Paxton Post 37, July - August 23

Paxton Post

Issue 37 July - August 2023

THE MAGAZINE FOR GREAT PAXTON

Paxton Post THE MAGAZINE FOR GREAT PAXTON

Issue 37 July - August 2023

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Editorial by Julie Stock We’re already halfway through the year and looking ahead to The Scarecrow Festival in September. Please send your articles and photos/posters for inclusion to me at my new address of julie.stock@btinternet.com.

The printer is still trying to get the magazine online for us via the Community tab on the Parish Council website at https://greatpaxtonpc.gov.uk/. Please do check back occasionally to see if it’s there.

If you’d like to contribute to the next issue, please note the deadline dates below. We now have an advertising policy for local businesses as well. Please contact me if you’re interested in this.

Our July meeting on the second Tuesday is a talk by Verity Hartop who farms the land on the High Street in Offord. She is going to tell us about lambing, calving and her Farming Year.

Future Meetings 8 August: Our meeting will be an afternoon Garden Party.

12 September: Julie Stock, a local author will speak on The Journey to Becoming a Published Author.

Visitors and new members welcome!

Please contact Jenny Murby (President) on 01480 811474

Deadline Dates for Upcoming Issues The Paxton Post is published 6 times a year. Cut off dates are now the 15th of the month prior to publication. Please see the table below for these dates. It is the responsibility of contributors to ensure articles are submitted to the Editor by these dates. Thank you.

Edition September – October November – December January – February March – April May – June July – August

Copy deadline 15 August 15 October 15 December 15 February 15 April 15 June

The Paxton Post is published by Easiprint Ltd in association with Great Paxton Parish Council and is funded by the Council. Whilst every effort is made to ensure information in this publication is accurate, neither the editor, the printer or the Parish Council can be held responsible for any errors. The views expressed in this publication may not necessarily reflect those of the Editor, the publisher or the Parish Council.

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Editorial by Julie Stock We’re already halfway through the year and looking ahead to The Scarecrow Festival in September. Please send your articles and photos/posters for inclusion to me at my new address of julie.stock@btinternet.com.

The printer is still trying to get the magazine online for us via the Community tab on the Parish Council website at https://greatpaxtonpc.gov.uk/. Please do check back occasionally to see if it’s there.

If you’d like to contribute to the next issue, please note the deadline dates below. We now have an advertising policy for local businesses as well. Please contact me if you’re interested in this.

Our July meeting on the second Tuesday is a talk by Verity Hartop who farms the land on the High Street in Offord. She is going to tell us about lambing, calving and her Farming Year.

Future Meetings 8 August: Our meeting will be an afternoon Garden Party.

12 September: Julie Stock, a local author will speak on The Journey to Becoming a Published Author.

Visitors and new members welcome!

Please contact Jenny Murby (President) on 01480 811474

Deadline Dates for Upcoming Issues The Paxton Post is published 6 times a year. Cut off dates are now the 15th of the month prior to publication. Please see the table below for these dates. It is the responsibility of contributors to ensure articles are submitted to the Editor by these dates. Thank you.

Edition September – October November – December January – February March – April May – June July – August

Copy deadline 15 August 15 October 15 December 15 February 15 April 15 June

The Paxton Post is published by Easiprint Ltd in association with Great Paxton Parish Council and is funded by the Council. Whilst every effort is made to ensure information in this publication is accurate, neither the editor, the printer or the Parish Council can be held responsible for any errors. The views expressed in this publication may not necessarily reflect those of the Editor, the publisher or the Parish Council.

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WOODSOONERS GOLF SOCIETY The Spring Meeting of the Great Paxton Woodsooners Golf Society was held at Elton Furze Golf Club, Peterborough on Friday 5th May 2023. Elton Furze proved to be an excellent, challenging course and it played well. I should also say that the food and hospitality at the Club were excellent. We had several rain showers throughout the day, but it didn’t dampen our spirits and another fine day of golf and banter was had by all.

The Offords WI The June meeting in The Offords Village Hall was a foliage affair with buckets of leaves, various vessels and skeins of wool filling the tables.

Our Speaker was Wendy Thelwall who specialises in dyeing fabrics in the ancient way using plant material. Wendy Is a volunteer at Buckden Towers and it was there that she discovered the Knot Garden which long ago, had been planted specifically for the purpose of dyeing. Her interest was piqued, and she has now turned it into a hobby and somewhat of an addiction!

We had 14 players, both local and from further afield; it was great to see new members as well as ‘old hands’ and as always, our Yorkshire contingent. As a reminder, all are welcome to come along to Woodsooners, regardless of where you live. We are always keen to welcome new members to keep the society strong – 20 is a good number of players for our events and it would be great if we could maintain somewhere around this number for future events so if you know of anyone who may be interested, please encourage them to come along, they will be made most welcome. Dinner, presentations and much banter were had at The Bell in Great Paxton where we were hosted very well by Rachael and her team as always – the food was excellent – thank you Sarah.

Prizes were awarded as follows: Nearest the Pin Jim McIlwaine Longest Drive Gary Price High Handicap Runner-up (24 points) Sam Helme High Handicap WINNER (34 points) Trevor Smith Pairs Runners-up (29 points) Brian Kitchin & Jim McIlwaine Pairs WINNERS (27) Trevor Smith & Nick Helme Singles Runner-up (34 points) Trevor Smith (on count back) Singles WINNER (37 points) Jim McIlwaine Wooden Spoon Winner (12 points) Steve Bullock

We discovered that the plants used are all weeds but with a little alchemy they can produce lovely subtle colours on fabric and wool.

Members took part in the process, chopping and steeping and dipping with enthusiasm.

We were all given some dyed wool which, in the tradition of Blue Peter, had been prepared earlier. Using scissors and beads, we were challenged to make a decorative plait in the form of a bracelet. What a variety was created in such a short time. Our speaker chose her favourite three for the Competition winners, but really, they were all lovely. We had a lovely evening and went home with a wool bracelet and, amazingly, no stained fingers.

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WOODSOONERS GOLF SOCIETY The Spring Meeting of the Great Paxton Woodsooners Golf Society was held at Elton Furze Golf Club, Peterborough on Friday 5th May 2023. Elton Furze proved to be an excellent, challenging course and it played well. I should also say that the food and hospitality at the Club were excellent. We had several rain showers throughout the day, but it didn’t dampen our spirits and another fine day of golf and banter was had by all.

The Offords WI The June meeting in The Offords Village Hall was a foliage affair with buckets of leaves, various vessels and skeins of wool filling the tables.

Our Speaker was Wendy Thelwall who specialises in dyeing fabrics in the ancient way using plant material. Wendy Is a volunteer at Buckden Towers and it was there that she discovered the Knot Garden which long ago, had been planted specifically for the purpose of dyeing. Her interest was piqued, and she has now turned it into a hobby and somewhat of an addiction!

We had 14 players, both local and from further afield; it was great to see new members as well as ‘old hands’ and as always, our Yorkshire contingent. As a reminder, all are welcome to come along to Woodsooners, regardless of where you live. We are always keen to welcome new members to keep the society strong – 20 is a good number of players for our events and it would be great if we could maintain somewhere around this number for future events so if you know of anyone who may be interested, please encourage them to come along, they will be made most welcome. Dinner, presentations and much banter were had at The Bell in Great Paxton where we were hosted very well by Rachael and her team as always – the food was excellent – thank you Sarah.

Prizes were awarded as follows: Nearest the Pin Jim McIlwaine Longest Drive Gary Price High Handicap Runner-up (24 points) Sam Helme High Handicap WINNER (34 points) Trevor Smith Pairs Runners-up (29 points) Brian Kitchin & Jim McIlwaine Pairs WINNERS (27) Trevor Smith & Nick Helme Singles Runner-up (34 points) Trevor Smith (on count back) Singles WINNER (37 points) Jim McIlwaine Wooden Spoon Winner (12 points) Steve Bullock 4

We discovered that the plants used are all weeds but with a little alchemy they can produce lovely subtle colours on fabric and wool.

Members took part in the process, chopping and steeping and dipping with enthusiasm.

We were all given some dyed wool which, in the tradition of Blue Peter, had been prepared earlier. Using scissors and beads, we were challenged to make a decorative plait in the form of a bracelet. What a variety was created in such a short time. Our speaker chose her favourite three for the Competition winners, but really, they were all lovely. We had a lovely evening and went home with a wool bracelet and, amazingly, no stained fingers.

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20% had 3 or more

Education Employment

20% of villagers aged 5 years or more were in some sort of education 64% of people aged 16 and over were employed 2.1% unemployed 67% were in managerial, administrative or professional 13% stated they worked more than 49 hours per week

* RECREATION GROUND HIRE The rec ground and pavilion are available to hire. We have a large open outdoor space and a pavilion with toilets, changing rooms, kitchen, and meeting room. In the past this has been hired for birthdays and charity events. If interested please contact Michael Fairs on 07950 967250.

Education Employment

Well done to all our winners and runners-up and indeed to everyone who took part for making this another great day out. Our Society is extremely friendly, and we meet twice a year (Spring and Autumn) and play 9 holes pairs (Texas Scramble) in the morning and 18 holes singles (Stableford) in the afternoon with breakfast, lunch, dinner and prizes all included in the price (generally around £80), so if you’re interested, come and give it a go. Our next Golf Day should be in late September but read on.

Important Announcement This meeting is the last one to be organised by Scott and me.

Therefore, if you want the Woodsooners Golf Society to continue, someone (preferably two) needs to come forward and take up the reins. It is not an onerous task; the Society is financially healthy, and I will happily pass on all the necessary information required. It would be a shame for the Society to fold, so if you’re interested in taking this on and you want to influence future events, give me a call or email me – details are below.

Thanks for your support, attendance and banter over the last couple of years and, subject to the above, we hope to see you all again in the Autumn. Best wishes.

Trevor Smith 07473 213556 Scott Boswell 07900 216300

trevorsmith1009@outlook.com scott@tikitour.net

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5

20% had 3 or more

Well done to all our winners and runners-up and indeed to everyone who took part for making this another great day out. Our Society is extremely friendly, and we meet twice a year (Spring and Autumn) and play 9 holes pairs (Texas Scramble) in the morning and 18 holes singles (Stableford) in the afternoon with breakfast, lunch, dinner and prizes all included in the price (generally around £80), so if you’re interested, come and give it a go. Our next Golf Day should be in late September but read on.

20% of villagers aged 5 years or more were in some sort of education 64% of people aged 16 and over were employed 2.1% unemployed 67% were in managerial, administrative or professional 13% stated they worked more than 49 hours per week

* RECREATION GROUND HIRE The rec ground and pavilion are available to hire. We have a large open outdoor space and a pavilion with toilets, changing rooms, kitchen, and meeting room. In the past this has been hired for birthdays and charity events. If interested please contact Michael Fairs on 07950 967250.

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Important Announcement This meeting is the last one to be organised by Scott and me.

Therefore, if you want the Woodsooners Golf Society to continue, someone (preferably two) needs to come forward and take up the reins. It is not an onerous task; the Society is financially healthy, and I will happily pass on all the necessary information required. It would be a shame for the Society to fold, so if you’re interested in taking this on and you want to influence future events, give me a call or email me – details are below.

Thanks for your support, attendance and banter over the last couple of years and, subject to the above, we hope to see you all again in the Autumn. Best wishes.

Trevor Smith 07473 213556 Scott Boswell 07900 216300

trevorsmith1009@outlook.com scott@tikitour.net

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THE BELL, YOUR FAMILY & DOG FRIENDLY, AFFORDABLE LOCAL! Let’s start with the great stuff!!! The play park is just about finished with the main climbing frame being ready. At the time of writing, we are waiting on more rubber matting to arrive then the swings will be completed. I expect by the time you read this it will all be done.

The garden is looking fantastic, new grass, new play park, all ready for both adults and kids to enjoy. We’re going to put a children’s goal down the far end of the garden when that area is seeded and settled.

Andy has done a fantastic job putting it all together with the help of Dan Smith and Reece Beavis (lads from the football club). I promise now, Andy there should be no more major jobs!!! Down tools and relax a little!

We had a fantastic turnout with Soul Man on 28th May and even managed to raise £560 for MND in memory of my friend’s husband who sadly died. However, I am looking to get him booked back again for next year. It is always a great event!!

Religion

Health

Households

We have so much coming up!!

• 8th July – our Rum Festival with resident expert on rum and village legend Dan Clarke. £20 per ticket to include 5 rums and mixers.

See me for tickets.

• 2nd Sept – we have our Gin Festival and Beer Festival. Legendary gin expert Emma Hendry is back and then we have a company coming in doing the Beer Festival and that will help raise funds for the Rec Ground from the beer tickets. More info to follow in the coming weeks.

• 16th Sept sees the start of the Scarecrow Festival!! There is more info about this included in this edition!

We are so busy and have so much going on it’s fantastic to see.

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51

THE BELL, YOUR FAMILY & DOG FRIENDLY, AFFORDABLE LOCAL! Let’s start with the great stuff!!! The play park is just about finished with the main climbing frame being ready. At the time of writing, we are waiting on more rubber matting to arrive then the swings will be completed. I expect by the time you read this it will all be done.

The garden is looking fantastic, new grass, new play park, all ready for both adults and kids to enjoy. We’re going to put a children’s goal down the far end of the garden when that area is seeded and settled.

Andy has done a fantastic job putting it all together with the help of Dan Smith and Reece Beavis (lads from the football club). I promise now, Andy there should be no more major jobs!!! Down tools and relax a little!

We had a fantastic turnout with Soul Man on 28th May and even managed to raise £560 for MND in memory of my friend’s husband who sadly died. However, I am looking to get him booked back again for next year. It is always a great event!!

We have so much coming up!!

• 8th July – our Rum Festival with resident expert on rum and village legend Dan Clarke. £20 per ticket to include 5 rums and mixers.

See me for tickets.

• 2nd Sept – we have our Gin Festival and Beer Festival. Legendary gin expert Emma Hendry is back and then we have a company coming in doing the Beer Festival and that will help raise funds for the Rec Ground from the beer tickets. More info to follow in the coming weeks.

• 16th Sept sees the start of the Scarecrow Festival!! There is more info about this included in this edition!

We are so busy and have so much going on it’s fantastic to see.

6

All but 9 people were either born in the U.K. or had lived in the U.K. for at least 10 years 952 identified as White 18 as Asian or Asian British 7 as Black and 22 as mixed or multiple ethnic group 490 people stated Christian, 444 said no religion, 9 other religions and 56 did not answer 877 stated that they were in either good or very good health and 26 were in bad or very bad health but 109 were registered with some sort of disability.

25 people provided at least 20 hours a week of unpaid care nearly 20% of households had just one person and 22% had 4 or more people 0.8% of households stated they were deprived in 3 out of 4 dimensions as described in the census guidance 4% of households were flats or maisonettes and 1.8% had one bedroom but nearly 50% had 4 or more bedrooms 41% are owned outright, 42% have a mortgage 8% are privately rented, 8% social rented 4.3% of households had no cars

Religion

Health

Households

All but 9 people were either born in the U.K. or had lived in the U.K. for at least 10 years 952 identified as White 18 as Asian or Asian British 7 as Black and 22 as mixed or multiple ethnic group 490 people stated Christian, 444 said no religion, 9 other religions and 56 did not answer 877 stated that they were in either good or very good health and 26 were in bad or very bad health but 109 were registered with some sort of disability.

25 people provided at least 20 hours a week of unpaid care nearly 20% of households had just one person and 22% had 4 or more people 0.8% of households stated they were deprived in 3 out of 4 dimensions as described in the census guidance 4% of households were flats or maisonettes and 1.8% had one bedroom but nearly 50% had 4 or more bedrooms 41% are owned outright, 42% have a mortgage 8% are privately rented, 8% social rented 4.3% of households had no cars 51

2021 CENSUS SUMMARY The results of the 2021 census for Great Paxton have been released. Here is a summary of some of the many findings.

The most relevant figures are probably that the population here on the night of the census was 1000 (508 women and 492 men) and the number of households was 400. Strangely, in my opinion, both of these figures have been rounded to the nearest 10, even though they must know the exact number of people counted and households. The population in 2011 was 1007 so very little change. This is to be expected as the number of properties has hardly changed either.

So, I want to take some time to explain a couple of things. I have taken some criticism recently about ticketing events, closing and the pub not being a local pub!!

First and foremost, my mantra when I became manager was to ensure that this pub never lost its local affordable vibe and for me I really don’t feel it has. There are more villagers using this pub than I’ve ever seen before, whether it’s for food, drink, events or hiring it out, being part of a team, there’s a real local feel about the pub.

We have more ‘pub teams’ than ever before. Some participants may not be from the village, but that does not make them less part of the village or the team. We should be pleased people want to come and play for a team that is linked to our village and our pub.

This census has an unusual background which must have temporarily skewed some of the figures, mainly regarding work-related issues.

The census was in March 2021 when many covid-related restrictions were still in place. This naturally led to a large increase in the number of people working from home as well as some students not at their universities.

Yes we’ve expanded in terms of doing events, but many of these are for villagers, many are events that I host, and some are from outside.

Yes hosting an event means how we run that day may be different to usual. Food times may change, the garden may be being used, but I try to manage this as best I can and also advertise and ensure people know what’s happening with plenty of notice.

Other figures include: Age groups

I can’t encourage booking tables or calling in advance more than I do.

We do get full, and even midweek we’re really picking up on food.

We do turn people away, we do sometimes have longer wait times, but for me it’s a good position to be in because being busy is key.

Nationality

45 were aged four or under just 84 people were in their 20s 23 people were aged 85 and above 942 people were born in the U.K. 883 had a U.K. passport 90 had no passport

I’ve taken some personal criticism for changing the pub into an events/football pub and this is certainly not what we are. There’s a large call for football on TV, there’s a large call for events to be held that are affordable, and that’s what we can cater for. However, that does not take away the local vibe this pub has and the fact it is STILL a local pub.

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2021 CENSUS SUMMARY

So, I want to take some time to explain a couple of things. I have taken some criticism recently about ticketing events, closing and the pub not being a local pub!!

The results of the 2021 census for Great Paxton have been released. Here is a summary of some of the many findings.

The most relevant figures are probably that the population here on the night of the census was 1000 (508 women and 492 men) and the number of households was 400. Strangely, in my opinion, both of these figures have been rounded to the nearest 10, even though they must know the exact number of people counted and households. The population in 2011 was 1007 so very little change. This is to be expected as the number of properties has hardly changed either.

First and foremost, my mantra when I became manager was to ensure that this pub never lost its local affordable vibe and for me I really don’t feel it has. There are more villagers using this pub than I’ve ever seen before, whether it’s for food, drink, events or hiring it out, being part of a team, there’s a real local feel about the pub.

We have more ‘pub teams’ than ever before. Some participants may not be from the village, but that does not make them less part of the village or the team. We should be pleased people want to come and play for a team that is linked to our village and our pub.

This census has an unusual background which must have temporarily skewed some of the figures, mainly regarding work-related issues.

The census was in March 2021 when many covid-related restrictions were still in place. This naturally led to a large increase in the number of people working from home as well as some students not at their universities.

Yes we’ve expanded in terms of doing events, but many of these are for villagers, many are events that I host, and some are from outside.

Yes hosting an event means how we run that day may be different to usual. Food times may change, the garden may be being used, but I try to manage this as best I can and also advertise and ensure people know what’s happening with plenty of notice.

Other figures include: Age groups

I can’t encourage booking tables or calling in advance more than I do.

We do get full, and even midweek we’re really picking up on food.

We do turn people away, we do sometimes have longer wait times, but for me it’s a good position to be in because being busy is key.

Nationality

45 were aged four or under just 84 people were in their 20s 23 people were aged 85 and above 942 people were born in the U.K. 883 had a U.K. passport 90 had no passport

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I’ve taken some personal criticism for changing the pub into an events/football pub and this is certainly not what we are. There’s a large call for football on TV, there’s a large call for events to be held that are affordable, and that’s what we can cater for. However, that does not take away the local vibe this pub has and the fact it is STILL a local pub.

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As long as I’m involved in this pub the village will always be a priority to me and I will always do my best to support the village and groups and clubs as they do the Bell, but we have to take other events as in this day and age a pub could not just rely on village support alone.

I get more positive feedback than I do negative, but when it’s villagers who are giving me that feedback, I take it more personally, because I know these people.

There will be much more noise and footfall from the pub over the coming months with the summer, the events and music. I again try and ensure people are aware of this in advance. I understand that the music being played may be a little loud or not to someone’s taste and we shall try and be more aware of that. However, this is primarily done on weekends and special events and within our licensing laws.

The Bell supports the smaller groups of the village like the history society and the crafting group as well. It works alongside the school with the year 6 leavers, and I am also helping at the fete. We as a business try our best to support you as much as you support us.

I am going to leave it there now, but please if anyone has any criticisms please come to see me directly and discuss them, I am happy to take it all on board.

Grasping the Nettle!

Or Making Your Own Fertilizer Stinging nettles are not one of our most favourite plants but they do have their uses, one being, they make a wonderful liquid fertilizer.

The process is very simple and provided that you have somewhere to store a quantity of fertilizer, is a cheap and satisfying way of providing your plants with good quality effective nutrients. Nettle fertilizer is high in nitrogen, which is best used on young plants to help them develop.

Here's how:1. Collect freshly picked stinging nettles, (wear thick gloves!) and press them into a large bowl or bucket. Start with as large a quantity of nettles as you can, since they decrease in volume once they start to rot down. Add water, allowing roughly 10 litres (18 pints) of water to 1 kg (about 2lbs) of nettles.

2. Mix the stinging nettles and water thoroughly, making sure that all the nettles are covered with water. Cover with clingfilm or a tight fitting lid. Stir several times with a wooden spoon over a period of several weeks. Always replace the clingfilm or lid.

3. After a few weeks, when the mixture is rotted down, strain it into a bucket. (It does smell!)

I think myself, Andy and Carol and all those involved are very proud of where The Bell is, considering so many pubs around us are not doing so well and not so busy. We should be proud as a village and certainly as a Bell Team that everyone wants to come to our pub for whatever reason. I say our pub because it is your pub. You the customers make it what it is, and we only do what we are asked to do.

Before using the liquid fertilizer, dilute it, 1 part fertilizer to 10 parts water. The solid matter left behind can go into a compost heap for future use. Just to add, that nettles are key to the survival of butterflies, nettles make wonderful tea, they can be used for making pesto, delicious soup and an alternative to spinach.

