Cottenham
Newsletter
ISSUE NUMBER 163
FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018
2ND COTTENHAM SCOUTS CAMP
Camping in November sounds like most people’s idea of a terrible weekend, but for others the autumn period brings some great opportunities for adventure. Leader’s perspective – Phil Shore We decided to camp for one night at Two Mile Bottom Scout Camp sited within Thetford Forest just 45 minutes away, with a programme of tower climbing and abseiling, off-road cycling, and a night hike. The format was a family camp so parents could join their child. Half of our troop signed up, 16 children 10 to 14 years old, plus five leaders and four dads. Camps are an important part of the Scouting programme as it is where the children have to put into practice some of their core skills – independence, personal and team working. On Saturday morning the weather was a crisp 8° celsius, and sunny. The kids started the camp by pitching their eight-man tents. They can only go up with teamwork, and the 13-14 year olds did this without help. In the afternoon the group split in half with the older children cycling and the younger climbing. My head is spinning just looking at the 10 metres high tower, so I’m glad to leave the safety to the cool-headed and thorough Julian Brown while we cycle off into the forest. Seven of the children have never ridden a challenging off-road route that requires a mountain bike, so we head through the forest to join the Beater Trail. To the first timer, it’s very easy to get disoriented in the forest so I’m concerned that a crash, mechanical issue, or Issue Number 163 • page 2
exhaustion would split the group. Within two miles a chain snapped. It was an adult, so rather than attempt a repair, I nervously handed over my spare GPS and pointed them in the direction of camp and crossed my fingers they’d make it before sundown. The Beater Trail delivered some spectacular autumn colours, and the kids loved the high banked corners and pump track. Seventeen miles and the kids looked whacked. Chain-snap Al had made it back too. Dusk was falling as we returned to camp and the temperature began falling. A team on the cooking, and another chopping wood. I sent out multiple reminders about shoes and other kit being left to get damp ignored; they’ll learn the hard way. Next up, Julian had planned a two-hour night hike. Navigation was a real challenge in the dark. Highlights included, the eyes under the trees reflecting in our torch light, star gazing, and setting up an ambush on the other hikers. Back at camp a roaring fire was all the entertainment the screen generation needed. ‘Experience x 20’: a scout’s perspective As I crept nervously to the tower, I felt really excited and a big fear was coursing through my veins. This was really troubling me, I have the biggest fear of heights anyone could have and now I wanted to climb a 20 foot or so tower! If my anxiousness got the better of me, tomorrow I could be afraid of even looking at the wall. Now you are probably continued on page 3
Dates: February 4th Cottenham Community Centre Cinema night, 7:30pm 9th Cottenham Village Society talk: Roger Crabtree The Pye Story, All Saints’ Church Hall, High Street, Cottenham at 7:45pm. 23rd Cottenham Gardeners’ Club, Franklin Gardens, 7:45pm 27th ‘Diabetes Demystified – Are you at risk?’ Information event, Histon Baptist Church, 7:00pm March 15th 17th 23rd
Fen Edge Archaeology Group (FEAG) – talk on animals in archaeology on Thursday 15 March at Cottenham Village College Fen Edge Footpath Group (FEFG) Walking on water: An 8.5 mile (7 miles version possible if needed) figure-of-8 walk exploring the Hanson-RSPB Ouse Fen wetlands. Meet 10am at RSPB Needingworth Car Park – TL348 727. Contact: Claire (claire.perrott@gmail.com) Cottenham Gardeners’ Club, Franklin Gardens, 7:45pm
ARTICLES, DATES AND ADVERTISEMENTS E–mail, CD, memory stick and paper submissions are all welcome. Please contact the editor if you have any questions. Dates of events to be advertised in the next issue should span the months of April and May. wondering what I am talking about, am I right? Well I saw the other people in my group doing abseiling and I couldn’t help myself wanting to do it: it looked such fun. However, once I got there I wasn’t so sure and so I thought I could make it. Consequently, I strolled across the bumpy lawn and slipped on my harness. The helmet, I thought, was rather small and I found it hard to adjust. Nevertheless, I stayed optimistic and positive and just kept on trying and eventually I got there in the end. Then, so suddenly, I felt nervous again as I slowly stumbled to the tower. Hesitantly, I felt myself climbing the rusty stairs of the tower, which was warped and eerie. Step-by-step I made it slowly to the next platform, and the next and the next. In fact, I thought I was going so slowly that I thought I would have been able to name and memorise all the steps to the last platform; I was nearly there. My mind was racing on this only moment: will I make it? Finally, I made it to the top and found only two other boys. Maybe it wasn’t so popular after all. Alongside the two boys (one older than me and one younger) were two leaders helping them get correctly fitted into gear. First, you harness yourself to the pole, then when it is your turn you harness yourself to the rope, then another rope and you hold one of them high in the air (in this case a blue one) and the other to your hip (in this case a whitish one). Secondly, you lean back off the wall so it is like you are in a sitting position and you slowly let the white one fall through your hands. My turn had come and my nerves were raging! As I slowly followed step by step I slid off the edge and… it was so-o-o fun! So, therefore, after my amazing experience, I would like to thank the leaders that made it possible to have these awesome opportunities! This has really helped my fear of heights and I hope I could use it in the future yet to come. That weekend sure did knacker me and I still feel tired though I also still feel exhilarated. I will never forget the experience I had with you and I will never hesitate to do abseiling again! Can I do it again some time (hopefully soon)? Thank you scout leaders. Jack Stone
Andy Deane: a scout’s first experience of camp Over a period of two days, the Scout Masters had set up a camp for us to attend. It was the 18th of November and I had never been to a Scout Camp before. I reckoned it would've been freezing overnight as it was almost winter and the temperature had dropped to 1°C. Saturday Around 10am, people going to camp were meant to arrive to put up the tents. However, it took a lot of fussing and arguing but we managed to put up them in the end. Most people had brought lots of snacks and drinks with them and were trading with others. There were some activities which included mountain biking, hiking, abseiling etc. Mountain Biking: Personally, I thought the mountain biking was the hardest to do but still the most fun activity to do. There were smooth tracks, rocky tracks and really fun tracks. My worst fear of biking is steep uphill rocky tracks which we had to do. I also left my water bottle in the fridge, at home. Climbing: I think climbing was the second most fun activity. There were two types of walls (one easier and one harder) and I went on the hardest 3-4 times and the easiest 2-3 times. My experience of climbing has improved lots. Abseiling: Now abseiling was really fun too. I had too many goes to count. First time ever in my entire life I’ve been abseiling. Hiking: We did a night hike (which I wasn't expecting) and I think it was around 8 miles. Sleeping: First time ever sleeping with lots of layers and a very warm coat on. However, although I had double mats which I slept on, sleeping bag and a warm blanket, I was still freezing cold. I've been camping many times and it's never been that cold. Plus, it wasn't very nice sleeping with Pringles all over my bed which everybody had thrown. Although all of these incidents happened, I still really enjoyed my first experience of Scout Camp . Andy Deane Issue Number 163 • page 3
DIABETES DEMYSTIFIED – ARE YOU AT RISK? Firs House and Telegraph Street Patient Participation Group invites you to join Dr. Simon Poole and Nurse Jane Woodward to a FREE health information event, which will consider risk factors, how to minimise them, treatment and care of diabetes. WHEN AND WHERE: Tuesday 27th February 2018 at the Histon Baptist Church, Station Road, Histon CB24 9LN (parking available). 7:00pm start, doors open 6:30pm for light refreshments. There is no need to book, just come along!
