Cottenham Newsletter - June/ July 2019

Cottenham

Newsletter

ISSUE NUMBER 171

JUNE/JULY 2019

Fun Run 2019

FUN RUN 2019 The popularity of the Cottenham Fun Run continues to grow with 164 runners in the main race, which was a great success and raised £1,000 for good causes in the Fen Edge patch. The category winners and full race results can be viewed on the fenedge.co.uk website.

The morning was bright and sunny and thankfully the hailstorm forecast before the race didn’t materialise, but it was windy and very chilly.

First home was Finn Johnson (now the winner for the fourth year in a row) with a time of 22 minutes 55 seconds. And it was congratulations all round in the Johnson family with two category wins and two category places. Special mentions must also go to secondary boys, Tom Bridger and Alfie Pipe, who came second and fourth respectively, within the complete field.

Congratulations to all competitors, for a great achievement.

Once again we are indebted to Malary Ltd waste recycling solutions for their sponsorship and ever generous support and we would also like to thank all the volunteers who helped with race registration, the volunteer stewards for keeping the runners safe and on track, Cottenham Scouts for the timekeeping and of course main race organiser Martyn Leeks, ably supported this year by Mark Hurworth, and junior run organiser Rebecca Cole.

All proceeds will be donated by the Fen Edge Community Association to good causes in the Fen Edge patch. Details of awards will be announced on the FECA website.

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FEN EDGE FESTIVAL 2019 – LET THE CARNIVAL BEGIN! This year’s Fen Edge Festival is nearly here and this year’s carnival theme promises a great programme for everyone to enjoy from 21 to 23 of June on the village green, Cottenham Village College and the community centre.

audiences to sing along! There’s also another fantastic programme of free live music during the day at The Venue with talented local bands and musical performances to entertain you alongside our afternoon bar.

This is the eighth Festival and every time it is held it brings out the best in people: the Festival committee who have worked for nearly a year to pull the event together, the volunteer stewards who give their time to ensure that others can enjoy the event safely; the organisations and businesses that donate generously in recognition of their role in the community. The best way to show your support for their contributions and hard work is to get involved yourself as a volunteer (volunteer@fenedgefestival.co.uk).

If you can’t volunteer then please make sure you come along and support the event as you will be supporting charities and good causes in the five Fen Edge villages.

There will be lots of fun things for children to enjoy with favourites old and new including fairground rides, Total Wipeout (‘will you be the last person standing?’), games, entertainers, a fantastic kids’ disco plus some great surprises.

There will also be the ever-popular sculpture competition.

The Festival starts on Friday morning with Cottenham Toy Library’s Play Zone. In the afternoon the focus switches to the older members of the community with Tea on the Green. On Friday evening the ever-popular Cottenham Primary School PTCA Dance takes centre stage with local band Swagger, who gave an energetic and memorable performance at the last Festival. Tickets for the dance are available from Cottenham Primary School, Cottenham Village College and Les Ward Greengrocers – check the FECA website and Facebook page for full details of all events.

Over the weekend we invite you to bring your friends and family, chairs and rugs to enjoy the free entertainment on the Village Green. There will be a great choice of food on offer from over a dozen food vans and stalls, a wonderful mix of market stalls and activities, and live demonstrations from local village groups who will entertain you alongside sporting and dancing demonstrations.

There’s free music in the evenings. On Saturday you can party with The Hares, a fantastic 4-piece band who perform classic, modern and current covers to ensure the dance floor is rocking. On Sunday evening Sandy Ukelele Group promise fun – in bucket loads. Their gigs are more like a karaoke concert as they encourage and expect their

At the Community Centre, enjoy coffee, lunches and cream teas whilst listening to a variety of live, light music on Saturday and Sunday. Entertainment for children will include Toy Library Soft Play and Little Humbugs singing for pre-school children amongst other family activities.

Over at the Village College sports centre there’s a fitness suite Open Day with a special induction fee of £2 for use of the gym over the weekend. If games are your thing there’s a chance to play tennis, badminton, table tennis and football.

This is just a taster. The full Festival programme will be delivered to homes at the start of June so look out for it and keep it to hand for the Festival weekend. For the latest news and information follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or visit the fenedge.co.uk website So let the carnival begin – we look forward to seeing you for an amazing weekend.

The Fen Edge Festival wouldn’t be possible without the generous support of our sponsors: Malary Ltd, Cottenham Parish Council, Aviva Community Fund, Clear Glass (Cambridge) Ltd, Curry Palace, Lynx Autocare, S R Harradine Haulage Ltd, Giuseppe Piran, Gas Monster, Excelcare, haart, Bellway, Cambridge Glassblowing Ltd, BV Services, Voland Roofing, Dentons Carpets, Polarglaze, Screens & Graphics and Amey.

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FEF 2019 – A GREENER FESTIVAL Festivals are enormously popular these days – music festivals, literary festivals, village festivals – which means lots of entertainment and lots of eating and drinking.

The unfortunate side-effect of this is lots of waste.