Knowing how multi-talented they are, I do hope you like them a little more now!

Happy gardening.

Gaynor Christie Chairperson, Great Paxton Allotments and Sensory Garden

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49

As long as I’m involved in this pub the village will always be a priority to me and I will always do my best to support the village and groups and clubs as they do the Bell, but we have to take other events as in this day and age a pub could not just rely on village support alone.

Grasping the Nettle!

Or Making Your Own Fertilizer Stinging nettles are not one of our most favourite plants but they do have their uses, one being, they make a wonderful liquid fertilizer.

The process is very simple and provided that you have somewhere to store a quantity of fertilizer, is a cheap and satisfying way of providing your plants with good quality effective nutrients. Nettle fertilizer is high in nitrogen, which is best used on young plants to help them develop.

I get more positive feedback than I do negative, but when it’s villagers who are giving me that feedback, I take it more personally, because I know these people.

There will be much more noise and footfall from the pub over the coming months with the summer, the events and music. I again try and ensure people are aware of this in advance. I understand that the music being played may be a little loud or not to someone’s taste and we shall try and be more aware of that. However, this is primarily done on weekends and special events and within our licensing laws.

The Bell supports the smaller groups of the village like the history society and the crafting group as well. It works alongside the school with the year 6 leavers, and I am also helping at the fete. We as a business try our best to support you as much as you support us.

I am going to leave it there now, but please if anyone has any criticisms please come to see me directly and discuss them, I am happy to take it all on board.

Here's how:1. Collect freshly picked stinging nettles, (wear thick gloves!) and press them into a large bowl or bucket. Start with as large a quantity of nettles as you can, since they decrease in volume once they start to rot down. Add water, allowing roughly 10 litres (18 pints) of water to 1 kg (about 2lbs) of nettles.

2. Mix the stinging nettles and water thoroughly, making sure that all the nettles are covered with water. Cover with clingfilm or a tight fitting lid. Stir several times with a wooden spoon over a period of several weeks. Always replace the clingfilm or lid.

3. After a few weeks, when the mixture is rotted down, strain it into a bucket. (It does smell!)

I think myself, Andy and Carol and all those involved are very proud of where The Bell is, considering so many pubs around us are not doing so well and not so busy. We should be proud as a village and certainly as a Bell Team that everyone wants to come to our pub for whatever reason. I say our pub because it is your pub. You the customers make it what it is, and we only do what we are asked to do.

Before using the liquid fertilizer, dilute it, 1 part fertilizer to 10 parts water. The solid matter left behind can go into a compost heap for future use. Just to add, that nettles are key to the survival of butterflies, nettles make wonderful tea, they can be used for making pesto, delicious soup and an alternative to spinach.

Knowing how multi-talented they are, I do hope you like them a little more now!

Happy gardening.

Gaynor Christie Chairperson, Great Paxton Allotments and Sensory Garden

8

49

Guides: This term Guides have also been practising their camping skills. They have learnt how to build a fire, so they cook on it and also how to filter dirty water (an old pair of tights won the experiment). Laina from St Neots football team came along with some helpers to put the girls through their paces, some great skills were learnt, and a lot of fun was had. Guides are also going to be having fun at Archery as well as more camping skills.

1st Great Paxton Brownies are in need of some more volunteers. If you think you could come to some (if not all) of our Thursday evening meetings, have fun and support the girls in their activities, Michelle (Rose Owl) would love to hear from you. Or if you’d like to know a little bit more please

I’d like to thank everyone for their continued support, their continued efforts to make The Bell what it is. We look forward to seeing you over the summer months. Enjoy any holidays you may be taking as well.

700107 07701038433 thebellgreatpaxton@yahoo.com http://www.mybellpub.com Raqi

* Chef’s Corner – Sarah at The Bell Pork, Sage, Onion & Apple Sausage Roll

contact 1stgreatpaxtonbrownies@gmail.com

48

Guides: This term Guides have also been practising their camping skills. They have learnt how to build a fire, so they cook on it and also how to filter dirty water (an old pair of tights won the experiment). Laina from St Neots football team came along with some helpers to put the girls through their paces, some great skills were learnt, and a lot of fun was had. Guides are also going to be having fun at Archery as well as more camping skills.

1st Great Paxton Brownies are in need of some more volunteers. If you think you could come to some (if not all) of our Thursday evening meetings, have fun and support the girls in their activities, Michelle (Rose Owl) would love to hear from you. Or if you’d like to know a little bit more please

9

I’d like to thank everyone for their continued support, their continued efforts to make The Bell what it is. We look forward to seeing you over the summer months. Enjoy any holidays you may be taking as well.

700107 07701038433 thebellgreatpaxton@yahoo.com http://www.mybellpub.com Raqi

* Chef’s Corner – Sarah at The Bell Pork, Sage, Onion & Apple Sausage Roll

contact 1stgreatpaxtonbrownies@gmail.com

48

9

Ingredients 500g Sausage meat 100g Sage & Onion Stuffing Mix 2 Tbsp Apple Sauce Salt & Pepper Ready Rolled Puff Pastry 1 egg, whisked • • • •

•

• •

Rainbows: This term we have been having lots of fun enjoying the sun and being creative. We had a joint meeting with another Rainbow unit including parachute games and learnt about cricket as well as practising some skills. We are ending the term with a trip to the local soft play.

Combine the sausage meat with the stuffing mix, apple sauce and seasoning, mix well until all thoroughly combined.

Unroll pastry sheet and cut in half to give you two smaller rectangles.

Place sausage mix into the middle of the pastry rectangle from top to bottom, so that the mix is in a cylindrical roll.

Egg wash one edge of the pastry alongside the sausage meat, tuck the non-egg washed side over the sausage meat and tuck underneath, then roll the whole thing over onto the egg-washed part.

Roll the entire sausage roll to ensure a round shape. Place the join on the base and cut to the desire length. Place onto a lined baking tray, egg wash the top and add seeds or herbs if desired.

Bake for 25 – 30 Minutes at 180 Degrees.

Can be served hot or chilled and eaten later.

Can also be frozen before they are egg washed and baked for a later date. Allow to fully defrost before baking or bake for an extra 5-10 minutes from frozen.

10

Ingredients 500g Sausage meat 100g Sage & Onion Stuffing Mix 2 Tbsp Apple Sauce Salt & Pepper Ready Rolled Puff Pastry 1 egg, whisked • • • •

•

• •

Brownies: This term Brownies have been learning new skills to take with them if they were to go camping. The girls enjoyed a great session with Matt from Little Cricket who taught them some great skills as well as having lots of fun. Brownies finished off before half term with a joint meeting with Little Paxton Brownies. They played a great game that got them running all over the field. Thank you to Little Paxton Brownies for organising a great event. Brownies are getting ready to end the term with a session of Archery as well as putting up tents and having an end of term party as we bid farewell to a few of our girls who will be moving onto Guides.

47

Rainbows: This term we have been having lots of fun enjoying the sun and being creative. We had a joint meeting with another Rainbow unit including parachute games and learnt about cricket as well as practising some skills. We are ending the term with a trip to the local soft play.

Combine the sausage meat with the stuffing mix, apple sauce and seasoning, mix well until all thoroughly combined.

Unroll pastry sheet and cut in half to give you two smaller rectangles.

Place sausage mix into the middle of the pastry rectangle from top to bottom, so that the mix is in a cylindrical roll.

Egg wash one edge of the pastry alongside the sausage meat, tuck the non-egg washed side over the sausage meat and tuck underneath, then roll the whole thing over onto the egg-washed part.

Roll the entire sausage roll to ensure a round shape. Place the join on the base and cut to the desire length. Place onto a lined baking tray, egg wash the top and add seeds or herbs if desired.

Bake for 25 – 30 Minutes at 180 Degrees.

Can be served hot or chilled and eaten later.

Can also be frozen before they are egg washed and baked for a later date. Allow to fully defrost before baking or bake for an extra 5-10 minutes from frozen.

10

Brownies: This term Brownies have been learning new skills to take with them if they were to go camping. The girls enjoyed a great session with Matt from Little Cricket who taught them some great skills as well as having lots of fun. Brownies finished off before half term with a joint meeting with Little Paxton Brownies. They played a great game that got them running all over the field. Thank you to Little Paxton Brownies for organising a great event. Brownies are getting ready to end the term with a session of Archery as well as putting up tents and having an end of term party as we bid farewell to a few of our girls who will be moving onto Guides.

47

Rainbows, Brownies and Guides have had an extremely busy term.

Rainbows and Brownies had a joint meeting with Little Paxton Rainbows and Brownies which was great fun and Guides had an exciting Football meeting. All three units celebrated the King’s Coronation with a tea party and games.

Hinchingbrooke Hospital - Volunteers Needed We are looking for Volunteers to give a small amount of their time in order to make a big difference to the wellbeing of our patients, their families and our staff Volunteering provides a sense of achievement whilst doing something positive for your local community and whatever your background, experience or interests, we are sure to have a role to suit you Our Volunteers are welcomed from the moment they join and enjoy a full volunteer induction, full training, development opportunities and ongoing support. They also receive a uniform, parking permit and return travel expenses - within a 20 mile radius of the Hospital Whether you are just retiring and have some spare time or are looking to join the NHS workforce as a career, volunteering is a great way to give something back, find out about hospital life all whilst making new friends

If you would like to make a difference to somebody’s day by giving your time and being there for them, we’d love to hear from you!

To find out more, to view our vacancies or to apply to join us, visit our website

46

Rainbows, Brownies and Guides have had an extremely busy term.

Rainbows and Brownies had a joint meeting with Little Paxton Rainbows and Brownies which was great fun and Guides had an exciting Football meeting. All three units celebrated the King’s Coronation with a tea party and games.

11

Hinchingbrooke Hospital - Volunteers Needed We are looking for Volunteers to give a small amount of their time in order to make a big difference to the wellbeing of our patients, their families and our staff Volunteering provides a sense of achievement whilst doing something positive for your local community and whatever your background, experience or interests, we are sure to have a role to suit you Our Volunteers are welcomed from the moment they join and enjoy a full volunteer induction, full training, development opportunities and ongoing support. They also receive a uniform, parking permit and return travel expenses - within a 20 mile radius of the Hospital Whether you are just retiring and have some spare time or are looking to join the NHS workforce as a career, volunteering is a great way to give something back, find out about hospital life all whilst making new friends

If you would like to make a difference to somebody’s day by giving your time and being there for them, we’d love to hear from you!

To find out more, to view our vacancies or to apply to join us, visit our website

46

11

WHY THE LONG GRASS? Why the long grass? You may have seen signs popping up across Huntingdonshire.

As we look to increase biodiversity, improve habitats for nature and reduce our carbon footprint, the District Council is working with Town and Parish councils to change the way we manage amenity grass in the district. For more information visit: Alternative Land Management – Huntingdonshire.gov.uk

•

Councillors accepted that some items of play equipment required updating.

The Clerk will report the flooding incident on River Lane and the overgrown trees (obscuring the 30mph sign) on Paxton Hill to the County Council.

So, after a busy night, it was agreed to meet again at 7.30pm on 10th July. Hope to see you all again next time. *

The District Council is working with Town and Parish councils across Huntingdonshire to allow some of the grass sites we manage to grow. This will enable more plants, insects, birds and mammals to flourish. Just over half of the land the Council maintains is known as amenity grass, mown during the weeks of March to October.

Regular mowing means these sites have the least variety of wildlife (biodiversity) so changing the way the District Council manages them will enable more plants, insects, birds and mammals to flourish.

Rewards to increase biodiversity, improve habitats for nature and reduce the carbon footprint will bring long term benefits.

The signs will read Why the long grass?

This Alternative Land Management Area leaves the grass to grow to help support our birds, bees, and other Important pollinators.

Richard West District Councillor Great Paxton Ward Email Richard.west@huntingdonshire.gov.uk or Richard.west@buckdencambs.co.uk Telephone 01480 811467 or 07841 866630 12

WHY THE LONG GRASS? Why the long grass? You may have seen signs popping up across Huntingdonshire.

As we look to increase biodiversity, improve habitats for nature and reduce our carbon footprint, the District Council is working with Town and Parish councils to change the way we manage amenity grass in the district. For more information visit: Alternative Land Management – Huntingdonshire.gov.uk

45

•

Councillors accepted that some items of play equipment required updating.

The Clerk will report the flooding incident on River Lane and the overgrown trees (obscuring the 30mph sign) on Paxton Hill to the County Council.

So, after a busy night, it was agreed to meet again at 7.30pm on 10th July. Hope to see you all again next time. *

The District Council is working with Town and Parish councils across Huntingdonshire to allow some of the grass sites we manage to grow. This will enable more plants, insects, birds and mammals to flourish. Just over half of the land the Council maintains is known as amenity grass, mown during the weeks of March to October.

Regular mowing means these sites have the least variety of wildlife (biodiversity) so changing the way the District Council manages them will enable more plants, insects, birds and mammals to flourish.

Rewards to increase biodiversity, improve habitats for nature and reduce the carbon footprint will bring long term benefits.

The signs will read Why the long grass?

This Alternative Land Management Area leaves the grass to grow to help support our birds, bees, and other Important pollinators.

Richard West District Councillor Great Paxton Ward Email Richard.west@huntingdonshire.gov.uk or Richard.west@buckdencambs.co.uk Telephone 01480 811467 or 07841 866630 12

45

they wanted the Parish Council to deliver. With this information, the Parish Council intend to draft a Plan to guide financial planning and future decisions.

Some interesting items were raised, in discussion, including streetlighting on the High Street, better communications and improvement to local parking behaviour.

At the same time, the meeting took the opportunity to think about the Local Development Plan (produced by the District Council) and the impact this might have on Great Paxton. Although the meeting acknowledged the need for low-cost homes for first time buyers in the village and recognised some of the benefits that development could bring, it was clear that those present wanted the village to remain as a small rural community and for the Parish Council to resist any future large or medium scale housing development.

In other news – • Your District & County Councillors reported to the meeting and their reports are on the Parish Council website.

• Grants of £1250 were awarded to the Recreation Ground Committee and Community Shop.

• A financial contribution received by the Parish Council from the developers of the former garage site on the High Street could help with the upgrading of the streetlights on the High Street.

• Applications for funding towards improvements to the High Street and for a 20mph zone on the High Street, main estate roads and around the school were with the County Council.

• A RoSPA Inspector had undertaken an inspection of the Play Area on Saxon Green and their report had identified several ‘low risk’ items which would be attended to. Parish 44

they wanted the Parish Council to deliver. With this information, the Parish Council intend to draft a Plan to guide financial planning and future decisions.

Some interesting items were raised, in discussion, including streetlighting on the High Street, better communications and improvement to local parking behaviour.

At the same time, the meeting took the opportunity to think about the Local Development Plan (produced by the District Council) and the impact this might have on Great Paxton. Although the meeting acknowledged the need for low-cost homes for first time buyers in the village and recognised some of the benefits that development could bring, it was clear that those present wanted the village to remain as a small rural community and for the Parish Council to resist any future large or medium scale housing development.

In other news – • Your District & County Councillors reported to the meeting and their reports are on the Parish Council website.

• Grants of £1250 were awarded to the Recreation Ground Committee and Community Shop.

• A financial contribution received by the Parish Council from the developers of the former garage site on the High Street could help with the upgrading of the streetlights on the High Street.

• Applications for funding towards improvements to the High Street and for a 20mph zone on the High Street, main estate roads and around the school were with the County Council.

• A RoSPA Inspector had undertaken an inspection of the Play Area on Saxon Green and their report had identified several ‘low risk’ items which would be attended to. Parish 44

BEE AWARE – Graham James In late summer last year some unusual wildflowers were noticed on the village green at the top of Church Lane. They turned out to be wild bee orchids that had somehow managed to avoid being mown down. In order to try and preserve these attractive plants, the Parish Council was approached, and requests were made to try to prevent them being damaged when this year’s mowing programme started.

Unfortunately, despite instructions being given to a new gardening contractor, and the locations of a number of orchids identified, they were mown over again. However, thankfully one did survive on the village green, and someone has thoughtfully put a guard around it.

Village green

Towgood Way (1st flower)

Someone wondered whether this species of orchid would be a protected species. Well, it is, as all wildflowers are protected, but this one is particularly attractive, and although the species is perhaps not as rare as it used to be, the destruction of grassland habitat can quickly restrict and isolate colonies of species such as bee orchid.

The Wildlife Trust also describe the bee orchid as a sneaky mimic the flower’s velvety lip looks like a female bee. Males fly in to try to 13

BEE AWARE – Graham James In late summer last year some unusual wildflowers were noticed on the village green at the top of Church Lane. They turned out to be wild bee orchids that had somehow managed to avoid being mown down. In order to try and preserve these attractive plants, the Parish Council was approached, and requests were made to try to prevent them being damaged when this year’s mowing programme started.

Unfortunately, despite instructions being given to a new gardening contractor, and the locations of a number of orchids identified, they were mown over again. However, thankfully one did survive on the village green, and someone has thoughtfully put a guard around it.

Village green

Towgood Way (1st flower)

Someone wondered whether this species of orchid would be a protected species. Well, it is, as all wildflowers are protected, but this one is particularly attractive, and although the species is perhaps not as rare as it used to be, the destruction of grassland habitat can quickly restrict and isolate colonies of species such as bee orchid.

The Wildlife Trust also describe the bee orchid as a sneaky mimic the flower’s velvety lip looks like a female bee. Males fly in to try to 13

mate with it and end up pollinating the flower. Sadly, the right bee species doesn’t live here, but this orchid is self-pollinated in the UK. The bee orchid has a rosette of leaves at ground level and two leaves that grow up the stem as a sheath. The stem displays a number of relatively large flowers with pink sepals that look like wings, and furry, brown lips that have yellow markings on, just like a bee.

Unfortunately, we cannot reproduce a photo in colour but here is one growing on a front lawn in the village. Other small clumps have been seen on the verges near the school and within the school grounds. Also, more have now been spotted this year on Rectory Green due to it not being mown.

The Parish Council have requested more care is taken by the grass cutting contractors to ensure the survival of this wonderful species next year. So, next spring look around and you may find you have some of your own.

Addendum We have just read in some reminiscences written by Bert Goodwin about growing up in the village in the 1920s that bee orchids were around back then.

‘With the arrival of Miss Gwendoline Coles from Hamerton, gone was the practice we’d enjoyed under Miss Etchells of collecting, in our own time, wildflowers and herbs for the next day’s nature lesson and also the much appreciated nature walks, which we used to enjoy on fine afternoons when we could probably tell the teacher of more nature sites and she would know. We could tell where a wild honey bee’s nest could be found, where an owl had a nest, where the bee orchids grew in the meadow.’

REPORT FROM YOUR PARISH COUNCIL It was great to see so many residents at the May Parish Council meetings! Aside from all the procedural items to be dealt with at this time of year, those present were able to contribute to discussion on several important issues affecting Great Paxton.

We were fortunate to receive a visit from Inspector Colin Norden (Neighbourhood Policing, Huntingdonshire). He confirmed that, regrettably, Great Paxton had recently lost its PCSO who had left the Police Service following a restructure. It was unlikely that he would be replaced due to recruitment and funding difficulties.

However, some good news – Great Paxton is one of the safest places to live in Cambridgeshire! Because of the low incidence of crime in the village, policing here was not considered to be a priority. A regular police presence was, therefore, unlikely, and very little monitoring, or enforcement would take place due to lack of resources. The Inspector, however, reminded everyone to call 101 should they need to report any criminal activity or to place a report on the Police Website. In an emergency, he urged residents to continue to call 999.

Links to Crime Activity by location and for the reporting of crimes are now posted on the Parish Council’s website. More generally, the Inspector reported that current police operations were concentrated on St Neots and Huntingdon to help to deter knife crime, rural crime watch continued to operate successfully, and cross border drug dealing was concentrated west rather than east of St Neots. * Residents were invited to comment on how they wanted their community to develop and to identify which services and facilities

14

43

mate with it and end up pollinating the flower. Sadly, the right bee species doesn’t live here, but this orchid is self-pollinated in the UK.

REPORT FROM YOUR PARISH COUNCIL It was great to see so many residents at the May Parish Council meetings! Aside from all the procedural items to be dealt with at this time of year, those present were able to contribute to discussion on several important issues affecting Great Paxton.

The bee orchid has a rosette of leaves at ground level and two leaves that grow up the stem as a sheath. The stem displays a number of relatively large flowers with pink sepals that look like wings, and furry, brown lips that have yellow markings on, just like a bee.

Unfortunately, we cannot reproduce a photo in colour but here is one growing on a front lawn in the village. Other small clumps have been seen on the verges near the school and within the school grounds. Also, more have now been spotted this year on Rectory Green due to it not being mown.

The Parish Council have requested more care is taken by the grass cutting contractors to ensure the survival of this wonderful species next year. So, next spring look around and you may find you have some of your own.

Addendum We have just read in some reminiscences written by Bert Goodwin about growing up in the village in the 1920s that bee orchids were around back then.

‘With the arrival of Miss Gwendoline Coles from Hamerton, gone was the practice we’d enjoyed under Miss Etchells of collecting, in our own time, wildflowers and herbs for the next day’s nature lesson and also the much appreciated nature walks, which we used to enjoy on fine afternoons when we could probably tell the teacher of more nature sites and she would know. We could tell where a wild honey bee’s nest could be found, where an owl had a nest, where the bee orchids grew in the meadow.’

We were fortunate to receive a visit from Inspector Colin Norden (Neighbourhood Policing, Huntingdonshire). He confirmed that, regrettably, Great Paxton had recently lost its PCSO who had left the Police Service following a restructure. It was unlikely that he would be replaced due to recruitment and funding difficulties.

However, some good news – Great Paxton is one of the safest places to live in Cambridgeshire! Because of the low incidence of crime in the village, policing here was not considered to be a priority. A regular police presence was, therefore, unlikely, and very little monitoring, or enforcement would take place due to lack of resources. The Inspector, however, reminded everyone to call 101 should they need to report any criminal activity or to place a report on the Police Website. In an emergency, he urged residents to continue to call 999.

