October November 2020
s d r o f f O e h t n i
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Virtual Flower Competition
Colourful Patio Tub Winner - Sue Barrimore
Colourful Garden Winner - Marion Warden
Colourful Patio Tub Second - Marion Warden
Colourful Garden Second - Helen Ellis
Thank you to everyone who entered 2
Welcome
to the October / November edition of Out and About (O&A), the Offord Village Magazine. It aims to promote the community by sharing village news and useful contacts. The on-line full colour edition has proved so popular that we are continuing with this alongside the printed edition. We encourage new contributors with a story to tell. Articles are accepted from organizations and individuals so long as they are not political or offensive. We welcome photographs, news stories and poems from villagers. We may need to defer entries if we receive too many at once. Contributions are included free of charge. You can contact the editorial team via OffordOandA@gmail.com Most of the cost of production is covered by the revenue from advertising and we are grateful to our advertisers who are now being charged again after lock down. This means that we can resume door to door delivery. Production costs are supplemented by an annually reviewed grant from the Parish Council. Out and About is delivered free of charge to every home in the Offords This is possible because a willing team of volunteers brave the elements come rain or shine to bring it to your door.
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le i f o r P r e d a e R
Carol Temple … a fine needle woman from Offord D’Arcy
I’ve been asked to write a profile as last year I volunteered to repair the green pulpit cloth for the church as it had got rather sad. I replaced the gold thread around the edge of the cross and, although I’m not used to goldwork, I was pleased at how it turned out. I am retired and have lived in Offord Darcy for almost 16 years, having moved up from North London. I’ve been sewing and crafting since a child and am mostly self taught, with some great friends and tutors along the way to help me achieve some of my goals. My Mum taught me to knit and crochet when I was about 9 years old and I discovered how to use an electric sewing machine at secondary school when we had to make our own cookery apron and pleated gym skirt before we were allowed to go on to make what we chose. In the 1960s I was a “Twiggy” shape and the standard clothes available never fitted so, about the age of 12, I took to making my own clothes. A friend of my Mum’s gave me a treadle sewing machine in a cabinet and I used that for a lot of years before I got my first electric sewing machine. I still have the treadle and would love to get it overhauled one day and use it again, although it has got a shuttle bobbin and I’d have to rake through my memory or look on YouTube to get started. I’ve always loved textile crafts and have dabbled in many over the years including bobbin lace. When my sons were young I became an agent for a party plan crossstitch company and subsequently did a lot of cross-stitch for many years. When I met my husband, John, he was very interested and wanted to try it himself and has since produced lots of lovely pictures of flowers and scenes and has entered several in the Offord Gardening Club Village Shows. I prefer hand sewing and hand embroidery, slow stitching as one of my tutors calls it, although I do use the sewing machine when I need to, and have made lots of different bits and bobs for family and friends. My favourite technique in patchwork is English Paper Piecing but I’ve tried many different techniques and have made 4
quite a few lapquilts, also a larger sampler quilt of which I feel very proud as it is the culmination of my patchwork and embroidery skills over the years. Hopefully it may become a family heirloom, who knows! (see photo) I always have several projects on the go as I tend to work on whatever suits my mood. Unfortunately this means I have quite a lot still to complete but hope they’ll get finished one day. I’ve also done some teaching and have always been keen to pass on what I’ve learned in the hope I’ll encourage others to find the enjoyment I do from needle crafts. Before lockdown I was a member of a few groups and did various workshops, including exploring transfer paints on fabric, something I’ve always wanted to try and am hoping to get back into next year. I’ve been sewing and crocheting through lockdown and it’s helped me get through this difficult time. When we moved to Offord Darcy I joined the WI and have been involved at village and Federation level and have to say that it helped John and me to make so many very good friends over the years. From that we’ve been involved in village groups and I also co-ordinated the Out and About for nearly 10 years. We certainly feel part of the community and are looking forward to things getting back to some sort of normality in the near future. Carol Temple caroltemple51@gmail.com
Offord Village Hall 300+ Club
(Offord Recreation Hut)
Registered charity no. 302653
WINNERS JULY £20 £15 £10 £ 5
AUGUST £20 No. 292 Janine Skyrme £15 No. 028 K Walton £10 No. 092 Pete Howell £ 5 No. 201 Doreen Rowbury
No. 136 Katie Moore No. 341 Cynthia Wood No. 319 Rod Chew No. 308 Chris Chamberlan
The next GRAND DRAW will take place in December and the monthly draws will be taking place virtually until village clubs and events resume. There are still a few shares available if you would like to join. Contact Helen Bosworth on 811892 or Jenny Murby on 811474 for further details 5
n o i t a i c o s s A s r e n e d r a G d r o f f O
October & November
Well, we have found our way into autumn now after a glorious summer, and up until this week there was a glimmer of hope we could possibly get back in the hall for a garden meeting. But as you know it is all uncertain again, so we wait and follow the ever changing rules. We hope you have enjoyed your gardens and as usual we are here to help with your questions and advice if needed. Jobs for October Cut back perennials that have died down; tidy up borders for winter Move tender plants in greenhouse or conservatory Keep harvesting apples and pears Prune climbing roses to prevent winter wind damage Continue mowing lawns at a higher mower height Renovate old lawns or create new grass areas by turfing Trim hedges Jobs for November Clear fallen leaves from all areas Plant new tulip bulbs for spring display Raise pots off the ground to prevent water logging Prune ht and floribunda roses for wind damage prevention Plant out winter bedding, ie Sweet Williams and Wallflowers Insulate outdoor containers from frost using bubble wrap Stop winter moth damage to fruit trees by using grease bands around the trunks Put out food to encourage winter birds into garden The Virtual Flower Competition Our thanks to all who entered. Results and pictures will be published separately and winners will receive their prizes soon. At some time in the future we will be able to return to actual garden shows. Enjoy your gardening and take care and stay safe. John 811148 6
Graveley Airfield War Memorial
After Refurbishment
Before Refurbishment
Some of you may be aware that there was an airfield at Graveley mainly during the Second World War. It was first used in 1942 as a base for Handley Page Halifax aircraft. Later in 1944 the more famous Lancaster and Mosquito aircraft, as part of Bomber Command, were based here until the end of the war. Graveley was one of only 15 British airfields in WW2 to use FIDO, a fog dispersal system. This used fuel burners along the runway to clear the fog, enabling planes to take off and land safely. FIDO was attributed to saving many crew lives and aircraft in the latter stages of the war.