From Glastonbury to Cambridge Folk Festival, festival organisers are now doing their best to tackle the enormous environmental impact of their events through actions like banning plastic straws and individual sauce sachets, having lots of water stations so people can refill their drinks bottles, and serving drinks in reusable cups. Locally, the Cambridge Folk Festival achieved an ‘Outstanding’ award in 2018 from A Greener Festival; anyone who has bought a drink at the Cambridge Folk Festival will have used one of their reusable cups.

Cottenham’s much-loved FEF is not on the scale of the greats like Glastonbury, but it is going to be following in their footsteps thanks to an initiative by Sustainable Cottenham to introduce reusable cups for drinks at two of its bars.

At the 2019 Fen Edge Festival in Cottenham, when you buy your pint of beer or glass of Pimm’s, it will be served in an attractive reusable cup. Not only will this be nicer to drink out of than a thin disposable plastic cup, but also there will be a lot less rubbish to clear up and dispose of (so less landfill, saving the over 1000 plastic cups thrown away in 2017), and the reusable cups will help to make FEF a more environmentally-friendly event.

We are able to buy the reusable cups thanks to the generous sponsorship of local businesses Voland Roofing

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and Malary and also the support of FECA. There will be a £1 deposit to pay when you buy a drink, but this is refundable when you return your cup. Or you can keep the cup if you want to, either for another drink later in the weekend, or to take home as a souvenir.

Buying this: • •

• •

a drink from one of the festival bars will work like order your drink in addition to the cost of your drink, the bar will charge a £1 deposit enjoy your drink! either take your cup back and the £1 will be refunded, OR buy another drink and it will be served in a clean cup, OR take the cup home, wash and bring it back the next day or keep it to use at home.

The cups will be washed and stored and kept for the next Fen Edge Festival. They will also be made available for other village events, so if you have an event coming up and you want to avoid buying disposable cups, do get in touch with the FECA to ask about borrowing the reusable cups. http://www.sustainablecottenham.org.uk/

FEN EDGE FESTIVAL CARNIVAL CAFE PLEASE if you are able to bake a cake (or two!) for the cafe, we would be very grateful.

For cake donations please deliver to 17 Pelham Close, Cottenham on Thursday 20 June after 3:30pm, or to Cottenham Village College on Friday 21 June between 4pm and 8pm, or just bring along on the day.

We also need some gazebos, if you have one that you are able to lend us, then email Caroline on dethridgefamily05@gmail.com or contact by phone 07471 200471.

Written by: Pippa age 13, Thomas age 13, Emma age 13, Finley age 12, Esther age 12, Rosie age 10, Dylan age 9 and Emma age 16.

A reminder to come and visit our Carnival Cafe at the Fen Edge Festival, Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 June.

We look forward to seeing you.

We will be selling delicious homemade cakes, tea, coffee, squash and even some mocktails in the College Common Room. There will be indoor and outdoor seating.

Not only will we be providing refreshments, you can also take your photo in a carnival-themed photo booth, have a go at juggling, plate-spinning, hoopla and much much more.

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 August and September.

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COTTENHAM LIBRARY Many thanks to those of you that have already donated unwanted spectacles and cases for recycling by the charity Vision Aid Overseas. Please continue to bring them to Cottenham Library where there is a collection box in the foyer. You will also find a box for any used postage stamps which will be given to various charities

GARDENERS’ CLUB I’m writing this on holiday at Dunwich Heath, where gorse is blooming magnificently, scenting the air with coconut.

We hope to visit nearby Woottens of Wenhaston while here, and Harvey’s Garden Plants on the way home.

In June the Gardeners’ club has its Garden Party, at noon on Sunday 9, in the garden of Ken and Dawn Marr. Guests are welcome to come at a cost of £4 per head (lunch is included). At the end of the month, on Friday 28, Claire Matthews will talk about A History of Easton Lodge.

Coffee and Chat – third Wednesday in the month.

Everyone is welcome 10:30am to 12:00pm. Come and join us. Nominal charge for coffee. Next dates 19 June and 17 July.

In July there is no regular meeting, but on Tuesday 16 there will be an evening visit to Cambridge Botanic Gardens with a guided tour led by Aubrey Bould, who’s a volunteer guide there.

Library opening times are as follows: Monday – 4pm to 7pm, Tuesday – 10am to 5pm, Wednesday – 10am to 1pm, Thursday – 10am to 5pm, Saturday – 10am to 1pm.

Our club has close links with Willingham Gardening Club, which organises four coach trips each year, with a pick-up point at Cottenham Green. Their first outing of the year is on June 8, to Wakehurst Mansion and Botanic Gardens, then on July 13 they will visit Oakham and Barnsdale Gardens. Our own coach trip will be to RHS Wisley on September 8 – more details to follow.

COTTENHAM WI We have a brand new programme with lots of events. You are very welcome to come along and try. There is a small charge (for non members) of £3 for a meeting where there is a speaker. Meetings where there is food the charge will be slightly more.

Events: June 12 Yvonne Pinchen will be speaking about being a Green Badge guide in Cambridge.

This will be in the Tony Cooper suite at Cottenham Village college at 7:30pm July 10 Garden Party at 123 High St Cottenham.

Please ring 01954 250870 by 1 July to book a place.

