PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST INTERESTING STORES IN NORFOLK
Welcome to your September issue...
It’s “back to school time” for many, and “nights pulling-in time”
for all.
I hope your summer proved enjoyable, relaxing and, just like this magazine, full of excitement and interest! Time now to take a deep breath, look ahead and wonder why Christmas presents should already be on show in the shops! Before you go any further, however, and start making lists of who will get what eighteen weeks from now, just relax with your favourite magazine...and enjoy the month ahead.
They say age makes one become grumpier, but I don’t think that’s true, in my opinion it is not the advancing years that darken my mood it’s modern-day technology.
Now although I’m ancient enough to have been taught both the Imperial and metric systems, I am not a Luddite. Publishing was one of the first industries to use computers so I’m pretty clued-up on technology, although I admit I am so old I remember when mobile phones were used to actually speak with one another.
For the past few weeks, or even months, I have tried unsuccessfully to activate a supermarket card, yet every time I try to do so, I fail. Following instructions, I enter my email address, type in my password – remembering to use upper and lower-case letters and numbers etc – and then am informed that, after showing me the last three digits of my mobile number, I will be sent a code... however it never arrives.
I have tried to do this on numerous occasions and have even foolishly phoned them leaving me hanging on for what seemed hours and then giving up after deciding it was better to waste my time by doing something else I hate, like watching the latest reality show on TV.
Consequently, I have now decided to accept defeat and continue to pay 10p extra for my favourite can of baked beans and 20p for my preferred chocolate bar...
Discovering Magazines, PO Box 164, Bourne PE10 1ET
Publisher and Sales Claire Saberton: 01778 421427 | 07837 499061 | sales@discoveringmagazines.co.uk
Sales Paula Kirtland: 07903 776211 | marketing.discoveringmagazines@gmail.com
Sales Sallyanne Davis: 07737 026594 | sal@discoveringmagazines.co.uk
Editor Andy Hurst: editor.march@discoveringmagazines.co.uk
Ops Director Andy Armstrong: 07780 922214
Accounts Sarah Brooks: 07564 966452 | accounts@discoveringmagazines.co.uk
Design Sarah Gumbley | Andy Beavis | Graham Copestake | Richard Hallam
With thanks to Deadline details
Copy deadline for the October issue is Friday, 13th September 2024.
Discovering March is published by a local team and is not associated with any other business. Care is taken to ensure that the content and information is correct at the time of going to press; however, we cannot take any responsibility for loss, damage or omission caused by any errors. Permission must be granted to reproduce, copy or scan anything from this publication. For a copy of our contributors’ guidelines please email info@discoveringmagazines.co.uk.
SPONSORED BY THE SHED SHOP
Now is the time to lift onions and potatoes before the arrival of cold, damp days and before the slugs and worms can invade the crop. Onions should be kept in the light, and you can string them and then hang in a cool frost-free place such as a shed.
On the other hand, potatoes should be stored in a dark, dry, frost-free place, such as a garage or shed, to prevent them turning green or rotting. Store in hessian or paper sacks and check from time-to-time in case any are rotten as they will have a swift effect on the good tubers. It is a good idea to fork the ground over within a few days of lifting your potatoes as any tubers left will sprout next year and become a reservoir for disease and potato blight spores.
If you haven’t already made a composter now is a good time as the summer harvest comes to an end there will be plenty of plant debris which can be composted ready to condition the soil next spring. You can leave the roots of runner beans and peas in the ground as the nodules contain nitrogen. Do not forget to add “brown” materials such as autumn leaves, cardboard, egg boxes, eggshells and sweetcorn husks. The proportion of “greens” to “browns” should be 50/50 and no dairy products, meat or fish or non-degradable materials.
September is a good time to plant several crops which are hardy enough to withstand
the winter or are fast growing. Some examples are:
• Lamb’s lettuce, oriental leaves, winter lettuces, spinach and onion sets.
• Planting broad beans in the autumn is an effective way to avoid blackfly as they crop earlier.
• Both radishes and turnips are fast growing.
A few jobs that need doing include:
• Cut down asparagus to 2.5cms(1in) above the ground.
• Turn the compost heap and water if it is dry.
• Harvest apples and pears.
• Ripen pumpkins and squashes by removing leaves to allow sunlight in.
• Clear away old foliage and vegetation – leaving it to rot on the soil may spread diseases.
• Plant new strawberry plants and those propagated from runners.
• Sow “green manures” such as field beans, annual rye grass, winter mix or phacelia, which overwinter and can be dug in the ground next spring before they flower. The plants reduce nutrient leaching from the soil by winter rains and play a useful part in improving soil fertility.
• Apply nematodes to control slugs and snails while temperatures are still mild. Moist weather gives the best results.
• Feed all late crops with a general fertiliser such as pelleted chicken manure.
Enjoy the fruits of your labour!
MATTERS COMMUNITY
EXHIBITION OF ARTWORK BY LOCAL DISABLED PEOPLE
Disability equality charity Scope’s Community Engagement members have held Transforming Attitudes, an art exhibition to celebrate Disability Pride Month.
Scope collaborated with students from FACET, who support adults with learning disabilities, members of Eddie’s, a local disability arts group, and volunteers from Scope charity shop in March.
The disabled artists, from March, came together at the town’s library to create a diverse collection of artwork. By showcasing their talents and abilities, they aim to transform attitudes towards disabled people.
Sophie Pearson, youth and community engagement officer, Peterborough, at disability equality charity Scope said: “I’d like to thank March Library who have been incredibly supportive helping us organise the event. Disability Pride Month is a very special time and I know
BUSINESSES BID FOR £5OK GRANTS
Businesses have been applying for grants of up to £50,000 for shopfront improvements to businesses in the heart of March town centre.
The Shopfront Grant Scheme is part of the £8.4 million March Future High Streets town centre regeneration investment.
Up to £540,000 has been made available to businesses, thanks to the remaining funds in the Future High Streets Fund grants pot with eligible applicants being given until the end of August this year to get their bids in.
Grants will pay for external renovations or improvements to the front elevations of buildings, including, but not limited to: repairs; repainting; signage; external lighting; repair of external stonework and brickwork; repairs and reinstatement of guttering and downpipes; window display equipment and lighting; professional fees directly linked to the renovations or improvements; and accessibility adaptations to the front of the property.
We bring you items of interest for your home and community. If there is something you’d like us to cover or you have something to say please get in touch at: Discovering March, PO Box 164, Bourne PE10 1ET Email: editor.march@discoveringmagazines.co.uk
all our talented artists are extremely excited to see their stunning work exhibited. There was a wonderfully diverse range of art, from paintings, to models, a woodwork, a mosaic and more.”
NEW PROJECT FOR FENLAND
An exciting new project, funded by the National Lottery Community Fund, is being launched that will help community groups and charities across Fenland towns and villages.
Known as ‘Support Fenland’ and delivered by the Support Cambridgeshire partnership (Hunts Forum and CCVS), it offers support, training and advice that will enable groups to flourish in their communities.