During the 1960s, the airfield was used as a filming location for the movie ‘Robbery’ which was based on the ‘Great Train Robbery’. It is now the site of the wind farm and land returned to agricultural use. The memorial stone, to commemorate the bravery of the pilots and ground crew, was unveiled by Mrs Ly Bennett in 1991 and dedicated by Reverend Peter Taylor, vicar of All Saints Church, Offord Cluny, and Honorary Chaplain of 35/ 635 Squadron Reunion Association. Since then Reverend Taylor has been tending to the site and volunteers from the villages have now taken on the upkeep of the memorial. As the inscription on the stone had started to fade, Reverend Taylor arranged for the stone to be refurbished. Following a grant from the Parish Council this has now been completed and is looking like a fitting memorial. The Memorial Stone is located on the left-hand side of the farm drive, on the road from the Offords to Graveley. 7
Thank you for all of your support over the last 6 months. Due to strict Government guidelines and the new "Rule of Six", we are currently unable to offer day trips.. Our vehicles are, however, Covid-secure and we are undertaking all precautions necessary to ensure a safe travelling environment. We are, therefore, able to offer our vehicles for private hire for households/families who wish to travel together. Social distancing is required on board, so our vehicles can only travel at half capacity at best. The price we quote will be for hire of the vehicle with a driver, not a cost-per-head price. We currently have a 17-seat luxury minibus, and a 47seat and a 53-seat executive coach, both with toilets all, available for hire. With the winter season fast approaching, demand for day trips will be falling, and so we anticipate not being able to offer any day trips until next year. We do hope to be able to run our annual trip to the Pantomime - hopefully in early January depending on available seating in the theatre. If you are interested in joining us at the Panto, or would like to join our mailing list to be notified of future trips please contact us by email at platinumtourslimited@gmail.com. Once again, thank you for supporting a local business. It has been a very tough summer, but we are still here and ready to take you out when it is safe to do so. "
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OFFORD VILLAGE HALL HIRE Offord Village Hall is available for hire for all types of functions: Wedding Receptions, Christenings, Private parties etc. The Hall has disabled access and facilities and comprises of: a large main hall with a stage, refurbished kitchen, bar, separate committee room and a car park. The hall is licensed for music. Daytime rates are priced per hour (minimum 2 hours) with reduced rates for regular users. Weekend evening rates available on request. For further details please contact
Helen Bosworth on 01480 811892 Email: droffo144@gmail.com 9
r e m r a F e h t Ask
With Local Farmer Stephen
This is the first in a series of Q&A about the farming around our village. If you have a question you’d like answered, please send it to Out & About via OffordOandA@gmail.com Stephen, who farms in Offord Cluny, answers Ben’s questions. Do you like being a Farmer? Yes, it is all I ever wanted to do. I love being outside, growing crops and trying to encourage wildlife. What crops have you grown? The crops we grew last year have just been harvested and were winter wheat, winter barley, oilseed rape (the yellow one) and spring barley. How much wheat did you produce? We produced around 400 tons. We would normally have a lot more but the wet weather last winter prevented us sowing more and then the dry spring limited its growth. This year on all farms it has been one of the worst wheat harvests on record. The weather was not on our side. Did you get enough rain this year? We had a lot too much from October to February and then not enough from March to June! Why are there lots of tractors in the village in the summer? There have been lots of tractors in the village lately as local farmers, including me, have been busy harvesting their crops and bringing the harvested crops back to their farms to store it until the grain is sold. Silage and hay have also been cut by some farmers for animal feed and that all needs to be transported to store for later use.
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George Munro It was with great sadness that the village learned of the sudden death of George Munro. George was born in Hoddesden, Hertfordshire. He moved to Offord with his family in 1974 and immediately got involved with village institutions. When he left school at 18, he joined the Bank of England in their new computing department and from that moment made his career in computing, working for both Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire police. After his dear wife, Cheryl, died and both his children, Lucy and Duncan, ultimately went to University, he took time out and did a degree himself in Computer Science and graduated with a First Class Honours degree in 1996. His great passion was aviation and he was a member of the Air Training Corps as a teenager. George would go to air shows and museums and he made and exhibited scale models of aircraft. He was a very active member in his local branch of the International Plastic Modellers Society at Brampton and was one of the organisers of their hugely successful Airfix Make and Paint events at the Shuttleworth Collection. On his retirement, he travelled widely, going on a number of aviationthemed tours to New Zealand, Russia, USA and Canada, to name but a few. George will be missed by many people in the village, he did so enjoy his visits to ’The Shoe’. He was always ready to help when help was needed at the Bazaars and Church Fetes. It will never be quite the same without his bottle stalls! It has been a pleasure to have known him and the village has certainly lost a good friend. John Storey
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l l a H e g a l l i V Offord The first part of the building work scheduled for the Accessibility Project improvements is well under way. The new door is in place and the ramp was scheduled for completion on the August Bank Holiday weekend. This will make the hall much easier to access for wheelchair users. The next parts of the project will be put on hold for the time being as we need to rebuild our resources, our finances having depleted with the hall being shut. However, we are hopeful that by the time you are reading this we will have been able to re-open for at least our local village clubs and classes. The Trustees have carried out a Risk Assessment to ensure we make the building as Covid-19 secure as possible. Extra resources for this have been purchased and put in place. The Trustees have checked to make sure they are confident we have done everything we possibly can, and the doors will be open again. The implementation of all these measures are similar to other public amenities. If you have symptoms of Covid-19 you are asked to stay away. Social distancing is a priority wherever possible and face masks must be worn inside the building unless you are exercising or eating and drinking. There is a oneway system, with entry via the main hall doors and exit via the new doors into the car park. Frequent hand washing and using the hand sanitisers is requested. A Track and Trace system is in place for the security of all users. Stringent cleaning routines are being followed. Finally, there will be a limit of 30 people maximum at any one time. Once all these measures are in place, we will be open for business again, although we will not be taking any private hire bookings for the time being. We will, of course, review our procedures according to any changes in Government recommendations. The message from the Village Hall Management Committee is that we hope to see you back very soon! Helen Ellis Secretary Offord Village Hall
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07447 496376
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Tel: 01480 214392 / 07947 371107 14
Paul, Amanda and Jason would like to welcome you to our friendly shop. Fine fayre on sale with local meats from Norfolk, Suffolk and Somersham. We also sell local fruit and veg in our new trial to promote village shopping (buy more under one roof) along with fresh Bonnetts bakery bread daily, a good selection of home cooked meats, pies and pasties, simple every day cheeses and luxury pork pies with real jelly!!
Open Monday to Friday 8:00am -5:30 pm Saturday 8:00am -3:00pm High Street, Buckden
Phone: 01480 810272 15
s n e z i t i C r o i Offord Sen Well, here we are, the October-November edition, and at the time of writing, we are no nearer to resuming our club activities. Fortunately, all our members seem to have remained safe and well and we can only look forward to meeting up again sometime in the future. A number of our members who have not been able to access the magazine on line missed seeing the photographs included in the June-July edition. They are repeated here.
