Village News

Melbourn Library 5

Melbourn & Meldreth Women’s Group 5 British Legion, Women’s Section 6 Melbourn History Group 6 Home-Start fundraising 6 Meldreth & Shepreth Station Accessibility 7 Wood Green re-homing charity 7 Melbourn Fete 2014 9

Christmas Door Decoration Workshops Home Start see page 6

Melbourn Library

Melbourn Library is now well established in its new home in The Hub. Initially volunteer librarians sat at the same desk as the Hub receptionist but have now moved to the other side of the entrance. We are awaiting our new desk, which will co-ordinate with the reception desk, replacing the temporary table we now use.

Our new home has brought us into the centre of the village and made residents more aware of the library’s existence. As a result in the four months we have been at the Hub we have had 153 new registrations and our lending’s are up at least 70%. This is very heartening as it shows how much the library, which is staffed entirely by volunteers, is valued by the community.

Our stock of fiction is wide and varied but we can also order any book from the Cambridgeshire library stock. Ordered books usually arrive within 7–10 days. Audio books and music CDs are available as well. Once you have a library card you can order books on line and renew borrowed books on line. The library opening times remain the same: Monday to Friday 2.30 – 4.30 pm Thursday the library remains open until 6.30 pm Saturday 10 am – 12 pm Jane Stevens

Melbourn & Meldreth Women’s Group

The Group is for all women of any age. Meetings are held at 7.45 p.m. on the 4th Tuesday of each month, except in December and we vary our venues between Melbourn and Meldreth. We charge £1 on the night to cover expenses and there is an opportunity to make a donation to the chosen charity of the year, which is The National Autistic Society. We usually have a guest speaker or some in-house entertainment followed by a chance to have a chat over tea/coffee and biscuits.

Our next meeting is 23rd September in the meeting room of Holy Trinity Church Meldreth where the Rev. Andrew O’Brien will talk to us about some of his experiences as a Police Chaplain.

October 3rd is the Joint Parishes Harvest Supper held in Meldreth Village Hall and we will be helping to organise this with other members of the parishes. This will be a ticket only function which must be purchased in advance to assist us with planning for the catering. Tickets will be available from members of the committee.

Our October meeting is on the 28th in All Saints Church, Community Hall when we plan to make decorations for our Christmas Tree for the Meldreth Tree Festival. Come prepared to help with ideas or materials and we hope this will be an evening of

fun with an opportunity to have a good chat at the same time. (There might even be some cake to go with the tea and coffee).

On 15th November we will have a jewellery stall at All Saints Bazaar so if you are sorting out your crown jewels all donations and any offers of help on the day would be greatly appreciated.

Then on 25th November we meet at Holy Trinity Meeting Room for an Advent reflection from Rev. Mary Price – this normally gives us an opportunity to take a bit of time out before we get caught up in the hustle and bustle of Christmas preparations.

We have no meeting in December and will meet in January for our AGM.

If you would like to know more feel free to contact Pat Smith 262575, Sue Toule 260955 or Anne Harrison 261775

British Legion, Women’s Section

Melbourn and Meldreth Branch

We have been quite active during the summer months. In April I was able to carry the standard to the Anzac celebration in Cambridge. I also took the standard to the funeral of Olive Teece, a former member. Two of our members, Shirley Cunningham and Betty Murphy were our delegates this year and represented us at our national Conference in Wales.

On 7th June I took the standard to the official opening of the Melbourn Community Hub, and put a poppy wreath round the stand. Two of our members volunteer at the Hub every week.

Our June Group meeting was at Steeple Morden Village Hall. After the meeting we had an interesting and educational talk on container gardening.

Our 25th June meeting was at Vicarage Close. We had a flower arranging competition which was won by Betsy Spencer.

Our August meeting was a talk about Baltic Cruising by David Wherrell.

We hope to hold our Harvest Supper on 24th September, at 7pm, and the AGM will be held on 22nd October, both at Vicarage Close Community Hall.

If you would like to become a member of the Women’s Section please come along. We meet on the fourth Wednesday of the month and new members are always welcome. Pauline Parkinson Standard Bearer; Chairman Christine Linsdell Tel 262208; Secretary Betty Murphy Tel 220841

Melbourn History Group

You can read elsewhere in this edition of the Melbourn Magazine about the successful World War 1 Exhibition staged by the Group over the weekend of 19/20 July. Over the two days a steady stream of visitors came and looked at the 15 display boards that showed not only life in the trenches but also how the village ‘carried on’ with their menfolk away fighting or serving in so many ways.