The project will be launched at an event in Wisbech on Tuesday, September 24th. For more information about the event or the project please contact Marija Lysak, Fenland development officer, at ‘Support Fenland’ by emailing marija@huntsforum.org.uk or on 07561 687808.
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Powers of Attorney
APower of Attorney is a document used to give someone authority to act on your behalf. There are several types of Power of Attorney that you can set up.
General Power of Attorney
A General Power of Attorney can be used to authorise someone to deal with your financial affairs immediately. You can authorise someone to deal with all your financial affairs or you can give them limited authority.
For instance, if you were in the process of buying a property but were going to be out of the country for some time, you could authorise an attorney to sign the documents on your behalf. However, if you lose capacity, any attorney appointed under a General Power of Attorney would no longer be able to act on your behalf.
Enduring Power of Attorney
An Enduring Power of Attorney (EPA) was a type of Power of Attorney that could be made until October 2007. These, again, allowed your chosen attorneys to act on your behalf in relation to your financial affairs immediately. Unlike the General Power of Attorney, your attorneys could, however, continue to act on your behalf if you lost capacity provided that they registered the EPA with the Office of the Public Guardian.
An Enduring Power of Attorney does not allow your attorney to make any decisions around your health and welfare and they can only deal with your financial matters. Whilst an Enduring Power
of Attorney can no longer be created, those that were drawn up before October 2007 can still be used.
If you have an Enduring Power of Attorney we would strongly recommend that you review it. The attorneys appointed under it may no longer be able to act, depending on how they were appointed or they might not be the best person to act on your behalf now.
Lasting Powers of Attorney
Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPAs) came into force in October 2007 and replaced the Enduring Power of Attorney.
You can now draw up two separate LPAs, one appointing attorneys to look after your finances and the other appointing attorneys to make decisions about your health and welfare. These attorneys can be the same people, or you might have different people acting under each of the LPAs.
A Lasting Power of Attorney must be registered with the Office of the Public Guardian before it can be used, but then can continue to be used for the remainder of your lifetime.
If you have had LPAs drawn up, but not registered it might be worth reviewing them and arranging for them to be registered so that they can be used immediately they are needed. The Office of the Public Guardian is now taking up to twenty weeks to register LPAs which could cause a problem if you delay registration until the LPA is needed.
If you would like to chat to us about Powers of Attorney please contact Cath Collins on (01945) 898090 or via cathcollins@vinelaw.co.uk
• Wills, Probate and Lasting Powers Of Attorney
• Property
• Employment Law and HR Services
• Civil Litigation – dispute avoidance and resolution
• Legal assistance for start-ups and SMEs
South Brink, Wisbech, Cambs PE13 1JA (01945) 898090 | hello@vinelaw.co.uk | www.vinelaw.co.uk
Consumer Advice
Five Convincing Scams You Will Want to Avoid
By Eileen Le Voi at Safe Local Trades
Have you ever read about victims of scams handing over their life savings and thought ‘that will never happen to me’? Even unskilled fraudsters can now create sophisticated ads, seen and shared by tens of thousands on social media platforms, or mimic the websites, phone numbers and email addresses of genuine businesses. Along with Which?, Safe Local Trades is aiming to raise awareness of these scams.
1) Hijacked holiday bookings
Weak hotel email and booking systems are being targeted by hackers to send troublingly plausible messages to holidaymakers.
Once they’ve gained access to the systems of hotels and B&Bs, they’re armed with guests’ contact and booking details, and can send fake messages, texts or emails. Typically, messages claim there’s a problem with your payment, before asking you to ‘verify’ or ‘update’ your card details on phishing sites designed to look like Booking.com.
2) Fake phone and broadband providers
Here the scammers may try to convince you that you’re owed a refund, offer new equipment to fix nonexistent connection issues, or entice you with offers to upgrade your package, reduce bills or claim loyalty deals. A nasty trick is to ask you to share your screen, by downloading ‘remote access’ software.
Never disclose financial information over the phone.
3) Fake ads and rip-off subscriptions
You might be bombarded by sneaky subscriptions hidden in misleading ads. Which? reports some victims were paying as much as £50 a month to companies they had never heard of. Many have faced a battle to get a refund from their card provider, because payments appeared to be ‘authorised’.
4) Your bank account drained in minutes
Which? was the first to raise the alarm earlier this year about e-money firm Revolut and account takeover fraud (when criminals hack into financial accounts to make unauthorised transfers).
All the victims were reported to be experienced business owners, including one who lost £165,000 in an hour and another who lost £40,000 in ten minutes. None have been reimbursed.
5) Investment fraud
Investment scammers stole an average of nearly £13 million per week from almost 100,000 victims in 2020-23, according to data from Action Fraud.
Sadly, many households are being drawn into bogus investments and ‘get-rich-quick’ schemes run by criminal gangs.
If you are worried about a potential scam, please contact www.actionfraud.police.uk
Create ‘Kerb Appeal’ and Add Value to Your Home
This Holbeach-based firm are establishing a very impressive reputation for the quality of their work and the service they provide, across a wide area of South Lincolnshire and neighbouring counties. This can be clearly confirmed by the huge number of very favourable recommendations from satisfied customers on their website, www.lincolnshireresindrivesltd.co.uk, but especially on their Facebook pages.
Resin driveways are a long-lasting and easy-tomaintain option to transform the front of your home. An eco-friendly alternative, thanks to the non-toxic materials used, and available in a range of colours, a resin driveway is naturally draining, meaning no more puddles from heavy rainfall. They are highly resistant to rust, oil, corrosion, salt, and cracking, and are also the safest option, being resistant to abrasion, slipping, indentation and ignition.
The business owner explains how important it is to have a sound foundation, upon which the resin is to be applied. He recommends
RECOMMENDATIONS:
❝ … the men worked very hard, they were polite and very tidy and were able to answer all questions we asked them - a big thank you to Mark and his staff - well done!” (C.H.)
❝ From my very first meeting I felt I could trust Mark to ensure a professional job would be done. The team were very hard working and a pleasure to work with.” (P.H.)
❝ Mark’s team were very professional, tidy, and really friendly - cannot fault any aspect of their work from start to finish. They have transformed the front of our bungalowcannot recommend highly enough.” (S.S.)
to his clients the method which involves the excavation of the existing surface and installation of a permeable, tarmac sub-base, before a mixture of stone aggregate and a resin bonding solution is to be applied.
Whether you are looking for something subtle or eye-catching, Lincolnshire Resin Drives Ltd are confident you will find a driveway, path or patio that fits your requirements and complements your home. Their prices are very competitive, and their service is friendly, professional, with high quality, experienced installers.
To discuss your requirements or for a free quote, please call 01406 308201 and check out their gallery at www.lincolnshireresindrivesltd.co.uk for examples of their work.
We are trained in resin bound surfacing and understand that any work undertaken can be a big decision. Our work is always to the highest standard.
