Nature

The original oven cleaning specialists Trapping the light fantastic

Oven Clean will transform your oven and put a sparkle The mind-boggling ability of plants to capture the energy of the sun through photosynthesis has fuelled human development and growth from the first campfire to the powerplants of the industrialised back into the kitchen world today which re-release the sun’s energy stored in the ancient fossilised forests as coal. At the individual level, all the food we eat • • Friendly, local, professional and reliable Complete eco friendly cleaning system to gain energy is either directly or indirectly plant- or, if you like, sunderived. Scientists today continue to be inspired by plants to develop new • • No fumes, no mess, no bother Removes grease, fat and burnt on carbon ways to harness energy. At the Botanic Garden, we are hosting a new low-impact experimental hub, the P2P, which has been developed by a collaboration of University of Cambridge researchers and ecocompanies to generate electrical current from pure plant power.

Ovens • Filters • Hobs The prototype structure combines green wall technology and semitransparent solar panels to generate electricity; the vertical green

Grills • Extractors walls have further been adapted to utilise the naturally-occurring electrons produced in the soil through bacterial metabolic activity. It is the brainchild of Professor Christopher Howe and Dr Paolo Bombelli Call John on 07513 439604 of the Department of Biochemistry at Cambridge. Their previous experiments resulted in a device able to power a radio using the www.ovenclean.com current generated by moss. When a plant photosynthesises, energy from the sun is used to convert carbon dioxide into organic compounds that the plant needs to grow. Some of the compounds – such as carbohydrates, proteins and lipids – are leached into the soil where they are broken down by bacteria, which in turn release by-products, including electrons which can be harvested and recombined to generate electricity. The long-term aim of the P2P solar hub research is to develop a range of self-powered sustainable buildings for multi-purpose use all over the world, from bus stops to refugee shelters. You can explore this living experiment into sustainable solutions at the Garden’s Festival of Plants this May, a day dedicated to bringing plants into focus with pop-up plant science, talking plants with the experts, specialist tours of the Garden, and a Plant Prom of plant nurseries making sure your garden will be full of plant power this summer! Festival of Plants runs from 10am–5pm on Saturday 16 May 2015. Admission is adult £5.00, adult Gift aid £5.50 (£4.50 concession, Gift aid concession £4.95) and accompanied children 16 and under are admitted free of charge. For further visitor information please call 01223 336265 or visit www.botanic.cam. ac.uk.

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One of only a handful of butchers in Britain to run our own abattoir, we are Master Butchers in the truest sense. From farming selection through to cutting and hanging, our craftsmen make sure you always know exactly where your meat is coming from: from pasture to pantry.

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come with a partner or on their own and they will be guaranteed a game.

Since the first week in January a Tuesday afternoon session, at the same venue, is being held, primarily for beginners or improvers, and now attracts 16/20 players.

The essence of both sessions is to play as well as possible, but in a friendly and non-confrontational way, and to introduce players to the best card game in the world.

All information can be found on the Melbourn Bridge Club web site or by phoning Howard Waller on 01763 261693.

Croquet and Meldreth Croquet Club

Croquet is a wonderful game which combines a degree of accuracy with an element of strategic play. It can be played by young or old and, because it has a handicap system, players of different abilities can play on equal terms. It is played on a lawn about the size of a tennis court with six hoops. The object is to get balls through the hoops in a particular order.

There are two major versions of the game: Golf croquet is simple but skilful and is played to International level. The idea is to get your ball through the correct hoop before your opponent. You can do this by accurate positioning so that you can hit your ball through the hoop (and by knocking your opponent out of the way). Beginners usually start by playing golf croquet as is it social and everyone gets to play, games usually take about 20 minutes

Association croquet is more complicated and uses a greater range of skills; games usually last much longer. It is often described as like playing snooker on grass, where great skill can be exercised in setting up breaks.

Meldreth Croquet Club

Meldreth Croquet Club has existed for over 15 years; we have a competition standard lawn at the rear of the British Queen in Meldreth High Street. The Club welcomes new members whether familiar with croquet or complete novices. Instruction is provided for members with little or no experience or who wish to improve. Although at first sight croquet may look complicated, most people can grasp the basics very quickly.

We play most Sunday mornings, weather permitting, and often Tuesday evenings during the summer. For further information please contact Janet Pope 01763 248342; jacksonpope@tiscali.co.uk

Melbourn Sports Centre

For those of you who don’t already know, we have: • A state of the art fitness suite offering a variety of membership schemes • A 20 metre swimming pool (kept ever so slightly warmer than most!) • A comprehensive swimming lesson programme, catering for all ages and abilities • Upgraded multisports courts for hire including tennis, football and squash courts • Water sports courses and activities • Traditional and modern exercise classes • Access to Melbourn Village College sports hall and gymnasium for activities such as trampolining, badminton and basketball Supervised sports and pool parties June / July / August We have loads on offer this summer, with something for the whole community to get involved with…. So why not come along and find out more about your local sports centre! Father’s Day For something a bit different this Fathers Day, how about treating your Dad to his own gym membership or purchasing a Gift Discount Card for our other activities here at Melbourn Sports? It’s a great way to help a loved one get fit! Kids Activities With the summer holidays fast approaching, it’s not too early or too late to start planning your summer sports. We have a variety of activities to choose from, including our Ofsted Registered Playscheme (The Kidz Factor), Trampoline Crash Course, Sport Taster Sessions and Swimming Crash Course. Also available are our very popular Children’s Pentathlons (Weekly Sports Camps), always a fun way to try out both mainstream and specialist activities. Get Fit For The Summer! With the summer fast approaching, why not let us help you shape up before your summer holidays? We have loads of classes to keep you fit and healthy, including Boxercise, Zumba, Core Stability and Body Sculpture. Or why not take advantage of one of our great membership schemes to our fitness suite, which houses the latest in gymnasium equipment, including C.V machines fitted with audiovisual technology. Party Time! Looking for the perfect venue to hold your children’s birthday party? Then your search is over! We have all the facilities here for a fun-packed event with a variety of activities for your guests to enjoy, including trampolining (always a popular choice), football and traditional pool parties.

We will also be running a stall again at this year’s Melbourn village fete. So why not come along and find out more about your local sports centre!

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 soon. Activities For Adults Adult Swimming Lessons We offer a wide range of adult swimming lessons, from beginners to advanced. We operate weekly lessons and one-to-one lessons as well as crash courses during school holidays. Beginners Wed 19.30 – 20.15 / Intermediates Tues 15.00 – 15.45 / Sat 08.00 – 08.45 Advanced Wed 20.15 – 21.15 / Sat 07.45 – 08.45 AQUA-FIT Each class lasts an hour and includes warm up, combination exercises, cool down, stretches and often deep water work. Our fun and friendly sessions are made all the more lively by popular musical accompaniment. Go on – give it a go! Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays 09.15 – 10.15* (*09.35 – 10.35 During All School Holidays) Tuesdays 19.30 – 20.30, Wednesdays 18.30 – 19.30