Village News

Village News Melbourn Mobile Warden Scheme 5

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Melbourn Library News Home Start 6

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A10 Corridor Cycling Campaign Improving access at Meldreth Station Melbourn History Group 7

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Melbourn Amateur Dramatic Society 9

Melbourn Village Fete

10 Meldreth Local History Group 10 Royston and District Family History Society 10 Royston & District Local History Society 11 Cambridgeshire Family History Society 11

We’re Volunteers Searching for

Melbourn Magazine is delivered free to every household in the village by volunteers. If you would like to help with delivering the magazine, please contact Jose Hales on 221058

Melbourn Mobile Warden Scheme

With continuing demand for our service, MMWS now has four wardens covering the village. We recently welcomed Jane Cage as our fourth warden; Jane will be sharing the load with the other wardens, as well as building her own member list.

The Friends of MMWS is an independent group of wardens, members and committee members who raise funds for members to enjoy outings and social events free of charge. The Friends work hard throughout the year in addition to their day-to-day duties.

Wardens, members and Friends manned their usual stall at the village fête in June and raised a substantial sum for the Friends fund.

Susan Noon and Jeanette White on the MMWS stall at Melbourn Fete

Another stall at the indoor bazaar in the Village College on the 9th of November included knitwear and craft items made by scheme member Joyce Fyvie, who most generously donates the proceeds from selling her work throughout the year.

A trip on the Captain’s Table Cruising Restaurant from Hartford Marina, Huntingdon was booked again by popular demand and thirty-two members enjoyed a roast beef lunch on board the narrow boat as it sailed along the river Ouse.

Thirty-eight full and associate members were picked up from their homes by minibuses supplied by Royston & District Community Transport and taken to the Cambridge Motel on the 16th December for an excellent Christmas lunch with all the trimmings and a raffle for a host of prizes, donated by the Friends and the

Melbourn Mobile Warden Scheme

Can we help you? Can we help a relative? Can we help a neighbour? Who does the Scheme help?

The scheme is open to anyone who requests our help including those who live alone or with their families but need the extra support offered by our services. Couples too are most welcome. It is also open to those in sheltered housing, as the scheme offers different, but complementary services. Note: The scheme also offers its services for short periods to cover the temporary absence of relatives who otherwise provide this support. We offer help with:

•Friendship and support via twice weekly visits and daily phone calls • Ordering and collection of prescriptions • • • • • • Basic shopping Collection of pensions Setting up Lifeline service Bereavement support Advice on benefits Going to the Post Office to pay your bills • Advice on getting repairs done in your home • Arranging transport to the hospital or other appointments • Just coming round for a chat What will it cost?

We do have to make a small weekly charge for the warden’s services. The fee is only £5 per week (a little more for couples). Margo Wherrell (Mobile Warden) 01763 260966 Mobile: 07935 315497 Email: tigress270549@aol.com Jeannie Seers (Deputy Warden) 01763 262651 Mobile: 07808 735066 Email: jeanseers1@ntlworld.com Joy Hyde (Assistant Warden) 01763 220139 Mobile: 07952 090089. Melbourn Warden Scheme is a registered charity.

Captain’s Table Cruising Restaurant from Hartford Marina

Co-operative store in Melbourn. The Co-op is a wonderful supporter of the scheme and we are extremely grateful to its manager, Chas, for his help.

The Mobile Warden Scheme has a limited number of vacancies. If you or someone you know could benefit from becoming a member, please contact Mobile Warden Margo Wherrell on 01763 260966.

Melbourn Library News

We moved to the Hub during January with a great deal of help from the Hub Committee and the Centre Coordinator Yasmin Croxford. Thanks must go to the Parish Council for without them Melbourn would have lost its Library, which was kept running by Library volunteers in the old building for over 10 years. The Library service still supports us with the operational system, books on reservation a small number of large print and children’s books.