Links to Crime Activity by location and for the reporting of crimes are now posted on the Parish Council’s website. More generally, the Inspector reported that current police operations were concentrated on St Neots and Huntingdon to help to deter knife crime, rural crime watch continued to operate successfully, and cross border drug dealing was concentrated west rather than east of St Neots. * Residents were invited to comment on how they wanted their community to develop and to identify which services and facilities

14

43

We are also very much looking forward to welcoming all our new families in September as they start their exciting journey at school.

On behalf of the school, may I wish everyone a happy and safe summer!

Best Wishes Mr Lee Frost Headteacher

County Councillor Annual Report 2022/2023 In February last year, I was elected Chair of the County Council after having attended only three proper meetings. It was a huge honour and a risk for the council because I was easily the most inexperienced Chair the Council has ever had – most people do a two-year apprenticeship as Vice Chair. I also managed to crash my car on the way to the meeting.

So, in May, we accidentally won the District Council, with Independents as the largest group, and with me on the Cabinet, which together with being Chair of the County was a tremendous time commitment. Fortunately, my time as Chair is expiring, and I will hand over the chain at the next meeting on May 16th.

It’s a year since I stood for election to District Councillor, and unexpectedly found myself at the heart of the first non-Conservative administration that Huntingdonshire has ever seen, as part of a group of 15 Independent Councillors in the 31 Councillor Joint Administration. I find myself in the Cabinet, taking the less-thanglamorous Customer and Transactional Services Portfolio. St Neots and the surrounding villages now occupy 4 out of 9 Cabinet seats, representing unprecedented influence for a District Council that had an unfair reputation for being Huntingdon focused.

It wasn’t the Portfolio that I would have chosen. But it’s one I’m very proud of, as 80% of the Council’s effort goes into “Business As Usual” the humdrum unglamorous day-to-day work of the Council. And most of that is my responsibility.

As an Independent, I am happy to remove party politics from Local Government. I am pleased to report that we inherited a healthy and well-run District Council from our Conservative predecessors. And –

42

15

We are also very much looking forward to welcoming all our new families in September as they start their exciting journey at school.

County Councillor Annual Report 2022/2023 In February last year, I was elected Chair of the County Council after having attended only three proper meetings. It was a huge honour and a risk for the council because I was easily the most inexperienced Chair the Council has ever had – most people do a two-year apprenticeship as Vice Chair. I also managed to crash my car on the way to the meeting.

On behalf of the school, may I wish everyone a happy and safe summer!

Best Wishes Mr Lee Frost Headteacher

So, in May, we accidentally won the District Council, with Independents as the largest group, and with me on the Cabinet, which together with being Chair of the County was a tremendous time commitment. Fortunately, my time as Chair is expiring, and I will hand over the chain at the next meeting on May 16th.

It’s a year since I stood for election to District Councillor, and unexpectedly found myself at the heart of the first non-Conservative administration that Huntingdonshire has ever seen, as part of a group of 15 Independent Councillors in the 31 Councillor Joint Administration. I find myself in the Cabinet, taking the less-thanglamorous Customer and Transactional Services Portfolio. St Neots and the surrounding villages now occupy 4 out of 9 Cabinet seats, representing unprecedented influence for a District Council that had an unfair reputation for being Huntingdon focused.

It wasn’t the Portfolio that I would have chosen. But it’s one I’m very proud of, as 80% of the Council’s effort goes into “Business As Usual” the humdrum unglamorous day-to-day work of the Council. And most of that is my responsibility.

As an Independent, I am happy to remove party politics from Local Government. I am pleased to report that we inherited a healthy and well-run District Council from our Conservative predecessors. And – 42

15

although tempers sometimes get frayed – have provided a firm but fair opposition. I hope that continues.

• •

External factors largely influenced our three biggest challenges in forming the administration.

The first was setting a balanced budget. We inherited a £2.5m budget deficit which quickly grew due to double-digit inflation.

Before Christmas, it looked as if the only way we could set a balanced budget would be through cutting essential services, many of which had already been pared to the bone after 13 years of austerity.

However, we were fortunate with a higher-than-expected Government settlement and some financial prudence. We are confident that we can set a balanced budget for the next five years with the aid of green bin charging, which we will introduce some time in the future.

The second challenge was with the Future High Street Investment into St Neots, which had yet to progress under the previous administration and was also facing inflationary pressure. Thankfully, at long last, we will see spades in the ground in the Market Square revamp this summer in an attempt to turn from a car park into the social and economic heart of the town. I cannot talk about the Old Falcon, but there is progress.

The third big challenge is delivering our net-zero ambitions, for which the previous administration had set high targets but had no real plan to get there. Our Green Councillor, Lara Davenport Ray, has thankfully resolved that.

The Joint Administration has just released its corporate plan with three key priorities:

•

• •

This is just a snapshot of some of the activities our children have experienced this year.

Once again, I feel honoured to be part of the community at Great Paxton and work with such fantastic staff, parents/carers, members of the community and most importantly, the children in our care.

We wish all our leavers the very best as they start the next stage of their journey, and we know they leave us with many memories and experiences that they will treasure.

16

although tempers sometimes get frayed – have provided a firm but fair opposition. I hope that continues.

41

• •

External factors largely influenced our three biggest challenges in forming the administration.

The first was setting a balanced budget. We inherited a £2.5m budget deficit which quickly grew due to double-digit inflation.

Before Christmas, it looked as if the only way we could set a balanced budget would be through cutting essential services, many of which had already been pared to the bone after 13 years of austerity.

However, we were fortunate with a higher-than-expected Government settlement and some financial prudence. We are confident that we can set a balanced budget for the next five years with the aid of green bin charging, which we will introduce some time in the future.

The second challenge was with the Future High Street Investment into St Neots, which had yet to progress under the previous administration and was also facing inflationary pressure. Thankfully, at long last, we will see spades in the ground in the Market Square revamp this summer in an attempt to turn from a car park into the social and economic heart of the town. I cannot talk about the Old Falcon, but there is progress.

The third big challenge is delivering our net-zero ambitions, for which the previous administration had set high targets but had no real plan to get there. Our Green Councillor, Lara Davenport Ray, has thankfully resolved that.

The Joint Administration has just released its corporate plan with three key priorities: 16

Coronation Party – we celebrated the Coronation of King Charles III with our own special party and activities.

Sport – throughout the year we continued to provide children with opportunities in competitive sport. We entered a Y5 and a Y6 running team in the Priory Park event and the children ran their hearts out and did themselves proud. The football team have had another successful year, once again making it through to a final. Y5 and Y6 took part in weekly swimming lessons during the Spring Term and the progress made by children was outstanding!

Sports Day – this took place in May this year to avoid hot weather conditions and what a fantastic day it was. Seeing the children demonstrate such resilience, courage, spirit and kindness, truly highlighted our school ethos.

Bletchley Park – Y6 had an amazing opportunity to deepen their historical knowledge with a trip to the World War 2 code cracking capital.

Church – our links with the Church continue to be strong with Canon Annette coming into school on a weekly basis and our termly services.

•

• •

Coronation Party – we celebrated the Coronation of King Charles III with our own special party and activities.

Sport – throughout the year we continued to provide children with opportunities in competitive sport. We entered a Y5 and a Y6 running team in the Priory Park event and the children ran their hearts out and did themselves proud. The football team have had another successful year, once again making it through to a final. Y5 and Y6 took part in weekly swimming lessons during the Spring Term and the progress made by children was outstanding!

Sports Day – this took place in May this year to avoid hot weather conditions and what a fantastic day it was. Seeing the children demonstrate such resilience, courage, spirit and kindness, truly highlighted our school ethos.

Bletchley Park – Y6 had an amazing opportunity to deepen their historical knowledge with a trip to the World War 2 code cracking capital.

Church – our links with the Church continue to be strong with Canon Annette coming into school on a weekly basis and our termly services.

This is just a snapshot of some of the activities our children have experienced this year.

Once again, I feel honoured to be part of the community at Great Paxton and work with such fantastic staff, parents/carers, members of the community and most importantly, the children in our care.

We wish all our leavers the very best as they start the next stage of their journey, and we know they leave us with many memories and experiences that they will treasure.

41

GREAT PAXTON CHURCH OF ENGLAND PRIMARY SCHOOL Mount Pleasant Great Paxton Cambs PE19 6YJ Telephone: 01480 472132 Fax: 01480 471735 E-Mail: office@greatpaxton.cambs.sch.uk www.greatpaxton.cambs.sch.uk Headteacher: Mr L Frost Deputy Headteacher: Miss A Miller I cannot believe that another academic year has passed by. Some of our highlights this year include: •

•

• •

Residential Trip – Y4 and Y5 went to Rock UK for a residential.

It was a wonderful experience, and the children were amazing. They have still not let me forget that I set the fire alarm off by accident at 5am in the morning!

Christmas Play – how fantastic it was to hold our own Christmas Oscars, with ‘The Nativity’ winning the award for ‘Outstanding Contribution to Christmas.’ What made the play extra special was again being able to open our doors for parents/carers/relatives to watch the spectacular show!

Fireworks extravaganza – another amazing display produced by our caretaker which enabled many children to watch the display in a safe and familiar environment.

OFSTED – we were inspected at the end of February, and we were delighted that all our positive changes and developments were recognised, and the inspection confirmed that we continue to be a good school.

40

GREAT PAXTON CHURCH OF ENGLAND PRIMARY SCHOOL Mount Pleasant Great Paxton Cambs PE19 6YJ Telephone: 01480 472132 Fax: 01480 471735 E-Mail: office@greatpaxton.cambs.sch.uk www.greatpaxton.cambs.sch.uk Headteacher: Mr L Frost Deputy Headteacher: Miss A Miller I cannot believe that another academic year has passed by. Some of our highlights this year include: •

•

• •

Residential Trip – Y4 and Y5 went to Rock UK for a residential.

It was a wonderful experience, and the children were amazing. They have still not let me forget that I set the fire alarm off by accident at 5am in the morning!

Christmas Play – how fantastic it was to hold our own Christmas Oscars, with ‘The Nativity’ winning the award for ‘Outstanding Contribution to Christmas.’ What made the play extra special was again being able to open our doors for parents/carers/relatives to watch the spectacular show!

Fireworks extravaganza – another amazing display produced by our caretaker which enabled many children to watch the display in a safe and familiar environment.

OFSTED – we were inspected at the end of February, and we were delighted that all our positive changes and developments were recognised, and the inspection confirmed that we continue to be a good school.

40

1. Improving the quality of life for local people a. Improving the happiness and well-being of residents b. Keeping people out of crisis c. Helping people in crisis 2. Creating a better Huntingdonshire for future generations a. Improving housing b. Forward-thinking economic growth c. Lowering carbon emissions 3. Delivering good quality, high value-for-money services with good control and compliance with statutory obligations.

At County Council, we are still working our way through the Pothole Pandemic – there is a backlog of about 5000 potholes, and we are fixing about 1000 a week, so we’re about a month away from filling them all – although we keep on discovering new ones. The issue is that most road surfaces are at the end of their useful life. The British asphalt association thinks the country needs to spend £11bn across the country to bring the roads up to a maintainable state.

We also had to vote on some contentious items at the last meeting – the first was a GCP proposal to build a new busway between Comberton and Cambridge with a new 2000 car park and ride car park. Controversial because it will require the removal of 520 trees from the Coton orchard. I voted in favour of this because, having spoken with Cambourne Parish Council, there are approximately 12,000 residents who are desperate for better public transport.

We also rejected a proposal for a referendum (that would have cost £1.5 million) on the GCP congestion charging recommendations for Cambridge. We expect that the consultation results will be published in May. In the Summer the County Council will vote on a revised 17

1. Improving the quality of life for local people a. Improving the happiness and well-being of residents b. Keeping people out of crisis c. Helping people in crisis 2. Creating a better Huntingdonshire for future generations a. Improving housing b. Forward-thinking economic growth c. Lowering carbon emissions 3. Delivering good quality, high value-for-money services with good control and compliance with statutory obligations.

At County Council, we are still working our way through the Pothole Pandemic – there is a backlog of about 5000 potholes, and we are fixing about 1000 a week, so we’re about a month away from filling them all – although we keep on discovering new ones. The issue is that most road surfaces are at the end of their useful life. The British asphalt association thinks the country needs to spend £11bn across the country to bring the roads up to a maintainable state.

We also had to vote on some contentious items at the last meeting – the first was a GCP proposal to build a new busway between Comberton and Cambridge with a new 2000 car park and ride car park. Controversial because it will require the removal of 520 trees from the Coton orchard. I voted in favour of this because, having spoken with Cambourne Parish Council, there are approximately 12,000 residents who are desperate for better public transport.

We also rejected a proposal for a referendum (that would have cost £1.5 million) on the GCP congestion charging recommendations for Cambridge. We expect that the consultation results will be published in May. In the Summer the County Council will vote on a revised 17

proposal. I suspect that the proposal will reduce the operating hours of the congestion charging to “peak hours only” at the cost of improvements to the Huntingdonshire bus service. In which case, I am minded not to support it (which probably means it will fail).

EWR are due to announce their final route choice in May. A428 upgrade is subject to further legal delays, and the TAN Judicial Review seems set to go to a High Court Appeal.

Great Paxton Scarecrow Festival ENTRY FORM - SCARECROW FESTIVAL - 16TH TO 24TH SEPTEMBER 2023 First Name

Surname

I got on the front page of the Hunts Post last week as, because of Councillor West’s motion, the District Council strongly opposed the new Luton Arrivals route, and I wrote to the Chief Exec of the CAA to let him know.

Address

Scarecrow Entry Name

Postcode

Your allocated official entry number

Finally, this week I unsuccessfully tried to force the County Council to reverse a ludicrous decision to deny free school transportation to Abbotsley, Waresley and the Gransdens, with the help of 150 parents who signed a petition.

Tel No

Email

FREE ENTRY! Complete in full

27 Towgood Way OR 37 Meadow Way OR GPscarecrow.festival@ yahoo.com

I would like to record my sincere thanks to the Parish Councillors and Clerk for their hard work and dedication, and I look forward to serving you in the coming year and working together for the benefit of residents of the Parish.

You will be sent this nearer the time to display next to your scarecrow

Mobile No

and return no later than Sunday 10th Sept to either:

OR

The Bell pub OR

Great Paxton Community Shop

INFORMATION Only your imagination can limit your design! Go traditional, or as creative as you want! Just ensure the materials you use will withstand the elements for a week as your scarecrow should be in your front garden / where it can be seen by 10am on Saturday 16th until 5pm on Sunday 24th Sept and judging will take place all week by the public. You DO NOT have to use straw and there is no theme for this first year. Only entries that have an official entry number will be eligible to be entered into the competition.

(If you would like to enter but have nowhere to display your scarecrow, contact GPscarecrow.festival@yahoo.com)

Scarecrow Trail sheets will be available from Facebook, the pub and community shop from 10am on Saturday 16th. Use this so you don’t miss any scarecrows on your walk around the village. Follow the map to view all the entries as you are the judges! (Judging by the public will take place for the whole week.) A voting sheet with instructions will be attached to the map. Vote for your favourite by 12noon on Sunday 24th Sept. Votes will be calculated and the winner announced at the pub and on Facebook on Sunday 24th.

BEST NAMED SCARECROW - £50 cash - donated by Hire or Buy Group FUNNIEST SCARECROW - £50 voucher for The Bell – donated by the pub MOST ORIGINAL SCARECROW - £50 cash – donated by Peter Anderson Cars Thank you to: The Bell Follow us on Facebook at @GreatPaxtonScarecrowFestival or at to keep up to date with scarecrow news!

18

proposal. I suspect that the proposal will reduce the operating hours of the congestion charging to “peak hours only” at the cost of improvements to the Huntingdonshire bus service. In which case, I am minded not to support it (which probably means it will fail).

EWR are due to announce their final route choice in May. A428 upgrade is subject to further legal delays, and the TAN Judicial Review seems set to go to a High Court Appeal.

39

Great Paxton Scarecrow Festival ENTRY FORM - SCARECROW FESTIVAL - 16TH TO 24TH SEPTEMBER 2023 First Name

Surname

I got on the front page of the Hunts Post last week as, because of Councillor West’s motion, the District Council strongly opposed the new Luton Arrivals route, and I wrote to the Chief Exec of the CAA to let him know.

Address

Scarecrow Entry Name

Postcode

Your allocated official entry number

Finally, this week I unsuccessfully tried to force the County Council to reverse a ludicrous decision to deny free school transportation to Abbotsley, Waresley and the Gransdens, with the help of 150 parents who signed a petition.

Tel No

Email

FREE ENTRY! Complete in full

27 Towgood Way OR 37 Meadow Way OR GPscarecrow.festival@ yahoo.com

I would like to record my sincere thanks to the Parish Councillors and Clerk for their hard work and dedication, and I look forward to serving you in the coming year and working together for the benefit of residents of the Parish.

You will be sent this nearer the time to display next to your scarecrow

Mobile No

and return no later than Sunday 10th Sept to either:

OR

The Bell pub OR

Great Paxton Community Shop

INFORMATION Only your imagination can limit your design! Go traditional, or as creative as you want! Just ensure the materials you use will withstand the elements for a week as your scarecrow should be in your front garden / where it can be seen by 10am on Saturday 16th until 5pm on Sunday 24th Sept and judging will take place all week by the public. You DO NOT have to use straw and there is no theme for this first year. Only entries that have an official entry number will be eligible to be entered into the competition.

(If you would like to enter but have nowhere to display your scarecrow, contact GPscarecrow.festival@yahoo.com)

Scarecrow Trail sheets will be available from Facebook, the pub and community shop from 10am on Saturday 16th. Use this so you don’t miss any scarecrows on your walk around the village. Follow the map to view all the entries as you are the judges! (Judging by the public will take place for the whole week.) A voting sheet with instructions will be attached to the map. Vote for your favourite by 12noon on Sunday 24th Sept. Votes will be calculated and the winner announced at the pub and on Facebook on Sunday 24th.

BEST NAMED SCARECROW - £50 cash - donated by Hire or Buy Group FUNNIEST SCARECROW - £50 voucher for The Bell – donated by the pub MOST ORIGINAL SCARECROW - £50 cash – donated by Peter Anderson Cars Thank you to: The Bell Follow us on Facebook at @GreatPaxtonScarecrowFestival or at to keep up to date with scarecrow news!

18

39

I’m not very creative, what if my scarecrow isn’t very good?

Who says it’s not very good?! Scarecrows of all shapes, sizes, and standards are welcome! It’s not about the winning, it’s about the taking part! However, this year we think the prize categories make it fairer to all entrants. If you don’t feel able to make one, why not get the visiting grandkids/relatives/friends to have a go over the summer holidays!

What else is going on during the festival week?

The first day of the festival – Saturday 16th September – is the main event. Food vendors, craft stalls, cake and game stalls, PTA tombola, and face painting will all be available in The Bell carpark from 12 noon.

Refreshments will be on sale in the church in the afternoon too. Invite your friends and family for a fun afternoon.

At 3pm children 11 years and under are invited to come in fancy dress to the Bell carpark, where our fantastic vicar Reverend Annette and brilliant Landlady Raqi will judge their favourite costumes! No theme, and free to enter! There will be some great prizes to be won!

On Sunday 17th Sept the Rec Committee have organised a Car Boot Sale to take place at the Rec Ground. A pitch will cost £10 and set up is from 9am, to open for buyers at 10am. Tea, coffee and bacon rolls will be available too. Spread the word!

It is always a brilliant atmosphere in the village so please do join in, in any way you can! It would be amazing if we could get more scarecrows than last year. 71 is the number to beat! Without your fantastic creations there will not be a festival, so please do have a go. Let’s make this a wonderful event for all the family again.

Jo, Raqi, Andrea, Julie, Karen, Tara and Val gp-scarecrow.online/

Great Paxton Reading Group We have nearly read three books since the last edition – The first was ‘Apples Never Fall’ by Liane Moriarty – well this is a brilliant book. One of her other books has been on TV as a series – ‘Nine Perfect Strangers’. For some reason I stopped watching this one half way through. I thoroughly enjoyed ‘Apples Never Fall’ – it kept me guessing right up until the end and with a different ending to what I thought! Liane has written quite a few books, so will be looking for some more of hers to read.

Then we read ‘One August Night’ by Victoria Hislop. This is a sequel, or I should say, learning a bit more about some of the characters in the first book – ‘The Island’. I read this book years ago and felt that I had to re-read it again before I read ‘One August Night’. I had totally forgotten how heart wrenching ‘The Island’ was – read most of it on a train and my tears flowed … ‘One August Night’ was a good read but not as riveting as ‘The Island’.

We are now reading ‘Where the Crawdads Sing’ by Delia Owens – will let you know what I feel about this book, next time – suffice to say it is compelling!

Gpscarecrow.festival@yahoo.com @ GreatPaxtonScarecrowFestival

38

Amanda Niven

19

I’m not very creative, what if my scarecrow isn’t very good?

Who says it’s not very good?! Scarecrows of all shapes, sizes, and standards are welcome! It’s not about the winning, it’s about the taking part! However, this year we think the prize categories make it fairer to all entrants. If you don’t feel able to make one, why not get the visiting grandkids/relatives/friends to have a go over the summer holidays!

What else is going on during the festival week?

The first day of the festival – Saturday 16th September – is the main event. Food vendors, craft stalls, cake and game stalls, PTA tombola, and face painting will all be available in The Bell carpark from 12 noon.

Refreshments will be on sale in the church in the afternoon too. Invite your friends and family for a fun afternoon.

At 3pm children 11 years and under are invited to come in fancy dress to the Bell carpark, where our fantastic vicar Reverend Annette and brilliant Landlady Raqi will judge their favourite costumes! No theme, and free to enter! There will be some great prizes to be won!

On Sunday 17th Sept the Rec Committee have organised a Car Boot Sale to take place at the Rec Ground. A pitch will cost £10 and set up is from 9am, to open for buyers at 10am. Tea, coffee and bacon rolls will be available too. Spread the word!

It is always a brilliant atmosphere in the village so please do join in, in any way you can! It would be amazing if we could get more scarecrows than last year. 71 is the number to beat! Without your fantastic creations there will not be a festival, so please do have a go. Let’s make this a wonderful event for all the family again.

Jo, Raqi, Andrea, Julie, Karen, Tara and Val gp-scarecrow.online/

Great Paxton Reading Group We have nearly read three books since the last edition – The first was ‘Apples Never Fall’ by Liane Moriarty – well this is a brilliant book. One of her other books has been on TV as a series – ‘Nine Perfect Strangers’. For some reason I stopped watching this one half way through. I thoroughly enjoyed ‘Apples Never Fall’ – it kept me guessing right up until the end and with a different ending to what I thought! Liane has written quite a few books, so will be looking for some more of hers to read.

