ISSUE 217 March 2024 4700 COPIES FREE TO 34 VILLAGES AROUND KIMBOLTON YOUR LOCAL INFORMATIVE MONTHLY GUIDE www.bystandermagazines.co.uk INN FARM NURSERY EASTER ACTIVITIES A DAY IN THE LIFE OF WRITER JULIA JARMAN BEACON WEALTH MANAGEMENT FINANCIAL PLANNING FOR A DIVORCE PETER LANE AND PARTNERS SWINGS AND...... LOCAL MEMORIES AT LAST - WE FIND LUCY AND MUCH MORE VILLAGE BYSTANDER HAPPY EASTER
2 To advertise in Village Bystander please call Julie on 07928 778457
• Driveways And Patios
• Porcelain Patio Specialists
• Fencing
• Decking
• Pond Installation And Maintenance
• Carpentry - Pegodas, Orangeries, Raised Beds
• Property Maintenance
• Interior/ Exterior Painting
• 3d Garden Design
•
3 Please mention Village Bystander when responding to adverts
• Gardening
• Tree Surgery
• Lawns -Turfing, Scarifying • Power Washing
Registered Waste Removal Service FOR SALE: Seasonal Plants
HARD AND SOFT LANDSCAPING
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR:
Welcome to the March edition of the Bystander. Just a reminder to check out our Community Section. Here you can find information of the latest local events and clubs. This month, there is information on the Kimbolton Cinema and the Kimbolton Ranger Unit. We’ve packed a lot into this month’s edition. You may find Hazel’s flash fiction contribution ‘too dangerous’ - read the story to find out. North Bedfordshire Ramblers supply an interesting background on the yellow topped way finders that can be seen on the walkways of the county. There’s lots of useful information besides. Author Georgia Rose explains how she chooses which books to read and how she approaches book reviews. Talking of writers, Julia Jarman tells us about a day in her life. Big news! Penny has found Lucy at last! Find out the full details of the conclusion to this family history saga inside. All this plus more from our regular contributors including Inn Farm Nursery, Canine Corner and Lee’s Gardening. Happy reading.
Julie
Editor: Julie Tose
Mobile: 07928 778457
julie@villagebystander.com
This Month’s Contributors:
Lee Munday, Paul Kinally, Penny Young, Tony Larkins, Joanne Cox, Georgia Rose, Anthony Withers, Hazel Wright
March Contents
Editor’s Letter p.4
Health, Fitness, Beauty & Wellbeing p.8-10
Inn Farm - Easter Activities p.14
Local Memories: At last - We Find Lucy p.16-17
Anthony Withers - An (almost) Forgotten
Naval Squadron p.18
Gardening & Outdoor Section p.22-23
Lee’s Gardening Corner p.22
Peter Lane and Partners - Swings and…. p.24
This month in History – A March through Time! p.30
Too dangerous p.32
Beacon Wealth Management - Financial Planning For a Divorce p.33
A Day in the Life of Writer, Julia Jarman p.34-35
The Humble Way Marker p.42
Georgia Rose p.44
Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue p.54
Bystander Community p.56-61
The Staughtons with Hail Weston
Church Services p.59
Canine Corner - Food Guarding p.62
What’s On for Children? p.64
Nurseries, Primary & Secondary Schools p.64-65
Useful and Emergency Numbers p.65
Clubs, Groups & Organisations p.66-67
Mobile Library Times p.67
Business Listings p.68
www.bystandermagazines.co.uk
4 To advertise in Village Bystander please call Julie on 07928 778457
Printing by Buxton Press 01298 212000
5 Please mention Village Bystander when responding to adverts John Tose One2One Tutor @DirectLearning1 • MATHS TUITION • ONLINE ONE TO ONE TEACHING • KEY STAGE 2,3,4 • GCSE AND FUNCTIONAL SKILLS • ENTRANCE EXAM PREPARATION • ADULT STUDENTS WELCOME • REGULAR ASSESSMENT For further information or to discuss your own or your child’s educational needs, please contact: John Tose 07803504631 jtose@sky.com LEARNING THROUGH ENJOYMENT ONE 2 ONE TUTOR
6 To advertise in Village Bystander please call Julie on 07928 778457
·
· Environments Conservation Groundworks · Extensions
Building
Heritage
“We set out over 20 years ago to offer a personal and professional standard that surpassed the home improvement masses, where customer expectation is never met but exceeded.
local trusted business where every project is taken personally.”
- Shane Lee (Managing Director)
7 Please mention Village Bystander when responding to adverts 07563 608 344 shane@castleviewconstruction.uk www.castleviewconstruction.uk @selfbuild_weston_springs_ 8 Weston Springs, Newtown, Hail Weston, Cambridgeshire PE19 5JU ow t pre i s se bu d ur y We on Sprin a In agram!
Your
Over 20 years experience Conservation · Restoration Landscape · Design
8 To advertise in Village Bystander please call Julie on 07928 778457 The Ashgrove Clinic 01933 469043 www.ashgrovehealth.co.uk reception@ashgrovehealth.co.uk CURRENT TREATMENTS NOT WORKING? LOW BACK PAIN? NECK PAIN? Find out if you are a candidate for IDD Therapy A comfortable, non-invasive back pain treatment with success rates reaching 92%. Do you suffer from...? Herniated or Bulging Discs Degenerative Disc Disease Posterior Facet Syndrome Sciatica Spinal Stenosis Spinal Arthritis Acute or chronic back pain The Ashgrove Clinic, 11 Market Square, Higham Ferrers, NN10 8BT
Unisex hairdressers Our impressive 25-metre Swimming Pool offers a wide variety of Public Swimming sessions and Swimming Lessons throughout the year to Kimbolton School and the local community. W What We Offer Public Swimming – Fun, Lane & General Swimming Sessions Private Hires – Local Schools, Clubs, Ad Hoc & Pool Parties Swimming Lessons – Group & Private / 1-to-1 For All Ages Courses – NPLQ, Water Safety, Diving, Water Polo & More... Open Monday to Friday 7:30am-9pm Saturdays 8am – 3pm - Sundays Coming Soon! Find our latest Timetable at www.kimbolton.cambs.sch.uk or on Facebook/KimboltonSchoolSwimmingPool Kimbolton School Swimming Pool Call - 01480 862276 Email – Pool@kimbolton.cambs.sch.uk www.kimbolton.cambs.sch.uk
10 To advertise in Village Bystander please call Julie on 07928 778457 07565459602 Elbutton85@gmail.com love.yourself.beautiful_emma @LoveYourselfBeautiful Offering manicures and pedicures Gel nails, using the best long lasting Gelish products Regular polish also available Gel and Polish Removal service Great prices - discounts for over 65 year olds and loyalty cards Love Yourself Beautiful Limited
11 Please mention Village Bystander when responding to adverts Anti W rinkle Injection s Eye Treatments Dermal Filler Waxing Facials Microblading Skin Boosters Brow Lamination Lash Lifting (Please contact me for full price list) Clinic in Riseley Jackie Ackers 07717 410 261 @jaesthetics beauty Anti W rinkle Injection s
Treatments
Filler Waxing Facials
Boosters Brow Lamination Lash Lifting (Please contact me for full price list) Clinic in Riseley Jackie Ackers 07717 410 261 @ @jaesthetics beauty Anti W rinkle Injection s Eye Treatments Dermal Filler Waxing Facials Microblading Skin Boosters Brow Lamination Lash Lifting (Please contact me for full price list) Clinic in Riseley Jackie Ackers 07717 410 261 @jaesthetics beauty 07717 410 261 @jaesthetics_beauty Anti W rinkle Injection s Eye Treatments
Filler Waxing Facials Microblading Skin Boosters Brow Lamination Lash Lifting ( P lease contact me for fu ll pri ce list) y Jackie Ackers 07717 410 261 @jaesthetics beauty www.kimboltonvets.co.uk Visit our website to register your pets and follow our instagram @kimbolton_vets to keep up to date with our progress A new independent vet practice in the heart of the Kimbolton community Opening Spring 2024 18 High Street, Kimbolton Kimbolton Vets
Eye
Dermal
Microblading Skin
Dermal
Whitchurch Wines
Cheese Tuesday
Join us to try some British Cheese, supplied by Rennet and Rind, paired with wines form the shop.
Cheese Tuesdays are held on the last Tuesday of every month, unless otherwise stated.
Please email jeff@whitchurchwines.co.uk to reserve your board.
WHAT’s ON IN MARCH?
8th Wine Bar FRIDAY — Pop-up bar.
14th Wine Tasting Chardonnay and Pinot Noir—a mix of Old World and New.
20th Wine Bar Wednesday - Pop-up bar.
26th Cheese Tuesday
WHO ARE WE?
Your local wine shop. We are a small, family-run business. My father-in-law, David, opens up on a Wednesday, then it is yours truly from Wednesday after 4.30pm until we close the door for the week on Saturday. My wife Heather also helps out and you my even find one of our offspring stacking a shelf or two occasionally!
New In: Chocolates!
It’s official—we are stocking chocolates! Selling them individually, you can buy a couple as a treat for yourself, or a box as a gift for someone special - don’t forget it is Mothers Day soon!
We have a selection of truffles and chocolates available Pop-in and check them out.
WHEN ARE WE OPEN?
Wednesday 12-6pm Except WBW!
Thursday 10:30-5pm
Friday 10.30-7pm
Saturday 10.30-5pm
For more information pop-in and ask, or email jeff@whitchurchwines.co.uk
12 To advertise in Village Bystander please call Julie on 07928 778457
21 High St, Kimbolton.
13 Please mention Village Bystander when responding to adverts To book a free consultation in the comfort of your own home or at our Roxton showsite, contact Alex Watts today! 01480 219 004 | www.gaphomeimprovements.co.uk Roxton Garden Centre, Bedford Road, Roxton, MK44 3DY 07935 002 610 .Windows .Composite Doors .Bi-folding, Patio & French Doors .Orangeries & Garden Rooms .Warm, Flat & Replacement Roofs .Roofline .Porches & Canopies Follow on Facebook to win a free composite door! Warm Roofs & Conservatories Personal new build design service or thermal efficient refurbishments.
14 To advertise in Village Bystander please call Julie on 07928 778457
15 Please mention Village Bystander when responding to adverts
LOCAL MEMORIES: By Penny Young
At Last - We Find Lucy
I fancied that Richard, my cousin in America, was building up to ‘the big reveal’. For some weeks he had been feeding me tid bits of information. He had found the child born George Moore in 1848, who was eventually baptised George Moore Stowe, three years later in 1851 which is when we believe that he was adopted. I googled the name ‘George Moore Stowe’, surely a name to conjure with, and he was very easy to find. He had left home quite young; perhaps he did not get on with his adoptive parents? George married a woman called Helen and they had three sons, the first named George Moore Stowe junior and the father, (perhaps Lucy’s baby) became known as senior. George Moore Stowe snr and died on 1st March 1933. More research here is needed to definitively prove that ‘this George’ was Lucy and Charles’ son, or maybe I will get a DNA match, enough amazing coincidences have happened in this story already.
Whenever the ‘Lucy trail’ seemed to go cold, Richard always kept up my spirits by saying - “If we follow Jefferies, we will find Lucy”. If you remember, the two men that Lucy was ‘having a fling with’ at The Mansion House, when, in a fit of jealousy, one (James Jefferies) shot the other (Frank Jacobs). In one of the divorce testimonies, James Jefferies and Lucy were reported as living together as man and wife, but even so, I must admit, I was not convinced that these two would have an ongoing relationship, (but Richard was!)
