Issue 68 Winter 2011

...editorial A Very Happy Christmas and a Prosperous and Healthy New Year to everyone, from the Magazine team! How very quickly this year has gone – but a very good one for the village.

Both the Primary School and the College have new Heads and have happy, enthusiastic and successful students and staff.

The news about our potential new HUB, (see page 12) is exciting and promises excellent facilities which will benefit us all.

In September many of us were present at the opening of the new cemetery, with its beautiful new gates designed and made by Matt Lane Sanderson.

Our Parish Profile features the Royal British Legion, which is 90 this year, and continues to work for the welfare of past and serving members of the Forces and their dependents. The Remembrance Service was very well attended by members of all three churches and was a very moving tribute to the fallen in the two World Wars and the conflicts since then.

Next year should be an exciting one with the Olympics and the Jubilee to celebrate!

Village News

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Melbourn Mobile Warden Scheme

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Cruise on the Ouse!

FOR SALE: Melbourn Radiate Brooch

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The Melbourn Village Plan

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Melbourn Business Association (MBA)

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The Old Police Site – Community Hub

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Council News

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Safer Melbourn

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Trading Standards

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Citizens Advice

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Profile – The Royal British Legion

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Nature – River Mel Restoration Group

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Village information

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Important numbers

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Diary

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Feature – Fringe Benefits from Meldreth Station

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Education

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Church News

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Sports & Clubs

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Nature – Botanic Garden

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Apart from printing, all work on the Melbourn Magazine, including layout and design is produced by volunteers.

The cost of production comes entirely from advertising and sponsorship.

Melbourn Magazine is independent of the Parish Council NO public money is used.

Front cover: Architect’s impression of the New Community HUB

mailto:mag@melbourn.org.uk

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village news Library News

In the news Library News

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RNLI

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Melbourn and Meldreth Self Help Group

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Children of Chernobyl visit Melbourn

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Melbourn and Meldreth Women’s Group

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Cruise on the Ouse!

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Melbourn History Group

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Melbourn Radiate Brooch

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All Saints’ Community Hall

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The Melbourn Village Plan

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Melbourn Business Association (MBA)

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In praise of David Piggott

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Melbourn & Meldreth Branch Royal British Legion Women’s Section

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The Old Police Site – Community Hub

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Royston and District Family History Society

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Royston & District Local History Society

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Re-ablement

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Cambridgeshire Mencap

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Cambridge Sofa becomes Cambridge Re-Use

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Motor Neurone Disease Association (MNDA)

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Melbourn and Meldreth Self Help Group cook book 15 Melbourn Fete 2011

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COFFEE STOP Every Saturday 10.30am to 12noon Rombouts coffee & biscuits for 80p at

As you will know the Village HUB project will begin in the New Year, following the Parish Council consultation and results of the Village Plan. The village will see a new Hub building on the site of the old police station, which will contain the Library, the Parish Office, and a meeting place.

The Library will be a major contributor to the Hub, which we hope will become a village meeting place. The Library is particularly important as it is an existing facility and will be able to supply its expertise and stock to the Hub. It will have to change to meet the changing world we live in, as a result of the digital revolution. But it is certain that people will always need access to information in an interactive friendly environment. The Hub will be a meeting place for innovation.

The Parish Council is supporting the library team during the interim period to help it achieve both the transfer and the planning of the new facility. Our team is well used to running a library facility, but has no experience of the problems and management of a new library. We will need to decide what new equipment is needed to raise the profile. We will need to work out how the Library is to be arranged to generate interest in it. We need some new team members to supply both the expertise and the new drive, which will determine our ultimate success. So if you feel you have a contribution to make, then please visit us and tell us what you have to offer. There is no need to feel beholden to the existing team as we are looking for new skills. It will be an exciting and rewarding time.

In the meantime, the Library is still doing well. We have re-started our Story Time and numbers have risen dramatically recently. We need another volunteer to strengthen the Story Tellers Team. This person would help perhaps twice a month to ease the load on our team. Please contact Eleanor Fitzgerald after Story Time at the Library. The Library phone number is 01763 269956 or ring Mike Stapleton on 01763 261241.

We have relatively little space left for new books so can only accept a small number and they have to be in good condition to enable us to maintain our standards. Books need to be reasonably new, say post 2000. We cannot use technical or reference books as we do not have categories for these items and the demand is very low. We reserve the right to dispose of any donations we do not need.

Library opening times are: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday 2.30 to 4.30 pm.

Thursday 5.00 to 7.00 pm Saturday 10.00 to 12.00 noon Story Time – Thursday 10.00 to 10.45 am.

All Saints’ Community Hall melbournmagazine

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RNLI In the Royston Branch report this time we record with sadness the death of one of our longest serving members.