Then we read ‘One August Night’ by Victoria Hislop. This is a sequel, or I should say, learning a bit more about some of the characters in the first book – ‘The Island’. I read this book years ago and felt that I had to re-read it again before I read ‘One August Night’. I had totally forgotten how heart wrenching ‘The Island’ was – read most of it on a train and my tears flowed … ‘One August Night’ was a good read but not as riveting as ‘The Island’.

We are now reading ‘Where the Crawdads Sing’ by Delia Owens – will let you know what I feel about this book, next time – suffice to say it is compelling!

Gpscarecrow.festival@yahoo.com @ GreatPaxtonScarecrowFestival

38

Amanda Niven

19

Great Paxton History Society Website https://greatpaxtonhistory.weebly.com/ Please do visit the website and see what has been uploaded. If anyone has some more memories and pictures of people and places in Great Paxton, we would be pleased to have them.

Email greatpaxtonhs@yahoo.com Also visit https://greatpaxton1000.co.uk for more village history information.

Best Named Scarecrow - £50 cash from Hire or Buy Group Funniest Scarecrow - £50 voucher for The Bell Most original Scarecrow - £50 cash from Peter Anderson Cars

We welcome anyone with an interest in our village or history in general, once a month, usually the second Monday at 7.30 in The Bell pub, which opens especially for us. The May meeting was cancelled since it clashed with the Coronation. The next dates are June 12th, July 10th, August 14th.

Where can I get an entry form from?

Inside this magazine, or from The Bell or the village shop. Just return it to the pub, shop or pop through the letter box of 27 Towgood Way or 37 Meadow Way. If you are unable to get hold of a form, please email Gpscarecrow.festival@yahoo.com.

September 11th will be a special meeting with speaker Liz Davies, starting at 7.30pm. There will be a charge of £3 to help with the fee.

Liz is the current curator of St Neots Museum, and she will be telling us about her work there, and also some interesting facts about our village of Great Paxton. She has a visual presentation, and we hope she will bring some artefacts as well for us to see. Watch for posters.

Jacqueline Wieczorek

How do I enter a scarecrow into the competition?

A completed entry form is required in order to be eligible to win the prizes, and this form must be returned by 10 th September. You will then be given an official entry number that needs to be displayed near your scarecrow for the week, so that people can vote for your creation.

Do I have to use straw in my scarecrow?

No, absolutely not. But if you do want to, College Farm have very kindly offered to donate some again this year.

When does my scarecrow have to be displayed?

Scarecrows will need to be on display by 10am on Saturday 16 th until end of day on Sunday 24 th September, so consider the unpredictable British weather when making your scarecrow! And don’t put them out too early else they may look very battered by the end of the festival!

How will my scarecrow be judged?

The visiting public will vote for their favourites all week using the voting slips available on the village map / scarecrow entry list. People will be asked to vote according to the three categories listed. These votes will be counted by the committee on the afternoon of Sunday 24 th September and the winners announced at The Bell pub and via a Facebook live feed. (Please note, entrants can only win one category).

Where will I be able to get a voting slip / map / list of entries from?

As usual, these will be available from the village shop, outside and inside the pub from 10am on Saturday 16 th September. It may even be able to go on our webpage this year.

20

37

Great Paxton History Society Website https://greatpaxtonhistory.weebly.com/ Please do visit the website and see what has been uploaded. If anyone has some more memories and pictures of people and places in Great Paxton, we would be pleased to have them.

Email greatpaxtonhs@yahoo.com Also visit https://greatpaxton1000.co.uk for more village history information.

Best Named Scarecrow - £50 cash from Hire or Buy Group Funniest Scarecrow - £50 voucher for The Bell Most original Scarecrow - £50 cash from Peter Anderson Cars

We welcome anyone with an interest in our village or history in general, once a month, usually the second Monday at 7.30 in The Bell pub, which opens especially for us. The May meeting was cancelled since it clashed with the Coronation. The next dates are June 12th, July 10th, August 14th.

Where can I get an entry form from?

Inside this magazine, or from The Bell or the village shop. Just return it to the pub, shop or pop through the letter box of 27 Towgood Way or 37 Meadow Way. If you are unable to get hold of a form, please email Gpscarecrow.festival@yahoo.com.

September 11th will be a special meeting with speaker Liz Davies, starting at 7.30pm. There will be a charge of £3 to help with the fee.

Liz is the current curator of St Neots Museum, and she will be telling us about her work there, and also some interesting facts about our village of Great Paxton. She has a visual presentation, and we hope she will bring some artefacts as well for us to see. Watch for posters.

Jacqueline Wieczorek

How do I enter a scarecrow into the competition?

A completed entry form is required in order to be eligible to win the prizes, and this form must be returned by 10 th September. You will then be given an official entry number that needs to be displayed near your scarecrow for the week, so that people can vote for your creation.

Do I have to use straw in my scarecrow?

No, absolutely not. But if you do want to, College Farm have very kindly offered to donate some again this year.

When does my scarecrow have to be displayed?

Scarecrows will need to be on display by 10am on Saturday 16 th until end of day on Sunday 24 th September, so consider the unpredictable British weather when making your scarecrow! And don’t put them out too early else they may look very battered by the end of the festival!

How will my scarecrow be judged?

The visiting public will vote for their favourites all week using the voting slips available on the village map / scarecrow entry list. People will be asked to vote according to the three categories listed. These votes will be counted by the committee on the afternoon of Sunday 24 th September and the winners announced at The Bell pub and via a Facebook live feed. (Please note, entrants can only win one category).

Where will I be able to get a voting slip / map / list of entries from?

As usual, these will be available from the village shop, outside and inside the pub from 10am on Saturday 16 th September. It may even be able to go on our webpage this year.

20

37

Great Paxton Scarecrow Festival TWO MONTHS TO GO! Saturday 16th to Sunday 24th September By the time you read this there will be just over two months to go until our next Scarecrow Festival! We hope you have started planning your fabulous entries!!

As mentioned previously, we now have a Scarecrow Festival Committee, and I am really grateful to Andrea, Julie, Karen, Raqi, Tara and Val for joining. It wouldn’t be happening this year without their help, so thank you ladies. I’m pleased to announce we now have our own web page too! Visit gp-scarecrow.online/ to keep up to date with all the scarecrow news!

We really hope to get as many scarecrows as possible this year. If you are thinking about it, but not 100% sure, the following will help with any questions you may have:

GREAT PAXTON HOLY TRINITY MINSTER CHURCH SATURDAY 1ST JULY 2023 A history of the village exhibition presented by the Great Paxton History Society.

Self-guided tours of the Anglo-Saxon church and the churchyard.

See the memorial to the Lancaster crew killed on Christmas Eve 1944.

Also, the Timeline of Monarchs.

See via video screen some of the historic graffiti on the tower walls, some of which dates back to the 17th century and records historic events.

Light refreshments and cakes available to purchase.

SUNDAY 2ND JULY 2023 As well as the same activities as on Saturday, Sunday has several extra reasons to visit.

Guided tours up the bell tower, led by members of the bell-ringing team. This gives you a great and very rare opportunity to see some of the historic graffiti on the walls, some of which dates back to the 17th century and records historic events.

The dedication and placement of the Millenniumfest time-capsule.

Is there a theme this year?

No, the committee have decided there will not be a theme again, as we do not want to deter people from entering. Anything goes!

Does it cost me anything to enter a scarecrow into the competition?

It is still completely free to enter. So, enter as many as you want!

A performance by the Peppercorns Academy adult choir (to be confirmed).

Light refreshments and cakes available to purchase.

All are welcome to this special weekend. Donations to Holy Trinity Minster Church and Great Paxton History Society.

What prizes are available this year?

You will be in with a chance of winning one of the following:

36

Great Paxton Scarecrow Festival TWO MONTHS TO GO! Saturday 16th to Sunday 24th September By the time you read this there will be just over two months to go until our next Scarecrow Festival! We hope you have started planning your fabulous entries!!

As mentioned previously, we now have a Scarecrow Festival Committee, and I am really grateful to Andrea, Julie, Karen, Raqi, Tara and Val for joining. It wouldn’t be happening this year without their help, so thank you ladies. I’m pleased to announce we now have our own web page too! Visit gp-scarecrow.online/ to keep up to date with all the scarecrow news!

We really hope to get as many scarecrows as possible this year. If you are thinking about it, but not 100% sure, the following will help with any questions you may have:

21

GREAT PAXTON HOLY TRINITY MINSTER CHURCH SATURDAY 1ST JULY 2023 A history of the village exhibition presented by the Great Paxton History Society.

Self-guided tours of the Anglo-Saxon church and the churchyard.

See the memorial to the Lancaster crew killed on Christmas Eve 1944.

Also, the Timeline of Monarchs.

See via video screen some of the historic graffiti on the tower walls, some of which dates back to the 17th century and records historic events.

Light refreshments and cakes available to purchase.

SUNDAY 2ND JULY 2023 As well as the same activities as on Saturday, Sunday has several extra reasons to visit.

Guided tours up the bell tower, led by members of the bell-ringing team. This gives you a great and very rare opportunity to see some of the historic graffiti on the walls, some of which dates back to the 17th century and records historic events.

The dedication and placement of the Millenniumfest time-capsule.

Is there a theme this year?

No, the committee have decided there will not be a theme again, as we do not want to deter people from entering. Anything goes!

Does it cost me anything to enter a scarecrow into the competition?

It is still completely free to enter. So, enter as many as you want!

A performance by the Peppercorns Academy adult choir (to be confirmed).

Light refreshments and cakes available to purchase.

All are welcome to this special weekend. Donations to Holy Trinity Minster Church and Great Paxton History Society.

What prizes are available this year?

You will be in with a chance of winning one of the following:

36

21

Holy Trinity Minster Church Great Paxton

Contact details: Vicar: Canon Annette Reed Tel: 01480 211048 canonannettereed@gmail.com Churchwardens: Mr Bob Hacking 1 Mint Lane Great Paxton 01480 219846 Mrs Andrea Goodyer 7a Church Lane Great Paxton andrea.goodyer@clinicallyconnected.com Church Treasurer: Mrs Jacqueline Jackson jnmunro@btinternet.com 22

35

Holy Trinity Minster Church Great Paxton

Contact details: Vicar: Canon Annette Reed Tel: 01480 211048 canonannettereed@gmail.com Churchwardens: Mr Bob Hacking 1 Mint Lane Great Paxton 01480 219846 Mrs Andrea Goodyer 7a Church Lane Great Paxton andrea.goodyer@clinicallyconnected.com Church Treasurer: Mrs Jacqueline Jackson jnmunro@btinternet.com 22

35

Tower Captain: Mrs Mary Parnham 01480 394727 maryP2707@hotmail.com We look forward to several baptism and wedding services this summer and send best wishes to families celebrating special occasions. Do contact Annette if you are thinking of having a youngster baptised or planning your wedding. canonannettereed@gmail.com Update on the Repairs to Holy Trinity church.

Having worked with the Strickland brothers Steve and Martin before on building projects, the PCC have been delighted that they have been undertaking the essential repairs to the south aisle and other areas of the church.

One of their first tasks was to remove the large statue of the Virgin Mary over to the south aisle from the north aisle, work involving a lot of stone plinth sawing and great care of the heavy statue. This was completed during the first week in May and Mary and the infant Jesus fit now very well into a corner of the south aisle. The next task was to get the late 19th century Bevington organ moved across into the north aisle, and this was completed by Norman Hall and Sons in the second week of May. Charles and his brother managed to empty most of the contents of the organ’s interior and then walked it into its new position. They then put the organ back together again with the cleaned blower put into a new purpose built box behind the organ. Below are the Hall brothers working on the relocated organ.

34

23

Tower Captain: Mrs Mary Parnham 01480 394727 maryP2707@hotmail.com We look forward to several baptism and wedding services this summer and send best wishes to families celebrating special occasions. Do contact Annette if you are thinking of having a youngster baptised or planning your wedding. canonannettereed@gmail.com Update on the Repairs to Holy Trinity church.

Having worked with the Strickland brothers Steve and Martin before on building projects, the PCC have been delighted that they have been undertaking the essential repairs to the south aisle and other areas of the church.

One of their first tasks was to remove the large statue of the Virgin Mary over to the south aisle from the north aisle, work involving a lot of stone plinth sawing and great care of the heavy statue. This was completed during the first week in May and Mary and the infant Jesus fit now very well into a corner of the south aisle. The next task was to get the late 19th century Bevington organ moved across into the north aisle, and this was completed by Norman Hall and Sons in the second week of May. Charles and his brother managed to empty most of the contents of the organ’s interior and then walked it into its new position. They then put the organ back together again with the cleaned blower put into a new purpose built box behind the organ. Below are the Hall brothers working on the relocated organ.

34

23

newer mower asap. If anyone has any ideas or is willing to contribute or sponsor it would greatly help keep the Rec neat and tidy for ALL users of the Rec. Rachael at the pub can be contacted for all enquiries or colin.bower@ntlworld.com * Great Paxton Adult Reserves – Season Review A strong start to the season allowed us to win 10 of our first 11 games and draw the other. Alex Beadle led the team with a clear plan, and it was working well, everyone knew their role and how to play the way we wanted to. Danny and Lester were scoring freely, and the defence remained solid with players like Troy, Paul and Steve controlling the back. Combine that with the hard working midfield and other members of the squad and things were looking great.

Once removed from the south aisle, Stricklands took up the old south aisle wooden floor. They found the planks of wood and joists to be completely rotten as we expected. They cleared out all of the debris and are now filling in the void with a material which is recycled from old glass. Then they will lay screed down which will need to dry before the new stone floor is laid. We were pleased that near perfect tiled flooring was under where the organ had stood, and this has been cleaned for all to see.

Along with this work, we now have a new French drain around the west end of the church which will improve the damp problem in the toilet area. The damp plaster in the toilet has gone and with new mechanical extraction the new plaster should stay dry. Finally, there are new rainwater goods on the vestry and small repairs to the flashing on the vestry roof.

We are very grateful to the Strickland and Hall brothers for all the care and attention they have given to these projects and to the

Unfortunately we couldn’t maintain the performances as we started to drop points and play poorly after Christmas. We managed to keep picking up wins and points without playing well but ultimately our luck ran out and we lost 4 or 5 games in quick succession. Injuries and player availability played a part in our dip, however a knock of confidence cost us. During this period Alex had to step away from running the team and Danny took over as caretaker manager towards the end of the season.

Credit to everyone involved as we finished strong and almost reignited our title challenge, but 3 key defeats put an end to that.

We finished the season in 3rd place, the highest our reserves have ever finished in the league, a cup semi-final and a group of players ready to go again next season. A big thank you to everyone involved this season.

Mike Fairs.

24

33

newer mower asap. If anyone has any ideas or is willing to contribute or sponsor it would greatly help keep the Rec neat and tidy for ALL users of the Rec. Rachael at the pub can be contacted for all enquiries or colin.bower@ntlworld.com * Great Paxton Adult Reserves – Season Review A strong start to the season allowed us to win 10 of our first 11 games and draw the other. Alex Beadle led the team with a clear plan, and it was working well, everyone knew their role and how to play the way we wanted to. Danny and Lester were scoring freely, and the defence remained solid with players like Troy, Paul and Steve controlling the back. Combine that with the hard working midfield and other members of the squad and things were looking great.

Once removed from the south aisle, Stricklands took up the old south aisle wooden floor. They found the planks of wood and joists to be completely rotten as we expected. They cleared out all of the debris and are now filling in the void with a material which is recycled from old glass. Then they will lay screed down which will need to dry before the new stone floor is laid. We were pleased that near perfect tiled flooring was under where the organ had stood, and this has been cleaned for all to see.

Along with this work, we now have a new French drain around the west end of the church which will improve the damp problem in the toilet area. The damp plaster in the toilet has gone and with new mechanical extraction the new plaster should stay dry. Finally, there are new rainwater goods on the vestry and small repairs to the flashing on the vestry roof.

We are very grateful to the Strickland and Hall brothers for all the care and attention they have given to these projects and to the 24

Unfortunately we couldn’t maintain the performances as we started to drop points and play poorly after Christmas. We managed to keep picking up wins and points without playing well but ultimately our luck ran out and we lost 4 or 5 games in quick succession. Injuries and player availability played a part in our dip, however a knock of confidence cost us. During this period Alex had to step away from running the team and Danny took over as caretaker manager towards the end of the season.

Credit to everyone involved as we finished strong and almost reignited our title challenge, but 3 key defeats put an end to that.

We finished the season in 3rd place, the highest our reserves have ever finished in the league, a cup semi-final and a group of players ready to go again next season. A big thank you to everyone involved this season.

Mike Fairs.

33

End of season report from Gt. Paxton Colts U10s had a great season and went a whole league campaign undefeated and lost in their cup final to a last minute winner against Alconbury. They move up from 7v7 to 9v9 next season so have the challenge of an increased pitch size and more players! They currently have enough players for the new season.

U13s had a successful season finishing mid table in their league. They are looking to push further up the table in the forthcoming season with a number of the girls in the team training also with local football ladies’ academies, Cambridge & Norwich. They currently have enough players for the new season.

U15s had a tough season, being pushed up from C to A league which wasn’t anticipated or helpful in their footballing progression. They finished in the bottom half of the table and are looking to regroup for a likely last season as U16s. They are looking for players to add to their squad for the new season. Contact: colin.bower@ntlworld.com The Colts have the capacity to accept another mini soccer team for next season or future seasons. The club would look to assist and pay for interested personnel to gain their minimum qualifications to run their football team. If you are interested now or in the future please get in contact.

various donors who have enabled the works to take place. We hope to have a service in September to celebrate all we have been able to achieve.

Regular Services at Great Paxton Church.

It has been lovely to see our service attendance numbers increase over the past few weeks. We hold a variety of different types of Christian worship, and you will always find a very warm welcome.

Here is our regular service pattern.

1st Sunday 9.00am Prayer Book Holy Communion 2nd Sunday 11.00am All Age Worship 3rd Sunday 11.00am Common Worship Holy Communion 4th Sunday 11.00am Sunday Morning Prayer Please note there won’t be Morning Prayer on Sunday June 25th.

An easy way to donate towards the upkeep of Holy Trinity Church.

Below is our new QR code and if any readers would like to make a one off donation towards looking after our 1,000 year old building, the code is easy to use with a mobile phone. Thank you.

The Rec ground, the adult teams and the Colts are always looking for helping hands keeping on top of the grass cutting, strimming, retaining the pitch lines and general Rec maintenance. Please get in contact if you can spare a few hours a week to help your local club.

We are actively looking for sponsorship or donations to enable us to buy a new mower for the Rec. We are dragging the current one kicking and screaming through the summer but will need to get a 32

25

End of season report from Gt. Paxton Colts U10s had a great season and went a whole league campaign undefeated and lost in their cup final to a last minute winner against Alconbury. They move up from 7v7 to 9v9 next season so have the challenge of an increased pitch size and more players! They currently have enough players for the new season.

various donors who have enabled the works to take place. We hope to have a service in September to celebrate all we have been able to achieve.

U13s had a successful season finishing mid table in their league. They are looking to push further up the table in the forthcoming season with a number of the girls in the team training also with local football ladies’ academies, Cambridge & Norwich. They currently have enough players for the new season.

U15s had a tough season, being pushed up from C to A league which wasn’t anticipated or helpful in their footballing progression. They finished in the bottom half of the table and are looking to regroup for a likely last season as U16s. They are looking for players to add to their squad for the new season. Contact: colin.bower@ntlworld.com The Colts have the capacity to accept another mini soccer team for next season or future seasons. The club would look to assist and pay for interested personnel to gain their minimum qualifications to run their football team. If you are interested now or in the future please get in contact.

Regular Services at Great Paxton Church.

It has been lovely to see our service attendance numbers increase over the past few weeks. We hold a variety of different types of Christian worship, and you will always find a very warm welcome.

Here is our regular service pattern.

1st Sunday 9.00am Prayer Book Holy Communion 2nd Sunday 11.00am All Age Worship 3rd Sunday 11.00am Common Worship Holy Communion 4th Sunday 11.00am Sunday Morning Prayer Please note there won’t be Morning Prayer on Sunday June 25th.

An easy way to donate towards the upkeep of Holy Trinity Church.

Below is our new QR code and if any readers would like to make a one off donation towards looking after our 1,000 year old building, the code is easy to use with a mobile phone. Thank you.

The Rec ground, the adult teams and the Colts are always looking for helping hands keeping on top of the grass cutting, strimming, retaining the pitch lines and general Rec maintenance. Please get in contact if you can spare a few hours a week to help your local club.

We are actively looking for sponsorship or donations to enable us to buy a new mower for the Rec. We are dragging the current one kicking and screaming through the summer but will need to get a 32

25

Don’t forget the timeline!

You will find details of the summer local history display elsewhere in the Paxton Post, but it is great that the group are so active and willing and able to share their findings.

The Vicar and PCC are very grateful to Paul Ward who has crafted the amazing timeline of the monarchs who have ruled over the area where Great Paxton lies from the 500s to the present day. The series of posts and carved wooden plaques run alongside the churchyard path and the outcome is a remarkable creative endeavour for the village. Thank you to Paul who was assisted by Chris Hall and Jacqueline Wieczorek in the creation of the project.

Please do visit and enjoy this unique walk through history to the present day.

For news from all of our four churches in the Paxtons benefice, please go to our website: www.thepaxtonsbenefice.org or benefice Facebook page @The Paxtons Benefice

26

31

Don’t forget the timeline!

You will find details of the summer local history display elsewhere in the Paxton Post, but it is great that the group are so active and willing and able to share their findings.

The Vicar and PCC are very grateful to Paul Ward who has crafted the amazing timeline of the monarchs who have ruled over the area where Great Paxton lies from the 500s to the present day. The series of posts and carved wooden plaques run alongside the churchyard path and the outcome is a remarkable creative endeavour for the village. Thank you to Paul who was assisted by Chris Hall and Jacqueline Wieczorek in the creation of the project.

Please do visit and enjoy this unique walk through history to the present day.

For news from all of our four churches in the Paxtons benefice, please go to our website: www.thepaxtonsbenefice.org or benefice Facebook page @The Paxtons Benefice

26

31

Don’t forget the timeline!

