Discovering Wisbech issue 024, April 2020

Issue 24 / April 2020

and the surrounding villages

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Easter gardening tips

Orchard House care home

Easter biscuit recipe

Yo u r f a v o u r i t e c o m m u n i t y l i f e s t y l e m a g a z i n e – P R I C E L E S S

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Introduction

Welcome to Your April Issue.

Welcome to our April edition and I’m astonished at just how quickly, within a few weeks, we’ve moved on from those cold, dark mornings, all that rain and all of those gales … and a welcome “bye-bye to Brexit!” Blossom and blooms are here, and summer is nearly upon us.

And yet … to quote a good old Lincolnshire saying, “There’s ollus summat, mee-at!” and that something has certainly arrived with a vengeance. As we all try and come to terms with the Coronavirus pandemic, (with self-isolation, working from home, university shut-downs, total absence of sport, panic buying and gloomy economic prospects all round), it’s increasingly difficult to “Keep Calm and Carry On!” (as we Brits are often advised to do).

Let me add my own words of encouragement to you all, hoping that our issue will bring some light to the darkness and keep you informed and entertained, as we come together to celebrate a happy, and hopefully healthy, Easter.

Claire x

Inside Highlights 3.....................Welcome to April’s Discovering

Wisbech Magazine!

8....................April’s Gardening Tips 12...................History with Aldo Ierubino,

Wisbech Society 14...................A Guide To New Build Surveys

with Fraser Dawbarns.

21...................Fenland Family History Society!

24 - 25......Community Matters 27..................Easter Biscuits Recipe!

28..................Follow the bunny...

he has all the chocolate.

Welcome everybody to April’s Discovering Wisbech magazine! It’s been a crazy few months in our lovely little world; however, we hope that while reading this magazine you can completely forget about the world for a little while! We have a lot to offer in this month’s magazine, including quizzes for both you and the kids, so much Community News to sink your teeth into, and a whole lot more. Right now, it’s important to take time with your loved ones, appreciate every moment of the calm, read to your children, and laugh with your family.

Stay safe and have a lovely month, Spring is on its way.

Holly - Jean x

29..................Wines - Convenience Matters 32..................Lights, Camera, Action!

34..................Puzzle page 36 - 37 .....Whiting & Partners!

38.................Chat over a Cuppa!

39..................Advice from Diamond

Byte Solutions 40 ................Kids Puzzle Page

Publisher and Sales - Claire Saberton 01778 421427 | 07837 499061 | sales@discoveringmagazines.co.uk Account Manager - Paula Peake 07903 776211 | marketing.discoveringmagazines@gmail.com Op. Director - Andy Armstrong | 07780 922214

41...................Self Isolation Help forms 42..................What’s On! 44.................Club Guide 46..................April’s Directory

Account Manager - Tori Martin 07498 588487 | info@discoveringmagazines.co.uk Group Editor - John Schwarz | editor.bourne@discoveringmagazines.co.uk Editor - Holly-Jean | holly@discoveringmagazines.co.uk Design - Sarah Gumbley | Rob Harradine | Andy Beavis | Graham Copestake

With thanks to:

Fraser Dawbarns, Diamond Byte Solutions, Wisbech Society, Trevor Langley, Ellie Cuthbert

Accounts: 01778 421427 | accounts@discoveringmagazines.co.uk Discovering Wisbech 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, 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

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D I S C O V E R I N G

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Enjoy the 'Good Life' at Tallington Lakes

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Inside this issue Rebecca Cole - Portrait and Newborn Specialist Photographer

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Tallington Lodge Care Home Showcase Redevelopment At Open Day

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Yo u r f a v o u r i t e c o m m u n i t y l i f e s t y l e m a g a z i n e – P R I C E L E S S

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page 25

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Be Fabulous Halloween Make-Up Ideas page 20

Inside this issue Enjoy the 'Good Life' at Tallington Lakes

Dr. William John Frith Memorial Update

Issue 10 / February 2019

IN OUR EASTER HUN

Issue 61 / October 2018

Inside this issue

2018

WIN A SWEET HAMPER

Issue 171 / October 2018

39-4

Issue 46 / April 2019

pages

and the surrounding villages

and the surrounding villages

Issue 90 / February 2019

NE BOUR CICLE AL FE STIV

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and the surrounding villages

The Curtain and Blind Studio

Ride on Thomas at Nene Valley Railway

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pages 4-5

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Your favourite community lifestyle magazine – PRICELESS

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Your Garden

April Gardening Tips As temperatures rise (we hope) and days lengthen, there is plenty to do on the allotment or vegetable patch: sowing, weeding and planting.

However, beware as there is always a threat of night frosts and it is better to be cautious than to take a risk, as precious time will be wasted: don’t forget to cover early sowings with fleece or cloches if frosts are forecast.

A major task in April is planting out potatoes.

Although there is no hard and fast rule about dates, a rough guide would be; plant out first earlies around late March, second earlies early to mid-April and maincrops mid to late April. Potatoes need a sunny site, away from frost pockets – the newly emerging foliage is susceptible to frost damage in April and May and, if frosts are forecast, cover the emerging shoots with soil or fleece to protect them.

Other jobs include: • Last chance to plant onion sets and sow aubergines and tomatoes indoors for transplanting out.

• Most root crops can be sown now; it is probably your last chance to sow parsnips.

• Sow sweetcorn – an interesting way of germinating sweetcorn is by pre-chitting: lay the seeds on a layer of damp kitchen paper then place a layer of paper over in an airtight box. Check daily and when a small white sprout appears, plant the seed about half to an inch deep in potting compost.

• Last chance to plant onion sets.

• You can sow the following outdoors but under cover; beetroot, cucumbers, lettuces, turnips, oriental leaves, leeks, cabbage and salad leaves. They can be sown in pots, modules or prepared seed beds from which you can transplant them. If you do grow any seedlings in trays or modules and they have grown a couple of ‘true leaves’, prick them out and move to individual pots or larger modules.

You can also harden off young plants by putting them outdoors on sunny day but bring them back in at night or put them in a cold frame or under cloches.

The traditional planting method for potatoes is to dig a trench 12cm (5in) deep and space the tubers 30cm (12in) apart for earlies and 37cm (15in) for maincrop, in rows 24in (60cm) apart for earlies and 75cm (30in) apart for maincrop. Alternatively, you can grow the potatoes under black polythene, planting the tubers through slits. The big advantage of this • Don’t forget to regularly hand weed or hoe method is that there is no need to earth up, around seedlings as the weeds appear as and the new potatoes form just below soil level they create a lot of competition for food which means there's no digging to harvest and moisture. them – they'll lie just below the sheet.

• Make sure that fruit trees, canes and bushes You can sow several seeds indoors; chillies, are kept watered, as any fruit planted in peppers, celery, courgettes and summer the last 18 months is susceptible to drought squashes, runner and French beans, sprouting damage. Adding mulch around the base broccoli, Florence fennel, courgettes, summer will help. squashes and sweetcorn are • Sow maincrop peas and make the last just a few. sowing of summer broad beans.

Enjoy the longer days!

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History

Two Victorian Ladies from Wisbech on an Italian Journey. by Aldo Ierubino, Wisbech Society Thanks to the extensive journal kept by Wilhelmina Peckover and her older sister Susanna, we have a record of the experience of travelling through Europe and Italy in early 1872. The journal is valuable for its social and cultural record of foreign travel, and the perceptions and impressions of places visited, but above all, for enabling the female voice to speak over and above the masculine conventions of the day.

Although we have to acknowledge that the journey was only made possible by the wealth of their father, Algernon Peckover, and his presence along with a male courier for the journey, (for it was still relatively unusual for women to travel alone at that time), the very fact that they were participants and the primary recorders of the experience points to the growing importance of women in Victorian society and in particular their role in Quaker society.

As Quakers, they were interested in all aspects of the world around them, including technology, and this is reflected in the journal which focuses largely on nature, and the creative skills of fellow human

Neither of the ladies was married and whilst Wilhelmina at twentyeight-years old was still relatively young, the ‘rules’ of Quakerism which required Quakers to marry only with other Quakers, meant that they were, in the face of the lack of possible marriage partners, relatively independent of the usual masculine constraints beyond the paternal home. However, the evidence suggests that Algernon Peckover was a benign masculine role model who ensured that his daughters were well-educated, welltravelled, and fully involved with his philanthropic interests. The outcome of this was that by sheer good luck, we have been left with an informed, intelligent and, above all, feminine account, which is full of interest to the modern reader.

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beings. Hence the journal is full of descriptions of the picturesque, of snowcapped mountains, flowers and plants, alongside descriptions of the cities they visited, as well as the works of art that they saw in the major museums they visited.

They were particularly excited by the journey through the Mont Cenis railway tunnel under the Alps which had opened just the year before.

