VILLAGER The
Issue 30 - September 2014
and Town
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LOCAL NEWS • LOCAL PEOPLE • LOCAL SERVICES • LOCAL CHARITIES • LOCAL PRODUCTS
Inside this issue
The History of Huntingdon
Elba
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Contents
VILLAGER The
Issue 30 - September 2014
and Town
Life
LOCAL NEWS • LOCAL PEOPLE • LOCAL SERVICES • LOCAL CHARITIES • LOCAL PRODUCTS
Inside this issue
The History of Huntingdon
Elba
Tuscany’s Best Kept Secret
Win £25
in our Prize Crossword
Bringing Local Business to Local People in Alconbury, Grafham, Kimbolton, Riseley, The Stukeleys and all surrounding areas every month
r
u E Ey FRcop
Yo
The Island of Elba...................................................20 Kimbolton School Pool Timetable..........................22 Puzzle Page............................................................24 What’s On...............................................................26 Prize Crossword......................................................28
Tuscany’s Best Kept Secret The History of Huntingdon
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The History of Huntingdon.......................................4 How to Buy a Pet......................................................8 Grafham Community Shop Volunteers...................10 Cornerstone Care in Confidence Move....................12 Don’t Leave it too Late............................................15 Credit Crunch Gardening........................................18 7,000 copies delivered free of charge in the following areas: Abbots Ripton, Alconbury, Brington, Buckworth, Bythorn, Catworth, Covington, Dillington, Grafham, Great Staughton, Hail Weston, Keyston, Kimbolton, Kings Ripton, Leighton Bromswold, Little Staughton, Lower Dean, Molesworth, Old Weston, Perry, Pertenhall, Riseley, Shelton, Stonley, Stow Longa, Swineshead, The Stukeleys, Tillbrook, Upper Dean (We also have over 150 distribution points, including pubs, garages, most shops, post offices, Supermarket Chains in all of the above as well as in Huntingdon, Lt Staughton, Grafham Water Visitor Centre’s and Kimbolton)
Editor - Catherine Rose Editorial - Jonathan Vernon-Smith, Catherine Rose, Tony Larkins, Pippa Greenwood and Solange Hando Advertising Sales - Nigel Frost - 01767 261122 nigel@villagermag.com Photography - Bernard Ormrod, Emma Porter, Elena Elisseeva and Catherine Rose Design and Artwork - Design 9 Tel 07762 969460
Publishers Villager Publications Ltd 24 Market Square, Potton, Bedfordshire SG19 2NP Tel: 01767 261122 nigel@villagermag.com www.villagermag.com Disclaimer - All adverts and editorial are printed in good faith, however, Villager Publications Ltd can not take any responsibility for the content of the adverts, the services provided by the advertisers or any statements given in the editorial. No part of this publication may be reproduced or stored without the express permission of the publisher.
History
A History of Huntingdon By Catherine Rose
Chartered by King John in 1205, Huntingdon is the original county town of Huntingdonshire and is most famous for being the birthplace of Oliver Cromwell in 1599. The Cromwell Museum on the marketplace is dedicated to him and amongst its displays has a copy of the famous “warts and everything (all)” painting by Sir Peter Lely although sadly, it is currently facing closure in 2015. The museum was originally a medieval infirmary – the Hospital of St John the Baptist - and in the 1500s became Huntingdon Grammar School which both Cromwell and Samuel Pepys (who was born in Huntingdonshire) attended. Pepys wrote of visits to Huntingdon in his famous diaries and there are references to him in the town. Other famous residents have been the 4th Earl of Sandwich, who invented the staple of packed lunches, and former Prime Minister John Major. The name Huntingdon is derived from the old English ‘Huntedon’ meaning ‘hunter’s hill’. It has been both a market and a coaching town in its incarnations and there may once have been a small Roman settlement here in conjunction with the main one at Godmanchester that had the Roman name of Durovigutum. Certainly, a Roman road goes through the centre of Huntingdon on its way to York but the present county town was founded by the Anglo Saxons after Edward the
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Elder seized it from the Danes in 921 who had been using it as a staging post for raids. At one time there was also a castle here that had a large vineyard built by William the Conqueror who first visited Huntingdon on his way to York in 1068. Although the castle has now gone, the site it once stood on is designated as an ancient monument. Huntingdon was a major bridging point of the Great Ouse, England’s third longest river, and a lovely medieval bridge in very good condition is still one of its main features. During this time there was also a mint here as silver pennies have been found bearing the name of Huntingdon and that of King Eadwig (955-959). In the 13th century, the town prospered and had 15 churches, three hospitals and three monasteries including Hinchingbrooke House. The main route through Huntingdon was the original Roman Road, renamed Ermine Street and possibly a reference to the medieval trade in furs which were popular in Northern Europe. As with many towns in England however, the Black Death saw a huge decline in the population. Huntingdon has played a major role during wartime. It featured heavily during the Civil War and suffered much damage when in 1645 an army of 4,000 Royalists seized it from the Parliamentarians, destroying two churches, St John’s and St Benedict’s in the process and reportedly leaving the whole town in a fairly