Next Richard sent me a link to a Will, where a ‘Lucy Moore Jefferies’ had been ‘bequeathed a slave’. Have you ever heard of such a thing? This was 3rd May 1858 and in the Will of a Lucy B Gaines, it reads, “I leave my servant woman Ginny to my niece Mary M and should she die without children, then to my niece Lucy Moore Jefferies”. The next paragraph sees her leave “my woman Margaret and my man Martin” to various other relatives. My goodness, where is this all leading to? Owning slaves did not end in America until 1863, but - is this ‘Our Lucy’? More digging and delving needed here to link Lucy Gaines with ‘our Lucy’ – this is what makes genealogy so much fun.
Richard then suggested that we needed to chat on ‘facetime’ or ‘zoom’. I told him that I was a complete technophobe and that I did not think I could manage any of this. I gave him my land line and mobile phone numbers and then of course we had to juggle with the time difference between here and America, but eventually a date and time was agreed upon. It was lovely to finally chat to a ‘cousin’ with whom I had been emailing for so many years and who had been so instrumental in finding Lucy. Richard then told me that he was very close to ‘smashing down the (Lucy) brick wall’ and to keep checking my emails.
The next day came an email from Richard, entitled ‘Read all the way through’, with an attachment which I clicked on. It was an obituary for a Dr James Jefferies dated July 1900. I speed read through the long and glowing praise for this greatly loved doctor, until the final paragraph which read – “Dr Jefferies was married while a student at Jefferson Medical
16 To advertise in Village Bystander please call Julie on 07928 778457
College, to Miss Louise Kerkham of London, England, who preceded him to the grave five years. They leave no children”.
Well, I am not ashamed to admit. I burst into tears and sat and cried, happy tears, sad tears, just a huge well of emotion erupted. I was absolutely rubbish for the rest of the day, I couldn’t concentrate on anything, my mind was in total turmoil. I know for some people, breaking down genealogical brick walls, can take a lifetime and this had ‘only’ taken me eight months, but in my defence, I had eaten, slept and lived Lucy Kirkham for all that time. I am weeping again now as I tell the story.
The next few weeks passed in a daze as more information unfolded, which I will share next time. But to recap, this little girl, born 15th of 19 children in Bath, Somerset. Becomes a famous soprano, singing for Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Falls in love with my two times great uncle, Charles William Kendall, and they elope. A court case for breach of promise (to marry) ensues, during which it is discovered that Lucy is pregnant. She is banished to America, arriving on the quayside in New York on 4th February 1848. She undergoes an arranged marriage with a William Abraham Moore, whom she had met, as a child, in the musical enclave that was Bath in the 1830’s and he had emigrated to America in 1841.
The marriage was not a happy one, the child, (Charles and Lucy’s) named George Moore and then George Moore Stowe on his adoption in 1851, saw the rocky marriage fall apart. Although William and Lucy did not divorce until 1858 – we think that a ten year agreement between Lucy’s wealthy and influential uncle and aunt and William Moore, that the young couple should stay together, if in name only.
Lucy went back onto the stage on Broadway and resided at a boarding house called The Mansion House, where she soon began a relationship with Frank Jacobs, who ‘paid’ Lucy to give up the stage. During this time, she began seeing a James Jefferies, who was a medical student at the nearby Jefferson Medical College. There was an altercation between Jacobs and Jefferies, in which Jefferies shot his love rival.
Lucy, perhaps in an attempt to ‘get away from it all’, takes a boat called the San Fransisco, on its maiden voyage, just before Christmas 1853, possibly to join up with Madame Bishop’s Opera Troupe in San Fransisco, but, perhaps in a fore runner to the sinking of the Titanic – the boat sinks in a terrific storm. There are reports of a Miss Lucy Moore being rescued –was this ‘Our Lucy’?
The next we know, in February 1854, one month after the sinking of the boat, a witness testifies to a James Jefferies and Lucy Kirkham, living as man and wife in a boarding house in Philadelphia, whilst James continues his medical studies. Our Lucy – a real ‘Forest Gump’ story. Could we get it to Hollywood! Next time we fill in the gaps and I feel a trip to America coming on!
17 Please mention Village Bystander when responding to adverts
An (almost) forgotten naval squadron
One of the chapters in my book Great Staughton and its People is devoted to an anonymous hand written volume lying forgotten in the church until it was rediscovered a century ago. The book contains articles on nature and science as well as anecdotes and poems. Four of these poems are devoted to the iniquities of the slave trade, so clearly the compiler of the book was a keen abolitionist. The book was completed on December 20 1800 and seven years later Britain became the first country to abolish the slave trade in its dominions. Almost two decades later, in 1834, the Slavery Abolition Act was passed in Parliament, taking effect in 1834, and this Act, another first for Britain, abolished slavery itself. Just as a comparison, it was another thirtyone years before the 13th Amendment was ratified by the US Congress on January 31, 1865, abolishing slavery in the United States. The Ottoman Empire didn’t get round to it until the 1880s.
In 1808 the British Government decided to give some teeth to this anti-slave trade legislation by forming the West Africa Squadron, based in Portsmouth. I note that somewhat belatedly some of the great and the good in high places are beginning to pay tribute to this almost forgotten squadron of the Royal Navy.
The objective of the Squadron was to patrol the oceans between what is now Freetown in Sierra Leone, thence across the Atlantic to the Caribbean and finally scouring the seas off the American continent for suspected slave ships. The Squadron would seize any ship of any nation plying the slave trade and return the unfortunate slaves to Freetown and freedom in Sierra Leone. Posting to the Squadron was deeply unpopular amongst sailors who faced death by tropical disease, violent Atlantic storms or hostile slave traders. Some 1,600 sailors are estimated to have died serving in the Squadron. The West Africa Squadron seized approximately 1,600 ships involved in the slave trade and freed an estimated 150,000 slaves between 1807 and 1860. In 1846 two ships from the squadron entered the harbour of Rio de Janeiro and sank two ships suspected of involvement in the slave trade.
The West Africa Squadron saw service for sixty years until 1867. It was a huge drain on the Exchequer, costing an estimated 2% of government revenues.
The British Empire seems to be getting a bit of a bad write-up these days and particular venom is directed, quite rightly, at the slave trade. But the British were the first to do something about it and some credit is due for our decision to abolish the trade, and then to organise an international naval police force to stop other nations pursuing this foul trade.
According to a number of celebrated historians, the West Africa Squadron was the most expensive and most moral campaign in modern European history.
Do they teach this in the schools I wonder?
Anthony Withers aw.staughton@gmail.com
To advertise in Village Bystander please call Julie on 07928 778457 18
19 Please mention Village Bystander when responding to adverts shine online with Silver Websites 07340 234 555 | hello@silverwebsites.co.uk | www.silverwebsites.co.uk To arrange your FREE website discovery call, contact us today. There are lots of things to worry about when running a business. With us managing your site, your website isn't one of them. Contact via WhatsApp is also available on the number above. Discovery calls and quotations are free with no purchase obligation. Silver Websites is based in Kimbolton (Cambridgeshire) with an office in Raunds (Northamptonshire). web design | website management | green website hosting Lilystone building your ideal… Lilystone Homes Limited The Hall, Thorpe Street, Raunds, Northamptonshire, NN9 6LT T. 01933 461374 M. 07825 199748 E. mail@lilystone.co.uk www.lilystone.co.uk from concept … … to completion o New Build o Extensions o Renovations o Conversions
La Cote d’Or Antiques
La Cote d’Or Antiques is a small, boutique antiques shop. A genuine treasure trove, it is full of lots of interesting items. The Proprietor, Marie Helene has been in the business for many decades, so if she does not have it, there is a chance she can find it!
Situated on Kimbolton High Street, access is by appointment only, so please call to book ahead: 01480 861587
20 To advertise in Village Bystander please call Julie on 07928 778457
21 Please mention Village Bystander when responding to adverts
Gardening and Outdoor Section: p.22-23
Lee’s Gardening Corner
Spring starts on the 21st and days are becoming longer, the ground is warming up and things should, hopefully, be beginning to grow well now. The gardening season starts in earnest, although the weather has no guarantees. If you are able to keep on top of things during early spring, the rest of the year should run smoothly.
General garden tasks to deal with this month are to spring clean the borders:fork over the soil (especially any areas you have been walking on that could be compacted), tackle the weeds, dig up and divide overcrowded perennials, then cover the area with a good layer of mulch, this will help conserve water and deter weeds. Keeps paths free from moss and weeds, otherwise they can get dangerously slippy. The lawn will probably need more frequent cuts, but try not to do this if it is still very wet or frosty.
Planting container grown plants now will ensure they get a good start for the rest of the year, do keep any new plants watered though if there is a dry spell. Prune roses (all kinds), buddleia, and the coloured stem dogwoods (to encourage new bright shoots for next winter’s colour). Move any deciduous trees and shrubs, and make sure bare root plants are in the ground before they start to shoot. Winter pots can be tidied up and given a feed to encourage new growth.
In the vegetable garden there is lots to do this month. Plant early potatoes in pots, these can be kept undercover to be able to harvest new potatoes slightly earlier. Salad crops can be sown now, either outside in prepared soil, or pots and troughs. Carrots and peas can also be started. Either sow new pots of herbs, or divide and freshen up old pots. If you have a heated greenhouse or propagator then now is the time to start chillies, sweet peppers, aubergines. Hardy annuals can be sown in a greenhouse or an outdoor bed. Half hardy annuals will need some heat for them to germinate.
There should be a lot to see in the garden now too, shrubs such as viburnum tinus, viburnum bodnantense, rhododendron and camellias. Perennials include Bergenia, hellebores, Primulas and iris. Lots of bulbs flower in spring - chionodoxa, cyclamen, iris reticulata and Scilla.
22 To advertise in Village Bystander please call Julie on 07928 778457
Lee Munday
23 Please mention Village Bystander when responding to adverts This includes pruning, crown reductions, removal and felling, stump grinding and planting. We carry out all aspects of tree and hedge works. Local Family Operated Business £10m Public Liability Insurance Courteous and Professional Staff Arboricultural Association Approved Contractors TPO and Conservation Area Applications Our accreditations 01234 960796 Call one of our friendly team today www.edentreespecialists.co.uk HILL HEATING Oil & Gas & LPG Boiler Servicing Installation & Repair System Upgrades Power Flushing Landlords Certificates OFTEC & GAS SAFE REGISTERED Bathroom Design & Installation 11, Windmill Close Ellington Cambs PE28 0AJ Phone 01480890929 07702048115 07517599203 www.hillheating.co.uk
Swings and….
Peter Lane and Partners in Kimbolton advises prospective movers not to wait until the property market gets back to ‘normal’.
I make no apologies for repeating advice suggested a few years ago, as we find ourselves in a similar position. From the boom-and-bust property markets of the early 1970s or the late 1980s, the MIRAS debacle and 15% mortgage interest rates, Brexit, stamp duty holidays and the pandemic, most people will be aware of how these have affected the property market to a greater or lesser extent.
And today, if anyone is waiting for the property market to get back to normal they may be waiting a long time.
In property we have to play the cards we are dealt. Sometimes the market will benefit the buyer, and sometimes the seller. In all these years the market has never suited both buyers and sellers at the same time. But then what you lose on the swings you gain on the roundabouts.