Afternoon Tea Party
New Years Dinner 2020
River Boat Outing
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And finally, to make you smile: Cliff and his wife, Esther, go to their local country fair every year and every year Cliff tells his wife, “You know what I’d really like to do? I’d like to ride in that helicopter they’ve got over there.” And every year Esther replies, “Cliff, you know very well that they charge £50 a ride. That’s a lot of money to us pensioners.” Finally Cliff tells Esther, “Esther, look, I’m 85 years old. If I don’t get a ride in that helicopter this year, I may never get another chance.” “Cliff,” says his wife, “I’ve told you, £50 is a lot of money to pensioners like us.” The helicopter pilot happens to hear the old couple’s conversation and says to them, “OK, I’ll make a deal with you. I’ll take the both of you for a ride. If you can stay quiet for the entire trip and not say a word, I won’t charge you! But if you say one word, I’ll have to charge you £50.” Cliff and Esther agree and up they go in the helicopter. The pilot does all kinds of fancy manoeuvres, but doesn’t hear a word from the couple. He does some daredevil tricks over and over again but still not a word from the back. When they land, the pilot turns to Cliff and says “Goodness me, I did everything I could to get you to scream back there but you didn’t. I’m impressed!” Cliffs replies, “Well, to tell you the truth, I almost said something when Esther fell out, but you know .......£50 is a lot of money to pensioners like us!” Stay safe Sue Barimore, Secretary
b lu C ls w o B t a M t r o Offord Sh We have just received notification from The English Short Mat Bowls Association that we are now able to commence bowling again subject to certain conditions. However we still have to wait for the Village Hall to be opened. Members please watch this space. Carolyn Bargh Secretary 17
There’s not many benefits being so old, Your bones start to creak and you sure feel the cold, Your teeth give you trouble, your hair gets quite thin, And there’s jowly bits that hang by your chin. You look back on life with its small disappointments, But now it’s defined by Doctors’ appointments, Our TV licence was free in the past, We still have the bus pass - how long will that last? We can be cantankerous, think we know best, And moan to get everything off of our chest, The garden becomes a chore not a love, The vacuum cleaner gets harder to shove, You wish and wish you could turn back the clock, And bend far enough to put on that sock! Its long and its tight for to give you compression, But getting it on can lead to depression! BUT Enough of that moaning and endless complaining, Let’s get out and do things (when it’s not raining), For in this pandemic we old have the choice, Our lives are on hold – but we should rejoice, We don’t need to work for we’re safe with our pension, There’s people that help us, they should get a mention. If we can stay safe and I hope we all do, We’ll be first for the Vaccine along with the Flu! So, value your friends and keep in touch, When this all ends, you’ll need them so much, Let’s wish for a future that’s healthy and long, Keep hoping, keep trying and try to stay strong, The old will be needed when all this ends, To help and support their family and friends, Oh yes there are challenges being decrepit, But we’ve had a life……and we are intrepid. It’s the young that I feel for, their future seems blighted, They’re suffering wrongs that can never be righted, So, I feel quite glad that I’ve had my day, ‘Cos no-one can take my memories away. So, if I feel low and alone and depressed, I get myself up, showered and dressed, I choose what I do, no work for me, There nowhere I’ve actually got to be, The world is my oyster – well more of a winkle, I pick up the phone and give someone a tinkle, We’ll meet for a walk and a chat on the way, Just one conversation enhances the day, And when, at night, I climb into bed, I’m thankful I’m old - you’re a long time dead! Marion Warden 18
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f o e f i L e h t n A Da y i
Hilary Moorbey, a diabetic from Offord
Hello, my name is Hilary Moorbey and I have been a resident of Offord for just over 40 years and for 37 of those years, I have been a diabetic type 1 and for about 30 years a Coeliac. Type 1 diabetes is a minority in all diabetics – only 10%. My diabetes was detected by the pregnancy test. Seven years on from there I was very poorly for over six weeks and was eventually found to be a Coeliac and have to follow a gluten-free diet. Coeliac is linked to Diabetes but I have only in the last couple of months met two people who have both like me. My day... My day starts from the moment I wake up to the moment I go to sleep at night with the constant checking of my diabetes levels. I take 5/6 injections a day, 2 long acting and three fast acting with constant finger pricking to check the blood sugar levels. Wake-up - check blood sugar levels, inject long acting and fast acting insulin according to reading, food intake and activity. After breakfast - take dog for a walk up to 2 miles &, if weekend, longer. get ready for work, check blood sugar levels again ready for driving. Mid-morning - check blood sugar levels and probably have a banana. Lunchtime - check blood sugar levels & inject fast acting insulin according to reading, food intake and activity. Mid-afternoon - check blood sugars and may have an apple Late afternoon - check blood sugars ready for the drive home, if too low have something to eat Teatime - check blood sugars, inject long acting insulin and fast acting insulin according to reading, food intake and activity. Prior to bed - check blood sugars, if too high do a small fast acting corrective Insulin and if too low have some orange juice plus a small snack. This could all change depending on the day and whether my blood sugars are too high or too low or infections. I have to plan ahead my food intake and insulins accordingly if going out for the day or part of the day. I carry at all times my insulin, blood testing machine and glucose tablets. I work full-time, I have been and still am secretary to various organisations, I enjoy baking and giving away what I make because I cannot eat it myself and helping wherever I can in the village activities. I consider myself extremely lucky and thankful for all the years I have been a Diabetic and a Coeliac, enabling me to achieve all that I do. I am Secretary to the local Diabetic Group (Type 1 and 2 Diabetics), now incorporating producing their Newsletter once a month. The treatment of Diabetes has changed greatly over the years and people are able to live a long and fulfilled life and that is what I am aiming to do. If anyone would like to know more about the local Diabetic Group, please do contact me via hilary.moorbey@btinternet.com
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? d r o f f O g n i d l Rewi Ecologist Gareth Rondel introduces the concept of Rewilding In the last few years a movement has gained ground across the United Kingdom and in other countries too. It is the concept of rewilding. What is Rewilding? Rewilding is the large-scale restoration of habitats and ecosystems where nature looks after itself. It removes the need or desire for humans to undertake conservation work. Rewilding looks to reintroduce species that have disappeared from around us, like the European Beaver or Lynx. It also looks to reinstate natural processes that have been interrupted by human influence. And a vital aspect of the concept of rewilding is that it should provide an opportunity for people and communities to thrive. Rewilding is meant to be done on a grand scale and to provide long-term benefits in terms of providing secure and diverse habitats for plants and animals. Rewilding is meant to happen with no planned outcomes – it really is for the forces of nature and the interactions of plants and animals to go where they go. Rewilding also plays a part in helping to reduce some of the impact of climate change by providing somewhere for carbon to be captured and locked away in the soil or in the trees and plants. There are many other advantages that come from rewilding, such as reducing the risk and impact of flooding events – a scheme at Pontbren in Wales showed that water percolates into the soil at 67 times the rate that it sinks into soil under grass; or providing space for the high numbers of species that are currently under pressure in the UK – nearly 60% of all plants and animals are showing signs of their populations declining. And it has been shown in many studies, including by Mind – that spending time in natural environments, or even bringing nature into your home, can have great benefits for mental health and wellbeing. Rewilding Offord? Perhaps the ambition of rewilding Offord is a little ambitious, but we are blessed with many green and open spaces, such as the Millennium Green and the fishing ponds and weirs, where some areas are left to go wild and wildlife flourishes. Many people will have had the joy of seeing a Kingfisher at the Millennium Green
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pond. It was here that I saw a recent addition to the wildlife of the UK – a Willow Emerald Damselfly. This is a species that has recently arrived from the near continent and has slowly been spreading eastwards. But there are plenty of green areas in the Offords that are kept well-manicured and as such are very poor for wildlife. My thought is that we could enhance these areas with wildflowers that would provide a boost for many insects such as bees, which are under great pressure in our modern world. In turn, a healthy insect population would provide food for many bird species such as the Swift, which has also seen a significant reduction in its numbers in Britain. And what could be more attractive in the days of summer than having small, flower rich meadow habitats, buzzing and brimming with life dotted through our villages? Changing the management of these areas would require the cooperation of Huntingdonshire District Council but may be an attractive option for them too as it would reduce the costs of mowing and maintaining these otherwise barren swards. So this article is written to gauge interest – would you like to see if we can encourage some of our managed areas of the Offords to be ‘rewilded’, to become havens for wildlife and present a chance to connect more with the natural world around us. Let me know and let’s see what we could do together. Gareth Rondel gareth.rondel@googlemail.com
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e t u t i t s n I s n e m Offord Wo The meetings of our WI continue to be postponed for the foreseeable future. Until the Village Hall is able to re-open we can’t plan anything and have had to cancel our speakers for the rest of this year. Of course, if by some miracle we can restart before then, we will let everyone know. We continue to try to keep in contact with other Members by various means and have been sharing photographs by email. Each month we normally hold a competition to tie in with the speaker. In September we were to bring along something that came from a tree. WI Members always seem to have most interesting items we can look at and enjoy. We emailed pictures of our items and enjoyed looking at them, virtually. If our plan to engage the same speakers next year comes to fruition, we shall look forward to seeing them in reality. Thanks to all who took part, and especially to Jacqueline who inspired us with the side of an old packing crate which had been in her family for many years and a chapatii pin for making perfect circular pastry shapes (see photo). The Committee had planned to meet on 14 September to discuss our future plans and conduct official business. We are usually pleased when we have a large Committee with lots of ideas. Sadly, on this occasion, having a larger Committee has presented a problem. The new Covid Regulations of SIX ONLY has meant we can’t, in fact, get together and so we have had to cancel. But we haven’t stopped talking, as many of us meet up in the course of our normal lives, and WI is often discussed. We will let everyone know when we can meet again and look forward to that day.