Nellie (Nef) Peacock died peacefully on October 2nd aged 86, after a lifetime of working for R.N.L.I. She will be greatly missed by all her family and friends, and especially by those who have worked beside her, raising thousands of pounds for Lifeboats.

With her sister and her late husband she was instrumental in the installation of the Lifeboat ‘Jessie Lumb’ at Duxford Museum – those of you who have visited Duxford will no doubt have seen it in Hangar 3.

When WWII broke out ‘Jessie Lumb’ had already been decommissioned, but R.N.L.I. was approached by the War Office to put her back to sea with a cannon fitted.

This request was refused on the grounds that R.N.L.I. is a life-saving service, akin to ambulances, and could not be armed. Eventually this was agreed to, and ‘Jessie Lumb’ took to the waves again, rescuing many airmen and seamen both British and German, some of whom return to visit her. Amusingly, it was insisted that she carry ammunition for self defence, and to this day 3 cartridges are under a small brass plate in the bulkhead! The brass plate reads ‘Presented by the ladies of Wells next the Sea’. Presumably there would also have been something on board with which to fire the cartridges.

By the time the war ended ‘Jessie Lumb’ was the longest ever serving lifeboat, and because of her history it was requested that she be retired to Duxford, but over £1,000 worth of staging was needed to house her.

Nef and friends managed to raise this money and ‘Jessie Lumb’ is there to this day as a memorial to the work of R.N.L.I. and the men she saved – though without her collecting box, which we have recently been instructed to remove.

Without the work of people such as Nef, and the generosity of the public, R.N.L.I. would be unable to continue the work.

Fortunately this generosity continues, despite times being lean at the moment,

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and we were delighted to raise over £800 in our Tesco collection in September – many thanks to everyone who contributed.

A very peaceful, happy and safe festive season from R.N.L.I. Jean Emes (Sec) 01763 245958

Melbourn and Meldreth Self Help Group Thursday Lunch Club In a previous issue, I mentioned that there would be some fundraising, taking place to raise enough money to put on another cream tea. Earlier on in the year I did have a Pampered Chef cookery party in Vicarage Close community rooms and approximately 25 people came to this. Together with a raffle and commission from sales on the night, £200 was raised. (Thank you to all who donated raffle prizes).

In addition to this, The Dolphin pub, donated another £50, totalling £250. This was way in excess of what was needed for a cream tea, and I was very grateful to all who helped. However, this is not the end of the tale. A few weeks later, Sue Tobin, from the British Queen pub in Meldreth called, to offer to host a cream tea for all lunch club members, which meant the money raised could then be put towards another occasion. So a very big thank you to Sue and her team at the British Queen, who gave us a truly fabulous afternoon on the 8th August. The homemade sandwiches and cakes were delicious.

The money raised will now be going towards our Christmas Party. If however, there are any companies out there who would also like to help towards the cost of this, please contact me. I would be very pleased to hear from you. Christmas lunch is always provided free of charge by Lunch Club, but as you are all aware, the cost of living has gone up.

I am also asking if there are any folks out there who could help with driving.

Unusually, there have been some members of our group, who have lived in Vicarage Close, and for various reasons have moved away to other accommodation. This now leaves me with vacancies, but no means of transport to get people to Vicarage Close community rooms on a Thursday. If it were possible for four people to offer their services, collecting at approx. 11.15am and taking them home just after 1pm, I could get a rota system together whereby only one Thursday a month would be required from each individual. Again, if you are able to offer any help, please contact me. If you wish to go on the waiting list, to join the lunch each Thursday, also let me know.

Jayne White 220250 m. 07765563208 email: jayne.white1@ntlworld.com

Children of Chernobyl visit Melbourn The Friends of Chernobyl Children is an association which aims to provide, over five years, and for one month every year, respite care for children from Belarus who, twenty-five years on, still suffer from the fallout of the nuclear plant disaster. The Cambridgeshire branch of FOCC, now in its sixth year of existence, has just waved goodbye to the second group of children, who are now aged seven. The group hopes to be able to fund a visit every year for the next four years. The Baptist Church in Melbourn kindly provides the facility for the children’s activity base. Two teachers from their country were with them and they had lessons every morning. In the afternoon they went on many visits and trips, with kind invitations by places such as Linton Zoo, the Shepreth Wildlife Park, Hatfield Forest and Wells by the Sea. Over the course of their stay the children were given free optical care by Howes Opticians in Royston and dental care by Shenton’s clinic in Buntingford.

The association is also very grateful for all the help provided by a great number of companies, particularly Tesco’s in Royston and John Lewis in Cambridge, who have welcomed the children and provide them every year with essential items such as clothing and shoes as well as some toys. Johnson Matthey, the Cancer Care Centre and the West Wratting Ladies have also been most generous in helping and supporting the Association to make the children’s stay as pleasant and interesting as possible.