They detailed the technology that delivered fresh air and illumination into the railway tunnel, which for the first time removed the need to cross the Alps over the mountain pass, and shortened the journey to just a few hours.

The most important memento that they brought back was the record of the tour itself and the fashioning of the Grand Tour Journal for the edification of friends and family, and now for us.

The exhibition “An Italian Journey, The Peckover Family on the Grand Tour, March – May 1872” continues until November 2020, at Peckover House, Wisbech.

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Legal

Where’s The Snag? A Guide To New Build Surveys

BY HELEN JARVIS, PARTNER, RESIDENTIAL CONVEYANCING

When buying a property, a building survey can pick up issues that can affect the value of the property. A survey can bring up issues that the buyer can ask the seller to fix before completion or to otherwise reduce the selling price accordingly.

We always strongly recommend that buyers have a survey. We have heard horror stories from buyers who decided against a survey, only to spend several thousand pounds within a few months of moving in, repairing problems that a survey would have flagged.

Surveys will pick up issues ranging from slipped roof tiles or missing flashing all the way up to larger problems such as damp or subsidence. As these issues tend to be associated with older properties, people buying new build properties are less likely to commission a survey.

A special type of survey for new build properties does exist and it can potentially save you money down the line. Rather than looking for signs of wear, the survey, known as a New Build Survey or New Build Snagging Survey, checks whether the property has been built to a high enough standard.

People buy new builds on the expectation that everything will be in good condition and built to the latest specifications. You wouldn’t expect the roof to leak or to have issues that can come with older wiring or plumbing. On top of this, most buyers expect to be protected by their warranty.

A traditional survey can be excessive on a new build property, where the most common problems are cosmetic, such as plastering, tiling and brickwork. A new build can, however, have more serious problems that relate to damp-proofing, ventilation or insulation.

These issues can include badly fitted windows, damp proof courses that have been bridged as well as drainage and waste pipes that are not connected.

The best time to have a snagging survey done is after the builder has completed the work and before moving

in. However, some developers don’t allow a survey before completion. In this case you should arrange for a survey as soon as you have moved in.

Although it depends on the terms of your contract, you can have up to two years to report issues found on a new build home, but it is advantageous to report any issues early while the builders are still on site. If you leave the survey until after the builders have moved on, it may take longer to get the repairs completed.

You should also be wary of relying on a warranty too much, many buyers report difficulties in getting a claim to stick and the cover is more limited than many people expect. A snagging survey will usually result in a faster resolution of your issues.

The residential conveyancing department at Fraser Dawbarns has helped thousands of people into their new homes, providing friendly advice and support throughout the process. If you would like help with buying or selling your home or with any other legal issue, please contact Fraser Dawbarns today.

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Wicker World for Quality, Choice and Value Located at Willow Court on Towngate East in Market Deeping, Wicker World have been retailing cane and wicker furniture since 1987, and can confidently offer, (in their vast 8,000 sq.ft. showroom), the largest selection of this type of furniture in Peterborough and the surrounding area. With over twenty different suites to choose from, some of which are available in over three hundred fabrics, they are able to offer something really special to suit your needs.

If you are looking for new furniture for your conservatory, or wanting to replace your existing furniture, then Wicker World should be your first choice, offering quality brands like ‘Desser’ and ‘Cane Industries’. If your

World stock a large selection of all-weather patio furniture which is very versatile as it can also be used as indoor furniture. Along with cane, wicker and patio furniture, this very popular retailer can also offer a large selection of quality rugs, oak furniture, garden pots and ornaments. existing cane furniture is looking in need of attention, why not give it a new lease of life with a new set of replacement cushions? In many cases your frames may still be as good as the day you purchased them and all you need are new cushions, which of course Wicker World can provide at a fraction of the cost of a new suite.

With the increasing popularity of people enjoying their garden, Wicker

Next-day delivery on stock items is offered by themselves to ensure the best possible service for their customers, whilst budget-friendly prices make this an even more attractive prospect.

Wicker World, Willow Court, Towngate East, Market Deeping, Peterborough, PE6 8LQ. E-mail: sales@wicker-world.co.uk Phone: 01778 346 268.

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FENLAND FAMILY HISTORY SOCIETY We are open to anyone interested in researching their family history, no matter where your families have their roots. We research and record memorial inscriptions etc at churchyards, cemeteries and inside churches, plus transcriptions and images of parish registers. These are all published on CD-ROM. Monthly Meetings - (except August and December).

These are held on the fourth Thursday of each month in Wisbech Library, Ely Place from 7 pm – 9 pm. (Please note that it is not always the last Thursday of the month so please check.)

Available at meetings are researchers offering help with your research, our book and reference stands; plus an interesting guest speaker or member activity on various subjects. Members free. Visitors are welcome for a donation of £2.

Computer Research Sessions.

These are free and open to anyone wishing to research their family history, no matter where your families have their roots.

Our team of experienced researchers is available to help and demonstrate how to research your family using all the library facilities. The sessions are held twice a month.

On the first Tuesday of each month in Wisbech Library from 10 am - 12 noon.

On the second Monday of each month in the Barn Restaurant at Baytree in Hilgay from 11 am – 2.30 pm.

Events.

We attend many events with our informative displays, offering added interest to any occasion. You will find us at Elgoods Craft and Plant Fair and also at Walpole Flower Festival with unique displays to suit their themes.

Speakers.

Two of our members give talks to local groups with over eight different subjects. One of our speakers recently enjoyed meeting the lovely ladies of Parson Drove WI for a second time to give a A P RI L 2 0 2 0

different talk. Thank you so much for the warm welcome. We are also looking forward to attending groups in Terrington St John and Terrington St Clements very soon. For information about any of the above, please call Bridget on 01945 587723.

IMPORTANT NOTICE -

The Family and Local History Research Day.

After a great deal of thought, we made the very difficult decision to postpone our Fenland Family History Society event for Family History and Local History Research Day on Saturday 28th March in Wisbech Library.

Given the increasing impact of the Coronavirus in this country and abroad we feel we have no choice but to postpone the event. It is not the immediate risk but the passing along of anything to the vulnerable. We agreed to postpone the event until September 2020.

Please watch out for the new date, which will be available as soon as we have confirmed a date with Wisbech Library.

Our Research Sessions in the Wisbech Library will be cancelled in April, although they will carry on at Baytree in Hilgay. Please contact Bridget on 01945 587723 for further information and details.

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Matters

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 with Holly:

holly@discoveringmagazines.co.uk

VIRUS SPARKS SPRING SHUTDOWN Trustees at Octavia Hill’s Birthplace House in Wisbech have agreed to close the museum to the public for six weeks because of the coronavirus outbreak. The museum at 7 South Brink dedicated to the town’s most famous daughter, who is celebrated as a social reformer and co-founder of the National Trust, is set to close from Monday March 23rd to Friday May 1st.

All events, group visits, room bookings and meetings scheduled for that period are being

cancelled or postponed— and the grounds and the Clock Bookshop are also set to close.

A museum spokesman said, “It is important to make clear that this is a precautionary measure to protect visitors, volunteers and staff and not a shutdown because of a suspected case.”

The trustees will continue to monitor the global and national situation and decide the correct way to proceed from the beginning of May and beyond.

SCHOOL LAUNCHES NEW LITTER PICKING CLUB A new litter picking club has been set up at Murrow Primary Academy, with help from the village’s dedicated Street Pride group and Fenland District Council. The school approached Murrow Street Pride with the idea, as so many of its pupils were already attending the group’s community litter picks around the village with their parents. Now the children can help keep their school grounds and surrounding area clean and tidy too after being given equipment to help them on their way. Fenland District Council, which coordinates the district’s eighteen Street Pride groups, provided them with hi-vis Street Pride vests, children’s litter pickers, gloves and rubbish bags.

Headteacher, Mrs Ruth Bailey, said, “We are a small village school, which is striving to become even more engaged with the local community.

Our children learn about the village, invite local residents in, visit the reading café weekly and share our many assemblies with parents, carers and visitors.

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The opportunity that our Street Pride group and the Fenland District Council have provided to us is appreciated and has caused excitement in school.

As soon as our Year 6 children complete their SATS tests, we will be serving the community with our Litter Picking Club. We are so grateful and excited about this new way of serving our village community.”

Councillor Peter Murphy, the Council’s Portfolio Holder for the Environment, said, “It’s wonderful to see the fantastic efforts of our Street Pride volunteers inspire future generations to take pride in their community and join the fight against the blight of litter.

The pupils will help make a big difference to our environment and they should be really proud of what they’re doing.

Wisbech

Diane Cutler, Chairman of Murrow Street Pride group, added: “Our volunteers are delighted to have the opportunity to be involved in helping the children achieve their goals in keeping the community free of litter. Well done to the children who have volunteered to litter pick and we hope when your club becomes established many others will be encouraged to join you.”