With many years experience helping customers design and create their perfect driveways/patios hassle free.
Mayflower can change your life
By Ashlie Barnard
When I founded Mayflower Financial Planning it was important to me to offer cashflow modelling to all clients so that you can make life changing decisions without guessing what your financial situation may look like later on.
One of the most common questions I get as a Chartered Financial Advisor, is ‘when can I afford to retire?’
Cashflow modelling enables us to put your financial information into our system, project figures forward – taking account charges, inflation, performance and even market crashes and give you an exact date. Moreover, we are able to build in those scenarios that might also be causing indecision such as paying off your mortgage, downsizing
or moving home, contributing to a child’s wedding and even assess the impact of serious illness or an early death. All displayed in a helpful and easy to read graph.
Feedback we have from clients is that the service is life changing. Often seeing tears of relief and on the occasions when the outcome doesn’t look quite so good, enables us to build a plan with you on how to improve and change your spending habits or financial holdings to get you closer to your goal.
As part of the process, we write out to all your providers for you so you don’t have to, obtaining the details of your pensions, savings, mortgages, insurance policies, getting a really clear understanding of where you are in achieving your goal.
If you have a ‘when can I? or ‘how can I?’ question, then get in touch with our friendly team in complete confidence on (01354) 278088 or ashliebarnard@tpllp.com
The value of investments can go down as well as up. You could get back less than you put in.
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MATTERS COMMUNITY
We bring you items of interest for your home and community. If there is something you’d like us to cover or you have something to say please get in touch at: Discovering March, PO Box 164, Bourne PE10 1ET Email: editor.march@discoveringmagazines.co.uk
HELP SOUGHT TO SECURE FUNDS FOR SPORTS PITCHES
Proposals are being prepared for four small multisport pitches in Fenland including one in March. Fenland District Council is working with the Premier League, The FA and Government’s Football Foundation on proposals to improve, or create from scratch, new games areas for multiple sports called Playzones.
The council must submit evidence of how the pitches will be used to secure funds from the Football Foundation PlayZones Programme and ensure the right facilities go in the right places. Depending on the finish chosen, which would be partially decided based on survey results, PlayZones can be used for multiple sports, potentially including recreational football, netball, cricket, basketball, hockey and rugby. PlayZones are fenced and floodlit.
Cllr Alex Miscandlon, the council’s portfolio holder for leisure, said: “This is an exciting opportunity to get some new and improved sports areas. “We’ve chosen the proposed locations, carefully based on land that can be made available for them, where we think there’ll be valuable to local
communities and sites that we believe can meet the funding criteria.
“We now want to hear from our communities to help us show the appetite for these facilities and help us decide the correct surfaces to use if they go ahead to make them as useful as possible for the sports and activities people want to use them for.”
The sites being considered include Estover Playing Fields, March, a new 20m x 30m PlayZone, likely next to the existing sports courts, plus one in Whittlesey and two in Wisbech.
The district council is asking anyone with an interest in the proposed new pitches to complete a survey at: www.fenland.gov.uk/PlayZonesSurvey People have until the end of Sunday, September 8th to complete the survey.
Photo: A PlayZone in Derbyshire. Photo: courtesy of the Football Foundation
ESTAFEST SUCCESS
ESTAFEST, a free festival held in August at Estover Playing Fields, March attracted people from all over Fenland with profits and fundraising being pledged to go back into the community, placing more public defibrillators in more accessible areas. The event included live music and a raft of stalls and other attractions.
PAWNBROKERS GOLD
HIGHSTREET, MARCH
Quote ‘Discovering’ when you call us to enquire or book!
Family owned & run since 1957, Islawrffordd Caravan Park offers the very best in quality.
Family owned & run since 1957, Islawrffordd Caravan Park offers the very best in quality.
Situated at the southern end of the magnificent Snowdonia National Park coastline in the village of Talybont, Islawrffordd is an award winning, 5 star luxury caravan park with 201 holiday homes and 75 fully serviced hard standing touring caravan/motorhome plots, all benefitting from the very best facilities, including a heated indoor swimming pool, sauna and Jacuzzi, restaurant and bar, children’s activities and adventure play area.
Situated at the southern end of the magnificent Snowdonia National Park coastline in the village of Talybont, Islawrffordd is an award winning, 5 star luxury caravan park with 201 holiday homes and 75 fully serviced hard standing touring caravan/motorhome plots, all benefitting from the very best facilities, including a heated indoor swimming pool, sauna and Jacuzzi, restaurant and bar, children’s activities and adventure play area.
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Wild about March
Toadflax Brocade Moth Calophasia lunula
By Joan Munns, of March Wildlife Group & March & District Woodland Group
‘Stay Curious’ is what is promoted to preserve the brain of those who, like me, are past our ‘best before’ date. Most of this article is completely new to me.
Those of you who have come to March Wildlife Group stalls at various events will know we give away wildflower seeds and plants whilst raising funds for our charities.
In the middle of July, I descended on our seeding Purple Toadflax plants with scissors and large paper bag in hand, intent on cutting off the dry seed heads. I stopped when I saw a caterpillar and searching the plants I found lots of them.
My knowledge of caterpillars is very limited so I got my smartphone and used Google Search. This is not always useful but for this purpose it came up trumps and told me they were Toadflax Brocade Moth caterpillars.
It is a resident species but a fairly recent arrival in the UK, first reported in 1950. Initially it was limited to shingle beaches on the south and south-east coast and soon became established. This success for the species was short-lived and it went into serious decline and it was on the Red Data list for endangered species in 2003 when my ‘Field Guide to the Moths of Great Britain & Northern Ireland’ book was published. Most websites say it is now increasing again and the appearance in a town centre garden supports that opinion.
The moth has two generations in a year, overlapping, from May to August. It pupates just below the soil surface or in leaf litter. Pupae overwinter, in a cocoon of chewed plant material and leaf litter, to produce the next year’s adults.
I have never seen the adult (the photo came from the internet) but it has been reported coming to moth traps.
There are about four thousand species of moths in Britain, many of which are micro moths. As they mostly only appear at night, their study is for specialists, not generalists like me.
Purple Toadflax is a wildflower but was originally introduced from Italy for gardens in the 17th century. I did manage to cut off some seed heads so hopefully we will have some seeds ready for the Lion’s Gala on September 28th at St Peter’s Church. The bad news is that the front garden will be untidy until I feel I can cut down the dead flower stalks of the plants.
Next Gault Wood Work Parties are Saturdays September 7th and October 5th at 10am.
If you'd like to support our work at the wood as a volunteer, please contact the Woodland Trust using this email: volunteering@woodlandtrust.org.uk
Alternatively, you might like to support the Nature's Calendar project, which focuses on phenology, which is the study of plant and animal reaction to climate change. Nature's Calendar (woodlandtrust.org.uk)
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• Boiler replacements.
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WAYNE’S WORLD KEEPS GROWING
DOORBRITE Ltd has enjoyed great success since being started by former retained March fire fighter Wayne Marshall less than five years ago.
