Sports & Clubs

Bowls Malcolm Davey 262704 Bridge Club Howard Waller 261693 1st Melbourn Rainbows Abigail Roberts 261505 Brownies – 1st Melbourn Stephanie Clifford 220272 Brownies – 2nd Melbourn Samantha Pascoe 261400

Croquet Janet Pope 248342 Football Club Andrew Edwards 223109 Dynamos Football Club Les Morley 07739 593771 Gardening Club Helen Powell 245887 Guides – Ist Melbourn Hilary Marsh 261443 Judo Derek Coult 225004 Melbourn Karate Club Peter Khera 07866 374674 Melbourn Sports Centre Graham Johnson-Mack 263313

Melbourn and Meldreth Women’s Group

Pat Smith 262575 Sue Toule 260955 Anne Harrison 261775 Photographic Club Bruce Huett 232855 Ramblers Dave Allard 242677

Royston and District Round Table Michael Seymour 221398 Squash Club Nick Sugden 261064 Swimming Club Jenny Brackley 244593 Tennis (Melbourn) Dave Liddiard 07508 995 781 Tennis (Meldreth) Tracy Aggett 243376

1st Melbourn Brownies

We have done a lot in the last term, but the most memorable activity was definitely Pack Holiday. Between the 1st and 3rd of December, almost all of the unit were at the Jarman Centre, Girlguiding Cambridgeshire-East’s residential centre. We had an amazing Christmas themed weekend. On Friday evening, we arrived at the Jarman Centre and unpacked. This was followed by jacket potatoes for dinner. After that, we watched a Christmas film. The next morning was the start of our pretend Christmas Day. We started the day with breakfast, then did a wide variety of Christmas crafts and some baking during the morning. For lunch, we had Christmas dinner, including turkey, pork, roast potatoes, parsnips, carrots, pigs in blankets, Yorkshire puddings, peas and more. Later that day, we opened our secret Santa presents which involved a hilarious game to decide who got each present. We also played Christmas card bingo.

On Sunday morning, we continued the crafts that we had started the day before and started some more. At lunch, we had leftovers from our Christmas dinner.

By the end of the weekend, the Brownies had learned lots of life skills including basic cooking and cleaning as they all took part in doing chores throughout the weekend. More importantly, their friendships grew stronger and they gained lots of independence. We are looking forward to another amazing term, which will include learning more about Scottish culture on Burns night and celebrating World Thinking Day at the end of February.

By Amy Selby (Little Owl) on behalf of all the leaders at 1st Melbourn Brownies (Brown Owl, Nightingale, Squirrel and Fluffy Owl).

If you (or your daughter) wants come and join in the fun, please contact Brown Owl (Stephanie Clifford) on 07888831140 or at stefclifford@hotmail.com.

1st Melbourn Guides

Have you ever tried to start a war? To understand how and why people become refugees, the Guides did just that. Firstly they were split into two tribes and built themselves simple homes from tables and blankets, and listed their most important possessions. The two groups were then separated and encouraged to believe that their tribe was superior to the other. After reuniting to trade insults, sanctions were imposed, then foreign superpowers (the leaders) took sides and destroyed the homes of the opposition until both tribes were homeless. The girls then had to revisit their lists of possessions, and chose just 3 things to take with them. The following week the girls had to carry heavy bags in the cold and dark, quietly trying to evade the border guards who would confiscate their possessions. Back in the warm, the girls met Elisabeth from the charity Hope Not Hate, who discussed the nature of the refugee problem around the world, and encouraged us to support local efforts to help them.

On a more traditional note, the girls enjoyed an indoor campfire evening, firstly making paper lanterns and pumpkins lit by LED tealights before sitting around them to sing our favourite campfire songs. Games are always popular too, and an evening of co-operative games got older girls mixing with the new girls in a series of challenges including play-doh modelling, a memory challenge, miming, and untangling a rope.

As always, the term ended with Christmas crafts. This year the girls made a door wreath from fresh conifer on a wire frame, which they decorated with ribbon, cones, and baubles.

The Spring term started with First Aid skills which every Guide should have: bandaging, recovery position, and CPR. They also looked at the unit’s 1st Aid kit, and tried to memorise its contents.

If you would like to know more about becoming a Guide or a leader, or if you have any skills or hobbies which you would like to share with us, please contact me on: 01763 261443 or email: melbournguides@gmail.com Hilary Marsh

Cub Scouts

Cub Scouts returned to Melbourn after an absence of many years when the 1st Orwell Group relocated after Christmas, now meeting on Friday evenings at Melbourn Primary. With most of our young members, leaders and committee coming from the village this was an appropriate move, and we thank the school for the welcome they have given us.

