz Night, 7.30 p.m.

Gardening Club, 7.30 p.m. at MVC: Wimpole Past, Present and Future, Mr Waites, Head Gardener.

Photographic Club: Print of the Year (2007/2008) Judge, Liz Hatten.

Coffee Break; Baptist Church Hall 10.30–12 noon URC: Reflective Service led by Mrs Penny Flynn, 7 p.m.

Friday Coffee at URC ‘Coffee Stop’ in Vicarage Close, 10.30 – 12 noon, with Table-top Sale in aid of Church Hall Photographic Club: Melbourn Trophy Final at Foxton. Judge, Barbie Lindsay.

Meldretg Pre-School Easter Fair. Village Hall 12-2 p.m.

Wimpole Hall and Estate re-open Photographic Club: An evening with Andy who?

Andy Hanson.

Coffee Break; Baptist Church Hall 10.30–12 noon Melbourn & District U3A, 2.45 at MVC: Beryl Lawry talks about “Bangladesh; the early years”.

Maundy Thu 8p.m. at Baptist Church. Communion Service ‘Journey of Jesus begins’ URC Service: 7.30 Bassingbourn All Saints’ Church: Holy Communion & washing of feet, 8 p.m.

End of School Term Good Fri 9 a.m. Walk of Witness, Churches Together, beginning at Sheen Mill 9 a.m.

Baptist and URC Churches; 10 a.m. at Melbourn URC Church Baptist Church, 1 to 4 p.m. ‘Journey of Jesus – Experience’ All Saints’ Church: 12 noon – 1 p.m. Church open for prayer 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. All Saints’: Led Devotion Come and Sing: Rutter Requiem in All Saints’ Church. Practice 3 p.m.Performance 7.30 p.m.

‘Coffee Stop’ in Vicarage Close, 10.30 – 12 noon.

Easter Day Baptist church: Family service 10.30 a.m. – 11.30 a.m. “Journey of Jesus – Lives” URC Church Service 11 a.m.

All Saints’ Church: 8 a.m. Holy Communion, and 9.45 a.m. Family Communion Denny Abbey Farmland Museum: Great Easter Egg Trail

Mon 24th Denny Abbey Farmland Museum: Great Easter Egg Trail Wed 26th Coffee Break; Baptist Church Hall 10.30–12 noon Thu 27th Denny Abbey: Drop-in Children’s Holiday Activity Day Fri 28th Friday Coffee at URC Royston & Saffron Walden NT Association: AGM with a talk by Jenny Jordan of the Trust’s Regional Office. Saffron Walden County High school sports centre, 7.30 p.m.

Sat 29th ‘Coffee Stop’ in Vicarage Close, 10.30 – 12 noon

APRIL Tue 1st Photographic Club: AGM Wed 2nd Coffee Break; Baptist Church Hall 10.30–12 noon Thu 3rd Royston & District Local History Society: 8 p.m.

Royston Town Hall: Digging up Robert Sayle, illustrated. Alison Dickens Denny Abbey: as March 27th Fri 4th Friday Coffee at URC Sat 5th ‘Coffee Stop:Vicarage Close, 10.30 – 12 noon Tue 8th Photographic Club: Slide of the Year (2007/2008) Judge, Dr John Law Wed 9th Coffee Break; Baptist Church Hall 10.30–12 noon Fri 11h Friday Coffee at URC Sat 12th ‘Coffee Stop‘ in Vicarage Close, 10.30 – 12 noon, with Link Muranga Stall Lifeboat Day in Royston Denny Abbey 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Garden Willow Weaving Workshop Tue 15th Photographic Club: Wed 16th Coffee Break: Baptist Church Hall, 10.30 – 12noon Melbourn & District U3A 2.45 at MVC: Chloe Cockerill on “The Lion and the Unicorn, British Monarchs and their Heraldry” Fri 18th Friday Coffee at URC Sat 19th ‘Coffee Stop’ 10.30 – 12 noon, in Vicarage Close, Stall for sponsored Great Wall of China Trek in aid of Scope ‘Spring Fayre’ Melbourn Primary School 1 – 4 p.m.

Sun 20th Denny Abbey 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.: Japanese Felting Workshop Tue 22nd Tennis Club Year begins 7.45 p.m. Women’s Group: Wed 23rd Coffee Break; Baptist Church Hall 10.30–12 noon Fri 25th Friday Coffee at URC Royston & Saffron Walden NT Association: Barry Kaufman-Wright “Landscapes of Britain” Royston Town Hall 7.30 p.m.

Sat 26th ‘Coffee Stop’ 10.30 – 12 noon, in Vicarage Close.

Sun 27th Bowls Club Open Day Denny Abbey: Life drawing Workshop,10 am–1 pm Wed 30th Coffee Break; Baptist Church Hall 10.30–12 noon

Melbourn Library

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

MAY Fri 2nd Sat 3rd Tue 6th Wed 7th Thu 8th

Fri 9th Sat 10th Wed 14th Fri 16th Sat 17th

Tue 20th Wed 21st

Fri 23rd Sat 24th Tue 27th Wed 28th Fri 30th

Sat 31st

Fri Coffee at URC ‘Coffee Stop’ in Vicarage Close, 10.30 – 12 noon Photographic Club: Coffee Break; Baptist Church Hall 10.30–12 noon Royston & District Local History Society: Royston Town Hall: AGM 7.30 p.m.

8 p.m.‘The Chinese Gooseberry Man’ A travelling Theatre Presentation by Geoff Hales.

Fri Coffee at URC Photographic Club: ‘Coffee Stop’ in Vicarage Close, 10.30 – 12 noon Coffee Break; Baptist Church Hall 10.30–12 noon Fri Coffee at URC ‘Coffee Stop’ in Vicarage Close, 10.30 – 12 noon May Ball at Barrington 7 p.m.

Cambridgeshire Choral Society Concert, at the University Concert Hall, West Road, 7.30 p.m.

Photographic Club: Coffee Break; Baptist Church Hall 10.30–12 noon Melbourn & District U3A 2.45 at MVC: Robert Fromow describes Westminster Abbey and its history Friday Coffee at URC ‘Coffee Stop’ in Vicarage Close. 10.30 – 12 noon.

7 45 p.m. Women’s Group: Coffee Break; Baptist Church Hall 10.30–12 noon Friday Coffee at URC Royston & Saffron Walden NT Association: Alan Murdie with tales and experiences of “The Ghost Club”. Royston Town Hall 7.30 p.m.

Coffee Stop’ 10.30 – 12 noon, in Vicarage Close.

Melbourn Magazine

All copy for the June, Ju ly and August Magazine should be in before 16th May

Copy due six weeks before the following publication date Autumn September 1st Winter December 1st

JUNE Wed 4th Thu 5th

Fri 6th Sat 7th Tue 10th

Coffee Break; Baptist Church Hall 10.30–12 noon Royston & District Local History Society: On the Road in 1910, illustrated, Peter Ibbett. Royston Town Hall, 8 p.m.

Friday Coffee at URC ‘Coffee Stop’ 10.30 – 12 noon, in Vicarage Close with British Legion Cake Stall Gardening Club: Wimpole Past, Present & future, Mr Waites, Head Gardener.MVC, 7.30 p.m.

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

• •

Allow at least 48 hours (two working days – excluding weekends and bank holidays) for repeat prescriptions to be ready.

Do not leave your request to the last minute.

Prescription/medication depending on eligibility can be collected from the

Surgery

Co-op

Tesco in Royston

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

Prescriptions requested before 12pm Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

will be ready after 10am Wednesday Thursday Friday Monday Tuesday

Prescriptions requested before 4pm Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

will be ready after 3pm Wednesday Thursday Friday Monday Tuesday

Prescriptions requested after 4pm Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

will be ready after 10am Thursday Friday Monday Tuesday Wednesday

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

Visually impaired and thought you could never use a computer? Even if you have never used a computer before, we would love to hear from you!

A drop in advisory session is held at

Guide, an all in one computer programme with speech and large print software, can enable you to:

MOORLANDS, THE MOOR, MELBOURN NO APPOINTMENT IS NECESSARY from 2pm to 4pm, 27th March

28th August

24th April

25th September

22nd May

23rd October

26th June

27th November

24th July

Battery exchange and retubing.