You will find details of the summer local history display elsewhere in the Paxton Post, but it is great that the group are so active and willing and able to share their findings.

The Vicar and PCC are very grateful to Paul Ward who has crafted the amazing timeline of the monarchs who have ruled over the area where Great Paxton lies from the 500s to the present day. The series of posts and carved wooden plaques run alongside the churchyard path and the outcome is a remarkable creative endeavour for the village. Thank you to Paul who was assisted by Chris Hall and Jacqueline Wieczorek in the creation of the project.

Please do visit and enjoy this unique walk through history to the present day.

For news from all of our four churches in the Paxtons benefice, please go to our website: www.thepaxtonsbenefice.org or benefice Facebook page @The Paxtons Benefice

26

31

Don’t forget the timeline!

You will find details of the summer local history display elsewhere in the Paxton Post, but it is great that the group are so active and willing and able to share their findings.

The Vicar and PCC are very grateful to Paul Ward who has crafted the amazing timeline of the monarchs who have ruled over the area where Great Paxton lies from the 500s to the present day. The series of posts and carved wooden plaques run alongside the churchyard path and the outcome is a remarkable creative endeavour for the village. Thank you to Paul who was assisted by Chris Hall and Jacqueline Wieczorek in the creation of the project.

Please do visit and enjoy this unique walk through history to the present day.

For news from all of our four churches in the Paxtons benefice, please go to our website: www.thepaxtonsbenefice.org or benefice Facebook page @The Paxtons Benefice

26

31

End of season report from Gt. Paxton Colts U10s had a great season and went a whole league campaign undefeated and lost in their cup final to a last minute winner against Alconbury. They move up from 7v7 to 9v9 next season so have the challenge of an increased pitch size and more players! They currently have enough players for the new season.

U13s had a successful season finishing mid table in their league. They are looking to push further up the table in the forthcoming season with a number of the girls in the team training also with local football ladies’ academies, Cambridge & Norwich. They currently have enough players for the new season.

U15s had a tough season, being pushed up from C to A league which wasn’t anticipated or helpful in their footballing progression. They finished in the bottom half of the table and are looking to regroup for a likely last season as U16s. They are looking for players to add to their squad for the new season. Contact: colin.bower@ntlworld.com The Colts have the capacity to accept another mini soccer team for next season or future seasons. The club would look to assist and pay for interested personnel to gain their minimum qualifications to run their football team. If you are interested now or in the future please get in contact.

various donors who have enabled the works to take place. We hope to have a service in September to celebrate all we have been able to achieve.

Regular Services at Great Paxton Church.

It has been lovely to see our service attendance numbers increase over the past few weeks. We hold a variety of different types of Christian worship, and you will always find a very warm welcome.

Here is our regular service pattern.

1st Sunday 9.00am Prayer Book Holy Communion 2nd Sunday 11.00am All Age Worship 3rd Sunday 11.00am Common Worship Holy Communion 4th Sunday 11.00am Sunday Morning Prayer Please note there won’t be Morning Prayer on Sunday June 25th.

An easy way to donate towards the upkeep of Holy Trinity Church.

Below is our new QR code and if any readers would like to make a one off donation towards looking after our 1,000 year old building, the code is easy to use with a mobile phone. Thank you.

The Rec ground, the adult teams and the Colts are always looking for helping hands keeping on top of the grass cutting, strimming, retaining the pitch lines and general Rec maintenance. Please get in contact if you can spare a few hours a week to help your local club.

We are actively looking for sponsorship or donations to enable us to buy a new mower for the Rec. We are dragging the current one kicking and screaming through the summer but will need to get a 32

25

End of season report from Gt. Paxton Colts U10s had a great season and went a whole league campaign undefeated and lost in their cup final to a last minute winner against Alconbury. They move up from 7v7 to 9v9 next season so have the challenge of an increased pitch size and more players! They currently have enough players for the new season.

various donors who have enabled the works to take place. We hope to have a service in September to celebrate all we have been able to achieve.

U13s had a successful season finishing mid table in their league. They are looking to push further up the table in the forthcoming season with a number of the girls in the team training also with local football ladies’ academies, Cambridge & Norwich. They currently have enough players for the new season.

U15s had a tough season, being pushed up from C to A league which wasn’t anticipated or helpful in their footballing progression. They finished in the bottom half of the table and are looking to regroup for a likely last season as U16s. They are looking for players to add to their squad for the new season. Contact: colin.bower@ntlworld.com The Colts have the capacity to accept another mini soccer team for next season or future seasons. The club would look to assist and pay for interested personnel to gain their minimum qualifications to run their football team. If you are interested now or in the future please get in contact.

Regular Services at Great Paxton Church.

It has been lovely to see our service attendance numbers increase over the past few weeks. We hold a variety of different types of Christian worship, and you will always find a very warm welcome.

Here is our regular service pattern.

1st Sunday 9.00am Prayer Book Holy Communion 2nd Sunday 11.00am All Age Worship 3rd Sunday 11.00am Common Worship Holy Communion 4th Sunday 11.00am Sunday Morning Prayer Please note there won’t be Morning Prayer on Sunday June 25th.

An easy way to donate towards the upkeep of Holy Trinity Church.

Below is our new QR code and if any readers would like to make a one off donation towards looking after our 1,000 year old building, the code is easy to use with a mobile phone. Thank you.

The Rec ground, the adult teams and the Colts are always looking for helping hands keeping on top of the grass cutting, strimming, retaining the pitch lines and general Rec maintenance. Please get in contact if you can spare a few hours a week to help your local club.

We are actively looking for sponsorship or donations to enable us to buy a new mower for the Rec. We are dragging the current one kicking and screaming through the summer but will need to get a 32

25

newer mower asap. If anyone has any ideas or is willing to contribute or sponsor it would greatly help keep the Rec neat and tidy for ALL users of the Rec. Rachael at the pub can be contacted for all enquiries or colin.bower@ntlworld.com * Great Paxton Adult Reserves – Season Review A strong start to the season allowed us to win 10 of our first 11 games and draw the other. Alex Beadle led the team with a clear plan, and it was working well, everyone knew their role and how to play the way we wanted to. Danny and Lester were scoring freely, and the defence remained solid with players like Troy, Paul and Steve controlling the back. Combine that with the hard working midfield and other members of the squad and things were looking great.

Once removed from the south aisle, Stricklands took up the old south aisle wooden floor. They found the planks of wood and joists to be completely rotten as we expected. They cleared out all of the debris and are now filling in the void with a material which is recycled from old glass. Then they will lay screed down which will need to dry before the new stone floor is laid. We were pleased that near perfect tiled flooring was under where the organ had stood, and this has been cleaned for all to see.

Along with this work, we now have a new French drain around the west end of the church which will improve the damp problem in the toilet area. The damp plaster in the toilet has gone and with new mechanical extraction the new plaster should stay dry. Finally, there are new rainwater goods on the vestry and small repairs to the flashing on the vestry roof.

We are very grateful to the Strickland and Hall brothers for all the care and attention they have given to these projects and to the

Unfortunately we couldn’t maintain the performances as we started to drop points and play poorly after Christmas. We managed to keep picking up wins and points without playing well but ultimately our luck ran out and we lost 4 or 5 games in quick succession. Injuries and player availability played a part in our dip, however a knock of confidence cost us. During this period Alex had to step away from running the team and Danny took over as caretaker manager towards the end of the season.

Credit to everyone involved as we finished strong and almost reignited our title challenge, but 3 key defeats put an end to that.

We finished the season in 3rd place, the highest our reserves have ever finished in the league, a cup semi-final and a group of players ready to go again next season. A big thank you to everyone involved this season.

Mike Fairs.

24

33

newer mower asap. If anyone has any ideas or is willing to contribute or sponsor it would greatly help keep the Rec neat and tidy for ALL users of the Rec. Rachael at the pub can be contacted for all enquiries or colin.bower@ntlworld.com * Great Paxton Adult Reserves – Season Review A strong start to the season allowed us to win 10 of our first 11 games and draw the other. Alex Beadle led the team with a clear plan, and it was working well, everyone knew their role and how to play the way we wanted to. Danny and Lester were scoring freely, and the defence remained solid with players like Troy, Paul and Steve controlling the back. Combine that with the hard working midfield and other members of the squad and things were looking great.

Once removed from the south aisle, Stricklands took up the old south aisle wooden floor. They found the planks of wood and joists to be completely rotten as we expected. They cleared out all of the debris and are now filling in the void with a material which is recycled from old glass. Then they will lay screed down which will need to dry before the new stone floor is laid. We were pleased that near perfect tiled flooring was under where the organ had stood, and this has been cleaned for all to see.

Along with this work, we now have a new French drain around the west end of the church which will improve the damp problem in the toilet area. The damp plaster in the toilet has gone and with new mechanical extraction the new plaster should stay dry. Finally, there are new rainwater goods on the vestry and small repairs to the flashing on the vestry roof.

We are very grateful to the Strickland and Hall brothers for all the care and attention they have given to these projects and to the 24

Unfortunately we couldn’t maintain the performances as we started to drop points and play poorly after Christmas. We managed to keep picking up wins and points without playing well but ultimately our luck ran out and we lost 4 or 5 games in quick succession. Injuries and player availability played a part in our dip, however a knock of confidence cost us. During this period Alex had to step away from running the team and Danny took over as caretaker manager towards the end of the season.

Credit to everyone involved as we finished strong and almost reignited our title challenge, but 3 key defeats put an end to that.

We finished the season in 3rd place, the highest our reserves have ever finished in the league, a cup semi-final and a group of players ready to go again next season. A big thank you to everyone involved this season.

Mike Fairs.

33

Tower Captain: Mrs Mary Parnham 01480 394727 maryP2707@hotmail.com We look forward to several baptism and wedding services this summer and send best wishes to families celebrating special occasions. Do contact Annette if you are thinking of having a youngster baptised or planning your wedding. canonannettereed@gmail.com Update on the Repairs to Holy Trinity church.

Having worked with the Strickland brothers Steve and Martin before on building projects, the PCC have been delighted that they have been undertaking the essential repairs to the south aisle and other areas of the church.

One of their first tasks was to remove the large statue of the Virgin Mary over to the south aisle from the north aisle, work involving a lot of stone plinth sawing and great care of the heavy statue. This was completed during the first week in May and Mary and the infant Jesus fit now very well into a corner of the south aisle. The next task was to get the late 19th century Bevington organ moved across into the north aisle, and this was completed by Norman Hall and Sons in the second week of May. Charles and his brother managed to empty most of the contents of the organ’s interior and then walked it into its new position. They then put the organ back together again with the cleaned blower put into a new purpose built box behind the organ. Below are the Hall brothers working on the relocated organ.

34

23

Tower Captain: Mrs Mary Parnham 01480 394727 maryP2707@hotmail.com We look forward to several baptism and wedding services this summer and send best wishes to families celebrating special occasions. Do contact Annette if you are thinking of having a youngster baptised or planning your wedding. canonannettereed@gmail.com Update on the Repairs to Holy Trinity church.

Having worked with the Strickland brothers Steve and Martin before on building projects, the PCC have been delighted that they have been undertaking the essential repairs to the south aisle and other areas of the church.

One of their first tasks was to remove the large statue of the Virgin Mary over to the south aisle from the north aisle, work involving a lot of stone plinth sawing and great care of the heavy statue. This was completed during the first week in May and Mary and the infant Jesus fit now very well into a corner of the south aisle. The next task was to get the late 19th century Bevington organ moved across into the north aisle, and this was completed by Norman Hall and Sons in the second week of May. Charles and his brother managed to empty most of the contents of the organ’s interior and then walked it into its new position. They then put the organ back together again with the cleaned blower put into a new purpose built box behind the organ. Below are the Hall brothers working on the relocated organ.

34

23

Holy Trinity Minster Church Great Paxton

Contact details: Vicar: Canon Annette Reed Tel: 01480 211048 canonannettereed@gmail.com Churchwardens: Mr Bob Hacking 1 Mint Lane Great Paxton 01480 219846 Mrs Andrea Goodyer 7a Church Lane Great Paxton andrea.goodyer@clinicallyconnected.com Church Treasurer: Mrs Jacqueline Jackson jnmunro@btinternet.com 22

35

Holy Trinity Minster Church Great Paxton

Contact details: Vicar: Canon Annette Reed Tel: 01480 211048 canonannettereed@gmail.com Churchwardens: Mr Bob Hacking 1 Mint Lane Great Paxton 01480 219846 Mrs Andrea Goodyer 7a Church Lane Great Paxton andrea.goodyer@clinicallyconnected.com Church Treasurer: Mrs Jacqueline Jackson jnmunro@btinternet.com 22

35

Great Paxton Scarecrow Festival TWO MONTHS TO GO! Saturday 16th to Sunday 24th September By the time you read this there will be just over two months to go until our next Scarecrow Festival! We hope you have started planning your fabulous entries!!

As mentioned previously, we now have a Scarecrow Festival Committee, and I am really grateful to Andrea, Julie, Karen, Raqi, Tara and Val for joining. It wouldn’t be happening this year without their help, so thank you ladies. I’m pleased to announce we now have our own web page too! Visit gp-scarecrow.online/ to keep up to date with all the scarecrow news!

We really hope to get as many scarecrows as possible this year. If you are thinking about it, but not 100% sure, the following will help with any questions you may have:

GREAT PAXTON HOLY TRINITY MINSTER CHURCH SATURDAY 1ST JULY 2023 A history of the village exhibition presented by the Great Paxton History Society.

Self-guided tours of the Anglo-Saxon church and the churchyard.

See the memorial to the Lancaster crew killed on Christmas Eve 1944.

Also, the Timeline of Monarchs.

See via video screen some of the historic graffiti on the tower walls, some of which dates back to the 17th century and records historic events.

Light refreshments and cakes available to purchase.

SUNDAY 2ND JULY 2023 As well as the same activities as on Saturday, Sunday has several extra reasons to visit.

Guided tours up the bell tower, led by members of the bell-ringing team. This gives you a great and very rare opportunity to see some of the historic graffiti on the walls, some of which dates back to the 17th century and records historic events.

The dedication and placement of the Millenniumfest time-capsule.

Is there a theme this year?

No, the committee have decided there will not be a theme again, as we do not want to deter people from entering. Anything goes!

Does it cost me anything to enter a scarecrow into the competition?

It is still completely free to enter. So, enter as many as you want!

A performance by the Peppercorns Academy adult choir (to be confirmed).

Light refreshments and cakes available to purchase.

All are welcome to this special weekend. Donations to Holy Trinity Minster Church and Great Paxton History Society.

What prizes are available this year?

You will be in with a chance of winning one of the following:

36

Great Paxton Scarecrow Festival TWO MONTHS TO GO! Saturday 16th to Sunday 24th September By the time you read this there will be just over two months to go until our next Scarecrow Festival! We hope you have started planning your fabulous entries!!

As mentioned previously, we now have a Scarecrow Festival Committee, and I am really grateful to Andrea, Julie, Karen, Raqi, Tara and Val for joining. It wouldn’t be happening this year without their help, so thank you ladies. I’m pleased to announce we now have our own web page too! Visit gp-scarecrow.online/ to keep up to date with all the scarecrow news!

We really hope to get as many scarecrows as possible this year. If you are thinking about it, but not 100% sure, the following will help with any questions you may have:

21

GREAT PAXTON HOLY TRINITY MINSTER CHURCH SATURDAY 1ST JULY 2023 A history of the village exhibition presented by the Great Paxton History Society.

Self-guided tours of the Anglo-Saxon church and the churchyard.

See the memorial to the Lancaster crew killed on Christmas Eve 1944.

Also, the Timeline of Monarchs.

See via video screen some of the historic graffiti on the tower walls, some of which dates back to the 17th century and records historic events.

Light refreshments and cakes available to purchase.

SUNDAY 2ND JULY 2023 As well as the same activities as on Saturday, Sunday has several extra reasons to visit.

Guided tours up the bell tower, led by members of the bell-ringing team. This gives you a great and very rare opportunity to see some of the historic graffiti on the walls, some of which dates back to the 17th century and records historic events.

The dedication and placement of the Millenniumfest time-capsule.

Is there a theme this year?

No, the committee have decided there will not be a theme again, as we do not want to deter people from entering. Anything goes!

Does it cost me anything to enter a scarecrow into the competition?

It is still completely free to enter. So, enter as many as you want!

A performance by the Peppercorns Academy adult choir (to be confirmed).

Light refreshments and cakes available to purchase.

All are welcome to this special weekend. Donations to Holy Trinity Minster Church and Great Paxton History Society.

What prizes are available this year?

You will be in with a chance of winning one of the following:

36

21

Great Paxton History Society Website https://greatpaxtonhistory.weebly.com/ Please do visit the website and see what has been uploaded. If anyone has some more memories and pictures of people and places in Great Paxton, we would be pleased to have them.

Email greatpaxtonhs@yahoo.com Also visit https://greatpaxton1000.co.uk for more village history information.

Best Named Scarecrow - £50 cash from Hire or Buy Group Funniest Scarecrow - £50 voucher for The Bell Most original Scarecrow - £50 cash from Peter Anderson Cars

We welcome anyone with an interest in our village or history in general, once a month, usually the second Monday at 7.30 in The Bell pub, which opens especially for us. The May meeting was cancelled since it clashed with the Coronation. The next dates are June 12th, July 10th, August 14th.

Where can I get an entry form from?

Inside this magazine, or from The Bell or the village shop. Just return it to the pub, shop or pop through the letter box of 27 Towgood Way or 37 Meadow Way. If you are unable to get hold of a form, please email Gpscarecrow.festival@yahoo.com.

September 11th will be a special meeting with speaker Liz Davies, starting at 7.30pm. There will be a charge of £3 to help with the fee.

Liz is the current curator of St Neots Museum, and she will be telling us about her work there, and also some interesting facts about our village of Great Paxton. She has a visual presentation, and we hope she will bring some artefacts as well for us to see. Watch for posters.

Jacqueline Wieczorek

How do I enter a scarecrow into the competition?

A completed entry form is required in order to be eligible to win the prizes, and this form must be returned by 10 th September. You will then be given an official entry number that needs to be displayed near your scarecrow for the week, so that people can vote for your creation.

Do I have to use straw in my scarecrow?

No, absolutely not. But if you do want to, College Farm have very kindly offered to donate some again this year.

When does my scarecrow have to be displayed?

Scarecrows will need to be on display by 10am on Saturday 16 th until end of day on Sunday 24 th September, so consider the unpredictable British weather when making your scarecrow! And don’t put them out too early else they may look very battered by the end of the festival!

How will my scarecrow be judged?

The visiting public will vote for their favourites all week using the voting slips available on the village map / scarecrow entry list. People will be asked to vote according to the three categories listed. These votes will be counted by the committee on the afternoon of Sunday 24 th September and the winners announced at The Bell pub and via a Facebook live feed. (Please note, entrants can only win one category).

Where will I be able to get a voting slip / map / list of entries from?

As usual, these will be available from the village shop, outside and inside the pub from 10am on Saturday 16 th September. It may even be able to go on our webpage this year.

20

37

Great Paxton History Society Website https://greatpaxtonhistory.weebly.com/ Please do visit the website and see what has been uploaded. If anyone has some more memories and pictures of people and places in Great Paxton, we would be pleased to have them.

Email greatpaxtonhs@yahoo.com Also visit https://greatpaxton1000.co.uk for more village history information.

Best Named Scarecrow - £50 cash from Hire or Buy Group Funniest Scarecrow - £50 voucher for The Bell Most original Scarecrow - £50 cash from Peter Anderson Cars

We welcome anyone with an interest in our village or history in general, once a month, usually the second Monday at 7.30 in The Bell pub, which opens especially for us. The May meeting was cancelled since it clashed with the Coronation. The next dates are June 12th, July 10th, August 14th.

Where can I get an entry form from?

Inside this magazine, or from The Bell or the village shop. Just return it to the pub, shop or pop through the letter box of 27 Towgood Way or 37 Meadow Way. If you are unable to get hold of a form, please email Gpscarecrow.festival@yahoo.com.

September 11th will be a special meeting with speaker Liz Davies, starting at 7.30pm. There will be a charge of £3 to help with the fee.

Liz is the current curator of St Neots Museum, and she will be telling us about her work there, and also some interesting facts about our village of Great Paxton. She has a visual presentation, and we hope she will bring some artefacts as well for us to see. Watch for posters.

Jacqueline Wieczorek

How do I enter a scarecrow into the competition?

A completed entry form is required in order to be eligible to win the prizes, and this form must be returned by 10 th September. You will then be given an official entry number that needs to be displayed near your scarecrow for the week, so that people can vote for your creation.

Do I have to use straw in my scarecrow?

No, absolutely not. But if you do want to, College Farm have very kindly offered to donate some again this year.

When does my scarecrow have to be displayed?

Scarecrows will need to be on display by 10am on Saturday 16 th until end of day on Sunday 24 th September, so consider the unpredictable British weather when making your scarecrow! And don’t put them out too early else they may look very battered by the end of the festival!

How will my scarecrow be judged?

The visiting public will vote for their favourites all week using the voting slips available on the village map / scarecrow entry list. People will be asked to vote according to the three categories listed. These votes will be counted by the committee on the afternoon of Sunday 24 th September and the winners announced at The Bell pub and via a Facebook live feed. (Please note, entrants can only win one category).

Where will I be able to get a voting slip / map / list of entries from?

As usual, these will be available from the village shop, outside and inside the pub from 10am on Saturday 16 th September. It may even be able to go on our webpage this year.

20

37

I’m not very creative, what if my scarecrow isn’t very good?

Who says it’s not very good?! Scarecrows of all shapes, sizes, and standards are welcome! It’s not about the winning, it’s about the taking part! However, this year we think the prize categories make it fairer to all entrants. If you don’t feel able to make one, why not get the visiting grandkids/relatives/friends to have a go over the summer holidays!

What else is going on during the festival week?

The first day of the festival – Saturday 16th September – is the main event. Food vendors, craft stalls, cake and game stalls, PTA tombola, and face painting will all be available in The Bell carpark from 12 noon.

Refreshments will be on sale in the church in the afternoon too. Invite your friends and family for a fun afternoon.

At 3pm children 11 years and under are invited to come in fancy dress to the Bell carpark, where our fantastic vicar Reverend Annette and brilliant Landlady Raqi will judge their favourite costumes! No theme, and free to enter! There will be some great prizes to be won!