For further information call Carol Temple on 01480 812879 26
t a e B e h t o t t Fee
The Offords Line Dance Group
I have been regularly reporting in each edition of Out & About that all members of our Line Dance Group are really hopeful of a ‘return to a new normal’ so that we can get back in the swing of dancing and meeting up with our fellow dancers. However, here we are, now into autumn, with spring and summer gone in a flash, and no sign of a return to our weekly Line Dance classes. We will definitely be back to square one and relearning even the basic dances, once we do eventually resume our weekly class. Izzy, our Line Dance teacher, had organised six socials throughout 2020, and we were fortunate to hold the February one, but after that every one has been cancelled. It is so disappointing to look at the calendar each month, check the date and then think - ‘oh yes, we should have had the Line Dance social tonight’. Although we cannot attend our weekly classes, Izzy is a very caring teacher and has been keeping in contact with many of us to make sure we are all keeping well and Covid free. She is itching to get back to teaching here in the Offords and at her other local classes, but until the venues can be suitably organised to comply with the Government Covid legislation then we can’t meet.
Jenny Griffiths - on behalf of Izzy Brogan Tel: 07709 344144 27
h c t a W d o o h Neighbour
The Offords - Autumn 2020
I have two significant issues to bring to your attention this month: The first and most concerning, I have had a report of a man swearing and making obscene gestures. He also appeared to expose himself to a lady driver. What is even more disturbing is that the man had a young boy with him. The police have been informed and are investigating. The man was in his late thirties, the young boy was around 7 or 8 years old. The man was also walking a medium size, tan coloured dog. If anyone has any information or witnesses similar behaviour, please contact the police straight away. Secondly, for some time we have had reports of drug dealing from a house on Graveley Road. This seems to be escalating and recently a person was found in the gutter, unconscious from an overdose. Again, the police are aware, the local residents are collecting vehicle numbers and times they visit; but the more information the police have, the more likely they are to take action. So, if you see any unusual activity in the area, please advise the police with as much detail as possible. To report an emergency or ongoing incident, call 999. To report suspicious activity in your neighbourhood, call 101 To report information anonymously, call crime-stoppers on 0800-555111. To report incidents via email, send to huntscops@cambs.pnn.police.uk To pass information regarding rural burglaries email: burglarycrackdown@cambs.pnn.police.uk We need someone to cover Dunstall Close and Andrew’s Close. If any residents on the new developments are interested in helping, please get in touch. Something to think about, being an active member or being on a road within a Neighbourhood Watch area can save you money on your home insurance. Our meetings are on hold for the time being. Hopefully we will be back in December. You can contact me on 811839 or at offordswatch@gmail.com if you want to join the team or would like more information. Stay safe, Peter Riley
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Thursday Club We cannot meet up in the Village Hall at the present time, but look forward to return when it is safe to do so, when we intend to have a good lunch. A few members met in Jean Weeden’s garden earlier in the summer for tea, cake and a lovely chat. It was a very hot afternoon. Members also met weekly on the Millennium Green bringing their own chairs and refreshments. Socially distanced, it was good to see each other again. Everybody misses the club and hopefully we will be back soon. Doreen Rowbury 811025
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D.K.TILL & Son in Law COAL AND SOLID FUEL MERCHANTS Family run business for 40 years Coal, Logs, Charcoal, Gas, Compost TEL: 01223 232947 David Till 07523 044521 Kevin Crisp Email: dktill@hotmail.co.uk
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Fitness Classes at
Offord Village Hall Every Monday Fit4Life exercise class for active seniors at 10am Pilates at 7.30pm For more information contact me, Janine RSA/YMCA qualified Fitness Instructor 01480 810370 / 07790 655637 janineskyrme@btinternet.com 33
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h c r u h C ts n i a S ll A A message from Jes Salt - All Saints Church to all the village Dear Friends, We are naturally delighted that we are now able to hold services in All Saints once again. There is a real sense of the church community drawing together as we come to pray and worship, and you will also see that we now have a variety of services – both morning and evening. We would be delighted if you could join us. I am writing this the day after the latest government restrictions on social gatherings were announced. At present these do not affect services in church, but it is clear that we all face an uncertain winter. It was great to see the village pulling together and looking out for each other during lockdown, and our prayer is that this will continue. Please do let either myself, John Simpkin or Sue Dorrington know if, as a church, we can help you. One of the consequences of lockdown was that we were unable to hold our Annual Parish Church Meeting in May, when the 2019 Annual Report was due to be presented and discussed. This meeting will now take place, subject to any changes in government restrictions, on Sunday 25th October at 7pm in All Saints, and in anticipation of that we set out below the 2019 Annual Report originally included in the AprilMay edition of Out & About. Some of the information in it is out of date because the recent months have brought changes that were not anticipated in the spring. For example, as the church re-opens the pattern of services is changing. Best wishes Jes Rev Jes Salt, Priest in Charge, Buckden and the Offords 01480 819377 jes.salt@btinternet.com
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What’s going on at All Saints Church? Worship in Offord is alive and well. Jes continues to record a weekly online service which is easy to access and enables you to listen and join in at whatever time you choose. This innovation has actually increased attendance dramatically – albeit a virtual experience! The Sunday service can be found each week on YouTube and Facebook and the order of service can be obtained from (warden.offord@yahoo.com) on request. The church building is now open again. The interior has been deep cleaned and arranged to ensure social distancing. All are welcome and the use of hand sanitiser and wearing of masks is obligatory to help to keep everyone safe. The pattern of services is changing and the intention is to provide morning worship at 9.30am on the first and third Sundays of the month with a less formal evening service at 6pm on the second and fourth Sundays. If there is a fifth Sunday there will be another morning service. We are hoping to be allowed to go ahead with All Souls and Remembrance services. Please see the notice board in the High Street for confirmation of the weekly arrangements. Fund Raising and Social Events have had to be cancelled. When the Village Hall is open again we will return with our very popular Bacon Butty Saturday mornings. The Christmas Tree Festival will be impossible without the use of the Village Hall. It is not yet known whether Father Christmas will be able to visit our village at the beginning of December but he says he will definitely be working as usual on Christmas Eve! We look forward to planning a ‘normal’ programme of events in the future. In the absence of fund raising events, we are more reliant than ever on donations and thank all those who would normally give to the collection at services but who have set up electronic payments or saved in their collection boxes. Thank you to all of you who have an All Saints Collection Box at home. If yours is now full of coins, please take your box to Jenny Murby at 2 The Haycroft, or contact Bob Bargh 810237 or John Storey 810763 and someone will collect the box from you. 36
All Saints Church Offord Cluny - Contact Details
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2020 Annual Church Report from Rev Jes Salt This report is to illustrate how All Saints Offord D’Arcy and Offord Cluny has sought to meet its primary objective which is the promotion of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to the doctrines and practices of the Church of England. Management The parish church of All Saints is run by the Parochial Church Council (PCC) along with the Priest in Charge (PinC), Rev Jes Salt. In addition to the Priest in Charge, the members of the PCC for 2019 were as follows; John Simpkin and Sue Dorrington (Churchwardens), Liz Simpkin (Secretary), Mandy Eayrs (Treasurer), Stephen Eayrs, Helen Manning, Jenny Murby, Helen Northrop, Cynthia Rowbury, and John Storey. Services Our morning service pattern remained unaltered during the year. The 9.30 a.m. Sunday service remains our staple service. We hold our All Age service on the first Sunday of each month and celebrate Holy Communion on the second and fourth Sundays. There is a service of Morning Prayer on the third Sunday and a traditional Matins where there is a fifth Sunday. Attendance at our morning services is invariably in double figures but this increases significantly to more than twenty for the All Age service, when we are often joined by representatives of the Offord Guides and Brownies. We continue to hold a Songs of Praise service on the evening of the second Sunday of the month, when we sing hymns chosen in advance by members of the congregation, learn a little about their background and significance and afterwards enjoy light refreshments and a glass of wine. This service continues to be popular, and also attracts a number of new members. The congregation for this service is always around twenty. We continue to celebrate the major Christian festivals, and there were good attendances at our Easter and most of our Christmas services. The Christingle services continue to be very popular with nearly two hundred attending the two services on Christmas Eve. Grateful thanks to all who support our services and in particular to those who programme and operate our music box, which provides us with such good 38