Melbourn Mobile Warden Scheme Cruise on the Ouse!

When the children return to Belarus, they take with them essentials such as warm clothing for the winter and vitamins to help boost their immune systems.

This programme is only made possible through volunteering, fund-raising and the support of people and companies and the organisers would be delighted to hear from anybody who would like to get involved or offer any assistance. Please contact Vanessa Cross on 07590 109578 if you feel able to help us in any way or would like more information on our group.

Melbourn and Meldreth Women’s Group The Women’s Group is for all women of any age. Meetings are held on the 4th Tuesday of each month, except in December. A charge of £1 is made to cover expenses and there is an option to contribute to the Charity Pot. We have recently enjoyed a beetle evening, a talk by Canon Linda Church when she shared her experiences of shadowing a bishop in Canada, and then a talk about the history of Addenbrookes by Hilary Ritchie. In November we tried to slow down the pace of pre Christmas activity when Pat Smith led us on an Advent reflection.

We do not meet in December so look forward to our next meeting on 24 January 2012 when we will meet in All Saints’ Community Hall behind All Saints’ Church for our AGM. We start with the formal business of electing committee members and receiving reports and then choosing our nominated charity for the year. We will start off our fund raising for the charity with a raffle on the evening. Then having got the formal business over we will have to bring and share supper to which we all contribute. Please let Pat Smith know if you plan to come and what food you will bring to ensure we don’t all turn up with the same food. We will also get the programmes for the coming year distributed on the evening.

On February 28th we will meet in Melbourn again when Joanne O’Brien will help us to have an evening of craftwork so hopefully we will have something to take home.

If you have any queries please contact Pat Smith on 01763 260103.

For the diary please note that we do not meet in December.

On January 24th 2012 our AGM is at All Saints’ Community Hall Melbourn behind All Saints’ Church.

On February 28th we meet at the same location for a craft evening led

by Joanne O’Brien.

A beautiful, sunny, Autumn day, a gentle cruise down the Great River Ouse and a roast beef lunch – what better way to spend the day? That was what the members of the Melbourn Mobile Warden Scheme (MMWS) enjoyed in early October.

We started the day with a pretty journey through the countryside and its villages, via specially equipped minibuses, provided by Royston and District Community Transport Scheme, which picked up each of the mobility impaired members from their homes.

When we arrived at Hartford Marina in Huntingdon, the river boat restaurant was ready for us to climb aboard! From there we had a lovely cruise down the river, taking in the views in the glorious sunshine, whilst enjoying our delicious lunch.

Everyone had a great time and members had an opportunity to meet up with each other and socialise. There was a lot of chat and laughter – a sure sign that the day was a huge success!

The trip was possible, thanks to monies raised by the ‘Friends of the Melbourn Mobile Warden Scheme’, which provides extras such as outings and treats for its mobility impaired members who are otherwise often isolated. This is quite separate to the main funding received for the Melbourn Mobile Warden Scheme service. The ‘Friends of MMWS’ fund is generated by a volunteer committee who conduct various fundraising activities and events throughout the year and by members of the public who kindly donate £5 per year each to become a ‘friend’ of the scheme (hence the name) to help this worthwhile cause.

The Melbourn Co-op has been particularly supportive of our fundraising activities, generously donating items for our raffles. They recently donated several large tins of sweets which were a very popular prize in our raffle that was drawn during our fundraising bingo afternoon in September. Our bingo continued on page 8

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afternoons are attracting quite a reputation because of the great bingo and raffle prizes and the array of home made cakes that are offered!

With ‘Friends of MMWS’ monies already raised to date, we plan to take our members to a ‘Musical Christmas party’ in December and then to go and see the ‘Beauty and the Beast’ pantomime at Stevenage in January.

The Melbourn Mobile Warden Scheme is a registered charity and offers a warden service providing social contact and various practical errands such as prescription ordering and collection and local shopping etc. The scheme has been operating in the village for about 17 years and has enabled many mobility impaired people to remain independent in their own homes and to feel less isolated.

The scheme is heavily reliant upon funding and Melbourn Parish Council has been a source of continued support as other funding has either diminished or been withdrawn in recent times. Without this support, this vital community scheme would no longer exist and many people could be potentially isolated or in some cases having to pursue residential care. The scheme is very grateful to Melbourn Parish Council for its ongoing funding.

For more information about the Melbourn Mobile Warden Scheme (MMWS) or the ‘Friends of MMWS’ please contact The Scheme Secretary on 01763 261270.