For more information on Murrow Street Pride, including how to become a volunteer and get involved in the group’s new projects, e-mail: murrowstreetpride@gmail. com or visit its Facebook page (Murrow Street Pride Group).

To find out more about setting up a litter picking club at a school, or a new Street Pride group, contact Rebecca Robinett, the Council’s Street Pride co-ordinator on 01354 654321 or e-mail: rrobinett@ fenland.gov.uk.

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FENLAND DISTRICT COUNCIL FREEZES ITS PORTION OF THE COUNCIL TAX Fenland residents will not face an increase in their Council Tax contribution to Fenland District Council after the authority froze its share of the bill for the sixth time in ten years. Councillors have voted in favour of keeping its Council Tax portion the same for 2020/21, as the Council continues to meet its ambitious savings target. It is thought that Fenland will be among only 3% of local authorities across the country not to propose a tax hike for the coming year.

However, households will still see a rise in their overall Council Tax bills due to precept increases from Cambridgeshire County Council (3.59% rise), Cambridgeshire Police and Crime Commissioner (4.49% rise), Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Fire Authority (1.91% rise) and local town and parish councils (average 4.42% rise). Fenland District Council collects all elements of the Council Tax, as the collecting authority for the area.

The government has allowed local authorities to raise their Council Tax by up to 2% in 2020/21 (plus an additional 2% for councils providing adult social care). If Fenland District Council was to implement a 2% rise, it would cost taxpayers £156,000 overall.

But thanks to prudent financial management, achieved savings and ambitious plans for the future, the Council has agreed a 0% rise to help reduce the burden on Fenland’s taxpayers.

It means the Council’s portion of a Band D Council Tax will remain at £260.46 per dwelling, or £173.64 for a Band A (84% of Fenland’s properties

are in Bands A-C). The overall Band D Council Tax, including all precepts, will be £1,924.38 per dwelling, up from £1,865.97 in 2019/20. However, the average total Council Tax per dwelling in Fenland in 2019/20, taking into account all precepts, all Bands A-H properties and exemptions such as Single Person Discount and Council Tax Support was £1,262.74 – the lowest in the whole of Cambridgeshire.

Councillor Chris Boden, Leader of Fenland District Council and Portfolio Holder for Finance, said, “Local authorities are under financial pressure, with significantly less money coming from central government. But, since austerity measures hit in 2010, we have reduced our budget by 33% and made savings of almost £10million, whilst protecting and enhancing frontline services. Given the scale of challenges and uncertainties faced by the Council, the financial forecasts represent a significant achievement. It means we are a good position for what lies ahead and can balance our books without increasing the tax burden on our hardworking residents.”

The savings have been achieved in several ways, including management and service reviews, shared services, procurement and income generation. Proposals implemented have included the relocation of the Council’s March and Wisbech One Stop Shops, a shared CCTV service with Peterborough City Council, and the leisure centre management contract with Freedom Leisure.

LOTS OF FUN TO COME AT THE HORSEFAIR CENTRE Wisbech’s Horsefair Shopping Centre’s Easter Fun Day (Wednesday April 8th: 10.00 am – 2.00 pm) will feature a wide range of entertainment for the children to get them in the mood for the Easter celebrations – and all of the main attractions are free.

There are prizes for all children who correctly count the number of eggs in shop windows throughout the Centre in an Easter Egg Hunt that doesn’t involve looking under flowerpots and other hiding places. It will encourage the children to be observant.

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With face painting, Punch and Judy, a fairground ride, balloon modelling and even a hard-boiled egg painting competition, Easter at the Horsefair will engage with children and keep them entertained.

Kevin Smith, the Manager of the Horsefair Centre, said: “It is a busy time for parents when the children are on school holidays. We have put together a package that is both fun and educational.”

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EASTER EGG APPEAL FOR THE HOMELESS

LANDLORDS GET FREE ADVICE AT COUNCIL’S ‘LANDLORD EVENT’

An ‘egg-stra special’ appeal has been launched by the Ferry Project to help the homeless this Easter. The Wisbech-based homelessness charity, which provides a range of valuable services to homeless people and the wider community, is appealing for eggs to help give their beneficiaries a sweet treat on Easter Sunday. The eggs will be shared amongst homeless and vulnerable people using the charity’s Emergency Night Shelter, homeless support HUB, hostel and move-on accommodation.

Landlords got the chance to ask questions of a panel of experts at another successful landlord event organised by Fenland District Council recently. Professionals from the Council’s private sector housing and planning services; Fraser Dawbarns solicitors; Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service; and the bailiff service were all on hand to provide answers during a lively and informative ‘Question Time’ session.

Keith Smith, Director of the Ferry Project, said, “For many people, Easter is about families and spending time with loved ones over the holidays.

But homeless people don’t have that to look forward to. Something as simple as an Easter egg can show them that people care and help them to feel part of the community.”

Councillor Samantha Hoy is Portfolio Holder for Housing at Fenland District Council, which works in partnership with the Ferry Project to support some of the district’s most vulnerable people. She said, “An Easter egg would make such a difference to people in the Ferry Project’s care, letting them know that the community is thinking about them when times are tough. I hope as many people as possible get behind this appeal.”

• • •

Terms and Conditions apply

Ferry Project headquarters, Octavia View, Wisbech – 9 am to 6 pm, seven days a week.

Wisbech Town Council offices, North Brink, Wisbech – 10 am to 3 pm, Monday to Friday.

Queen Mary Centre, Queens Road, Wisbech – 9 am to 6 pm, Monday to Friday.

Fenland District Council Wisbech Customer Services Centre, Boathouse Business Centre, Harbour Square – 9 am to 4 pm, Monday to Friday; 9 am to noon on Saturdays.

If you, or someone you know, is at risk of homelessness, you can also contact Fenland District Council for help. Visit www.fenland.gov.uk/ homelessness or contact 01354 654321.

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Look out for great offers on our facebook page!

FREE DELIVERY

For more information on the Ferry Project, including ways to support them or access their services, you can visit their website at www.ferryproject.org.uk or contact 01945 429300.

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Any landlord/agent who requires further information relating to private housing matters can contact the Council’s private sector housing team at privatesectorhousing@fenland.gov.uk.

Shop Online with us!

Easter eggs can be dropped off at the following locations: •

The event, held at the Boathouse Business Centre in Wisbech, was the latest in a series of Landlord Evenings organised by the Council – with more than thirty landlords attending. Delegates also received legislative updates from the National Landlords Association and were provided with information on the Council’s wide range of private rented sector services.

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Recipe

EASTER BISCUITS Banish Easter holiday boredom by getting the kids involved in some baking! These easy biscuits are fun to decorate and yummy to eat!

Method

• Place the butter in a large mixing bowl with the caster sugar. Use a wooden spoon to beat until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the egg until well mixed, then gradually add the flour. Use your hands to bring the mixture together to a stiff dough.

Gather into a ball and chill for 30 minutes (the dough, not you!).

• Heat the oven to gas 4, 180°C, fan 160°C. Roll out the dough on a work surface lightly dusted with flour until it's the thickness of a £1 coin. With an oval cutter (or a cardboard egg-shaped template), cut out egg-shaped biscuits, using the rolled out trimmings to make more. Place on baking trays and bake in the oven for six to 10 minutes, depending on size, until golden brown.

Ingredients Makes approx. 18 biscuits 200g butter (room temperature) 200g caster sugar 1 egg 400g plain flour 250g royal icing sugar Assorted food colourings

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• Allow the biscuits to cool for five minutes before removing from the baking tray to cool completely.

• To decorate, make up the icing as directed on the packet. Divide between bowls adding a little food colouring to each bowl. Place the mixture into piping bags and get creative with your designs – the kids may like to use sweets or sprinkles too!

These biscuits will keep for between one and two weeks when stored in a sealed cake tin.

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Wisbech A P R IL 2 027 19

Easter

Follow the Bunny... he has the chocolate!

– by Holly-Jean

F

our months into 2020 and I think we’re all wishing we could turn it off and back on again!

How have our New Year’s resolutions gone then? Still, keeping up with them? Well, my nutribullet has gone away until January 2021 and I have approximately 79p in my bank account, I’ve been in isolation for a week and have eaten half of the house – so my 2020 saving and dieting is going... smashing. That was an incredibly cynical start to April’s article – I apologise.

It’s April! The daffodils and sun are finally bursting their way back through for the first time in what seems like forever, it’s Easter and all the children are excited – who am I kidding? I’m nearly 20 and even I’m excited.

Easter is all about re-birth and well, here we are still in the early stages of 2020 and I guess every year we all get reborn in a way. We get given the chance to forget about the year just gone and start afresh. Now that it’s coming into spring; baby birds are out, the buds are blooming, the world is now alive again and rich in colour after what can sometimes seem like a grey season – winter.