We do not do hearing tests

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Write letters and documents Scan and read books and letters. Magnify handwriting, diagram & pictures. Surf the internet. Play CDs & MP3s Use a calculator Come for a demonstration at your local Community Access Point, which is at: Meldreth Sheltered Housing Please call Camsight on 01223 420033 for more information Funded by Cambs. LSC, Neighbourhood Learning in Deprived Communities Funding and administered by Cam Sight and CP Learning Trust

new minibus fund, a new A3 printer for the technology department and new waders for the geography department. Our thanks to all involved in these events. We are looking forward to arranging more successful events; please keep an eye on the Melbourn Village College website for further details: www. mvc.org.uk

Notre Ecole This half term (January and February) the children at Notre Ecole have been learning the French for various foods. We began the term by sampling Epiphany cake and learning about the traditions associated with “la Galette des Rois. Then we practised the French words for fruit that we already know and learnt some new words too. Next we learnt how to ask for a range of snacks in a café and also discussed in French whether the food was good for us or unhealthy. We finished the half term by celebrating “La Chandeleur” and sampling some French pancakes.

The adult beginners’ group has also worked around the theme of food. We have learnt some useful phrases to help us when visiting French restaurants and the French for a range of food that we might want to order. We have practised asking for “some” and talked in some detail about what we eat for breakfast, what we would eat if we were rich or on a diet.

In the more advanced adult conversation group, they have discussed amongst other topics, Epiphany around the world, as well as revising various grammar topics, especially reflexive verbs.

If you or your child would like to join us, please call Marine on 01763 222876 or Janet on 01763 261231 for further details.

We are a French native speaker and a graduate of European Studies with French and we would love to see you at one of our groups.

University of the Third Age The U3A started again in the New Year with a full programme for the learning groups and the calendars and diaries of the members are fast filling up. The monthly meeting speakers are booked for 2008 and almost all of 2009 with some familiar faces but also some new guests on a wide variety of subjects.

Every third Wednesday in the month sees us at the Village College where we are very well looked after by Irene Bloomfield the Site Manager and her staff. We owe them a great debt of gratitude and it makes the planning of our monthly meetings so much easier.

If you are still wondering about the U3A and what it has to offer you why not give one of our monthly meetings a try? We meet at the Village College at 2.45 p.m. and you will be met by one of our “greeters” who will direct you towards a cup of tea and a biscuit in the Common Room followed by the actual meeting in the Main Hall at 3.15 p.m.

If you decide that you would then like to join and find out more about us you will only have to ask for a list of study and learning groups plus a monthly newsletter with details of the next monthly meeting. The details of the annual membership subscription will be explained to you and any questions you may have will be answered.

Taken when learning the French words for various garments.

We played musical ‘Pass the Clothes Basket’. At the end of the game they told us, in French, what they were wearing.

Notre Ecole Learn French in a friendly atmosphere *French for Children “Games, role-play, songs etc.”

Every Wednesday from 3.45pm to 4.30pm Every Thursday from 4:15pm to 5:00pm

*French for Adults All levels, Conversation” Every Wednesday from 8.00pm to 9.00pm GCSE lessons available by arrangement.

Individual lessons also available.

Tel. Marine - 01763 222876 or Janet - 01763 261231

Toy Library URGENT REQUEST At present we are urgently looking for someone to take over the Toy Library. If you feel that you can take this on please contact Sheridan Dunkley, 12 Portway, Melbourn Tel 261261

Adam Adam was walking around the garden of Eden feeling very lonely, so God asked him, “Adam, what is wrong with you?” Adam said he didn’t have anyone to talk to.

God said he was going to give him a companion and it would be a woman. God told Adam that this person would cook for him, wash his clothes, would always agree with every decision Adam made. God continued, “She will bear your children and never ask you to get up in the middle of the night to take care of them. She will never nag you and will always be the first to admit that she was wrong when you’ve had a disagreement. She will never have a headache and will freely give you love and compassion whenever you need it.”

Adam asked God, “What would a woman like this cost me?”

God answered, “An arm and a leg.”

Adam thought for a moment and then asked, “What could I get for just a rib?”

The rest is history.

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Nature More wildlife from 3 Hale Close Mike Sherwen Mike is sure that this was a Goshawk as it was so much bigger than a Sparrow hawk. It was rather out of range as Goshawks are usually found in the Midlands; they have multiplied from escapes from Falconry centres over the past 50 or so years.

(Having recently watched Bill Oddy on TV, trying to locate a Goshawk, I now have my doubts and will welcome comments from readers, Ed)

‘Goshawk 1 Wood Pigeon 0’

River Mel Restoration Sunday 10th February was a beautiful day, perfect for visiting the wonderful Spring garden of Margaret and Terry Lynch of Bury Farm in Meldreth, which they generously opened in aid of the River Mel Restoration Project, which began in 2006.

Lots of people took advantage of the weather and enjoyed the large garden with its collections of hellebores and snowdrops of many varieties. It was also possible to walk along the path by the Mel, and view the work in progress.

Afterwards tea, coffee and homemade cakes were available in the conservatory, a perfect conclusion to the visit.

The Mel is an important chalk stream, of which there are only 161 in Britain, all in S.E. England. Since the water is filtered through chalk it is very pure, and historically used as a source of drinking water.

If you are interested in helping with this important project please contact Margaret Lynch Tel. 01763 260475 buryfarm@uku.co.uk. melbournmagazine

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profile A profile...

Don Littlechild

One of the nicest things about doing this Parish Profile is the privilege of learning more about a person one has only known superficially for many years. Such is the case with Don Littlechild – I really knew little about him other than that he was the devoted husband of dear Gwen, who died last year.

Many people will remember the two of them sitting in their deckchairs on the lawn outside their bungalow in Mortlock Street, just gently watching the world go by.

Don was born in 1921 in East Terrace at the top of Drury Lane. His father had served in the first World War and been a Prisoner of War for 2 years. Don’s mother died when he was 9 and for a period he and his brother Walter went to live with a grandmother and aunts in Dolphin Lane with two cousins who had also lost their mother. Grandma and aunts took in washing. Eventually his father remarried and Don and Walter gained 6 half brothers and 3 half sisters, so it was quite a large family group.

The boys attended the village school in Mortlock Street under Mr. Aldridge and then Mr. Varley, Daphne Hagger’s father. Don liked school although, as he pointed out, everyone had considerable respect for their elders and for the police so bad behaviour was not really an issue! He left school at 14 and got a job at the Home & Colonial Grocery store in Royston where he worked up to 54 hours a week for ten shillings! (50p) He was given a tricycle and was responsible for delivering to Oddsey and Ashwell, Therfield, Bassingbourn and Kneesworth, Chipping and of course, Melbourn. He would be given a lift up Red Lion Hill in a van and at some of the other hills he would need a helping hand to push the loaded cycle. Coming downhill was easy! He delivered the groceries and then wrote down the order for the following week – very few people had a telephone. In the first year he would cycle home for lunch but after a winter of heavy snows, he used to take sandwiches to work. He enjoyed weighing out the groceries (nothing was pre-packed in those days) and every Friday he would work until 10 p.m. stacking the shelves and every Saturday the shop did a stocktake, often until 11 at night.

When he was l7 he and Walter decided to enlist, joining the Royal Fusilliers at Hounslow where they were known for being inseparable – indeed, the Daily Mirror published an article about them with a photograph of the two ‘Melbourne’ boys looking very smart and handsome.

When the war started in 1939 he was still under 20 and was not included in the first draft of soldiers sent abroad, so he missed Dunkirk. Stationed at Dover, he was batman to an officer and had his first and only dealings with a motor car, when he accidentally put a car into reverse and jolly nearly shot over the White Cliffs into the Channel. He never tried to drive again, trusting only in two wheels.

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Eventually in 1942 he was sent out to the Middle East, stopping off for a few days’ leave in Cape Town and Bombay before going to Basra, then on to Baghdad with the Tenth Corps in Kirkup before joining the 8th army in North Africa.

