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Community Matters
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Community
Matters
www.melbourncambridge.co.uk
Library
The many visitors to the Hub will have seen the new library desk which is opposite the Hub reception desk. This has made life much easier for the librarians as we no longer have to set up the computer at the start of each session.
It is particularly pleasing that so many children, as well as their parents are using the library. This summer the County Library Service ran a reading challenge again. This year it was called the Mythical Maze. Children had to read six books over the summer holidays and received a sticker for each book read. There were 15 who managed to read six books and they were presented with a medal and a certificate at a special ceremony at the beginning of October.
Younger children are also catered for. One of our librarians runs Story Time every Friday in term time from 10 to 10.30 am. All children from 0 to 4 years are welcome. They are read two or three stories and there is also lots of singing and rhymes in between. There is no need to book, just turn up and join in the fun. Jane Stevens
The Hub Club
The Hub Club – the lunch club for everyone – is held on the second Wednesday of each month. There has been a very positive response to this club and we have had some very enjoyable lunches with lots of conversation. Just turn up at 12.30pm and join in, no membership is required. 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.
We do not meet in December and we start our programme of 2015 off with our AGM, which is held in All Saints Community Hall. We have a short meeting to conduct our formal business of electing committee members, receiving reports and selecting the charity, which we will support for the year. The new programme for the year will be given out at this meeting. Usually this proceeds very quickly and then we have our bring-and-share supper to which all contribute and it is usually a time to catch up and enjoy meeting with one another. The February meeting will take place on 24 February 2015 at All Saints Community Hall when we are looking forward to Anna Taylor talking about Hats and The Role of Women – Anna is a milliner and this should be an interesting talk.
If you would like to know anything more about the group please contact Pat Smith (262575), Sue Toule (260955) or Anne Harrison (261775)
Melbourn History Group
After the successful WWI exhibition held on 19th July at All Saints’ Church, and the subsequent publication of the booklet to accompany it, several long standing members of the group decided to stand down.
We are very grateful for the years of hard work put in by Colin Limming, Eric Johnston, Sally Wright, and the late Terry Rolt: without them we would not have been able to produce our publications, ‘Melbourn 2000’, ‘A Glimpse into Melbourn’s Past’, ‘Pictorial Melbourn’, the guide to All Saints’ Church and lastly ‘1914–1918 The Great War’.
The remainder of the History Group, Peter and Jan Simmonett, Mavis Howard and Ann Dekkers have now been joined by Tony Truett, Wendy Phillips and Mark Ponder, and are considering what our next area of study should be.
If there is anyone interested in joining the group, or has ideas for future projects, then please let us know, we need more people. We have a lot of fun too! Ann Dekkers 01763 261144 email heisei110@ntlworld.com
This September Ladies Circle have been fundraising for local charities. We hosted a tea party with a ‘bake off’ theme and invited our friends and ladies from the surrounding area Ladies Circles’.
Together we had a wonderful afternoon drinking tea and tasting delicious cakes. Some ladies entered a bake off and we were incredibly lucky to have the Mayor of Royston to be our guest judge. The Mayor had the wonderful task of tasting all the entries and choose a first, second and third place. There were many delicious entries but the Mayor crowned Alexandra French, of Royston Ladies Circle, the star baker of the day.
The afternoon was a huge success and we raised £ 250.10p, which will be donated to local charities in the next few weeks. The tea party has been one of a few fundraiser we have held for local charities and we are thrilled to be donating money to Homestart to continue supporting their good work with young families in the area, Meldreth Manor, who need some renovation work on their therapy pool, money towards a new minibus for Meridian School and other schools in the area as well as helping a local young man with severe disabilities purchase a wheelchair not provided on the NHS.
If you are interested to know more about us, or have a charitable cause we may be able to help with, find us on Facebook or alternatively call Hannah Paradis on 01763220967. We are a social group of ladies ages 18-45. We meet on the second and fourth Thursday of each month to do fun, social events such as going to the theatre, cinema trip, falconry, baking, recipe swapping and we even recently attempted pole dancing! Then there is our fundraising side, which is very important to us. We run a variety of fundraising events to help raise money for local charities/ causes. Look out for us this Christmas supporting Royston Round Table with the Santa float. We will also be running a quiz night in Meldreth village hall in February; more details to follow soon.
Melbourn and Meldreth Lunch Club
Lunch Club is held every Thursday at Vicarage Close. The centre is open from 11.30am and lunch is served at 12. We are usually finished by 1pm but everyone is welcome to sit and chat until 1.30pm. It is a very informal gathering that hopes to provide the chance for the older members of our community to have a reasonably priced lunch and socialise with their peers.