Wayne, a retained fire fighter for twenty years, started the company after being laid off from his full-time job as a despatch manager and has seen it develop into an award-winning business, having claimed the Innovation Award at the 2024 Fenland Business Awards.
The company has recently moved into impressive spacious new premises at Platinum Business Park, March which enables all parts of the business to be located under one roof and is continuing to add to the services it offers.
Wayne said: “I wanted to get everything under one roof and have already built a new spray booth and will add a drying room to sit alongside our showroom, store and offices.”
After starting out by painting exterior doors and garages, DOORBRITE has now added many other services to its portfolio to become a major multisurface coating specialist, attracting customers nationwide. Wayne has recently qualified in Venetian plaster and has also set up a training centre for people to learn the art of granite spraying – the only one of its kind in East Anglia.
Wayne said: “The new premises are perfect as they give us room for growth. I think it is important for us to regularly add new services to our portfolio and Venetian plaster is an exciting new service we can now offer customers.”
DOORBRITE specialises in kitchen cabinet paint spraying and all other types of domestic doors and window paint spraying, ranging from internal doors, wardrobes, bedroom furniture, garages, ceramic tiles, worktops and more.
Other services include the fitment of new door furniture and kitchen cabinet cupboard handles. Wayne believes it is important where possible to renew and recycle so that customers do not need to buy new: “We want to enable people to re-use what they already have which will not only help
save them money but is also good for the environment as it helps sustainability and reduce landfill.”
He is supported in the business by his wife Kay and brothers Tom and Ben Hunter. As City and Guilds trained, DBS cleared, Checkatrade and Trustpilot members, the company is fully insured and provides risk assessments and method statements upon request.
As well as attracting customers through Discovering March, DOORBRITE picks up a lot of business via regular social media channel posts and also through the word of mouth from satisfied customers.
Wayne said: “I can’t believe how well the business has developed. I love what I do and can’t wait to provide even more surface solutions for our customers in the future.”
DOOBRITE LTD, which is the home of KITCHENBRITE and OVENBRITE LTD, is now based at Unit 1, Platinum Business Park, Thorby Avenue, March PE15 0AS. Tel: 0800 999 1070
Email: info.doorbrite@gmail.com www.doorbrite.co.uk
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MATTERS COMMUNITY
We bring you items of interest for your home and community. If there is something you’d like us to cover or you have something to say please get in touch at: Discovering March, PO Box 164, Bourne PE10 1ET Email: editor.march@discoveringmagazines.co.uk
COUNCIL SUPPORTS
ARMED FORCES COMMUNITY
Fenland District Council has reconfirmed its commitment to supporting the Armed Forces Community with the signing of its own district covenant.
The authority has long been committed to being supportive of the Armed Forces Community and by signing its own Armed Forces Covenant, superseding the 2011 Armed Forces Community Covenant, has now developed support and actions that align with all service areas across the council.
The covenant states that the council will ensure members of the Armed Forces Community don’t face disadvantages arising from their service in the provision of public and commercial services. And, in some circumstances, special provision may be justified, especially for those who have given the most, such as the injured or bereaved.
Photo: Cllr Susan Wallwork (centre) signs the covenant with representatives of the council and Armed Forces Community
GET YOUR BINS OUT ON TIME...
Fenland residents are being reminded to ensure their bins are ready for collection by 7am to avoid being caught out by some collection schedule changes.
From the end of August, some residents, who have been used to their blue bins being collected later in the day, will have seen them being collected earlier.
This change is due to a necessary switch to blue bin waste being tipped in a different location in Fenland prior to onward transport for sorting and then recycling.
Refuse teams will continue to work from 6.30am to 3.30pm to get bins collected. On collection days, bins should be presented as early as possible and before 7am.
Find your bin collection day at www.fenland. gov.uk/bins or use the Fenland Bins app.
I Can’t Believe It!
Sadly, you can’t believe everything you read, whether it’s in a newspaper, a book or on the Internet.
But hopefully if it comes from a source you can trust you should be OK.
So, if the author is a famous internationally acclaimed historian who was twice mentioned in the Queen’s Honours list for her work as an historian you should be alright.
If as well as editing many history books she wrote more than 150 internationally best-selling historical books she must know what she’s talking about.
If she was Lady Antonia Fraser, surely you think that you could rely on her? But, in her book, The Gunpowder Plot, she loses the plot a bit. She mentions Wisbech Castle, which at that time was no longer in existence, it was a palace belonging to Bishop Morton of Ely, and for some strange reason she puts the castle that no longer existed in Lincolnshire and not Cambridgeshire!
The sad thing is that people will read these so-called facts and then repeat them again in their own works even though Antonia had obviously put a lot of work getting all her facts as accurate as possible. Luckily, if you come from the Fens, you know better.
But it gets a bit more scary when you read something that might be true… or not. So, let’s get the facts right about the castle. Wisbech has only ever had one castle and that was built of stone in 1078 - and it was in Cambridgeshire. There is thought to have already been timber and turf defences there before the castle. In 1487 Bishop Morton of Ely replaced the castle with a brick-built palace and in 1656 Thurloe’s Mansion replaced it and then finally Joseph Medworth replaced the mansion with a Regency villa in 1816 which still exists. So, in all, there have been four different buildings in the same area.
But for more than five hundred years Wisbech has not had a castle. It has had some very nice buildings but no castles. Even although dear Joseph Medworth fancied calling the
present Regency villa on the site, ‘The Castle’. The fact that in no way, shape, or form does it look anything like a castle is immaterial, it just sounded good.
And it wasn’t just Medworth; many writers have referred to the Bishop’s Palace as a castle and even Thurloe’s Mansion! So, for some people there have been four castles instead of one! There are in the vicinity of the where the castle used to be, some vaults.
What have some learned people had to say about them? Alexander Peckover, a peer and Lord-Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire who had a massive library, said: “They are a great curiosity and suggests that these date from the Tudor Times. They took their present form during the time of Mr Medworth’s alterations, but there are similar vaults in Market Street...”
Another learned man, Trevor Bevis, who was a Marchbased historian who wrote a staggering 126 books about local Fen history and articles for Discovering Magazines, said: “The atmosphere of these vaults is depressive. One of the vaults bears the unmistakable traces of having been used as a prison. It might well be that here were imprisoned Robert Catesby, the originator of the Gunpowder Plot, and his fellow conspirator, Francis Tresham; these infamous persons were certainly prisoners of Wisbech Castle.”
All this sounds good but as you will learn, it is very questionable. Not everything you read is true.
I have tried to be as accurate as possible in this and my subsequent articles and have had the help of two local historians to check the facts.
In my next article you will learn what the realities actually are concerning the vaults. I leave you with this thought: “Reality isn’t the way you wish things to be, nor the way they appear to be, but the way they actually are.”
Watch out for a great book about the Wisbech castle site coming out in a few months’ time from the Wisbech historian Kevin Rodgers.