Life in the desert was hard, but good British humour often helped them through. They ate rather a lot of American M & V (tins of meat and vegetables) which were actually rather good but after a prolonged period of nothing but MV, it became known as Military Vomit ! Don was wounded by a sniper at Salerno, had an operation on the beach and was later put on a hospital ship to Tripoli then had yet another operation in Port Said. He spent three months there and was sent back to active service on 31st December 1943.

Unfortunately, only seventeen days later his unit came under heavy fire at the river Garigliana and he was wounded twice and lay in a shed for three days before he could be taken behind the lines where he spent four months in yet another hospital. He was then shipped home, spending a further 3 months in hospital in Cambridge. That put paid to his active service life, but the excitement was not over! Don was part of a guard group looking after German prisoners who were being sent to Boston in America. Whilst there he had a week in New Jersey and a couple of days in New York!

Not a bad bit of globetrotting for a Melbourn lad still under 25! He had a cabin on the way out, but coming back on the Amsterdam the ship was packed with American troops coming over for the final push. Until his discharge in May 1946. he was supervising a PoW camp in Abergevenny. Finally, it was home to Melbourn.

Don soon got a job at The Rubber Company in Letchworth, where he spent the rest of his working life. Firstly he travelled by train, but then Walter (who was working for an engineering

firm in Letchworth) got a motorcycle and they travelled on that. When Walter, who was on the Reserve List, was called up to serve in the Korean war Don travelled with Sid King, who later got a car and so he motored in style.

Meanwhile, in 1946 Gwen had moved from Clevedon to Melbourn to work at The Lodge as a child minder/home help.

She became friendly with Don’s sister Sylvia and it wasn’t long before Don and she were courting. They would go to the cinema in Cambridge on a Saturday night (there was a late bus home in those days) or take a bike ride and have a drink in a pub. They were married in 1948, moving into a one up one down cottage next to The Red Cow. In 1950 Robert was born followed by Michael in 1954. Soon after they moved to a nice big house with a large garden in Portway, where they stayed until their move to the bungalow in Mortlock Street 10 years ago.

Both sons went to Melbourn Primary School like their father, passing their 11+ and going on to school in Cambridge. Both were active in the Scout movement. Rob went to Manchester College of Commerce and became an accountant, and now has his own business whilst Michael had 3 years at Bradford University and one year at Bonn University doing European Studies and German. Gwen was immensely proud of her two boys, both now married and living in St. Neots and London.

Of the original large family Sylvia and Tom died and sister Joyce emigrated to New Zealand and then moved to Australia; Don and Gwen and several other members of the family have made the long journey to visit her, Walter now lives opposite the old surgery in Orchard Road. Don took early retirement at the age of 64.

Gwen worked for many years for the Lupton family and they would spend holidays at the Lupton’s holiday home

According to a new U.N. report, the global warming outlook is much worse than originally predicted. Which is pretty bad when they originally predicted it would destroy the planet.

President Bush has a plan. He says that if we need to, we can lower the temperature dramatically just by switching from Fahrenheit to Celsius

Positive proof of global warming!

in North Wales. Gwen had beaten breast cancer and then bowel cancer, but her health deteriorated and in the last couple of years of her life she had great difficulty eating. Don was a devoted husband and carer, everyone admired him for his devotion to his wife of over 50 years. Don paid tribute to the District nurses who were so kind to Gwen, and of course to Rob and Mike who supported them so well, and still do - there is never a week goes by without one or other of the boys turning up with a great big casserole (leaving something to be warmed up on Monday) and the whole family are shortly going off to Sardinia together. To this end, Don has just had his passport renewed ! Still globetrotting at 87!

Don fills his days with housework and cooking, doing jigsaws and reading. The house is neat as a pin – Gwen would be pleased! He likes television and looks forward to the Thursday Self Help lunches and to Bingo nights at the British Legion. His old great love of gardening is still evident in the neat and colourful front garden, but these days he puts all his efforts into home made wine. Concentrating nowadays on making Hock, he used to make barley, rhubarb and beetroot wine and once he made dandelion wine. He put on the label D.P standing for dandelion petals, but having stood at the window in Portway watching a large Alsatian dog running round the field and cocking his leg, he put another D.P on the label, and called it Double D.P wine! I’ll leave it to your imagination!

In this modern-day climate necessitating complete transparency and honesty in declaring the acceptance of monies or goods, I must confess that I was given (and gratefully accepted) a bottle of rather wicked-looking Hock – I am assured no Alsatians have been near it!

Mavis Howard

Global Warming or Climatic Claptrap The earth’s getting warmer, that’s certainly true, (Though it’s hard to believe when your fingers are blue).

It shouldn’t surprise as it’s happened before – And it probably did for the poor dinosaur.

Now here is a problem that’s hard to explain, If it happened before then mankind’s not to blame For in days long ago we were thin on the ground And we didn’t pollute so the theory’s unsound.

So why are we told greenhouse gas is to blame – Could it possibly be a political claim?

There’d certainly be quite a hullabaloo If it were shown not to be due to poor CO2.

No millions in taxes would come from the nation If support was assigned to a new explanation Like earth’s changing orbit or solar activity, Volcanoes or icecaps or oceans’ motivity.

18th Century

1900

1950

1970

1980

1990

2008

If we were enlightened – if only we knew We then could breathe out and form more CO2!

Eric Johnston

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Melbourn’s Churches together

Easter Services Baptist Church 20th Maundy Thursday 8.00 pm – 9.00 pm Communion Service ‘Journey of Jesus Begins’ 21st March Good Friday Service 9.00 am – 10.00 am – Walk of Witness Churches Together ‘Journey of Jesus – Unites’ Service Joining the United Reformed Church 1.00 pm – 4.00 p.m. ‘Journey of Jesus – Experience’ A Reflective Exploration of the Journey of Jesus through a mult sensory labyrinth including Musical expression through the ages every hour.

Coffee and Hot Cross buns served throughout the afternoon.

Easter eggs for those who experience the whole maze.

Supported by ‘Churches Together in Melbourn and Meldreth.’

21st March Good Friday 9 am Walk of Witness beginning at the Sheen Mill 12 noon – 1.00 pm Church open for prayer at All Saints 1 pm – 3.00 pm Led devotion at All Saints 22nd Saturday March 8.00 pm Service of Light at All Saints 23rd March Easter Day 8.00 am Holy Communion at All Saints, Melbourn 9.45 a.m. Family Communion at All Saints

Melbourn United Reformed Church Friday Morning Coffee The Church hall is open from 10.30 – 12.30 pm for Coffee and a chat. Our Fairtrade stall is also available. All welcome.

Reflective Services

23rd March Easter Day Family Service 10.30 am–11.30 am “Journey of Jesus – Lives”

These services are usually about an hour long and the chance to forget the hustle and bustle of the day, a time for contemplation around a theme, music and readings. Service starts at 7pm in the parlour room at the back of the church, providing an informal atmosphere.

United Reformed Church

Homelessness Sunday

7th March Womens’ World Day of Prayer 12th March 7pm Reflective Service led by Mrs Penny Flynn 20th March Maundy Thursday Service 7.30 p m Bassingbourn URC 21st March Good Friday Service Churches Together Walk of Witness 10 am Melbourn URC 23rd March Easter Day 11am URC URC hold Reflective Service 2nd Wednesday in the month 7pm.

All Saints’ Church 20th March Maundy Thursday 8.00 pm Holy Communion and washing of feet at All Saints

On Sunday 27th Jan we again marked Homelessness Sunday with a collection of clothing and non-perishable goods for Jimmy’s Night Shelter in Cambridge. Over the Christmas period we also collected our pennies, which will also be donated to Jimmy’s.

Melbourn and Meldreth Churches Together During the lead up to Christmas members from all the churches gathered together for Carol Singing, either at The Black Horse, at the village centre or at the residential homes. A good time was had by all and many members of the public generously gave contributions for Friends of Chernobyl Children(Melbourn Branch)

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feature Melbourn in the mid-20th century In 1987, the editor of Drifts, (the Magazine produced at the Village College) Marianne Peer, met Joan Downing (nee Band) on a trip to Lincolnshire and persuaded her to send some memories of Melbourn.