We were pleased that so many kind people lent us precious family souvenirs of their families and other items such as medals, letters, birthday and Christmas cards and other memorabilia.

Many people have been very kind and sent their congratulations and the Group were very pleased with the result.

For three of our members Sally Wright, Eric Johnston and myself this was our swansong as we are stepping down from the Group. I would like to express my thanks to them and also to Mavis, Ann, Jan and Peter, who, together with so many others, have worked so hard for 15 years to record the history of Melbourn and to produce not only four excellent books but also helped to stage the various events that have showed the history of our village.

At the Exhibition we had enquiries from people who were interested in joining the Group and I am sure that the excellent work we have produced over the years will continue.

It can be fairly said that unlike some Committees the Melbourn History Group has never fallen out, taken sides or formed cliques but has always worked together, often with great humour, to ensure that our history has been recorded.

I also thank the people of Melbourn who have supported our efforts, lending family records and photographs and gently chiding us when we have got the facts wrong! Colin Limming, Chairman.

Home-Start fundraising dates for your diaries

Friday 19th September – A Taste of India – 7.00pm for a 7.30pm start at Foxton Village Hall – During the evening Rama will give us a brief explanation of her cultural history and background, she will also be cooking a chicken curry, fried rice and onion bhajis with a dip to go with them. You will have the opportunity to taste all this delicious food and Rama will also demonstrate how to wear a sari. Tickets for this event will be £15 and will include a glass of wine, a raffle will also be held during the evening. » Saturday 18th October – Quiz Night with supper to be held at Meldreth Village

Hall. This will be a fun quiz – teams of 6 are required but if you can’t get a full team, please do still join us and we can include you in another team. Tickets will be £10 each to include your supper and a raffle will be held at this event. » Tuesday 11th November – 7.30pm – A Fashion Show – to be held at Esse Retail & Therapy, Melbourn. You will get a chance to browse and maybe even start your

Christmas shopping before the fashion show. Tickets for this event will be £12 each – to include a glass of wine and a raffle will be held during the evening. » Thursday 4th December – Christmas Door Decoration Workshops – to be held at Foxton Village Hall – back by popular demand – you can attend a workshop at 11.00am – 2.00pm or another will be held at 7.00pm – 10.00pm. Tickets will be £20 each and you will be supplied with all the materials you need to make your decoration. These are fun workshops, why not come along with your friends and enjoy a pre-Christmas night out. For further details or to book a ticket for any of the above events please either call the Home-Start office on 01763 262262 or email admin@hsrsc.org.uk

Meldreth & Shepreth Station Accessibility Update

It is some time since we have updated local residents on the Rail User Group’s campaign for improved access at Meldreth Station. However, the campaign is very much still current! Discussions have been ongoing with the relevant parties at First Capital Connect and Network Rail, and as a result of our Community Rail Partnership we also have the support of the County Council who are including the accessibility issues in their Transport Strategy. The train operating franchise is being passed to Govia in September – we have already raised the issue with them, and will be continuing to discuss it with them as soon as we have the opportunity. Unfortunately, infrastructure matters do seem to move slowly in the rail industry and so we do not expect to see anything dramatic happening at Meldreth anytime soon. What we are doing, however, is continuing to keep the issue on the radar of the relevant parties in the hope that the time will come when funding and resources will become available for Meldreth to ‘have its turn’. Those of you who travel on the railway between here and London will be aware that a number of other larger stations (including Letchworth, Hitchin and Stevenage) have recently undergone major improvements to their accessibility with the installation of lifts. It seems fair to accept that these much larger and busier stations receive the investment first, but we do believe that Meldreth has a strong individual case. Meldreth Manor School have told us in the past that they would make good use of the station if they could, and this would be beneficial to staff travelling to work as well as students. The station serves two active villages, with large numbers of people travelling into and out of them each day for work and leisure.