It is essential to understand that the market is continually in flux. We now have the challenge of increasing stocks of property for sale, higher interest rates than we have been used to and, in some areas, property values that have reduced. Will this continue? No. Why? Because nothing continues unchanged in property for long. Things are constantly moving.
So, my advice is to play the property, not the market. Find a deal that works for you. Please don’t wait for the market to normalise; it won’t. Don’t try and wait until we have reached the top of the market to sell, because when you think that the market has reached the top, it will already be too late. Winning in property is finding the right property deal for you when you need it. Put another way, would you rather have a perfect property or a perfect market? I know which I would choose.
If you are thinking of moving and would like to discuss any aspect of the process, Paul can be contacted at the Kimbolton Office on 01480 860400 or paul.kinally@peterlane.co.uk
24 To advertise in Village Bystander please call Julie on 07928 778457
Village Bystander • Independent Estate Agent • Bespoke Marketing Packages • Personal and Tailored Service • Home-finder Service For Your Onward Search • Free Market Appraisals 01480 597799 carrestates.co.uk hello@carrestates.co.uk Properties of the month Full details available on our website or at FOR SALE Loop Road, Keyston 4 Bed Detached NEW PRICE £625,000 Loop Road, Keyston 3 Bed Individual New Build £575,000 FOR SALE FOR SALE Main Street, Old Weston 5 Bed Detached Home O.I.E.O £700,000 High Street, Kimbolton 4 Bed Character Home NEW PRICE 650,000 Station Road, Catworth 2/ 3 Bed Renovated Cottage £335,000 FOR SALE FOR SALE Station Road, Tilbrook 3 Bed Detached £700,000 Your local, bespoke estate agency FOR SALE
Old Kimboltonians’ Reunion Day www.oks.com or contact the Alumni Office alumni@kimboltonschool.com for more information Saturday 29th June 2024 11am to 5pm Sports Fixtures v’s School Teams Castle Tour with Andrew Bamford Access to the Hertiage Room & OKA Memorabilia Bar & BBQ All OKs Welcome Old Kimboltonians’ Summer Ball Saturday 29th June 2024 7.30pm
27 Please mention Village Bystander when responding to adverts
Sunday 3 March 1PM - 4PM
Discover the fascinating history of the Castle from its motte and bailey beginnings to its present-day incarnation as one of Cambridgeshire's top co-educational schools.
28 To advertise in Village Bystander please call Julie on 07928 778457 @KimboltonCastle
SCAN TO BOOK
29 Please mention Village Bystander when responding to adverts Hunt & Coombs solicitors Contact us for advice on: ı Wills, trusts & probate ı Tax advice & succession planning ı Lasting Powers of Attorney ı Family law & divorce ı Residential property ı Dispute resolution ı Professional negligence ı Business & commercial law Legal Services for you and your business info@hcsolicitors.co.uk www.hcsolicitors.co.uk OUNDLE PETERBOROUGH HUNTINGDON ST NEOTS St Neots 01480 702207 CAMBRIDGE Oundle 01832 273506 Tel 07814 709 320 Info@TopHatProjects.co.uk Proprietor Jules Sismey Williamson Top Hat Projects, 4 Molesworth Business Estate, Molesworth, Cambridgeshire, PE28 0QG Please contact us for any quality property you are looking to rent or to rent out Family business – please check our reviews on Facebook to see what clients say about our service
This month in History – A March through time!
What a fascinating month March has proved to be when looking back on past centuries. From the first flight of the Spitfire in 1936, to the maiden flight of Concorde thirty-three years later in 1969; both fine examples of our aviation and engineering heritage. It is also the month in 1834 where six labourers from Tolpuddle in Dorset were sentenced to seven years’ transportation to Australia. The outrage this caused later earned them the title of ‘martyrs’ when they were acquitted and returned home. They had been protesting at wages; not much changes!
The Battle of Towton, alleged to have been the bloodiest and biggest battle on British soil, took place in 1461. Thomas Cranmer, the country’s first protestant Archbishop of Canterbury, was burned at the stake by “Bloody Mary” in 1556, whilst the foundation stone of the new cathedral in Coventry was laid this month in 1956; the old cathedral having been destroyed in 1940. Mary Seacole landed in the Crimea in 1855, the Iraq War began in 2003, the tragedy that was the My Lai Massacre occurred in Vietnam in 1968 and the first cases of the Spanish Flu, thought to have killed around 50 million people and not originating in Spain, were reported in 1918.
On a more frivolous note, both university boats sank in the Varsity boat race in 1912, the first England/Scotland Rugby international was held (Scotland winning) and the Wanderers beat the Royal Engineers 1-0 in the first FA Cup final; I wonder what they would have made of the modern game?
Of course, no piece on historical events in March is complete without mentioning the Ides of March, when Julius Caesar was assassinated by a conglomerate of senators (not the only leader to be assassinated in March as Edward, King of England was murdered at Corfe Castle this month in 978).
It is amazing how much has happened in history that gets forgotten about or ignored. Perhaps one of the events above will encourage you to open a book, or, dare I say it, a laptop and research the event that most interests you or that you did not necessarily know about. Alternatively, you could email in suggesting an event you feel deserves highlighting in April to the Bystander and we will endeavour to get it into our next “Month in History”.
30 To advertise in Village Bystander please call Julie on 07928 778457
31 Please mention Village Bystander when responding to adverts Robinson — GARAGE — EST 1927 MOT - REPAIRS – SERVICING KEEP YOUR CAR TESTED, SAFE & ROADWORTHY. 01480 860581 cars@robinsonkimbolton.co.uk robinsonkimbolton.co.uk Mon-Fri 0800-1700 MOT, Repairs, Servicing, Tyres, Exhausts, Brakes, Clutches, Computer Diagnosis, Air Conditioning and much more.
Too dangerous
She walked down the steps into the swimming pool. It was weeks since she had found the time to go swimming, and as she sank down into the warm water, she told herself she really must get back into the habit. It was something she enjoyed, and she knew the exercise was good for her.
She really liked this particular pool as well – it was tiled in different shades of blue with a mosaic - like circle in the middle featuring a dolphin. It also had a coffee shop which sold the best cappuccino she had ever tasted.
The pool was almost empty – there was just one other man, earnestly swimming lengths. As they swam past each other, they both smiled and exchanged a ‘Hi’.
After a while they both stopped at the same end of the pool for a rest. They exchanged names – she was Louise, he was Edward. They began chatting about everyday things. How rainy and gloomy it had been recently. How they both loved swimming, and both needed to make more time for it in their busy weeks. ‘I’m getting out now’, Edward announced. ‘Do you fancy grabbing a coffee?’
15 minutes later they were dressed and sitting in the coffee shop, both with a cappuccino in front of them.
The conversation flowed so easily between them, and they found out they had a great deal in common. They were both married and both had a son and a daughter of similar ages. They both loved Italy. Between them they had visited Rome, Sicily, Lake Garda, the Amalfi coast, Tuscany and Venice. Edward shared his story of driving the Amalfi Coast on a scooter. ‘The mad things you do when you’re young and fearless’ he said. Louise shared her story of being very ill in Venice, but considered that if the worst had happened, she would at least have died in the most beautiful city.
Coffee stretched into lunch, and the easy conversation continued. They both loved walking in the countryside and reading novels. Both were into alternative therapies. Delving back in time a bit, they found out they had both been to the same University. Their times there had been slightly different, but one of their years overlapped.
Several hours had passed when Louise glanced at the time and said, ‘This has been so lovely, but I really do need to go now.’ ‘Can we do this again?’, Edward responded before she had time to move. A silence descended as they both looked at each other. Anyone watching the couple could not have mistaken the looks of longing and regret. Edward sighed: ‘It’s too dangerous, isn’t it?’. ‘It’s much too dangerous’, Louise replied.
They both stood up and fell into each other’s arms. Edward kissed Louise’s cheek, and they both walked away – back to their partners and children and back to their lives. The table where they had sat lay cluttered with empty coffee cups and plates, and over it hung an air of forbidden and unspoken love.
Hazel Wright: hazelwright1801@gmail.com
32 To advertise in Village Bystander please call Julie on 07928 778457
BEACON WEALTH MANAGEMENT YOUR GUIDING LIGHT IN FINANCE
FINANCIAL PLANNING FOR A DIVORCE
BY TONY LARKINS
Divorce can be emotionally and financially draining, but a trusted financial adviser can help provide expert advice on the longterm financial implications of separating.
Typically, divorcing couples only consult financial advisers after agreeing to a settlement. 40% of all people who divorce think the process ends up being financially unfair, yet only 7% seek financial advice (Legal and General).
By consulting a financial adviser early, they can help you to make crucial decisions.
A 50/50 split of assets sounds fair on paper, but this is not always the case. It’s likely that a couple's future potential earnings and pension savings will differ post-separation, due to differences in careers, responsibilities and obligations.
Despite being such a large financial asset, pensions aren’t always valued correctly in divorce proceedings; a financial adviser can ensure they are.
Dividing cash savings is typically more straightforward than pensions. They often involve a simple transfer from one account to another, but ISAs often need different considerations.
Dividing investments can sometimes invoke tax liabilities e.g. Capital Gains Tax (CGT), so tax-efficient planning can help avoid charges.
Reviewing your financial objectives and lifestyle is a necessary step after divorce too.
It’s still possible to have a review with an adviser after a divorce or separation if you haven’t yet reached a legally binding agreement. You’d be surprised how many don’t realise this.
A cash-flow planning session – which assesses your assets, income and expenditure over time – can help establish realistic aspirations and investment decisions following a lump sum payment, or plans for any future funds.
Divorce is never easy, but involving a financial adviser early can help ease the process and find the best possible solution.
To speak with one of our expert Financial Advisers, please call us on 01480 869466 for a free initial, no obligation chat.
33 Please mention Village Bystander when responding to adverts
future fees may apply
A Day In The Life Of Writer, Julia Jarman
I wake early, but stay beneath the duvet, eyes closed, hopeful. An idea may surface in that dreamy hinterland between awake and asleep, a solution to the plot-problem I took to bed perhaps. Not this morning. But a sideways glance at the pad by my bed shows I scribbled something in the night. A great thought? No. HEARING AIDS IN CAR. Well, that’s useful if not inspiring. Thoughts now turn to tea and I glance at the bedroom door, then remember that if I want morning tea, I make it myself. I head downstairs to the kitchen in my dressing gown, keeping a look-out for Penny, my cat, and other hazards, mindful of the first rule of old age, ‘Don’t fall over’.
Seems to me it’s a rapid downhill to The End if you do, and I’m not ready yet. Far from it, I’m a beginner. It says so on Amazon so it must be true. Julia Jarman is ‘a debut author’ who has just written The Widows’ Wine Club and it is ‘sparkling’. Well, that’s good. The hundred or so books I’ve written for children don’t seem to count, but never mind.
Tea made, in my favourite pint-sized mug, I take it to the conservatory, overlooking my garden. Penny, her first breakfast eaten, becomes a lap cat and we watch the birds together. Blue tits, great tits, and sparrows today, doing acrobatics on the feeders. Penny snickers disapprovingly. I murmur admiringly between slurps.
Tea finished, I make coffee and ponder. To get dressed or not to get dressed, that is the question. My feet decide. I’m on my way to my study, to carry on writing my latest mistresspiece. It’s not discipline, it’s what I want to do. It’s what drives me. For the next few hours I stay as Woman in a Dressing Gown, hoping no one will ring the doorbell.