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dilapidated state. The old 16th century Falcon Inn however, believed to have been Oliver Cromwell’s headquarters during the war remains. Huntingdon also played its part during WWI when soldiers were stationed there, the mill was used as a military clothing depot and the wounded were treated at 17th century Walden House. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the town was famous as a coaching stop on the Great North Road to Lincoln and York. Reputedly, Dick Turpin was a visitor. The George Hotel, named after St George in 1574, was once owned by Oliver Cromwell’s grandfather Henry, and King Charles I made it his headquarters in 1645. Although it suffered a fire in the 1850s which resulted in the loss of two wings, its remaining courtyard and balcony have been used as the setting for Shakespeare plays since 1959. The Old Bridge Hotel and restaurant which is also home to an extensive wine shop was once a bank and sits in a lovely location overlooking the river next to the old mill, now apartments. The town hall is a prominent building on Market Hill. It was constructed in 1745 but has been altered on several occasions over the years. Inside there are two early 19th century law courts and a ballroom. In the centre of the square in front of it is a statue of a WWI soldier which was sculpted by Kathleen Scott in 1923. Kathleen was the widow of Scott of the Antarctic and the memorial entitled ‘The Thinking Soldier’ is considered to be one of the nation’s best war memorials. On the north side of the square, All Saints Church is one of only two surviving medieval churches and contains the font, originally in St John’s Church, in which it is believed Oliver Cromwell was baptised. Members of the Cromwell family are
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buried here. Huntingdon also has its share of ghosts. Hinchingbrooke House is reputed to be haunted, along with the bridge over Alconbury Brook where a nun’s ghost has been seen (it is also known as Nun’s Bridge for this reason). Legend has it that she and her illicit lover, a monk, were murdered. Driving out of the town, between the railway station and the old hospital building, you pass by a prominent cannon on display. The original was one from the Crimean War which unfortunately was scrapped for the war effort during WW2. A replica was installed in the 1990s, facing the opposite way. Between Godmanchester, Huntingdon and Brampton and measuring approximately 275 acres is England’s largest meadow, known as Portholme. It attracts many rare species of plants and insects and is the only recorded habitat of the marsh dandelion in Britain. It also acts as a natural reservoir for the river, helping to prevent flooding. This meadow was known in Pepys’ time and he wrote: ‘…walked in the meadows of Port Holme where the country maids milked the cows and brought their milk home in pomp with music going before them’. A very pleasant walk can still be taken from Brampton Mill to the old medieval bridge that will take you across it.
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Three Counties Radio
How to buy a Pet By Jonathan Vernon-Smith
Sadly over the years I have dealt with many consumer problems concerning animals. You name it, from the puppies that suddenly become ill the day after purchase to the animals with hereditary conditions where the breeder takes no responsibility after their wallet is full of your £20 notes. Sadly it’s all too common. I have to say that on many occasions, I find myself becoming furious with consumers and the irresponsible way they often go about purchasing a new addition to their family. If you want to do things the correct way, without getting ripped off, then listen carefully to my advice. Firstly, animal rescue centres are absolutely overflowing at the moment with dogs, cats, rabbits etc. that have been abandoned either by irresponsible, ghastly people who didn’t think carefully before taking a pet on, or by folk whose circumstances have changed through no fault of their own. Obviously, if you feel able to rescue a pet, and take on any problems that animal may come with, this is preferable. Check to make sure the animal rescue centre has a good reputation. However, there are many people out there who want to experience the pleasure of raising a pet from a young age. If this is the case, then chances are you’re going to have to part with some money. As tempting as it may be, NEVER purchase an animal being advertised on the internet. No self -respecting breeder would ever advertise an animal on online sites for buying and selling. You may well get a bargain dog or cat, but if that animal has started life in some kind of pet breeding factory with little regard for the animals’ welfare, you may be taking on an expensive and potentially dangerous problem for the future. It is also worth mentioning that unless you have met the animal’s mother and father, you have no idea of the temperament or health of the animal you’re purchasing. NEVER buy an animal if you cannot meet its parents. If you are told to meet the ‘breeder’ at a half-way point or in a lay-by, then massive alarm bells should be ringing in your head! So what SHOULD you do? Well, my advice is to search out a good, reputable breeder with the right ethics. Generally, making contact with a breed specific club who can put you in touch with good breeders, or (for dogs) finding a Kennel club fully accredited breeder will ensure you are buying a good quality and well-bred animal. You will have to pay more money, but with pets and most things in life, generally it’s worth every penny. If you DO buy an animal, then ensure you organise good pet insurance to run from the minute you commit to buying him/ her. If you have a problem, then you are still covered by your usual consumer statutory rights. Finally, as always if you follow my advice but still have a problem with a furry addition to your family, then you can always contact me at BBC Three Counties Radio and I’ll do what I can to help.