ROYAL BRITISH LEGION POPPY APPEAL The Royal British Legion Cottenham and Rampton Branch would like to thank all who contributed to the Poppy Appeal last November. We would like to express our appreciation and thanks to the following local businesses who gave a donation: Cambridge Glassblowers, Roy Carter, Chemex, Collacott, Dataracks, Malary, Screens & Graphics. We would also like to thank all those businesses and organisations who displayed Poppy tins and boxes, our willing band of door-to-door collectors and, of course, everyone in Cottenham and Rampton who gave so generously for a poppy or a wreath. Altogether we raised £4,400 – a great achievement. Thank you everyone. If you or your business/organisation would like to lay a wreath this November, please let me know – we put in our order in July, and always make sure we have a few spares. We would welcome offers of help for next year's Poppy Appeal, particularly for door-to-door collecting. If you feel you could give an hour of your time, please contact Ann Scott (contact details on page 18).
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BIRD REPORT A short time ago I came across a bird which has been eluding me for decades. It is not a rare bird, but it is the sort of bird which is easily overlooked. There were several of these birds and they were not in Cottenham but only a short distance away. They are tree sparrows, and I can only recall one report of these birds in Cottenham in the past twenty years. Once seen they are not easily forgotten. They are often with the common house sparrows, but have a distinctive brown head, and white cheek with a black spot. I would be very pleased to hear of other sightings of these attractive birds. This made me think of other birds which are easily overlooked. A slightly unusual winter visitor is a brambling, and they are sometimes seen with chaffinches, with which they can easily be confused. A common garden bird is the dunnock and these birds are sometimes seen to be rather boring, and therefore ignored. They used to be called hedge sparrows, until it was established that they aren't really sparrows at all. Perhaps they deserve to be better recognised, because they are attractively coloured, and far from being boring they have an interesting sex life! A few years ago I was invited to a garden in Corbett Street to see a family of redpolls. These delightful birds had taken up residence in a garden and had enjoyed the bird feeders over several weeks. Once again I have only heard of one other record of redpolls in Cottenham, although I have seen them in Wicken Fen. Linnets are another bird which are quite often seen but not identified. And what about the famous LBJs (the Little Brown Jobs) which are often seen in flocks, but which are tantalisingly difficult to identify? All this may be frustrating, but it gives birding a special challenge!
The cold weather in early December has brought large numbers of birds into our small garden. Sparrows, starlings, wood pigeons, collared doves, robins, dunnocks, blue tits, great tits and chaffinches have all been around in huge numbers, and we have been pleased to welcome visits from goldfinches and long-tailed tits. Lots of fascinating activities to watch from the warmth of the house. Sadly, we have seen no song thrushes. Several people have told me about birds seen in and near Broad Lane. About 3,000 starlings have been observed flying down to roost in the reeds around the pond. Several birders have seen the great white egret, which chose to stay for a few days, and there have been reports of little egrets, a snipe, three green sandpipers and two corn buntings. This latter bird is good news, because they have been in decline recently, and are, once again, birds which we can easily overlook. There has also been a peregrine falcon harassing a buzzard, and a barn owl flying low over the fields. Elsewhere friends have seen pied wagtails, kestrels and red kites. Greenfinches (another overlooked bird) have appeared in a garden in Lyles Road, and a goldcrest was seen near the library in Margett Street I have neglected Long Drove lately but I look forward to walking along there to see redwings, fieldfares and mistle thrushes, and to see what ducks have moved onto the small lakes. Many thanks this time for contributions from Joanna, Neil and Josh, so please keep telling me about the birds you see! Jasper Kay, December 2017
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PARISH COUNCIL UPDATE Neighbourhood Plan We have been working with our NP Examiner to assess key aspects of our plan for environmental impact. We’ll be meeting the SCDC Planning Policy team again with a stash of planning papers and supporting evidence on topics such as: • Cottenham’s housing needs – interpreting the AECOM report on so-called “unconstrained” housing demand; • Rural exception sites and the Cottenham Community Land Trust – where and how to build some truly affordable homes; • Cottenham’s Recreation Ground – outlining how and why it needs to expand and the impact of housing development or school expansion • Cottenham’s brownfield sites – how these might develop in future to make better use of the central space, including the Medical Centre and relocated supermarket • Cottenham’s key new facilities – Village Hall and Nursery and AECOM’s site assessments • Etc. Expect these to be published on the CPC Neighbourhood Plan pages in the coming weeks. Comments are always welcome at cottenhamnp@gmail.com Community Land Trust The Trust held its launch meeting on 16th January. It is setting out to build homes for local people. It will soon have its own website and Facebook page to support its public meetings so you can track what it is up to. Although supported by the Parish and District Councils it is independent of both. You can contact the CLT team at cottenhamclt@gmail.com Postbox near the Co-op Audrey Brownlow’s efforts may not yet have been rewarded, but her petition is now at Westminster where our MP will no doubt use her charm to bring it to the attention of the relevant Minister. Major Building Developments Major developments continue to be a drain on Councillors’ time and will do for some time yet. Hopefully the District Council will soon be able to apply its emerging Local Plan and our emerging Neighbourhood Plan to calm things down.