I was born at Melbourn in September 1924 at ‘Ormesby House’ in the High Street. This was attached to my father’s shop and was in fact two houses, an older part that was a plaster-walled cottage and a newer brick built part. We therefore had two staircases, back straight stairs, and front stairs that had a bannister ‑ lovely for sliding down!

In my childhood we did not have electricity, or mains water or sewerage. We had a pump in the yard, from where all our water was carried in buckets and jugs. It was awful when it froze; we had to remember to have jugs of water in over night, to heat, to pour down the top of the pump to thaw it.

Our ‘loo’ was down the garden – a wooden‑seated privy, often the haunt of rats. I always walked down the path clapping my hands to frighten them away!

We had oil lamps and candles and my ‘toppler’ night‑light.

Electricity came first, and I remember the shop being fitted with about six lights and the switches were by the door. I had lots of fun turning these on and off! It was many years before we had mains water etc. – I think it was just after the war because I can remember ‘our’ ‘evacuees’ having baths in the tin bath in the kitchen.

The shop was my delight as a small child. I loved poking in all the drawers and cupboard. The fixtures at the back of one of the wooden counters had lots of little drawers and these held nutmegs, cloves and other spices. So many things were sold loose; sugar was stored in a large barrel and the blue paper sugar bags were stored in these drawers. I used to fill these bags with sugar and others with rice or currants or sultanas. It was a long time before I could fasten the tops of the bags like my father did. And then there were the sweets and biscuits! My teeth were always aching, because I was always eating sweets. I was allowed to help myself to toffees and boiled sweets but not chocolate – I had to ask for that. The biscuits were on display in biscuit tins, opened in a glass case.

Sometimes there were tins of broken biscuits, and I loved to find the chocolate pieces in these tins.

We always had cats and kittens, sometimes born in those shop‑drawers. There were numerous outbuildings for the cats to roam in and catch those rats. Sometimes they were poisoned by rat poison or caught in rat traps set by a man who owned the orchards at the back of the house – I hated him very much.

One of the outhouses was a wash house with a copper in it, which had a fire under it. This was lit on a Monday and, when I was very little, a lady in a cap worn back-to-front would come and help with the washing.

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Another barn was large enough to have a swing in it, fastened to a high wooden beam. There was also a warehouse up some stairs over the garage (‘gateway’ – we called it) and this was always warm. It was full of wallpaper and material and – spiders! Bats had their home under the corrugated iron roof of this building.

Both my mother and father worked very hard in this shop and I was often left to play on my own, but I had lots of room to play and pretend.

As I got older I could walk through fields and play by the river very happily with my friends from school. We loved the flowers in summer – the buttercups and dog‑daisies and the grasses.

I daren’t walk round the village now ‑ I would be too upset at the loss of all that.

The Feast/Fair came once a year and Mr. Stanford sold cherries at the top of the Moor. The Feast was held in a field down the Moor.

I went to the village school when I was 5 and I remember doing sums on slates and then in a book. We learnt poems, and I can still remember bits of them.

I loved copying writing in a copy‑book, but did not like sewing; I can remember not being able to thread my needle! My teacher was Miss Dowling and I have a poem and picture that she did so beautifully in an old autograph book.

I went to the County School for Girls in Cambridge when I was 8, nearly 9, and stayed there until 1942. We went on the 8 o’clock bus every morning and at times there were such a lot of school children on the bus, that ordinary passengers got very fed up and complained.

Very often it was announced in school assembly ‘Will all the girls who travel on the 108 bus, go to Miss Dovey’s study.’

We always had to travel downstairs in the bus and wear our uniform and hats all the way home – velour hats in winter, panamas in summer. Later we could wear berets, green ones with the school badge on them. For a while we all travelled by train from Meldreth station. This meant a bike ride to the station, or a run across the Meads. We had great fun on the train! I remember my beret got thrown out of the train window in one of our ‘games’ and a girl from school found it when she went for a walk along the line and brought it back to me. So I didn’t have to explain to my mother what had happened to it.

In the school holidays when 1 was about 10, my cousins used to come and stay and we had a penny a day each to spend. I would never spend it at my father’s shop. I always wanted to get a ‘sherbet dab’ from Mrs. Hinkin’s shop round by the mill on the Meldreth Road. They cost 1/2 d and I could get some aniseed balls too.

We could ride around in safety on our bikes – I learned to ride mine along the A10 with my father running alongside!

I remember falling off my bike on the Shepreth Road; I was taking some groceries to someone there. The road had been newly tarred and pebbled. I cut my eye and my knee, but I rode home with my friend Joan Hale. Then my mother took me to see Dr. Gregor. I had never been in his surgery before.

SOAS

Flower Festival – All Saints’ Church, Melbourn 2009

(Supporters of All Saints’ Melbourn)

SOAS AGM

Doing it all again...

As I write this it is almost exactly a year since the last Flower Festival held at All Saints Church over the first weekend in February 2007 - so this time last year about twenty of us were busy arranging flowers and preparing for the event. We are starting to think about doing it all again next year. Nothing has been confirmed yet, but the festival will probably be held over the same weekend in 2009 and the theme is yet undecided. If you would like to be involved this time around in any way – flower arranging, serving refreshments, picking some foliage from your garden, making cups of tea and coffee to keep the arrangers warm, sweeping up our mess – etc... please get in touch.

Financial Support We are particularly keen to hear from local businesses or individuals who would like to support the event financially – perhaps by sponsoring an arrangement or contributing to the publicity costs – any help will of course, if agreed, be acknowledged.

Snowdrops Finally, we would also like to hear from anyone who has spare snowdrops in their garden which we could transplant into the Churchyard – it would be lovely to have a mass of snowdrops to greet visitors to the festival.

If you can help in any way at all please contact me (Rebecca Gatward) either by phone 01763 261225 or by email, Rebecca.Gatward@btinternet.com.

SOAS The November draw took place at the SOAS social evening on 24th November. The members totalled 52.

First Prize of £17.32 went to Michael Scriven Second Prize of £8.66 went to Brenda Meliniotis The December draw was made at Coffee Stop (Vicarage Close Community Centre) on Saturday 20th December.

The members totalled 52.

First Prize of £17.32 went to WA Warden Second Prize of £8.66 went to Brenda Standing The January draw was made by Rev. Andrew O’Brien on 29th January.

First Prize of £19.66 went to Helena Ellis Second Prize of £9.83 went to Mavis Howard Anyone can buy a share in the 100 Club for an annual subscription of £12. Half of the subscription income is allocated to the monthly prizes whilst the other half is set aside for preserving our historic church in the centre of the village.

If you wish to join, contact Kersti Llewellyn-Beard on 01763 220703

Year ended 30.09.07

SOAS (Supporters of All Saints’) SOAS (Supporters of All Saints) will again be organising a ‘Melbourn Open Gardens’ on Sunday 15th June this year. Passports will cost £3 (£4 on the day). Last June 9 gardens were open from 2–5pm but we intend to open about 12 gardens from 11am – 5pm. If you would like to help by offering your garden please contact a SOAS committee member listed below.

All proceeds will go towards the upkeep of the medieval treasure at the heart of our village we know as All Saints (which is what SOAS is all about).

Ann Ford 260661, Peter Dekkers 261144, Doreen Johnston 220197, George Statter 261341, Shaun Coles 260327, Angela Leach 262793, George Howard 260686.

SOAS WINTER QUIZ First prize of £10 for a score of 89/90 goes to Mike Scriven at and the second of £5 for a score of 88/90 to Peggy Wright.

G. Howard

What is SOAS SOAS is a nondenominational charity and aims to enlist the support of the Melbourn Community to preserve the village character and heritage.

Funds raised by SOAS through membership contributions and cultural events are spent on the upkeep of All Saints’ Church building.

Membership subscriptions are discretionary with a minimum of £3 per person or £5 per family per year. Application and/or Banker’s order forms can be obtained by telephoning Shaun Coles on 260327.