Written by Chris Donald, author of ‘Wisbech’s Secret Princess’ and
Microwave energy is widely used in a number of medical fields to elevate tissue temperatures and create precise, localised cell destruction.
Infected tissue can exist several millimetres below the surface and can often be difficult to treat using traditional methods, resulting in either untreated tissue or significant damage.
Swift delivers a precise, highly controlled energy dose. As microwaves travel into the tissue, water molecules begin colliding and creating localised heat energy – quickly destroying all infected tissue within a predetermined depth.
In just seconds the treatment is complete, leaving the body to absorb and replace the treated tissue.
For more information visit
www.treatwithswift.com
www.marchpodiatry.co.ukwww.marchpodiatry.co.uk
Opening hours: Mon 9am-7pm, Tues 9am-5pm, Weds 9am-7pm, Thurs 9am-5pm, Fri 9am-5pm and Sat 9am-1pm
A summer of fun and change at Aria Court Care Home in March
Summer has been a time of change at Aria Court. In her first months as the new manager, Jo Monaghan (pictured bottom left) has embraced her role with enthusiasm, adding unique new features to Aria.
Innovative
schemes to enhance daily life
Home Manager Jo’s time at Aria Court has already seen the introduction of several new initiatives.
Understanding the importance of daily rituals, Jo launched the ‘Mealtime Champions’ scheme. Providing specialised training for the team to ensure meals are not only nutritious but also visually appealing and tailored to each resident’s preferences. Another innovative initiative is ‘Stop the Clock’ which encourages the entire Aria Court team to down tools for fifteen minutes to spend quality time with residents every Friday afternoon. This has been widely popular, creating a more vibrant community atmosphere.
Lisa continues her 17-year journey, as she becomes our new Head Chef
The team is also delighted to introduce new head chef Lisa Whymark (pictured above). With an impressive seventeen-year journey within the care sector, Lisa brings a wealth of experience and commitment to her role.
Lisa’s journey at Aria Court began in the laundry and domestic services team. Her dedication and work ethic quickly saw her transition to a kitchen assistant and cook, where her love for cooking truly flourished. Now, as head chef, Lisa reflects on the path that led her here.
"My Nan was my inspiration," she shares fondly. "She was the head chef at a Sue Ryder hospice, and I always wanted to be like her. Working in care isn't just about providing a service – it's about making a difference in people's lives."
For Lisa, working at Athena Care Homes is more than just a job. "For me, it's the best job ever," she says with a smile. "I love to cook, and to be able to do it for a living is a pleasure. I get to see the smiles on people's faces every day. My job is all about making people happy and caring for them during some of the most vulnerable moments in their lives."
The next few months
As autumn approaches, so do more events at Aria with the Athena Care Homes’ ten-year anniversary and the iconic Christmas Fete just around the corner!
George Frederick EDWARDS LAMB
By Peter Wright on behalf of March & District Museum
Henry Lamb was a farmer at Long Hill Farm, Elm Road, March. His twenty-two-year-old son, George Frederick Edwards Lamb, was a powerfully built and robust young man who had already served in the Army.
For three months he had been acting as Bailiff under Sheriff's Officer Mr J G Peacocks. He was living with Mr Hugh Porter, a farmer at Haddenham, presumably collecting rents and bad debts.
On Thursday morning, December 22nd, 1881, he borrowed Mr Porter's pony to travel to March to attend the Christmas Prize Shooting of the March Volunteers.
He told Porter that he would be back to have Christmas dinner with him. John Waters, who had been ferryman at Mepal Wash for thirtythree years, rowed Lamb over the flooded wash while Waters' son rode the pony across. Waters estimated the depth of water to be three-anda-half feet. It came up to the animal's belly and half-way up its ribs.
house it was just before midnight and Palmer was already asleep in his bed.
Lamb called out 'Gate' three or four times before Palmer went to his window, where he recognised the man as the same who had passed the previous morning. Lamb was told that the gate was undone and that he could go through. Lamb replied: 'I want to pay you the money.’ Palmer came down, accepted 2d and opened the gate. Palmer remarked: 'You are rather late. How are you going to get through the water?' Lamb cheerfully replied: 'Oh! I can get through all right.' The night was dark and foggy and full of dangers only appreciated by persons acquainted with the district. He passed through and was never seen alive again.
Lamb participated in the shooting competition, coming ninth. He later attended the annual gathering at The Griffin and stayed the night in March. Considering the time of year, Lamb was somewhat late in starting his return journey. He reached The Cross Keys at Chatteris safely but efforts to persuade him not to continue his journey were unsuccessful.
The road over the Wash was private, owned jointly by Mepal parish and Bedford Levels. They employed John Palmer to collect the tolls from all who used the road. When Lamb reached the toll
The Wash water flooded the road for about two hundred yards, beginning about one hundred yards beyond the toll house. Parallel with the roadway on either side was a ditch. A few posts marked the edge of the roadway but these would be quite indistinguishable in the dark. When Lamb did not arrive back at Haddenham, Porter was not alarmed and presumed that he had stayed with his father. It was not until Tuesday, December 27th that Porter sent a telegram asking when Lamb would return. Rumours began to circulate that he had been drowned crossing the Wash.
To be continued...
Photo: a slightly later photograph, by Alf Bell, showing pedestrians waiting on the Chatteris side of the flooded Wash for the ferry across to Mepal
March Museum located in High Street and is open Wednesdays and Saturdays 10.30am-3.30pm www.marchmuseum.co.uk
Email: info@marchmuseum.co.uk
• Free hearing tests
• State of the art rechargeable hearing aids which are compatible with all mobile phones
• Effective painless wax removal
• Noise protection
You can visit us at one of our local clinics:
St Ives Practice
13 The Broadway St Ives PE27 5BX
Tel: (01480) 300955
Wisbech Practice 31 High Street
Wisbech PE13 1DE
Tel: (01945) 466386
For information on any of the ser vices we provide, or to discuss your specific requirements, please get in touch.
Email: info@clearerhearing.co.uk
“When someone in the family has a hearing loss, the entire family has a hearing problem.”
Award-winning care at The Gables care home in Chatteris
We provide short-term, respite care or longer-term support at our home in Chatteris.
Rooms at The Gables are decorated to an exceptionally high standard and most feature ensuite facilities. There are large, communal living and dining areas and access to our beautiful, well-kept garden where we host events with families and our local community.
We provide high quality care including fresh, nutritious meals and a wide variety of activities are available. Prices start from £1,000 per week, depending on the room and level of care required.
Our home is rated as good with the Care Quality Commission and for the last 7 years, has been rated as one of the Top 20 care homes in East Anglia based on reviews from the highly respected carehome.co.uk website.
To find out more, please give us a call or visit us online.