We hope you like the new facility. We have had to downsize but have done so by removing books that had not been borrowed over the last couple of years. We have also cut our specialist books as these have also had relatively low usage. We have set up a book-buying group who study the latest releases and pick about fifteen new books every month. We are grateful for donations from library users. We need small quantities of good quality new books. Please restrict the numbers you give us as we have very limited space for storage in the new building.

We intend to increase our opening hours. With the help of the Hub Committee we have recruited and trained several new Librarians. Initially we will increase our hours on Thursday from 2.30pm till 7pm. We expect that this will increase the number of books borrowed. We expect that the combination of the new facilities and our ideal new location will increase our usage. Books may be reserved from the Cambridgeshire Library system, which should arrive within about 10 days from ordering. These books can be ordered on line at: https://cambridgeshire.spydus.co.uk/cgibin/spydus.exe/MSGTRN/OPAC/ BSEARCH.

In order to access the system you will need your Library Card Number and Password to access the system. If you need any help call at the library.

We plan to restart the Children’s Story time. We need inputs from potential users so we can decide the best time to have story telling. So please tell us how many children you would like to attend and which day and time is best for you.

We see this as a great chance not only to improve the library but also to bring an important element into the new Hub. We see the Hub as a meeting point for the people of Melbourn. It will be a place for us, the people of Melbourn, to communicate with one another. As it has so many elements it will attract a wide

range of people. We have worked for over ten years to reach this point and we will make every effort to achieve the success is deserves. The team will continue to work hard to keep a good library in our village. Our opening times are: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 2.30 to 4.30pm Thursday 2.30 to 7.00pm Saturday 10.00 to 12.00 noon.

Melbourn History Group

We have been looking through the local newspaper files at the editions between 1914-1918 and noting not only the sad references to the deaths and casualties, but also details of men ‘called to the colours’ as it was so called.

There is one fascinating article about Private Sidney Webb of the Grenadier Guards who was wounded and taken prisoner by the Germans, but by the simple ruse of hiding under a bed was able to escape and rejoin his regiment. See p 14.

In the last edition of the magazine we asked for any residents having details of relatives who served in World War 1 to contact us with their details, photographs or other information. Disappointingly nobody has come forward although it is hard to believe that nobody in Melbourn has any record of grandfathers or other relatives that they can share with us.

At some point in this year we are hoping to bring together an exhibition on this the 100th anniversary of World War 1. If any reader wants to share their family memories with us please let us know! Colin Limming, Chairman, Melbourn History Group 01763 260072 colin.limming@btinternet.com

A10 Corridor Cycling Campaign

Less than a year since it was launched, the A10 Corridor Cycling Campaign has seen remarkable success by tapping into Cambridgeshire’s central government Cycling Ambition Grant at just the right time. The new path connecting Foxton and Shepreth, which is designed to enhance cycle links to Foxton Station, should have been completed by the time you read this article.

At the January meeting of the Campaign, held in Royston, it was reported that the Shepreth-Foxton project is coming in at below cost, and therefore it will be possible to extend the project in some ways. It was agreed that solar studs on the new path would establish an important standard. The second priority was to commence an extension of the path from Barrington slip road toward Harston. That stretch has now had vegetation cleared back but it ultimately the aspiration is to upgrade it to a 2.5 m wide path.

A new crossing point over the A10, connecting the new path to Melbourn, will be positioned to join in with the old Dunsbridge Turnpike near the Weavers Shed, encouraging people to avoid crossing at the Frog End junction. Volunteers from the campaign group will be helping out to ensure that the verges around the new path are re-seeded to the best possible standard, with specialist advice and support from Cambridgeshire County Council.

Tackling the Melbourn-Royston path, and crucially the A505 roundabout, comprised the main discussion at our January meeting. It is hoped that if the Greater Cambridge City Deal comes through this will allow a high quality off-road path to be constructed right up to the Hertfordshire border – and indeed the whole length of the A10 between Trumpington and Royston. The purpose of a City Deal would be to create the necessary infrastructure to accommodate the huge housing growth expected in the Greater Cambridge area, in line with exploiting the area’s economic growth potential (as the official announcements say).

