Sports & Clubs

Bowls

Malcolm Davey 262704

Bridge Club

Howard Waller 261693

1st Melbourn Rainbows

Abigail Roberts 261505

Brownies 1st Melbourn

Stephanie Clifford 220272

Brownies 2nd Melbourn

Samantha Pascoe 261400

Cricket

Martin Winter 262733

Croquet

Janet Pope 248342

Football Club

Andrew Edwards 223109

Dynamos Football Club

Les Morley 07739 593771

Gardening Club

Helen Powell 245887

Judo

Derek Coult 225004

McSplash

Joanne Greene 263313

Melbourn Sports Centre

Graham Johnson-Mack 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

1st Melbourn Rainbows

The autumn term began with the introduction of our new Rainbows and then a discussion about our summer holidays.

As part of our harvest celebration, the Rainbows created their own scarecrows with concertina legs. Many fabulous scarecrows were made, but they were all far too lovely to scare any crows I’m afraid so not much use to the farmers for protecting their crops.

We created a ‘junk’ orchestra, using our instruments to produce music for a good old sing-song and a bit of a dance as well.

The girls held their own Antiques Road Show bringing an antique from home to tell all of the other Rainbows about. They told us how old their object was, what it was and where they had got the item from. It was a wonderful evening with many varied objects. Thank you to all the parents and grandparents who allowed the girls to bring to the evening, these valuable objects to share.

For bonfire night we made chocolate apples covered in sprinkles, made our own firework pictures and then finished off the evening around the camp fire with some of our favourite songs. (I should say it wasn’t a real camp fire but Violet created a fantastic artificial one, flames and all.)

We decided to have an etiquette evening where the girls learnt how to set a table and fold napkins. They sat down to a meal of jacket potato followed by dessert where they were encouraged to use their knife and fork correctly.

Christmas was soon upon us and we decided not to think of ourselves, but of others. Over a couple of weeks the Rainbows decorated terracotta pots and then planted within them miniature cyclamens. These were given to the community which we hope they enjoyed as much as we enjoyed making them.

We were also very lucky to have a visit by Cambells of Melbourn who entertained us with carols and then we finished the year with a Christmas party.

It has been a very exciting and busy year for Rainbows, and we are looking forward to what the New Year will bring.

Although we do have quite a long waiting list, if your daughter wishes to become a Rainbow, please call Abigail Roberts, Unit Leader on 01763 261505.

1st Melbourn Guides

Ten million Girl Guides celebrated the end of our Centenary, and two thousand of us packed into Ely Cathedral on October 20th for our singing, dancing finale.

Through November and December we themed our autumn term programme to fit traditional events. On Bonfire night we staged a little play to enact the Gunpowder plot, with some girls dancing as fireworks afterwards. On Armistice Day the girls learnt skills they would have been taught in the World War II, such as first aid, morse code, and simple cooking. On Remembrance Sunday twenty girls attended the parade and church service, and the following

weekend we raised an impressive £80 for the church bazaar. In late November we had an evening of salsa dancing, and then our very own talent show at which the girls sang, danced and played music. For Christmas the girls learnt to make a flower arrangement, and then attempted to sew a felt decoration. Most girls soon gave up and resorted to using glue, but the results were still very creative! We finished the term by singing carols and a few of our less risqué campfire songs to the residents of Moorlands Residential Home.

Both Guide Units in Melbourn are full and have waiting lists, but if you would like to know more about becoming a Guide or a leader, or if you have any skills or hobbies which you would like to share with us, please contact me on: 01763 261443 or email:melbournguides@ gmail.com Hilary Marsh

2nd Melbourn Guides

Since forming in Easter 2010, Girlguiding’s centenary year, 2nd Melbourn Guides has been going from strength to strength. With a now full register and a number of girls on the waiting list, our weekly meetings provide lots of fun and new opportunities for all of our members.

After the excitement of the summer’s camping, autumn term activities included baking, building giant marshmallow towers and a visit from students of the University of Cambridge to show us some explosive science! The term concluded with a Christmas treat – a trip by train to Cambridge for ice skating and swimming on Parker’s Piece. After some time practising (and a few bumps!) everyone had learnt to skate well enough for us to enrol several new girls on the ice.

The spring term looks set to be just as exciting, with plans for a Chinese new year celebration, visit from a martial arts specialist and a joint hike and sleepover with 1st Melbourn Guides. We are also in the process of setting up a senior section group for the older guides (age 13+), which members may move to when they feel ready.