Tel: 01354 693858
Email: TheGables@blackswan.co.uk
www.blackswan.co.uk
34 HIGH STREET ‘ELWYN ORCHARD’
By Jennifer Lawler
In 1602 there were houses along the east side of March’s present High Street, each one on a long strip of land extending to the present Elwyn Road. The site of 34 High Street was owned by Widow Conie, perhaps the mother of Robert who owned the plot on which the adjacent Griffin stands.1
In the 18th and 19th centuries grand houses were built here for prosperous owners: landowners, farmers, and legal, medical, and other professionals. Grade 2 listed 34 High Street ‘Elwyn Orchard’ is a late 18th century house bequeathed with its yards, gardens, buildings and outhouses, by its owner grocer and draper David Grounds to his son Ambrose in his will in 1794.2
David Grounds’ initials ‘DG 1774’ were on the demolished 72-74 High Street and by 1841 both 34 and 74 High Street were owned by solicitor Edmund Barley, living in Elwyn Orchard. The next owner of 34 was attorney-at-law Richard Orton succeeded by 1871 by solicitor Robert Dawbarn, responsible for buying the British School building. John Brown, Justice of the Peace, and farmer owning 710 acres and employing twenty men and seven boys, was the owner by 1881 until his death in 1883 and was appointed High Sheriff of Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire. The next owner was farmer William Golden and he was succeeded by farmer William Morton.3
Following the death of Mr Morton in 1914, the building was sold with its offices, stables, coachhouse, yards, gardens, and gardener’s lodge with land. The house contained dining, drawing, breakfast and ante rooms, eight bedrooms, two dressing rooms, two servants’ bedrooms, two kitchens, butler’s pantry, storerooms, larder, scullery and cellar. There was a walled garden and an orchard.4 The new owner was Frank Drewery Bunkall, grocer and draper, who transferred his successful business Ladyman’s Family Grocers to the building. This business was later joined by Lloyds Bank which eventually took over 34 High Street.
34 was Grade II listed in 1985. It is built of local gault brick in Flemish bond and has a parapetted slate roof and end chimneystacks. It is a double pile building of two storeys and an attic. The façade is in five bays including the set-back centre bay. There are plain stone bands at the eaves and between storeys. The attic storey has C20 windows in the original openings. The first floor twelve-pane sash windows are possibly original. The ground floor was remodelled after 1914 and shop windows were inserted. Round the south side there is a round headed arch to a tall window bay, similar to the original doorway arch with its original panelled door and stair light sash window above.5
Main photo: 34 High Street as it is now Inset: 34 High Street as it may have looked in the past
1 Map 1602, March Museum
2 Will of David Grounds 1794 Cambridgeshire Archives
3 March Rates Books, March Museum; Censuses March Museum and Cambridgeshire Family History Society; St Wendreda’s Parish records, March Museum
4 The Cambridgeshire Times June 27th, 1914
5 Historic England Listed Buildings, https://historicengland.org. uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1287807?section=official-list-entry
Denture re-lines
Denture additions
Denture cosmetic improvements
Dentures cleaned and polished
A fully qualified dental technician
We meet between 10am and 12pm at:
March Library
Every 3rd Wednesday of the month
Chatteris Library
Every 3rd Monday of the month
Wisbech – Trinity Methodist Church Café
Every 3rd Thursday of the month
Whittlesey Library
Every 3rd Friday of the month
Refreshments provided
For more information
Call: 07709 741962
Email: rima@cambridgecvs.org.uk
We look forward to welcoming you!
Dentures fracture for a reason. They may have become damaged, perhaps by dropping; they may simply be old and worn; or perhaps the denture is no longer suitable for purpose.
Loose dentures may damage gums or the underlying bone structure and are also more prone to breakage. Re-lining your denture will re-stablish a good fit.
Your dentures should be inspected annually along with a checkup on your oral health, or more frequently if necessary.
162606
FENLAND VOLUNTEER BLEND
SQUASH this September
THOSE MONEY WORRIES
September is often a month of change. Whether you’re sending your kids back to school, heading off to university, or preparing for higher energy bills over the winter, change usually comes with cost. Here are some tips on saving money this September.
Starting university?
The freedom that comes with moving away and starting university is exciting, but finances can soon spiral out of control. Visit capuk.org/ budgeting for help creating a budget, so that you can make sure there’s money allocated for fun and social activities as well as important costs like food and rent.
Back to school?
If you’re struggling with the cost of school uniform, get in touch with your child’s school to find out what support they can offer. Schools are legally required by the Department for Education (DfE) to make sure their uniforms are affordable for all students. This includes allowing supermarket own-brand options and making secondhand uniforms available. Buying from any store as opposed to a designated shop or school could save parents around £50 on average, says the DfE.
Planning for Christmas?
Celebrations like Christmas can be great, but they’re never worth getting into unmanageable debt
for. September 16th marks one hundred days until Christmas Day and there’s nothing wrong with planning ahead. The closer we get to December, the higher prices will creep for festive ‘must-haves’ like toys and the latest tech. If you know there’s something you want to buy, it’s worth starting to shop around now, before prices go up. Make a list and tick things off as you go, helping you avoid impulse buys that you don’t really need.
Feeling the cold?
As the colder weather approaches, and with the cost of energy still high, we’re all looking for ways to save.
According to the Energy Saving Trust, limiting showers to four minutes could save households up to £70 a year, and avoiding using the tumble dryer could reduce costs by up to £75 a year, depending on where in the UK you live. For more advice, visit energysavingtrust.org.uk
Thinking longer term?
Make future Septembers a little bit easier by getting into the habit of saving regularly. Even a small amount adds up and can
By Lin Stanton, Debt Centre Manager for Fenland Christians Against Poverty (CAP)
provide a safety net in case the unexpected happens, or just help you reach your goals. It’s UK Savings Week on September 9th-15th, with a mission to help make saving simple, easy and rewarding, whatever your circumstances. Visit uksavingsweek.co.uk for tips.
Christians Against Poverty (CAP) is a UK charity working with more than 800 affiliated churches to deliver debt help, budgeting guidance, support to find work, life skills groups and more. Visit capuk.org to find out more.
Jade’s Joy at Slimming World Success Before After
Jade Wilcox joined the March Slimming World group in September 2023 after being fed up with the way she looked and seeing great results from her friends who had also joined. She wanted to support her mum to lose weight so she could have surgery and after joining was surprised how much she could eat as on other weight loss plans she had tried she struggled as she was always hungry.
The Slimming World plan really helped curb this and she can continue to have her favourite meal; Buffalo Chicken Pasta which the whole family enjoys.
Jade has felt more confident since joining Slimming World and is now going to more social events since losing weight and has really learned from the group how to balance life and food and still go out on days out and parties without feeling deprived in any way; she also still enjoys the odd glass of wine!
She feels more physically fit and loves shopping for new clothes in much smaller sizes and feels her physical fitness has improved along with her mental health.
Jamie Holland, the consultant for the group in March, is really proud of Jade and has really enjoyed supporting her on her journey.
He said: “She has been amazing and has proved that Slimming World really does work whilst you can still enjoy going out and having that meal out along with a glass of wine! Jade has just lost over four stone in just ten months and the transformation has been amazing.”