On Sunday 17th Sept the Rec Committee have organised a Car Boot Sale to take place at the Rec Ground. A pitch will cost £10 and set up is from 9am, to open for buyers at 10am. Tea, coffee and bacon rolls will be available too. Spread the word!

It is always a brilliant atmosphere in the village so please do join in, in any way you can! It would be amazing if we could get more scarecrows than last year. 71 is the number to beat! Without your fantastic creations there will not be a festival, so please do have a go. Let’s make this a wonderful event for all the family again.

Jo, Raqi, Andrea, Julie, Karen, Tara and Val gp-scarecrow.online/

Great Paxton Reading Group We have nearly read three books since the last edition – The first was ‘Apples Never Fall’ by Liane Moriarty – well this is a brilliant book. One of her other books has been on TV as a series – ‘Nine Perfect Strangers’. For some reason I stopped watching this one half way through. I thoroughly enjoyed ‘Apples Never Fall’ – it kept me guessing right up until the end and with a different ending to what I thought! Liane has written quite a few books, so will be looking for some more of hers to read.

Then we read ‘One August Night’ by Victoria Hislop. This is a sequel, or I should say, learning a bit more about some of the characters in the first book – ‘The Island’. I read this book years ago and felt that I had to re-read it again before I read ‘One August Night’. I had totally forgotten how heart wrenching ‘The Island’ was – read most of it on a train and my tears flowed … ‘One August Night’ was a good read but not as riveting as ‘The Island’.

We are now reading ‘Where the Crawdads Sing’ by Delia Owens – will let you know what I feel about this book, next time – suffice to say it is compelling!

Gpscarecrow.festival@yahoo.com @ GreatPaxtonScarecrowFestival

38

Amanda Niven

19

I’m not very creative, what if my scarecrow isn’t very good?

Who says it’s not very good?! Scarecrows of all shapes, sizes, and standards are welcome! It’s not about the winning, it’s about the taking part! However, this year we think the prize categories make it fairer to all entrants. If you don’t feel able to make one, why not get the visiting grandkids/relatives/friends to have a go over the summer holidays!

What else is going on during the festival week?

The first day of the festival – Saturday 16th September – is the main event. Food vendors, craft stalls, cake and game stalls, PTA tombola, and face painting will all be available in The Bell carpark from 12 noon.

Refreshments will be on sale in the church in the afternoon too. Invite your friends and family for a fun afternoon.

At 3pm children 11 years and under are invited to come in fancy dress to the Bell carpark, where our fantastic vicar Reverend Annette and brilliant Landlady Raqi will judge their favourite costumes! No theme, and free to enter! There will be some great prizes to be won!

On Sunday 17th Sept the Rec Committee have organised a Car Boot Sale to take place at the Rec Ground. A pitch will cost £10 and set up is from 9am, to open for buyers at 10am. Tea, coffee and bacon rolls will be available too. Spread the word!

It is always a brilliant atmosphere in the village so please do join in, in any way you can! It would be amazing if we could get more scarecrows than last year. 71 is the number to beat! Without your fantastic creations there will not be a festival, so please do have a go. Let’s make this a wonderful event for all the family again.

Jo, Raqi, Andrea, Julie, Karen, Tara and Val gp-scarecrow.online/

Great Paxton Reading Group We have nearly read three books since the last edition – The first was ‘Apples Never Fall’ by Liane Moriarty – well this is a brilliant book. One of her other books has been on TV as a series – ‘Nine Perfect Strangers’. For some reason I stopped watching this one half way through. I thoroughly enjoyed ‘Apples Never Fall’ – it kept me guessing right up until the end and with a different ending to what I thought! Liane has written quite a few books, so will be looking for some more of hers to read.

Then we read ‘One August Night’ by Victoria Hislop. This is a sequel, or I should say, learning a bit more about some of the characters in the first book – ‘The Island’. I read this book years ago and felt that I had to re-read it again before I read ‘One August Night’. I had totally forgotten how heart wrenching ‘The Island’ was – read most of it on a train and my tears flowed … ‘One August Night’ was a good read but not as riveting as ‘The Island’.

We are now reading ‘Where the Crawdads Sing’ by Delia Owens – will let you know what I feel about this book, next time – suffice to say it is compelling!

Gpscarecrow.festival@yahoo.com @ GreatPaxtonScarecrowFestival

38

Amanda Niven

19

proposal. I suspect that the proposal will reduce the operating hours of the congestion charging to “peak hours only” at the cost of improvements to the Huntingdonshire bus service. In which case, I am minded not to support it (which probably means it will fail).

EWR are due to announce their final route choice in May. A428 upgrade is subject to further legal delays, and the TAN Judicial Review seems set to go to a High Court Appeal.

Great Paxton Scarecrow Festival ENTRY FORM - SCARECROW FESTIVAL - 16TH TO 24TH SEPTEMBER 2023 First Name

Surname

I got on the front page of the Hunts Post last week as, because of Councillor West’s motion, the District Council strongly opposed the new Luton Arrivals route, and I wrote to the Chief Exec of the CAA to let him know.

Address

Scarecrow Entry Name

Postcode

Your allocated official entry number

Finally, this week I unsuccessfully tried to force the County Council to reverse a ludicrous decision to deny free school transportation to Abbotsley, Waresley and the Gransdens, with the help of 150 parents who signed a petition.

Tel No

Email

FREE ENTRY! Complete in full

27 Towgood Way OR 37 Meadow Way OR GPscarecrow.festival@ yahoo.com

I would like to record my sincere thanks to the Parish Councillors and Clerk for their hard work and dedication, and I look forward to serving you in the coming year and working together for the benefit of residents of the Parish.

You will be sent this nearer the time to display next to your scarecrow

Mobile No

and return no later than Sunday 10th Sept to either:

OR

The Bell pub OR

Great Paxton Community Shop

INFORMATION Only your imagination can limit your design! Go traditional, or as creative as you want! Just ensure the materials you use will withstand the elements for a week as your scarecrow should be in your front garden / where it can be seen by 10am on Saturday 16th until 5pm on Sunday 24th Sept and judging will take place all week by the public. You DO NOT have to use straw and there is no theme for this first year. Only entries that have an official entry number will be eligible to be entered into the competition.

(If you would like to enter but have nowhere to display your scarecrow, contact GPscarecrow.festival@yahoo.com)

Scarecrow Trail sheets will be available from Facebook, the pub and community shop from 10am on Saturday 16th. Use this so you don’t miss any scarecrows on your walk around the village. Follow the map to view all the entries as you are the judges! (Judging by the public will take place for the whole week.) A voting sheet with instructions will be attached to the map. Vote for your favourite by 12noon on Sunday 24th Sept. Votes will be calculated and the winner announced at the pub and on Facebook on Sunday 24th.

BEST NAMED SCARECROW - £50 cash - donated by Hire or Buy Group FUNNIEST SCARECROW - £50 voucher for The Bell – donated by the pub MOST ORIGINAL SCARECROW - £50 cash – donated by Peter Anderson Cars Thank you to: The Bell Follow us on Facebook at @GreatPaxtonScarecrowFestival or at to keep up to date with scarecrow news!

18

proposal. I suspect that the proposal will reduce the operating hours of the congestion charging to “peak hours only” at the cost of improvements to the Huntingdonshire bus service. In which case, I am minded not to support it (which probably means it will fail).

EWR are due to announce their final route choice in May. A428 upgrade is subject to further legal delays, and the TAN Judicial Review seems set to go to a High Court Appeal.

39

Great Paxton Scarecrow Festival ENTRY FORM - SCARECROW FESTIVAL - 16TH TO 24TH SEPTEMBER 2023 First Name

Surname

I got on the front page of the Hunts Post last week as, because of Councillor West’s motion, the District Council strongly opposed the new Luton Arrivals route, and I wrote to the Chief Exec of the CAA to let him know.

Address

Scarecrow Entry Name

Postcode

Your allocated official entry number

Finally, this week I unsuccessfully tried to force the County Council to reverse a ludicrous decision to deny free school transportation to Abbotsley, Waresley and the Gransdens, with the help of 150 parents who signed a petition.

Tel No

Email

FREE ENTRY! Complete in full

27 Towgood Way OR 37 Meadow Way OR GPscarecrow.festival@ yahoo.com

I would like to record my sincere thanks to the Parish Councillors and Clerk for their hard work and dedication, and I look forward to serving you in the coming year and working together for the benefit of residents of the Parish.

You will be sent this nearer the time to display next to your scarecrow

Mobile No

and return no later than Sunday 10th Sept to either:

OR

The Bell pub OR

Great Paxton Community Shop

INFORMATION Only your imagination can limit your design! Go traditional, or as creative as you want! Just ensure the materials you use will withstand the elements for a week as your scarecrow should be in your front garden / where it can be seen by 10am on Saturday 16th until 5pm on Sunday 24th Sept and judging will take place all week by the public. You DO NOT have to use straw and there is no theme for this first year. Only entries that have an official entry number will be eligible to be entered into the competition.

(If you would like to enter but have nowhere to display your scarecrow, contact GPscarecrow.festival@yahoo.com)

Scarecrow Trail sheets will be available from Facebook, the pub and community shop from 10am on Saturday 16th. Use this so you don’t miss any scarecrows on your walk around the village. Follow the map to view all the entries as you are the judges! (Judging by the public will take place for the whole week.) A voting sheet with instructions will be attached to the map. Vote for your favourite by 12noon on Sunday 24th Sept. Votes will be calculated and the winner announced at the pub and on Facebook on Sunday 24th.

BEST NAMED SCARECROW - £50 cash - donated by Hire or Buy Group FUNNIEST SCARECROW - £50 voucher for The Bell – donated by the pub MOST ORIGINAL SCARECROW - £50 cash – donated by Peter Anderson Cars Thank you to: The Bell Follow us on Facebook at @GreatPaxtonScarecrowFestival or at to keep up to date with scarecrow news!

18

39

GREAT PAXTON CHURCH OF ENGLAND PRIMARY SCHOOL Mount Pleasant Great Paxton Cambs PE19 6YJ Telephone: 01480 472132 Fax: 01480 471735 E-Mail: office@greatpaxton.cambs.sch.uk www.greatpaxton.cambs.sch.uk Headteacher: Mr L Frost Deputy Headteacher: Miss A Miller I cannot believe that another academic year has passed by. Some of our highlights this year include: •

•

• •

Residential Trip – Y4 and Y5 went to Rock UK for a residential.

It was a wonderful experience, and the children were amazing. They have still not let me forget that I set the fire alarm off by accident at 5am in the morning!

Christmas Play – how fantastic it was to hold our own Christmas Oscars, with ‘The Nativity’ winning the award for ‘Outstanding Contribution to Christmas.’ What made the play extra special was again being able to open our doors for parents/carers/relatives to watch the spectacular show!

Fireworks extravaganza – another amazing display produced by our caretaker which enabled many children to watch the display in a safe and familiar environment.

OFSTED – we were inspected at the end of February, and we were delighted that all our positive changes and developments were recognised, and the inspection confirmed that we continue to be a good school.

40

GREAT PAXTON CHURCH OF ENGLAND PRIMARY SCHOOL Mount Pleasant Great Paxton Cambs PE19 6YJ Telephone: 01480 472132 Fax: 01480 471735 E-Mail: office@greatpaxton.cambs.sch.uk www.greatpaxton.cambs.sch.uk Headteacher: Mr L Frost Deputy Headteacher: Miss A Miller I cannot believe that another academic year has passed by. Some of our highlights this year include: •

•

• •

Residential Trip – Y4 and Y5 went to Rock UK for a residential.

It was a wonderful experience, and the children were amazing. They have still not let me forget that I set the fire alarm off by accident at 5am in the morning!

Christmas Play – how fantastic it was to hold our own Christmas Oscars, with ‘The Nativity’ winning the award for ‘Outstanding Contribution to Christmas.’ What made the play extra special was again being able to open our doors for parents/carers/relatives to watch the spectacular show!

Fireworks extravaganza – another amazing display produced by our caretaker which enabled many children to watch the display in a safe and familiar environment.

OFSTED – we were inspected at the end of February, and we were delighted that all our positive changes and developments were recognised, and the inspection confirmed that we continue to be a good school.

40

1. Improving the quality of life for local people a. Improving the happiness and well-being of residents b. Keeping people out of crisis c. Helping people in crisis 2. Creating a better Huntingdonshire for future generations a. Improving housing b. Forward-thinking economic growth c. Lowering carbon emissions 3. Delivering good quality, high value-for-money services with good control and compliance with statutory obligations.

At County Council, we are still working our way through the Pothole Pandemic – there is a backlog of about 5000 potholes, and we are fixing about 1000 a week, so we’re about a month away from filling them all – although we keep on discovering new ones. The issue is that most road surfaces are at the end of their useful life. The British asphalt association thinks the country needs to spend £11bn across the country to bring the roads up to a maintainable state.

We also had to vote on some contentious items at the last meeting – the first was a GCP proposal to build a new busway between Comberton and Cambridge with a new 2000 car park and ride car park. Controversial because it will require the removal of 520 trees from the Coton orchard. I voted in favour of this because, having spoken with Cambourne Parish Council, there are approximately 12,000 residents who are desperate for better public transport.

We also rejected a proposal for a referendum (that would have cost £1.5 million) on the GCP congestion charging recommendations for Cambridge. We expect that the consultation results will be published in May. In the Summer the County Council will vote on a revised 17

1. Improving the quality of life for local people a. Improving the happiness and well-being of residents b. Keeping people out of crisis c. Helping people in crisis 2. Creating a better Huntingdonshire for future generations a. Improving housing b. Forward-thinking economic growth c. Lowering carbon emissions 3. Delivering good quality, high value-for-money services with good control and compliance with statutory obligations.

At County Council, we are still working our way through the Pothole Pandemic – there is a backlog of about 5000 potholes, and we are fixing about 1000 a week, so we’re about a month away from filling them all – although we keep on discovering new ones. The issue is that most road surfaces are at the end of their useful life. The British asphalt association thinks the country needs to spend £11bn across the country to bring the roads up to a maintainable state.

We also had to vote on some contentious items at the last meeting – the first was a GCP proposal to build a new busway between Comberton and Cambridge with a new 2000 car park and ride car park. Controversial because it will require the removal of 520 trees from the Coton orchard. I voted in favour of this because, having spoken with Cambourne Parish Council, there are approximately 12,000 residents who are desperate for better public transport.

We also rejected a proposal for a referendum (that would have cost £1.5 million) on the GCP congestion charging recommendations for Cambridge. We expect that the consultation results will be published in May. In the Summer the County Council will vote on a revised 17

although tempers sometimes get frayed – have provided a firm but fair opposition. I hope that continues.

• •

External factors largely influenced our three biggest challenges in forming the administration.

The first was setting a balanced budget. We inherited a £2.5m budget deficit which quickly grew due to double-digit inflation.

Before Christmas, it looked as if the only way we could set a balanced budget would be through cutting essential services, many of which had already been pared to the bone after 13 years of austerity.

However, we were fortunate with a higher-than-expected Government settlement and some financial prudence. We are confident that we can set a balanced budget for the next five years with the aid of green bin charging, which we will introduce some time in the future.

The second challenge was with the Future High Street Investment into St Neots, which had yet to progress under the previous administration and was also facing inflationary pressure. Thankfully, at long last, we will see spades in the ground in the Market Square revamp this summer in an attempt to turn from a car park into the social and economic heart of the town. I cannot talk about the Old Falcon, but there is progress.

The third big challenge is delivering our net-zero ambitions, for which the previous administration had set high targets but had no real plan to get there. Our Green Councillor, Lara Davenport Ray, has thankfully resolved that.

The Joint Administration has just released its corporate plan with three key priorities:

•

• •

This is just a snapshot of some of the activities our children have experienced this year.

Once again, I feel honoured to be part of the community at Great Paxton and work with such fantastic staff, parents/carers, members of the community and most importantly, the children in our care.

We wish all our leavers the very best as they start the next stage of their journey, and we know they leave us with many memories and experiences that they will treasure.

16

although tempers sometimes get frayed – have provided a firm but fair opposition. I hope that continues.

41

• •

External factors largely influenced our three biggest challenges in forming the administration.

The first was setting a balanced budget. We inherited a £2.5m budget deficit which quickly grew due to double-digit inflation.

Before Christmas, it looked as if the only way we could set a balanced budget would be through cutting essential services, many of which had already been pared to the bone after 13 years of austerity.

However, we were fortunate with a higher-than-expected Government settlement and some financial prudence. We are confident that we can set a balanced budget for the next five years with the aid of green bin charging, which we will introduce some time in the future.

The second challenge was with the Future High Street Investment into St Neots, which had yet to progress under the previous administration and was also facing inflationary pressure. Thankfully, at long last, we will see spades in the ground in the Market Square revamp this summer in an attempt to turn from a car park into the social and economic heart of the town. I cannot talk about the Old Falcon, but there is progress.

The third big challenge is delivering our net-zero ambitions, for which the previous administration had set high targets but had no real plan to get there. Our Green Councillor, Lara Davenport Ray, has thankfully resolved that.

The Joint Administration has just released its corporate plan with three key priorities: 16

Coronation Party – we celebrated the Coronation of King Charles III with our own special party and activities.

Sport – throughout the year we continued to provide children with opportunities in competitive sport. We entered a Y5 and a Y6 running team in the Priory Park event and the children ran their hearts out and did themselves proud. The football team have had another successful year, once again making it through to a final. Y5 and Y6 took part in weekly swimming lessons during the Spring Term and the progress made by children was outstanding!

Sports Day – this took place in May this year to avoid hot weather conditions and what a fantastic day it was. Seeing the children demonstrate such resilience, courage, spirit and kindness, truly highlighted our school ethos.

Bletchley Park – Y6 had an amazing opportunity to deepen their historical knowledge with a trip to the World War 2 code cracking capital.

Church – our links with the Church continue to be strong with Canon Annette coming into school on a weekly basis and our termly services.

•

• •

Coronation Party – we celebrated the Coronation of King Charles III with our own special party and activities.

Sport – throughout the year we continued to provide children with opportunities in competitive sport. We entered a Y5 and a Y6 running team in the Priory Park event and the children ran their hearts out and did themselves proud. The football team have had another successful year, once again making it through to a final. Y5 and Y6 took part in weekly swimming lessons during the Spring Term and the progress made by children was outstanding!

Sports Day – this took place in May this year to avoid hot weather conditions and what a fantastic day it was. Seeing the children demonstrate such resilience, courage, spirit and kindness, truly highlighted our school ethos.

Bletchley Park – Y6 had an amazing opportunity to deepen their historical knowledge with a trip to the World War 2 code cracking capital.

Church – our links with the Church continue to be strong with Canon Annette coming into school on a weekly basis and our termly services.

This is just a snapshot of some of the activities our children have experienced this year.

Once again, I feel honoured to be part of the community at Great Paxton and work with such fantastic staff, parents/carers, members of the community and most importantly, the children in our care.

We wish all our leavers the very best as they start the next stage of their journey, and we know they leave us with many memories and experiences that they will treasure.

41

We are also very much looking forward to welcoming all our new families in September as they start their exciting journey at school.

On behalf of the school, may I wish everyone a happy and safe summer!

Best Wishes Mr Lee Frost Headteacher

County Councillor Annual Report 2022/2023 In February last year, I was elected Chair of the County Council after having attended only three proper meetings. It was a huge honour and a risk for the council because I was easily the most inexperienced Chair the Council has ever had – most people do a two-year apprenticeship as Vice Chair. I also managed to crash my car on the way to the meeting.

So, in May, we accidentally won the District Council, with Independents as the largest group, and with me on the Cabinet, which together with being Chair of the County was a tremendous time commitment. Fortunately, my time as Chair is expiring, and I will hand over the chain at the next meeting on May 16th.

It’s a year since I stood for election to District Councillor, and unexpectedly found myself at the heart of the first non-Conservative administration that Huntingdonshire has ever seen, as part of a group of 15 Independent Councillors in the 31 Councillor Joint Administration. I find myself in the Cabinet, taking the less-thanglamorous Customer and Transactional Services Portfolio. St Neots and the surrounding villages now occupy 4 out of 9 Cabinet seats, representing unprecedented influence for a District Council that had an unfair reputation for being Huntingdon focused.

It wasn’t the Portfolio that I would have chosen. But it’s one I’m very proud of, as 80% of the Council’s effort goes into “Business As Usual” the humdrum unglamorous day-to-day work of the Council. And most of that is my responsibility.

As an Independent, I am happy to remove party politics from Local Government. I am pleased to report that we inherited a healthy and well-run District Council from our Conservative predecessors. And –

42

15

We are also very much looking forward to welcoming all our new families in September as they start their exciting journey at school.

County Councillor Annual Report 2022/2023 In February last year, I was elected Chair of the County Council after having attended only three proper meetings. It was a huge honour and a risk for the council because I was easily the most inexperienced Chair the Council has ever had – most people do a two-year apprenticeship as Vice Chair. I also managed to crash my car on the way to the meeting.

On behalf of the school, may I wish everyone a happy and safe summer!

Best Wishes Mr Lee Frost Headteacher

So, in May, we accidentally won the District Council, with Independents as the largest group, and with me on the Cabinet, which together with being Chair of the County was a tremendous time commitment. Fortunately, my time as Chair is expiring, and I will hand over the chain at the next meeting on May 16th.

It’s a year since I stood for election to District Councillor, and unexpectedly found myself at the heart of the first non-Conservative administration that Huntingdonshire has ever seen, as part of a group of 15 Independent Councillors in the 31 Councillor Joint Administration. I find myself in the Cabinet, taking the less-thanglamorous Customer and Transactional Services Portfolio. St Neots and the surrounding villages now occupy 4 out of 9 Cabinet seats, representing unprecedented influence for a District Council that had an unfair reputation for being Huntingdon focused.

It wasn’t the Portfolio that I would have chosen. But it’s one I’m very proud of, as 80% of the Council’s effort goes into “Business As Usual” the humdrum unglamorous day-to-day work of the Council. And most of that is my responsibility.

As an Independent, I am happy to remove party politics from Local Government. I am pleased to report that we inherited a healthy and well-run District Council from our Conservative predecessors. And – 42

15

mate with it and end up pollinating the flower. Sadly, the right bee species doesn’t live here, but this orchid is self-pollinated in the UK. The bee orchid has a rosette of leaves at ground level and two leaves that grow up the stem as a sheath. The stem displays a number of relatively large flowers with pink sepals that look like wings, and furry, brown lips that have yellow markings on, just like a bee.