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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. The evening closes with a raffle, with prizes mostly donated by club members. Annual subscription costs £14, but guests are welcome to try a single meeting for £2 before hopefully, joining the club.

For further information please contact Sarah Dumont, Tel: 01954 260482

COTTENHAM COMMUNITY CINEMA Roger Ebert, the American film critic, once said: “I feel it adds something to a movie-going experience to share it with other people. It’s communal.” This is certainly a viewpoint we at Cottenham Community Cinema agree with. There’s something slightly magical about creating a cinema for one night only and coming together to watch (and hopefully enjoy!) each month’s film.

Our most recent screening, the Oscar-winning Bohemian Rhapsody, was especially magical. Telling the story of the band Queen and Freddie Mercury, the film was riotously over-the-top, and packed with classic songs. Rami Malek took home the Best Actor Oscar for his performance as Freddie, but I do feel his false teeth should have got a nomination for best supporting role! This film attracted one of the biggest audiences we’ve ever had at the cinema.

As we frantically hunted for more chairs (and spaces to put them!), more and more people kept arriving. I’m happy to say we did manage to find a space for everyone, but apologies to those people who arrived without tickets who we had to turn away – we really were full to absolute maximum capacity.

If you would like to come along and join us, we usually show films on the first Sunday of every month in Cottenham Community Centre. You can find out about upcoming films by looking on our Facebook page (www.facebook. com/CottenhamCommunityCinema/) or looking out for the posters around the village. Tickets are available from the Community Centre coffee shop, online, or on the door if we have tickets left. We have a bar fully stocked with drinks and popcorn to help you enjoy the show, and at the end there’s usually an opportunity to chat with others about what you thought of the film should you wish (it’s entirely optional).

Hope to see you there!

Chris Walsh

We’ve shown some great films already in 2019: Emma Thompson making life-or-death decisions in The Children Act, Ryan Gosling walking on the moon in First Man, and singing Yetis learning to live in peace with humans in the kid’s animated film Small Foot. I’m looking forward to seeing what cinematic treats the rest of 2019 has in store for us.

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PARISH COUNCIL Engagement Cottenham is one of the largest, more proactive parish councils in South Cambridgeshire. This inevitably brings us into conflict from time to time with other bodies whose policies – whether for housing, policing, traffic management, transport or waste management etc. – may not be right for Cottenham. Should we be a thorn in their side or just let them get on with stuff, however badly? Let us know.

Annual Parish Meeting Thank you to everyone who attended the meeting. The reports and minutes are available on our website.

Council and Committee Meetings A reminder that our Full Parish Council meeting takes place on the first 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.

We would strongly recommend anyone with a planning application to attend the relevant meeting to provide the Committee with additional information if required.

Office Opening Hours The Parish Office is open every Monday between 9:45am – 12 noon. Appointments are available outside of these hours by emailing or phoning – details below. The Clerk is contactable between 9:30am – 2:30pm weekdays only and messages can be left outside of these hours. Please

note that our staff don’t work at weekends or public holidays.

Fen Edge Festival As part of the Festival we will be hosting a display/ information stall on the Village Green on Saturday 22 June.

Neighbourhood Plan Our draft plan was submitted back in January and South Cambs District Council recently completed their “Regulation 16” consultation on it. An Independent Examiner has been appointed and we should soon be receiving his views on the acceptability of the plan and the relevance of the comments. If the suggested amendments are acceptable, the modified plan should go to a referendum later this year, possibly after a further limited consultation on parts of the plan. Several of the policies within the plan have already received planning permission – most recently the Durman Stearn application to relocate their business to Hay Lane, helping to reduce heavy traffic in the village centre.

Formalising our Neighbourhood Plan will be a great help as SCDC begins the revision of its own Local Plan, in concert with the City Council. The pressure to add housing remains strong with catalogue designs from the major house-builders threatening the character of the villages around Cambridge.

Major Building Developments This is a story in two halves – Bellway and Persimmon are making progress. Bellway has yet to install the necessary pavements to meet conditions for the development, although they have begun identifying where the underground utilities are located. Phase 1 is a pavement between the site entrance and The Rowells (this should be completed by time of publication). Phase 2 involves improvements from The Rowells to the junction with Histon Road; this should be completed by 1 September. Further work by Persimmon will include upgrading the Oakington Road/Rampton Road roundabout. Gladman and the County Council are still a long way off getting the final “reserved matters” planning permissions necessary before construction can begin. The County Council has recently sold part of their site to their developer This-Land Ltd. The sale currently excludes any part of our leased land.

Village Hall/Nursery update Any time now, we hope the projects to create a new Early Years Nursery and to replace our ageing Village Hall with a new purpose-designed facility will be physically underway.

Invitations to tender were sent out in late March with bids

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evaluated in May. We obtained permission to borrow the necessary funds based mostly on the continuing £1/week /Band D home supplementary precept. Revenues from the facilities and developer contributions will help us reduce the scale and duration of the loan. We will be providing temporary accommodation alongside the Sports Pavilion to minimise disruption to regular users. We are now looking for ideas and grants to fit out the key rooms; potential sponsors and/or partners are especially welcome.

The Pound – short stay parking only Please note that the car park on the High Street opposite the Post Office is for short-term parking only. Monday to Friday there is a one hour time limit between 8am – 7pm, with no return within two hours.