If you want to join the group, it meets every Wednesday at 9am & 10.30am or 5.30pm and 7pm at March 2nd Scout Hut, Mill View, March PE15 8SY.
9am, 10.30am, 5.30pm & 7pm
LAPTOPS FOR STUDENTS
Going off to university or college without a decent laptop is akin to refusing to take pads and pens. However, do be wary of buying whatever is on sale or advertised as a bargain as they might not meet your specific needs. Since there is a wide variety of sizes, features and prices, choosing the right laptop can be a challenge, so here are some tips.
Processor – CPU
As the ‘brains’ of your computer, the CPU (central processing unit) performs most of the processing inside a computer by executing instructions from programs as well as the operating system. It is crucial for running software and performing calculations and is the most indispensable part of any PC. The two most popular brands of consumer processors are AMD and Intel, both of whom manufacture a wide choice of chips, from low budget to high-spec computing (HPC) processors:
• AMD Ryzen 3 / Intel core i3offers the best combination of price and performance.
• AMD Ryzen 5 / Intel core i5better for multi-tasking, making them an everyday choice.
• AMD Ryzen 7 / Intel core i7 - good for multimedia tasks and gaming but are more expensive.
If your budget doesn’t extend to AMD Ryzen 3 / Intel core i3 on a brand-new laptop, buy a secondhand or refurbished one instead. Avoid computers with low-end processors as these are mainly found in cheap systems which offer very limited specifications.
Storage – Hard Drive
This is the part of the laptop on which all your data is stored. A 250GB hard drive can store about 62,500 photos or MP3s. If you play around with video files, you should look at 1000GB (or 1TB) drives, which can store about twenty-four hours of HD video. Beware of buying a ‘bargain’ device with LESS than 128Gb of storage space – Windows 11 has regular sizeable updates which you may have difficulty installing if you have also got ANY additional software installed or a few pictures saved.
Memory – RAM
RAM is fast, temporary storage that Windows uses to load both itself and whatever it is you are doing at the time. So, if you are surfing the internet, you are using some RAM for Windows, a little more for the web browser, a little more for your anti-virus program, etc. 4GB is the absolute bare minimum amount of RAM you should have in a laptop, but 8GB is really the baseline minimum.
Get the right OS & Software
Microsoft Windows is the most popular and versatile operating system but do check with the university in case they need you to have a specific type of software or operating system. Many colleges and universities are able to provide the Microsoft suite of applications at a SIGNIFICANTLY lower price, so check this with them before buying it yourself.
You will want a laptop with Windows 11 installed on it as Microsoft will stop supporting Windows 10 in October 2025. Some newer models currently running Windows 10 might be upgradeable but do check this before buying.
Watercress Salad SPICY BEEF AND
Ingredients
For the salad (serves 2):
1 bunch watercress, torn into pieces
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 tomato, deseeded and thinly sliced
300g beef sirloin, trimmed
Pinch of salt
1tsp black peppercorns, crushed
1 red chilli, deseeded and thinly sliced
For the dressing:
2tbsp white wine vinegar
1tbsp vegetable oil
1tsp sugar
This tasty salad is quick to prepare and the beef and watercress make a great combination.
Method
1 To make the dressing, place all the dressing ingredients in a bowl and stir well, until the sugar is dissolved.
2 Put the watercress, onion, and tomato in a mixing bowl, add the dressing and toss the salad. Set aside.
3 Coat the steaks with the peppercorns and season with a little salt. Cook under a hot grill for 6-8mins, turning once until medium rare. Set aside for 2 mins to rest and cool slightly.
4 Thinly slice the beef and add to the salad bowl, mix it all together well.
5 Serve immediately and garnish with the sliced chilli.
THE SEVEN STARS
THE ROOKSWOOD CLUB
Drinks:Delights from Dumangin G
illes Dumangin (Champagne Dumangin, est. 1884) has multi awards and is also renowned as a Ratafia producer and well-known for playing a major part in the process leading to the granting of Protective Geographic Indication, to Ratafia Champenois, during 2016.
1884 Dumangin J. Fils Ratafia Champenois (18% vol) has Champagne must and Champagnebased spirits expertly blended. The resulting mix is then aged for a minimum of six years in oak casks, that have been previously used for the maturing of top-quality wines. This results in a very fine, aromatic, tawny-coloured, full-bodied production, which is equally enjoyable for pre-dining, to accompany desserts, cheeses and great for postdining, by itself, with a subtle, most acceptable sweetness for the mouth’s pleasures and an extended, elegant finish on the palate.
1884 J. Fils is renowned for top-quality Champagnes and Ratafia Champenois productions. Also, Gilles Dumangin is immensely knowledgeable about whiskies, collecting and consuming numerous whiskies, from global origins. During 2020, Gilles released a range of limited edition, small-batch whiskies, having completed the production processes in Ratafia Champenois casks.
Dutch Rye Whisky (47.4% vol) and Bourbon Whiskey (55.2% vol) are certainly amongst several favourites from this company. Blue Corn Texas Whisky (46.7% vol) is a further favourite, with
many whisky devotees. Single Malt productions include availability of Indian Whisky (46.4% vol), Texas Whisky (46.7% vol) and Scotch (47.2% vol). These are just some of the whiskies available from Gilles Dumangin and, with such a high-quality of all beverages, I understand that many connoisseurs have not just one, but several much-enjoyed delectations.
ByTrevorLangley
Absolutely, the offerings from 1884 J. Fils are very well worthwhile checking out (in my opinion), whether a preference is for Champagnes, Ratafia Champenois Delicatesse (17.5% vol), Ratafia Champenois Finesse (17% vol), Ratafia Champenois Force (17% vol), Ratafia Champenois Fruit (17% vol) or a most delectable whisk(e)y production. The history of Dumangin, the processes and the productions make interesting reading on their very informative website. Highly recommended.
Ordering is easy and available online at www.champagne-dumangin.fr Email: info@champagne-dumangin.fr
As always, enjoy!
What’s Coming Up
WEDNESDAY LUNCHES
Served from 12 noon to 2pm
FRIDAY 6th SEPTEMBER
MACMILLAN COFFEE MORNING
From 10am. Come along for some coffee, cake and a natter. Tombola, raffle and games – all welcome
SATURDAY 14th SEPTEMBER
CHARITY HORSE
RACE NIGHT
In aid of Peterborough Breast Care Unit. Have a flutter on the tote! All welcome – FREE entry
SUNDAY 15th SEPTEMBER
TRADITIONAL SUNDAY CARVERY
Our carveries restart after the summer break. Traditional carvery followed by a choice of desserts with tea or coffee. £16pp – all welcome – booking essential
FRIDAY 27th SEPTEMBER
BINGO NIGHT
Eyes down at 7.30pm. Cash prizes and raffle – all welcome
SUNDAY 29th SEPTEMBER
WINTER QUIZ LEAGUE STARTS
The longest running quiz in March – over 30 years! Teams of 4 (max), £2 per player, 7.30pm start and if you can’t get enough of quizzes...