If you are interested in becoming a guide, leader or senior section member, or would like to help in any other way, please contact us on 2ndMelbournGuides@ googlemail.com Fiona Llewellyn-Beard

Melbourn Dynamos Football Club!

www.melbourndynamos.co.uk It was a full and exciting match schedule that welcomed the start of the season for MDFC’s eight football squads, with team players aged between 6 and 15 years. Then came the snow and ice in November, bringing a temporary lull in the schedule in the run up to Christmas. The New Year thaw brought a well rested and excited bunch of teams chomping at the bit to get stuck back into the training and match schedule again.

We are a friendly community football club offering boys and girls the opportunity to play regular football regardless of experience or ability. All our squads train weekly and play competitive matches at weekends in the Royston Crow Youth League.

The Club is now nearly 8 years old and is going from strength to strength. Starting out with a handful of local children and parents in 2003 we now have approximately 180 children aged 4 to 14 years signed up to our club. Our Under 11 squad is pictured below.

All of our coaches are CRB checked and qualified to a minimum of F.A. Level 1 standard. We are also recognised as a Charter Status Club which means that we have all the correct people and practices in place to operate in line with government requirements.

We always welcome new players, with or without football experience, to join our age group squads. If you are a boy or girl aged 4–15, interested in playing football, please contact us to find out more. For

the younger ones aged 4–5 years, we run a ‘Dynamites’ Saturday morning ‘pay as you go’ fun football session. All welcome.

If you are interested in finding out more about MDFC, please contact Nicky Patel on 07951 590139 or email us on: melbourndynamos@aol.com

URGENTLY NEEDED!

Under 12 Boys (School Year 7) We are in URGENT need of new players to join our U12 (School Year 7) boys squad straight away. Please contact Les Morley on 07739 593771

Girls aged 11–13 (School Years 6/7/8) We are building a new girls squad, coached by fully qualified FA coaches. If you know of any girls who might be interested in playing football, please contact us on the number above.

Melbourn and District Gardening Club

Are you interested in gardening? Why not join the Melbourn and District Gardening Club on a regular or occasional basis.

We meet at 7.30 on the second Tuesday each month, at the Community Hall, behind All Saints Church (near traffic lights, lane by telephone box) Coach outing to Hever Castle & Gardens, Kent Saturday 11th June 2011 Pick up Melbourn & Royston

This year our coach outing will be to moated Hever Castle in Kent. Childhood home to Anne Boleyn, tragic queen to Henry VIII. Begun in 13th Century converted to comfortable Tudor home c.1505.

A 35 acre lake, with traditional rowing boats. Rose Gardens with 3,000 roses. 110 metre herbaceous border. Yew hedge maze and splashing water maze. 4 acres of formal gardens.

A walk around the entire lake, seeing birds and wildlife, takes about an hour.

Non members are welcome to join

us. 29 March: Competition: Print of the year 5 April: Talk - Judging 12 April: AGM New members, of any skill level, will be warmly welcomed. For further information please ring the secretary Bruce Huett 01763 232 855

8th March: The Gibberd Garden Harlow – Richard Ayres 12th April: Self Sufficiency From Your Garden – Nigel Start 10th May: Practical Demonstration of Hanging Baskets Mill End Nursery Rushden 11th June: Coach outing to Hever Castle and Gardens, Kent – childhood home of Anne Boleyn New members and visitors very welcome. For more information – ring Helen Tel 01763 245887 or Angela 01763 262793

Melbourn And District Photographic Club

Responses to the Village Plan Questionnaire in the summer of 2010 indicated that there was a large number of people in the village who would like to join a Camera Club. Please come and join us!

You are very welcome to visit us any Tuesday evening from September to April at 7.30 p.m. at Foxton Village Hall and “test the water”. The club has been in existence for many years and enjoys meeting new members so we can share skills and experiences.

There is a varied programme of competitions, talks and practical advice. Meetings are from 7.30 to 9.30.

The highlight of the spring programme is the final of the Melbourn trophy to be held on Saturday 19th March at Foxton village hall. Prints produced by club members during the year will be on display and the trophy will be awarded to the winner of a knockout competition between local clubs. The competition concludes on this evening with judging of the entries from the finalists. This is an exciting event with entries of very high quality. The rest of the spring programme comprises: 1 March: Club evening: Composition and the use of colour 8 March: Inter club competition 15 March: Competition: Projected image of the year 22 March: Talk - Doing the Lambeth Walk: an alternative view of London

Bridge Club

It is pleasing to report that the Bridge Club continues to grow.