Funds Disbursment as at 17/1/2008

Roof Central heating Porch Piano Lady Chapel Repairs Total Cash in Hand

£3000 £11000 £376 £500 7684 £22560 £14984

Funds Raised

£37544

24 Hours God is talking to one of his angels. He says, “Boy, I just created a 24-hour period of alternating light and darkness on Earth.” The angel says, “What are you going to do now?” God says, “Call it a day” melbournmagazine

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We are a warm, friendly, family run home conveniently situated close to the station and town centre of Royston.

If you would like to find out more about St George’s, please call us for a brochure or drop in for a chat.

42 Kneesworth Street, Royston, Herts. SG8 5AQ Telephone: 01763 242243 web site: www.stgeorgescare.com

FROG END PET SUPPLIES at Phillimore Garden Centre

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

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

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Culture Corner The Times of 8th March 1904 reported a crowded meeting at the Albert Hall, London, at which Sir George Smith said ‘History showed that the periods of reform and revival synchronized with the increase of attention to The Word of God.’ Under King Alfred in the 9th Century this country became civilized through his reforms based upon the Bible, which the King himself helped to translate into Anglo-Saxon with The Venerable Bede.

In the time of Queen Elizabeth I, who promoted publication of the Bible, England first became a world power in the 16th century, transformed by the Reformation.

Then under Queen Victoria, the 19th century saw great prosperity, and the Queen told an enquiring Foreign Prince that the secret of England’s greatness was her adherence to the Bible.

The Word of God from David Burbridge Our Creator is holy in all His works. He is nigh unto all those who call upon Him in truth. He will hear their cry and save them, but all the wicked will he destroy. Psalm 145 v 17 – 20

The parable of the NHS There was once a boat race between a Japanese crew and a NHS team. Both practiced long and hard to reach their peak performance but on the big day the Japanese won by two hundred and fifty boat lengths.

The NHS team became discouraged and morale sagged. Senior managers decided the reason for the crushing defeat must be found and set up a working party to investigate the problem and recommend action.

That concluded that the Japanese had eight people rowing and one person steering while the NHS team had eight steering to one rowing. It immediately hired a consultancy to look at the teams structure. Millions of pounds and several months later the consultants reported that too many people were steering and not enough people were rowing.

To avoid losing again the team structure was changed to give three assistant steering managers, three steering managers, one executive steering manager and a director of steering services. A performance and appraisal was also set up, to give the person rowing the boat more incentive to work harder.

The Japanese were challenged to another race and this time won by five hundred boat lengths. NHS managers responded by laying off the rower for poor performance, selling the oar and cancelling orders for a new boat. The money saved was used to finance higher-than-average pay awards for the steering group.

feature The Green Man

The discovery of a carving of a Green Man in All Saints’ Parish Church in Melbourn is very exciting. Who carved it and why?

The incidence of secular carvings in Christian buildings is in fact quite common – there are Green Men in around 15 churches in Cambridgeshire alone. He is represented as a head with foliage emerging from the mouth, sometimes also from the eyes, while occasionally the entire head is foliate. Sometimes he is not very obvious, as in our example, but in other cases he is very prominent. In the Chapter House of Southwell Minster, where the clergy meet, there are more than a dozen, while in Roslin Chapel (of Da Vinci Code fame), a Templar Church south of Edinburgh, there are more than a hundred. Green Men, together with other secular themes, are often found carved under misericords, the tip up seats found in the chancels of many cathedrals and churches, on which the priests propped themselves upright during the very long services.

Many practices and images of the Christian church have their origins in pagan rituals – while churches are often built on earlier pre-Christian sites of religious significance. The Celtic cultures of pre-Christian Europe were carving foliate heads from stone as early as 400BC. The Green Man is found all over the world, and is known as Osiris, Dionysius, Odin, Herne the Hunter (or Cerunnos the antlered god), the Green Knight, John Barleycorn, Robin Hood, Jack in the Green and other symbolic characters, some of which are found in the old festivals still celebrated on occasion in the British Isles.

The image of the Green Man would be carried through the world by storytellers, merchants, soldiers and other travellers such as the masons, carpenters and woodcarvers who travelled throughout Europe when the great cathedrals and churches were being built.

The message of the Green Man image is universal – that Life springs out of Death – or, that there is Life after Death. Ed.

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Come and Sing John Rutter: Requiem in Melbourn Parish Church Ruth Connelly, soprano Mark Browne, Senior Organ Scholar, Downing College Conducted by Roger Bond On Good Friday, 21st March 2008, 3.30pm Performance 7.30pm Singers £10, Audience £5 Proceeds to Melbourn Parish Church Community Hall Fund and Teenage Cancer Trust Appeal

Free rehearsals Melbourn Village College Tuesday 26th February and 11th March, 7.30pm with Adrian Jacobs Bottisham Village College Tuesday 4th March and 18th March at 7.30pm with Roger Bond More information and a booking form can be found on www.cambschoralsoc.org.uk or contact Sheila Webber 23, Town Green Road, Orwell, Royston, Herts SG8 5QL Tel: 01223 207550

Programme Requiem by John Rutter 3.00pm Registration Vicarage Close, Melbourn 3.30pm Rehearsal Session 1 Melbourn Parish Church with Roger Bond 5.00pm Bring and Share Tea, at Vicarage Close. Tea and Coffee will be provided 6.00pm – 7.00pm Rehearsal Session 2 7.30pm Performance of Rutter: Requiem.

The performance is expected to take 40 minutes.

A ‘Come and Sing’ has been held on Good Friday in Melbourn for many years. The original Melbourn Choral Society was formed in 1842 by Mr George Ward, builder

and undertaker, and his friends. The secretary/treasurer was Mr. W. Carver, the Minister of the Congregational Church, (now URC) and who also owned and ran the Nonconformist Boarding School in the High Street, where Greenbanks is now situated.

Rehearsals and meetings were usually held at the Church, though sometimes at The Hoops public house. Amongst the listed expenses during a meeting at The Hoops is the sum of £1.10.11, incurred for candles, beer and a police constable, during a concert!

On Good Friday 1858 £2.18.0, was raised for charity, though the expenses were £1.14.111/2.

The choir has always had close connections with the University, due to our proximity to Cambridge. In 1895 Mr. H.P. Allen, organist at Christ’s, conducted a St Cecilia’s Day Cantata, bringing some members of the Cambridge Musical Society (CUMS) with him. He came again 1896 to conduct, sing quartets and play Chopin. On this occasion he persuaded the LNER to stop at Melbourn & Meldreth Station so that they could get back to Cambridge and the College before the gates were closed for the night!

Mr. H.P. Allen subsequently became Sir Hugh Allen, conductor of the Bach Choir and succeeded Hubert Parry in 1918 as principal of the Royal College of Music.

Ed.

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Sue Cane EVEN GOD ENJOYS A GOOD LAUGH...

There were 3 good arguments that Jesus was Black: 1. He called everyone brother.

2. He liked Gospel.

3. He couldn’t get a fair trial.

But then there were 3 equally good arguments that Jesus was Jewish: 1. He went into His Father’s business.

2. He lived at home until he was 33.

3. He was sure his Mother was a virgin and his Mother was sure He was God. But then there were 3 equally good arguments that Jesus was Italian: 1. He talked with His hands.

2. He had wine with His meals.

3. He used olive oil.

But then there were 3 equally good arguments that Jesus was a Californian: 1. He never cut His hair.

2. He walked around barefoot all the time.

3. He started a new religion.

But then there were 3 equally good arguments that Jesus was an American Indian: 1. He was at peace with nature.

2. He ate a lot of fish.

3. He talked about the Great Spirit.

Child and Family Nursing Team 35 ORCHARD ROAD, MELBOURN We are a team of 5 nurses, all with differing backgrounds, including paediatric/children’s nurses, practice nurses, health visitors and school nurses

But then there were 3 equally good arguments that Jesus was Irish: 1. He never got married.

2. He was always telling stories.

Fiona Hobbiger

Mary Gyte Sue Clarke

Becky Huchisson

Sharon Utting

3. He loved green pastures.

But the most compelling evidence of all - 3 proofs that Jesus was a WOMAN: 1. He fed a crowd at a moment’s notice when there was no food.