The Orlando Singers “One of the most prestigious choirs in Cambridge” Jesus College, Cambridge

All Saints’ Church, Melbourn on 10th December 2011 at 7.00pm Tickets £7.50 (Price includes interval refreshments with Mulled Wine and Mince Pies)

For advance tickets telephone 01763 221058 or 07703 262649

All proceeds to the Friends of Melbourn Mobile Warden Scheme Sponsored by Melbourn Co-operative Working for the community.

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food

Melbourn History Group If readers will look at page 117 of their Melbourn History Book they will see a photograph taken many years ago of a funeral and the parish funeral bier that was used in those days. Since the formation of the Group there has been much speculation about the fate of this item of village history and just when we had given hope of ever finding the bier, it has turned up!

Sadly, and as must be expected, it is in a bad state of repair with woodworm and wood rot, but much of the metal remains in good shape and it should be possible for the Group to have it restored and placed with the other artefacts that we have accumulated over the years.

We have recently been given a huge collection of photographs taken by the Royston Crow photographers of events in Melbourn over a period of years.

These are going to be sorted and we are giving thought to another book that might be entitled ‘Melbourn – the last 50 years’. There is a long way to go, but given the willingness of the team and the co-operation of the residents who might remember some of the events, another book may be forthcoming.

Talking of photographs reminds me that Meldreth Station waiting room now has a fine display of the station as it was years ago. Tim Gane of Meldreth History has made a fine job of the presentation so next time you are passing, pop in and have a look!

Melbourn Radiate Brooch

Would you like to own a beautiful silver replica of an Anglo Saxon brooch? Exclusively available from Melbourn History group.

In 2000 Melbourn History group were privileged to be involved in the restoration of ancient artefacts found in the Anglo Saxon archaeological dig at the top of Water Lane (now Chalkhill Barrow). These included the Square Headed brooch and the Radiate brooch. Following restoration, the History group were given the rare opportunity of taking a mould from the newly restored Radiate brooch.

The square headed brooch and radiate brooch seen in the grave. The style of the radiate brooch possibly originates from the Merovingian Franks dynasty and can be dated from around c.5th to 6th century.

Cast in silver these brooches have an additional special commemorative hallmark for the Queen’s Jubilee, only available until 1st October 2012.

The cost per brooch is £60, if you would like to own one of these rare brooches then telephone Colin Limming on 260072 or Anne Dekkers 261144 for more information. melbournmagazine

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On page 35 you will find an article featured in Meldreth Matters by Angus Bell that was of a show at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe concerning an alleged dispute between the two villages about the naming of the station. It has long been alleged that at one time our local station was named ‘Melbourn and Meldreth’ and we do have photographic and documentary evidence that this was so. It’s a moot point but one that regularly comes up in discussions between our friends in Meldreth and ourselves, but the show was a great success. Read it for yourself.

The Group recently ordered and sold another order of the Melbourn Radiate Brooch and such was the demand that another batch has been requested.

These are hallmarked silver and you will find details on page 9. It’s a lovely present, so bear it in mind.

We wish all our supporters a Happy Christmas and a Peaceful New Year.

Colin Limming

All Saints’ Community Hall Improvements have been made to the kitchen area in the Hall and we now have installed an ‘instant’ hot water system that has done away with the old urn. That means no more ‘steamy’ rooms and flaky ceilings and with the addition of a coat of paint the kitchen is back to its former new state.

In recent weeks regular weekly bookings have been made and the Hall is now in use for a greater part of the week. Some enquirers have been disappointed but we are making

Free Storytime for under 5s!

Thursday 10–10.45 am Melbourn Library The Moor, Melbourn (next to Melbourn Village College)

Contact: Eleanor 01763 260924 or library 01763 269956

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every effort to fit groups and organisations in wherever possible. This is not always possible, so if you have an event coming up it is best to enquire sooner than later. The Hall is proving the ideal venue for children’s parties and as Christmas approaches we expect the level of bookings to rise.

Colin Limming Bookings Secretary 01763 260072 hallbookings@live.co.uk

The Melbourn Village Plan Making it Happen!

In August we provided a short version of the Melbourn Village Plan to all residents as an insert with the autumn edition of the Melbourn Magazine. A central part of this document was a list of 50 recommendations offering opportunities to make our village even better. If you missed reading this for some reason you can find the full version of the Village Plan report by asking at the Library or visiting the village website.

Following agreement with the Parish Council, the constitution for an Implementation Team has now been agreed. By the time this magazine is distributed a public meeting will have been held to describe what happens next and to invite all interested persons to participate if they wish. There will be more about this in the spring edition of the Melbourn Magazine.