There would be an emphasis upon sustainable transport that would alleviate car congestion, and the A10 corridor is seen as ideal for a modal shift to cycling. While the Hertfordshire/Cambridgshire county border creates administrative headaches, the campaign is determined to help tackle this as the demand for travel across that border is self-evident. The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Local Enterprise Partnership boundary extends into Royston and so we are thinking about whether we can find some funding hooks there.

Hertfordshire County Council representatives who were invited to our meeting announced that a feasibility study will shortly be carried out for cycle and pedestrian links over the A505, not only at the A10 but at other points as well including the A1198 and Littlington crossings. It was agreed by everyone that the roundabouts presents life-threatening barriers to anyone not in motor vehicle. An update on the feasibility study will be requested at the campaign’s next meeting on 31 March. A provisional date for the group’s annual awareness ride has been set for May 18 – but please do check on our website, www.a10corridorcycle.com, for details.

Everyone is welcome to join in the A10 Corridor Cycling Campaign, in whatever way they like, and we are always seeing new faces at our meetings. What is exciting is the rare opportunity to create something new, and this is being done with direct support and consensus from a campaign formed by local residents. Susan van de Ven, susanvandeven@ yahoo.co.uk, 261833

Improving access at Meldreth Station

Meldreth, Shepreth and Foxton Rail User Group

At the start of the new year, the campaign to improve disabled access at Meldreth and Melbourn Station – including access up the steps from the Melbourn side – was re-launched with support of parents with pushchairs, students from Meldreth Manor School, people reliant on mobility scooters, and those who simply find it difficult to climb stairs. You may have seen coverage in the local papers, which have been very supportive of the campaign.

We know it won’t happen next year or the year after, but if we don’t campaign now for ramps and lifts these

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items simply won’t reach the Network Rail radar and find themselves to the right waiting lists. As with everything we need to be able to anticipate opportunities and in this spirit the new transport strategy for Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire does include mention of improved access to our rural rail stations along the A10 corridor, so we hope that this too offers some scope for possible support There is a great deal of information on the Meldreth, Shepreth and Foxton Rail User Group website (hosted by the Melbourn Village website) including an accessibility study spearheaded by Melbourn resident Janet Cottenden, to whom many thanks are due. Susan van de Ven, railusergroup@gmail.com or Tel 261833

MAD

Melbourn Amateur Dramatic Society

“ALADDIN” the 2013 pantomime following last years “Lost Slipper” was yet another huge success for the most talked about new group in Melbourn. Melbourn Amateur Dramatic Society whisked 4 full houses away into the magical, wacky world of panto-land with gusto professionalism and skill. The traditional story was adapted by the MADS writing team and included all the usual audience participation, local references and some clever modern comedy pieces. The laundry based version of the 12 days of Christmas was inspired, finished off the first half with plenty of audience participation and left the audience wanting more. The scenery in particular was quite outstanding and the “Cave of Doom” scene kicked off the second half with great excitement with spectacular lighting and special effects.

Most of the players were old hands and Aladdin, Widow Twankey and the evil Abanazar played their parts with great professionalism and ease. However the MADS team has almost doubled in size from last year and those joining for the very first time are also to be congratulated on their excellent performances. Behind the scenes were an amazing team of helpers. Some very slick scenery changes, effective lighting and great sound effects accompanied the on stage antics along with a spectacular array of costumes.

The show ran for 2 matinee and 2 evening performances over 3 days and was attended by around 430 local people. Having such amazing support from so many local people for only our second pantomime is really appreciated.

Congratulations once again to all of the MADS team and watch out for the next production a comedy show “Never Too Late” coming Spring 2014. Donna Sleight (Producer)

Home Start

Employees of Johnson Matthey in Royston ensured a very happy Christmas to Home-Start families in Royston & South Cambridgeshire when they donated food hampers and presents for children.