I’d like to boast that after pounding the keys in a concentrated, uninterrupted trance all morning, I will have written several thousand words by lunchtime. But that wouldn’t be true and I’m a truthful person. Well, I am when I’m not telling stories.
The truth is that I’m not a pounder, and I keep getting up and down. But that’s okay because sitting down is unhealthy. Writing is a dangerous occupation. It causes thrombosis and other nasties. Getting up and down is good. So is walking. So is waving to children as they pass by on their way to school. I live on the high street in Riseley, and my study is at the front of the house. My desk faces the wall, but looking out of the window is a constant temptation.
Fortunately for my step-count – though not my word-count - I need lots of coffee and my coffee machine is in the kitchen. As a technically challenged person, I’m proud that I can operate it. Especially as I stand on one leg while I wait for my cup to fill, as Dr Michael Moseley advises. I’m a big fan of Dr M and try to follow all his advice, except the cold showers.
There are other healthful distractions. Not least Penny who wants a second breakfast. And a third. And a fourth. Then her lunch. I recently read that cats have evolved to make their miaow, or one of their miaows, resemble the cry of a new-born human baby. I am sure
34 To advertise in Village Bystander please call Julie on 07928 778457
this is true. I cannot ignore Penny’s cries. If I do she tramples over my keyboard producing algebra more terrifying than in the O Level Maths exam, which is my scariest nightmare.
On a good day I’ve clocked up 750 words by lunchtime – and 1000 steps.
Lunch means another trip to the kitchen, to forage in the fridge or the fruit bowl and more steps. ‘Comfort breaks’ add more, and even better they’re uphill, well upstairs. I go to the main bathroom, home of The Big Red Bath, the inspiration for my most successful picturebook. The oeuvre I’m currently writing, very different, is called Widows Waive the Rules, or maybe Widows Rule the Waves. My widows are on a cruise. It will be my third ‘Widows’ book and I have to deliver it by May, so must get on. When I’ve written 1000 words, but not before, I head for the other end of the village to walk a friend’s dog, Teddy, a poodle who looks like a teddy bear. That means more steps, another 4000 or so.
I do get dressed first!
Today we call in at the Fox and Hounds to talk to landlady Jenny, about the launch of Widows on the Wine Path on April 3rd. Do come along and buy a book. The drinks are on me.
When I get home I take a nap, which Dr M also advises. Then I start thinking about dinner. I can’t cook without a glass in my hand. The sign, ‘I love cooking with wine. Sometimes I put it in the food,’ hangs on my dresser. So does ‘Careful or you’ll end up in my novel.’ Food-wise, I am in modern parlance, a flexitarian. That used to be omnivorous. Greedy will do. I eat anything with lots of veg, a lot of which I grow myself. Tonight it’s ratatouille from the freezer with chicken.
The wine fuels another splurge of writing, faster now because the inner critic has been put to flight. I love the evening shift. When I am too tired to carry on, I collapse on the sofa to read or watch TV. Tonight I’ll read because I’m in the middle of Ann Patchett’s ‘This is the Story of a Happy Marriage’, a wonderful book, full of wise words about life and love and writing. At around ten o’clock I go to bed, read a bit more, then put out the light, first checking that pen and notebook are on my bedside table.
To sleep perchance to wake up with a brilliant idea.
35 Please mention Village Bystander when responding to adverts
Julia’s New Book! Join us for the launch at The Fox and Hounds, Riseley. 3rd April 6pm - 8pm For more information visit juliajarman.com
36 To advertise in Village Bystander please call Julie on 07928 778457 Sunday 10th March OPEN Mon-Sat 6:30am - 9pm Sun 7:30am - 8pm budgens@robinsonkimbolton.co.uk 01480 860582 Thrapston Rd, Kimbolto n
Budgens is all about food. Early morning deliveries, 6 days a week, ensure lots of fresh produce.
Everything is here to create delicious meals from scratch. We also have a great variety of prepared meals.
A wide range of Wines, Beers, Ciders, and Spirits will complement your meal.
We have a Bakery plus Costa Coffee, Fresh Sandwiches & Frozen Foods.
We’re just round the corner. Open long hours, 7 days a week, with car parking.
37 Please mention Village Bystander when responding to adverts
38 To advertise in Village Bystander please call Julie on 07928 778457
CROWSONS
Funeral Directors
A family owned business serving the community for over one hundred years
• Caring personal attention
• Chapels of rest
• 24 hour service to all areas
• Flowers and catering available
• Memorials
• Advice on Golden Charter pre-payment Schemes
OUNDLE (01832) 272269
Barnwell, Oundle
Peterborough
PE8 5PS
39 Please mention Village Bystander when responding to adverts
40 To advertise in Village Bystander please call Julie on 07928 778457 £250,000 256 sqm established restaurant & cellar for sale Sale due to owners retiring Price includes goodwill and equipment to ensure a smooth take-over Business currently profitable based on 4 evenings a week Suitable for conversion into flats or other commercial premises (STPP ) Call Andrew for more information For Sale Market Square, Millom, Cumbria, LA18 4HZ Escape to the Lakes! Call - 01229 777497 (Thurs-Sun)
41 Please mention Village Bystander when responding to adverts
The Humble Way Marker
Have you ever wondered about the bright yellow topped way makers you might encounter on a walk in the Bedfordshire Countryside. How do they get their yellow paint, how do they get into position, what happens when you see one that is either rotten or broken?
Not all counties have yellow topped way markers – certainly none of our northern neighbours do, but if you are a regular walker, you may well be aware that they are so much easier to spot than just a plain post. As part of North Beds Ramblers, we are well used to scanning the horizon for our yellow friends to confirm that we are heading in the correct direction.
Bedford Borough has over 900 km of footpaths, bridleways and byways so imagine how many posts are distributed along those kilometres! Sadly, wooden posts do not last forever and they need to be replaced. This is down to the work of Bedford Borough’s Rights of Way team who work hand in hand with local landowners and volunteer groups, including the Ramblers, to try to keep our Rights of Way in good order and well-marked.
In the past, posts were supplied to the Council pre painted but a few years ago that stopped and in stepped the local Ramblers. A number of local Rambler’s members volunteer for RIPPLE (Repairing & Improving Public Paths for Leisure and Exercise). As part of this activity, we are the first step in preparing posts for deployment. A small group mark up the posts for painting and apply three coats of paint – two of which are the bright yellow you will be used to searching out. These posts are then taken out to the various localities where more Rambler’s volunteers – along with other volunteer groups and landowners “plant” them in the appropriate positions. Our group of trusty volunteers are in the process of painting the latest batch of 50 posts bring our total to over 400!
So next time you see a lovely yellow topped post – spare a thought for those who spend their time painting and deploying the posts. If you see one that is broken you can report its location on the Borough website, ideally with a picture on “Report a problem on a public right of way”. If you would like to get involved, or just walk, please contact North Beds Ramblers on northbedswalks@gmail.com. We don’t just paint and deploy posts, but also carry out path clearance, stile repairs and install gates. It’s a great way to help keep all our Rights of Way in good order. Remember Ramblers don’t just Ramble!
You can find out more about North Beds Ramblers on our webpage https://www.ramblers.org.uk/go-walking/ramblersgroups/north-bedfordshire-group or our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/northbedsramblers/
Come and see what you are missing!
42 To advertise in Village Bystander please call Julie on 07928 778457
Horse
Regency Funeral Directors Your Local, Independent, Family Run Funeral Directors Tel: 01480 759408 Email: regencyfuneraldirectors@outlook.com www.regencyfuneraldirectors.co.uk Family run business providing a personal and caring service Chapel of rest Available 24 hours Grave stone and other memorial options
and catering available Advice on funeral packages, bespoke services and pre-paid funerals
Jaguar hearse and limousine fleet plus all other motorised options
Flowers
Beautiful
drawn services 36 Cromwell House, High Street, Kimbolton, Huntingdon, PE28 0HA Contact Us
Following on from last month’s post all about reviews, you may well ask what the point of them is. Well, reviews are not written just to tell an author how fabulous, or otherwise, their book is. More importantly they help readers decide whether to read that book, or not. Also, on sites like Amazon that are run by algorithms, reviews mean visibility, and in a world where thousands of books get published every week (yes, really, and I’m not even including those produced by AI) visibility is vital.
Generally, I manage to read three books a month. One from the book group in my village that I belong to, one from an online review team I am a member of, and one from my own TBR (To Be Read) list. That one is usually chosen from the vast number that inhabit my Kindle.
What I don’t do is accept review requests as I don’t see myself as a book reviewer. I am simply someone who reviews the books they choose to read. I should probably put something up on my website to that effect but I’ve never got round to it and with my to-do list as it is, it keeps slipping off my radar.
I also won’t review books I’ve had input into unless it was just a basic formatting job. And lastly, and this is a rule made since I started writing here, I won’t review anything on this page from a local author (from Cambs, Beds or Northants). That doesn’t mean I won’t post a review of it somewhere else, should I choose to read that book, but can you imagine how inundated I would be if I did review the books of local authors? And occasionally what an awkward situation I might find myself in!
Other rules; hmm, well I won’t give a book only 1 or 2 stars. If I think that little of a book nowadays, I no longer plough on until the end in the hope of some redemption. My life is too short for that nonsense so it would become a DNF (Did Not Finish) and I do not review books I don’t finish.
And what do I write in a review? As I said before, I see myself as a reader rather than any sort of proper reviewer so I tend to write something of how the book made me feel. But more on that next month.
Georgia Rose is my pen name and the name I use for everything connected to my writing. You can find me at georgia@georgiarosebooks.com or www.georgiarosebooks.com.