Recreation Ground playground Following resident suggestions the play area is now a no-smoking zone. There is a designated smoking zone at the front of the Sports & Social Club with a bin provided.

During the Village Hall construction smoking will be permitted in the car park.

Highways LHI bid – we’re pleased to say that our bid for a grant towards ‘soft traffic calming’ works on Histon Road was successful. We’re waiting further information from the project officer regarding timings etc.

Histon Road cycle studs – work is now expected in June/ July to install 130 new studs between Cottenham and Histon (the whole unlit length). The existing ones will be left in place and the gaps between them filled with new studs, spaced as before in pairs at 18 metre intervals.

If you see any problems, please report them directly

to County Highways at: https://highwaysreporting. cambridgeshire.gov.uk/ or by calling 0345 045 5212.

You can also see what roadworks which are being carried out – go to www.roadworks.org. You can change the view to see what's going on today, next two weeks, three months etc. By clicking on the envelope icon to the left of the page you can set up alerts to your email address.

Tennis Courts We’ve undertaken extensive works to the grass courts to make them playable this season. Please contact the Clerk for the access code (this will be changed at the start of each month).

Cricket Nets Permission has been obtained to install cricket practice nets at the Rec, subject to conditions.

Wildlife habitat improvements We will be investing in some habitat improvements to compensate for disruption caused by the Village Hall, Nursery and Cricket Training area. As part of the “New Life on the Old West” project we are also working with Cambridgeshire ACRE to improve the wildlife friendliness of several pieces of the Old Rec (off Broad Lane), WARG Field (off Histon Road) and Fen Reeves (Twentypence Road). Suggestions include a small pond and planting of native fruit trees on WARG Field, a large pond complex at the Old Rec and habitat enrichment at Fen Reeves. Watch out for details and updates on our website/social media.

Environment Agency Hotline Several sites in/around Cottenham (i.e. Amey, Cambridge Recycling/Cottenham Skips & Malary Oils) are regulated under a permit issued by the Environment Agency and therefore complaints of odours/mess on the highway etc. need to be reported to them via their 24/7 incident hotline on 0800 80 70 60. It is advised that residents complain when the issue is problematic and on each and every occasion that you are troubled by the issue. “If it’s not reported, it never happened” as far as the EA is concerned.

Sports Pavilion Hire If you’d like to hire the Sports Pavilion multi-purpose room (up to 40 people) for your birthday party, christening, anniversary celebrations, classes etc. please contact Sam (asstclerk@cottenhampc.org.uk) for rates and availability.

You can also check the diary and make provisional booking enquiries via our website.

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DISTRICT COUNCILLORS’ REPORT It is now a year since we were elected as members to South Cambridgeshire District Council and the control of the Council shifted from Conservative to Liberal Democrat.

We were elected with, among other things, a commitment to improve communication with residents. One or other of us has attended every full Parish Council meeting in Cottenham and Rampton. We have filed reports in every Cottenham Newsletter. In addition, we have run a number of drop-in sessions through the year at the Community Centre and we are keeping residents up to date with regular posts to our Facebook page (Cottenham and Rampton). We hope you have noticed the difference.

Following a public consultation, a new Business Plan for 2019 to 2024 has been published, which changes the direction of the Council. We are committed to providing homes that are truly affordable for everyone to live in; to help local businesses to grow; to be green to our core and to create a modern and caring council. Check out the new Business Plan at: www.scambs.gov.uk/busnessplan The council has also approved the budget for 2019–20.

The council no longer receives central Government grants and the amount of Council Tax the council can raise is also capped by the Government. The District Council precept was increased by £5 for a Band D property which equates to a 3.6% increase. The total Council Tax bill for a Band D property in Cottenham and Rampton is:

being defined just by the cost of the property itself to also by the costs to live in it. That means an emphasis on ensuring new homes that are energy and water efficient ,and either accessible to places of employment by walking or cycling, or in locations that are well served by public transport. There is absolutely nothing affordable about a home that is only practical if each occupier needs to own a car to get to their place of work or study.

One of our priorities is the provision of more council houses and an insistence on meeting agreed targets for affordable housing in new developments. In the last year we've completed 34 new council houses and 13 shared ownership homes and have another 61 council houses plus 24 shared ownership homes currently being built.

The Home Office previously asked the council to help with the rehoming of refugees two years ago, and the then minority Lib Dem Group put a motion to Council proposing this but it was voted down by the majority Conservative Group. We are proud that we reversed that decision and we hope to be able to provide homes for these 5 families by the time of the end of the Home Office scheme in December 2019.

It has been a busy time on planning matters. We have supported a very important planning application for the new site for Durman Stearn at Elm Tree Farm and this was approved in April. This was Council tax for a Band D property in 2019/20 £ per year Cottenham Rampton a brownfield development in the Green Belt. This will Cambridgeshire County Council 1217.13 1217.13 enable the relocation of Cambridgeshire County Council – Adult Social Care Precept 94.98 94.98 Durman Stearn’s operations South Cambridgeshire District Council 145.30 145.30 from the High Street that will reduce HGV traffic through Cambridgeshire Police & Crime Commissioner 222.66 222.66 the village. A change of Cambridgeshire Fire Authority 70.74 70.74 use application for the existing site will create Parish Council 121.98 73.05 a new strategic site for TOTAL £1872.80 £1823.80 redevelopment in the heart of the village.