The club is run by Nikki and Julie, two Melbourn based mums. It is open to anybody that wishes to join us (space permitting). Cost for lunch, desert and a tea or coffee is £5 which is payable on the day. All we ask is that you telephone us on the number below if you are not able to attend. We can provide transport to and from lunch club for those that need it.
The menu is posted at lunch club so you are aware of what will be served each week. If something is not to your liking we are always able to order a jacket potato with cheese/tuna and salad as an alternative. Diabetic, vegetarian and other dietary requirements can be catered for if you inform us of your needs.
Our telephone number is 07599292327 Julie or Nikki will always try to answer your call but will always listen to messages and call back if requested. We look forward to seeing you.
Sports Pavilion
Another fine addition to the facilities in Melbourn was opened in November and all those involved are to be congratulated.
When one remembers the state of the old sports pavilion which suffered the unwelcome attentions of vandals, the new facility is a model of good design and thought.
A group of people and firms were involved but amongst these were
In the following months, the Germans approached the British for a possible truce but mostly without success. On Easter Sunday, 4th April 1915, a German unit raised a white flag and began leaving their trenches, but the British warned them telling them they would open fire, and so they retreated. On other parts of the front, no such warnings were given.
To ensure there were no more repeats of ‘fraternising with the enemy’ or ‘slackness in indiscipline’, over the Christmas period in 1915, the British High Command ordered a slow continuous artillery barrage along the front. Despite the waste of lives, units were also ordered to mount trench raids and harass the enemy line at night and mortar bombardments during the day. Troops were rotated to other sectors of the front to prevent them from becoming ‘overly familiar with the enemy’. Future attempts at a ceasefire were quashed with threats of disciplinary action.
“… I was shown a report from one section of how, on Christmas Day, a friendly gathering had taken place of Germans and British on the neutral ground between the two lines, recounting that many officers had taken part in it. This is not only illustrative of the apathetic state we are gradually sinking into, apart also from illustrating that any orders I issue on the subject are useless, for I have issued the strictest orders that on no account is intercourse to be allowed between the opposing troops. To finish this war quickly, we must keep up the fighting spirit and do all we can to discourage friendly intercourse. I am calling for particulars as to names of officers and units who took part in this Christmas gathering, with a view to disciplinary action”.
Despite these threats, in the following years there were occasions when the opposing sides did meet up. In November 1915 near St. Eloi, south of Ypres, the Germans and British did call a short truce, so that they could bury their dead. December 1916 also saw a few areas along the line where the troops briefly got together to share Christmas greetings and trade presents.
“Here we are again as the song says, I had quite a good Christmas considering I was in the front line.
Christmas Eve was pretty stiff, up to the hips in mud of course… We had a truce on Christmas Day and our
German friends were quite friendly. They came over to see us and we traded bully beef for cigars.”
Just outside Ypres, Company Commander Sir Iain Colquhoun (a relation by marriage to Herbert Asquith, the Prime Minister), agreed to a 45-minute truce to bury the dead between the lines. This led to Sir Iain being court-martialled for defying standing orders: ‘Conduct to the prejudice of good order of military discipline in that on 25th Dec he (1) Approved of a truce with the enemy (2) Permitted a cessation of hostilities’. He was found guilty and officially reprimanded. However, due to his good military service record he remained in his position.
“A German officer came forward and asked me for a truce for Christmas. I replied that this was impossible.
He then asked for ¾ hour to bury his dead. I agreed.
The Germans then started burying their dead and we did the same. This was finished in ½ hrs time. Our men and the Germans then talked and exchanged cigars, cigarettes etc. for ¼ of an hour and when the time was up I blew a whistle and both sides returned to their trenches.”
The orders set in motion by the High Command to prevent any further fraternisation were later overshadowed by stories of German ‘atrocities’ the use of poison gas on the front line, the bombing of British cities by German Zeppelins and the ‘execution’ of Edith Cavell. Hatred for the Germans also increased when the Lusitania was sunk killing 1,195 civilians and crew. Warfare had become cruel and harsh as the casualties on both sides mounted.
“I saw New Years in last night in the most depressing way, wet, cold, slush and bullets and rockets. The
Germans sung carols, so our men shot at them to keep them quiet… Never was warfare made more difficult.”
The amazing demonstration of Christmas cheer and friendship during the Christmas Truce of 1914, was never really repeated. However, ‘no matter how brutal the war had become, this small ‘respite’ showed that soldiers’ from both sides had at least kept their humanity’.
The soldier’s heart rarely has any hatred in it. He goes out to fight because that is his job. What came before –the causes of the war and the why and wherefore – bother him little. He fights for his country and against his country’s enemies. Collectively, they are to be condemned and blown to pieces. Individually, he knows they’re not bad sorts. The soldier has other things to think about. Consequently, he has not time for rage, and blind furies only overwhelm him when the blood is up over fierce tussles in the heat of the thing. At other times, the childishness is apparent to him. But now an end to the truce. The news, bad and good, begins again. 1915 darkens over. Again we who watch have to mourn many of our finest men. The lull is finished. The absurdity and the tragedy renew themselves.