44 To advertise in Village Bystander please call Julie on 07928 778457
45 Please mention Village Bystander when responding to adverts SELF STORAGE Great Staughton Long or Short Term Sealed Containers (8’ x 20’) 07753 638948
46 To advertise in Village Bystander please call Julie on 07928 778457 Three Shires Networking Areyousomeonewho ownsabusinessorworks foralocalbusiness? Come and join our monthly ‘more than just networking’ meetings Tilbrook Village Hall 11am -12.30pm - £10 First Wednesday of every month Please call or email to book your place John: 07702 597670 johnhitchin@btinternet.com
FRESH LOCAL VEGETABLE BOXES
• DAILY FARM FRESH VEG
• VEG BOXES
• FREE RANGE EGGS
• 25KG POTATOES
• CALOR GAS
• COALS, LOGS, KINDLING
• HOUSEHOLD ESSENTIALS
• NEWSPAPERS
• FARM REARED MEAT
• SEASONAL OFFERS
• POTTING COMPOST
Potting compost, topsoil, seed compost and bark
CUBIC METRE
HARDWOOD LOGS
Calor Gas Coal
TOP END VILLAGE
STORES
TOP END FARM
Little Staughton, Beds
Tel 01234 376426
Email topendfarm@btconnect.com
www.topendfarm.co.uk
“The Biggest and Best Stocked Local Village Store in the Area”
TOP QUALITY FRESH FARM REARED MEAT
BACON AND SAUSAGES
EASTER ROASTING JOINTS
FREE LOCAL DELIVERY ON LOGS COAL AND GAS
DELIVERIES AVAILABLE T&Cs APPLY
CLICK AND COLLECT AVAILABLE
Phone in advance, pay by card open 7 days a week call for details
National Lottery
Electric/Gas Top Ups
• OFF LICENSE
• CIGARETTES
• CUT FLOWERS
• PLANTS & SHRUBS
• POTTING COMPOST
• RAILWAY SLEEPERS
• HORSE & ANIMAL FEED & BEDDING
• GARDEN FURNITURE
• WOODEN PALLETS
VEG BOXES IN STORE PLENTY OF FRESH FRUIT AND VEG DELIVERED IN STORE DAILY
Collect Plus Fed Ex
Amazon pick up and returns hub
HORSE & PET FOOD SUPERSTORE TOP END VILLAGE STORES
TOP QUALITY HAY IN STOCK
Top End Farm, Lt Staughton, Beds
Tel/Fax: 01234 376426
EQUESTRIAN & ANIMAL SUPERSTORE
OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK
PHONE FOR DETAILS, ANY PRODUCT FAST FREE DELIVERY
Check out prices on our new website
HAY, STRAW, HAYLAGE
ALL MAJOR BRAND HORSE FEED
SHAVING + BEDMAX SUPPLEMENTS
HORSE CARROTS
STABLE MATTING
FIELD MATS
POST + RAIL
ELECTRIC FENCING RODENT BAIT
GRASS SEED + FERTILISER
BULK BAGS OF WILD BIRD FEED
POULTRY FOOD
DOG FOOD CAT
SMALL ANIMAL FEED & BEDDING
WILD BIRD FOOD
SUNFLOWER HEARTS, BLACK SUNFLOWERS
ROBINS MIX PEANUTS
LAYER’S PELLETS & SMALLHOLDER FEED
DOG CHEWS & TREATS
SHEEP FOOD + LAMBS MILK
FANTASTIC RANGE OF PRODUCTS AT GREAT PRICES
“ANY PRODUCT ORDERED IN FOR YOU”
47 Please mention Village Bystander when responding to adverts
DHL DPD
48 To advertise in Village Bystander please call Julie on 07928 778457 AIRCON TOM 07402 745802 TB Aircon and Electrical Qualified Electrician F-GAS Registered
Spaldwick Electrical
Local Electrician
Jason Pope
For all your Electrical Needs
No Job too Big or Small Domestic or Commercial
Fuse Board Upgrades
Rewires, New Sockets
Oven and Hob Installs or Repairs
Outside Sockets or Garden Lighting Extensions or Refurbishments
New Kitchen Electrics
EV Chargers
Internal Lights
Heating Electrical Faults or new install
Professional, Quality and Reliable Service
All Work Guaranteed
Fully Insured, Experienced and Qualified
Highly Recommended Locally
Contact Jason Now to arrange a Free Quotation office@spaldwickelectrical.co.uk
www.spaldwickelectrical.co.uk
www.facebook.com/SpaldwickElectrical
01480 400607
49 Please mention Village Bystander when responding to adverts
Old Kimboltonians’ Freemasons Lodge
Meeting at Kimbolton Castle
2024 Meeting dates
Friday 15 March
Friday 17 May
Friday 27 September
Friday 13 December
Meetings start at 6.00p.m
All Freemasons welcome as well as enquiries from Alumni plus current and former staff
Contact Martin Wilson Lodge Secretary
Email martinjwilson55@gmail.com
Saints Brickwork is dedicated to working with local customers and businesses.
We are currently expanding our portfolio in domestic enquiries and have a dedicated team working with local projects in the area. Our team of experienced tradesmen have a wealth of knowledge to make clients’ aspirations happen. Whether your enquiry is for a new extension, new garden wall, patio for summer or minor brick repair work every enquiry is approached in a professional manner, your budget requirements discussed, and we work with you offering advice and guidance throughout the whole process. No job too small and quality is key.
Contact us on 01480 479355 and we will arrange a prompt meeting, conduct an audit, and supply you with a no obligation quotation.
Email: info@saintsbrickworkltd.co.uk
Call: 01480 479355
Website: www.saintsltd.co.uk
Thanks to the Village Bystander magazine we have already had many local enquiries helping residents in the community.
50 To advertise in Village Bystander please call Julie on 07928 778457
LOCAL BRICKWORK COMPANY EST. 2013 NEW BUILDS AND EXTENSIONS - GARDEN AND BOUNDARY WALLS REPOINTING WORKS - BRICK REPAIRS - BRICK FEATURE WORK SAINTS WORK ACROSS CAMBRIDGESHIRE, BEDFORDSHIRE, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE AND NORTHAMPTONSHIRE CONTACT US TO ARRANGE A HOME VISIT / QUOTATION 01480 479355 / 07533 993766 OR EMAIL INFO@SAINTSBRICKWORKLTD.CO.UK FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK 'SAINTS BRICKWORK LTD' VISIT OUR WEBSITE WWW.SAINTSLTD.CO.UK
Holiday club for children
A wonderful charity run setting based in the beautiful village of Spaldwick and led by the fantastic team at Playtimes in Spaldwick, our holiday club is available for all children from the ages 2–11 years old (children don’t have to attend school/pre-school in Spaldwick).
Children have access to all our indoor and outdoor facilities during the holiday club and can play outside wherever possible. We also run a morning and an afternoon creative activity. We adapt and tailor activities to the season as well as run parties at some of the holiday clubs.
Activities can include:
�� Baking and decorating cakes, biscuits, shortbread, hot cross buns
�� Arty crafts, e.g. making seasonal decorations, painting mugs, leaf art, pom pom animals, bird feeders, making cards
�� Nature walks, trips to the park
Planting flowers
Bug hunts
Slime!
Please note that activities are always child-led and children will not be forced to do an activity if they do not wish to take part. There may also be changes to the activities due to the weather and depending on the numbers and ages of attendees.
£5 per hour (min 3 hours bookable) / £35 for the day (9am–5pm). This includes a morning and an afternoon snack.
A packed lunch and hot tea (served at 4.30pm) can be provided at £1.75 each. We also ask for children to be provided with suitable clothing depending on the weather and season.
Please email playtimesoffice@gmail.com or call 01480 890077 to book a place.
The dates for the remainder of the 2023/24 term are as follows:
• 19–23 February
• 2–15 April
• 28–31 May
• 19 July–2 August
• 19 August–3 September
(Excluding bank holidays)
Village Bystander please call Julie on 07928 778457 Social media management Content creation and optimisation Design services Event management w w w . s o c i a l b e a n s . c o . u k 07808 020554 AFFORDABLE MARKETING SERVICES Contact me for more information NEED AN ADVERT CREATING? Fast design services Ability to work from a brief or from scratch No extra charges for amends* ADVERT DESIGN PRICES FROM JUST £35 Contact me * C o m p l e t e r e d e s i g n s m a y i n c u r a n e x t r a c o s t
��
��
��
�� �� �� �� ���� ��
Playtimes Flyer 4.indd 1 12/02/2024
11:32
DESIGN SUPPLIED MANAGED INSTALLED
Providing an end to end service for your kitchen, bedroom or office transformation
Kitchen Culture (Cambridgeshire) Ltd, Pertenhall Road, Great Staughton, Cambridgeshire PE19 5BE info@kitchenculturecambridgeshire.co.uk
www.kitchenculturecambridgeshire.co.uk 01480 861822
Qualified dog groomers
New clients receive 10% off first treatment
Based in Little Staughton
We welcome any breed of dog big or small, young to elderly, nervous to happy
All treatments are one to one basis
Set in a stress free environment
We can deal with any needs that your dog may require We can provide a local pick up and drop back service
We offer:
Puppy Introductions
Bath & Dry
Full Grooms
Nail clipping
Hand stripping
And much more
Ring Katie on 07774519694 or Sally on 07768194367
53 Please mention Village Bystander when responding to adverts
Get the call - become an on-call firefighter
Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service is looking to recruit more on-call firefighters to help serve local communities across the county.
CFRS is looking for men and women from all backgrounds to become on-call firefighters and provide emergency cover from either their home or their workplace.
On-call firefighters are a vital part of our Service and community. They respond to a wide range of incidents, from fighting fires, attending road traffic collisions, animal rescues to supporting other emergency services. In addition to responding to emergency incidents, our on-call firefighters support their communities by providing information and advice on a range of community safety topics.
They receive an annual wage to reflect the time they commit to being available plus additional payments for attending incidents and drill nights (one evening a week for two hours).
It’s a hugely rewarding role, and we hope to encourage members of the community from all backgrounds to get in touch and find out more about becoming an on-call firefighter.
Visit www.cambsfire.gov.uk/oncall for more information.
How what3words can help 999 #KnowExactlyWhere
what3words has helped to locate nearly 4,000 incidents since it first started being used by emergency services. It has given every 3m square in the world a unique identifier made of 3 words - making the location of any emergency very easy todescribe and share. For example ///tortoises.swarm.announce will take you to a precise location on Ben Nevis where, in February 2020, a group of hikers were rescued.
To locate, search or navigate to a what3words address, all you need is the free app. Make sure you have it downloaded on your device and know how to use it, to help save time, resource and lives.
Test your smoke alarm!
Did you know that you should test your smoke alarms at least once a month? Or that you should have smoke alarms on every floor of your home? Or that Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service do free home visits to make sure your home is fire safe?
Visit this website for helpful tips and advice: https://firekills.campaign.gov.uk/
It only takes one accident to start a fire. Fire kills. Let’s prevent it.
54 To advertise in Village Bystander please call Julie on 07928 778457
55 Please mention Village Bystander when responding to adverts COINS BOUGHT Grafham Coins Contact Mike grafhamcoins@hotmail.co.uk 01480 811227 07816 850455 A Deep Down DRY Clean For your Carpets & Rugs Immediate use as soon as cleaned! Substantial benefit to asthma sufferers! No colour run and No shrinkage! Upholstery Also Cleaned Stop Press!! leather upholstery now Cleaned Call Bryan on: 01790 763040 Or: 07766 576381 Andrew Blair Professional Carpet And Upholstery Cleaning Phone or Whatsapp 07867499792 Email: arblair64@yahoo.co.uk https://andrewblairprofessional carpetandupholsterycleaning.com
HAIL WESTON WILDLIFE AND GARDENING GROUP
Tuesday March 5th 7:30pm
Hail Weston Village hall
Robyn Staddon from Little Paxton Nature Reserve
An informative talk on bees at Paxton Pits
Cost £1 for members and £3 for non-members. (Yearly membership £7)
Tea/Coffee/glass of wine/biscuits will be available at the meeting for a voluntary donation.
56 To advertise in Village Bystander please call Julie on 07928 778457 Bystander
M a n d e v i l l e H a l l T u e s d a y 2 nd J a n u a r y 2 0 2 4 T u e s d a y 6 th F e b r u a r y 2 0 2 4 T u e s d a y 5 th M a r c h 2 0 2 4 7 . 3 0 p m f o r 8 . 0 0 p m S t a r t B r i n g a f r i e n d a n d c o m e a l o n g a n d j o i n i n t h e f u n All proceeds to the Mandeville Hall Charity Registered Charity No 302646 • G e n e r o u s c a s h p r i z e s • R a f f l e • R e f r e s h m e n t s A v a i l a b l e
Community
After a break of several years, the Kimbolton Ranger Unit has been up and running again since 2019. Rangers is Girlguiding’s offering for girls aged between 14 to 18 and provides an open and relaxed space for girls to make new friends, relax and have fun while exploring opportunities to gain awards, badges and qualifications, and at the same time having the freedom to be independent.