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Village Hall update Our architects have come up with exciting new outline designs for the Village Hall and Nursery. We are beginning to assess the cost and finance implications with the key goal to stay within that “£1/week” supplementary Council Tax. There’s an explanatory poster on its way for the Village Hall and a Nursery one close behind. Carols on the Green Despite the cold, the event was well attended as usual. The tree looked fantastic this year thanks to fundraising which provided 2000 new lights which certainly brought extra sparkle to the Village Green. We'd like to thank the following for their help and sponsorship: BV Services, CB Creative, Cottenham Brass Juniors, Tom Dewey, Elveden Estates, Father Christmas & his elves & chauffeur, Jonathan Graves, Hels Angels, AJ King, Alan & Vivien Lampard, Ladybirds, Longhorn Farm Shop, Alan Mappledoram, Andrew & Alison Martin, Melsop Farm, Dean Minter, Neals Yard Remedies, Plan-It Architecture, Alan & Deanna Raven, Sarah Jane Hairdressing, Screens & Graphics, Slimming World Cottenham, The Chequers, Total Lawncare and Twentypence Marina. Battle’s Over: 100 years of remembrance On 11th November 2018, the United Kingdom and its friends overseas will mark the day 100 years ago when the guns fell silent at the end of the First World War. There will be a unique series of events in the morning and evening involving organisations and communities the length and breadth of our nation and in many countries abroad. We have already formally registered an interest in organising an event for Cottenham. If you would be interested in joining a working party or have any suggestions for events please contact us. Elections On 3rd May this year there will be a Parish Council election alongside the District Council election. NB: this is subject to there being more than 15 people standing for the Parish Council, otherwise the election is automatic. Details of how to apply will be made available by SCDC in the spring and we will share this information accordingly. Meetings A reminder that our Full Parish Council meeting takes place on the 1st Tuesday of the month. Residents are welcome to attend and time is set aside specifically at the start of the meeting for you to raise questions. Meetings
begin at 7:15pm and take place in the Village Hall. We also have smaller Committee meetings throughout the month for planning, community facilities, highways and finance. These meetings commence at 7:30pm in the Village Hall and again residents are welcome to attend. Village Hall/Sports Pavilion Hire If you’d like to hire the Village Hall (up to 120 people) or Sports Pavilion multi-purpose room (up to 40 people) for your birthday party, christening, anniversary celebrations, classes etc. please contact Sam (asstcottenhampc@ gmail.com) for rates and availability. You can also check the diary and make provisional booking enquiries via our website. NB: Up to March 2018, we are now offering 50% discount rates for evening hire of the Village Hall for your birthday parties or other celebrations. Flood alert! Do you think your house or business could ever be flooded? If you are not near the Lode or are on (relatively!) high ground you might think it impossible. However, based on advice given to Cottenham volunteers attending Community Flood Training recently, the risk of flooding from surface water run-off was higher than from river flooding. This was the reason for the flooding in Bar Hill and Oakington in August 2014 – it was sudden, severe and unpredicted. Water (often contaminated) can also come into your house through floorboards, air bricks and/or toilets. You can register for flood alerts from The Environment Agency which will keep you informed on river flooding https://www.gov.uk/sign-up-for-flood-warnings. However, to have any warning at all of the likelihood of surface water flooding due to sudden heavy rainfall you need to register for email alerts at the Met Office https://www.metoffice. gov.uk/public/weather/warnings
The Parish Council has an Emergency Plan and the Flood and Drainage Working Party is keen to expand this to improve the village’s resilience to flooding by forming a Community Flood Plan. This will have the added benefit of qualifying Cottenham for £1,500 worth of flood equipment such as FloodSax and walkie-talkies. We hope to hold a public meeting in February to provide more information. We are looking for: • •
more people to join the Community Flood Action group volunteers to knock on doors to check whether vulnerable residents need help in the event of a flood or other emergency.
Things you could do to reduce the impact of flooding: • register for flood and severe weather alerts • have a household flood plan • be aware of any vulnerable neighbours and check whether they need help • buy flood protection such as FloodSax and Hydrosacks (these are superior to sand bags) If you are interested in any of these issues please contact Christine Ward on 01954 251813 or cllr.ward@ cottenhampc.org.uk Office Opening Hours The Parish Office is open every Monday between 9:45am12 noon. Appointments are available outside of these hours by emailing or phoning – details below. The Clerk is contactable between 9:30am–2:30pm weekdays and messages can be left outside of these hours. Jo Brook, Parish Clerk clerk@cottenhampc.org.uk Parish Office - 07503 328401 www.cottenhampc.org.uk
NEWSLETTER DELIVERER WANTED Do you live in Wilkin Walk? If so, could you deliver the Newsletter every other month? Please contact Adrian Ient 01954 775004 or email: cottenhamnewsletter@gmail.com
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‘RONALDO’ OF JUDO COMES TO LONGSTANTON AND COTTENHAM PUPILS WIN SILVER On the 9th of December, SJ Judo Club hosted their first inter-club event in a form of a Christmas Cup, where almost 100 children across nine different schools were competing. Medals, individual trophies and school trophies were all at stake on the day. By the end, Hatton Park Primary School celebrated their victorious moment winning the school cup with the total number of 23 individual medals. Cottenham Primary School finished second place whilst Histon and Impington Junior School, alongside Over Primary School finished third place respectively. Judo is a Japanese Martial Arts, an Olympic sport with the objective to either throw or takedown an opponent to the ground, immobilise or otherwise subdue an opponent with a pin. Judo is fun and is a great way to develop selfdefence and self-confidence. “I used to be bullied when I was young and I had a lack of self-confidence too. I came a long way myself and I know how much judo can positively impact someone’s life. The core values of judo (sincerity, honesty, friendship, respect, compassion, perseverance, loyalty) are values which benefit you for life. Despite achieving my childhood dream of becoming an Olympic athlete, judo gave me a lot in life and my aim is to give children the opportunity I was given,” said head coach, Szandra Szogedi. “Don’t get me wrong, judo is not easy, yet it is a lot of fun with enormous opportunities, which is the reason it has such a value in everyone’s life who takes up judo. Setting yourself a target and working towards it to achieve it is priceless. Having the habit of not giving up and constantly challenging yourself at a young age really pays off in the long run. Overall, I believe we had a successful weekend, especially with the fact that we have only started a few months back. The kids are doing a great job and we are proud of everyone who had the courage to come along to compete. The feedback we received from parents is overwhelming,” she added. We also had a Special Guest at the tournament. Fourtimes Olympian, London 2012 Olympic Silver medallist, multiple World and European medallist, Hungarian judo Ace, Miklos Ungvari. For those who are unfamiliar with the name and the sport, Ungvari is the ‘Ronaldo’ of Judo. Ungvari also shared his thoughts after the event: “I really enjoyed the day. The children did a great job. For the older
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children, I was pleased to see that they were trying to do different techniques which considering the number of weeks they have been doing judo, it was pretty impressive. I want to thank SJ Judo Club for the opportunity and for the invitation, I had a great time and I hope that I could inspire the upcoming generation.” SJ Judo Club was established just a few months ago by 2016 Rio Olympian, Szandra Szogedi. The judo club offers a professional and friendly teaching environment that caters for individuals from 5 years old onwards, including adult sessions. The club also caters individuals with any sort of disabilities. In addition, the club provides for the training needs of world-class athletes. Feedback: “My son never wanted to do any sport and just stuck to the PlayStation all the time. I am so glad that with judo he found a sport he loves and gets out of bed for. He is always excited to go to the judo sessions and he is so proud of his silver medal.” “Our daughter used to be very shy and lack confidence. We are so pleased to see her confidence growing since doing judo. Thank you for your effort guys.” “My son is partially deaf and he was always uncomfortable doing any sports but he loves judo and thanks to you his confidence has improved so much that now he is open to go and try different exercises too.” “My son used to be bullied at school, since taking up judo he gained a great amount of confidence and thanks to judo they don’t bother him at the school anymore.” “Dear Szandra and Dwayne, Thank you so much for your amazing email and I am so sorry that I couldn’t be there. I was hoping to attend and then we got stuck in town! What wonderful news that the children of Hatton Park were so successful. We will be honouring this in assembly this week. Many have brought in their medals today and so will show in assembly later today. We will show the cup and any photos on Friday’s celebration assembly. Thank you again for your influence on the children.”