Twenty nine hampers and 60 individually wrapped presents were donated. Present tags such as ‘boy 5, girl 3 or baby’ were hung on the Christmas tree in reception at the Johnson Matthey offices in Royston. Members of staff then bought presents, wrapped them and attached the tags. These were added to the food from donated hampers and delivered to the

COFFEE STOP

Every Saturday 10.30am to 12noon

Rombouts coffee & biscuits for 80p at All Saints’ Community Hall

families in time for Christmas by HomeStart volunteers and staff.

The families made a large thank you card and sent individual cards and texts to express their gratitude for the gifts. One family wrote “Thank you Johnson Matthey for my son’s present he takes his police station everywhere with him, including to bed and the hamper was lovely. Thank you again”.

Home-Start Royston & South Cambridgeshire are absolutely thrilled to learn that we are the charity that will benefit from the Thriplow Daffodil Weekend which will be held on 5th and 6th April, 2014.

Please come and visit us on our stall, details of our activities can be found on www.hsrsc.org.uk or to find out more about the weekend go to www.thriplowdaffodils.org.uk

Melbourn Village Fete

Further to my article last autumn the proposed visit by the Primary School to the Royal Albert Hall had to be cancelled, so the school no longer needed the funds to buy T-shirts for their pupils. However, the School asked that the amount be used to enhance the School’s library facilities, which the Committee were delighted to support. In addition, two late requests for funds were supported by a small donation. The first was towards the Melbourn Mobile Warden Scheme (MMWS) Friends Fund, which through various activities pays towards the costs of outings for some of our village residents who have mobility needs. They visit local garden centres and other nearby venues and provide muchneeded enjoyable events for some of the village residents. The second request was from the Village College who wanted support for summer schools they run which helps those pupils making the transition from primary to secondary school. In both cases we were able to make a small donation. The committee hope that any requests this year can be fully supported and look forward to seeing the applications so they can be considered along with all the others within the normal timeframe.

This year’s preparation is going well. We will be running the attractions on a theme for the first time this year, which will be Flight and Transport. We are planning on a spectacular opening display and lots of attractions and displays throughout the day to support the theme.

Once again we are requesting help from volunteers who are willing to lend a hand for the weekend of the fete, whether it is a few hours on the day to help with some of the set up and activities, or in any other areas which you think could enhance the village fete. I have a list of people who volunteered last year with whom I shall be in contact with in the coming months but if you are able to help then please e-mail me direct (purnell@waitrose.com). Over the coming weeks we will be holding some recruitment drives around the village, so please don’t be shy, come and have a chat with us and get involved in your village and support your village activities. Find us on facebook or at www.melbournfete.co.uk Trevor Purnell

Meldreth Local History Group

The MLHG will be holding another coffee morning on Monday 24th March at the Sheltered Housing Community Room in Elin Way between 10.00am – 12.00. These events are very successful as they enable people to meet old friends and share memories of village life. We also welcome new comers to the villages who are interested in local history.

Chris Duguid will be speaking about the 108 bus, which was operated by the Eastern Counties Omnibus Company and ran between Royston and Cambridge

Melbourn

Community Pavilion

Melbourn Community Pavilion is an ideal summer venue for events ranging from birthdays, family parties, club and corporate meetings. It will also be available to host a wide range of community events, non-profit making and fund raising, for local and community beneficiaries. The layout includes: • Open plan meeting area with space for approximately 70 people. • Small kitchen (Equipped with basics). • Tables & chairs. • Male and female washrooms. • Disabled washroom with baby changing facilities. • Outside enclosed front porch area with ‘safe-space’ for younger children. • Large outside rear enclosed patio area with ‘safe-space’ for younger children. • Large grassed area available suitable for Bouncy Castles. • Full disabled access into and throughout the main areas of the building and from car park. For more information on the Pavilion, please contact the Parish Council on 01763 263303

from the 1940’s. There are numerous stories and characters associated with the bus, some of which can be found on the History website www.meldrethhistory. org.uk. The 108 bus was the main form of transport if you had to go to school in Cambridge and Royston or shopping or a trip to the Cinema.