We introduced additional council tax charges for empty properties. Effective April 2019, homes that are empty You will recall that we opposed Amey’s incinerator planning for two years or more will be charged double the regular application to the County Council. The County Council Council Tax (i.e. an additional premium of 100%). rejected the application on the basis that there was an adverse impact on the important heritage asset of Denny A new housing strategy in South Cambridgeshire has Abbey. Amey have now appealed the County’s decision. been adopted. We have shifted the focus from affordability Cambridge City Council and South Cambs Council are working together on North East Cambridge Area Action Plan for a new plan for development of the area west of Cambridge North Station. The Government has confirmed funding of £227 million from the Housing Infrastructure Fund to relocate the Anglian Water waste water recycling centre from its existing site and Anglian Water will soon begin a consultation process with communities and stakeholders.

We will work with partners and planning authorities to ensure that the process of deciding the relocation of the water recycling centre is robust and transparent.

Neil Gough and Eileen Wilson

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ALL SAINTS’ CHURCH COTTENHAM A church for everyone and open to all.

Have you ever wanted to give thanks for your pet or animal? Well now you have the chance, join us as we thank God for all the joy and support our animals give us.

We are holding a ‘Pet Service’ on Sunday 14 July 2019 at 10:30am at All Saints’ Church. Bring your dog, cat, budgie or guinea pig along with you to be blessed! Then continue the celebrations with us as we all gather in the rectory garden for a family picnic!

Check out our website www.allsaintscottenham.org. uk nearer the time for more details or follow All Saints’ Church Cottenham on Facebook.

SHORT STORIES AND POETRY Readers are invited to send in either original poetry or short stories for inclusion in the Cottenham Newsletter. Short stories should be no longer than 600 words. The objective should be to entertain the general readership – go on, have a go!

SINGING FOR FUN We are a group of people who sing for fun in Cottenham.

We have a steadily growing membership. Most of our members live in Cottenham but we also have members who join us from Histon and Waterbeach.

We would love to see some new faces, so why not come and join us. We do not think of ourselves as a choir just a group that enjoys singing. You do not need to audition or be able to read music. We just want you to come and sing and enjoy yourself.

We do sometimes share our enjoyment of music and singing by promoting our group with live performances.

We have sung with Cottenham Brass Band and recently sung at Cottenham Community Centre to help celebrate their 10 year anniversary.

We meet during term time on Thursdays between 1:45pm and 2:45pm at the Salvation Army Barn, 184 High Street, Cottenham. The first session is free then, should you choose to join us, there is a small weekly fee. We end each session with a cup of tea and a biscuit!

If you would like further information please contact: Mary Garside, 01954 204508 mary.garside@ntlworld.com

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FITZWILLIAM HOUSE CARE HOME RECEIVES OUTSTANDING CQC RATING Following an unannounced visit by inspectors, Fitzwilliam House Care Home, in Cottenham, Cambridge, has been rated as ‘outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC)

“This is a testament to the staff who are the ‘real magic’ behind the scenes, and to the people who live here as we work and live our lives together as a family,” explained Home Manager, Jayne Wardell.

People living and working at Fitzwilliam House Care Home are celebrating this recognition of outstanding care and sharing their success with their local community and friends.

“The team and I are so thrilled, proud and excited to be awarded an outstanding rating”, Jayne continued, “One of our relatives told us ‘less than 1% of care homes in the UK have an overall rating of outstanding’ which has made us feel more honoured to be recognised.”

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) praised Fitzwilliam House for the ‘outstanding’ care they provide to the people who live there. They said that the team delivered care and support that was exceptionally personalised and responsive to people's likes, dislikes and preferences.

Staff were kind, caring and motivated and people, their relatives and external professionals described them in glowing terms.

The report also says that people who lived at Fitzwilliam House Care Home received outstanding care from a team who were passionate about delivering a high-quality, person-centred service. People were truly valued and staff knew each person well, their views were respected and they were involved in everything that happened in the home. People were happy to be living there and relatives trusted the staff team to look after their family members.

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“There is no magic formula or tick box exercise to reaching an outstanding rating but the Excelcare family ethos is evident from the board room to every person who lives and works in the home. We work each day to give every person here the opportunity to experience a day well lived.”

The full report will be made available shortly on CQC’s website.

Excelcare’s Chief Operating Officer, Sam Manning, sent a message of praise to the team at Fitzwilliam House, saying “This news is simply amazing and very well deserved; there is just so much to celebrate in the report that really evidences just how outstanding you all are!”

BIRD WATCH – FENLAND CRANES If you didn’t know better, you might have thought I was going to discuss the seemingly interminable civil engineering and construction work that is going on in our vicinity. But, no this is Bird Watch, so the topic is the avian Crane – specifically, the common crane (Grus grus). The bird whose scientific name simply means “crane crane”, coming from the Latin for crane, funnily enough.