quality musical backing to support our worship. Thanks also to Rev Miles Falla and Ann Brittain who regularly lead and preach. School and Uniformed Organisations We continue to maintain and hopefully improve still further our links with the children and young people in the village. Our relationship with Offord School grew significantly during the year. The PinC continues to takes an assembly each week at Offord School, along with Brandy, and the school regularly visit church, and hold assemblies here for special occasions. A particular highlight was hosting the evening Key Stage 2 Christmas Concert; the church was full with parents and friends supporting the children on what was a memorable evening. We also continue to enjoy good links with the uniformed organisations – Rainbows, Brownies and Guides. They regularly attend our All Age services and keep us informed about their activities, and it is a privilege to share in their ongoing project supporting Godmanchester Foodbank. Social Action All Saints also continues to support the Foodbank through regular donations of food. Two members of our congregation act as volunteers and are heavily involved in supporting Foodbank’s activities, collecting and distributing food to those in need. Occasional Services We had the joy of hosting one wedding during 2018, but no baptisms. Sadly, during 2019 we also said goodbye to some friends who had resided in the village with 8 funerals or thanksgiving services taking place during the year. Confirmation It is a joy to once again be able to share the good news of one of our regular congregation reaching the point in their faith journey where they felt able to be confirmed, and this took place at a memorable service at our sister church, St Mary’s Buckden, where former Archbishop Rowan Williams presided. Social events As in previous years we ran a varied programme of successful and enjoyable events in 2019. The purposes of these events is twofold; they contribute greatly to raising the funds necessary to support the ongoing ministry of All 39
Saints and secondly, and as importantly, they help us connect with our community. As ever, one of the highlights was the Summer Fete and we are again grateful to David and Debbie Gillbanks for the use of the garden of The Limes. We enjoyed good weather and a happy time was had by all. We also continue to run our coffee and bacon butty mornings, which are proving very popular, bingo evenings, a plant sale and in the run up to Christmas our Christmas Tree Festival and Craft Fair (a particular success this year) and the big band concert. My thanks to the team for organising events that proved so popular. A similar programme has been arranged for 2020, which we hope will continue to increase All Saints profile in the village, as well as raise necessary finance. St Peters We continue to enjoy good relations with our sister church at St Peters, and held three services there during the year, including a ‘mid-summer’ evening communion as well as the usual Carol service. Out & About At the end of 2019, Bob and Carolyn Bargh handed over the reins after more than 25 years of managing and editing, during which time the magazine has been transformed. It is only right that in this report we acknowledge and thank them for all that they achieved. Financial Report Total receipts on unrestricted funds were £26,754 of which £8301 was unrestricted fund raising (a slight decrease of 1.7%). Receipts from regular giving were £8,004.04, of which £4743 was gift aid. We have set up a restricted fund for monies for the roof repairs and this stands at £11,175 but includes the insurance pay out and income from the sale of the remaining small amount of lead not taken in the theft! The amount in fees received (£2,872) has decreased slightly this year but does not include some fees which were not received until after the year end. The amount received in interest from the Eayrs Trust (£979) has increased a little. All receipts and payments are detailed in the Financial Statements; these can be made available on request. The planned giving through envelopes and banker’s orders has increased by 26% this year as the majority of the regular congregation continue to give via the Gift Aid envelopes. The amount of collections has decreased slightly as a consequence of this. £18,150 was spent from unrestricted funds to provide the Christian ministry from All Saints 40
Church, including the contribution to the diocesan parish share which largely provides the stipends and housing for the clergy. This sum also includes the running costs of the Church Rooms (£3,167). The net result for the year was a deficit of receipts over payments of £1,680 on unrestricted funds. Adding bank and deposit balances brought forward at the beginning of the year, the balances carried forward at 31st December on unrestricted funds totalled £27,427.26, of which £5,361.25 has been set aside to meet the costs of maintaining the Church, maintaining the Organ and a contribution to the heating fund. This is carried forward as designated funds. Reserves policy It is PCC policy to try to maintain a balance on unrestricted funds which equates to at least six months unrestricted payments. This is equivalent to £9400. It is held to smooth out fluctuations in cash flow and to meet emergencies. The cash balance held on unrestricted (including designated) funds at the year end, together with the amounts payable to and by the PCC, is within this target. The balance of £34,835.95 in the restricted fund is retained towards meeting the cost of replacing the Roof, Restoration and Upkeep of the Church
In Conclusion Our ministry and other activities at All Saints would not be possible without the contributions and support of our church members and volunteers from the village. Please accept my gratitude and the PCC’s thanks for all your help and support. At All Saints, we are blessed with a keen and committed congregation, and it is great to see so many happy to stay behind and socialise after services, as well as being so committed supporting the church in what we are doing. Sadly, we are still small in numbers, so 2020 will clearly be a challenge as we intend to make real progress with repairing the roof, as well continuing to advertise the significance of the Christian message. However, we believe in a God who cares for his creation and wishes others to recognise that care. May He continue to do through us ‘immeasurably more than we could ever hope or imagine’ in 2020 and beyond. Rev Jes Salt, Priest in Charge, Buckden and the Offords 41
All Saints Church - Fabric Report 2020 - including church roof update There has been no change to the contents of the church during the past year. The drainage system on the north side of the church was improved last summer by the provision of new drains from the existing gullies on the north side of the building, running to a new soakaway in the churchyard. The new system appears to be working satisfactorily. These drainage works really needed to be tackled before any other work is carried out to the church building. In this connection, the PCC also had plans to reorder the west end of the church by installing a WC and providing facilities for serving refreshments. It had been hoped to continue with these proposals whilst at the same time dealing with the need for a replacement roof following the theft of lead in November 2018. However, each of these jobs on its own would involve significant expense and would require grant funding to cover the bulk of the cost and it became apparent that we could not raise sufficient funds to do both jobs at once. The replacement of the roof is clearly the more important task and so, although the PCC still wishes to carry them out, the internal reorganisation (reordering works) will have to wait for a while yet. As far as the roof is concerned, the contractors who did the drainage work provided a rough quotation which was rather less than we had been expecting and so we are now waiting for a revised specification (based on a detailed inspection recently carried out) which will enable competing quotes to be obtained and will also allow applications for grants to be made. It will also be necessary for a “faculty” (the church equivalent to planning permission) to be obtained. This is because we need to abide by the General Synod’s wish to make the Church of England carbon neutral by 2030 and any roof works will need to incorporate appropriate insulation, which in turn means that what we are putting up is different from what was there before. It is intended that the new roofing will be steel rather than lead. Consent may be needed from other bodies and while no opposition is expected, all this will take time. In amongst all this, last November the church architects carried out the “QI” or quinquennial inspection – a survey of the church and churchyard which is carried out every five years at all churches within the Church of England. There are repair works which need to be done, a lot of them fairly minor, and a group of PCC members is reviewing the report with Revd. Jes Salt, to plan a programme of works.