Unfortunately, we cannot reproduce a photo in colour but here is one growing on a front lawn in the village. Other small clumps have been seen on the verges near the school and within the school grounds. Also, more have now been spotted this year on Rectory Green due to it not being mown.

The Parish Council have requested more care is taken by the grass cutting contractors to ensure the survival of this wonderful species next year. So, next spring look around and you may find you have some of your own.

Addendum We have just read in some reminiscences written by Bert Goodwin about growing up in the village in the 1920s that bee orchids were around back then.

‘With the arrival of Miss Gwendoline Coles from Hamerton, gone was the practice we’d enjoyed under Miss Etchells of collecting, in our own time, wildflowers and herbs for the next day’s nature lesson and also the much appreciated nature walks, which we used to enjoy on fine afternoons when we could probably tell the teacher of more nature sites and she would know. We could tell where a wild honey bee’s nest could be found, where an owl had a nest, where the bee orchids grew in the meadow.’

REPORT FROM YOUR PARISH COUNCIL It was great to see so many residents at the May Parish Council meetings! Aside from all the procedural items to be dealt with at this time of year, those present were able to contribute to discussion on several important issues affecting Great Paxton.

We were fortunate to receive a visit from Inspector Colin Norden (Neighbourhood Policing, Huntingdonshire). He confirmed that, regrettably, Great Paxton had recently lost its PCSO who had left the Police Service following a restructure. It was unlikely that he would be replaced due to recruitment and funding difficulties.

However, some good news – Great Paxton is one of the safest places to live in Cambridgeshire! Because of the low incidence of crime in the village, policing here was not considered to be a priority. A regular police presence was, therefore, unlikely, and very little monitoring, or enforcement would take place due to lack of resources. The Inspector, however, reminded everyone to call 101 should they need to report any criminal activity or to place a report on the Police Website. In an emergency, he urged residents to continue to call 999.

Links to Crime Activity by location and for the reporting of crimes are now posted on the Parish Council’s website. More generally, the Inspector reported that current police operations were concentrated on St Neots and Huntingdon to help to deter knife crime, rural crime watch continued to operate successfully, and cross border drug dealing was concentrated west rather than east of St Neots. * Residents were invited to comment on how they wanted their community to develop and to identify which services and facilities

14

43

mate with it and end up pollinating the flower. Sadly, the right bee species doesn’t live here, but this orchid is self-pollinated in the UK.

REPORT FROM YOUR PARISH COUNCIL It was great to see so many residents at the May Parish Council meetings! Aside from all the procedural items to be dealt with at this time of year, those present were able to contribute to discussion on several important issues affecting Great Paxton.

The bee orchid has a rosette of leaves at ground level and two leaves that grow up the stem as a sheath. The stem displays a number of relatively large flowers with pink sepals that look like wings, and furry, brown lips that have yellow markings on, just like a bee.

Unfortunately, we cannot reproduce a photo in colour but here is one growing on a front lawn in the village. Other small clumps have been seen on the verges near the school and within the school grounds. Also, more have now been spotted this year on Rectory Green due to it not being mown.

The Parish Council have requested more care is taken by the grass cutting contractors to ensure the survival of this wonderful species next year. So, next spring look around and you may find you have some of your own.

Addendum We have just read in some reminiscences written by Bert Goodwin about growing up in the village in the 1920s that bee orchids were around back then.

‘With the arrival of Miss Gwendoline Coles from Hamerton, gone was the practice we’d enjoyed under Miss Etchells of collecting, in our own time, wildflowers and herbs for the next day’s nature lesson and also the much appreciated nature walks, which we used to enjoy on fine afternoons when we could probably tell the teacher of more nature sites and she would know. We could tell where a wild honey bee’s nest could be found, where an owl had a nest, where the bee orchids grew in the meadow.’

We were fortunate to receive a visit from Inspector Colin Norden (Neighbourhood Policing, Huntingdonshire). He confirmed that, regrettably, Great Paxton had recently lost its PCSO who had left the Police Service following a restructure. It was unlikely that he would be replaced due to recruitment and funding difficulties.

However, some good news – Great Paxton is one of the safest places to live in Cambridgeshire! Because of the low incidence of crime in the village, policing here was not considered to be a priority. A regular police presence was, therefore, unlikely, and very little monitoring, or enforcement would take place due to lack of resources. The Inspector, however, reminded everyone to call 101 should they need to report any criminal activity or to place a report on the Police Website. In an emergency, he urged residents to continue to call 999.

Links to Crime Activity by location and for the reporting of crimes are now posted on the Parish Council’s website. More generally, the Inspector reported that current police operations were concentrated on St Neots and Huntingdon to help to deter knife crime, rural crime watch continued to operate successfully, and cross border drug dealing was concentrated west rather than east of St Neots. * Residents were invited to comment on how they wanted their community to develop and to identify which services and facilities

14

43

they wanted the Parish Council to deliver. With this information, the Parish Council intend to draft a Plan to guide financial planning and future decisions.

Some interesting items were raised, in discussion, including streetlighting on the High Street, better communications and improvement to local parking behaviour.

At the same time, the meeting took the opportunity to think about the Local Development Plan (produced by the District Council) and the impact this might have on Great Paxton. Although the meeting acknowledged the need for low-cost homes for first time buyers in the village and recognised some of the benefits that development could bring, it was clear that those present wanted the village to remain as a small rural community and for the Parish Council to resist any future large or medium scale housing development.

In other news – • Your District & County Councillors reported to the meeting and their reports are on the Parish Council website.

• Grants of £1250 were awarded to the Recreation Ground Committee and Community Shop.

• A financial contribution received by the Parish Council from the developers of the former garage site on the High Street could help with the upgrading of the streetlights on the High Street.

• Applications for funding towards improvements to the High Street and for a 20mph zone on the High Street, main estate roads and around the school were with the County Council.

• A RoSPA Inspector had undertaken an inspection of the Play Area on Saxon Green and their report had identified several ‘low risk’ items which would be attended to. Parish 44

they wanted the Parish Council to deliver. With this information, the Parish Council intend to draft a Plan to guide financial planning and future decisions.

Some interesting items were raised, in discussion, including streetlighting on the High Street, better communications and improvement to local parking behaviour.

At the same time, the meeting took the opportunity to think about the Local Development Plan (produced by the District Council) and the impact this might have on Great Paxton. Although the meeting acknowledged the need for low-cost homes for first time buyers in the village and recognised some of the benefits that development could bring, it was clear that those present wanted the village to remain as a small rural community and for the Parish Council to resist any future large or medium scale housing development.

In other news – • Your District & County Councillors reported to the meeting and their reports are on the Parish Council website.

• Grants of £1250 were awarded to the Recreation Ground Committee and Community Shop.

• A financial contribution received by the Parish Council from the developers of the former garage site on the High Street could help with the upgrading of the streetlights on the High Street.

• Applications for funding towards improvements to the High Street and for a 20mph zone on the High Street, main estate roads and around the school were with the County Council.

• A RoSPA Inspector had undertaken an inspection of the Play Area on Saxon Green and their report had identified several ‘low risk’ items which would be attended to. Parish 44

BEE AWARE – Graham James In late summer last year some unusual wildflowers were noticed on the village green at the top of Church Lane. They turned out to be wild bee orchids that had somehow managed to avoid being mown down. In order to try and preserve these attractive plants, the Parish Council was approached, and requests were made to try to prevent them being damaged when this year’s mowing programme started.

Unfortunately, despite instructions being given to a new gardening contractor, and the locations of a number of orchids identified, they were mown over again. However, thankfully one did survive on the village green, and someone has thoughtfully put a guard around it.

Village green

Towgood Way (1st flower)

Someone wondered whether this species of orchid would be a protected species. Well, it is, as all wildflowers are protected, but this one is particularly attractive, and although the species is perhaps not as rare as it used to be, the destruction of grassland habitat can quickly restrict and isolate colonies of species such as bee orchid.

The Wildlife Trust also describe the bee orchid as a sneaky mimic the flower’s velvety lip looks like a female bee. Males fly in to try to 13

BEE AWARE – Graham James In late summer last year some unusual wildflowers were noticed on the village green at the top of Church Lane. They turned out to be wild bee orchids that had somehow managed to avoid being mown down. In order to try and preserve these attractive plants, the Parish Council was approached, and requests were made to try to prevent them being damaged when this year’s mowing programme started.

Unfortunately, despite instructions being given to a new gardening contractor, and the locations of a number of orchids identified, they were mown over again. However, thankfully one did survive on the village green, and someone has thoughtfully put a guard around it.

Village green

Towgood Way (1st flower)

Someone wondered whether this species of orchid would be a protected species. Well, it is, as all wildflowers are protected, but this one is particularly attractive, and although the species is perhaps not as rare as it used to be, the destruction of grassland habitat can quickly restrict and isolate colonies of species such as bee orchid.

The Wildlife Trust also describe the bee orchid as a sneaky mimic the flower’s velvety lip looks like a female bee. Males fly in to try to 13

WHY THE LONG GRASS? Why the long grass? You may have seen signs popping up across Huntingdonshire.

As we look to increase biodiversity, improve habitats for nature and reduce our carbon footprint, the District Council is working with Town and Parish councils to change the way we manage amenity grass in the district. For more information visit: Alternative Land Management – Huntingdonshire.gov.uk

•

Councillors accepted that some items of play equipment required updating.

The Clerk will report the flooding incident on River Lane and the overgrown trees (obscuring the 30mph sign) on Paxton Hill to the County Council.

So, after a busy night, it was agreed to meet again at 7.30pm on 10th July. Hope to see you all again next time. *

The District Council is working with Town and Parish councils across Huntingdonshire to allow some of the grass sites we manage to grow. This will enable more plants, insects, birds and mammals to flourish. Just over half of the land the Council maintains is known as amenity grass, mown during the weeks of March to October.

Regular mowing means these sites have the least variety of wildlife (biodiversity) so changing the way the District Council manages them will enable more plants, insects, birds and mammals to flourish.

Rewards to increase biodiversity, improve habitats for nature and reduce the carbon footprint will bring long term benefits.

The signs will read Why the long grass?

This Alternative Land Management Area leaves the grass to grow to help support our birds, bees, and other Important pollinators.

Richard West District Councillor Great Paxton Ward Email Richard.west@huntingdonshire.gov.uk or Richard.west@buckdencambs.co.uk Telephone 01480 811467 or 07841 866630 12

WHY THE LONG GRASS? Why the long grass? You may have seen signs popping up across Huntingdonshire.

As we look to increase biodiversity, improve habitats for nature and reduce our carbon footprint, the District Council is working with Town and Parish councils to change the way we manage amenity grass in the district. For more information visit: Alternative Land Management – Huntingdonshire.gov.uk

45

•

Councillors accepted that some items of play equipment required updating.

The Clerk will report the flooding incident on River Lane and the overgrown trees (obscuring the 30mph sign) on Paxton Hill to the County Council.

So, after a busy night, it was agreed to meet again at 7.30pm on 10th July. Hope to see you all again next time. *

The District Council is working with Town and Parish councils across Huntingdonshire to allow some of the grass sites we manage to grow. This will enable more plants, insects, birds and mammals to flourish. Just over half of the land the Council maintains is known as amenity grass, mown during the weeks of March to October.

Regular mowing means these sites have the least variety of wildlife (biodiversity) so changing the way the District Council manages them will enable more plants, insects, birds and mammals to flourish.

Rewards to increase biodiversity, improve habitats for nature and reduce the carbon footprint will bring long term benefits.

The signs will read Why the long grass?

This Alternative Land Management Area leaves the grass to grow to help support our birds, bees, and other Important pollinators.

Richard West District Councillor Great Paxton Ward Email Richard.west@huntingdonshire.gov.uk or Richard.west@buckdencambs.co.uk Telephone 01480 811467 or 07841 866630 12

45

Rainbows, Brownies and Guides have had an extremely busy term.

Rainbows and Brownies had a joint meeting with Little Paxton Rainbows and Brownies which was great fun and Guides had an exciting Football meeting. All three units celebrated the King’s Coronation with a tea party and games.

Hinchingbrooke Hospital - Volunteers Needed We are looking for Volunteers to give a small amount of their time in order to make a big difference to the wellbeing of our patients, their families and our staff Volunteering provides a sense of achievement whilst doing something positive for your local community and whatever your background, experience or interests, we are sure to have a role to suit you Our Volunteers are welcomed from the moment they join and enjoy a full volunteer induction, full training, development opportunities and ongoing support. They also receive a uniform, parking permit and return travel expenses - within a 20 mile radius of the Hospital Whether you are just retiring and have some spare time or are looking to join the NHS workforce as a career, volunteering is a great way to give something back, find out about hospital life all whilst making new friends

If you would like to make a difference to somebody’s day by giving your time and being there for them, we’d love to hear from you!

To find out more, to view our vacancies or to apply to join us, visit our website

46

Rainbows, Brownies and Guides have had an extremely busy term.

Rainbows and Brownies had a joint meeting with Little Paxton Rainbows and Brownies which was great fun and Guides had an exciting Football meeting. All three units celebrated the King’s Coronation with a tea party and games.

11

Hinchingbrooke Hospital - Volunteers Needed We are looking for Volunteers to give a small amount of their time in order to make a big difference to the wellbeing of our patients, their families and our staff Volunteering provides a sense of achievement whilst doing something positive for your local community and whatever your background, experience or interests, we are sure to have a role to suit you Our Volunteers are welcomed from the moment they join and enjoy a full volunteer induction, full training, development opportunities and ongoing support. They also receive a uniform, parking permit and return travel expenses - within a 20 mile radius of the Hospital Whether you are just retiring and have some spare time or are looking to join the NHS workforce as a career, volunteering is a great way to give something back, find out about hospital life all whilst making new friends

If you would like to make a difference to somebody’s day by giving your time and being there for them, we’d love to hear from you!

To find out more, to view our vacancies or to apply to join us, visit our website

46

11

Ingredients 500g Sausage meat 100g Sage & Onion Stuffing Mix 2 Tbsp Apple Sauce Salt & Pepper Ready Rolled Puff Pastry 1 egg, whisked • • • •

•

• •

Rainbows: This term we have been having lots of fun enjoying the sun and being creative. We had a joint meeting with another Rainbow unit including parachute games and learnt about cricket as well as practising some skills. We are ending the term with a trip to the local soft play.

Combine the sausage meat with the stuffing mix, apple sauce and seasoning, mix well until all thoroughly combined.

Unroll pastry sheet and cut in half to give you two smaller rectangles.

Place sausage mix into the middle of the pastry rectangle from top to bottom, so that the mix is in a cylindrical roll.

Egg wash one edge of the pastry alongside the sausage meat, tuck the non-egg washed side over the sausage meat and tuck underneath, then roll the whole thing over onto the egg-washed part.

Roll the entire sausage roll to ensure a round shape. Place the join on the base and cut to the desire length. Place onto a lined baking tray, egg wash the top and add seeds or herbs if desired.

Bake for 25 – 30 Minutes at 180 Degrees.

Can be served hot or chilled and eaten later.

Can also be frozen before they are egg washed and baked for a later date. Allow to fully defrost before baking or bake for an extra 5-10 minutes from frozen.

10

Ingredients 500g Sausage meat 100g Sage & Onion Stuffing Mix 2 Tbsp Apple Sauce Salt & Pepper Ready Rolled Puff Pastry 1 egg, whisked • • • •

•

• •

Brownies: This term Brownies have been learning new skills to take with them if they were to go camping. The girls enjoyed a great session with Matt from Little Cricket who taught them some great skills as well as having lots of fun. Brownies finished off before half term with a joint meeting with Little Paxton Brownies. They played a great game that got them running all over the field. Thank you to Little Paxton Brownies for organising a great event. Brownies are getting ready to end the term with a session of Archery as well as putting up tents and having an end of term party as we bid farewell to a few of our girls who will be moving onto Guides.

47

Rainbows: This term we have been having lots of fun enjoying the sun and being creative. We had a joint meeting with another Rainbow unit including parachute games and learnt about cricket as well as practising some skills. We are ending the term with a trip to the local soft play.

Combine the sausage meat with the stuffing mix, apple sauce and seasoning, mix well until all thoroughly combined.

Unroll pastry sheet and cut in half to give you two smaller rectangles.

Place sausage mix into the middle of the pastry rectangle from top to bottom, so that the mix is in a cylindrical roll.

Egg wash one edge of the pastry alongside the sausage meat, tuck the non-egg washed side over the sausage meat and tuck underneath, then roll the whole thing over onto the egg-washed part.

Roll the entire sausage roll to ensure a round shape. Place the join on the base and cut to the desire length. Place onto a lined baking tray, egg wash the top and add seeds or herbs if desired.

Bake for 25 – 30 Minutes at 180 Degrees.

Can be served hot or chilled and eaten later.

Can also be frozen before they are egg washed and baked for a later date. Allow to fully defrost before baking or bake for an extra 5-10 minutes from frozen.

10

Brownies: This term Brownies have been learning new skills to take with them if they were to go camping. The girls enjoyed a great session with Matt from Little Cricket who taught them some great skills as well as having lots of fun. Brownies finished off before half term with a joint meeting with Little Paxton Brownies. They played a great game that got them running all over the field. Thank you to Little Paxton Brownies for organising a great event. Brownies are getting ready to end the term with a session of Archery as well as putting up tents and having an end of term party as we bid farewell to a few of our girls who will be moving onto Guides.

47

Guides: This term Guides have also been practising their camping skills. They have learnt how to build a fire, so they cook on it and also how to filter dirty water (an old pair of tights won the experiment). Laina from St Neots football team came along with some helpers to put the girls through their paces, some great skills were learnt, and a lot of fun was had. Guides are also going to be having fun at Archery as well as more camping skills.

1st Great Paxton Brownies are in need of some more volunteers. If you think you could come to some (if not all) of our Thursday evening meetings, have fun and support the girls in their activities, Michelle (Rose Owl) would love to hear from you. Or if you’d like to know a little bit more please

I’d like to thank everyone for their continued support, their continued efforts to make The Bell what it is. We look forward to seeing you over the summer months. Enjoy any holidays you may be taking as well.

700107 07701038433 thebellgreatpaxton@yahoo.com http://www.mybellpub.com Raqi

* Chef’s Corner – Sarah at The Bell Pork, Sage, Onion & Apple Sausage Roll

contact 1stgreatpaxtonbrownies@gmail.com

48

Guides: This term Guides have also been practising their camping skills. They have learnt how to build a fire, so they cook on it and also how to filter dirty water (an old pair of tights won the experiment). Laina from St Neots football team came along with some helpers to put the girls through their paces, some great skills were learnt, and a lot of fun was had. Guides are also going to be having fun at Archery as well as more camping skills.

1st Great Paxton Brownies are in need of some more volunteers. If you think you could come to some (if not all) of our Thursday evening meetings, have fun and support the girls in their activities, Michelle (Rose Owl) would love to hear from you. Or if you’d like to know a little bit more please

9

I’d like to thank everyone for their continued support, their continued efforts to make The Bell what it is. We look forward to seeing you over the summer months. Enjoy any holidays you may be taking as well.

700107 07701038433 thebellgreatpaxton@yahoo.com http://www.mybellpub.com Raqi

* Chef’s Corner – Sarah at The Bell Pork, Sage, Onion & Apple Sausage Roll

contact 1stgreatpaxtonbrownies@gmail.com

48

9

As long as I’m involved in this pub the village will always be a priority to me and I will always do my best to support the village and groups and clubs as they do the Bell, but we have to take other events as in this day and age a pub could not just rely on village support alone.

I get more positive feedback than I do negative, but when it’s villagers who are giving me that feedback, I take it more personally, because I know these people.

There will be much more noise and footfall from the pub over the coming months with the summer, the events and music. I again try and ensure people are aware of this in advance. I understand that the music being played may be a little loud or not to someone’s taste and we shall try and be more aware of that. However, this is primarily done on weekends and special events and within our licensing laws.

The Bell supports the smaller groups of the village like the history society and the crafting group as well. It works alongside the school with the year 6 leavers, and I am also helping at the fete. We as a business try our best to support you as much as you support us.

I am going to leave it there now, but please if anyone has any criticisms please come to see me directly and discuss them, I am happy to take it all on board.

Grasping the Nettle!

Or Making Your Own Fertilizer Stinging nettles are not one of our most favourite plants but they do have their uses, one being, they make a wonderful liquid fertilizer.

The process is very simple and provided that you have somewhere to store a quantity of fertilizer, is a cheap and satisfying way of providing your plants with good quality effective nutrients. Nettle fertilizer is high in nitrogen, which is best used on young plants to help them develop.

Here's how:1. Collect freshly picked stinging nettles, (wear thick gloves!) and press them into a large bowl or bucket. Start with as large a quantity of nettles as you can, since they decrease in volume once they start to rot down. Add water, allowing roughly 10 litres (18 pints) of water to 1 kg (about 2lbs) of nettles.

2. Mix the stinging nettles and water thoroughly, making sure that all the nettles are covered with water. Cover with clingfilm or a tight fitting lid. Stir several times with a wooden spoon over a period of several weeks. Always replace the clingfilm or lid.

3. After a few weeks, when the mixture is rotted down, strain it into a bucket. (It does smell!)

I think myself, Andy and Carol and all those involved are very proud of where The Bell is, considering so many pubs around us are not doing so well and not so busy. We should be proud as a village and certainly as a Bell Team that everyone wants to come to our pub for whatever reason. I say our pub because it is your pub. You the customers make it what it is, and we only do what we are asked to do.

Before using the liquid fertilizer, dilute it, 1 part fertilizer to 10 parts water. The solid matter left behind can go into a compost heap for future use. Just to add, that nettles are key to the survival of butterflies, nettles make wonderful tea, they can be used for making pesto, delicious soup and an alternative to spinach.

Knowing how multi-talented they are, I do hope you like them a little more now!

Happy gardening.

Gaynor Christie Chairperson, Great Paxton Allotments and Sensory Garden

8

49

As long as I’m involved in this pub the village will always be a priority to me and I will always do my best to support the village and groups and clubs as they do the Bell, but we have to take other events as in this day and age a pub could not just rely on village support alone.

Grasping the Nettle!