Sustainability As mentioned in the last Melbourn Magazine we promised to keep the village up to date with latest news. The big news at present is the cost of energy, with stories of price rises constantly in the press. What can we all do about this? The responses from the 2011 village plan were strongly in favour of sustainability and ‘green’ projects.

Consequently, one of the 50 recommendations from the Melbourn Village Plan was to start a ‘sustainability’ initiative for Melbourn. South Cambridgeshire District Council formed a Sustainable Parish Energy Partnership (SPEP) in March 2009 to promote ways of saving and generating energy and to help reduce those fuel bills!

It is proposed that volunteers from Melbourn join those from both Meldreth and Shepreth where this process has already begun.

The Parish Council fully supports the scheme and by the time this magazine is published there will have been another public meeting where the benefits and opportunities have been fully aired for discussion. Some of you might have already attended one of two meetings already held on this subject, one in Meldreth and the other in Shepreth.

Other villages, such as Coton, have already made amazing progress with local sustainability projects, such as the bulk buying of photovoltaic solar panels to generate household electricity. These are panels that are fixed to the roof and supply a very good proportion of domestic electricity needs. The present government scheme of ‘Feed in Tariffs’ offers extremely generous incentives for investing in such panels, with financial payback currently at about 6 or 7 years. Bulk buying of panels will substantially reduce the unit cost of panels and improve the payback even further. Group schemes are possible, allowing low cost ‘buy-in’ for households where investment outlay or roof layout is an obstacle.

The three-village initiative with SPEP will aim to promote the widest possible

distribution of information. There will be community-led opportunities with energy generation. Saving energy, through the use of loft or wall insulation, will also be part of the project, assisted with the use of energy monitors and devices that help identify heat loss points in buildings. The scheme will also help pass on many cost and energy saving tips to help individuals, the village and planet earth. Other related green initiatives supported by the Parish Council involve bulb planting and the planting of trees in partnership with the Woodland Trust.

If you want to know more about sustainability in Melbourn please contact Ray Pritchard on 01763 260701 or Siobahn Mellon SCDC Sustainability Parish Energy Partnership at siobhan.mellon@scambs.gov.uk

Melbourn Play Parks The Melbourn PlayParks Project is driven by a team of volunteers from Melbourn trying to improve the two local children’s play parks. The group have been together for just over a year. This year has seen broad-based research achieved by talking to young people and the community at schools and at local events such as the Spring and Summer Fetes. Raising funds through various activities has also been an important aspect. An example was a pirate treasure hunt that took place at the Spring Fete, complete with pieces of eight!

The latest project is a fund-raising children’s disco, taking place during December.

Monies raised will go towards improving, in the first instance, the Clear Crescent play park.

The Play Parks Team wish to thank all who have provided both ideas and time enabling the agreement of a proposed layout and project cost for Clear Crescent.

Final proposals have been agreed in principle with the Parish Council who are supporting the acquisition of external funding through the preferred equipment supplier. Obtaining grants will be a lengthy business but there is much optimism that the money can be secured for this really worthwhile project.

If you would like to know more about the Play Parks project please contact Sam Wainwright on 07941368450 or swainwright1@yahoo.co.uk If you would like to volunteer for the Sustainability or Play Parks initiatives or just want to know more about the Melbourn Village Plan please contact - melbourn. planning@googlemail.com or call 01763 232692 and leave a message.

Melbourn Village Plan Steering Committee

Melbourn Business Association (MBA) Successful start A large number of successful local businesses met on 25th October for the first meeting of the newly formed Melbourn Business Association (mba). The sizes of the businesses ranged from one-person to one of the largest high tech organisations in the village.

The meeting was organised in response to a widely expressed need that emerged from a survey of local businesses, which took place last year as part of the research for the Melbourn Village Plan.

Benefits from belonging to the Association include being listed in an index of local businesses, that will be available to all local residents, and effective communication between businesses and the local community working together on new initiatives.

The first meeting was supported by nearby very successful Newport Business Association, their founder, Jeremy Rose giving an inspiring review of the exciting possibilities that such an organisation can offer.

Said Councillor John Poley, who has helped found the new mba: ‘We were delighted to have the support of Jeremy and Tricia for this inaugural meeting Newport Business Association is a model for what can be achieved with such a business association. Their contribution to the meeting gave us inspiration for what can be done to build a great community spirit and we hope to form close links with the nba long into the future’.

In praise of David Piggott Well done David!

In a recent copy of the Daily Telegraph the following letter appeared.

Sir, On Wednesday, we took our grandchildren on a train trip to Shepreth Wildlife Park.

We miscounted the number of stops and mistakenly got off the train at Meldreth, where we had to wait an hour for the next train.

The station supervisor provided us with a kettle of hot water, coffee, milk, and sugar. The station itself had a tidy garden provided by the gardening club of a local primary school.