Daily Mirror, 2nd January 1915
The text shown in italics are from letters and diary entries written by soldiers serving at the front. Peter Simmonett
Councillors Irene Bloomfield, Mike Sherwen and Mike Linnett on the Parish Council and Bridget Smith and Anita Dobson of South Cambridgeshire District Council.
The moving force behind the whole project was Peter Simmonett who realised the former building lacked easy access for disabled people, and also that a better form of security was needed for a building that was rather isolated. His design of the improved access, security features and internal design gained the full approval of the Parish Council in 2012 and enabled, with the help of grants, the refurbishment to take place.
It is to be hoped that local clubs and organisations will take advantage of the new facilities, which together with the Hub, are a credit to the Village. Colin Limming
Relate Cambridge
Relationship support available in Melbourn from relate Cambridge The sessions are held in the small meeting room at Melbourn Hub on Wednesday each week. Appointment times are: 10:30; 11:45; 13:00 For more information or to book an appointment, contact Relate Cambridge on 01223 357424 Mon-Thur 8am-10pm, Fri 8 am-6pm, Sat 9am-5pm (confidential answerphone at all other times). A number of workshops are held at 3 Brooklands Avenue Cambridge CB2 8BB. If you would like information please contact Ellie Winter at Relate Cambridge during office hours on 01302 347712 or email admin@relatecambridge.org.uk Our training services offer: • A wide range of courses for you, and your family • Flexible training delivered at dates and times to suit your needs • Courses for individuals to help boost personal wellbeing and provide essential skills. Relate Cambridge – supporting relationships at every stage of your life. Relate is the UK’s largest relationship support organisation with over 75 years’ experience, Relate is ideally placed to provide vital skills training to support people in the workplace and at home. www.relatecambridge.org.uk Do you or others in your area need advice on how to make savings on energy bills or to understand what financial assistance you’re entitled to?
Cambridge Citizens Advice is running workshops to local groups in Cambridgeshire who would like to find out how to make savings on energy bills and what financial assistance they may be entitled to. If you are interested in finding out more please contact Lorraine at Cambridge CAB (LorraineP@cambridgecab.org.uk). The workshops form part of the Big Energy Saving Week campaign to make sure that this winter people have access to advice and information around checking bills, switching providers/tariffs and insulating homes in order to reduce energy bills. If you are an individual who would like advice on energy costs please visit Cambridge CAB at 66 Devonshire Road, Cambridge, CB1 2BL.
Cambridge & District CAB, 66 Devonshire Road, Cambridge CB1 2BL www. cambridgecab.org
Saying goodbye to a soggy 2014 Fete
…and looking forward to the blue skies of Fete 2015
The final accounts are now complete for our Fete in 2014 and despite torrential rain and the consequential drop in attendance and takings we actually made a small profit. This is, of course, due to the stoic character of Melbourn residents, the valiant effort of our band of volunteers and the generous support of local businesses and individuals through sponsorship and advertising.
We only had a small amount of surplus to give away but we were able to make contributions to some local charities and activities. This year we were delighted to give money again to Melbourn Mobile Warden Scheme (MMWS). MMWS has operated in Melbourn for over 20 years and enables mobility impaired people remain independent in their own homes. The donation will help pay for outings and events for those in our village who depend on the support of MMWS. Additionally, we were able to support Melbourn Village College who run a summer school. This summer school helps children in making the transition from primary to secondary school. Finally, Melbourn Amateur Dramatics Society received a small donation which will help fund their Christmas production of “The Flintstones” which is in production. Of course, the Brownies who provided tea and coffee in the Pavilion also benefited from their hard work.
We are looking forward to next year’s Fete and will make changes after the experiences of this year’s event. More information will be available in the coming months but we can announce already that there will be changes to the competition. Details of next year’s events will be posted on our website www.melbournfete.co.uk
We really are unable to stage the fete without a band of volunteers to help in
continued on page 18
Members of the Committee modelling this year’s Bar aprons
• Four lane high wavy slide in funky cow print • Tube slide • Farm themed balance beams • Duck pond ball pool • Dedicated toddlers’ area with mini wavy slide • Mini ball pool for tactile play • Party packages and two party rooms catering for between 10 and 25 children • Cafe with homemade food
Loyalty card rewards card rewards for regular for regular visits visits
BURY LANE FUN BARN
A10 Bypass, Melbourn Royston, Herts, SG8 6DF Telephone 01763 260418 www.burylanefunbarn.co.uk Mon - Sat: 9am - 6pm Sunday: 10.30am - 4.30pm