Or Making Your Own Fertilizer Stinging nettles are not one of our most favourite plants but they do have their uses, one being, they make a wonderful liquid fertilizer.

The process is very simple and provided that you have somewhere to store a quantity of fertilizer, is a cheap and satisfying way of providing your plants with good quality effective nutrients. Nettle fertilizer is high in nitrogen, which is best used on young plants to help them develop.

I get more positive feedback than I do negative, but when it’s villagers who are giving me that feedback, I take it more personally, because I know these people.

There will be much more noise and footfall from the pub over the coming months with the summer, the events and music. I again try and ensure people are aware of this in advance. I understand that the music being played may be a little loud or not to someone’s taste and we shall try and be more aware of that. However, this is primarily done on weekends and special events and within our licensing laws.

The Bell supports the smaller groups of the village like the history society and the crafting group as well. It works alongside the school with the year 6 leavers, and I am also helping at the fete. We as a business try our best to support you as much as you support us.

I am going to leave it there now, but please if anyone has any criticisms please come to see me directly and discuss them, I am happy to take it all on board.

Here's how:1. Collect freshly picked stinging nettles, (wear thick gloves!) and press them into a large bowl or bucket. Start with as large a quantity of nettles as you can, since they decrease in volume once they start to rot down. Add water, allowing roughly 10 litres (18 pints) of water to 1 kg (about 2lbs) of nettles.

2. Mix the stinging nettles and water thoroughly, making sure that all the nettles are covered with water. Cover with clingfilm or a tight fitting lid. Stir several times with a wooden spoon over a period of several weeks. Always replace the clingfilm or lid.

3. After a few weeks, when the mixture is rotted down, strain it into a bucket. (It does smell!)

I think myself, Andy and Carol and all those involved are very proud of where The Bell is, considering so many pubs around us are not doing so well and not so busy. We should be proud as a village and certainly as a Bell Team that everyone wants to come to our pub for whatever reason. I say our pub because it is your pub. You the customers make it what it is, and we only do what we are asked to do.

Before using the liquid fertilizer, dilute it, 1 part fertilizer to 10 parts water. The solid matter left behind can go into a compost heap for future use. Just to add, that nettles are key to the survival of butterflies, nettles make wonderful tea, they can be used for making pesto, delicious soup and an alternative to spinach.

Knowing how multi-talented they are, I do hope you like them a little more now!

Happy gardening.

Gaynor Christie Chairperson, Great Paxton Allotments and Sensory Garden

8

49

2021 CENSUS SUMMARY The results of the 2021 census for Great Paxton have been released. Here is a summary of some of the many findings.

The most relevant figures are probably that the population here on the night of the census was 1000 (508 women and 492 men) and the number of households was 400. Strangely, in my opinion, both of these figures have been rounded to the nearest 10, even though they must know the exact number of people counted and households. The population in 2011 was 1007 so very little change. This is to be expected as the number of properties has hardly changed either.

So, I want to take some time to explain a couple of things. I have taken some criticism recently about ticketing events, closing and the pub not being a local pub!!

First and foremost, my mantra when I became manager was to ensure that this pub never lost its local affordable vibe and for me I really don’t feel it has. There are more villagers using this pub than I’ve ever seen before, whether it’s for food, drink, events or hiring it out, being part of a team, there’s a real local feel about the pub.

We have more ‘pub teams’ than ever before. Some participants may not be from the village, but that does not make them less part of the village or the team. We should be pleased people want to come and play for a team that is linked to our village and our pub.

This census has an unusual background which must have temporarily skewed some of the figures, mainly regarding work-related issues.

The census was in March 2021 when many covid-related restrictions were still in place. This naturally led to a large increase in the number of people working from home as well as some students not at their universities.

Yes we’ve expanded in terms of doing events, but many of these are for villagers, many are events that I host, and some are from outside.

Yes hosting an event means how we run that day may be different to usual. Food times may change, the garden may be being used, but I try to manage this as best I can and also advertise and ensure people know what’s happening with plenty of notice.

Other figures include: Age groups

I can’t encourage booking tables or calling in advance more than I do.

We do get full, and even midweek we’re really picking up on food.

We do turn people away, we do sometimes have longer wait times, but for me it’s a good position to be in because being busy is key.

Nationality

45 were aged four or under just 84 people were in their 20s 23 people were aged 85 and above 942 people were born in the U.K. 883 had a U.K. passport 90 had no passport

I’ve taken some personal criticism for changing the pub into an events/football pub and this is certainly not what we are. There’s a large call for football on TV, there’s a large call for events to be held that are affordable, and that’s what we can cater for. However, that does not take away the local vibe this pub has and the fact it is STILL a local pub.

50

7

2021 CENSUS SUMMARY

So, I want to take some time to explain a couple of things. I have taken some criticism recently about ticketing events, closing and the pub not being a local pub!!

The results of the 2021 census for Great Paxton have been released. Here is a summary of some of the many findings.

The most relevant figures are probably that the population here on the night of the census was 1000 (508 women and 492 men) and the number of households was 400. Strangely, in my opinion, both of these figures have been rounded to the nearest 10, even though they must know the exact number of people counted and households. The population in 2011 was 1007 so very little change. This is to be expected as the number of properties has hardly changed either.

First and foremost, my mantra when I became manager was to ensure that this pub never lost its local affordable vibe and for me I really don’t feel it has. There are more villagers using this pub than I’ve ever seen before, whether it’s for food, drink, events or hiring it out, being part of a team, there’s a real local feel about the pub.

We have more ‘pub teams’ than ever before. Some participants may not be from the village, but that does not make them less part of the village or the team. We should be pleased people want to come and play for a team that is linked to our village and our pub.

This census has an unusual background which must have temporarily skewed some of the figures, mainly regarding work-related issues.

The census was in March 2021 when many covid-related restrictions were still in place. This naturally led to a large increase in the number of people working from home as well as some students not at their universities.

Yes we’ve expanded in terms of doing events, but many of these are for villagers, many are events that I host, and some are from outside.

Yes hosting an event means how we run that day may be different to usual. Food times may change, the garden may be being used, but I try to manage this as best I can and also advertise and ensure people know what’s happening with plenty of notice.

Other figures include: Age groups

I can’t encourage booking tables or calling in advance more than I do.

We do get full, and even midweek we’re really picking up on food.

We do turn people away, we do sometimes have longer wait times, but for me it’s a good position to be in because being busy is key.

Nationality

45 were aged four or under just 84 people were in their 20s 23 people were aged 85 and above 942 people were born in the U.K. 883 had a U.K. passport 90 had no passport

50

I’ve taken some personal criticism for changing the pub into an events/football pub and this is certainly not what we are. There’s a large call for football on TV, there’s a large call for events to be held that are affordable, and that’s what we can cater for. However, that does not take away the local vibe this pub has and the fact it is STILL a local pub.

7

THE BELL, YOUR FAMILY & DOG FRIENDLY, AFFORDABLE LOCAL! Let’s start with the great stuff!!! The play park is just about finished with the main climbing frame being ready. At the time of writing, we are waiting on more rubber matting to arrive then the swings will be completed. I expect by the time you read this it will all be done.

The garden is looking fantastic, new grass, new play park, all ready for both adults and kids to enjoy. We’re going to put a children’s goal down the far end of the garden when that area is seeded and settled.

Andy has done a fantastic job putting it all together with the help of Dan Smith and Reece Beavis (lads from the football club). I promise now, Andy there should be no more major jobs!!! Down tools and relax a little!

We had a fantastic turnout with Soul Man on 28th May and even managed to raise £560 for MND in memory of my friend’s husband who sadly died. However, I am looking to get him booked back again for next year. It is always a great event!!

Religion

Health

Households

We have so much coming up!!

• 8th July – our Rum Festival with resident expert on rum and village legend Dan Clarke. £20 per ticket to include 5 rums and mixers.

See me for tickets.

• 2nd Sept – we have our Gin Festival and Beer Festival. Legendary gin expert Emma Hendry is back and then we have a company coming in doing the Beer Festival and that will help raise funds for the Rec Ground from the beer tickets. More info to follow in the coming weeks.

• 16th Sept sees the start of the Scarecrow Festival!! There is more info about this included in this edition!

We are so busy and have so much going on it’s fantastic to see.

6

51

THE BELL, YOUR FAMILY & DOG FRIENDLY, AFFORDABLE LOCAL! Let’s start with the great stuff!!! The play park is just about finished with the main climbing frame being ready. At the time of writing, we are waiting on more rubber matting to arrive then the swings will be completed. I expect by the time you read this it will all be done.

The garden is looking fantastic, new grass, new play park, all ready for both adults and kids to enjoy. We’re going to put a children’s goal down the far end of the garden when that area is seeded and settled.

Andy has done a fantastic job putting it all together with the help of Dan Smith and Reece Beavis (lads from the football club). I promise now, Andy there should be no more major jobs!!! Down tools and relax a little!

We had a fantastic turnout with Soul Man on 28th May and even managed to raise £560 for MND in memory of my friend’s husband who sadly died. However, I am looking to get him booked back again for next year. It is always a great event!!

We have so much coming up!!

• 8th July – our Rum Festival with resident expert on rum and village legend Dan Clarke. £20 per ticket to include 5 rums and mixers.

See me for tickets.

• 2nd Sept – we have our Gin Festival and Beer Festival. Legendary gin expert Emma Hendry is back and then we have a company coming in doing the Beer Festival and that will help raise funds for the Rec Ground from the beer tickets. More info to follow in the coming weeks.

• 16th Sept sees the start of the Scarecrow Festival!! There is more info about this included in this edition!

We are so busy and have so much going on it’s fantastic to see.

6

All but 9 people were either born in the U.K. or had lived in the U.K. for at least 10 years 952 identified as White 18 as Asian or Asian British 7 as Black and 22 as mixed or multiple ethnic group 490 people stated Christian, 444 said no religion, 9 other religions and 56 did not answer 877 stated that they were in either good or very good health and 26 were in bad or very bad health but 109 were registered with some sort of disability.

25 people provided at least 20 hours a week of unpaid care nearly 20% of households had just one person and 22% had 4 or more people 0.8% of households stated they were deprived in 3 out of 4 dimensions as described in the census guidance 4% of households were flats or maisonettes and 1.8% had one bedroom but nearly 50% had 4 or more bedrooms 41% are owned outright, 42% have a mortgage 8% are privately rented, 8% social rented 4.3% of households had no cars

Religion

Health

Households

All but 9 people were either born in the U.K. or had lived in the U.K. for at least 10 years 952 identified as White 18 as Asian or Asian British 7 as Black and 22 as mixed or multiple ethnic group 490 people stated Christian, 444 said no religion, 9 other religions and 56 did not answer 877 stated that they were in either good or very good health and 26 were in bad or very bad health but 109 were registered with some sort of disability.

25 people provided at least 20 hours a week of unpaid care nearly 20% of households had just one person and 22% had 4 or more people 0.8% of households stated they were deprived in 3 out of 4 dimensions as described in the census guidance 4% of households were flats or maisonettes and 1.8% had one bedroom but nearly 50% had 4 or more bedrooms 41% are owned outright, 42% have a mortgage 8% are privately rented, 8% social rented 4.3% of households had no cars 51

20% had 3 or more

Education Employment

20% of villagers aged 5 years or more were in some sort of education 64% of people aged 16 and over were employed 2.1% unemployed 67% were in managerial, administrative or professional 13% stated they worked more than 49 hours per week

* RECREATION GROUND HIRE The rec ground and pavilion are available to hire. We have a large open outdoor space and a pavilion with toilets, changing rooms, kitchen, and meeting room. In the past this has been hired for birthdays and charity events. If interested please contact Michael Fairs on 07950 967250.

Education Employment

Well done to all our winners and runners-up and indeed to everyone who took part for making this another great day out. Our Society is extremely friendly, and we meet twice a year (Spring and Autumn) and play 9 holes pairs (Texas Scramble) in the morning and 18 holes singles (Stableford) in the afternoon with breakfast, lunch, dinner and prizes all included in the price (generally around £80), so if you’re interested, come and give it a go. Our next Golf Day should be in late September but read on.

Important Announcement This meeting is the last one to be organised by Scott and me.

Therefore, if you want the Woodsooners Golf Society to continue, someone (preferably two) needs to come forward and take up the reins. It is not an onerous task; the Society is financially healthy, and I will happily pass on all the necessary information required. It would be a shame for the Society to fold, so if you’re interested in taking this on and you want to influence future events, give me a call or email me – details are below.

Thanks for your support, attendance and banter over the last couple of years and, subject to the above, we hope to see you all again in the Autumn. Best wishes.

Trevor Smith 07473 213556 Scott Boswell 07900 216300

trevorsmith1009@outlook.com scott@tikitour.net

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20% had 3 or more

Well done to all our winners and runners-up and indeed to everyone who took part for making this another great day out. Our Society is extremely friendly, and we meet twice a year (Spring and Autumn) and play 9 holes pairs (Texas Scramble) in the morning and 18 holes singles (Stableford) in the afternoon with breakfast, lunch, dinner and prizes all included in the price (generally around £80), so if you’re interested, come and give it a go. Our next Golf Day should be in late September but read on.

20% of villagers aged 5 years or more were in some sort of education 64% of people aged 16 and over were employed 2.1% unemployed 67% were in managerial, administrative or professional 13% stated they worked more than 49 hours per week

* RECREATION GROUND HIRE The rec ground and pavilion are available to hire. We have a large open outdoor space and a pavilion with toilets, changing rooms, kitchen, and meeting room. In the past this has been hired for birthdays and charity events. If interested please contact Michael Fairs on 07950 967250.

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Important Announcement This meeting is the last one to be organised by Scott and me.

Therefore, if you want the Woodsooners Golf Society to continue, someone (preferably two) needs to come forward and take up the reins. It is not an onerous task; the Society is financially healthy, and I will happily pass on all the necessary information required. It would be a shame for the Society to fold, so if you’re interested in taking this on and you want to influence future events, give me a call or email me – details are below.

Thanks for your support, attendance and banter over the last couple of years and, subject to the above, we hope to see you all again in the Autumn. Best wishes.

Trevor Smith 07473 213556 Scott Boswell 07900 216300

trevorsmith1009@outlook.com scott@tikitour.net

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WOODSOONERS GOLF SOCIETY The Spring Meeting of the Great Paxton Woodsooners Golf Society was held at Elton Furze Golf Club, Peterborough on Friday 5th May 2023. Elton Furze proved to be an excellent, challenging course and it played well. I should also say that the food and hospitality at the Club were excellent. We had several rain showers throughout the day, but it didn’t dampen our spirits and another fine day of golf and banter was had by all.

The Offords WI The June meeting in The Offords Village Hall was a foliage affair with buckets of leaves, various vessels and skeins of wool filling the tables.

Our Speaker was Wendy Thelwall who specialises in dyeing fabrics in the ancient way using plant material. Wendy Is a volunteer at Buckden Towers and it was there that she discovered the Knot Garden which long ago, had been planted specifically for the purpose of dyeing. Her interest was piqued, and she has now turned it into a hobby and somewhat of an addiction!

We had 14 players, both local and from further afield; it was great to see new members as well as ‘old hands’ and as always, our Yorkshire contingent. As a reminder, all are welcome to come along to Woodsooners, regardless of where you live. We are always keen to welcome new members to keep the society strong – 20 is a good number of players for our events and it would be great if we could maintain somewhere around this number for future events so if you know of anyone who may be interested, please encourage them to come along, they will be made most welcome. Dinner, presentations and much banter were had at The Bell in Great Paxton where we were hosted very well by Rachael and her team as always – the food was excellent – thank you Sarah.

Prizes were awarded as follows: Nearest the Pin Jim McIlwaine Longest Drive Gary Price High Handicap Runner-up (24 points) Sam Helme High Handicap WINNER (34 points) Trevor Smith Pairs Runners-up (29 points) Brian Kitchin & Jim McIlwaine Pairs WINNERS (27) Trevor Smith & Nick Helme Singles Runner-up (34 points) Trevor Smith (on count back) Singles WINNER (37 points) Jim McIlwaine Wooden Spoon Winner (12 points) Steve Bullock

We discovered that the plants used are all weeds but with a little alchemy they can produce lovely subtle colours on fabric and wool.

Members took part in the process, chopping and steeping and dipping with enthusiasm.

We were all given some dyed wool which, in the tradition of Blue Peter, had been prepared earlier. Using scissors and beads, we were challenged to make a decorative plait in the form of a bracelet. What a variety was created in such a short time. Our speaker chose her favourite three for the Competition winners, but really, they were all lovely. We had a lovely evening and went home with a wool bracelet and, amazingly, no stained fingers.

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WOODSOONERS GOLF SOCIETY The Spring Meeting of the Great Paxton Woodsooners Golf Society was held at Elton Furze Golf Club, Peterborough on Friday 5th May 2023. Elton Furze proved to be an excellent, challenging course and it played well. I should also say that the food and hospitality at the Club were excellent. We had several rain showers throughout the day, but it didn’t dampen our spirits and another fine day of golf and banter was had by all.

The Offords WI The June meeting in The Offords Village Hall was a foliage affair with buckets of leaves, various vessels and skeins of wool filling the tables.

Our Speaker was Wendy Thelwall who specialises in dyeing fabrics in the ancient way using plant material. Wendy Is a volunteer at Buckden Towers and it was there that she discovered the Knot Garden which long ago, had been planted specifically for the purpose of dyeing. Her interest was piqued, and she has now turned it into a hobby and somewhat of an addiction!

We had 14 players, both local and from further afield; it was great to see new members as well as ‘old hands’ and as always, our Yorkshire contingent. As a reminder, all are welcome to come along to Woodsooners, regardless of where you live. We are always keen to welcome new members to keep the society strong – 20 is a good number of players for our events and it would be great if we could maintain somewhere around this number for future events so if you know of anyone who may be interested, please encourage them to come along, they will be made most welcome. Dinner, presentations and much banter were had at The Bell in Great Paxton where we were hosted very well by Rachael and her team as always – the food was excellent – thank you Sarah.

Prizes were awarded as follows: Nearest the Pin Jim McIlwaine Longest Drive Gary Price High Handicap Runner-up (24 points) Sam Helme High Handicap WINNER (34 points) Trevor Smith Pairs Runners-up (29 points) Brian Kitchin & Jim McIlwaine Pairs WINNERS (27) Trevor Smith & Nick Helme Singles Runner-up (34 points) Trevor Smith (on count back) Singles WINNER (37 points) Jim McIlwaine Wooden Spoon Winner (12 points) Steve Bullock 4

We discovered that the plants used are all weeds but with a little alchemy they can produce lovely subtle colours on fabric and wool.

Members took part in the process, chopping and steeping and dipping with enthusiasm.

We were all given some dyed wool which, in the tradition of Blue Peter, had been prepared earlier. Using scissors and beads, we were challenged to make a decorative plait in the form of a bracelet. What a variety was created in such a short time. Our speaker chose her favourite three for the Competition winners, but really, they were all lovely. We had a lovely evening and went home with a wool bracelet and, amazingly, no stained fingers.

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Editorial by Julie Stock We’re already halfway through the year and looking ahead to The Scarecrow Festival in September. Please send your articles and photos/posters for inclusion to me at my new address of julie.stock@btinternet.com.

The printer is still trying to get the magazine online for us via the Community tab on the Parish Council website at https://greatpaxtonpc.gov.uk/. Please do check back occasionally to see if it’s there.

If you’d like to contribute to the next issue, please note the deadline dates below. We now have an advertising policy for local businesses as well. Please contact me if you’re interested in this.

Our July meeting on the second Tuesday is a talk by Verity Hartop who farms the land on the High Street in Offord. She is going to tell us about lambing, calving and her Farming Year.

Future Meetings 8 August: Our meeting will be an afternoon Garden Party.

12 September: Julie Stock, a local author will speak on The Journey to Becoming a Published Author.

Visitors and new members welcome!

Please contact Jenny Murby (President) on 01480 811474

Deadline Dates for Upcoming Issues The Paxton Post is published 6 times a year. Cut off dates are now the 15th of the month prior to publication. Please see the table below for these dates. It is the responsibility of contributors to ensure articles are submitted to the Editor by these dates. Thank you.

Edition September – October November – December January – February March – April May – June July – August

Copy deadline 15 August 15 October 15 December 15 February 15 April 15 June

The Paxton Post is published by Easiprint Ltd in association with Great Paxton Parish Council and is funded by the Council. Whilst every effort is made to ensure information in this publication is accurate, neither the editor, the printer or the Parish Council can be held responsible for any errors. The views expressed in this publication may not necessarily reflect those of the Editor, the publisher or the Parish Council.

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Editorial by Julie Stock We’re already halfway through the year and looking ahead to The Scarecrow Festival in September. Please send your articles and photos/posters for inclusion to me at my new address of julie.stock@btinternet.com.

The printer is still trying to get the magazine online for us via the Community tab on the Parish Council website at https://greatpaxtonpc.gov.uk/. Please do check back occasionally to see if it’s there.

If you’d like to contribute to the next issue, please note the deadline dates below. We now have an advertising policy for local businesses as well. Please contact me if you’re interested in this.

Our July meeting on the second Tuesday is a talk by Verity Hartop who farms the land on the High Street in Offord. She is going to tell us about lambing, calving and her Farming Year.

Future Meetings 8 August: Our meeting will be an afternoon Garden Party.

12 September: Julie Stock, a local author will speak on The Journey to Becoming a Published Author.

Visitors and new members welcome!

Please contact Jenny Murby (President) on 01480 811474

Deadline Dates for Upcoming Issues The Paxton Post is published 6 times a year. Cut off dates are now the 15th of the month prior to publication. Please see the table below for these dates. It is the responsibility of contributors to ensure articles are submitted to the Editor by these dates. Thank you.

Edition September – October November – December January – February March – April May – June July – August

Copy deadline 15 August 15 October 15 December 15 February 15 April 15 June

The Paxton Post is published by Easiprint Ltd in association with Great Paxton Parish Council and is funded by the Council. Whilst every effort is made to ensure information in this publication is accurate, neither the editor, the printer or the Parish Council can be held responsible for any errors. The views expressed in this publication may not necessarily reflect those of the Editor, the publisher or the Parish Council.

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Paxton Post

Issue 37 July - August 2023

THE MAGAZINE FOR GREAT PAXTON

Paxton Post THE MAGAZINE FOR GREAT PAXTON

Issue 37 July - August 2023