Monday nights at The Vicarage Close Community Centre regularly have between 20 and 32 members meeting. The atmosphere is still relaxed and friendly, and we are still encouraging both experienced and newcomers alike. Come without a partner and we will guarantee a game.

We intend to hold an Individual Competition, and also to give everyone a better opportunity to do well by introducing a handicapping system based on average scores.

We welcome new members of all ages from students onwards. Contact Howard Waller 01763 261693

Melbourn Sports Centre

The Winter Review

The winter months have seen an influx of new members to our fitness suite here at Melbourn Sports Centre, all working hard toward their personal fitness goals or to lose the remnants of the Christmas season’s traditional over-indulgence. To help them achieve this, we’ve set up a number of gym challenges; pop in to learn more and maybe try some yourself!

If the fitness suite is not for you, then why not try one of our fantastic exercise classes such as boxercise, core stability, body sculpture or our new running club? Need to learn to swim or want to improve your technique? Then how about having one of our experienced qualified instructors help improve your swimming by joining one of our popular lesson plans.

Finally, we welcomed ‘Set 2 Play’ tennis coaching to our site, run by Rob Ellis and Dave Liddiard, who are both experienced LTA tennis coaches. They have been putting players both young

and old through their paces! For more details or to book your place, please contact Dave Liddiard at ‘Set 2 Play’ on 07508 995781 or email dave@set2play. co.uk.

April We’ve got a bumper bag of Easter activities this year, including our OFSTED registered PlayScheme, where children will be treated to trampolining, swimming and creative crafts. Other holiday activities include Swimming Crash Course and Trampolining Taster sessions.

April 2010 also sees the return of our charitable Swimathon, with all participants raising money for the Marie Curie Cancer Care Trust. We’d love to have as many entrants as possible; teams of up to five are welcome as well as individual swimmers. The Swimathon takes place on Friday 8th and Saturday 9th April. For further information, please see Reception or visit our website at www.melbournsports.com. May We welcome back the outdoor sports and tennis season, and we will hopefully be offering season tickets for the use of tennis courts this year. Further details will be available in the spring.

Later this month, we will be running our children’s holiday activities once again, with Play Scheme and a mixture of indoor and outdoor activities available.

June For something a bit different this Father’s Day, how about treating your Dad to his own gym membership or purchasing a gift voucher for our other activities here at Melbourn Sports? It’s a great way to help a loved one get fit!

Plus why not start planning your summer sports early, with our holiday courses like the Children’s Pentathlon and Swimming Crash Course? Bookings taken from May onwards. Other activities on offer this spring and summer include:

Friendly Fridays, where members of the public can come down with an existing fitness suite member and try out the gym for free!

Our usual popular swimming lessons, both group and private

A range of exercise classes including Yoga, Pilates & Swim-Clinic (pool training session)

Indoor and Outdoor Court Hire

ACTIVITY OF THE SEASON – HATHA YOGA This relaxing yoga course is a great way of releasing tension, relax the breathing & calm the mind. The course, which is ideal for all ages & abilities, consists of warm-up exercises, followed by yoga postures (asana), relaxation, breathing and meditation. Go on – give it a go!

Tuesday 09.15–10.35 (Block bookings only)

For further details on these or any other activities, please drop in, call 01763 263313 or go online at www. melbournsports.com. We look forward to seeing you this season! Graham Johnson-Mack Melbourn Sports Centre Manager

Meldreth Croquet Club Open Day

Saturday 21st May

If John Prescott can do it I’m sure the people of Melbourn can – playing croquet that is.

Meldreth Croquet Club is holding an open day on Saturday 21st May to give people an opportunity to try their hand at playing croquet. There are two forms of the game, association and golf, the same basic skills are needed for both but ‘golf’ is less complicated. Club members will be on hand to give instruction, help and encouragement so you can have a go at either or both versions of the game. We will start at 10.30 and there will be sessions available throughout the day. We play on the lawn behind the British Queen in Meldreth High Street. So not only can you have a go wielding a croquet mallet you can also see (and sample) the considerable improvements that the new owners have made to the pub.

The Ramblers’ Association Royston and District Group

Our walks programme continues 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 Lesley Abbiss (01763 273463). 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 (sometimes on both days). Our evening walks will resume on 25thApril and are held weekly on a different day each week. Prospective new members are always very welcome and may come on three walks before deciding whether to join.