2. He kept trying to get a message across to a bunch of men who just didn’t get it.

3. And even when He was dead, He had to get up because there was work to do

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We offer support and advice to children, young people and their families within this area.

For further information telephone

01763 262861

Barrington May Ball Saturday 17th May 2008, 7pm Venue: Barrington Hall Tickets: £37.50 to include a drink upon arrival, canapés, main course, dessert & cheeseboard Live Band Black Tie All profits to the Teenage Cancer Trust For tickets please contact: Philippa Priddle 01223 502335 julian.priddle@ntlworld.com Janie Stoop 01223 870603 janiestoop@hotmail.com Jenny Lake 01223 872440 lakejsjw@btinternet.com

feature Gardening Book This book, ‘The Vegetable Garden’, (by E.R.Janes, Penguin 1954 price 2/6) was presented to Mr W. Ogden, by members of Senior 4, Melbourn County School, on May 19th 1956, and contains a list of the pupils, reproduced here, who made donations to buy this book, which cost the equivalent of 12 1/2 p.

Mr Ogden left the County School when the new Village College opened, and taught there until his retirement.

Wimpole Hall Heavy Horse Driving Courses at Wimpole Home Farm. The experience of a lifetime learning to drive these gentle giants in wonderful surroundings. These one-day courses with Wimpole’s Shires cost £110 per person and are held from April to end-October, pre-booking is essential. Weekend and weekday dates available.

Other activities includes: Celebrate Mothers day with a three course, waitress served, Sunday lunch in the Old Rectory Restaurant £29.50.

Geology, Soils and Archaeology Walk* Discover the geology of the dinosaur age of Wimpole Estate and find out about the mining of dinosaur dung, local soils and archaeology.

Follow the Easter trail at Home Farm. Chocolate treat for every completed trail.

Craft activities plus butter making in the morning. Children’s entertainer at Home Farm.

At the end of the normal visitor route visit wartime Wimpole in the basements of the Hall, with 1940’s craft activities for children.

See the glorious annual display of golden daffodils and narcissus in full bloom. Wimpole’s last owner, Elsie Bambridge’s, favourite flower, it is truly a sight to behold.

Second Hand Bookshop Spring Sale. Come and grab a second hand book bargain and help support the many conservation projects at Wimpole.

An opportunity to see new born lambs at Wimpole Home Farm and if you are lucky a live birth, plus all of the other farm animals and daily farm events.

General information sheet or ring the Farm Office 01223 208987.

Wimpole Art Gallery Exhibitions 2008 Changing Exhibitions throughout the year.

1-5pm Saturday to Wednesday Free Admission

continued on page 50

Ever notice, the older we get the more we’re like computers?

We start out with lots of memory and drive, then we become outdated, ‘crash’ at odd moments, and eventually have to get our parts replaced. melbournmagazine

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THE FARMLAND MUSEUM Denny Abbey, Ely Road, Waterbeach, Cambridge CB25 9PQ TEL/FAX 01223 860988(Office). 01223 863036 (Education).

The Great Easter Egg Trail. Complete a circuit of activities and find your way to the treasure Eggcellent Stuff – decorate a paper spun egg. Straw Barn - take a look at our barn and have a go at making a mini one using art straws. Wiggly Worm Way - wind you way along the giant wiggly worm path. Illuminating Illustrations – in the setting of the Abbey make like a monk and illuminate a letter with bright colours and fancy patterns.

Cottage Conundrum - explore our cottage and see if you can find all of the bogus objects that have been planted.

Drop-in Children’s Holiday Activity Day. Paper Mosaic Picture Frames. Make your own picture frame out of colourful paper mosaic tiles. Recycling Extravaganza. Fantastic Flowers – Create a colourful spring flower using recycled materials. These informal days run by the education department during the holiday are aimed at children who are 4+ and accompanied by an adult. .

Renaissance to the present day”, Graham Slimming Willow Weaving - have a go at the traditional craft of basket making. Garden Willow Weaving Workshop. Learn about and make simple and practical supports for your garden plants at this hands-on workshop.

Japanese Felting Workshop. Learn how to make a lightweight felt, also known as Nuno felt which is used to make clothing.

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Life Drawing Workshop. Tutored life drawing class with professional model.

The Farmland Museum & Denny Abbey is open every day from 12-5pm. It is situated on the A10 between Cambridge and Ely. Admission prices are Adults £4.00, Concessions £3.00, Children £2.00 (under 5s are free) and family tickets £10, with reduced admission to the Farmland Museum for English Heritage members.

Worst Day A small man was sitting in a bar staring into his drink.

He didn’t move for a half-an-hour when a big troublemaking truck driver stepped up next to him, took the man’s drink and guzzled it down.

The poor man started crying. The truck driver turned and said: “Come on man, I was just joking. Here, I’ll buy you another drink. I just can’t stand to see a man crying.”

“No, it’s not that. today is the worst day of my life.

First, I overslept and was late for an important meeting.

My boss became outraged and fired me. When I left the building to my car, I found out that it was stolen. The police said they could do nothing. I then got a taxi and went home. After the cab had gone, I found that I left my wallet in the taxi. I went in the house only to find my wife was in bed with the gardener.

I left home depressed and came to this bar.” And now, when I was thinking about putting an end to my life, YOU show up and DRINK MY POISON!

Bowls Jacqui Dodds 243667 Brownies Samantha Pascoe 261400 Brownies 1st Melbourn Stephanie Clifford 220272 Cricket Martin Winter 262733 Croquet Janet Pope 248342 Football Club Andrew Edwards 223109 Judo Derek Coult 225004 McSplash Joanne Greene 263313 Ramblers Dave Allard 242677 Royston and District Round Table Michael Seymour 221398 Squash Club Nick Sugden 261064 Swimming Club Jenny Brackley 244593 Tennis (Meldreth) Sue Davies 220174

Mick Kernaghan 1932-2007

Melbourn Bowls Club Mick Kernaghan 1932-2007 Bowls Club President Mick moved to Melbourn from Royston in 1984 having played an active part in the life of the town. This included involvement with the Guides, the Labour party and the by-pass action group.

Once settled into Trigg Way he joined the village bowls club and discovered a sport that was to be his passion for the rest of his life, (after his devotion to his daughters) Mick was a warm generous man with a talent for organisation, and he soon put these attributes to good use. At the start of every season potential new bowlers were encouraged to take up the game and enjoy the challenges and fellowship that the sport provides. He ensured that the club built a structure that nurtured new talent. In 1997 when Melbourn Bowls Club celebrated its 75th anniversary and again in 2002 when the club was 80 years old Mick was a leading light in the organisation of events to commemorate these occasions. He was an ever-present member of the club committee from 1992.

Whilst continuing to play an active part in club life Mick took on roles within the Cambridgeshire County Bowling Association culminating in him having the honour of being the association president in 2003. His work with the county association made him many new friends both in Cambridgeshire and beyond. Mick also travelled the world playing bowls, whilst visiting friends and family in New Zealand and Australia, or with various tour parties.

In 2002, not content with being a player, an administrator, a spectator, and an advocate for the sport of bowls,

Mick became a CCBA umpire and officiated at many important matches within Cambridgeshire.

The 2006/7 season saw Mick become President of the Cambs and District Leagues. Unfortunately this was the also the start of the decline in his health.

Mick’s irrepressible good humour, his love of life and his willingness to help out when any job needed doing remained undiminished, and as late as September 2007 he was planning his next bowls tour. Sadly he lost his battle with illness in November.

Mick’s friends will remember him with affection for his sense of humour which included a wealth of corny jokes and shaggy dog stories, his selection of ‘head wear’, his willingness to offer advice whether wanted or not, his glasses of red wine, but above all his warm kind and generous nature.

Jim Gillings

Bowls Club I have been asked to take over the duties of writing a report for the Magazine after the sad demise of Mick Kernaghan. Mick will be a profound loss to the Bowls Club and to all that knew him.