Is this an example of the Big Society in action? We’d like to thank everyone.

Frank Walters Letchworth, Hertfordshire.

No prizes to our Melbourn readers for guessing who the ‘station supervisor’ was even if this mention in the Melbourn Magazine will make him protest that he was only doing his job!

Colin Limming.

Melbourn & Meldreth Branch Royal British Legion Women’s Section We have ended the year on a very good note! We have elected a new President and recruited two new members.

Our fund raising events have netted us some much-needed funds for our account.

Members have enjoyed a variety of speakers during the year, and an outing in July was enjoyed by all who attended.

Anyone wishing to join will be welcome to any of our monthly meetings, which are held at Vicarage Close Community Room on the 4th Wednesday of every month from January to November. Contact Mrs C Linsell and Mrs E Murphy (Secretary) 01763 220841

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The Old Police Site…

Vision for the Community Hub Readers of past issues of the magazine, will have followed the news regarding the redevelopment of the Old Police site by the housing association Hundred Houses/Iceni, which will provide the village with further affordable housing and a Community Hub. As this was such an important issue ultimately affecting everyone in the village, the Parish Council took the opportunity to consult the residents of Melbourn on whether or not a community centre/hub should be built. The most transparent and proper route was to consult the entire village and not just a representative section of the community, as is widely practised elsewhere. And so a Consultation Document was drawn up and delivered to every household in the parish of Melbourn. Residents were asked whether or not they ‘thought the village would benefit from the provision of a community hub’, centrally located at the Old Police site, in the High Street.

A great deal of careful planning took place to ensure all members of the community were consulted on the proposal to build a community hub and to ensure they had an opportunity to vote.

Together with the views of Melbourn residents from the Melbourn Village Plan survey taken into account, the results showed a widespread desire for a ‘Village Centre Facility’.

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Your views expressed The additional comments provided by voters reflected the opinions raised in the Village Plan consultation. There was a very strong feeling that the library facilities should continue in the village, and that these facilities needed to be improved.

There was also the need for a Community access point (CAP); information facilities, including Wi-Fi and Internet. There was a strong wish for there to be a central and comfortable casual meeting area for people of all ages with coffee and refreshment facilities.

Other requests included a convenient access to the Parish Council Clerk on village matters, which would be of tremendous value to the village, and so the location of the parish office at the Community Hub would be beneficial.

If the Hub is to become a busy centre for the village, then road safety would become an issue. A pedestrian crossing to link with the car park is being requested.

The inclusion of small meeting rooms, economic and easy to hire for short, nonroutine meetings were important to a lot of voters, as was the flexibility to rearrange the floor area in the Hub in order to cater for a variety of types of usage, such as

support services, CAB, job opportunities, youth support, meetings of special interest groups, etc.

Many residents expressed a desire to include an ATM (without commission charges), and equally important, toilets, including facilities for the disabled and baby changing.

By making the best possible use, of the space available, the aim will be to satisfy as many as possible of the needs and hopes of Melbourn residents.

With these comments in mind, the Hub working party has been aware that the driving principle of the design must be flexibility. For example, mobile shelving for the library would enable space to be utilised for other activities such as small, short-term exhibitions or displays, etc.

Funding The estimated cost for this project is £504,000 and the finance package for the Community Hub will be made up from several funding streams. The intention is to access grant funding where possible to ease the ultimate burden on the Council taxpayer.

In August 2011 the full Parish Council agreed to make available to the project £250,000 from existing funds and at present, is also exploring other routes which include grant funding from SCDC’s capital grants program, small grants from SCDC

funding toolkit and negotiations for S106 monies. A Public Works Loan is available for the remainder (a loan which can be repaid over twenty years). The yearly repayment plan cost of the loan would then be in the region of £22,000, equating to approximately £1.12 per household – per month (based on band D properties). Obviously, opportunities to minimise repayment costs to shorten the repayment period are also being carefully investigated.

The Parish Council is aware of the potentially efficient, environmentally friendly and cost effective ways of reducing running costs. These include installing solar panels on the building (already incorporated in the price given above) which would enable us to take advantage of the feed-in tariffs that the village would receive from the generation of clean electricity.

Due to the significant amount of day-to-day work involved in the running of the community Hub and the current rules and regulations, it has been decided that the task will have to be carried out by a charitable trust, which will take on the management role.

This exciting project has potential to benefit everyone in the village.