In December, we performed a pantomime, celebrating 100 years of cub scouts with birthday cake and accompanied Santa’s sleigh around Melbourn. In January, we have worked towards our scientist badge, hunted glow-sticks in the dark around Shepreth Moor, and learned about scouting and food

from India. Our older cubs had an activity weekend where they cooked apple tarts in cardboard ovens and bread on a stick over a fire.

With over 20 cubs and only 2 leaders we would welcome any adult helpers wishing to join the adventure, please contact cubs@1storwellscouts.org.uk

Melbourn and District Gardening Club

Are you interested in gardening? Why not join the Melbourn and District Gardening Club on a regular or occasional basis?

We meet at 7.30 p.m. on the second Tuesday most months at the Community Hall, behind All Saints’ Church (near traffic lights, lane by red telephone box) For further details contact Helen Powell 01763 245887 Spring programme 2017 » Tuesday 14th March 2017

Wildlife Hunting with a Camera – Richard Revels

This is a collection of his latest pictures, starting with the theme Wild about Bedfordshire, my home county. We have some rare flora, and a wide diversity of fauna in this small county. Pictures of wild Otters from Shetland, Seals fighting in the North Sea, as well as many Birds, including a ‘Booming’ Bittern, Orchids, Butterflies and Dragonflies makes this show my favourite to date. » Tuesday 11th April 2017

TBC as booked speaker now unavailable » Tuesday 9th May 2017

Cottage Cures & Superstitions – Andrew Sankey A look at various plants (wild/cottage), their uses, supposedly medicinal properties, and connected superstitions. Find out why country folk swallowed a live spider or rolled naked in a bed of nettles!

Royston & District Local History Society

www.roystonlocalhistory.org.uk 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 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 re-open on Saturday 15th April 2017 and will be open on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays 2.30 p.m. to 5 p.m.(last admission 4.30 p.m.) For details go to: www.roystoncave.co.uk.

Our evening meetings are held in the Heritage Hall (the main hall downstairs) Royston Town Hall on the first Thursday of the month (second Thursday in May) starting at 8pm. » 2nd March “On the Beat” – Policing in Herts during WW1

Terry Cox » 6th April ‘Fighting for Old Buildings’ – SPAB Explained

Douglas Kent » 11th May AGM 7.30 p.m. 8 p.m. Storm Warning – Fitzroy

Travelling Theatre Production Geoff Hales plus light refreshments. » 3rd June Coach outing to Hever Castle Details of all our meetings will be found on our website. Annual membership £5 (Sept-Aug) (Under 18s half price) Visitors £2.

Cambridgeshire Family History Society

Our monthly meetings are held in the Central Library, Lion Yard, Cambridge, between 10.30am and 3.30pm. Everyone is welcome and entry is free. The meetings follow a pattern of research being available all day plus talks at 12.30 and 2pm.

The first meeting this quarter will be on the 11th of March and the 12.30 speaker will be Caroline Norton, who is the editor of the Society’s Journal. Titled ‘An Australian Journey’, a chance discovery showed that a family went to Australia in the 1880’s. The talk will offer ideas for your own research by showing how, with no prior knowledge of Australian records, an extensive tree has been discovered.

The 2.30pm talk ‘It’s on the cards – tangible tweets from a bygone age’ by Vanessa Mann will be about collecting postcards from the Edwardian period and beyond and how they can be used in connection with family histories.

The meeting for the 8th April coincides with the ‘WhoDoYouThinkYouAre?’ show at the NEC Birmingham. Our researchers will be at the Central Library as usual but there are no talks.

The 13th May sees Caroline Norton again at 12.30 giving a similar talk to that in March but this time titled ‘An American Journey’. At 2.30pm Helen Green, with ‘Dashing away with the smoothing iron?’ gives an illustrated talk looking at how we kept our clothes clean from the Middle Ages to the present day.

Ramblers’ Association Royston and District Group

Our walks programme continues right through the year. For details visit our website: www.ramblers.org.uk or contact David Allard (01763 242677). Email: david.allard@ntlworld.com or Lesley Abbiss (01763 273463). There is also a poster displaying walks for the current month in Royston library, Royston Museum & Art Gallery and Melbourn Hub.