The annual end of season presentation evening took place in November at the Royston Golf Club. An excellent evening was had by all and trophies were presented to the winners and runners up in 8 separate competitions. The recipients were: Ladies Singles Winner Anne Howard, Runner up Sue Sell Handicap Winner Jim Gillings, Runner up Peter Dodds Singles Winner Sue Sell, Runner up Peter Dodds Mixed Pairs Winners Doreen Bridger Geoff Bridger, Runner up Julie Howell Paul Ferris Drawn Pairs Winners Rod Sell Chris Blows, Runners up Jean Smith Peter Dodds Novices Winner Diane Clark, Runner up Val Musson Afternoon League Winner Ernie Brown, Runner up June Baldwin Melbourn Triples Cup Winners Eileen Goddard Ernie Brown Congratulations to all who received trophies and to everybody that took part. melbournmagazine

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It just leaves me to say Happy New Year to everybody and please come along to our Open Day on Sunday 27th April to see for yourselves how much enjoyment you can have playing bowls in great company. The club’s premises are situated on The Moor, Melbourn.

If you want more information on this event and the leagues and competitions in which we are involved in 2008 please contact our club secretary Jacqui Dodds on 01763 245663 Jacqui will be happy to send or email you a copy of our latest newsletter.

Elaine Cooke

1st Melbourn Guides The autumn term started with a fresh intake of girls enjoying icebreaking and teambuilding games, then forming new patrols and choosing themed ‘Go For It’ activites. These included making teddy outfits, dressing up as penguins, making bead bracelets, putting on a little play, and exploring the five senses. Prior to Remembrance Sunday we simulated the forming of nations and international friendship, then turned it nasty with a few prejudices, and unfair allocation of craft resources. This led to a small war, and a poppy-laying memorial service for the fallen toy soldiers. On Remembrance Sunday 13 girls took part in the Melbourn Remembrance Parade and church service.

Our girlguiding county’s ‘Can Eye Help’ project has now finished, and I must say a big thank you to everyone who helped with our collection of treasure and specs, and to the Cambridge Building Society which acted as the collection point. The Guides also did a sponsored swim for the project, which is raising money for sight-saving eye operations for children overseas.

We jointly fundraised for Children With Leukaemia, and have raised a fantastic total of almost £600. Thank you to all relatives and neighbours who sponsored the girls.

We also ran a childrens’ tombola at the All Saints Christmas bazaar, raising over £50 for the church fund.

You may have seen the Guides’ tree at the Holy Trinity Church Christmas Tree festival; we had an enjoyable evening making wool angels and paper candy

canes, as well as making Christmas cards for the family. We ended the term with a talent show and challenge evening, finishing with a candlelit Promise ceremony.

We still need some more adult helpers to join us and help the girls to get the most out of their Guide programme.

No previous experience necessary – just a sense of fun, a bit of patience, and 2 hours to spare on a Thursday evening.

If you would like to know more about becoming a Guide or a leader, or if you have any skills or hobbies which you would like to share with us, please contact me on: 01763 261443.

Hilary Marsh

2nd Melbourn Brownies The 2nd Melbourn Brownie pack can be identified as a vibrant bunch of girls who meet on Tuesday evenings in the United Reformed Church Hall. Samantha Pascoe (Brown Owl) and Rosaline Wedd (Snowy Owl) have the pleasure of devising fun activities for each term, and they are supported by mums who come along on a rota basis (although it is believed that they quite enjoy it too!).

Over the last term the Brownies gained their Science Investigator badges. They planted beans, wired a circuit board, experimented with acid and alkali, played music on empty bottles and finished off with a trip to the Cambridge Museum of Technology. In early November Karen Williams, Darienne Cheshem and Charlotte Knight brought in their tortoises to show everyone before they hibernated for the winter (the tortoises, not the girls). The evening was highly entertaining and informative as the girls were able to discuss and informally teach each other about the level of care tortoises require.The winter term concluded with a musical nativity play. There were so many superb performances, both Brown Owl and Snowy Owl were very proud birds that evening!

Now we are in to the spring term and are finding out what traits make each of us unique and special. The Brownies each brought in a baby photo and enjoyed guessing who was who. We enjoyed pancakes on Shrove Tuesday combined with some egg-and-spoon racing. On Sunday 24th February we are

met with fellow Brownies and Guides to celebrate Thinking Day with an array of activities. March signals the arrival of Mothering Sunday and church parade with bundles of daffodils. Over the coming weeks we are working towards a history badge, with some research into the Melbourn Brownie pack, village and family histories. To conclude our spring programme we are hoping to embark on a pack holiday with the Brownies from Bassingbourn.

This is intended to provide you with a snap shot of some of the events that take place at Brownies. In the next, summer, publication we will endeavour to cheer up our report with a few photos.

P.S. A Brownie thinks of others before herself and does a good turn every day!

Rosaline Wedd (Snowy Owl) If you have any enquires/offers of help! Please contact Samantha Pascoe samantha@pascoef.fsnet.co.uk

Ramblers’ Association Royston and District Our programme of walks continue right through the year. For details visit our website: www.ramblers-herts-northmiddlesex. org.uk or contact David Allard 01763 242677.

Email: david.allard@ntlworld.com or Kathy Heale 01763 246988. There is also a poster displaying walks for the current month in both Melbourn and Royston libraries.

We have walks on Sundays, which are normally 5-7 miles in the morning and a similar or shorter walk in the afternoon. Some Sunday walks are Figures of Eight making it possible to do only the morning or only the afternoon. Half-day walks are held on Tuesday or Thursday mornings. Our evening walks start on 28th April and are usually held on a different day each week. Prospective new members are always very welcome and may come on a few walks before deciding whether to join.

Meldreth Tennis Club Meldreth Tennis Club has been established for over 36 years and has a flourishing membership. All ages are welcome. Play is on the two hard courts melbournmagazine

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Jeremy Ashworth Electrician and Property Maintenance

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

07815 093166 01763 230831 jeremy.ashworth@ntlworld.com

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behind Meldreth Village Hall. The Club has free use of the courts, and Club sessions are as follows.

Wednesdays 9.30–12 noon.

Tuesday & Thursday 6.30–9.30pm Thursdays 10.00–12 noon from April 22nd Saturdays 2.00–4.30 pm There are coaching courses for beginners to advanced players on Friday mornings with Matt Fellingham – tennis coach at Royston Tennis Club 07779 273655.

Members of the public can use the tennis courts for a small fee. Further details can be found on notices at the courts.

The club is keen to welcome new members, either working or living in

Meldreth, Melbourn and the surrounding villages. We have teams playing in the Cambridge Business League, as well as popular club sessions/social events held all through the year.

Anyone interested in joining the Club can contact the Secretary, Sue Davies (01763 220174), or come along to one of our Club sessions.

Melbourn Photographic Club The club meets at Foxton village Hall.

The programme is as follows March 4th Inter-Club Print and Slide battle.

Melbourn/S Walden/Letchworth. Judge Barrie Hatten

feature

Interview with Bessie Walker

On Sunday 9th December Bessie received 1st place in the Under 14’s Solo Intermediate Freestyle Competition at the ADFP Competition at East Finchley London, she therefore received her last mark required to become a Champion Freestyle Solo Dancer. She will now be able to compete with the UK and European elite band of champion dancers. Bessie is one of the first dancers in the area to receive this accolade, which is the highest she can receive.

Bessie was always dancing as a little girl and started tap dancing when she was 4 years old and at 5 moved on to freestyle (disco) dancing. She lived in Westmill at the time and travelled to Buntingford Community Centre for lessons. So began her dancing career, which involves training/dancing at least 5 days a week with competitions usually on Sundays. The regime requires lots of determination not only to put the hours in rigorous training but also in competitions where stamina may flag but rising above tiredness to carry on. She said that she knows all the competitors feel the same and that is what drives her on to perform.

But Bessie not only dances, she also

takes gymnastic lessons and is waiting to start singing lessons too. She said in future she is striving to become more acrobatic in her routines as this is what the discipline demands. She also swims regularly. Bessie is doing what we are told we should all be doing, especially young people, to be interested and active to keep fit and enjoy life. Surprisingly, her dancing lessons incorporate learning about nutrition and fitness; on what to eat and how to use the food we eat to maintain a healthy body.