The Kimbolton Ranger Unit is a busy one, with each girl choosing and creating her own programme. In the past year, the girls have planned and taken part in cinema and bowling activities, as well as a London-based Girlguiding themed treasure hunt originating at our Headquarters in Buckingham Palace Road. Just before Christmas we danced the evening away at the county Girlguiding Silent Disco in the stunning surroundings of Peterborough Cathedral. As well as planning fun outings, the girls are availing themselves of the many activities afforded them by the Girlguiding programme. We were very proud of one of our recent leavers, Holly, who achieved our very first Ranger Gold Award.
Rangers is also about encouraging girls to giving back to our community, both locally and further afield. This term we participated in the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch, an important national survey which monitors the country’s bird population. Izzy F, one of our current Rangers, has been taking part in Girlguiding’s Peer Educator programme. She has received training on how to deliver sessions to her peers on important issues which affect young people today such as self esteem, safety and gender stereotypes. Izzy has delivered her sessions to Guide and Brownie units, both in Kimbolton and further afield.
This year, Izzy B, another of our recent leavers and a Young Leader in the unit, has been selected from applicants nationwide to take part in Girlguiding’s GOLD (Guiding Overseas Linked with Development) programme. This summer Izzy will be heading to Madagascar as part of a team which will be delivering leadership skills training to local Girlguiding leaders. This training will help local leaders deliver Guiding, which will help empower girls and young women to tackle wider issues in their communities such as sanitation, environmental action, and access to education.
Izzy is currently fundraising for this project and will be attempting the National 3 Peaks Challenge in June of this year. If you would like to find out more about the GOLD project or support Izzy’s fundraising efforts, visit: https://www.justgiving.com/page/izzy-brown-gold-2024
Rangers meet every Tuesday evening between 7 and 8.30pm. We are a friendly bunch and we welcome all girls aged 14 - 18. If you would like more information, please contact us at kymvalleyrangers@outlook.com or visit the website https://www.girlguiding.org.uk/what-we-do/rangers/
57 Please mention Village Bystander when responding to adverts
St Andrew’s church, Kimbolton
This year’s performance of Stainer’s The Crucifixion will take place on Good Friday, 29th March 2024 at 6.30pm.
There will be a rehearsal for the choir at 4.30pm in the church. Singers who would like to take part in this performance should contact the organist, Robert Tucker on email: robertewtucker100@gmail.com or ring 0774 774 8026 to book a place.
As there is limited room in the choir area, it is essential to reserve a place. I look forward to welcoming singers familiar with this work who have sung with us in the past as well as newcomers.
Miss Franks Jumble Sale
Saturday 6th April
Manderville Hall, Kimbolton
Doors open at 2:00 pm until 4 :00pm
Stalls, bric a brac ,clothing nearly new, Books ,toys.
Refreshments available.
Entrance fee only £1.
IN CONCERT AT KEYSOE VILLAGE HALL
PAUL McCLURE
The Rutland Troubadour
SATURDAY 23rd MARCH
Doors open 7.00pm
Tickets £20 per head
Including Pie & Mash
Fully Licensed Bar
Tickets contact 01234 376577 or bookings@keysoevillagehall.co.uk
KEYSOE VILLAGE HALL BIG BREAKFAST
Saturdays
9th December 20th January 17th February & 16th March 9.00am until last orders 11.00am
Full English £7.00
Small English £4.50
Breakfast Bap £3.50
No need to Book just turn up and enjoy
58 To advertise in Village Bystander please call Julie on 07928 778457
Services across the Benefice for March.
All 10.30am services can be accessed via Zoom: ID 418 4055 563 Passcode: 022067
Morning & Evening Prayer are held on Zoom at 8.30am & 5.30pm respectively on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday.
Join us at St. Andrew’s church on Good Friday for an informal family walk and Easter Egg Hunt from 10.00am - 12.00pm.
Refreshments in church after the walk.
ALL SAINTS, LITTLE STAUGHTON
Sun 3rd 9.00am Parish Communion
Sun 17th 9.00am Parish Communion
Wed 27th 7.00pm Compline
Sat 30th 11.30pm Easter Vigil with Communion
ST. ANDREW’S, GREAT STAUGHTON
Sun 3rd 8.00am BCP Holy Communion
10.30am All Age Worship
Sun 10th 10.30am Parish Communion with Ingrams Choir, Kimbolton School
Sun 17th 10.30am Parish Communion
Sun 24th 10.30am Palm Sunday Parish Communion
Tue 26th 7.00pm Compline
Fri 29th 2.00pm Good Friday Hour at the Cross
Sun 31st 10.30am Easter Day All Age Benefice Communion
ST. NICOLAS, HAIL WESTON
Sun 3rd 10.30am Morning Praise
Wed 6th 10.00am Morning Prayer
Sun 10th 9.00am Parish Communion
Sun 17th 3.00pm Creative Communion
Sun 24th 9.00am Palm Sunday Parish Communion
Mon 25th 7.00pm Compline
Thu 28th 7.00pm Maundy Thursday Communion
Sun 31st 9.00am Easter Praise
59 Please mention Village Bystander when responding to adverts
information visit www.swhw.co.uk
For more
Friday 19th April @ 7:15pm for 7:30pm start
Tickets available from:
Online: https://swhw.co.uk/st-andrews/hmv-concert/
John Hitchin: Tel: 07702 597670 email: johnhitchin@btinternet.com
Glenn Coiley: Tel: 07854 673771
Bryan Kitchen: Tel: 07804 753087
Funds raised to support the opera/on of St Andrew’s church and the Hun/ngdon Male Voice Choir
St Andrew’s church, Great Staughton PE19 5BB
60 To advertise in Village Bystander please call Julie on 07928 778457 S t A n d r e w ’ s G r e a t S t a u g h t o n p r e s e n t s A n e v e n i n g w i t h H u n t i n g d o n M a l e V o i c e C h o i r
light refreshments)
Tickets £15.00 each (includes a glass of wine and
61 Please mention Village Bystander when responding to adverts Rev. Nicki Bland St. Andrews Vicarage Causeway Great Staughton Huntingdon, Cambs PE19 5BF Phone: 01480 869485 E-mail: revlesnicki@gmail.com C HURC H SUMMER
A MP 202 4
23rd to Thursday
2024
you are a child aged 6 and above join us at the Grafham Water Activity Centre in Perry. From 9.30am to 4.30pm each day. website for on -line booking and payment www.swhw.co.uk
date for entries 26th April PLEASE NOTE. This camp is only open to families in the Staughtons, Perry, Hail Weston or who have a connection to one of our churches, St. Andrew’s,Gt Staughton, St Nicolas Hail Weston or All Saints Little Staughton.
C
Tuesday
25th July
If
Closing
Canine Corner - Food Guarding
‘How to teach your dog to guard his food……..’ Yes you read that correctly, I am going to tell you how to teach your dog to guard his food. All you need to do is this- at every meal time, fill up his bowl and give it to him. Wait until he starts eating and take the bowl away again. Alternatively, you could get him a really nice chew, maybe a pigs ear. Give it to him and when he starts to chew, take it away from him and give it back a few times. Many of you will be reading this is horror, but I have lost count of the number of food guarding dogs I have worked with whose owners have told me “We heard you should be able to take their food away from them so we’ve done this since he was a puppy”. This is a common misconception. In fact the fastest way to teach your dog to guard his food is to keep taking it away from him. Of course, there are some dogs out there that are not particularly motivated by food and may not be affected by having their bowl taken away, but for many dogs this is highly likely to make them more defensive around food. Sometimes owners will hear their dog growl and decide that they should take their food away more often to ‘cure’ the problem, when in fact this makes the problem worse. If someone tried to steal your dinner from your plate at every meal, I’m pretty sure it would make you a bit defensive.
So, how do you teach your dog not to guard his food? The simple answer is to leave him alone when he is eating. Feed him in a quiet area and leave him to finish his meal in peace. If you have a puppy and you want to prevent food guarding from the start, occasionally walk past when he is eating and quietly drop some tasty treats in and around his bowl, then walk away. This will teach him to associate people walking towards his bowl with the appearance of yummy things, rather than having something taken away.
It is important to note that it is natural for dogs to be more possessive of food that is of higher value to them. A dog is far more likely to guard a pig’s ear than a boring bowl of kibble. So leave your dog alone when he is chomping on his favourite chew and if you have children, make sure they know not to bother your dog when he is eating.
Occasionally, some dogs will develop more serious food guarding behaviour- even if their owners have never taken their food away. There is some evidence that the tendency to guard food may be inherited. In this case it is even more important to manage the environment in which your dog eats- busy kitchens aren’t an ideal place to feed your food guarder. Feed them in a quiet room behind a closed door and make sure all family members (especially children) know not to enter when the dog is having his meal. If food guarding is becoming a problem in your household, please contact an ABTC registered behaviourist for help and advice.
Laura Travis BSc (Hons) PG Dip CABC - Clinical Animal Behaviourist
62 To advertise in Village Bystander please call Julie on 07928 778457
Howard Galley Appliance & Satellite Engineer
I am an appliance and satellite engineer now based in Raunds, Northamptonshire having moved down from South West Scotland to be with my partner.
Washing machines
Tumble dryers
Vacuum cleaners
Electrical ovens (NOT gas)
Dishwashers
INSTALLATION OF THE FOLLOWING Individual
Satellites
My business started originally in Newcastle Upon Tyne in 2006 where I mainly worked for Age Concern and Anchor Housing repairing appliances and carrying out Electrical Safety Testing and risk assessments (PAT testing) across the North East of England. I was on the Newcastle and Northumberland Trade Register in recognition of the quality of my workmanship and was also the preferred supplier for a number of hotels and businesses in the area.
In 2008 I moved to South West Scotland where my business grew at a rapid rate over 14 years, repairing washing machines, tumble dryers and other household appliances as well erecting satellites and installing TV systems to both people’s homes and on holiday parks.
I like to look after small businesses in carrying out risk assessments and issuing guidance on electrical safety and can perform a full formal inspection electrical safety test if required.
I have over 100 perfect reviews on my Facebook page, Yell, Google and my webpage and will always do my best to look after you.
63 Please mention Village Bystander when responding to adverts
OUT TO ALL MAKES
REPAIRS CARRIED
OF THE FOLLOWING
room
television
Multi-room TV installations
Electrical Safety Testing (formally known as PAT testing) Electrical Safety Risk Assessment for your business PROFESSIONAL SERVICES OFFERED Mobile 07894 433084 howardgalley@outlook.com www.howardgalley.wordpress.com
Baby and Toddler Activities
Grafham Little Fishes, Stay and Play Session for 0 to 4year olds
All welcome on Wednesdays 10.00 to 11.20, term time only, in Grafham Village Hall. Just turn up for free play time, followed by a short bible story, action songs and simple craft. For more details, contact Jane Rowley 01480 890986 littlefishes@eastleightonstone.com
Family Fun Friday St Andrew's Church, Great Staughton, 9.00am - 10.30am term time only. Tea, coffee, playtime, story time, singing. Contact Sylvia - 01480 812022 for more details.
St Neots Toy Library - Mon to Thurs 8.45am - 4.30pm, Fridays 8.45am-1.00pm. At The Butterfly Children’s Centre, next to Winhills School and The Eatons Children’s Centre next to Bushmead School. Telephone Lyanne 01480 358350/Jaci 01480 358340.