CRICKET CLUB NEWS As I sit writing this on the shortest day of the year, with the sky dark by mid-afternoon and Christmas just around the corner, it feels as far as possible from halcyon summer afternoons spent on the cricket pitch. Having already endured England capitulating The Ashes this winter, those of us at Cottenham Cricket Club are turning our thoughts swiftly to next season’s preparations even whilst our waistlines are expanding under the off-season load of festive foodstuffs. Of course, by the time you are reading this, Christmas will itself be a distant memory and, hopefully, we will be seeing the first signs of Spring as we prepare for the 2018 season. It has been an exciting few years for the club with off-thepitch developments including the new sports pavilion, pitch covers and an expansion of the playing square giving the club undoubtedly the best facilities it has ever enjoyed. Future plans include installing sight screens and our own net facility to give us a truly fantastic home ground. Unfortunately, in common with all clubs in the region, maintaining a squad of available players has at times proven harder than we’d like – a fact really brought home to me last season when I found myself as the youngest player in a 2nd team game at the sprightly age of 37. In Cottenham’s case, however, this doesn’t paint the full picture as, in fact, we have a thriving Junior Section (11 to 15 year-olds) at the club and have brought through many youngsters in recent years who were regular first team players last summer. The club also ran the new ECB All Stars programme (https://www.ecb. co.uk/play/all-stars) aimed at getting 5 to 8 year-olds into the game, and had the second highest number of participants in the county. So, in many respects, the club is leading the way in times where participation numbers are falling across many sports. We will be fielding two adult teams in the Cambridgeshire league next season and my main goal, as Chairman of the club,
is to attract new players to enjoy the sport and recreation the club has been offering Cottenham villagers for the last 165 years. So, I appeal to anyone in the village who can help the club expand its playing squad to please get in touch. Maybe you’ve previously “retired” from the game you used to play at school or you’ve never played but you’d like to try. Everybody is welcome. Cricket is an unusually inclusive sport with several women already playing in the Cambs league and a very international flavour to all the teams I have played for over the years. We aim to run the club for the benefit of both the villagers and anyone who wants to play the game, maintaining an active social side to the club as well as enjoying a full season of weekend cricket. We are planning a full pre-season of indoor training commencing on the 1st of February and, this year, we expect to have the support of a professional coach as well as the experienced team we already have at the club as we look to grow and foster the talent of both our current players and any new ones who join us. Our juniors will start their training early in March. Do please keep an eye on our website’s club News for all pre-season updates. If you’d like to know more please drop us a line on the details below – we’re very friendly and would love to hear from anyone willing to support the club in a playing or, indeed, any other capacity. Ralph Lamble – Chairman, Cottenham Cricket Club Club Contacts: Secretary: David Chaplin (01954 250075) Vice Chairman: Dave Partridge (01954 203210) Junior Teams Coordinators: Dave Partridge and Alan Raven (01954 250388) Email: cottenhamcc@yahoo.co.uk www.cottenham.play-cricket.com
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DISTRICT & COUNTY COUNCIL REPORTS Strong winds have been blowing dead leaves off the oaks, the last trees to let them fall. I’ve been thinking of those working throughout the festive season, especially those providing essential public services. We owe you so much. Community Energy Grant – The South Cambridgeshire Community Chest scheme has been very popular for several years now and has proved to be money well spent. Local groups make a little go a long way and Community Chest projects have provided further evidence of this home-grown resourcefulness. The council is building on its commitment to support local communities by introducing a new Community Energy Grant Fund. From March community groups can bid for funding towards their energy-saving and green initiatives. Suitable projects range from insulation, lighting and heating controls for community buildings to installation of electric vehicle charging points. Parish Councils, charities, voluntary groups, sports and social clubs and not-for-profit organisations can bid for up to £3,000 per organisation per year. The scheme will be funded from the business rates the council can retain from new renewable energy generation sites in the district. We are also preparing a loan scheme to lend money to local groups and residents to invest in local renewable energy schemes. Smart Energy Grid – The National Grid took its form largely for transmission from large-scale power stations in mostly remote locations to all of us consumers, industrial and domestic. The shift to renewables has led to a proliferation of supply, as well as load, and the existing grid doesn’t readily lend itself to multiple generators. One answer is a smart grid, heading towards a much more distributive network of sources and users, coupled with a variety of smart meters that communicate the level of demand so that appliances like refrigerators and freezers can draw current off peak. Cambridgeshire is among the first devising such a platform, not least because we have a green-savvy population and one of the world’s leading centres of battery technology. Your electric vehicle may soon be supplying electricity when it is parked, as well as charging. Connecting Cambridgeshire – Matt Hancock, Minister for Digital, opened a conference at the Bradfield Centre to congratulate Cambridgeshire on extending broadband to 95% of the county. The next 4% are going to prove far more taxing. As for mobile connectivity, the big push is to make modes of transport the “third space” in which to work (after the office and home). Unbroken coverage is rare on most long journeys. And then there is the challenge of 5G – which will
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require about a million more base stations across England. With Cambridge business growing at an annual rate of 7% – which equates to doubling in ten years – there are growing demands on infrastructure to keep up – or conversely dire warnings that growth will stall unless we supply the requisite platforms of digital connectivity. Recycling – Extra recycling (no glass please, for safety reasons) left next to the blue bin will be collected only if it is contained in one transparent sack (available from supermarkets or online), or one bundle of cardboard of a size which will fit inside the bin. The crew will empty your blue bin first, then place the extra recycling in the bin and empty it again. Oversized cardboard or more than one sack will not be collected. Black sacks will not be collected. For safety reasons extra recycling from returnable containers or cardboard boxes is no longer collected. If you regularly have extra recycling you can order an extra blue bin. These are now free of charge. Histon Road – The Greater Cambridge Partnership Board has now agreed further work on a revised concept design for improvements to Histon Road. It will aim to provide bus priority whilst going further to provide improved cycling and pedestrian infrastructure. Details of the new model will be brought back to the Board in March. Local Plan – Housing continues to be the most urgent challenge facing Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire. As well as the affordable housing that accompanies planning permission for general housing, we are working on other ways, like Community Land Trusts, of providing local housing that can be afforded by local people on local wages. We are exploring ways of working with local employers, such as the NHS, on providing housing for key workers, with a particular goal of reducing the time it takes to commute to and from work. As for the Local Plan, whose examination has taken the inspector coming up for four years, the public consultation on possible changes that she might like to include in her final report closes on16 February. Launch of East-West Railway Company – Chris Grayling, the Secretary of State for Transport, visited Bletchley on Thursday 14 December 2017. See https://www.gov. uk/government/news/launch-of-new-east-west-railwaycompany-puts-uks-own-silicon-valley-rail-link-on-fast-track A14 fly-through – Published in the run-up to the first anniversary of commencement of works late last year, this film showing the end result may make you feel that all the
traffic disruption and mud on the roads may be worthwhile in the end. It lasts about ten minutes (and there’s a lot of blacktop!). A10 – The long-awaited study of the A10 from Ely to Cambridge has finally been published. Perhaps the most interesting find is that three-quarters of vehicles on the A10 start or finish somewhere beyond Ely or Cambridge. Clearing the road for traffic generated by the new town at Waterbeach may well be a priority in selecting among the options, which include a segregated public transport route, cycleways, Park & Ride, and dualling the A10 itself. The Mayor’s request for a study into an M11-A47 link opened up investigation of all strategic north-south vehicle movement north of the A14, and a new road may be a possibility. All these options ought to make the B1049 a less appealing alternative to the A10. Happy New Year – Your district councillors take this opportunity to wish everyone a prosperous 2018. Tim Wotherspoon
COTTENHAM YESTERYEAR 2018 CANCELLED Due to circumstances beyond our control we have been compelled, very reluctantly, to cancel the next Yesteryear Road Run, planned for 22nd April 2018. We are sure you will share our disappointment.