The full Consultation Report is available at the Parish Office, in the Library and online at: www.melbourncambridge.co.uk/ parishcouncil/melbourn-communityhub/

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Royston and District Family History Society So far 2011 has been very kind to Royston & District Family History Society. Last time I wrote we were looking forward with much excitement to the talk of Mr Bernard O’Connor. He was talking to us about the coprolite diggings in this area in the mid 1800s. He was every bit as informative and amusing as we had expected and a packed All Saints’ Hall was very appreciative. Even the beautiful shiny lump of dinosaur ‘poo’, which was passed amongst us, failed to cast a cloud over the evening. In March member David Sansom, gave us a talk on his One Name Study entitled The Old Bailey to California and in April Mr Tony Kirby came to tell us about seaside resorts since 1750. Our season ended, as always, with our AGM with cheese and wine in June. Our summer recess this year has been enlivened by two outings. In July we had a guided coach tour around some of the magnificent Suffolk churches in the company of the notable expert, and charismatic speaker, Roy Tricker and in August we ‘did’ the other half of Melbourn in the company of the equally charismatic Colin Limming! When we did part one of Melbourn last year with Colin and Mavis Howard our plans to end the walk in the Black Horse were scuppered by us not knowing that they didn’t open on Mondays. To stop such a dreadful thing happening again this year we arranged to meet Colin on Tuesday only to find that the Black Horse was shut for the foreseeable future. Is it something we have said?

Fortunately this time we were prepared and plan B saw us safely ensconced in the refurbished Dolphin.

In case you think that it’s all ‘Beer and Skittles’ with us, we have recorded the Monumental Inscriptions in the Church and Church Yard at Kelshall this summer and that should be in print by next year and the transcribing of the Baptism Registers of Royston Parish Church continues.

Our Programme for the next few meetings is as follows: December 19th Members Evening January 16th 2012 New Year Social Over the years we have completed numerous publications which include the Monumental Inscriptions of several graveyards, the burial indexes of several churches, mainly on the Hertfordshire side of the border, Royston Parish Church Marriages (1662-1812) and banns (1754-1837) and three volumes of the ‘Births, Marriages and Deaths’ as published in the “Royston Crow”, they are Vol 1 18761886, Vol 2 1887-1899, and Vol 3 1900-1910. All these are available on our bookstall at meetings, from our website www.roystonfhs.org.uk of from the Parish Chest website, www.parishchest.com.

All our meetings, unless otherwise stated, take place on the third Monday of the month at All Saints’ Community Hall, Melbourn with doors opening for chat and a look at the bookstall at 7.30 pm and talks commencing at 8pm.

We are always happy to see new faces and can assure you of a warm welcome.

We could also use some younger blood, if only to crawl about in those graveyards!

Avril Emery, Chair/Editor Royston & District FHS

Royston & District Local History Society website: www.roystonlocalhistory.org.uk Our meetings are held in the Heritage Hall, Royston Town Hall starting at 8pm.

Annual membership £5. Visitors £2.

Thursday 1 December 2011 – Twenty years on the streets of Cambridge, illustrated – Alan Brigham 5 January 2012 – My Mountbatten Years. In the service of Lord Louis – William Evans 2 February – The Life and Times of Tommy Atkins, The British Infantry in North West Europe 1944-45, illustrated – Phil Sawford 1 March – Royston History on your computer, The library on your laptop, illustrated – Mike Petty Our website shows all the books we have for sale. Many of these, result from

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the considerable work undertaken by our Publications sub-committee. The books may be purchased at our evening meetings.

Re-ablement Being independent following an operation or illness.

If you or someone you care for requires social care support following an illness or operation, traditionally, this would have been provided by a care assistant, providing direct care to the person in need.

Since September 2010 a new service, re-ablement, has been providing support to enable older people who have poor physical or mental health following illness or an operation to live in their own homes.

Re-ablement programmes can last for as little as a few days and generally don’t exceed six weeks. The ethos of re-ablement is to encourage people to do things for themselves rather than having things done for them. There is no charge to the individual as long as they are participating in the programme.

Re-ablement is now being offered to a wider client group including new service users with a physical disability and new occupational therapy referrals.

Future development of the service will look at assisting older people who already have a care package but due to illness or physical issues may now require a higher level of support.

You can find out more about re-ablement at www.cambridgeshire. gov.uk/social

Cambridgeshire Mencap Would you like to make a difference to the life of a child or young person with disabilities in your area?

Cambridgeshire Mencap is looking for volunteers for its Family Support and Befriending Schemes. Our schemes match volunteers with children or young people with learning disabilities to enable them to socialise or just to give their families a break. It only takes a few hours of your time and it really does change lives.

We think our volunteers are exceptional, and you could be too! We give training and support, but it’s the young people who make it all worthwhile. Rob said “I’m so glad I got in touch about volunteering, if you’re thinking about volunteering just do it, you’ll never regret it.”

Like to know more?