I hope the thought of Easter makes you feel a bit warmer as the kids come out looking for chocolate eggs and you’re stuffing your face with the ones the bunny left ‘just for you’.

Easter is a very special time for me, I have very fond memories of it as a child. And I guess I never really realised why. When you’re in school the story of Easter is very much hammered into you and I think,

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despite how important the story is, we take it for granted. Now whatever your thoughts on Easter itself, I’m sure you can appreciate that, much like any holiday, it is precious for families.

As I said earlier I am nearly 20 years old, however, the memories of Easter as a child still mean so much to me; running around frantically trying to find the little eggs in the garden, being terrified of the Easter bunny (I was a strange child, deal with it), having chocolate eggs you didn’t quite get through on the countertop for months.

One of my favourite Easter memories is from 2007. I had my first sleepover staying at somebody else’s house and I was petrified. We watched Coraline, which was the equivalent of The Grudge to seven-year-old me, and then we slept. Well, everybody else did. Me? I got my Mum to pick me up at 3am. I was so upset that I wimped out and came home... until I woke up to a snowy Easter Sunday morning, once I’d recovered from a possible sugar overdose.

Easter is a magical time for children and at that point in time, it became all the more special for me. This may have been due to a tonne of chocolate and snow, but Easter is a special time. Regardless of your beliefs or reasonings, just take it as a time to be with your family and feel the magic that you once did as a child.

‘You are made of stardust, wishes and magical things...you just have to believe.’

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WINES: CONVENIENCE MATTERS

V

arious types and styles of wines are widely available in these modern times.

Red, white, something in between, sparkling, dry, medium, sweet, are several of the choices to be considered, when selecting wine. There’s also organic, plus wines suitable for vegetarians and vegans.

exceptionally good wines, which are full and rich.

It is powerful and fabulous with numerous dishes, including casseroles and red meats.

Chile produces splendid wines and I found the Chilean Valle wines to be excellent. Valle De Casablanca Reserva Chardonnay is a white wine pleaser for many occasions. The climate of the Casablanca Valley has cooling breezes, to create perfect conditions for the growing of grapes. This Chardonnay flavour is fresh, with the mouthfeel and palate appreciating a good, balanced production. It pairs perfectly with salmon and other fish dishes, plus chicken and white meats.

Vine & Bloom Merlot (Italy) vegan wine is described as ‘smooth and juicy’ (again, an accurate description, which I agree with).

Dark fruits, on the nose and mouthfeel, continue through to the palate’s sensation and enjoyment.

A smooth and very popular red wine to pair with numerous dishes. Other vegan wine productions are available, too.

Valle De Leyda Reserva Sauvignon Blanc is another white wine which is extremely popular. This is a bright, refreshing wine, tending towards floral in style and wonderful to accompany salads and seafood.

Staying with Valle De Leyda, Reserva Pinot Noir is very popular with red wine lovers. Juicy red fruits on the nose lead enticingly to the mouth’s pleasures, for this smooth, powerful production.

It accompanies tuna fish and red meat dishes particularly well.

Valle Del Maule Reserva Merlot is a further, oftenselected, red wine. The Merlot grape produces 46 DL I 2 S0 2C A P RI 0

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Vine & Bloom offers Pinot Grigio (Italy) vegan wine.

Described as ‘crisp and appley’ (agreed), I found this production refreshing and pleasantly light. An excellent white to accompany a lot of cuisine.

I located these wines at a Spar store. Founded during 1932, Spar now has shops in over forty countries. Spar convenience stores stock numerous items, for everyday needs, including alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages to suit all tastes and palates. www.spar.co.uk/wine www.spar.co.uk As always, enjoy!

Trevor Langley D I S C O V E R I N G

Wisbech A P R IL 2 0 2 029

# ThatFeeling

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EMNETH Emneth Central Hall, 9:30am Tel: Carrie 07876 636 833 ELM Elm C of E Primary School 5:30pm Tel: Carrie 07876 636 833 Following the latest government guidelines we are currently suspending all groups.

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Wednesday WISBECH Wisbech Rugby Club, Chapel Rd 5:30pm & 7:30pm Tel: Sally 07919 410 258

Thursday WISBECH Wisbech Rugby Club, Chapel Road 9.30am & 11.30am Tel: Sally 07919 410 258 LEVERINGTON Sports & Social Club, Church Road 5:30pm & 7:30pm Tel: Rachel 07768 526 360

Saturday WISBECH Queen Mary Centre, Queens Road 8:30am & 10.30am Tel: Sally 07919 410 258

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“Lights, Camera, Action! ” Local Care Home Inspired by London Fashion Week Hosts its Own Movie-themed Fashion Show

February is a key month in the fashion world with the four major ‘fashion capitals’, (London, New York, Paris and Milan), hitting the catwalks to show off their upcoming collections. So, not wanting to miss out on the fashionista experience, Orchard House Care Home in Wisbech decided to host their own fashion show for their residents to enjoy. Spaced out over the year, the razzle dazzle of movies will be followed by ‘Beach Chic’ and ‘Winter Wardrobe’ shows later in the year.

This was a fashion show with a twist though – not content with simply putting on a show for the residents to watch, the team at Orchard House encouraged residents to be the stars of their own show, by having them dress up as icons from their favourite movies and strut down the catwalk themselves.

A person-centred approach is fundamental to the care provided at the Wisbech-based, residential dementia and nursing care home, and so residents

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D I S C O V E R I N G

were involved from start to finish, from determining the outfits they wanted to wear (including sending part of the team on a hunt for the closest matches in local vintage shops) to helping to design and create their own runway, to narrating the event itself.

Preparation is key to any endeavour, so the care home was thrilled when students from the Beauty Department of the College of West Anglia kindly volunteered their time to provide a truly glamorous Hollywood experience for all, by doing their hair and make-up before taking centre stage.

From a Minion to Red Riding Hood, there were a number of interesting characters to grace the stage, and to also “go on tour” afterwards, visiting the room of each resident with mobility impairments so that they didn’t miss out on the fun.

It wasn’t just the residents, families and local members of the community who loved the day, but the staff too,

Wisbech

with one noting, “Everyone came together to make this first one (show) happen. We want our next ones to be bigger and better!” and another observing, “We didn’t quite realise how much difference something like this would make. Some of the residents got tearful and very emotional seeing us in costume.”

Maxine Bain, registered manager of the care home, commented, “A fun and engaging event such as this is a great way to improve social inclusiveness, stimulate recall and encourage reminiscence, whilst also improving self-esteem and the well-being of our residents. Following the success of our events over Christmas and New Year, and the noticeable impact that substantial participation in them had on our residents finding those events even more enjoyable and stimulating than usual, we are keen to continue innovative and collaborative ideas such as this.”

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M

Y

CM

MY

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CMY

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A P R IL 2 0 2 0

Respite Care Offer 4 weeks for the price of 3 weeks *

Orchard House Care Home Where our family cares for your family Are you caring for a loved one or relative?

Why not take a break with the assurance that our amazing team will take over the care for you so that you can have some time to yourself to relax or to enjoy a holiday?

Our kind and caring team provide a range of personalised residential, dementia and nursing care. The home includes a variety of features to support residents to feel at home such as en-suite bedrooms, welcoming lounge, dining areas and a host of daily activities.

For more information about how we could help you, please don’t hesitate to get in touch on the number below or feel free to pop in for a coffee and a chat.

Feel free to call or email us at any time:

01945 223 874 care.orchard@rchcarehomes.co.uk Orchard House Care Home 107 Money Bank, Wisbech, Cambridgeshire PE13 2JF A P RI L 2 0 2 0

www.rchcarehomes.co.uk

D I S C O V E R I N G

*Terms and conditions apply, valid for 4 consecutive weeks only, applicable to new residents and private funding enquirers only.

Wisbech

33

A) The Alphabetical Quiz – The Letters Ba

The idea is that all the answers to the following questions begin with the letters Ba, and follow each other in alphabetical order, as shown in the first two answers given.

1)

Name the large monkey with a long dog-like muzzle. 14) Which all-time golfing great was known the world – Answer: Baboon. over as simply ‘Seve’?

2)

Popular type of rum often paired with coke.

– Answer: Bacardi.

15) Which Royal residence in Scotland becomes home to The Queen every summer?

3)

What does the letter B stand for in the acronyms B.A, B. Sc. and B. Ed?

16) Name the very lightweight wood, often used in model-making.

4)

What is the name given to the two-humped camel? 17) Name the European sea which gives its name to a Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead.

What word links shuttlecock and Horse Trials?

5) 6)

Name the game played on a board with a series of holes into which balls are rolled.

18) “Do they Know it’s Christmas?” asked which charity supergroup in 1984?

7)

Name the green woollen cloth used to cover a snooker table?

19) Which South Asian country, formerly East Pakistan, became a sovereign nation in 1971?

8)

What is the numerical term sometimes used for ‘thirteen’?