GARDENERS’ CLUB Cottenham Gardeners’ Club meets at Franklin Gardens Community Room, usually on the last Friday of the month. Refreshments are served from 7:30pm followed by a talk at 7:45pm. New members are always welcome and can try a single meeting for £2. The February meeting on Friday 23rd is our AGM, when the programme for the forthcoming year will be unveiled. New membership cards will be available; the annual subscription will be due and is expected to remain at £14, which includes a Summer Garden Party and a garden visit in June or July, a social evening in August and the New Year Party in January. After the formal business, Aubrey Bould will give a short talk on the plant hunter, David Douglas. Our first speaker of the new programme on Friday 23rd March (the last Friday is Good Friday) is David Kerley, local plant breeder, on ‘Breeding New Patio Plants’. At both meetings there will be the usual monthly raffle; donations of prizes are very welcome. For further information please contact Sarah Dumont, Tel: 01954 260482
Vivien Lampard On behalf of the Cottenham Yesteryear Road Run Committee
Issue Number 163 • page 11
UPDATE FROM ALL SAINTS’ All Saints’ had a wonderful festive season and a great start to 2018. Just before festivities kicked off, we had some work done to put our new Communion rail in place. A new dais was built and new carpet put down, and the new rail was installed. Very smart it looks too! This rail was supported by a grant from the Cottenham Parish Council, for which we are very grateful. We supported Operation Christmas Child by packing and sending off 560 filled shoeboxes. We then started the Christmas season by celebrating Christingle with a full church, raising money for the important work of the Children’s Society in supporting vulnerable children. We blew out the Christingle candles in a Mexican wave all around the church, before eating the sweets. The Pop Up Nativity was a lovely family event, with dozens of small children dressed up as shepherds, sheep, wise men, Mary, Joseph, angels and more. We all joined in loudly with the retelling of the ‘Well Good News of Christmas’ story, and children from the congregation and elsewhere accompanied our singing on violins, cornet, ukulele, and other instruments. Almost 400 came to the Christmas Eve Carol Service, where the brilliant choir led the singing of carols, supported ably by Junior Prime Brass. Midnight Communion was a time of quiet reflection before the joyful celebration of Christmas Day. It was a privilege to celebrate the birth of Christ with the village, as always. The beginning of 2018 will bring some changes to the church building, as the refurbishment project begins in
earnest. The church building will be inaccessible to the general public from 8th January until the end of March while work is underway. All our services will be in the church hall until Easter. Much of the work of the church will continue during this time: services on Sundays (with Junior Church on the first and third Sundays usually), midweek small groups for study and prayer and fortnightly Tuesday Church for primary age children, services in care homes, running Little Saints toddler group each Thursday, editing and distributing our own magazine, holding Fellowship Teas at Franklin Gardens, and more. We look forward to welcoming you to any of our services or events – please look on our website or Facebook page to find out more! www.allsaintscottenham.org.uk
COTTENHAM CHARITIES – THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS The long-standing tradition of helping at Christmas was continued in 2017 with Christmas vouchers given to 50 families and individuals by Cottenham Charities and the Fitzwilliam Charity. Toys were also provided for children by Twinkle Star Children’s Trust. All the charities would like to thank the many organisations and businesses in the village for helping to publicise the scheme. Applications for grants for essential household or disability items can be considered throughout the year by Cottenham Charities. More details, and an application form, are available on our website www.cottenhamcharities.co.uk
Issue Number 163 • page 12
COTTENHAM THEATRE WORKSHOP – ‘ALADDIN’
Once again Cottenham Theatre Workshop got Christmas off to a flying start with a dazzling production of Aladdin, written and directed by our very own Kerry O'Connell. Here were all the elements which make this time of year so special – bright lights, magic, music, dancing, good triumphing over evil, and lots and lots of fun. Recently Cottenham Theatre Workshop has set itself higher and higher standards, and this production maintained this high level of entertainment.
Firstly, it must be said that visually this was a wonderful show. The set, the costumes and the lighting were all of a highly professional standard and the large “Creative and Production Team” deserve special praise. Secondly, the chorus was excellent. The singing gets better and better, and some of the numbers they sang were really challenging. Their dancing was more energetic and imaginative than ever, and was a real tribute to the physical fitness of the cast! Warm congratulations to Barbara Duckworth and to Megan Swann for the music and the choreography.
a centuries old tradition, by having a woman playing the “Dame” role of Widow Twankey, and Chrissie Kelby made the very most of the part and clearly enjoyed doing it. Ben Shimmens was an engaging Wishee-Washee, and Gary Unwin-Riches was very entertaining in the unexpected role of Superman! And what about Aladdin? Well, we are really lucky to have such a talented performer in Liz Morris, who acted and sang with great confidence and professionalism. She held the show together whenever she was on the stage. There are other highlights not to be forgotten; the excellent band under Barbara Duckworth, and I particularly liked the occasional clarinet solo; a lovely cameo performance by Megan Swann as duck no. 67; and of course the highlight of the show – the children singing “When I grow up” from Matilda, which had the biggest cheer of the evening! So very many thanks (for the 40th year!) to Cottenham Theatre Workshop for such an entertaining evening, which sent us all out into a chilly November/December evening, with big smiles on our faces! Jasper Kay
Thirdly, the company is blessed with a handful of firstclass performers, both as actors and as singers. Matt Unwin-Riches was a superb Abanazar, exuding just the right kind of friendly nastiness! The pantomime broke with
Issue Number 163 • page 13
AN INTERVIEW WITH FENLAND POET KATE CAOIMHE ARTHUR
Which poets have you been influenced by? It’s hard to say who I’m influenced by but I love reading any and all poetry. In the past I’ve enjoyed reading the metaphysical poets, like John Donne, and of course Irish poets like Heaney and Yeats, but there is really incredible poetry coming out now by writers like Emily Berry, Nick Laird and Sharon Olds.