Grus grus is a tautonym where the binomial is doubled up to represent the archetype of the family. Other examples include Carduelis carduelis (European goldfinch), Troglodytes troglodytes (Eurasian wren), Buteo buteo (common buzzard), and a triple tautonym Gorilla gorilla gorilla (although as you might guess, that's not a bird, it's the western lowland gorilla).

Anyway, there are several dozen common cranes that seem to spend their time flying between various sites and their surroundings around East Anglia – namely: RSPB Lakenheath, WWT Welney, RSPB Nene Washes and RSPB Ouse Washes, RSPB Ouse Fen, RSPB Fen Drayton Lakes, Kingfisher’s Bridge Nature Reserve and nearby NT Wicken Fen. Presumably, once airborne, these large and graceful birds can survey a large area of the flatlands and head for whichever patch of wetland they fancy for any given period. I’ve seen them and photographed them from a distance at several of the spots mentioned above.

The largest number I’ve seen at one time is 37, but proper birders tell me that there are some 45 around and that there may well be at least one courting pair, which is good news for a species that was extirpated from the British Isles by the 17th century. There is also a tiny breeding population in the Norfolk Broads and the bird was reintroduced to the Somerset levels in 2010.

In March, I saw two dithering about which direction to take over RSPB Ouse Fen (which nestles between the South Cambridgeshire villages of Needingworth, Bluntisham, and Over. It’s a converted gravel quarry site split in two by the River Great Ouse (a tautonym itself given that “ouse” means “river”. A large part of this patch of land is still active quarry, presumably providing gravel and sand for the aforementioned construction work.

Spottin’em in Cottenham: Recent sightings At the time of writing there were few signs of the wellknown summer visitors, such as the house martins, swallows, and swifts, but there were plenty of blackcaps and chiffchaffs around and the yellowhammers were very active. Goldcrests are residents rather than summer migrants, but I hear reports of them more often now in people’s gardens, indeed we had one for a while. It is the joint-smallest bird in the country, alongside the firecrest.

If you walk or ride along the new bridleway that connects the Les King Wood to the bridge on Broad Lane you will probably have spotted at least one buzzard that favours the field there. There are usually lots of buzzards around.

Red kites are becoming a more common sighting locally too and a recent sighting of a hen harrier over the village.

Meanwhile, the Broad Lane balancing pond had some interesting waterfowl in March and April including a pair of teal and a solitary little grebe, although they don’t seem to have settled. Perhaps the pond needs managing differently to encourage wildlife diversity. One reader who lives on the adjacent “birds” estate tells me she has had several reed buntings at her garden feeders. “Reed Bunts” as they’re known to birders seemed to be around in large numbers across the region in the early part of the spring.

Also on the bird-ar, apparently there have been ravens sighted in the fields east of Histon Road. Ravens are a huge, black and foreboding corvid; bigger than the aforementioned buzzard. And speaking of corvids, the hooded crow, which was first spotted in the field this side of Long Drove at the Amey landfill site is still hanging around and has been joined by a couple of other uncommon visitors from the north – an Icelandic gull and a glaucous gull, the world’s second-biggest gull after the great black-backed gull.

If you see any unusual birds do let me know birds@sciencebase.com David Bradley – https://sciencebase.com/birds

Issue Number 171 • page 13

Issue Number 171 • page 14

Letters to the Editor: Trees in sorry state I have returned from a country walk of two and a half hours around Cottenham and have seen the destruction and carnage done to the hedges, and the disappearance of hedges along Rampton Road, leading to Rampton, alongside the playing field by the car park and worst of all the walk through the meadow of Gautrey Way (used to be called Sovereign Way), all the blackberry hedges by the walnut tree gone.

INTERIOR & EXTERIOR

The chopped down trees (what is left) of them left are in such a sorry state. Does no one, say inspector of works, look over the damage and eyesore of the workmen? Birds need hedges and humans do not want to look at empty spaces.

Mrs M Barnes

Deadline:

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.

ADVERTISING

FOR NEXT ISSUE

To discuss your advertising requirements

20TH JUNE

Contact Liz Porteous on 01954 250468 cottenhamnewsletter@gmail.com Artwork, if required, is charged separately, minimum ÂŁ5.00. depending on the amount of work involved.

Quotations are available on request

Issue Number 171 • page 15

WORRY TREE CAFÉ IN HISTON The Worry Tree café offers a safe, friendly, nonjudgemental space for individuals over 18 in our area who are suffering a downturn in their mental wellbeing. The café is available to anyone who may be feeling isolated, lonely or overwhelmed (perhaps as a sole carer a single parent, or due to a bereavement) and to those of us feeling anxious or suffering from low mood or depression.

The Worry Tree café runs from 5pm to 7pm on the second and fourth Wednesdays monthly in the Saint Andrew’s Centre Café, High Street, Histon CB24 9JE.

EVER CONSIDERED VOLUNTEERING? Do you have 2-3 hours to spare once a week?

At Cambridge University Hospital (Addenbrooke’s and the Rosie) volunteering is a long-established part of hospital life. With a variety of different roles on offer there is bound to be something that suits you, all of them help improve the experience of our patients.