20) Term given to describe a difficult or frightening first experience of something.

9)

21) Famous invitational rugby union team whose players What is the name of the rich cake, made of layers wear black and white hooped shirts, whilst their socks of Filo pastry with a filling of honey, nuts and spices? are from their own club strip.

Name the Russian musical instrument with a 22) What male singing voice comes between bass triangular body and normally only three strings. and tenor?

What was the name of Tony Robinson’s popular 23) This ‘Question of Sport’ involves the winner of the 1976 character in the ‘Blackadder’ TV series?

French Open, her only Grand Slam tennis victory!

Who holds the record for scoring the most goals 24) What is the English translation of the ‘B’ in the car for the Wales international football team? brand, B.M.W? Which 1966 England World Cup winner died 25) What is the name of the portable anti-tank gun following a heart attack as he was trying to which fires small rockets? extinguish a bonfire?

10) 11) 12) 13)

B) Train That Brain!

Take the first number and follow the instructions until you reach the answer.

Try it first without pen and paper and don’t even think about a calculator!

1) 6: x 3, 50% of it , + 27, - 6, x 8, ¼ of it, + 19, - 34 = ?

2) 23: + 27, x 9, 10% of it, - 16, x 7, + 97, + ½ of it, - 173 = ?

3) 156: x 4, + 77, - 356, + 155, 40% of it, x 7,

- 199, x 3 = ?

ANSWERS Section A: 3) Bachelor, 4) Bactrian, 5) Badminton, 6) Bagatelle, 7) Baize, 8) Baker’s (dozen), 9) Baklava, 10) Balalaika, 11) Baldrick, 12) (Gareth) Bale, 13) (Alan) Ball, 14) (Severiano) Ballesteros, 15) Balmoral (Castle), 16) Balsa, 17) Baltic, 18) Band Aid, 19) Bangladesh, 20) Baptism (of fire), 21) Barbarians, 22) Baritone, 23) (Sue) Barker, 24) Bavarian (Motor Works), 25) Bazooka. Section B: 1) 45, 2) 277, 3) 3603.

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Wisbech

A P R IL 2 0 2 0

Health

Health

Age is No Limit for Orthodontics!

BY RICHARD COUSLEY, CONSULTANT ORTHODONTIST AT THE PRIESTGATE CLINIC

M

ost people associate orthodontics with teenagers wearing metal fixed braces. However, nowadays the range of ages of patients suitable for orthodontics extends from seven to seventy years! Here are a few pointers to age considerations if you’re considering having either your or your child’s teeth straightened.

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

PRIMARY SCHOOL AGE There’s a common misconception that children needn’t see an orthodontist until all adult teeth have erupted. However, most children benefit from a specialist assessment by eleven years of age, and some seven to ten-year-old children require early interception for bite problems and ectopic teeth (growing in abnormal jaw positions).

A seven-year-old where the upper left incisor’s eruption is impeded, being treated with a transparent aligner brace. .......................................................................................

THE TEENAGE YEARS This is prime brace-time since the adult teeth have erupted and crucially facial growth may be harnessed and modified, especially if there’s an ‘underbite’ and small lower jaw size.

braces or transparent plastic aligners. Fortunately, many types of tooth and bite improvements are still biologically possible after facial growth has ceased because bone is a dynamic tissue throughout life.

Therefore, even seventy-somethings can be treated successfully, provided that their teeth and gums are disease-free.

In addition, a small number of adult patients, with a severe jaw mismatch, and/or airway restrictions benefit greatly from brace treatment combined with jaw (orthognathic) surgery (performed by a maxillofacial surgeon).

ADULTHOOD

A specialist can accurately diagnose features and then advise on the complete range of goals and treatment options for simple, through to complex problems.

Adults form a large proportion of my patients, typically having aesthetic (tooth coloured) fixed

A sixty-eight-year-old lady’s teeth before and after one year of orthodontics.

.......................................................................................

T: 01733 865000 E: reception@priestgateclinic.co.uk W: www.priestgateclinic.co.uk 26 Priestgate, Peterborough PE1 1WG

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O V E R I N G

Bourne

D I S C O V E R I N G

Wisbech A P R IL 2 0 2 035

2020 - National Minimum Wage Rates The National Minimum Wage - the minimum pay per hour to which almost all workers are entitled - rises from the beginning of April, 2020. It’s the biggest increase to date.

Keri John details the precise changes which are dependent on age and terms of employment such as an apprenticeship. The National Minimum Wage is the minimum pay per hour and should not be confused with the National Living Wage which is actually higher and applies to workers if they’re over 25.

The chart below sketches a clear picture:

Year

25 and over

21 to 24

18 to 20

Under 18

Apprentice

April 2019 (current rate)

£8.21

£7.70

£6.15

£4.35

£3.90

April 2020

£8.72

£8.20

£6.45

£4.55

£4.15

Regardless of an employer’s size, large or small, they still have to pay the correct minimum wage.

Three million workers will benefit from these 2020 rises. They mean that low- paid workers should receive a 6.2% pay rise to £8.72. Younger workers are getting an increase of between 4.6%- 6.5%, with 21-24 year olds seeing the biggest increase of 6.5%.

Apprentices aged 19 or over having completed the first year of their apprenticeships are entitled to the minimum wage for their age.

If you are an employer, then there are various ‘genuine’ government on-line calculators available to ensure that the correct minimum wage is being paid. Two separate calculators are on offer.

One for workers and the second for employers. The first can be used to check that, as an employee, that if you’re receiving the correct minimum wage or if your employer owes you payment from the previous year.

The calculator for employers helps you, as an employer, to verify that you are paying the correct minimum wage or if you owe a payment from the previous year. There is also guidance on working out the minimum wage for different types of work.

If you need help or advice, then speak to your local Whiting & Partners contact. We also provide a full Payroll Bureau service for many clients.

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Wisbech

A P R IL 2 0 2 0

Serving the Eastern Region for over 90 Years

Whiting & Partners has served Fenland since 1928 Farmers were among our first clients. 90 years later we’re still agricultural specialists but leaders in many other business areas too: • • • • • •

Agriculture Business Start up Charities Construction Contractors Cloud Accounting

• Corporate Tax & Finance • Manufacturing • Private Client Tax • Property • Wealth Management

Wisbech Office

12 & 13 The Crescent, Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, PE13 1EH Telephone: 01945 584113 wisbech@whitingandpartners.co.uk

If you’re looking for help with your business or personal financial affairs contact our Wisbech Office on 01954 584113 or browse our website whitingandpartners.co.uk for the latest information and advice.

whitingandpartners.co.uk Bury St. Edmunds | Ely | King’s Lynn | March | Mildenhall | Peterborough | Ramsey | St. Ives | St. Neots | Wisbech

Community

“Chat over a cuppa” with Rachel Webber and Alan Hooks of Moonshot Performance Company

We choose to go to the Moon... and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard.

President John F. Kennedy

Some people don’t want to stay grounded or keep it real and when Rachel Webber and Alan Hooks started their performance company, they knew it would be a moon shot but went ahead anyway.

Every event is a step into the unknown, from securing rights to wondering if anyone will turn up to watch, and the product only appearing in the very moment of performance and then vanishing away with the final fade.

Yet escapism and creativity, a sense of goal and community, make performance events matter.

Moonshot Performance Company is intended to strengthen the presence of the arts in the heart of the Fens with a particular interest in providing a sense of occasion and a chance to socialise – something a little different to catch up with your friends at. It’s more than a show.

Rachel and Alan met in the cast of Cabaret in 1990 and both now have considerable expertise to draw upon. Alan having studied at NORCAT and with more than 30 years’ performance experience and ten years as chairman for an amateur drama group.

Rachel gained a degree in dance and drama, has lectured at the world-renowned London Studio Centre, taught drama and dance and performed and choreographed extensively, directing her first play, Cinderella, while at primary school.

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March Wisbech

Their first event as Moonshot, Last Tango in March by David Tristram, successfully merged a welcoming, social environment with a quality production – and raised a decent amount for the Macmillan charity too.

Their current projectile sees them hurtling towards The Doctor in Wonderland by Don Zolidis in July with the strangely familiar Dr What and companion Cara adventuring in the realm of the White Rabbit and the Mad Hatter and the rest, trying to get their phone booth fixed before they lose their heads!

Alan and Rachel are also writing an original play that draws upon World War Two, intended to be staged in November with respect to the VE Day 75th anniversary and Remembrance Day. They intend to keep creating performance events with a sense of occasion and bring creative opportunities to adults and contribute to community and charity. To find out more, contact them, become involved, or if you just want to parade, look for Moonshot Performance Company on Facebook, visit www.moonshotperformance.simplesite.com or seek them out at an upcoming event… they would love to hear from you!