Where do you get your ideas? Usually when I am out running or walking is the time an idea will come to me, probably because it’s then my mind is a bit more free. Lately I have been focusing mainly on the Fens, so being out and about, or reading about the history of the Fens is key at the moment. Where is your favourite place to write and how? Anywhere I don’t have responsibilities to distract me, so generally not at home! Often in a cafe, but I have learned it’s best to write something straight into my phone when I think of it as I’ll have forgotten by the time I get to pen and paper. How did you feel winning Fenland Poet of the year? I won Fenland Poet Laureate in March 2016, a few weeks after the birth of my third child, so I mainly felt shocked and dazed and tired! It has been a huge honour to take on the role, and it has given me amazing opportunities to develop my poetry and meet some really interesting people and organisations in the Fens. It is essentially a voluntary role, and it is the sixth year it’s run. Sometimes I am approached to make a contribution, such as at the Ely Folk Festival where I ran some workshops, and otherwise, I can take the initiative. Every year the Laureate identifies a project
Issue Number 163 • page 14
or projects they would like to achieve, and for me one of the things I was very keen to do was to work with a local artist, Iona Howard. Iona is a resident of Cottenham so she couldn’t avoid me! Visitors to the Community Centre will be familiar with her extraordinary fine art prints of the Fens, and I have been inspired by her interpretation of the environment in which we live. She is the Art Coordinator for Cottenham Community Centre, so she curates the more recent exhibitions of art in the coffee shop, and she works from her studio at home in Cottenham. How have you collaborated together? Iona and I have been on lots of walks together. Early on we realised that the area of the Fens we wrote about or portrayed was the same; the Fen Edge that we can reach by walking or running. We have tried exploring further afield, and we have experimented with sharing our work as we develop it. We are working towards an exhibition that Iona is giving at Cambridge Contemporary Art which I will be producing poetry to work alongside some of the images and hopefully doing a reading. The exhibition will be 3-25 March at CCA, which is 6 Trinity Street, Cambridge. I blog occasionally at wordpress.thelongdrove.com and can be contacted on twitter @CaoimheArthur or email katearthur@hotmail.com if you have any poetry ideas, projects or commissions. See more from Kate and Iona on the back cover.
Small ads: WANTED – Old Cottenham and other Cambridgeshire bottles. Local collector, cash paid. Please ring Tony on 07747 674003 ......... HANDYMAN SERVICES COTTENHAM Need help fitting a kitchen or bathroom. Leaking washing machine, sink or shower. Need a blind fitted or guttering repaired. Call Mike on 07768 931810 ......... HALO HEATING SERVICE LTD We aim to provide the most ethical, sustainable and cost effective heating and plumbing service to Cottenham and the surrounding area, whilst maintaining the highest standards and exceptional customer service. Please call Sam on 07745 551588, email: sam@haloheat.co.uk or find us on Facebook ......... SENIOR MATHS/SCIENCE TUTOR (FEMALE) – COTTENHAM Several years of experience tutoring Maths & Science for all levels up to GCSE and Maths for A level. Mode of teaching driven by the student’s prime need: Focusing on challenging topics, plugging gaps in knowledge, exam preparation, reinforcing topics. Qualifications: Educated to PhD level (Image processing, UCL) BSc Physics First Class Honours and Masters in Computing Science from Imperial College London. Contact: asmachaud@hotmail.com, 07786 059693 ......... TOAT – “TOM OF ALL TRADES” Tom Wykes Handyman. No job is too big or too small – garden/house clearance, shelving, plumbing and so on – call Tom for a quote on 01954 250324, 07762 559259 ......... FRESH GRIMSBY FISH Fresh and smoked fish, shellfish in Cottenham every Thursday morning. Est. since 1989. Call John on 07584 578315 to arrange a call to your office or home. No order too small. ......... HOUSE/PET SITTER, fully insured and CRB checked. Tailor made service having your pets looked after in their own home with anything from daily visits to living-in, assuring security. This is a reliable/discreet/confidential business with visits in an unmarked vehicle. Excellent references. Email: ginnyr38@gmail.com Tel:01223 232972 or 07980 042601 ......... BRIDGEMAN MAINTENANCE HANDYMAN SERVICE We offer a variety of services in Cambridge and surrounding villages from garden clearance and maintenance, painting and decorating, appliance fitting or general property maintenance and repairs, emergency callouts. Call for a free quote 07824312732 or 01954 770308 julian@ bridgemanmaintenance.com ......... CHIROPODIST/PODIATRIST Henry Tullie. Degree qualified home visiting chiropody service for the treatment of nail cutting, hard skin, corns and callus. Tel 01223 277834/07906 625088, www. cambridgechiropodist.co.uk ......... FURNITURE POLISHING AND REPAIR Polishing and restoration of antique (and not so antique) furniture by a local Cottenham restorer. Rob Ellis: 01954 250153 ......... C HILSDEN DECORATING SERVICES all aspects of painting and decorating, tiling and home maintenance carried out to the highest standard. Free estimates and excellent rates. Carl Hilsden – Mobile: 07590 517882 Home telephone 01954 250446 www. hilsdendecorating.com .........