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As we said last year, we intend to keep everyone informed about the roof repairs as matters progress but given the number of bodies involved the process is inevitably slower than we would really like and so no news doesn’t mean that nothing is happening behind the scenes – it almost certainly is! Please feel free to speak to a Churchwarden or a member of the PCC for up to date information. John Simpkin & Sue Dorrington - Church Wardens
h c r u h C t s i d o th e M Buckden Minister: Stewards:
Rev. Sue Baker-Maher. Tel 473444. Angie Barnes (810102) Bob Baxter (8100920 Carol Swepstone (810053
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h c r u h C s r te e P t S f o The Friends We are delighted to announce that the church is now ‘open to visitors’, although all display material remains locked away for the time being to reduce the risk of Covid transmission. The Churches Conservation Trust has been encouraging all their 350+ churches to re-open, provided they comply with all the essential cleaning regimes that have to be carried out prior to their doors being opened and remain consistent with current government regulations. We had a small volunteer working party clean the church at the beginning of September and although the building hadn’t been properly cleaned since late 2019, it was surprisingly dirt free, considering it is a very old building. There were just a few more spiders, cobwebs, dead insects and dust that we encounter on every regular clean. The key can be obtained from Deborah Gillbanks, of The Limes, who is the official CCT keyholder for St Peter’s. Of course, social distancing must still be maintained when visiting the church and face coverings must be worn inside the building as detailed by the government. Full information is on the church noticeboard. The CCT have now compiled an audio guide to many of their churches, and we are pleased to say there is one for St Peter’s, which is comprehensive and informative. To access the guide please go to the CCT website, as follows: https://www.visitchurches.org.uk/visit/church-listing/st-peter-offorddarcy.html Armistice Wreath Laying Ceremony – 11th November 10:45am The Friends Group are hoping to commemorate the Armistice Anniversary at the customary wreath laying ceremony at the Offord Darcy War Memorial in St Peter’s, if the prevailing government Covid-19 advice permits With careful planning we believe we can go ahead. We would like to make this the one event that will be held in the church during 2020. If you would like to attend then please contact Liz Howes (01480 812899 ) or Jenny Griffiths (01480 811126 jennygriffiths908@btinternet.com) as soon as possible so that we can manage numbers and maintain the obligatory contact tracing details. There is no charge for this.
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Although Christmas is still a little way off, it seems unlikely that government regulations will allow a service such as Carols by Candlelight to take place, and therefore no plans for this service are currently being made. 2021 As reported in the summer edition of Out & About, The Friends Group are delighted to announce a return visit of Claude Bourbon, renowned ‘musical artist’ and guitarist, on Saturday 17th July. Claude now mostly performs in America and Europe so we are very lucky to secure him to perform in the UK, and more especially in St Peter’s. However, as the coronavirus pandemic is still in existence we will have to wait until spring 2021 to definitely confirm this concert. This historic parish church of St Peter’s has, over its near 900 year history, been witness to all the challenges that every generation has faced and so it still remains a beacon of hope in the most difficult of challenges that we are currently experiencing. Jenny Griffiths Friends of St Peter’s Church 01480 811126
The Stained Glass in St Peter’s Church and William Glasby Medieval English churches were likely to have been filled with fine stained glass; the images telling stories to the worshippers who could not read or write. The first glass was perfected in the 12th and 13th centuries and the glass pieces were relatively small. The later medieval style produced larger windows and more light was required so more white glass was used. Continued development until the 16th century meant that stained glass could be treated like painting and glass became designed by professional painters. Later centuries saw changes in belief and fashion and many churches lost their stained glass. There is a fragment of 15th century glass in the chancel of St Peter’s. It appears very dark now as the external surface is oxidising and needs some restoration. During the 19th century there was a movement to the return of symbolism and imagery in churches and with it a renewed demand for stained glass. It was some time before medieval techniques were again understood. Pugin was one of the first to make practical advances and by 1850 the essential method of the old work was generally understood. Pieces of medieval glass 45
from Chartres in France were analysed at the Whitefriars works of James Powell and sons and imitations of early medieval glass became possible. The designer of a window, who had probably also been the painter in the Middle Ages, became only a cartoonist with no part in the execution of the glass. Designers associated with the Pre-Raphaelite movement like Daniel Gabriel Rosetti, William Morris, Edward Burne-Jones and Ford Madox Brown were designing many windows. Additionally, different glass painters would specialise in particular styles or even particular parts of a work. Around 80,000 stained glass windows were produced in the Victorian era. It was into this environment that the artist of our War Memorial window was born. William Glasby was born in 1863 and by the age of 13 was employed as an apprentice at James Powell and Sons. Some 14 years later, at the age of 27 he was listed as the highest paid glass painter in the firm. Henry Holiday, a friend of Burne-Jones, set up his own firm and employed Glasby as his chief glass painter. In the following years Glasby exhibited eight designs at the Royal Academy, he undertook commissions for artists other than Holiday and then became a glass painter for Morris and Co contributing to more than 100 William Morris windows. In 1919 William Glasby set up his own studio and received at least 90 commissions during the next ten years. Not bad for a family firm. Our window, commissioned in 1920 would have been one of his early ones. It certainly shows the influence from working with Morris and Co, it is particularly clear in the faces which have a strong Pre-Raphaelite appearance, the red angel wings and the patterns in the grass at the feet of the angels. William Glasby died in 1941, aged 77. His two daughters kept the firm going for another 12 years and it folded in 1953. Looking at our window, on the left is St Michael. Michael is an archangel in Jewish, Christian and Islamic tradition. He is viewed as the field commander of the Army of God. In late medieval Christianity Michael, together with St George, became the patron saint of chivalry. Michael is also considered in many Christian circles as the patron saint of the warrior. On the right-hand side of the window is Archangel Gabriel. In Jewish, Christian and Islamic religions Gabriel serves as a messenger from God. Gabriel in our window is depicted carrying an olive branch, a symbol of peace. We believe that this is the only Glasby window of this design in existence now as the other, identified in the faculty as an original for this design, was in a building which suffered badly during the Blitz in 1940 and has subsequently been demolished. Liz Howes
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h c r u h C d e m r o f e St Neots United R As with some other churches, we are currently opening for short services at the usual time of 11 am on the first 3 Sundays of each month, but with reduced capacity, to allow for social distancing. There will be no singing and everyone who attends will be required to wear a face covering. Please contact the Church Secretary to check booking details and dates as well as up to date availability. Currently there will be no refreshments available after the service. There is a brief weekly service on our website below. During the lock down, Churches Together in St Neots are providing services on Black Cat Radio from 9.30 to 10 am each Sunday. Our Minister, Revd. Dr Rick Mearkle, and other local church leaders are taking turns to conduct the service. Come and visit the United Reformed Church which is on the High Street in St Neots. The only access without steps is at the rear of the building near to Argos. Parking is available in Tebbutts Road behind the Church.