Find out more information on our website https://www. volunteering.cuh.org.uk/ or give us a call on 01223 586616. We would love to hear from you.

GRANT FUNDING FOR SMALL AND MEDIUM BUSINESSES Small and medium businesses in Cambridgeshire can access Grant Funding and Free Energy Efficiency reviews, thanks to ERDF funding. The Business Energy Efficiency programme can potentially provide grant funding up to a maximum of £20,000, or 25% of project costs, to eligible businesses for energy efficiency improvement measures such as LED lighting, heating, insulation and solar PV. The pot of grant funding is limited and businesses are urged to register their interest by 30 June 2019 at: www.beecp.org/sign-up or call 01733 882549 or email info@beecp.co.uk

VOLUNTEER VAN ASSISTANT NEEDED AT CAMBRIDGE RE-USE Physically fit and energetic people wanted to fill voluntary van assistant positions. As a valued member you will be assisting the driver and other crew member delivering/ collecting furniture to and from customer’s homes. If you are interested in helping half a day or a whole day each week, we are recruiting for crews Monday – Saturday.

For further information please phone 01223 414554 or email cara@cambridgereuse.org.uk

Issue Number 171 • page 16

Small ads: 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 .........

TOM’S TECH SUPPORT. All your technology needs covered. Setup, troubleshooting and advice for computers, laptops, mobile phones, printers, Internet/Wi-Fi, and TV’s. Call 01954 775004, Email: tom@ient.me .........

TUITION. ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE (EFL).

Teresa Haymer Cert Ed TEFL MA – General English, all levels, Business English, other ESPs & Homestay Immersion Courses. Email: teresahaymer@gmail.com or text to: 07410 978290 .........

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 .........

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 .........

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 .........

AVON DELIVERED FREE in Cottenham and surrounding villages. Visit my Facebook sales page (Sage Rose BeautyAvon) either shop online or request a brochure. Tel: Samantha 07914 968560 ........

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. .........

FENCING – P MARTIN FENCING, all types of fencing undertaken, over 30 years trading, please call 07802 440494 or 01954 250568 email pmartinfencing@gmail.com for a free no obligation quote and advice. ​.........

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 .........

FURNITURE POLISHING AND REPAIR Polishing and restoration of antique (and not so antique) furniture by a local Cottenham restorer. Rob Ellis: 01954 250153 .........

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 .........

DOG DAY CARE IN COTTENHAM. Open Mon – Fri, 8am to 6pm. Great area for 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 .........

AGRIPEST If you’re looking for a friendly, reliable and competitive pest control service then please get in contact with AgriPest today! Rats, mice, wasps, moles and much more! Please call Neil on 07889 018041 or email AgriPest@ outlook.com. Thank you. https://www.facebook.com/ AgriPestcambs/ www.agripestcontrol.co.uk .........

THE VILLAGE FOOT CLINIC Wilburton Clinic & mobile chiropody for: nail cutting/nail thickness reduction, corns, callous and cracked heels, diabetes etc. Assessment and treatment £29. Marisa Jolley MCFHP MAFHP. Tel: 07909 943171 .........

Why not advertise in the Newsletter! Items for sale, announcement of family events, local products and/or services...

10p per word, with some proceeds going to the MAGPAS charity. Send advertisements and payment to the Advertising Manager.

Cheques should Newsletter’.

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Issue Number 171 • 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 Firs House Partnership, 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 260482 Cottenham Tennis Club info@cottenhamtennis.co.uk Cottenham Toy Library Christina Koester 270334 Cottenham Village Society Glynis Pilbeam 251544 cottvillsoc@gmail.com Cottenham WI Gillian Ballard 250605 Dentist Wiese and Associates, 40 Margett Street 251696 Chemist 222 High Street 250556

Child, Teen & Family Counselling

Julie McCrae www.juliemccraecounselling.com 07482 723265 Counsellor & Therapist Ruth Barnett, ruby61247@yahoo.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 Neil Gough Eileen Wilson

cllr.gough@scambs.gov.uk, 07919 990299 cllr.wilson@scambs.gov.uk, 07825 770899

County Councillor Tim Wotherspoon

timwothers@aol.com,252108 01223 301426

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 Panther Taxis 01223 715715/424424/523523 Library Margett Street 0345 0455225 Library at Home Service (formerly Doorstep)

0345 045 5225 your.library@cambridgeshire.gov.uk 583651 252298

Office hours: 9:30am-2:30pm Wednesday and Friday Baptist Church Church Office 252378 Catholic Church St Laurences Church 01223 704640 Methodist Church simon.oliver@cantab.net

07554 202929 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

Parish Church Revd. Lynda Davies Parish Administrator Matt Unwin-Riches

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 171 • page 18

www.cottenhamnews.org.uk

LOCAL ARTISTS TO TAKE PART IN OPEN STUDIOS Every year during July, Cambridge artists emerge from their studios. Local artists open their doors to the public on Saturdays and Sundays from 11am to 6pm. Artists can choose to open their houses for all of the weekends or for a few. It is a wonderful opportunity to discover the vibrant art community on your doorstep. Open Studios is not just a showcase for artists’ work; one of the principal aims has always been to bring local artists and their community together and to demystify the many fascinating processes used to create the variety of work they produce. One of the joys of Open Studios is to allow artists to meet people curious about their work. Often you will see demonstrations of equipment used. Sometimes you may be offered the chance to ‘have a go’ yourself.

