Village news

Village news

Melbourn Women’s Institute 5 Melbourn & Meldreth Women’s Group 5 Library Report 6 Royal British Legion 6 Police & Crime Commissioner 6 Melbourn Radiate-headed brooch 7 Coffee Stop 7

The bin collection day is changing

From 27th February the majority of residents in South Cambridgshire will be affected by a change to their bin day collection and/or the sequence of collections.

Information will be delivered through the doors before the changes take place. This information will also be included in the spring edition of South Cambs Magazine that will be delivered between 28 February and 19 March. See their website at www.scambs.gov.uk

Melbourn Women’s Institute

An inaugural meeting was held in the Community Hall in June to see if there was any interest in forming a new Melbourn branch of the WI. About 50 ladies turned up and, led by a team from WI Federation, a committee was quickly formed and it was decided that meetings would take place at 7.45 on the fourth Wednesday of the month in the Community Hall.

In July the new committee had acted quickly to provide us with a brilliant evening with a colour consultant, in August we had a talk on Duxford Imperial War Museum and in September a quiz, at which all the members were moved around enabling us to get to know one another. October brought an inspiring talk about India by Rama Vindlacheruvu at which she dressed members up in saris and gave us a taste of Indian street food.

An exciting programme has been laid out for next year so do please come along and join us.

Dates are in the Diary section. Mavis Howard

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. 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 will be on 24 January 2017 at All Saints Community Hall, Melbourn. This will be our AGM when we will receive reports and hopefully elect new members to the committee. We will also choose which charity we will support for the coming year so come with some suggestions and we will choose one. We hope to welcome Revd. Lizzie Shipp to this meeting as our new President. After the formal business is concluded we will have a bring and share supper.

On 28 February 2017 we will again meet at All Saints Community Hall and look forward to hearing a talk by a representative of Cambridge Street Pastors.

If you would like to know anything more about the group, please give any of the current committee members a call: Pat Smith 262575, Sue Toule 260955, Anne Harrison 261775 and Angela Leach 262793.

Stirring, stirring, stirring. The wooden spoon turns and folds The rich creamy mixture. Pouring, pouring, pouring. Was it brandy or thick sweet sherry My mother slowly added? Dropping, dropping, dropping. Sultanas, mixed peel, glace cherries sprinkled gently, Floating on the sticky surface. Mixing, mixing, mixing. The wooden spoon now slowed by thick resistance Of the Christmas Pudding texture. Sinking, sinking, sinking. The silver sixpence hides in dark richness. Whose plate will receive the luck this year? The massive china mixing bowl, Now emptied of its contents is ripe For my sticky fingers to scoop and lick. Sweetness tingles in my glands. Our old scratched kitchen table Is now scrubbed, wooden bare. The pudding quietly steaming On the ‘black lead’ kitchen range. Just a few more tasks to do. Brilliant paper to be cut In narrow strips, and cut again across the width, Glued together end to end Then threaded through each other, To make a dancing chain to stretch across the ceiling, Corner to corner, side to side. We tuck holly behind the picture frames, Hang mistletoe from the middle light. I’m too young to have a love To kiss beneath its fruity smile. But do Mum and Dad, quietly, when I’m asleep? Stirring, stirring, stirring. Memories turning up from childhood. Christmas Eve, the old ‘Homestead’ cottage home. Yvonne Chamberlain. 2016

Library – LAP (Local Access Point)

Library opening times Monday 2.30 to 4.30 pm Tuesday 2.30 to 4.30 pm Wednesday 2.30 to 4.30 pm Thursday 2.30 to 6.30 pm Friday 2.30 to 4.30 pm Saturday 10.00 to 12.00 am

It seems a long time ago now since the children’s Summer Reading Campaign, but the library is still feeling the effects from this as our young borrowers continue to use the library. Susan van de Ven, who presented the awards, was also delighted to find that as in past years the enthusiasm of the readers is undimmed.

We adults need to be sure to hang on to the joy of reading too. Melbourn is so well set up to encourage that, with the library, Bloomsday and groups for poetry, writing and for reading short stories amongst others. If anyone is interested in a Reading Club where readers might meet once a month to discuss books they have read please get in touch with Mike Stapleton through the library.

The stock of new books is constantly being replenished. It would be interesting to know our readers’ likes and dislikes as this would help our buyer make her choices. This applies not only to adult fiction but also to junior and young adult books.