Jonathan Vernon-Smith not only offers you his consumer advice here but you can listen to The JVS Show tackling your consumer problems every weekday morning from 9am. 8
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Local News
Call for Volunteers as work starts on Grafham Community Shop The till will soon be ringing at Grafham’s new community shop, thanks to the efforts of everyone in the village. Further funding has been secured, including a grant of £5,000 from the Cambridgeshire Community Foundation, plus £615 from a raffle at the Grafham Beer Festival. With the total shop fund nearing £25,000, the shop committee has taken the plunge and ordered the shop cabin. Its arrival will be followed by installation of the disability ramp, shelving, counter tops and refrigeration units as well as some landscaping works. With plans advancing swiftly to open the shop later this year, the committee now needs to appoint a shop manager and to recruit some more much needed volunteers from in and around the village who can assist with the digging, electrics, plumbing and fitting needed to get the shop on site and ready to open. They will also need to make sure there is someone behind the counter to welcome new customers. They cannot open without you! In conversations with similar shops in small villages, it is clear that at the very least volunteers have an enjoyable time working and socialising with others in the community – and some make use of the training certificates issued to enhance their CVs. For younger volunteers, it can be valuable work experience and also counts towards progress in award schemes such as Duke of Edinburgh. Over the coming months there will be a series of volunteer sessions which will include basic training in food hygiene, customer service, stock management and security. These events will also offer the chance to meet other volunteers, ask questions and to raise any concerns.
If you have a couple of hours or so each week that you can offer the shop, please do get in touch and they will keep you informed of all developments and training dates.
Current Vacancies:
COMMUNITY SHOP MANAGER: A manager with overall responsibility for the daily running and organisation of the new Grafham Community Shop. Responsibilities will include overseeing volunteers, ordering stock, maintaining financial records, banking takings, liaising with suppliers and planning shop displays. One full-time or two part-time positions. Salary on application. VOLUNTEER STAFF: A reliable team of volunteers is needed to staff the community shop. You don’t need any specific skills, just a spare couple of hours a week, an enthusiasm to get to know people and a desire to help the community. Volunteers will report to the shop manager and can choose which shifts they work. All training will be given.
To apply: For an informal chat about the
shop manager role or about volunteering, please contact: Jenny Barnes, tel: 07788 545197; Margaret Life, tel: 07780 119311; or Chris Bulow, tel: 07548 674625. Alternatively, please email: mailto:info@grafhamvillageshop.co.uk. Volunteers can also register their interest online: http://grafhamvillageshop.co.uk/volunteer-here
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Local News
Cornerstone Care in Confidence Move to Trinity Place
Cornerstone Care in Confidence have recently moved to 1 Trinity Place, next to Huntingdon Job Centre, after the office suites they previously occupied at Graphic House in Ferrars Road, are being transformed into flats. With the move, the charity will continue their support to those facing an unplanned pregnancy or suffering negative emotional effects from a previous termination decision. This local charity offers a range of free services for men and women, such as free pregnancy testing, the time, space and information to make an informed pregnancy choice and ongoing support whatever decision is reached.
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“We are grateful to The Whitfield Group for giving us a very low rate tenancy but now we are taking a leap of faith with great expectation and a sense of a new and exciting beginning.� Says Centre Manager Helen Turley. Cornerstone usually keep a supply of emergency nappies on hand for families in short supply. Should you have any spare nappies please feel free to drop them off at the Centre or call the office to arrange pick up 01480 457711.