The Cottenham illustrator and ceramicist, Amanda MacPhail, is just one of these artists keen to show the fascinating techniques she uses to create her stunning plates, mugs and much more. Amanda lives and works at The Wooden House, Twenty Pence Road, CB24 8SP. Her primary focus has always been ‘the image’. Amanda draws in pen and ink and then transfers these on to glaze enamel together with bright colours, to bone china; a unique technique. Throughout the year, Amanda runs classes where you can design your own stunning plates.

A visit to her amazing home is a must.

Not far from The Wooden House off the High Street, lives printmaker Iona Howard (Oasland’s House, 4 Broad Lane, CB24 8AJ). Iona Howard’s prints explore the notion of time and landscape through a contemplative exploration of surface. Recent works of the fens focus on the meeting of land, horizon and sky, their flatness altering the perception of distance. Iona’s work has gradually evolved from her monochromatic studies by introducing colour to reflect the Fens’ ever changing mood and light. During a visit to Iona’s studio, you will become aware of the intricacies of her work and how accurately she depicts the surrounding landscape. Iona will be more than happy to explain how she achieves her truly original, evocative prints.

Continue down the High Street, look out for the yellow flag and there – at Marland House, 315 High Street, CB24 8TX – you will discover the studio barn of local artist, Tracey Ashman. The barn studio contains the works of the Cottenham Collective (Tracey Ashman, printmaker, Bernadette Witchalls, textile artist, Claire Noelle Holmes, jeweller/metal worker). Tracey Ashman has practised printmaking for a decade and as an artist really enjoys

the process which can be very exacting and challenging.

As a printmaker, her creativity is limitless. Printmaking processes and techniques can be combined which provide an endless artistic journey, practising an art form that constantly inspires. Tracey’s preferred printmaking techniques are mono-printing, silkscreen and linocuts.

She gained a Certificate in Printmaking from the Curwen Study Centre in 2015.

Tracey is inspired by form, line, colour and texture. Her prints are informed by a fascination with nature, both home and abroad. Recent projects have been inspired by an abiding interest in textiles, which stems from a childhood legacy left to her by her mother. Many hours were spent in the sewing room where she was taught to sew and knit at the age of five. Tracey now incorporates stitch into her printmaking processes; the texture and form of stitch creates beautiful, unexpected marks. Cotton is now her preferred drawing medium to create line and texture in her prints, and paper is the perfect medium for capturing the beauty of the mark.

Sharing this wonderful studio space are two local artists; Bernadette Witchalls, silk spinner and weaver and Claire Noelle Holmes, jeweller and metal worker.

Continued on back page Issue Number 171 • page 19

Bernadette Witchalls is a textile artist and owns The Silk Spinner’s Studio. Here she creates silk yarns, painted scarves and accessories, eco printing, jewellery, weaving, felted wraps, silk shawl knitting kits and supplies for other spinners, weavers and felters. Bernie’s inspirations comes from the natural world and nature’s colourful palette with an element of the botanical as a theme. In her own words;: “spinning silk in particular defines me. It makes me joyful, peaceful and relaxed. I like to think that my Celtic roots called to me to spin and my wheel goes with me most places. If I cycle to visit friends, my wheel goes in my bike basket and it even goes on holiday with me!” Bernie is happy to give talks and demonstrations to groups on silk spinning.

drawn to experimenting with the erratic, one off results of acid-etching. Inspiration comes from a diverse range of sources – from the bark of trees to 1950s fabrics; it is shape, surface and tone which fascinate Claire. Claire’s work is always varied and unexpected! Recently she was commissioned to design and make a brass house number plate for one of her clients and that same month, was approached to create several etched bangles for a very special birthday. Claire finds tackling such a variety of work incredibly stimulating and satisfying.

Claire Noelle Holmes lives and works in Cottenham. Claire trained as a jeweller and metal worker at Yale College, Wrexham, North Wales. Whilst at Warwick University she completed a course of three dimensional design and creation.

To find out more and to see further examples of the work of the 5 Cottenham artists, visit the Cambridge Open Studios website www.camopenstudios.co.uk and enter the artist’s or group’s name. From late May, look out for the free printed Open Studios guides and Cottenham Trail postcards available from a variety of locations around the village.

Claire has a small compact design studio/workshop at 66 Rampton Road, CB24 8TH. Here using a vast array of tools, she designs and creates original contemporary silver jewellery and various brass, copper and steel objects d’art. Claire’s main focus is always the surface of metal.

She achieves unusual textures through metal stamping, passing metal through a steel rolling mill and is particularly

Open Studios weekends are enormous fun. Walking into an Open House may at first seem a bit strange and daunting but rest assured, you will be made to feel most welcome. Look out for the bright yellow Cambridge Open Studios flags displayed outside the houses of the artists taking part. Spend July weekends discovering the many diverse artistic talents in your village.

Printed by Target Print Limited • print@targetprint.org • www.targetprint.org