A P R IL 2 0 2 0

The Technology Site

LibreOffice - Is it Suitable for You? A D V I C E F R O M D I A M O N D BY T E S O LU T I O N S

In our last article, we looked at how PC software can be expensive but that there is usually a free equivalent that will do the job almost as well. This week we consider LibreOffice, a full-featured, freeof-charge office suite. LibreOffice is so similar to Microsoft Office that many users who need a simple word processor or spreadsheet program, have made the switch from MS Office and never looked back.

Not only is LibreOffice completely ‘cost-less’, it is also compatible with the Microsoft package for both opening and exporting files. It has a simple and user-friendly interface and is available for installation on the three major PC platforms: Windows, Linux, and Mac. It is constantly updated, thus ensuring security, stability, and new features.

You can save and open many different formats, including Microsoft file types, such as DOCX, XLSX, PPTX and many more.

There are three main applications -- Writer (word processor), Calc (spreadsheet maker) and Impress (presentation creator), all of which look much like updated versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint, respectively. LibreOffice also includes Draw (a graphics editor, like MS Paint), Base (a database management system, like MS Access) and Math (a formula editor that allows you to insert mathematical and scientific formulas).

Admittedly, there are some downsides to LibreOffice. Specially formatted text from MS Office may convert differently inside Writer; there are missing spreadsheet functions inside Calc (including Power Pivots); no ability to display graphics within headers and footers; and fewer chart options. The Impress Presentation software does not always import PowerPoint successfully, especially when converting certain fonts. But in LibreOffice’s defence, the same can be said about moving complex files between some versions of Office.

Provided you are not a heavy user, or someone who works a lot with organisations that use Microsoft products, LibreOffice is a great product. If your work requires highly specialised functions (such as custom fonts) or if you frequently download/ exchange complex and customised documents with others, or if you want to create Word documents or presentations that look slick, professional, and modern, we recommend you pay for other office suites, such as MS Office. But as LibreOffice is free, why not try it out to see if it works for you?

Go to https://www.libreoffice.org/ to download it for free. Their website also provides online help and support, provided by users of the community, all of whom volunteer their expertise and time.

TO READ OUR OTHER ARTICLES, PLEASE GO TO WWW.DIAMONDBYTE.CO.UK

DIAMOND BYTE PC & Laptop Repairs & Sales wisbech@diamondbyte.com • www.diamondbyte.com

01945 585201

Call Out Services • Remote Support Virus Removal • Online Security Data Recovery • Network Setup Broadband/Wireless Setup

Find us on Facebook at fb.me/thepcguy A P RI L 2 0 2 0

Repairs From Just £45!

Business To Business • Home Users

Upgrades & Custom Built PC’s

D I S C O V E R I N G

Wisbech

39

Kids Wordsearch CAN YOU FIND THESE WORDS HIDDEN IN THE GRID? THEY’RE ALL RELATED TO EASTER! Easter

Chocolate

Chicks

Bonnet

Basket

Hunt

Eggs

April

Decoration Bunny

c h o c o l a t e w g n

q u e h l r n p t v d l

m n v i f o s g g e g i

b t b c e m z i c e f b

f r w k b a a o i a r j

B b r s o c r g p b e r

a y s t u a e y s o l e

s u x k t p r n r n x t

k a r i h r l n f n s s

e o o n y i t U a e g a

t n o p s l m B k t h e

g

Colourin

Joke Corner Why did the Easter egg hide?

HE WAS A LITTLE CHICKEN Why shouldn’t you tell an Easter egg a good joke?

IT MIGHT CRACK UP! Why was the Easter Bunny so upset?

HE WAS HAVING A BAD HARE DAY! 40

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Wisbech

A P R IL 2 0 2 0

Are you looking to help those in self-isolation?

If so, here are some handy forms that you can fill in, cut out and give to those you feel might need help during this time. IMPORTANT: Before touching this form, please ensure you have washed your hands because if somebody is in self-isolation, then they may be vulnerable to catching the virus. As a community magazine we encourage and thank all those who would like to help.

Hello! If you are

self-isolating, I can help.

Hello! If you are

self-isolating, I can help.

My name is:

My name is:

I live locally at:

I live locally at:

My phone number is:

My phone number is:

If you are self-isolating due to COVID-19 I could help you with:

If you are self-isolating due to COVID-19 I could help you with:

 Picking up shopping  A friendly phone call

 Picking up shopping  A friendly phone call

 Posting mail  Urgent supplies

 Posting mail  Urgent supplies

Just call or text me and I will do my best to help you (for free!)

Just call or text me and I will do my best to help you (for free!)

Coronavirus is contagious. Please take every precaution to ensure you are spreading only kindness. Avoid physical contact (keep a 2m distance). Wash your hands regularly.

Items should be left on your doorstep.

Coronavirus is contagious. Please take every precaution to ensure you are spreading only kindness. Avoid physical contact (keep a 2m distance). Wash your hands regularly.

Items should be left on your doorstep.

Hello! If you are

Hello! If you are

self-isolating, I can help.

self-isolating, I can help.

My name is:

My name is:

I live locally at:

I live locally at:

My phone number is:

My phone number is:

If you are self-isolating due to COVID-19 I could help you with:

If you are self-isolating due to COVID-19 I could help you with:

 Picking up shopping  A friendly phone call

 Picking up shopping  A friendly phone call

 Posting mail  Urgent supplies

 Posting mail  Urgent supplies

Just call or text me and I will do my best to help you (for free!)

Just call or text me and I will do my best to help you (for free!)

Coronavirus is contagious. Please take every precaution to ensure you are spreading only kindness. Avoid physical contact (keep a 2m distance). Wash your hands regularly.

Items should be left on your doorstep.

Coronavirus is contagious. Please take every precaution to ensure you are spreading only kindness. Avoid physical contact (keep a 2m distance). Wash your hands regularly.

Items should be left on your doorstep.

4A P RI DL I 2 S0 2C 0

O V E R I N G

March

D I S C O V E R I N G

Wisbech A P R IL 2 0 2 041

What's On

PLEASE NOTE ALL EVENTS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DUE TO THE CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK SO CHECK WITH THE EVENT HOLDER BEFORE ATTENDING.

SPONSORED BY WISBECH TOWN COUNCIL

Events - April 2020 1st - Wisbech Stanza Group. A Poetry Society Stanza Group

for poets and aspiring poets who want to support each other in improving their poetry. Email Kim: wisbechstanzagroup@ gmail.com if you are interested in joining the group. First Wednesday of every month 7 pm - 9 pm at Wisbech Castle Cafe.

2nd

- Glorious Gardening at Peckover House, Presented by our Head Gardener. Come along and learn more about our wonderful garden. From 1 pm at The Orangery at Peckover.

Discover how the garden team cares for Peckover’s 300-yearold Orange trees. Our Head Gardener will explain the behind the scenes work that is required to ensure the Orangery display looks good all year round.

21st - Open Music Night - Wisbech St Mary Community

Centre Station Bar ‘In the Sidings’ from 8 pm. If you can pluck it, strum it, sing it, blow it, hit it or play it! All instruments and vocals welcome. For more information, please contact info@ wsmcommunitycentre.com or 08452 255566

25th and 26th - Bookbinding workshop at Peckover House. Longstitch Leather Journal workshop. This all-day workshop enables you to master traditional techniques to create your very own unique leather notebook. All materials and lunch in our tea room will be provided. Spaces are limited so booking is essential. Cost £50 per workshop.

2nd - 9th - Active Easter Trail at Peckover House. This

Easter why not get active by joining our Trail of challenges in the garden – with an Easter biscuit as a prize. £1, plus normal admission applies to non-NT members – see prices on our website.

4

th

- Craft Fair at Wisbech Library, from 10 am. Craft fair - lots of stalls. Please contact Jakki Racey jakki.racey@ cambridgeshire.gov.uk for more information.

4th and 5th - Weekend Tours at Peckover House, from 12.30 pm and 2 pm.

8

th

- Wisbech’s Horsefair Shopping Centre’s Easter Fun Day from 10 am - 2 pm will feature a wide range of entertainment for the children to get them in the mood for the Easter celebrations – and all of the main attractions are free.

10th - 13th - Cadbury Easter Egg Hunt at Peckover

House. Over Easter weekend we will be supported by Cadbury. Complete our Active Easter Trail and you can collect your Cadbury chocolate prize! 11 am – 4 pm. £2.50 per child, plus normal admission applies to non-NT members – see prices on our website.

14th - 19th - Active Easter Trail at Peckover House. This

Easter why not get active by joining our Trail of challenges in the garden – with an Easter biscuit as a prize. £1, plus normal admission applies to non-NT members – see prices on our website.

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Wisbech

Regular Events & Clubs TUESDAY Family History Research Sessions with Fenland Family History Society in Wisbech Library, from 10 am - 12 pm. For more information, please call Bridget on 01945 587723.