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Hill House Grade II listed building Rooms with beamed ceilings Close to Grafham Water
High Street Ellington Huntingdon PE28 0AB Tel: 01480 890324d
We are all living longer but, unless blessed with good health, there comes a time when many people have to accept they need a little looking after. At ADR Care Homes we pride ourselves in providing a home from home. Long & short term stays Day care available Dignity & privacy respected Spacious lounges Large, well maintained gardens Professional 24 hour care Nutritious meals Regular activities provided
Bethany Francis House Charm & character of a Stately home Cinema room Short walk from St Neots High Street
106 Cambridge Street St Neots Cambs PE19 1PL Tel: 01480 476868d
Please visit our website, www.adrcare.co.uk
You are welcome to come and see for yourselves by contacting our Home Manager or just pop in.
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Don’t Leave It Too Late It is well known that individuals who are selfemployed or owners of smaller companies are reluctant to pay too much into pensions. The usual arguments given are; firstly that cash flow is required in the business, and secondly they can turn the money over several times and make a better return than the pension will. Naturally both these arguments hold water, but there is a downside. Putting off contributions until later is going to be harder as the total allowed to be paid in has reduced again, and future tax relief is expected to be reduced. The work of a Financial Planner is to help both employed and self-employed individuals work towards their retirement goal in the most beneficial way for the client. The starting point is working out the minimum income required in retirement and then how much would be preferred. Once this has been established a plan can be made to achieve this from the most appropriate means, for example; Pensions, ISAs, Retirement Income, Dividends, Interest; and the level of investment risk that is required. For an employee, employer sponsored pensions via salary sacrifice are usually the best, but often
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Beacon Wealth Tony Larkins CFP APFS Managing Director IFA Chartered and Certified Financial Planner
insufficient by themselves. For the self-employed there is seldom the option to sell the company or continue recovering an income from the business after retirement. Again, for business owners it might not always be possible to find a buyer at the right time. But with early succession planning, it is often possible that a way exists to prolong income beyond retirement, and to accommodate an earlier retirement if necessary. Clearly many advisers will be out of their depth in certain areas of planning, so always ask your adviser if they have relevant experience and qualifications. Both are important to avoid the obvious and sometimes hidden consequences of certain actions. Planning for retirement is a bit like planning to run a marathon; the earlier and slower you start the easier it is. If you do not think ahead and plan, more effort will be required and the more painful it will be. Remember, the tortoise won the race – So don’t leave it too late. You should always seek qualified advice from an IFA, preferably a Certified (CFP) or Chartered Financial PlannerCM (APFS). If you have a financial question, e-mail: tlarkins@beaconwealth.co.uk
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Mano Bird seed & Established for over 50 years Family run business Arguably the best selection of wild bird products in 3 counties Committed to Quality Products and Service Easy to find – Brington is just 1 mile away from Junction 16 on A14 Large car parking space One UK’s best known bird food suppliers Manor Farm Granaries Brand Bird Food manufactured on site.
• Chicken food pellets mash scratching mix mixed corn and large selection requisites
• Dog foods • Cat foods • Small pets Food
• Insect and wildlife habitats
• Pond food
• Insect study kits
• Pigeon Food and requisites
• Great selection of countryside greeting cards.
• Cage and Aviary Bird Food and requisites
• Country side calendars
• Wild bird Food Food and requisites • Animal bedding Straw hay Shavings small packs and large bales
• Selection of local honey and Very yummy jams & pickles very yummy I have tried most of them.
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nor Farm Country Store
Open
Saturday Monday through pm 00 5. to am 9.00 y 4.00pm on Sunda and 10.00am to
• Rolls of Wire for aviaries chickens etc • Great prices on a good selection of Coal, logs kindling. Best prices for miles. • Bird tables • Bird houses • Confectionary/sweets & soft Drinks • Potatoes various bag sizes and onions
Brington, Huntingdon, Cambs, PE28 5AF Tel : 01832 710235 Email:sales@manorfarmbirdseed.co.uk
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Garden
Credit Crunch Gardening By Pippa Greenwood www.pippagreenwood.com If you feel that your garden has become an expensive hobby, check-out my top tips for Credit-Crunch Gardening. • Apply for an allotment. An allotment opens up a whole new opportunity to grow almost unlimited food at very little cost, get exercise without paying for the gym, and learn a lot from your neighbouring plot holders. • Gardeners are a very generous bunch, so don’t feel embarrassed to ask, friends, neighbours, or fellow allotmenteers for cuttings or seedlings of plants that you have admired. It is part of what gardening is all about. • Collect softish, deciduous leaves to make free soil improver. Just make a ‘cage’ from galvanised wire with posts at the corners or cram the leaves into bin liners and puncture a few holes. • Make the most of every bit of fruit and veg that your garden or allotment produces. Make jams, chutnies, jellies and of course bottle or freeze just about anything else. • Make your own wasp trap. Use a jam jar part filled with stale jam, mixed with water and topped with tin foil with a few holes in it made using a pencil. • Many local councils offer really good value composters and compost bins. Better still, if you’re at all handy with the hammer and nails, create your own from old pallets or floor boards. • Fill a flowerbed with colour by sowing it with hardy annual seeds – some can be collected from existing plants, others from packet seed, often at under £1 per packet. • Ask your local pub to give you any stale beer from the driptrays and use it as slug bait. Use an old plastic beaker part filled with beer and