R J BENSON CARPENTRY Local fully qualified reliable carpenter. Please call 07961811454 or email robbenson15@gmail.com for advice/free quotes. ......... COTTENHAM LOCKS AND KEYS Mobile locksmith. Domestic, commercial and retail lock fitting, lock opening, key cutting, UPVC door and window problems. 24x7 emergency lockout service. Fully insured. Free quotations and surveys, highly competitive prices. Tel: 07952 747279. Email cottenhamlocksandkeys@gmail.com or visit www.cottenhamlocksandkeys.co.uk PEAT’S GARDEN SERVICES Lawn and hedge cutting, pruning, planting, rotovating, turfing, weekly and monthly visits, all garden work undertaken. All garden waste removed. For a free estimate call Pete Bullen 01954 250771 or 07749 863047 DOG DAY CARE IN COTTENHAM Open Mon – Fri, 8am to 7pm. 2 x 1 hour walks on our 150+ acre farm and 100% attention all day at home and in our enclosed garden all for £15.00 a day. Lingwood Farm, Cottenham, CB24 8PX Tel Erica 07956 406643 or visit www.lingwooddogs.com ......... EXPERIENCED ELECTRICIAN Part P registered, local, reliable, over 25 years experience. Design, installation, inspection & testing work carried out, no job too small. 10% discount for senior citizens. Call Peter for a free, no obligation quote on 01954 775003 / 07796 260735 ......... ANTIQUE, MODERN & BESPOKE UPHOLSTERY using traditional materials and techniques. Based in Cottenham, Victoria Morris Upholstery offers a professional (AMUSF Qualified) and reliable upholstery service for your most treasured antiques or favourite chair. For all enquires and/or a free consultation, contact Victoria on 01954 270050 or 07547 496931 or by email: vmupholstery@hotmail.com or visit www.victoriamorrisupholstery.co.uk ......... OAKINGTON DOG DAY CARE CENTRE LTD, Dry Drayton Road, Oakington, 07704 729299 At work all day? Need a day out? Let us care for your dog. We have a well-equipped play area featuring our fantastic ball pool and a large variety of indoor play equipment. Outside we have a fully enclosed grass paddock and a large field containing sand pits, paddling pools, tyres, etc. Dog loving staff, fully insured and safe. We also offer limited field hire at weekends for somewhere safe to exercise your dog. Please contact us for more information, contact details are on our website www.oakingtondogdaycare.co.uk or visit our Facebook page to see photos of happy dogs having a great time ......... NUTRITIONIST – WEIGHT MANAGEMENT Are you seeking one to one support to help you improve your health, body shape and reduce excess fat. I provide an open, non-judgemental approach in supporting clients with their weight management goals. The service I provide aims to educate and empower the individual so they can engage with food in a healthy way. One to one consultations available in Cottenham. Contact Alex on 07852 222953 or email alex@insight-nutrition.com ......... Why not advertise in the Newsletter! Items for sale, announcement of family events, local products and/or services... 5p per word, with all proceeds going to charity. Send advertisements and payment to the Advertising Manager. Cheques should be made out to ‘Cottenham Newsletter’.
Issue Number 163 • page 15
Letters to the Editor: Dear Editor, We, Cottenham’s three elected South Cambridgeshire District Councillors, would like to comment on the letter from Parish Council Chairman, Frank Morris, that was published in the last Cottenham Newsletter. To ensure that our community can close a challenging year – when things have been said and done that might be described as divisive – we write to clarify some points that the Chairman raised. We, your District Councillors, have always worked to achieve the best outcomes possible and presume the motives of the Parish Council should be similar. However, we work in a system that does not, despite all talk of localism, actually deliver on that worthy ambition when it challenges the achievement of greater national goals. Our experience, honesty and integrity dictated that we focus on fighting the battles that we can win. Thus it was one of your District Councillors who met with developers to secure their agreement to additional contributions for community transport and burial provision as part of the S106 agreement for planning application S/1411/16/OL. The District Councillors suggested the former to provide additional mitigation for the traffic impacts of the proposed development and were keen to endorse
Issue Number 163 • page 16
the suggestion from the Parish Council for the latter. We knew that any legal action or appeal, with consequent delay and cost for the developers, would jeopardise these and that is what the Judicial Review process subsequently did. We applaud the Parish Council for finally withdrawing its application for Judicial Review thus removing the threat to these benefits. There was District Councillor support too for the Parish Council’s position when Gladman appealed against refusal of planning application S/1818/15/OL; in fact it was one of your District Councillors who proposed the resolution that the Parish Council should apply for Rule 6 Status so that it could play a full and effective role in the proceedings. The progress of the planning applications by Gladman and Persimmon has been tortuous with revisions, appeals and legal action complicating a process which regrettably was only ever going to have one outcome. We, the residents and Councillors of Cottenham, could not prevail in circumstances created by HM Inspectorate – both the Appeals Inspectors at Waterbeach and the Local Plan Inspector – who will have managed to extend the Examination in Public of the Local Plan to a recordbreaking four years by the time South Cambridgeshire’s Councillors are able to adopt it. Moving on, we know that a planning application by the County Council is still awaiting decision. Thank you to all those residents who have been in touch to let us have their views on this. There are so many aspects of this application which are just wrong. Some good work has already been done in forcing successive revisions: an
original ambition to build 300 homes has shrunk to 125 in the latest application. Continuing objections and time may yet achieve more. We are not just Councillors but also local residents who know Cottenham to be a good-hearted community which will in due course welcome new residents to enjoy living in the village, to help shape its future and, doubtless, to fight the right battles. Yours faithfully Simon Edwards Lynda Harford Tim Wotherspoon .........
players (male and female) wanting to represent and play for the village that they live in! It is to be commended that the Parish Council are looking to increase the accessibility of all sports within the village but this clearly cannot and must not be at the expense of the national sport! We look forward to working with the Parish Council and all sports clubs within the village to ensure those that wish to develop and prosper from building provide adequate funding to enhance infrastructure including sporting facilities. What else will there be to keep over 300 girls and boys focused, fit and occupied were it not for Cottenham United Colts and their provision of football?! What other sport in the village is growing so quickly that over 80 plus girls are participating in? PLEASE DO NOT TAKE AWAY OUR PITCHES!
Dear Editor,
Yours sincerely
I write in response to the Parish Council update published in the October/ November 2017 issue.
David Burkett Lead Coach Cottenham United Colts FC ......... The Three Horse Shoes
With regards to the paragraph on sports provision, I write to advise that Cottenham United Colts have more than just a girls’ football team. Over the past 2 years a number of volunteers within the club have worked tirelessly to increase female football participation numbers. This has not just resulted in a competitive U13 girls team but in partnership with Cottenham Village College, Living Sport and Cambs FA we now have over 20 girls attending our weekly (free) after school sessions for girls aged 11-16. I would like to take this opportunity to thank CVC for providing the astro surface free of charge, 3Q Sports for sponsoring our training kit and Wickes/ Cambs FA for supplying free equipment. Further to this Cottenham United Colts were honoured to be chosen by The FA to be one of only 200 FA SSE Wildcats Centres across the whole of England to provide a platform for girls aged 5-11 to have access to organised football. This has been an unprecedented success with over 50 Cottenham Primary school girls signed up to our weekly sessions. Big thanks here to Cottenham Primary school for providing the use of the playing field free of charge. From this we are already looking to set up another new girls team for U12 and, thereafter, further girls teams emanating from the Wildcats. As a result of this hard work the club has been awarded three FA/McDonalds Community Awards, Cambs FA Development Club of the year, Cambs FA Best Inclusive Project (specifically for our CVC girls sessions) of the year and Regional (East Anglia) Best Inclusive Project of the year. Thus, demand for space to play football (pitches!) will actually be increasing. Add to this, as indicated on the very same page, the increase in housing within the village , one would expect that there will be many more new football
Many passers-by express interest in what I am doing. The exterior has been rendered three times over the past 25 years, but the timber frame must still be settling. I have not limewashed the filled cracks so that I can work out where instabilities remain. The missing patch on the gable wall will be filled early 2018. Rainwater does not seep away from the earth around the buildings, so I have installed a system of land drains to lower the water table (which used to be ground level) by about one metre. This has arrested the rotting of the timber frame. I have tried to stick to a closed site, with as little material as possible entering or leaving. So the drive is being constructed of recycled broken bricks from the many outbuildings that used to surround the yard. Why is the groundwork taking so long? Think of it as a 100,000-piece jigsaw puzzle. Tim Wotherspoon
Letters for publication may be sent to the Editor, and should include the name and address of the sender, although this may be omitted from publication if requested. Please keep correspondence short and topical. Please note that the Editor may use his discretion regarding publication, and his decision is final. The views expressed by correspondents and other contributors are their own and are not necessarily shared by the Editor.