Royal British Legion Women’s Section meet every second Tuesday of the month. From 7.30 pm at The Rookswood Club, West End, March. New members always welcome.

WEDNESDAY Wisbech Lions Club meets on the first Wednesday of every month at 6.45 pm for 7.15 pm at Mendis, Old Market. We offer a warm welcome to all potential new members.

FRIDAY Fenland Foragers Forest School Group meets on a Friday at 9.30 am 11.30 am at St. John’s Church, Station Road, March. PE15 8NH.Forest School is an inspirational process that offers ALL learners regular opportunities to achieve and develop confidence and self-esteem through hands-on learning experiences in a woodland or natural environment. This group is mainly home-educated children, but all are welcome. Sessions are £5 per child. (2-13years) SUNDAY Rings End Nature Conservation Group meet on the second Sunday of each month with opportunities to learn about and develop biodiversity; come pond dipping; go on amphibian, bat and butterfly walks; and help manage the reserve. Fenland Foragers also run a forest school session in partnership with the group - all welcome. We meet between 9.30am and 12.30pm - Park at Pocket Park car park PE15 0BE or wander down the path to find us. Cycle racks are available.

A P R IL 2 0 2 0

History

Draining the Fens

by Chris Donald, (author of “Wisbech’s Secret Princess”) Four hundred years ago, there was water everywhere, flooding was common and the Fen people, sometimes known as Fen Slodgers, learned how to live with it. They used boats and walked on stilts to get about and, to get across dykes, they would pole vault. The largest submerged piece of land was near Whittlesey, covering 1,870 acres in summer but over 3,000 acres in winter! The Fens’ drainage was certainly in need of serious attention.

Any work that had been done, even by the Romans, was in a poor state of repair.

The Dutch had been reclaiming land for years and one of their number, Sir Cornelius Vermuyden, came to England, and so began the largescale draining of the Fens in the 1650s. His original plan was to use gravity - dig dykes and the water would drain into them. The principle seemed straightforward, but the land consisted of peat, which is 95% water.

A P RI L 2 0 2 0

This gradually dried and contracted to become lower than the dyke, so they had to build the banks of the dykes and rivers up. This meant that they had to get the water on the land up into the dyke.

So, the advent of the windmill, designed to raise the water into the dykes, took place. It is said that up to seven hundred windmills were used and they had different names in the same way that pubs and inns have, names like Ape’s Face, Big Susan, Lousy Sal, Shifty Jane, Black Bess, Saucy Sally and Hooded Maria. All this was fine whilst there was wind, but when there was calm the windmills didn’t turn, and the water started filling up on the land.

Thankfully, the answer to water was water. In the 1800s, the steam engine converting water into steam came into existence. And, so, water was used to get rid of water, the windmills sadly becoming redundant.

We said goodbye to “water, water everywhere” and goodbye to the largest lake (or ‘Mere’ as they called it in this part of the country), at Whittlesey. As this massive lake was emptied, crowds of people gathered with baskets to catch the stranded fish. There was so much fish that it is said that people had to go as far as Birmingham and Manchester to sell it!

Steam pumps gave way to electric pumps which in turn gave way to diesel. However, in 1947, there were terrible floods over 37,000 acres. A Flood Protection Scheme was put in place and some of the things done were what Vermuyden had suggested many years before.

It is sad that we see many places in Britain getting flooded in recent months and yet the very low-lying Fens generally remain safe, thanks in large part to all of the dykes and work that has been done over many years.

D I S C O V E R I N G

Wisbech

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Entertainment Churches

St. Peter and St. Paul Parish Church Church Terrace, Wisbech PE13 1HP 01945 582508 The King’s Church Queen Mary Centre, Wisbech PE13 2PE, 01945 467413 Our Lady & Saint Charles Borromeo Church 69 Queens Rd, Wisbech PE13 2QR 01945 583466 Wisbech Baptist Church Hill St, Wisbech PE13 1BD, 01945 461291 Parish Church of All Saints Walsoken The Rectory, Church Rd, Wisbech PE13 3RA, 01945 583740 Trinity Methodist Church 17 Church Terrace, Wisbech PE13 1BL St Augustine’s Church St Augustine’s Road, Wisbech, PE13 3AH 07707 743908 Wisbech and Long Sutton URC Church Castle Mews, Wisbech PE13 1EH 01945 461782 Alexandra Road Christian Spiritualist Church Alexandra Road, Wisbech Sheila 01553 766284 RCCG, (Redeemed Christian Church of God), Throne of Grace 6, Union Place Castle Square, Wisbech, PE13 1EH, 07479 022106 St. Leonard’s Church 35 Gorefield Road, Leverington, Wisbech PE13 5AS, 01945 581486 Erratum Church Mews, Falcon Rd, Wisbech PE13 1AU The Parish Church of All Saints Elm Main Road, Elm, Wisbech PE14 0AF St John the Baptist’s Church Parson Drove, Main Road, Wisbech PE13 4LF St. Paul’s Church High Road, Gorefield, Wisbech PE13 4NY The Salvation Army John Thompson Road, Wisbech PE13 2NF, 01945 461416 Friends Meeting House 23 N Brink, Wisbech PE13 1JR Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses 55 Tinkers Drove, Wisbech PE13 3PQ

Schools

Wisbech Grammar School 47 N Brink, Wisbech PE13 1JX 01945 583631 Orchards Church of England Academy Cherry Rd, Wisbech PE13 3NP 01945 583799 Thomas Clarkson Academy Corporation Road, Wisbech PE13 2SE 01945 585237 Elm Road Primary School 55 Elm Rd, Wisbech PE13 2TB 01945 584591 Ramnoth Junior School Ramnoth Rd, Wisbech PE13 2JB 01945 583690 Clarkson Infant and Nursery School Trafford Road, Wisbech PE13 2ES 01945 584867 St Peter’s Church of England Junior School Trafford Road, Wisbech PE13 2ES 01945 583570

PLEASE NOTE ALL EVENTS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DUE TO THE CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK SO CHECK WITH THE EVENT HOLDER BEFORE ATTENDING.

Club Guide Meadowgate Academy Meadowgate Lane, Wisbech PE13 2JH, 01945 461836 Leverington Primary Academy 104 Church Road, Leverington, Wisbech PE13 5DE, 01945 584915 Nene Infants and Nursery School Norwich Road, Wisbech PE13 2AP 01945 583907 Marshland High School 75 School Rd, West Walton, Wisbech PE14 7HA, 01945 584146 Cambian Wisbech School 32 Somers Road, Wisbech PE13 1JF 0800 138 1184 West Walton Primary School 95 School Rd, West Walton, Wisbech PE14 7HA, 01945 583620 Wisbech St Mary Church of England Academy Church Road, Wisbech St Mary, Wisbech PE13 4RJ, 01945 410312 Peckover Primary School Leverington Road, Wisbech PE13 1PJ 01945 584741 Gorefield Primary School 69 High Road, Gorefield, Wisbech PE13 4NB, 01945 870321 TBAP Unity Academy - Fenland 2 Algores Way, Wisbech PE13 2TQ 01945 583235 Marshland St James VC Primary School and Nursery School Rd, Wisbech PE14 8EY 01945 430378 Magdalene House North Brink, Wisbech PE13 1JX 01945 586780

Sports

Wisbech Town FC 380 Lynn Road, Wisbech PE14 7AL 01945 581511 Wisbech Rugby Club Chapel Road, Wisbech PE13 1RG 01945 481500 24/7 Fitness Gym Cromwell Road, Wisbech PE14 0RG 01945 584869 Leverington Sports and Social Club Church Road, Leverington, PE13 3RA PE13 5DE, 01945 465082 Wisbech Lawn Tennis Club Harecroft Rd, Wisbech PE13 1RL 07747 637648 Fenland Gymnastics Academy 21 Algores Way, Wisbech PE13 2TQ 07895 982059 Wisbech Town Cricket Club Harecroft Rd, Wisbech PE13 1RL Lakers 5 Anglia Way, Wisbech PE13 2TY 01945 466900 Shapers Gym 18 North St, Wisbech PE13 1NP 01945 589100 The Mark Farnham Schools of Tae Kwon-Do Queens Community Centre, Queens Rd, Wisbech PE13 2PE, 07771 644460 Avaddon Academy 27 Boleness Rd, Wisbech PE13 2RB 07798 872447 Pro Martial Arts School Harecroft Rd, Wisbech PE13 1RL 07932 962397 Stars Kickboxing Wisbech Town Football Club, 405 Lynn Road, Wisbech PE14 7AL, 07912 790988

The Poppy Rooms 1, Alexandra House, 33 Alexandra Road, Wisbech PE13 1HQ 01945 586971 Fenland Running Club Chapel Rd, Wisbech PE13 1RG Chestnut Farm Equestrian Centre 109 St Paul’s Rd S, Walton Highway, Wisbech PE14 7DD, 01945 581688 Wisbech Karate School Hudson Leisure Centre, Harecroft Road, Wisbech PE13 1RL 07843 414433 Ironworks Gym 3, Europa Way, Wisbech PE13 2TZ 01945 585800 Yoga Classes Meet at the Trinity Methodist Church on Monday’s 7-8.15pm and Elm Primary School on Wednesday’s 7-8.15pm. Tutor Name Peter, Mobile: 07905 601585, email:pabamullins206@ ntlworld.com The Alexandra Road Bowls Club meets at the Wisbech Conservative Club, PE13 1HQ. For more information on this club, please contact Chairman Perry Hall on 01945 588875 Black Cat Bowls Club The Avenue Sports Ground, March PE15 9NY. Paul Bennett 01945 480857

Youth

Alove Youth Centre John Thompson Rd, Wisbech PE13 2NF, 01945 461416 Queen Mary Centre Queens Rd, Wisbech PE13 2PE 01945 581444 8 - 16 Fenland Archaeology Wisbech & Fenland museum, Museum Square, Wisbech PE13 1ES 07542 312 692.