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placed so that the rim is about 1cm above soil level in a slug and snail prone area. • Enjoy some wild food. Many garden plants are edible, and don’t forget the old favourites such as hedgerow blackberries - great for crumble, stewed with some apple or for making into bramble jelly. • Many fruits sold in the supermarket come in smart, clear-plastic trays, which can be used as miniature seed trays, and most even come with a clear plastic top, the perfect mini propagator lid. • Growing your own vegetables really can save you a packet. Right now you can order in seed for crops, and onion sets and garlic for crops early next summer. Then early in the year start planting potatoes and sowing seed. • Look after your garden tools. Store them in a dry shed or garage, wipe over any metal parts with an oily rag to keep rust at bay and they’ll last years longer. • Invest in a few raspberry canes. This has to be the best money saving crop, as they are expensive in the shops. Once established autumn fruiting varieties yield heavy crops and can give you ‘posh’ fruit....for just pennies. • The garden furniture is probably the most costly item in your garden and statistics show it’s what gardeners spend most money on replacing. Remove washable seat-pads and cushions first, wash and dry these and then cover the furniture up or move it into a shed or garage if possible. Visit Pippa’s website www.pippagreenwood.com for a great range of gardening products including Pippa’s favourite weeder, Nemaslug, Nemasys caterpillar, slug, ant and other biological controls, Enviromesh & Envirofleece and lots more besides.
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Travel
The Island of Elba Tuscany’s Best Kept Secret.
Barely an hour on the ferry across the Piombino Channel, the Isle of Elba greets you with rugged mountains, range after range rising towards the blue sky, and a deeply indented coast laced with tingling sands, rocky coves and near-tropical turquoise waters. The Romans called it ‘Ilva’, hence ‘Elba’, after the Ilvates, also known as Ligurians, who had lived there since ancient times and long exploited the rich mineral seams. This is the largest island in the Tuscan archipelago national park but it’s just about sixteen miles long and only two miles across at its narrowest point, a secluded holiday haven blessed by stunning landscapes, popular with Italians in summer but peaceful in mid-season, whether you come for the beach or prefer to ramble in the hills. The west coast is wild, covered in fragrant Mediterranean scrub, the north is lush and green, dotted with vineyards and chestnut groves, while the arid sun-baked south is the domain of cacti and palms. Over 90% of the land is hills and mountains, largely forested, where wild orchids and lavender splash myriad colours alongside spring cyclamens, rock roses and strawberry trees. Here and there, the sweet fragrance of honeysuckle fills the air and fallow deer and mouflons bounce on the slopes at dusk. Elba’s highest point, Mount Capanne can be reached on a steep trail or by cable car, well worth the effort either way. Up there at over 3000 feet, the panorama stretches from the tiny string of Tuscan islands to the mainland and from Corsica in clear weather to the whole of Elba where red-roofed villages nestle in the greenery and mere ribbons of road meander around heavenly beaches and precipitous cliffs.
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By Solange Hando
Far below on the northern shore, the lovely little resort of Marciana is lined with umbrella pines and oleander while on the south coast, Marina di Campo is all yachts and golden sands glowing below the wooded hills. But Elba has a beach for every day of the week and more, from the white sands of Procchio Bay to the luminous Rio Marina on the east coast or the superb Porto Azzurro with its bustling Piazza, flower-draped lanes and sulphur-rich lagoon looking across the deep blue inlet of the sea. Portoferraio, the capital, is on the north coast, crouching lion-like on a rocky peninsula jutting out to sea, its magnificent bay guarded by a forbidding fortress. Sailing boats, yachts and ferries mingle their reflections in the harbour and the old town climbs up the hill, green shutters and pink walls jostling along the alleyways among hibiscus and pomegranate trees. The walk along the ramparts is breathtaking, cooled by the breeze sweeping across the bay from the open sea. Portoferraio is a charming place, dotted with ice cream stalls, bakeries selling flat bread and honey cakes, al fresco restaurants for seafood and fish and souvenir shops brimming with all things labelled ‘Napoleon’, from T-shirts and mugs to the island’s spring water. There are quite a few places connected to Napoleon but most illustrious is the Villa di san Martino tucked in a leafy valley where the deposed emperor was ‘banished’, though allowed to live in regal style. He escaped less than a year later and looking across the landscaped gardens to the blue waters of the Med. glistening in the distance, one wonders why he ever wanted to leave one of the most enticing islands in Tuscany.