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Issue Number 163 • page 17
CONTACTS:
Parish Council Jo Brook, Clerk 07503 328401 clerk@cottenhampc.org.uk
Police General Switchboard Doctors
101
Dr. T Blumenfeld, 188 High Street Dr. M. Grande, 42 Telegraph Street
Urgent Care Cambridge (formerly Camdoc)
District Nurse Team Cottenham CareCar
250079 251180 0330 123 9131 01223 726469
Co–ordinator, 10:00am – 4:00pm, Gerry Brett
251929
Cottenham Community Centre 202109 Cottenham Charities 250387 Cottenham Day Centre 200873 Cottenham Gardeners Club 250119 Cottenham Toy Library Christina Koester 270334 Cottenham Village Society Glynis Pilbeam 251544 cottvillsoc@gmail.com
Cottenham WI Gillian Ballard Dentist Wiese and Associates, 40 Margett Street Chemist 222 High Street Child, Teen & Family Counselling
250605 251696 250556
Julie McCrae www.juliemccraecounselling.com 07482 723265 Counsellor & Therapist Ruth Barnett, ruth@counselling-cambs.co.uk 202556, 07961 644006 Samaritans Cambridge Centre 01223 364455 Veterinary Surgeon Village Vet Cottenham 252122
Schools
Cottenham Village College and Community Office County Primary, Lambs Lane Under–Ones Baptist Church
Pre–School
288944 250227 251066
Ladybirds Pre–School, Recreation Ground 250891 Kids Only (Out of School Club) 250025 Ballet School tutusrus@ntlworld.com or 200533 Brownies 1st Cottenham Lisa Nicoll 201575 2nd Cottenham Julie Percival 200854 3rd Cottenham Chris Hurworth 203764 Guides Deanna 250388 Scouts 2ndcottenham@gmail.com Newsagents Shaun’s News 250398
Council Offices
County Council Switchboard SCDC Switchboard
0345 045 5222 0345 045 0500
District Councillors Lynda Harford Simon Edwards Tim Wotherspoon
cllr.harford@scambs.gov.uk, 251775 cllr.edwards@scambs.gov.uk, 01223 233682 / 07711 079089 timwothers@aol.com,252108
Tim Wotherspoon
timwothers@aol.com,252108 01223 301426
County Councillor
British Red Cross Shop Citizens Advice Bureau
66 Devonshire Road, Cambridge, CB1 3BL 0844 848 7979 Social Services Histon Team 01223 718011 Mobile Warden Scheme 200080 NSPCC Cottenham Area Team 01733 558245 RSPCA 24 hour cruelty & advice line 0300 1234 999
Railway Station Cambridge Passenger Enquiries
0845 7484950
Driving Instruction TOPS Driving School 252239 Taxi Speedy Taxis 294929 Library Margett Street 0345 0455225 Library at Home Service (formerly Doorstep)
0345 045 5225 your.library@cambridgeshire.gov.uk
07554 202929
Parish Church Church Warden 200035 Baptist Church Church Office 252378 Catholic Church St Laurences Church 01223 704640 Methodist Church simon.oliver@cantab.net Salvation Army Majors Graham & Pam Barratt 252419 Royal British Legion Ann Scott 251468
ann.scott23@ntlworld.com Cottenham Brass Band Diana Braverman (Sec.) dianabraverman@hotmail.com Bridge Farm Riding School 252284 Allotments Cottenham Charities 01353 749830 Sustainable Cottenham Christine Ward 251813
Cottenham Dissenters’ Cemetery
Kate Lees 252378, minister@cottenhambaptist.org.uk Sarah Berenger 07484 221369, s.berenger@btinternet.com
EDITOR & ENQUIRIES:
Adrian Ient, 2 The Wrens, Cottenham CB24 8XD. Tel: 01954 775004 e-mail: cottenhamnewsletter@gmail.com
BUSINESS MANAGER:
Peter Robertson, 30 Lyles Road, Cottenham, Tel: 01954 200080
ADVERTISING MANAGER: Liz Porteous, e-mail: cottenhamnewsletter@gmail.com Tel: 01954 250468 WEBSITE:
Issue Number 163 • page 18
www.cottenhamnews.org.uk
FEN EDGE ARCHAEOLOGY GROUP Are you interested in the past? Would you like to learn more about archaeology and heritage? Would you like the chance to join a dig or other archaeological exploration? If so, do come along to a Fen Edge Archaeology Group event. We organise talks (many in Cottenham), fieldwork, village walks and visits to museums and excavations. Everyone is welcome, whatever your experience or knowledge of archaeology. For more information, visit our websites: https://feagblog.wordpress.com and www.feag.co.uk, or our Facebook page. If you have any questions: email vicki. harley@care4free.net or feaginfo@gmail.com Our next meeting in Cottenham will be a talk on animals in archaeology on Thursday 15th March at Cottenham Village College.
COTTENHAM LIBRARY Do you want to find out about your house, Cottenham or the local area? Cottenham library has a good collection of books about things of local interest, historical and recent history. If we don’t have what you are looking for, then we may be able to point you in the right direction. Local pictures of the past can be found on the Cottenham Community Archive website. http://cottenham.ccan.co.uk In the Central Library in Cambridge there is an extensive archive of Cambridgeshire related information. For instance there are old maps, photographs, old local newspapers and journals, street directories, old electoral registers and handbills. You can find more about the local studies collections and search the library catalogue online: https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/residents/ libraries-leisure-&-culture/local-studies/ Glynis Pilbeam
Issue Number 163 • page 19
Cottenham Newsletter Issue Number 163 February/March 2018
Great North Fen in Summer V by Iona Howard Fen Wind Ghazal For in this heat, I want to feel – now and again – wind, Though I have been cautioned against the chill destruction of the fen wind. Through long symmetric lines the eraser smoothes and darts Vibrating carr and sunlight with the long fingers of the Wicken Fen wind. Bewick's Swans like needles, drawing the thread of winter. First the pearl-studded wetland-cushion, and then, wind. Reversals of matter on acres of early crop: white plastic waves My beautiful synthetic seaside shifted by oceans of black fen wind. Fen blow self-germinates new gritty skies Sepia landscape paintbrush dipped in soil, in wind I have listened in the suther, suck and gush for my name Whisper it now, though the air in your mouth is nothing but pretend wind. Kate Caoimhe Arthur
Kate Caoimhe Arthur Printed by Target Print Limited • print@targetprint.org • www.targetprint.org