We also know of a number of individual case studies of people who either struggle to use the station, or simply cannot use it, but would very much like to. If this is you, we would be very grateful if you could get in touch! • Do you struggle up and down the steps, but really need a more accessible station? • Or are you simply unable to use it due to your own physical needs, or having young children with you? • Do you drive to another station to be able to make use of the trains? • Or do you find that just don’t use them because it’s too difficult, but really you would prefer to travel by train? Having individual examples would be very helpful when we are continuing to explain how crucial it is to improve access at Meldreth. Please find contact details below.

Meanwhile, many of you will have read in the local press about issues at Shepreth Station. We had not been campaigning about access at Shepreth as such because it was at least possible to get onto both platforms without using steps, albeit by using the steep ramp at the end of each platform. However, serious safety concerns arose earlier in the year over misuse of the level crossing, which resulted in Network Rail closing the ramp at the end of the London-bound platform. We had been told that a new ramp would be built from the carpark onto the platform at the same time, which unfortunately did not happen, thus making the station less accessible, although safer. The Rail User Group has been assured by Network Rail that a ramp will be installed from the station carpark onto the London-bound platform (via the station building) during the summer. This will make access at the station better than it was previously, although access to the Cambridge-bound platform is still only by crossing the level crossing and going up the steep ramp at the end of the platform.

You may wonder why this ramp can be put in so quickly at Shepreth, when the Meldreth campaign is taking a lot longer. This answer is due to the nature of the stations and the land around – at Shepreth, the new ramp going in only needs to cover the height of four steps, and can be built on land that is already owned by Network Rail. At Meldreth, there are nine steps up to the London-bound platform from the Melbourn side, and this is on private land. Then there is the bridge between the two platforms which has 27 steps on each side. Achieving full step-free access at Meldreth therefore potentially involves installing lifts, building long ramps, and rebuilding footbridges – clearly this is a much more complicated and expensive task than what is being done at Shepreth. So please: • Be assured that the campaign is still very active. • Do not expect to see anything dramatic happen anytime soon simply because of the complexities of the situation we are up against! • Get in touch if you would be willing to share your personal experiences of using (or not using) the station, or if you would like to get involved in any way. Janet Cottenden, Secretary of the Meldreth, Shepreth and Foxton Rail User Group Please email railusergroup@melbourn. org.uk Or ring 01763 261833 (Susan van de Ven, Chair of Rail User Group) or 01763 261786 (Janet Cottenden, Secretary) Information about accessibility and other station issues can be found on our website: www.melbourn.org.uk/ railusergroup

Wood Green re-homing charity

I’m writing to you today from your local re-homing charity, Wood Green, to ask whether you can help us with the re-homing of a couple of our longest residents.

Buddy is a 5-year-old Terrier who arrived at Wood Green on 27th November last year. He’s a sweet and affectionate boy who wasn’t given the best start in life and now deserves to find a loving family. He came in with a skin condition, which left a lot of his back sore and hairless. The hair is now growing back and he’s feeling much happier. All he needs now is to find a loving home. Buddy could possibly live with a female dog, a bold cat and children over the age of seven.

Lilly Allen has been at Wood Green just shy of a year after arriving on 20th September. She was living in a small flat with a family who unfortunately didn’t have time for her. She’s only six-years-old and is a fantastic little cat who is looking for a home with a family who will give her the time and patience she needs.

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Lilly is a chatty young girl who loves a fuss and to sit with you. She is yet to explore the outdoor world and is looking forward to pottering around a nice garden and enjoying some sunshine.

For further information about re-homing Lilly Allen please call 0844 248 8181. Spread the word and help these needy animals find the forever homes they deserve.

Buddy Lilly Allen

Melbourn Fete 2014

The sun didn’t shine on us this year

For some visitors the rain was an extra attraction.

This time last year I was writing about how lucky we were with the warm and sunny weather and how that contributed to our best year ever. After a long run of good weather at the fete it was only a matter of time before our luck ran out.

The forecast for the Friday, Saturday and Sunday were all for periods of heavy rain and possibly strong winds. After a full day of setting up on Friday in dry conditions we were hoping that the weather forecaster had been too pessimistic. Saturday morning arrived and all was still dry. The Fete opened at 1pm and just as things started to get going the heavens opened. For an hour the field emptied as visitors and participants took shelter wherever they could. As puddles grew bigger to form little lakes we all thought we were heading for a washout. After an hour of heavy rain the sky had no more to throw at us. Within 2 hours the puddles had disappeared, some occasional glimpses of blue skies were seen and our visitors returned. It was a terrible start to the day but things could only get better and they did.