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Are you in pain? Chiropractic so often the answer • Back, Hip and Leg Pain • Headaches, Migraines • Cranial Therapy • Sinuses • Neck, Arm and Shoulder Pain • Muscle Ligament and Tendon Injuries • Paediatric Care
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10% discount on initial visit www.neilbroechiropractor.co.uk BUPA and PPP registered Also at: Manor Lodge, Barham Road, Buckworth PE28 5AQ Tel 01480 891539 Registered with the General Chiropractic Council Members of the British Chiropractic Association Over 30 years experience
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Fill in the grid so that each row, column and 3x3 box, contains the digits 1 through to 9 with no repetition. Use your logic to solve the puzzles. 24
FLOORED By Ian
Your local supplier of fitted floors in carpet, vinyl, laminate or Karndean Free visits to estimate or advise. Best prices and quality with a friendly service. Enquiries to 01480 475486 or (Mobile) 07876 238308
Welcome
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FROM ON PRICES START
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ry of your The conservato designed ally choice individu ur home! yo by GSN to suit
to the world of GSN Conservatories... home of probably the largest outdoor display area you will ever see!
www.gsn.co.uk
With over 20 styles of conservatories on display at our head office and 10 models on show at Wilstead we think you will be spoilt for choice!
All our conservatories are made-to-measure from modern, low maintenance materials so you can be sure that which ever conservatory you choose, it will continue to look as good as new in years to come. Your home deserves the best...You deserve the best that money can buy!
GSN CONSERVATORIES
Pertenhall Road (1 mile from Gt Staughton) Gt Staughton, Nr St Neots Cambs PE19 5BE Telephone 01480 860000 Open Mon - Fri 9am - 5pm Sat & Sun 10am - 4pm Established since 1984
To advertise in The Villager and Townlife please call 01767 261122
The family firm with NO commission paid reps and NO sub-contractors
Also at: Season’s Garden Centre Wilstead (main Road - A6) Bedford Beds MK45 3HU Telephone 01234 740011 Open Mon - Sat 10am to 4pm Sun 11am to 4pm
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n O s ’ t Wha 1, 8, 15, 22 & 29 September Comrades Chess Club 7.30pm Comrades Club, Godmanchester Keep your mind active and play chess. Over 18s only. Every Monday except Bank Holidays.
6 September Cambs and Beds Hardy Plant Society 2pm Weatherley Centre, Eagle Farm Road, Biggleswade Speaker will be Colin Ward on ‘Plantsman’s Choice – Talk on Colin’s Favourites’. Colin runs Swine’s Meadow Farm Nursery and has a passion for plants. Plants for sale. Visitors welcome.
3 Sept 2014 Confronting the myths of WW1 7pm for 7.30 pm The Comrades Club, Godmanchester The Cambridgeshire branch of the Western Front Association present a talk by Brian Bond examining some of the myths of the Great War. Web: www.westernfrontassociation.com
7 September Cream Teas 2.30-5pm The Dovecote, Haslingfield, near Cambridge £5. Enjoy a traditional cream tea with freshly-baked scones, jam and cream, in the informal woodland garden of the 17th century Dovecote, in aid of Parkinson’s UK. Tel: Pam 01223 871788
4, 11, 18 & 25 September St Neots Country 8-11.30am Church Rooms, Church Walk, Set Neots St Neots Country meets every Thursday. We sell homemade preserves, home cooking, home grown fruit, vegetables and plants plus knitwear and crafts. We also serve refreshments including Tea, Coffee, soft drinks, homemade cakes and scones.