On February 10th, Bessie competed in the Swindon ADFP Dance Championships for solo freestyle dancing. This was a national competition of champions and only the second time she had competed in such a high class.

Bessie came 5th with which she was very pleased.

So where does Bessie go from here?

In her pair dancing with Lauren Morley for which they are champions, rock and roll is probably her favourite routine. In her solo career maybe we are seeing the beginnings of a West End star. She has the dedication of show business in her, if she doesn’t dance for a few days she itches to get back to the routines.

March 11th Print of the Year (2007/2008) Judge Liz Hatten March 15th (Saturday). Melbourn Trophy Final at Foxton.

Judge Barbie LinsayAFIAP, MPAGB, ABPA March 18th An evening with Andy who?

Andy Hanson ARPS, MPAGB, APAGB April 1st AGM April 8th Slide of the Year (2007/2009) Judge Dr John Law MFIAP, ERISF, AISF George Statter Press Officer 01763 261341 Club Web pages www.pbase.com/photonouveau/melbournpc

Whatever happens in the future, Bessie is very aware that the experiences and opportunities she has had in her life so far may never happen for other people, which pays for all the hard work she puts in to dancing.

Bessie is 12, lives in Melbourn and attends Melbourn Village College Brenda Meliniotis

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letters Fatal Accident in Melbourn High Street.

In response to Claire Challis’ letter in the last issue, I would like to ask why it is that Melbourn is the only village in the area with an unrestricted and uncontrolled race track for a high street? Vehicles, both private and commercial, roar up and down with complete disregard for the speed limit.

It is particularly noticeable, and frightening, when walking towards Townend on a pavement which is barely 2 1/2 ft wide due to an encroaching hedge. Vehicles often accelerate to 50 or 60 mph as they leave the village towards Royston, and pedestrians are extremely vulnerable. Further down towards the cross, the road narrows, and parked cars make it effectively a single carriageway. However, I have frequently seen vehicles travelling towards Royston so fast as to be unable (or unwilling) to stop to give way to oncoming traffic, causing oncoming vehicles to mount the pavement to avoid a collision. Great if you happen to be waiting at the bus stop opposite the post office. Excess speed in our High Street is the norm. Hardly anyone drives at 30 mph. Between us, we and our neighbours have lost five cats as a direct result of speeding vehicles. With frequently narrow pavements, how long before a child is hit?

After all, the difference between hitting someone at 30mph or at 38mph is life or certain death. People who just drive through Melbourn are not aware just how many pedestrians use the High Street during the day, shoppers and dog walkers, and of course all the pupils who walk to and from the Village College.

There are two types of habitual offenders, first the normal law-abiding folk who don’t really mean to speed, but whose minds are probably elsewhere, and simply don’t realise how fast they are going. The other type is the frequent user of the High Street, often in a big delivery lorry, a van, a truck, or perhaps a double-decker bus or local resident, to whom the speed limit simply does not apply.

One solution is definitely not to install speed cushions or humps. These are now widely accepted as being both dangerous and environmentally unsound, due to their causing increased pollution. But I do believe there are solutions to this problem, all or some of which could be employed to good effect. The first, for the benefit of those who ‘forget’ their speed, is to install flashing ‘Slow Down’ signs like they have in Newton. Pairs of signs would need to be at the Townend , repeated near Water Lane , and again near the Post Office. It might even be an idea to start a 20 mph limit at this point right up to the Melbourn College turning. Further signs should be placed close to the “Old Rose”, and another pair near the Star pub. In addition, for the benefit of those to whom the speed limit does not apply, pinch points should be introduced entering and leaving the village, so that exiting vehicles have priority, and vehicles entering the village have to slow down. Another pair of pinch points would usefully be employed between the memorial garden and the post office, to slow traffic down on that narrow part of the street. They would provide safe refuge for on street parking, and could be made to look attractive with flower baskets and tasteful woodwork, as they do in French villages. Finally, and this should possibly be the first step, a roundabout should be built at the junction on High Street/London Way and Back Lane. If the Council was on its toes, this could have been made a ‘pay back’ condition of the Foxfield development at Townend, so it would have been at no cost to the community. Now there’s a thought!

Alaric Aldred

Science Scientists have revealed that beer contains small traces of female hormones. To prove their theory, the scientists fed 100 men 12 pints of beer and observed that 100% of them gained weight, talked excessively without making sense, became emotional, and couldn’t drive.

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Classified Ads (Trades & Professional) Floral Arrangements Bette & Carol 01763 246168

Window Cleaning Gary Custerson 01763 246773

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Handyman, Decorating Repairs etc.

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01763 262413

Landscaping Materials Beauty Therapy Accounting Services Party Balloons Plumbing and Heating Indoor & Outdoor prop. maint Fresh produce, Coffee shop Taxi and Car Service

01954 231666 01763 261777 01763 852622 0870 770 3360 01763 248015 01763 260044 01763 260418 01763 212223

Melbourn Garage

Garage and Service Station

01763 263344

M&M Books

Second hand & rare books

01763 849789

Molly Maid

Cleaning Services

01462 896123

Nightlife Disco

Disco music supply for parties etc

01763 261727

NPS Plumbing Solutions

Plumbing and Heating Services

01763 244088

Cambridge Building Society Carters Shoes CCS Cooper, P.L. & Sons Ltd

Building Society Shoes – wide choice Chimney Sweep Flooring Specialists

01763 217510 01223 264930 01763 220373 01763 260918

Phillimore Pinney, Moore and Co.

Garden Centre Financial Advisers

01763 260537 01223 208400

Riverside Guest House Robin Mynott Rule, Jeremy.

Ryecroft Data

Guest House Tiling Floor & Walls Funeral Service Design & Instant Digital Print

01763 226062 01763 261738 01763 242560 01763 208640

DCL Services

Propane & Butane sales

08000 728878

ESSE

Sheene Mill Retail & Therapy

01763 261000

Fieldgate Nurseries Fowlmere Village College Frogend Pet Supplies

Fruit, vegetables, flowers & plants Hall Facilities Pet Suppliers

01763 260737 08704 649200 01763 263342

Greenlow

Kennel & Cattery

01763 260624

Harry, Kathleen. B.Sc.Hons.

Hot & Cold by Design Huff, Steve

Osteopath Bathrooms, Kitchens etc.

Metal Craft

01763 261716 01763 229945 0798 6145 730

Sharp, G.M. Builders Sharp, G.M. Landscapes Shelford Energy Simon Robinson South Cambs Motors Sprint Printers St Georges

General Builders & Renovators All Gardening Gas & Oil Supplies and servicing Picture Frames Motor Car Servicing Printers and Copiers Nursing Home

01763 262126 01763 262126 01223 846846 01223 873123 01763 260246 01763 263339 01763 242243

Jeff Hunt Julie Newsby

Carpet Fitting Service Beauty Therapist

01954 231082 01763 208387

The Letting Centre The Spice Hut Thomas, Chris.

TruGreen Trulight

Letting Agency Indian Takeaway Professional Cleaning Lawn Care Windows & Conservatories

01763 263039 01763 262425 01223 836002 01763 244517 01763 262003

Kingsway Golf Centre Kirkham, David H.

Golf Course and Supplies Chauffeur Service

01763 262727 0845 6770011

Urban Plastics

Plumbing, electrical supplies

01763 262337

Warners Letting Agency Webb & Sons Weight Watchers Westbridge Whitehall Plastics WKH Wrights Mower Centre

Letting Services Pest Control Weight Control Property Consultants Guttering, Fascia etc.

Chartered Accountants Garden Machinery Supply & Maint.

01763 242528 01763 208307 08457 123000 01223 353011 01763 869035 01763 247321 01763 263393

Law Storage Secure storage Leech, C.A Butchers Look Smart Laundry & Iron service Little Hands Nursery School Local Computer Suppliers

01223 874629 01763 260255 01763 232360 01763 260964 01763 288165

Madingley Mulch

01954 212144

Barks, Soils, Composts, Mulches etc.

www.melbourn.org.uk

Tel. No.

melbournmagazine

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