We have walks on Sundays, which are normally 5-7 miles in the morning and a similar or shorter walk in the afternoon. Occasionally Sunday walks are Figures of Eight making it possible to do only the morning or only the afternoon. Half-

day walks are held on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Our evening walks (3–5 miles) resume at the end of April and continue to the end of August. Prospective new members are welcome and may come on three walks before deciding whether to join. www.ramblers.org.uk to join.

Lawn Green Bowls

Try a NEW SPORT 4 sessions free

We are a small, friendly club in Barton, Cambs. If you would like to try, or have bowled before, you will be made most welcome. As well as bowls we have a busy social side, a pavilion and the club atmosphere is safe and supportive All coaching & equipment provided (please wear trainers)

Open night (free BBQ) is Thursday 6pm May 25th then Thursday 6.15pm throughout the summer. Bring family, a friend or come on your own. Barton Bowls Club, High St, Barton, CB23 7BG

To register your place or enquire, email m.seymour@orwellsbureau.co.uk website and Facebook link www.bartonbowls.co.uk » March/April It’s a universally accepted fact - Mums are great! So this Mother’s Day how about treating her to her own gym membership or purchasing a gift voucher for our other activities here at Melbourn Sports? Make this Mother’s Day one she’ll never forget!

We’ve got a bumper bag of Easter activities this year, including our OFSTED registered Play Scheme, where children will be treated to trampolining, swimming and creative crafts. Other holiday activities include Swimming Crash Course and Trampolining Crash Course. We are also teamed up with Cambridge United Football Club to offer future football stars a chance to improve their skills with Weekly/Daily Soccer Camps.

April 2017 also sees the return of our charitable Swimathon, with all participants raising money for the Marie Curie Cancer Care Trust. We’d love to have as many entrants as possible; teams of up to five are welcome as well as individual swimmers. The Swimathon takes place on Friday 7th and Saturday 8th April. For further information, please see reception or visit our website at www.mc-sport.co.uk. » May We welcome back the outdoor sports and tennis season. For all you budding Wimbledon stars, courts can be hired midweek and at weekends. We are also pleased to announce that we have joined up with Melbourn and District Tennis Club based at Melbourn Sports Centre. Membership ranges from £10.00 (minis) – £120.00 (families). For further information please contact Melbourn Sports Centre reception 01763 263313 or Matt Fellingham 07779 273655 or e-mail: matt@ mftennis.com

Later this month, we will be running our children’s holiday activities once again, with Play Scheme and a mixture of indoor and outdoor activities available.

»June For something a bit different this Father’s Day, how about treating your Dad to his own gym membership or purchasing a gift voucher for our other activities here at Melbourn Sports? It’s a great way to help a loved one get fit!

Plus, why not start planning your summer sports early, with our holiday courses like the Children’s Pentathlon and Swimming Crash Course? Bookings taken from June onwards. Other activities on offer this spring and summer include: • Our usual popular swimming lessons, both group and private • A range of exercise classes including Body workouts, Boot

Camp, Pilates, Swim-Clinic (pool training session) • Indoor and Outdoor Court Hire For further details on these or any other activities, please drop in, call 01763 263313 or go online at www.mc-sport. co.uk. We look forward to seeing you this season! Graham Johnson-Mack / Melbourn Sports Centre Manager Melbourn Sports Centre, The Village College, The Moor, Melbourn, Royston, Cambridgeshire SG8 6EF 01763 263313 / www.mc-sport.co.uk / info@mc-sport.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

This winter has once again seen re-design and construction, this time of the lower and upper half of the field, including the beginner and advance lines, with completion scheduled for early Spring 2017. The club is open annually April to September Strictly for BMX use only, for ages 12 and older, members have the option of either becoming a seasonal member for £50 (April to September), or a day member (per session) for £10.

Our aim for the club is to promote an activity for the young community of Melbourn and surrounding areas to participate in, with the guidance of our committee and experts, in a safe and friendly environment. Members will have access to BMX coaching and expertise on site during club open days.

For more details and to download your membership form today please visit; www.grinnelhillbmx.co.uk

Acknowledgements Melbourn Parish Council for their ongoing support at all levels to keep the club sustainable and open. Wrights Mower Centre Melbourn for their help and generosity in supporting us to keep the site to a well maintained and safe standard for the foreseeable future. Frog End Pet Supplies for their help and generosity in supporting us with the ongoing wildlife conservation work carried out on the site remaining sympathetic to its heritage