10 September St Neots Choral Society 7.30-9.30pm Eynesbury C of E School, Montagu Street, St Neots St Neots Choral Society is beginning its 43rd season! Rehearsals start on 10 September. We are recruiting now and new members are very welcome to join and there are no auditions to frighten you but an ability to read a little music is helpful! There is an annual subscription once you decide to join the Society. Tel: 01480 212298. Web: www.stneotschoral.org.uk
5-7 September Tenth Annual Beer and Cider Festival. Fri 6-11pm, Sat 12 noon-11pm, Sun 12 noon-10.30pm Toft Social Club, Toft People’s Hall, School Lane, Toft Free entry. Only £2.20 a pint! Thirteen real ales, mostly from brewers in a 25 mile radius, and three ‘real’ local ciders. Snacks on sale throughout the event. Meals available early evening on Saturday and at Sunday lunchtime. Live music Saturday and Sunday evenings. Web: www.toftsocialclub.org.uk for up-to-date details 6 September Tandem Skydive. Sibson Airfield, Peterborough In aid of Age UK. Raise £300 and jump for FREE! Age UK Peterborough provides support to enable older people to live a healthy and fulfilling life in their own homes. Funds are badly needed. Help them to continue to provide such essential services in our communities by taking part in the Tandem Skydive or the Perkins Great Eastern Run on 12 October. Tel: 0800 014 1832. Email: eileen@safelocaltrades.com Web: www.safelocaltrades.com/about/age-uk 6 September Tempsford Show. Doors open 2pm The Stuart Memorial Hall, Church End, Tempsford If you would like to enter any of the classes for Fruit, Vegetables, Cookery, Crafts or Photography please contact Meryl Besant 01767 640873 for a schedule. Tables available for selling your goods at £5.
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13 September Craft and Gift Fair 9am-2pm United Reformed Church, St. Neots Free admission Held in aid of The Coffee Pot Memory Café; a local charity in St. Neots for those with memory loss and their carers, run by volunteers and support from local Rotarians. Tel: Mary 07717 158549 for details and stall hire Email: maryjdcruz@gmail.com 13 & 14 September Western Weekend 10am-4pm daily Great Staughton Village Hall Entrance £5 per person per day The Cambridge Comic Club is holding a Western Weekend to remember our ‘Wild West’ heroes from the1940s, 50s & 60s. All types of memorabilia, including comics, annuals etc., plus books about the true Western history and legends, will be on show. Stalls will be selling books, DVDs, etc.. Music and DVDs will be playing throughout the weekend. Please telephone or email regarding tables for showing or selling merchandise (£20 per day). Light refreshments will be available. Tel: Clive O’Dell 01480 860339 or 07850 940059 Email: jennyodell@mypostoffice.co.uk
13 & 14 September National Heritage Open Days 10am-4pm Peter’s Church Offord Darcy will be open along with many other historic buildings, for the National Heritage Open Days. St Peter’s church with its Norman arches to the north aisle dating from around 1130, shows the four styles of English church architecture. The south aisle has graceful Gothic arches. There is a double piscina in the chancel and an angle piscina with sedilia in the south aisle. The church became redundant in 1978 and was vested in the Churches Conservation Trust. Lots to see including a mystery stone effigy, memorial brasses, a family alabaster monument, carved corbel faces and a possibly unique William Glasby stained glass window with memorial plaques below which together form the Offord D’Arcy war memorial. 13 & 14 September World Wars & Heritage Exhibition Sat 11am-4pm, Sun 2-4pm St James Church, Little Paxton Refreshments, cakes, preserves, jigsaws, etc.
20 September Gamlingay Show 1pm–5pm Gamlingay Village College Adults £3, Concessions £1.50, Under 5s free Popular favourites: classic cars, motorbikes and tractors; fairground rides; stalls; a wide variety of refreshments and our raffle with £100 first prize. New for this year: water boats; bungee trampolining; Noah Ark inflatable obstacle course; performances by the Gamlingay Community Choir, the Combertones and Box of Frogs Theatre Group; Dog Show and the Great Gamlingay Ready Steady Cook Competition! Entries for the competition classes will be available for viewing from 2pm. Please drop your entry forms into the Library at The Hub, First School, Village College or Londis Stores by 4pm on 19 September. Bring along your competition entries and pay your entry fees between 8.30-10.30am on Saturday morning. Any offers of help on the day of the Show would be most welcome. Please contact us on 07519 921126 or email: gamlingayshow @hotmail.com. Web: www.gamlingayshow.co.uk 23 September Hemingford Grey Flower Club 10am The Hemingford Grey Reading Rooms, High Street Entrance £3 with refreshments Demonstration by Ann Purt. All welcome.
14 September Comberton Ramblers Annual Subscription £8.50, under 18 years free Autumn Walking Programme starts 14 September. The group walks on alternate Sundays and covers from 4-7 miles, usually ending near a local pub. New walkers are welcome to join us with up to 2 free walks, and if you enjoy our walks we request that you become a member. For further details on how to join the group please see www.combertonramblers.org.uk or contact Stella the Secretary at stella.ramblers@hotmail.com
25 September St Neots & District Gardening Club 8pm St Mary’s Church Hall, Brook Street, St Neots Members £2, Non-members £2.50 AGM and suggestions of topics for open meetings and places to visit for next year. Competition is One class of Flowers taken from the 2014 summer show schedule.