Clubs

Boogie Tots Queen Street Mary Centre, 10am – 11am Mondays. Tel 07807 951771 The Wisbech Poetry Stanza Group meet on the 1st Wed of each month at the Castle Cafe in Wisbech from 7 pm - 9 pm. Free entry and open to all.

Come along and have some fun. wisbechstanzagroup@gmail.com’ Wisbech Working Men’s Conservative Club 29 Hill St, Wisbech PE13 1BD 01945 583746 3rd Wisbech Scout Group The Robert Hall Centre, St Augustine’s Road, Wisbech PE13 3AH, 07747 771944 or rhcbookings@outlook.com 3rd Wisbech Guiding Group The Robert Hall Centre, St Augustine’s Road, Wisbech PE13 3AH, 07747 771944 or rhcbookings@outlook.com Walton Highway Village Club New Club Site, Walton Highway, Wisbech PE14 7DF, 01945 582479 Thursday Tea Dance Club Meets every Thursday in Walsoken village hall 2pm to 4pm contact Mrs Angela Weldon on 07761730178.

The De-Havilland Club Home of the Wisbech R.A.F.A. Branch.

22 Lynn Road, Wisbech, PE13 3DJ. (01945 584108). www.rafawisbech. co.uk. Membership available to all, not just RAF, please feel free to visit and hopefully become a member.”

Clarkson Singers Octavia Hill’s Birthplace Museum Trust, Tuesday Evenings from 7 pm - 9.30 pm. www.choirsites.co.uk/Clarkson

Fenland Stamp Club, Wisbech.

Meets at Upper Parlour, Trinity Methodist Church, Church Terrace, Wisbech, Cambs. PE13 1BL on the first and third Thursday each month up to and including April 2020. Contact Richard Lewis 01945 700594.

NHS Retirement Fellowship Meets 1.30pm-4pm the last Wednesday of the month in the Rosmini Centre, Queen’s Road, Wisbech, Kirkgate Church Walsoken.

Contact Mrs Jenny Sirett 01945 860589 Monday Senior Citizens Club Meets every other Monday in St Raphael Club, Love Lane,Wisbech, 2-4pm. Contact Mrs Janet Stevens 01945 588231 or Pat Alen 01945 582559 The Kit (Keep in Touch) Club Meets third Wednesday of month in Robert Hall Centre, St Augustines Road, Wisbech, 10am-noon. Contact Miss Penny Duce 01945 881383.

Good Companions Meets every other Thursday in Wisbech St Mary Village Hall, 2-4.30pm. Contact Mr B Hayden 01945 410708 or Anthony Norris 01945 410452 Wisbech and District Historical Vehicle Club 1st Monday of every month at 7.30 pm at Elgood’s Stadium. www. brmmbrmm.com/wisbech Wisbech Stroke Club 2nd & last Friday every month 1.15pm at Wisbech library. 07501 980603 or brian.sandall@virgin.net Wisbech & District Talking Newspaper Looking for volunteers and “listeners” to output three one hour memory sticks each month. Secretary Kim Maclachlan on 07908 258778 or Chair Ann Shippey on 01945 583916.

St Augustine’s Day Centre St Augustine’s Parish Centre, St Augustine’s Road, Wisbech, PE13 3AH 01945 585595.

Wisbech Mixed Bridge Club Meet every Thursday 6.45pm at WWMCC, 29 Hill Street, Wisbech. No partner necessary. Call 01945 464608 for more details.

Museums

Wisbech and Fenland Museum Museum Square, Wisbech PE13 1ES, 01945 583817 Fenland and West Norfolk Aviation Museum Old Lynn Road, West Walton, Wisbech PE14 7DA, 01945 461771 The Castle Museum Square, 1-2 The Crescent, Wisbech PE13 1ES, 07831 616127 Octavia Hill’s Birthplace House 7 South Brink, Wisbech PE13 1JB 01945 476358

Doctors’ Surgeries

Clarkson Surgery 9 De Havilland Road, Wisbech PE13 3AN 01945 583133 Trinity Surgery 29 St Augustines Road, Wisbech PE13 3UZ, 01945 476999 Parson Drove Surgery Main Rd, Parson Drove, Wisbech PE13 4JA, 01945 700223 North Brink Practice 7 North Brink, Wisbech, Cambs PE13 1JU, 01945 660460

TREE SURGERY

BUILDING AND ROOFING

GARDEN SERVICES

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● Emergency Service for Storm Damage Repairs ● Flat Roofs - New or Repaired ● Repointing/Rebedding of Ridge Tiles ● Retiling or Slating PLEASE ● New Gutter Fascias PHONE FOR A ● Chimney Stacks Repointed PROMPT FREE ● Roof Colour Coating Available ESTIMATE ● All Work Guaranteed

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• Felling, shaping and pruning • 24hr emergency service • Stump grinding and removal • All waste removed • Fully insured CALL TODAY FOR A FREE QUOTATION

Phone for a Free Estimate

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Folleys Drove, Guyhirn, Wisbech

FUNERAL SERVICES

FENCING

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Tel: 01945 700 200 Mob: 07894 164201 E: peterfunerals@btconnect.com W: www.peterbarnesfunerals.co.uk

Based in Marshland St James

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46

Spring Business Directory

s a e l t t i l s a m Advert fro h

t n o m a 9 £1

sales@discoveringmagazines.co.uk 01778 421427 | www.discoveringmagazines.co.uk W W W . DIS COV E R IN G M A G A Z IN E S . CO. U K | A P R IL 2 0 2 0

The Golf with 0% APR ÂŁ1,500 towards your finance deposit Available when purchased with Solutions PCP*

Robinsons Volkswagen (Peterborough) Storeys Bar Road, Eastern Industry, Peterborough, PE1 5YS Telephone: 01733 459061 www.robinsonsvolkswagen.co.uk

Find us on:

/VolkswagenRobinsons

@Robinsons_VW

Robinsons Autoservices Limited is a broker and not a lender and can introduce you to a limited number of lenders, who may pay us for introducing you to them. *At the end of the agreement there are three options: i) pay the optional final payment and own the vehicle; ii) return the vehicle: subject to excess mileage and fair wear and tear, charges may apply; or iii) replace: part exchange the vehicle. With Solutions Personal Contract Plan. Available on Golf Hatch only. 18s+. Subject to availability and status. T&Cs apply. Offer available until March 31st, 2020. Indemnities may be required. Offers are not availabe in conjunction with any other offer and may be varied or withdrawn at any time. Accurate at time of publication. Freepost Volkswagen Financial Services. Figures shown are for comparability purposes; only compare fuel consumption and CO2 figures with other vehicles tested to the same technical procedures. These figures may not reflect real life driving results, which will depend upon a number of factors including the accessories fitted (post-registration), variations in weather, driving styles and vehicle load. There is a new test used for fuel consumption and CO2 figures (known as WLTP). The CO2 figures shown however, are based on a calculation designed to be equivalent to the outgoing (NEDC) test cycle and will be used to calculate vehicle tax on first registration. The range of figures stated covers the entire Volkswagen Golf model range including all-electric, hybrid and petrol/diesel vehicles. All-electric vehicles are zero emissions while driving. Hybrid vehicle figures were obtained using a combination of battery power and fuel. For more information, please see www.volkswagen.co.uk/owners/wltp or consult your retailer. Data correct at 12/19. Figures quoted are for a range of configurations and are subject to change due to ongoing approvals/changes. Please consult your retailer for further information.

Official fuel consumption figures for the Golf model range in mpg (litres/100km): Combined 0 (0.0) - 141.2 (2). Combined CO2 emissions 0-164g/km.

nt ns ge e A eF th of

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.

2020

March Residential 01354 607100 March Professional 01354 602030

Wisbech Residential 01945 428820 Wisbech Professional 01945 428830

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