Rhyme time - rhymes and stories for babies and toddlers aged 0 - 2 years. St Neots library. 2 sessions 10am & 11.15am
term time only on alternate Fridays
Baby Gym classes
Promoting tummy time, sensory stimulation and adult two baby bonding bonding., Classes operate term time only, Friday mornings : 10.30am - 11.15am, Open sessions, no booking required., £5 per session, pay as you go (Cash only)., Operates at Huntingdon Gymnastic Club, Mayfield Road, Huntingdon, PE29 1UL, Run by Beccy Chapman Bsc WAHpc, Like Us on Facebook to keep updated, search: ‘baby gym 8-weeks to walking’
Riseley All Saints Church Junior Jivers - music and movement session followed by stay and play every Thursday at 930am term time only - Contact: Samantha Toseland Tel: 07880 700894
Young People’s and Children’s Organisations
Guides, Brownies and Rainbows
Kimbolton Guides, Brownies & Rainbows Esther Crook on 07713 165935 esthercrook1@gmail.com
Gt Staughton Guides Lindy Bornman, email fgsguides@gmail.com
Upper Dean Brownies & Rainbows, Karen Jones: email: div.nbeds@bedsguiding.org.uk
Little Staughton Guides, Little Staughton Brownies
Scouts, Cubs, Beavers
1st Kimbolton Scout Group, Contact: Jenny Hassell - 07541 196834
1st Brington Scout Group, Contact: Tim Collins - 07881 821649
Dance/Performing Arts
Linda Allen School of Dance – Ballet, tap and modern jazz from 3+ years - Spaldwick and Kimbolton
Ladies ballet and tap in Kimbolton, 01480 861332, lindaallendance@btinternet.com www.lindaallendance.com
Stageworks Studios, St Neots. Dance, drama and singing classes for ages 3+. 01480 223331
Motion Dance Academy, Hinchinginbrooke Shcool, Huntingdon - 07887 932294, Miss Mollie www.motiondanceacademy.co.uk missmollie@motiondanceacademy.co.uk
01480 219518
07802 826798 www.innfarmdaynursery.co.uk
Keysoe Playgroup – Keysoe Village Hall, MK44 2JE, Thursdays 9.30-11.30, £2 per family, healthy snacks, hot drinks, biscuits and craft activity included. Lovely friendly group with lots of toys for your little ones. Come and join us. Term time only. Kymbrook
01234 376100 www.kymbrookpreschool.co.uk
01480 890077 www.playtimesplaygroup.co.uk
01234 378880 www.puddleducksnurserypre
01480 860743
64 To advertise in Village Bystander please call Julie on 07928 778457
Nurseries, Playgroups, Pre-Schools & Kids Clubs Crosshall Nursery School
Crosshall Kids Club
Inn Farm Priv. Day Nursery
01480 475980
Pre-School,
Road,
Playtimes Pre-School & Out of School Club,
Puddeducks Nursery & Pre-school, Colmworth
Puddleducks Pre-School, Kimbolton
Kimbolton
Keysoe
Spaldwick
school.co.uk
Primary
Brington
Great Staughton Primary Academy 01480 860324 www.greatstaughton.cambs. sch.uk
Kimbolton Primary Academy, Newtown, Kimbolton 01480 860743 www.kimboltonprimary academy.cambs.sch.uk
Kymbrook Primary School, Kimbolton Road, Keysoe. 01234 376266 www.kymbrookprimary.uk
Spaldwick Primary School 01480 890371 www.spaldwickschool.org.uk
Ernulf Academy, Barford Road, St Neots, Cambs. 01480 374748 www.astreaernulf.org
Hinchingbrooke School, Huntingdon, PE29 3BN, 01480 375700 www.hinchingbrookeschool.net
Kimbolton School, Kimbolton 01480 860505 www.kimbolton.cambs.sch.uk
Longsands Academy, St Neots, Cambs. PE19 1LQ 01480 353535 www.astrea-longsands.org
USEFUL
65 Please mention Village Bystander when responding to adverts
Rascals, Riseley Village Hall (Term Time Only) 07986
11am Tuesday
St. Leonards Day Care, Brington 01832
Riseley
313037 9:30-
morning
710020
Secondary
&
Schools
C of E
01832
Primary School
710383
Crosshall Infant School Academy Trust, St Neots 01480 475980 www.crosshallinfant.co.uk
Crosshall Junior School Academy Trust, St Neots 01480 475972 www.crosshalljunior.co.uk
Eileen Wade Primary School, Upper Dean 01234 708260 www.ewmeschools.org.uk/ eileen-wade/
Riseley Primary School 01234 708218 www.riseleyschool.co.uk
&
at Kimbolton 01480
Doctors at Gt. Staughton 01480
Doctors at Sharnbrook 01234 781392 NHS Direct 111 NHS Cambridgeshire 01223 884 008 Patient Advice & Liason Service 01733 673 405 (PALS) Cambs & Peterborough Patient Advice & Liason Service 01234 795814 (PALS) Bedfordshire Hospitals Addenbrookes, Cambridge 01223 245151 Bedford 01234 355122 Hinchingbrooke, Huntingdon 01480 416416 Cambridgshire Fire and Rescue 01480 444500 Non Emergency Police Line 101 Councillors Cllr Ian Gardener - CCC Alconbury & Kimbolton Division ian.gardener@cambridgeshire.gov.uk Cllr Jonathan Gray - HDC Kimbolton ward jonathan.gray@huntingdonshiredc.org.uk Cllr Stephen Cawley - HDC Ellington Ward stephen.cawley@huntingdonshiredc.org.uk AA Emergency Breakdown 0800 887766 Alcoholics Anonymous 0800 9177650 Carers Direct 0808 802 0202 Childline 0800 1111 Citizens Advice 03444 111 444 Electricity Emergency 105 Floodline 0345 988 1188 Gas Emergency 0800 111 999 National Debt Line 0808 808 4000 National Rail Enquiries 0333 202 2222 NSPCC 0800 800 500 Parentline 0800 800 2222 RAC Emergency Breakdown 0800 828282 RSPCA 0300 1234 999 Samaritans 116 123 UK Missing Persons Unit 0800 234 6034 Victim Support 0808 168 9111
EMERGENCY NUMBERS Doctors
860205
860770
Clubs, Groups and Organisations
Great Staughton Village Hub
Details on the Great Staughton and Perry Facebook page
Kimbolton Senior Citizens lunch club (Thurs, 12noon) Mandeville Hall, Buckley/Hellett 01480 861540/860735
Catworth Women’s Group
Catworth Quilters Group
Ellington Neighbourhood Watch
Gt Staughton Horticultural Society
Grafham & Ellington Art Group
Whist Drives, Ellington
Gt Staughton Playing Field & Pavilion
Neighbourhood Watch Gt Staughton
Kimbolton Flower Club
Kimbolton Local History Society
Save the Children Fund
Hargrave Investment Club
Kimbolton Parish Council
Bell Ringing (Kimbolton Church)
Kimbolton Fire Station - recruitment
Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service
Little Staughton Parish Clerk
Pertenhall & Swineshead Parish Clark
Bolnhurst & Keysoe Parish Council Clerk
Stow Longa Village Community - social events
Churchwarden, All Saints’ Church
Tilbrook Village Newsletter
Barbara Cawdell 01832 710404
Pam Wardle 01832 710324
Rick Wilcox 01480 890902
Mike Keeble 01480 860855
Jackie Woods, 01480 890279
Steve Sherratt , 01480 891418
Bob Jewell 01480 861259
Frank Backhouse, 01480 861167
Carol Grundy 01832 710339
Nora Butler 01480 861007
Nora Butler 01480 861007
Rick 07905 211919 or Sue 07818 050034
Lionel Thatcher 01480 861877
Mary Foster 01480 861594
01480 444500
Mary Jordan 01234 376383 email lspcclerk1@gmail.com.
Diane Robins, 07786 656088
clerk@pertenhallandswineshead-pc.gov.uk
Samantha Langley 07977 828153
Christine Hayes 01480 860519
Christine.Hayes@StowLonga.org.uk
Pauline Swinden 01480 509043
www.tilbrookvillage.life
Tilbrook Amenites Committee Chairman, Stephen Birch, chairman tilbrookvillagelife@gmail.com
Tilbrook Parish Council Clerk
Kimbolton WI
Ellington WI
Gt Staughton WI
Pertenhall WI
Lionel Thatcher, 01480860055
Anne Beszant 01480 860672
Jan Sherratt 01480 891418
Ruth Easom, rutheasom@gmail.com
Alison Gladstone 01933 563064
Perry WI perrywigroup@gmail.com
Kimbolton & district Royal British Legion
Kimbolton Castle Rotary Club
Ellington Village Club
The Villages Gardening Club
David Henrick 01480 896556
Chris Davies 01234 376542
Sue Rice (Chairperson) 01480 896139
Jan Roche 01832 710561 janetroche0@gmail.comKimbolton Hunts Phil Orchestra & Chorus info@huntsphil.org.uk, choir@huntsphil.org.uk orchestra@huntsphil.org.uk
North Beds Ramblers
Village Halls
Mandeville Hall, Kimbolton, bookings
Margaret Sawyer northbedswalks@gmail.com, www.ramblers.org.uk/go-walk ing/ramblers-groups/north-bedfordshire-group
Stan Rhodes, 07367 783886
Village Hall, Catworth, bookings www.catworthvillagehall.co.uk
Village Hall, Ellington
Village Hall, Gt Staughton, bookings
Village Hall, Hail Weston
Village Hall, Keysoe
Village Hall, Keyston, bookings
Village Hall, Little Staughton
Anita Dowdall 01480 891821
Vicki Goldsmith 01480 860005
Dawn Isaac 01480 477003
Janet Browning 01234 376577 bookings@keysoevillagehall.co.uk
Chrissy Faulkner, 07714 080837
Kevin and Maria Foskett, 01234 376260
Village Hall, Old Weston oldwestonvillagehall@gmail.com
Village Hall, Melchbourne Bookings Julia Koball, juliakoball@hotmail.co.uk 07941 245 639
66 To advertise in Village Bystander please call Julie on 07928 778457
Village Hall, Pertenhall, bookings
Paul Sheard paulsheard@aol.com 01480 861457
Village Hall, Tilbrook Erica Jago, 07903 987445, bookings.tilbrookvillage@gmail.com
www.tilbrookvillage.life
Village Hall, Yelden 07539 662544, yeldenvillagehall@gmail.com
Grafham Nature Reserve & Watch Group The Wildlife Trust 01480 811075
North Beds Young Farmers’ northbedsyfcmembership@gmail.com
FB: North Beds Young Farmers
Instagram: @northbedsyfc Twitter: @northbedsyfc
Grafham Water Sailing Club 01480 810478
Huntingdon Grafham Water Lions Club Lion Bernard Dable 01480 810704, 07969 207227
Wildlife Trust Brampton Wood
George Cottam Volunteer Warden, 01480 450809;
Wildlife Trust Huntingdonshire Local Group Pat Doody Chair, 01480 392706. Eve talks Brampton Memorial Centre 7.30pm, 2nd Wednesday Sept - March. Guided walks in the summer.