Saturday November 21st
Table Top Sale
For all Church matters, please contact the Church Secretary, Jenny Gibbs for further information on 07789 240332 or via our Web Site www.stneotsurc.co.uk
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t r o p e R l i c n u o C h Paris
September 2020
As the situation with COVID-19 continues to change our daily lives and guidance from central government is altered to reflect this, it’s been good to witness the community spirit which has grown in the Offords, people taking care of each other and doing what they can. The community Facebook page is an important tool in keeping people talking and sharing information. In these uncertain times the message from the Parish Council remains the same, stay safe and follow the national guidance. We are aware that central government is looking ahead to the winter and putting plans in place for whatever might occur. Fingers crossed there won’t be a second wave of this pandemic but if there is, we’d also like to be ready to offer help where needed. If you feel you might need any assistance at all this coming winter, please contact me as I’m compiling a list. We are very much open for business as usual so if you have any concerns or worries about anything please get in touch. Councillors and I are happy to help if we can and there are volunteers within the parish willing to be of assistance. Parish Council meetings continue to be held remotely via the Zoom platform. The Agendas go onto the noticeboards and website in the usual way and there is a link on the Agenda to allow you to sit in or take part in a meeting. We are all getting much better at these meetings and remembering proper procedure during them which is just as well as the law that was changed to hold Council meetings remotely until the end of the year has now been extended to May 2021. The Recreation Ground and Millennium Green remain open for daily exercise and the equipment is now able to be used. Please remember the current social distancing and handwashing guidance when using the equipment and no food or drink is to be consumed anywhere near the equipment. An increase in dog waste has been noticed – possibly because dogs are being walked more often. Please remember to clear up after your dog so everyone can enjoy a clean space. We have also had an increase in general waste, particularly on the recreation ground, with Councillors and residents clearing up what is sometimes very unpleasant waste and broken glass. CCTV cameras are now in place to deal with this and the vandalism that has occurred. If anyone sees or hears of anything in connection with these events, and, in particular, knows the vehicles that visit the area at night, please pass on this information either to Council or the police. We often receive compliments about the Millennium Green, sometimes from visitors outside the Parish. It is a lovely space and overseen by the Chairman of Leisure & Amenities who’s also Vice Chairman, John Gatward, with the help of our village handyman, Barney Warner. 48
Although, thankfully, we have not suffered the same level of vandalism as some local parishes have during the summer, it is always sad to see it and, of course, costly to repair/replace. We have had instances of vandalism recently on both the Recreation Ground and the Millennium Green. We do have CCTV cameras in place on both areas and plan to increase the numbers. Any relevant footage will be passed to the police. If anyone has any information as to who might be responsible, please get in touch. A group of 3/4 youths on bikes has been mentioned several times and one was photographed damaging play equipment on the Millennium Green. We have a lot of tree work planned for the autumn. Larger projects are carried out by contractors, but we do try to do the smaller jobs ourselves, either by Barney or by Councillors. The aim is to keep the Offords looking smart and that appears to be happening. The new Little Libraries have proved a huge success. These were the idea of Councillor Caroline Savage who continues to monitor their use. If you have any books, all genres for all ages required, please contact her. Her details, and those of all other Councillors are at the end of this report. Little Libraries help to foster neighbourhood book exchanges and can be found in many countries around the world. Three new Little Libraries in colourful blue and red have now been placed around The Offords. Anyone can take a book to read or leave one for someone else to pick up! These Little Libraries are for everyone to enjoy, adults and children, and are much needed with cut-backs to local library services. So please share something that you have enjoyed reading recently! The Little Libraries can be found at the following locations: • On corner of Park Way and High Street, Offord Cluny •
Alongside Parish Noticeboard, Offord Darcy, near access road to St Peters Church
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Graveley Road, by cut through to Bramley Drive, Offord Darcy
If you intend to visit a Little Library, please wash your hands before you go and wash them again when you return home. We do have one allotment available at the moment. It’s a small plot at the top of the allotments and presents some challenges because of overhanging trees, etc, (which are being looked at currently). If anyone is interested please get in touch. Your Parish Council is keen to ensure that all its residents are safe and supported during this time. We would encourage everyone to offer help to those who are self-isolating, especially the over 70s. A friendly call, help with shopping or collecting 49
prescriptions and more may be welcomed, observing current advice such as social distancing and hand washing as you go. The Parish Council set up the helpline because it is concerned about the wellbeing of all residents during these challenging times. Our primary focus is for those people who have few close friends and family available to help them and / or have limited access to the internet. Although we rarely get requests for assistance now, we are still here and waiting to help. Call your Parish Council helpline, 07597 988763. It’s open 7am to 7pm. Outside these hours, please leave a message. •
Email: clerk@offords-pc.gov.uk In the same way please use these trusted communication routes to request help with:
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Shopping
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Prescription collection
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Any other questions, problems or concerns Some of the best sources of COVID-19 guidance are available on the Public Health England, Department of Health and Social Care, and NHS England websites.
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Parish Councillors 2018-2022 Ian Weitzel(Chairman) Ronaldsway, Littleworth End Offord Darcy 01480 811697 Ian.weitzel@btconnect.com
Stephen Eayrs Top Farm Offord Cluny 01480 811816 stepheneayrs@btinternet.com
John Gatward (Vice Chairman) 5 Elm Drive Offord Cluny 01480 811148 rgatward@btinternet.com
Simon Young (Chair of Planning) 6 Pippin Close Offord Darcy 01480 812877 simonjyoung@outlook.com
Tina Dawson (Chair of Finance) 15 Park Way Offord Cluny 01480 819471 Tinac_13@hotmail.com
Caroline Savage The Grove, 71 High Street Offord Darcy 07966 144956 caolsysa24@icloud.com
Peter Riley 33 Park Way Offord Cluny 01480 811839 Pete.riley@outlook.com
David Gillbanks The Limes, High Street Offord Darcy 01480 812183 gillbanks@gillbanks.com
Jackie Stanbridge Clerk to the Council Clerk@offords-pc.gov.uk 07597 988763
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t r o p e R r o ll i c n u o C County
By Peter Downes
I am pleased to see that Out and About is returning to its printed version. At the time of writing, the country is in a dilemma. On the one hand, life seems to be getting back to normal; on the other hand, there are dire warnings of another ‘spike’. We are all curiously in limbo. What have we learned so far from the stressful experience of the last six months? a. Services provided by local statutory organisations- hospitals, doctors, schools, County, District and parish councils - have responded flexibly and generously to a situation for which there had been no detailed planning possible since what is happening has not been seen in this country for over a century. b. Voluntary organisations have rallied to support those in need and lots of spontaneous help has emerged in an encouraging sign of community involvement c. There are signs of some changes in behaviour – less smoking, serious attempts to address obesity, more walking and cycling d. More shopping on-line e. Jobs are seriously at risk, more people may be working from home. Reactions to the government’s performance may be coloured by our political perspectives but the following issues seem to be widely recognised: f. Was the government too slow to lock down in March? g. Was it a serious mistake to send so many people from hospital to care homes? h. Was the provision of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) badly organised? i. Was Test and Trace introduced too slowly? j. Has the pandemic revealed starkly the inequalities in our society? k. Has the government been more concerned with protecting its image than with ensuring that people have been properly protected? The routine work of the County Council and of the Parish Council has continued thanks to Zoom meetings and e-mailing. I think we all look forward to meeting in person again. Cambridgeshire as a county is below the national average for Covid-19 cases but within Cambridgeshire, Huntingdonshire has had the highest %. This may well 52
be related to the number of care homes and the socio-economic factors which make Huntingdonshire different from its immediate neighbours. I have been impressed by the dedication and flexibility of the county employees in facing this unprecedented challenge. The next big issue for the County Council is likely to be a White Paper on Local Government which is expected and may well have been published by the time you read this. This is going to initiate the process of converting two tier areas (District and County) into a ‘unitary authority’. There has already been much discussion in specialist circles about the cost savings, but also the risks of making such a change. My expectation is that we will be required to convert Peterborough and Cambridgeshire into two unitary authorities, though the time-scale for that is not yet published. The other major concern is how to pay for the expenditure on tackling the Covid crisis. We do not yet know what measures the Chancellor will take, but it is clear that changes to the tax system and to local taxation is inevitable. Millions extra have been spent and money will need to be found from somewhere. By the time Out and About drops through your letter-box, the situation may have evolved further but whatever happens, I send you and your families every good wish for your health and safety. Peter Downes 01480 509471 or 07765 833 486 peterdownes42@aol.co.uk
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The Huntingdonshire Society for the Blind can recycle your used postage stamps, and has a representative living in Offord Cluny. Please drop them in at 127 High Street or phone 811892 for collection. Just cut or tear off envelope leaving some paper around the stamp.