EVERY
THURSDAY:
FREE PUB QUIZ NIGHT
7.30pm start, FREE entry, all welcome. No limit on team size
NEW: CHESS CLUB
Meets every monday from 7.30pm. All abilities welcome –why not come and have a game?
ARE YOU A DOMINOES PLAYER?
We hold a lunchtime dominoes session on the first and third Monday of the month. 12 noon start. Come and have a game of fives and threes – it’s a great way to get out and meet people!
For more information contact the Club on 01354 653150 or go to the Club Facebook page and just search for March Con Club. If you like the page you will get all the updates for what’s going on.
Why not come and see what the Club has to offer?
We have very limited availability for private bookings. For more information about this or any of our events, please contact the club.
Featuring snooker and two pool tables plus a big screen TV, the games room can be accessed by members from 9am. Why not come along and have a look?
GER PRESENTS
Sports & Social Club
save 15% WITH PROMO CODE SNOWWHITE15 WHEN BOOKING BEFORE 30TH SEPTEMBER * *excludes christmas eve & boxing day
LOCAL CLUBS & GROUPS
Fenland Music Centre: For musicians of all ages and abilities. Fridays (term-times) 6-9pm at St Peter's Church March. Orchestra, Concert Band, String, Wind, Brass & Recorder Ensembles. For more information see our website, find us on Facebook or email fenlandmusiccentreassociation@gmail.com
Solo Club: For people who have lost partners through bereavement. Come along and join us every 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month; midday at Hot Pots Cafe – The Cricket Club, Burrowmoor Road, March PE15 9RS. Membership £5/year. For more details contact 01354 656181 or 01354 654169.
Friends of March Library: Coffee morning at March Library on the last Saturday of every month from 10 30am to 12 noon. Hot and cold drinks plus biscuits cost 50p and we also hold a raffle. All profits are spent on/by March Library. For more details contact Maureen Malvern on 01354 658247.
Wisbech and District Flower Club: See beautiful flower arrangements being made by local and national demonstrators. Meets every 3rd Monday of the month at St Peters Hall, Wisbech. For more information, call 07949 443251.
March Parkinson's Group: Meets on the first Wednesday of each month from 10.30am-12.30pm at the Braza Club, Elm Road, March. This is a friendly group and everyone is welcome. £1 per session so pop along for a free taster and check us out. Please contact Wendy Summerlin on 01354 661997 for more details.
March Lions Club: Meets on the first Tuesday of every month at 7.30pm in the FACT Community Room at Martin Avenue. New members always welcome. For more information visit marchlions.org.uk or call 0345 833 5101.
March Raceway: One of the oldest 1/12 radio control car oval clubs in the UK. Our members range from 8 to 75 years old so all are welcome! Race every Friday at Longhill Road Social Club, Longhill Road, March PE15 0PR (at the prison). Doors open 6.30pm. For fixtures and further information visit marchraceway.weebly.com or find us on Facebook.
March Jive Club: At The Braza Club, Elm Road, March PE15 8NZ. Meets every Wednesday night 7.30-10.30pm with 1:1 personal tuition available. Every 3rd Friday in the month dance with top line groups and DJs. For more info call Andrew and Donna on 01354 776229 or Terry 07979 442920.
March Triathlon Club: Meets every Thursday 8-9pm for swim training at the George Campbell Leisure Centre. All abilities welcome. For more information, please contact Mary-Anne Short via email at shortbyname@gmail.com
March Probus Club: Meets every 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month at March Conservative Club as a group of semi or fully retired gentlemen; 10am for a cuppa and a chat and then at 10.30am we have a guest speaker for approx 45 mins covering a wide range of topics. To find out more please contact Dr Allan J Whyte (Club Secretary) on 07979 887110 or pop in.
March Bridge Club: At the Braza Club, Station Road, March. Every Thursday 1.15 -4.30pm. Cost £3 per session. Please contact George Jupp on 01354 652586 or 07963 771179
March U3A: For people in their third age; retired or not in full time employment. Meets on the second Wednesday of each month at the Braza Club, Elm Road, March at 2pm. There is a range of activities available in groups run by U3A members. New members are very welcome. If you would like any more information please email march.u3a.enquires@gmail.com
March Marlins Swimming Club: We swim every week night and can offer membership to swimmers of all ages and abilities from stage eight to masters. We are a friendly, competitive swimming club. Contact us for a free trial session at swimatmarlins@gmail.com
The Other Art Group: Meets every Thursday afternoon 2-4pm at March Library. Membership fee is £30 for 12 weeks paid quarterly. For details contact March Library on 03450 455225 and your details will be forwarded to them.
March Rifle Club: meets at the indoor range, Upwell Road, March, every Tuesday evening from 7pm-9pm to shoot 0.22LR target rifles. Also potential for air rifle shooting. Please contact us prior to first attendance. Email info@marchrifle.club
The March Society: March’s civic society, involved in the promotion and conservation of March. Concerned with March geography, history and architecture. Our next event is a talk and presentation by Dr Will Fletcher – Eastern Region Team Leader for Historic England, on August 21st at 7pm. Entry is £2 members, £3 visitors. For more information, visit www.themarchsociety.chessck.co.uk
March Dog Training Club: Meets at Tower Hall, Maltmas Drove Fridaybridge PE14 OHW every Wednesday evening. Membership is £5 per year and classes are £3 per session. Puppy class commences at 6pm. For more information of other classes please contact Maggie on 01354 657185 or 07514 882509.
March Bears Rugby Club: Be part of a thriving, supportive, and fun-loving community that celebrates rugby in all its forms. Reach out on social media: @marchbearsrugby on Facebook and Instagram or email info@marchbearsrufcorg.uk to learn more.
Do You. Dance?: Every Wednesday evening from 7.15pm8.15pm at St Wendreda's Church Hall, 11 Church Street, March PE15 9PY. A small disco with a DJ, where you can come and dance your socks off for an hour to popular music from all decades. It's exercise you don't know you're doing! Adults only. Entrance fee is £3 each. Please contact Tricia on 07772 626233 for more information.
The Green Party: Meets on the second Tuesday of each month at The Rookswood Club, 27 West End, March at 7.15pm and on Zoom quarterly. For more details, find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/FenlandNECAMBSGreens
March Wildlife Group & March and District Woodland Group: Meets regularly at 10am on the 1st Saturday of each month at Gault Wood for work parties. For details contact marybarrington123@gmail.com
www.wisbechtennisclub.org.uk
07549 263767
wtcmembership@hotmail.co.uk
Call, text or email for information about a range of membership options for individuals and family groups.
Right up your street for over 200 years
Looking forward to the next 200!
For five generations we have been helping clients buy, sell, let and manage property and land in this area. Whether it be your home, farm, factory or development site, talk to the Agents with local knowledge and professional expertise, who are an established part of your community.
Wisbech
Wisbech Residential Lettings 01945 428825
Wisbech Professional 01945 428830