Grafham Wildlife & Conservation Group Sam Malt 01480810844 day/01480811654 eve
Village Sports
Badminton Club (Kimbolton)
Catworth Playing Field
Shirley Osborne 860198/Jill Strand 861508
Mary Matthews, 07717 246107
Cricket Club, Kimbolton Mark Field, 07769 159496
Cricket Club, Little Staughton
Carpet Bowls, Catworth
Carpet Bowls, Kimbolton
Carpet Bowls, Gt. Staughton
Adrian Thrasher 07834 602086
Marge Baker, 01832 710145
Angela Fox, 01480 861264
Anthony Withers, 01480 861224. Carpet Bowls, Spaldwick
Carpet Bowls, Ellington
Table Tennis Club - Melchbourne
Tennis Club, Kimbolton
Tennis Club, Gt Staughton
Grafham Tang Sou Dao Club
Great Staughton Golf Society
Little Staughton keep fit
MVH Pilates - Melchbourne
MVH Tai Chi - Melchbourne
PE28 Kickboxing, Grafham Village Hall
Pilates - Riseley
Andrew Vickers, 01480 891201
Beryl North, 01480 471146
Peter Wilkinson peteathillands@gmail.com, 07792 056 157
Roy Butler, 01480 861007
Nicole Yates, 01480 860616
Steven Treadaway 01480 812433, info@cambstangsoudao.co.uk
Derek Fitzgibbon, 01480 861234
Chris Clarke, 07739184942
Penny Hales penny@tightassets.co.uk
Rob Poyton simplyflow@outlook.com
Mark James, 01480 819478
Caroline Eames - 07535 296836
strengththroughmovement01@gmail.com
Yoga Classes, Little Staughton, Hail Weston, Linda Tongue 01480 350345, Brampton, Catworth & Godmanchester 07733343702, lindatongue@yahoo.co.uk
Mobile Library Service 0345 045 5225 for enquiries / renewals
2nd Wednesday of the Month (R. H10) - 13th March
Diddington : Manor Farm 9.30am to 9.50am
Southoe : The Church 10.05am to 10.25am
Spaldwick : High Street 10.45am to 11.05am
Stow Longa : The Green 11.15am to 11.45am
Catworth : Station Road Midday to 12.30pm
Covington : Cross Street 1.45pm to 2.15pm
Kimbolton : Stow Road (Newtown) 2.30pm to 3.45pm
Kimbolton : Castle Gardens 3.50pm to 4.30pm
4th Tuesday of the Month (R. H23) - 26th March
Bythorn : School Lane 10.00am to 10.20am
Molesworth : Phone Box 10.25am to 11.00am
Brington : Church Lane 11.10am to 11.35am
Old Weston : Village Hall 11.45am to 12.20pm
Leighton Bromswold : The Avenue 12.30pm to 1.00pm
4th Wednesday of the Month (R. H24) - 27th March
Ellington : Mermaid Pub 9.30 to 10.00am
Grafham : Breach Road 10.10am to 10.35am
Perry : Chichester Way 10.45am to 11.40am
Hail Weston : Orchard Close 12.00pm to 12.20pm
Great Staughton : The Causeway 1.30pm to 2.00pm
Kimbolton : Stow Road (Newtown) 2.15pm to 3.45pm
Kimbolton : Castle Gardens 3.50pm to 4.30pm
Cambridgeshire Libraries’ Doorstep Service is a free home library service delivered monthly by volunteers to readers with health or mobility difficulties. To find out more about becoming a local volunteer or service user: email volunteers@cambridgeshire.gov.uk www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/library
Disclaimer: Although every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of material in this publication, the publisher/editor can accept no responsibility for the veracity of claims made by contributors in either editorial or advertising content.
67 Please mention Village Bystander when responding to adverts
Listings of Businesses in Our Area
Architects/Planning/Drawings
PJP Architects, 07801 054648, p.69
Art, Framing, Artists, Crafts, Ceramics, Gallery, Hobbies
Engraved By Elle, www.engravedbyelle.co.uk, p.49
Grafham Coins, 01480 811227, p.55
La Cote D'or Antiques, 01480 861587, p.20
The Framery Ltd, 01480 860086, p.29
Boutiques
Blue Blancmange, 07970 666258, p.39
Building Services/Home Maintenance/Garage Doors
Cambridge Sunblinds, 01223 904107 p.69
Castle View Construction, 07563 608344, p.6-7
Donna the Tiler, 07712 431337, p.55
GAP Home Improvements, 07935 002610, p.13
Garolla Roller Shutter Doors, 01480 630081, p.41
Lilystone, 01933 461374 p.19
R&D Maskey, 01234 825015, p.20
Saints Brickwork Ltd, 01480 479355, p.51
Taylor Stilton, 01480 860047, p.45
The Home Handyman, 01480 861898, p.53
Business Networking
Three Shires Networking, 07788 558964, p.46
Computer/IT Services/Marketing/Proofreading
Arlo Creative, 07747 185291, p.39
iEdit, 01480 860519 p.39
Newport Bookkeeping Services, 07519 352933, p.41
Oxygen IT, 01480 390395, p.69
Silver Websites, 07340 234555, p.19
Social Beans, 07808 020554, p.52
Domestic Services
Andrew Blair, Carpet Cleaning, 07867 499792, p.55
Home ‘n’ Dry, Carpet Cleaning, 01487 840310, p.55
Howard Galley Satellite engineer, 07894 433084, p.63
Education/Tuition
Inn Farm Private Day Nursery, 07802 826798, p.15
One to One Tuition, 07803 504631, p.5
Playtimes Spaldwick, 01480 890077 p.52
Electrical Services
Aircon Tom, 07402 745802, p.48
DAC Services, 01234 709347, p.2
Selec Solar, 01480 400607, p.21
Spaldwick Electrical, 07446 965998, p.49
Estate Agents/Letting Agents/Property
Bletsoes, 01832 732188
Carr Estate Agents, 01832 778800, p.25
Peter Lane & Partners, 01480 860400, p.72
Top Hat Projects, 07814 709320, p.29
Financial Advisers & Financial Services
Beacon Wealth Management, 01480 869466, p.33
Funeral Directors
Crowsons, 01832 272269, p.39
Regency Funeral Directors, 01480 759408, p.43
Gardening/Landscaping/Design/Tree Care/Logs/Repairs
Eden Tree Specialists, 01234 960796, p.23
Manor Farm, 07849 528684, p.23
Roots & Newts, 01234 871896, p.3
Urban and Rural, 01480 476808
General Stores/Farm Shops/Shopping Events
Budgens, 01480 860582, p.36-37
Top End Stores, 01234 376426, p.47
Whitchurch Wines, jeff@whitchurchwines.co.uk p.12
Health/Treatments/Beauty/Wellbeing/Counselling/ Fitness
Henry Davies personal Trainer, 07747 466459, p.9
J Aesthetics & Beauty, 07717 410261, p.11
Jill Dighton, 07925 852985, p.9
Kimbolton Swimming Pool, 01480 862276, p.9
Love yourself Beautiful, 07565 459602, p.10
Rosie’s Salon, 07733 482359, p.9
The Ashgrove Clinic, 01933 469043 p.8
The Nest at 53, 07778 024564, p.10
Kitchens
Kitchen Culture, 01480 861822, p.53
Music, Theatre, Singing, Entertainment
Carol John, 01234 708029, p.45
Pets/Petcare Services /Equine/Training
Kimbolton Vets, www.kimboltonvets.co.uk, p.11
Penhazy Parlour, 07774 519694, p.53
Top End Stores (Animal Feed), 01234 376426, p.47
Plumbers & Heating Engineer
Anglia Oil Tanks, 01638 662955, p.27
DAC Services, 01234 709347, p.2
Hill Heating, 01480 890929, p.23
Hydroflow, 07917 176375, p.49
Pubs/Restaurants/Cafes/Catering
Phaf Kimbolton, 07300 296926, p.40
The Pheasant Keyston, 01832 710303 p.38
The Wheatsheaf Perry, 01480 810253, p.70-71
Solicitors/Legal/Probate Services
Hunt & Coombs Solicitors, 01480 702207, p.29
Storage
Jonathan, 07753 638948, p.45
Vehicle Services/Vehicle Care/Vehicle Sales/Transport
Robinsons Garage, 01480 860581, p.31
Wedding Services
Styled by Lulabelles,tasha@styledbylulabelles.co.uk, p.11
68 To advertise in Village Bystander please call Julie on 07928 778457
69 Please mention Village Bystander when responding to adverts ALL ORDERS OVER £350 £75 OFF � 01223 904107 www.cambridgesunblinds.co.uk • T&Cs apply
UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT
WEEKLY DEALS
PIE TUESDAY
Choice of 3 weekly changing homemade pies served with mash or chips, seasonal veg & gravy
+ pint of Fosters, medium glass of house wine or soft drink £16.95
LUNCH OFFER
Let’s do Lunch!
2 courses £14.95
3 courses £17.95
Mon - Friday 12 pm - 5 pm
FISH FRY DAY
Fish & chips
Traditional chip shop platter
Market boat fresh sh specials
Traditional sh & chips take-away £10.00
STEAK THURSDAY
Steak, fries, sides, sauce, salad
+ pint of Fosters, medium glass of house wine or soft drink
Ribeye £17.95 Fillet £18.95
The Wheatsheaf – West Perry, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, PE28 0BX
Email: hello@wheatsheaf-perry.co.uk - Phone: 01480 810253
70 To advertise in Village Bystander please call Julie on 07928 778457
WHAT’S ON AT THE WHEATSHEAF
NEW MENU LAUNCH
Friday 1st March
Pop in to try our brand new dishes, freshly prepared on-site from fresh, ethically sourced, British ingredients!
New kitchen hours
Food served - 12 pm - 9.30 pm - 7 days a week
Breakfast now served from 9 am - 12 pm on Saturday & Sunday
Mother’s Day
Sunday 10th March
2 course menu £23.50 – 3 course menu £28.50
Free gift for all Mums with pre-booked tables!
Saturday 30th March
Join us for our spectacular tribute nights!
Fantastic 3-course dinner included Dinner from 7 pm – Music starts at 8.30 pm – £35 per person
BOOK YOUR TABLE HERE!
71 Please mention Village Bystander when responding to adverts
OR VISIT:
www.wheatsheaf-perry.co.uk
Key Features:
• Outstanding, generously proportioned and recently remodelled and
village residence.
• Delightful gardens with heated pool and uninterrupted countryside views to southerly aspect.
• Around 2,600 square feet of wonderfully versatile living, entertaining and homeworking space.
• Triple-aspect sitting room with fireplace and wood burning stove.
• Study/home office with stone floor.
• Stunning, fully refitted 36 ft. kitchen/dining/family room with bi-folding doors onto the garden terrace.
• Four double bedrooms including principle with en suite, plus family bathroom.
• Welcoming reception hall with stone floor and guest cloakroom.
• Practical laundry/utility room.
• Double garage and additional parking.
• Air-source heat pump and solar panels providing exceptional EPC rating B.
• Excellent village location convenient for major road and rail links and within sought- after school catchments.
Tel 01480 860400 kimbolton@peterlane.co.uk Make That Move Tel 01480 860400 kimbolton@peterlane.co.uk Tel 01480 860400 kimbolton@peterlane.co.uk Call Now to Arrange a Viewing or your Free Tel 01480 860400 kimbolton@peterlane.co.uk Call Now to Arrange a Viewing or your Free Valuation Spaldwick PE28 0TE Guide Price £995,000
upgraded