We would welcome further recollections from anyone who used the bus. Please contact Chris Duguid on 01763 260802. Everyone is welcome to join us and be part of the on-going success of the Meldreth Local History Group 01763 268428.

Royston and District Family History Society

Why do I find family history interesting? A request received by RDFHS may shed some light as it raises all sorts of questions about how our forebears lived. Dot Rayner wrote “In my PhD studies, I have discovered that between the census dates of 1881-1891, Royston Poor Law Union sent 20+ girls from the Workhouse to Halifax, where they were worked as unpaid ‘apprentices’: they were provided with board & lodging and a small amount of pocket money. Some of the girls stayed in Yorkshire but others returned home” The girls were all born between 1870-80 and I have included their place of birth. Bassingbourn: Mary Ann Christmas, Harriet Jane Sadler, Agnes Baker Sell, Edith Rose Sell Royston: Alice Bass, Alice E. Burrows, Kate Burrows, Alice Elizabeth Dilley, Emma Enetta Griffin, Elizabeth Ann Miller, Mary Alice Degg (or Pegg/Pigg?), Kate Mary Miller, Martha Ethel Newell, Maud Florence Newell, Mary Parish, Sarah Ann Sears, Frances Sim. Programme » March 17th What people had in their houses? – Dr Shirley Wittering » April 14th *‘Introduction to Heraldry’ for a family and local Historian –

John Tunesi

NB The third Monday in April is Easter Monday this date is changed to 14th

All our meetings, unless otherwise stated, take place on the third Monday of the month at All Saints Community Hall, Melbourn with doors opening for chat and a look at the bookstall at 7.30 pm and talks commencing at 8pm. You will be most welcome

Projects Report. RDFHS is continuing to record the Orchard Road Cemetery, Melbourn. Our publications are available at our meetings, from our website www. roystonfhs.org.uk or from www.parishchest.com. Various new projects, some with the Royston and District Local History Society, linked to the commemoration of WW1 have started including the VAD hospital in Queens Road Royston, reviewing the information on the names on the Royston War Memorials and listing the Births Marriages and Deaths in the Crow from 1910. Pam Wright Journal Editor

Royston & District Local History Society

website: www.roystonlocalhistory.org.uk Our meetings are held in the Heritage Hall, Royston Town Hall on the first Thursday of the month (second Thursday in May) starting at 8pm. Annual subscription is £5 (under 18’s £2.50). Visitors £2 per meeting. » March 6 Suffragettes, illustrated. Mary Dicken » April 3 Everyday Life in the 18th century, illustrated. Dr Ken Sneath » May 8 AGM 7.30pm followed by The Woman Who Saved the Children: Eglantyne Jebb 1876-1928, illustrated. Clare Mulley

Our website shows all the books we have for sale. Many of these result from the considerable work undertaken by our Publications sub-committee. The books are available at our meetings or may be ordered by post from David Allard (01763 242677). They may also be purchased at the Royston Museum & Arts Gallery in Kneesworth Street and some are available at the Cave Bookshop in Melbourn Street.

The society is responsible for the opening of Royston Cave, Melbourn Street, Royston which will be re-open on Saturday, 19th April www.roystoncave.co.uk

Cambridgeshire Family History Society

Would you like to learn more about your family history?

Cambridgeshire Family History Society will be at the Central Library, Cambridge on the third Saturday of each month, from 11.00-3.00, to offer advice and do lookups on family history websites.

There will be a different talk each month, from 1.30-2.30pm, that will explain the types of records you can use to trace your ancestors.

The Society will also be selling a wide range of CDs of transcribed parish records that will help you take your research back even further.

Free to attend at the Cambridgeshire Collection Rooms, Third Floor, Central Library, Lion Yard, Grand Arcade, Cambridge, CB2 3QD.

The Society also holds regular meetings in Girton and March and offers research advice at March Library, Ely Library, Bar Hill Library, Cambourne Library and Cottenham Library. See www.cfhs.org.uk/pdfs/newsletter.pdf or follow on Facebook www.facebook. com/CambridgeshireFHS for further details.