Of particular note was how the display from the Raptor Foundation continued their show as the rain got heavier and heavier. Mark Smith, one of the Foundation staff, introduced the birds as they displayed their flying skills in the arena. There was a Tawny Owl, a Burrowing Owl, a Barn Owl, an Eagle owl and a Harris Hawk. The Raptor foundation was set up to aid wild disabled birds of prey. They rehabilitate the birds and release them into the wild. Once the birds had finished their display there was a halt to the arena activities as the conditions worsened. Once the attractions in the arena restarted local groups treated us to lots of displays.

Lauren Richardson, our aerobatic pilot got her timing just right as she put on a spectacular display just after the rain abated, the dark clouds giving a dramatic backdrop to her breath-taking manoeuvres. It was also the scene for our tug of war and egg throwing competition later in the day.

Protected under the cover of the marquee the competition was well

Showing excellent timing our aerobatic pilot Lauren Richardson appeared just as the grey clouds were clearing

Not long after the gates opened so did the sky. The field emptied as people took shelter wherever they could. Fortunately an hour later the rain stopped.

Our parade of classic vehicles ... and the bar remained busy throughout the day.

supported with a good range of entries in all the categories. We had three local judges. Dianne Sinnatamby in her first year of judging at the fete, judged the miniature gardens, children’s jelly baby dioramas, vegetable and fruit vehicles. She had the following comments “incredible entries, judging has not been easy they are all so incredible”. Ruth Bond, was a judge last year. This year she tasted the preserves, chutneys and cordials and assessed the flower arranging and photography. She commented “the standard is pretty high particularly the preserves. The more competitions the better as it lifts the standard.” Rob Smart, a contestant on The Great British Bake Off sampled the cakes. He remarked, ”there are some great entries including a Victoria

Local singer songwriter Erin Tidey opening up the Music on the Moor show

sandwich from a five year old. At the age of five I could not have done what she has done. Generally the standard is quite high, some good cakes, anyone of these cakes I would be quite happy to eat for afternoon tea.” Asked if there were any future Great British Bake Off stars in the competition he said, “there was a good chocolate orange cake here that could be a contender.” Asked if there were any Dalek cakes in the competition Rob remarked that there was an octopus cake and two Tardis cakes. We would like to thank all three judges for their time and of course for all those who entered our various categories of the competition. It will be back next year.

In addition to our classic bike owners and vintage vehicle visitors we had some old bicycles on display. These fragile frames are a far cry from the modern rugged bikes made from composite materials and were a great illustration of engineering advancement over the last century. Most of the motorbikes, vehicles and bicycles remained through the downpour, their owners doing their best to protect them from the elements. We are grateful that they remained and hope that their beautiful vehicles have dried out. They provided a splendid spectacle as they paraded through the arena towards the end of the day. We look forward to their return next year.

Most of the stallholders enjoyed a successful afternoon as conditions improved. There was a range of local activities and groups as well as commercial stalls offering an interesting and informative selection.

Similarly, the attractions had an improving afternoon as people returned to the field. Our brilliant Bar and BBQ staff soldiered on through out the day providing tasty hot food and drinks to our visitors. The Brownies, who for the second year provided tea, coffee and cakes in the newly refurbished pavilion did well.

The fete finished at 5 pm and the Music on the Moor started. By this time the weather was much better. Our new inflatable stage with uprated lighting and sound provided a great backdrop for our acts. They all entertained us with a really good selection of music and by the end of the evening we think we had the largest crowd ever dancing the night away.

We are really grateful for all the support we get from our community. Without the generous sponsorship from local companies and individuals and income from advertising we could not offer such a range of subsidised activities. We have a terrific team of volunteers who help set up and clear up over the weekend and also help run the bar, BBQ and other vital activities on Saturday. Without their help we could not have a Fete. We also appreciate the support we receive from the Parish Council.

Our motto is Fun and Fundraising for Melbourn. We think everyone who attended had a really good time. The feedback on our Facebook page and by personal comments have all been very positive. We were able to cover our costs this year but unfortunately will probably not have enough to be able to support any local groups.

This year the sun didn’t shine on us but the people of Melbourn and the surrounding area shone through with their fabulous support for this day. Next year the Fete will be on 20th June, there will be more information about the event early next year.