16 September Kimbolton Flower Club 7.30pm Mandeville Hall, Kimbolton Admission for visitors £6 including light refreshments After our summer break we would like to welcome our members and visitors to our next flower arranging demonstration. Jacky O’Hare will be demonstrating “Fun With Flowers”. All welcome.
26 September St James Church Quiz Night 7.30pm Little Paxton Village Hall Tickets £6 per person including supper Maximum 6 people per team. Ticket closing date 24 September – please order early as numbers are limited. Licensed bar.Tel: Lee Duncan 07931 315648Email: lm.duncan@ntlworld.com
16 September Gamlingay WI 7.30pm W I Hall, Gamlingay Visitors £3.50 Speaker will be Mrs Sue Baker on Belly Dancing – a talk and taster evening. Visitors welcome.
26 September Kimbolton to Istanbul: a crusader’s route 7.30pm Free admission Mandeville Hall, Kimbolton Come and learn of the thrills and spills of Frank Burns’ 2,500 mile cycle journey across Europe. Frank cycled from Kimbolton to Istanbul to raise over £5000 for Motivation, a charity which designs and makes wheelchairs for disabled people in the developing world. Web: www.frankburns.wordpress.com
19 September The Grand Budapest Hotel (15) 7 for 7.30pm Mandeville Hall, Kimbolton Adults £4, Concessions £3 Drama comedy about a concierge and lobby boy set between the two wars. Tickets available from Watson’s, Dixi’s Deli, Bytes Café or on the door if available. Tel: 01480 860297 for more information Web: http://e-voice.org.uk/ themandevillehallkimbolton
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27 September Comedy Night Keysoe Village Hall Tickets £15 including light buffet Starring Johnny Dee from BBC Radio Cambridgeshire. Tickets available from Watson’s High Street, Kimbolton or richannflo@hotmail.com. This is a charity event organised by The Rotary Club of Kimbolton Castle. Web: www.johnnydee.net
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The Villager Prize Crossword
Prize
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Across 1 In addition (4) 3 Greets (8) 9 Painful condition (7) 10 Childminder (5) 11 Developments (12) 14 Appropriate (3) 16 Braid hair (5) 17 Winter sport (3) 18 Purposefully (12) 21 Time-piece (5) 22 Distinctive (7) 23 Moving very fast (8) 24 Questions (4)
17th September 2014 Prize Crossword, Villager Publications Ltd 24 Market Square, Potton, Beds SG19 2NP
Name: Tel: Address:
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
Complete the crossword, fill in your details below, cut out this page and send to the address below before
Down 1 From the United States (8) 2 Tantrum (5) 4 Used for seeing (3) 5 Condensed (12) 6 Parts of an hour (7) 7 Speaks (4) 8 Talented (12) 12 Delete (5) 13 Two wheeled vehicles (8) 15 Rigid support frame (7) 19 Departs (5) 20 In debt (4) 22 Male child (3)
Pet Services
Removals, Delivery & Storage For All Your Storage, Delivery and Removal Requirements Based in Alconbury Weston Freephone - 0800 689 0894
Use your local removal company
Tony Webb - 07850 293540 Lee Eastlake - 07906 072096 www.move-plus-safe.co.uk
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Crossword Solution for The Villager August Edition Last Month’s Crossword Winner - Gillian Studley from Sandy
The winner, selected at random, of Steve Plant’s ‘A Wander Around the Coast of Wales’ was Elizabeth Snoswell from Potton, who has been sent the prize, a copy signed by the author.
£x.xx $x.xx €x.xx
STEVE PLANT
Correction: Last month’s book competition title should have been ‘A Wander Around the Coast of Wales’ and not ‘The Wildlife Quiz Book’. Apologies go to Steve Plant.
A WANDER AROUND THE COAST OF WALES A WANDER AROUND THE COAST OF WALES
August’s Wales Competition Rugged coast line, outstandin g beaches, num historic buildings erous and a good dollo just some of the p of folklore are fabulous attra ctions of the Wale Coast Path. Add to this the warm s th and friendline of the Welsh peop ss le and a wand er around Wale becomes a truly s mem orable experienc The 870 miles e. of continuous coast unique view of path offer a Wales and all that it has to off Every geograph er. ic section of the highlights and path has its own every day prese nts you with a experience to new savour and So, charge your camera, walking enjoy. and prepare to boots at the ready be amazed as you wander aroun Wales Coast Path, d the whatever the weather!!
A 870-mile walk following the coastal path of Wales from north to south
ST EV E
P L A NT
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