Finally, remember that anyone with a Cambridgeshire Libraries card can borrow from Melbourn library and also browse the full catalogue on the web (cambridgeshire.gov.uk/leisure/libraries), reserve a book or books (or CD or DVD) and then pick it up from our library. Jane Stevens

Royal British Legion

Women’s Section Melbourn & Meldreth

I have recently taken over as Chairman of the Branch from Una Cleminson who had to stand down in order to take up a post at National level.

We meet on the fourth Wednesday afternoon of the month in the Community Room at Vicarage Close and, when possible, arrange for a speaker, the last one being the volunteer handler of a beautiful young Labrador which was being trained to work with sight impaired patients.

We celebrated Harvest Thanksgiving and had the opportunity to welcome the Reverend Elizabeth Shipp who addressed the group with hymns and a short prayer.

Several members will be attending the County Conference at March G.E.R. Club on 22nd October.

On November 13th our President, Mrs Molly Chamberlain, will lay a wreath at the Services of Remembrance in Melbourn and Meldreth. Our standard bearer, Mrs Pauline Parkinson will be in attendance.

Also in November, we hope to have our Christmas lunch at one of the local hostelries.

On December 3rd we shall be holding coffee morning in the Community Room in Meldreth including a raffle and Tombola. We look forward to seeing as many people as possible. Val Barrett, Chair Tel.01763 261227, Elizabeth Murphy, Secretary 01763 220841

Police & Crime Commissioner

On 13th January 2017, Jason Ablewhite the Police & Crime Commissioner for Cambridgeshire will be holding a public surgery at South Cambridgeshire District Council.

You can find more details by following the following link: www. cambridgeshire-pcc.gov.uk/event/surgery-south-cambridgeshire/

To visit Cambridgeshire Constabulary’s website please follow this link: www.cambs-police.co.uk/index.asp

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 the mobility impaired in Melbourn and Meldreth 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 £6 per week (a little more for couples).

Jeannie Seers (Mobile Warden) 07808 735066 email jeanseers1@ntlworld.com

Jane Cage (Deputy) 07592 821976 email jane.e.cage@btinternet.com

Melbourn Warden Scheme is a registered charity There are a few remaining exclusive solid silver replicas of the Melbourn Radiateheaded brooch, hallmarked and available for just £60. These will be the last copies made. (Contact Ann Dekkers 01763 261144.)

Anglo Saxon jewellery

During the archeological dig in 2000 on the site at the top of Water Lane (now Chalkhill Barrow) a number of pieces of jewellery were found in an Anglo Saxon grave. Finding jewellery interred with the body is a good indication the person was an important member of the community. The woman was wearing a necklace containing 69 coloured glass and amber beads and a buckled girdle with a knife and a spindle whorl (used as weights on a hand-held spinning stick used to produce cords, yarn or thread). Two spectacular brooches which would have been attached to her garments were still in position – a Great square-headed brooch and a Radiate-headed brooch – both dated from around the 5th and 6th century.

The Radiate-headed brooch has a very distinctive design with a semi-circular head, often with ‘knobs’ radiating out. Originally a late Roman design, the brooch became an important part of the costume of Anglo-Saxon women.

Very similar examples of both the Great square-headed Radiate-headed brooches can be seen in the British Museum.

Crafting the Melbourn Anglo Saxon Radiate-headed brooch Following the conservation of the Melbourn Radiate-headed brooch, a mold was created and a replica Bronze copy made. The replica and mold were then passed onto a silversmith who produced a limited number of solid silver Melbourn Radiate-headed brooches. The technique for producing the replicas is the same as used by the Anglo Saxons over 1000 years ago.

Coffee Stop

Coffee Stop, which is held every Saturday morning in All Saints Community Hall, was founded by Mary Woodcock who suggested that any proceeds should be donated to SOAS (Supporters of All Saints), members of which raise funds for the maintenance of All Saints Church.

Coffee Stop quickly developed a regular clientele enjoying keenly priced Rombouts coffee and biscuits, with all the local chat.

When the Woodcocks moved away from the village, Sue Toule with Mike Scriven took over the organising of a volunteer rota for the kitchen, setting up tables and laundering tablecloths, etc.

Sue and Mike have been doing this for seven years and anyone who appreciates our medieval gem of All Saints sitting at the centre of the village owes them a debt of gratitude, as they relinquish the reins to a small committee of volunteers who will carry on the good work.

Flint dressed medieval churches are horrendously expensive to maintain and Coffee Stop’s money is a regular boost to the funds that SOAS raise through their subscriptions and programme of social events. George Howard (SOAS)