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K Fit Pilates is coming to Offord! With a focus on stretch, strength, mobility and control, Pilates exercises can help you ease back ache, improve posture and strengthen the core muscles in a gentle and calm environment. K Fit has been established in St Neots for over 8 years and is very excited to reach the Offord community. Class Details: Wednesday mornings at Offord Village Hall 11am-12pm These classes will be held as 6 week courses through term times, with the first course starting after the Easter holidays from Wednesday 22nd April. Course price: ÂŁ45 These classes will be held with a maximum of 12 participants to ensure there is enough floor space and good quality teaching. Prior booking is essential; please get in contact to reserve your space. Katrina Hyland Head of K Fit 07967100603 Kdanceandfitness@gmail.com www.kdanceandfitness.co.uk
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Tel: 01480 273927
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Advertise in
Out & About THE OFFORDS GAZETTE
Please note our advertising charges. This magazine is issued every two months and the cost per issue is:
Full page - ÂŁ15.00 Half page - ÂŁ 8.00 For further information or to place orders for advertising please phone Sue Dorrington on 07724 553101 Or email sue _dorrington@hotmail.co.uk 60
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s d r o f f O e h T n i g n i d i Girlgu
I guess that a more appropriate title for this article would be ‘No Girlguiding in the Offords’ as unfortunately none of our units have been able to meet face to face since lockdown in March. Going forwards into autumn, Girlguiding UK has not yet given permission for local meetings to resume because of the current situation with Covid 19, and it looks as though restrictions will be in place for some time to come. Our main concern, as always, is the health & well-being of the girls and their carers, and we will work hard in the coming months to ensure that our meeting places are Covid-ready ahead of relaunching all of our units in January 2021. I would like to thank all the Leaders for their continued commitment to Girlguiding throughout this difficult time and look forward to a time when we can all meet in person to plan our new world in Guiding. A big thank you to our outgoing Rainbow Leader, Kate Jarman, who has stepped down now; Kate was our Brownie Leader before offering to lead the Rainbows when our previous Rainbow Leader, Gemma Brown, was forced to step down owing to ill health. Thank you Kate and I know that the Brownies and the Rainbows would join me in giving you a great big Brownie & Rainbow Smile! Sadly for us, but great for her, Jeff Shefford, has secured a place at University and so she too will be leaving us this term. Jeff, it has been great fun working with you – I know that the girls will miss you. Our loss, but Colchester’s gain! Good luck with your new Brownie Pack. Julie Lea has also decided to step down as helper with our Guide unit. Thank you Julie for all your help and support for Girlguiding in the Offords over many years.
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So this leaves some gaps in our leadership team – if you would like to consider helping to run any of our units, we would be glad to have your support. There are many volunteer roles within Girlguiding that cater for those who want to have direct contact with the girls, to those who prefer to be a behind the scenes helper. Please see the Girlguiding website for information on how you could get involved, https://www.girlguiding.org.uk/get-involved/become-a-volunteer/, or drop me an email. I would like to make a plea on behalf of Offord Guides – we are in need of a storage space for our camping equipment from April 2021. At the moment we share a lock-up garage with Gt Paxton & Offords Cubs, but the garage is not going to be available for us next year. If you have, or know of some dry, secure storage that we could use for our tents etc, please get in touch. The Offord Leaders will be keeping in touch with our current members of all our units by Facebook, text or email, and will let you know any developments. If you have any queries about Rainbows, Brownies or Guides in the Offords please do not hesitate to email me. In Guiding Ann Weitzel
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Do you have a few hours to spare?
Do you hold a clean driving licence?
THE HIGHWAYMAN COMMUNITY CAR SCHEME needs drivers To help provide transport for people that are unable to use conventional public transport or to make essential journeys by any other means. As a volunteer driver you use your own car and receive a mileage allowance. Additional insurance cover is provided. How it works: The coordinator phones around to see if any drivers are free for calls that have come in. Calls are booked in advance normally allowing at least 3 to 5 days’ notice for the coordinator to locate a driver. You are under no obligation to take the drive that you are phoned about, whatever you take on assist people in your community to get to where they need to be without any unnecessary worry. If you can help us provide this valuable service to local people or require further information please call Jacky on 07786 520540 Highwayman Community Car Scheme supported and advised by Cambridgeshire County Council and Care Network Cambridgeshire
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Village Groups & Organisations Applepips Out of School Club Archery Bowls Club Brownies Church Events Church Rooms hire Community Police Cubs/Beavers District Councillor District Councillor District Councillor Friends of St Peter’s Guides Neighbourhood Watch Offord Cluny & Offord Darcy Parish Council Parish Clerk Offord Gardeners’ Assn Offord Sch, Headteacher Chair of Governors Offord PTA Offord Pre-School Offord Tots PCSO Rainbows Senior Citizens The Offord PlayerS Thursday Club Village Hall hire Village Hall 300+ Club Women’s Guild Women’s Institute
Joanne Corbishley Marc Bax Carolyn Bargh Ann Weitzel John Storey Bob Bargh Denise Heath c/o St Neots Police Stn Andy Ottley
01480 811977 381172 810237 811697 810763 810237 810008 & 07956 570592 456111 0345 456 4564 07704 857636 info@paxtonscouts.org.uk Sarah Conboy 414900 Mike Grice 383213 Sarah Wilson 412747 Liz Howes 812899 Ann Weitzel 811697 juliehillsjohnson@gmail.com 01480 812549 Peter Riley 811839 Ian Weitzel Jackie Stanbridge Janet Bedingfield Kate Ruddock Liz Simpkin Claire Faux Joanne Corbishley Nikki Mitchell Richard Braddick Ann Weitzel Marlene Alderman John Kirby Doreen Rowbury Helen Bosworth Helen Bosworth Talvia Gatward Carol Temple
811697 07597 988763 810091 810308 07976 792463 810308 01480 811977 07872 986326 07921 094801 811697 810609 810049 811025 811892 811892 811148 812879
Whilst every effort is made to ensure information in this publication is accurate, we cannot be held responsible for any errors. The views expressed in this publication may not necessarily reflect those of the Editor. 68
Directory of Advertisers Page 9 32 61 54 55 33 70 64 31 15 30 65 72 67 12 24 19 66 33 19 34 59 14 57 60 70 54 63 24 8 30 25 55 56 71 58 14
A1 CHIMNEY SWEEP & MAINTENANCE 07508 051920 ABSOLUTE PLUMBING 01480 812549 ANDYS WINDOWS 07711 939994 APPLEPIPS OUT OF SCHOOL CLUB 01480 811977 BEAUTY ROOM 01480 812803 BUCKDEN DAY NURSERY 01480 810816 BUDGENS CHILDREN’S KARATE 07859 165756 CM DECORATING 01480 810594 DAYS OF BUCKDEN 01480 810272 DK TILL COAL MERCHANTS 01223 232947 FLAIR UNISEX SALON 01480 810417 GRAVELEY GARAGE & MOTORCYCLES 01480 830462 & 831058 GREENSLEEVES 01767 651639 GreenThumb LAWN TREATMENT SERVICE 01234 709345 HILTON DAY NURSERY 01480 830351 HOME-N-DRY 01487 840310 & 07766 576381 HUNT & COOMBS SOLICITORS 01480 702207 JANINE’S PILATES 01480 810370 JEZ ASHCROFT LTD 07708 031493 & 01480 812461 JODI FINCH & SON ELECTRICAL 07771 613848 & 01480 731599 JOHN SINCLAIR ELECTRICIAN 01480 273927 & 07815 903467 JUNE LEE PODIATRIST 01480 214392 & 07947 371107 K-FIT PILATES 07967 100603 KINGFISHER FUNERAL DIRECTORS 01480 471001 MORE SPACE 01480 830130 OFFORD PRE SCHOOL 01480 811977 OFFORD TOTS nikkirenning@hotmail.com PAXTON HILL GARAGE 01480 217806 PLATINUM TOURS 01480 810560 SARAH CUTWORTH FLOWERS sarahcutworth@yahoo.co.uk SCHOOLS OUT 01480 811180 THE EATONS HOME & GARDENS 01480 406130 THE HORSESHOE INN, OFFORD DARCY 01480 810293 VISITING ANGELS 01480 751731 W&H PEACOCK AUCTIONEERS 01480 474550 YASIR WINDOW CLEANING 07447 496376
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• Bakery • Hot Food • Milkshake Machine • Lottery in Offord • Cash Machine - free to use • Costa Machine Tel: 01480 819602 • Quality Produce • Fresh brands such as Grasmere Sausages & Pies
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