Contact Pat Scott on 01223 883140 or email pat@cambridgeshiremencap.co.uk

Cambridge Sofa becomes Cambridge Re-Use After 23 years of service to the local community, Cambridge Sofa has changed its name to Cambridge Re-Use. The new name is a better reflection of the work carried out by the charity – selling a full range of furniture and electrical goods, and not just sofas. The change was marked by a ceremony attended by Cllr Sheila Stuart, Mayor of Cambridge, and Dr Julian Huppert, MP for Cambridge.

Cambridge Re-Use will continue its work of helping local people on benefit or low income to furnish their homes at reasonable cost. The generosity of the general public in donating unwanted furniture and electrical goods enables the charity to give its customers choice, quality, and affordable prices. The charity prides itself on a dedicated team of over 30 volunteers who give their time each week to carry out the service.

Donations of unwanted furniture and working electrical goods are always welcome; to arrange collection, Cambridge Re-Use can be contacted on 01223 576535.

Alan Oswald, Chairman 01223 833759, chairman@cambridgereuse.org.uk

Motor Neurone Disease Association (MNDA) I can’t believe that I am already writing for the winter edition, what a year it has been.

On Saturday 1st October at All Saints’ Church, Melbourn we had Duxford Community Choir come along and sing for us. This energetic group of ladies and gentleman were kind enough to give up their valuable time and perform in aid of the Motor Neurone Disease Association for Janice Guest. They sung classic songs right through to modern day music and their performance also included some acting! It was a most enjoyable evening. We sold seventy tickets and also during the evening we had a beverage table, a raffle and some very generous donations from individuals. We raised £850 from this single event. Also over the same weekend Royston Priory Quilters had a tabletop sale at the Royston Arts Festival. They sold all of Mum’s handiwork plus quilts and other items that had been made using Mum’s leftover fabrics. A lot of hard work had been put into this project, particularly by Pam and Maureen so thank you all, your efforts are much appreciated. Along with the Priory Quilters donation £373.92 we were able to forward a cheque to the Motor Neurone Disease Association for £1223.93 which will be used within the Cambridgeshire Branch.

On Monday 3rd October we went for afternoon tea in the garden of Julie Draper, the weather was lovely and we met other people affected by MND from the Cambridge area. Julie is an Associate Visitor for the MNDA and was Mum’s support during her illness (and still is to us!). Julie always turns up for our events and champions the good work that the MNDA does.

So, as the year draws to a close the total raised for the MNDA so far is in the region of £18,000, you can go to the MNDA website and see how the donations are used www.mndassociation.org. We could not have achieved this without the support of the community, friends and family so a huge thanks you to all of you.

We would like to give a young man by the name of Jaykub Cuffe a round of applause, he attends Melbourn Judo Club and he recently did a sponsored bike ride from Cambridge to Royston and back again. Jaykub raised £600 to be split between the MNDA and the Tear Drop fund. Jaykub’s neighbour had MND and he wanted to do something for the MNDA - well done!

As for the rest of the year, we will remember Mum on the 21st November in our

own way, but I am sure she would be proud to know that our achievements are assisting other families who are in a similar situation to us.

Next year, well, we want to have the Ball again, but in May this time, and a sponsored family walk. If you would like to attend any of these events, please could you express your interest via email at jeremy.ashworth@ntlworld.com, so I can get an idea of numbers?

We would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very happy and healthy Christmas and best wishes for the New Year.

I will write again in the spring edition.

Mrs Helen Ashworth

Melbourn and Meldreth Self Help Group cook book The Thursday Luncheon Club of Melbourn and Meldreth Self Help Group will be publishing their cook book in December, entitled ‘Reminiscences and Recipes’, with the help of the Melbourn History Group.

The book contains memories, photographs and some of members favourite recipes, and will cost £4 for the first copy and £3 for each multiple copy.

To reserve your copy please contact Jayne White (01763 2200520) jayne.white1@ntlworld. com

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Melbourn Fete 2011 As the season changes and the nights start to draw in, having fun in the sun at the Village Fete and Music on the Moor may seem like a distant memory. But after everything has been tidied away, the fete committee are ready to reflect on our successes, discuss improvements, and plan for next year.

As always we owe a huge thank you to all the volunteers and sponsors who make the day possible as well as the local clubs, societies and charities which set up stalls or provide entertainment to fundraise. And thanks to all those who attended for helping us to raise over £2500 which has been donated to the following local groups: River Mel Restoration Group; 1st Melbourn Brownies; Melbourn Primary School PTFA; Melbourn Village College Prom and Melbourn Playgroup.

From the comments we’ve received, the highlights of the Fete this year were the Sheep Racing, Bike Display and Zorbing. So to make sure we don’t miss out on more fun and frolics next year, the committee have already booked these, plus a Dog and Duck display and a children’s off-road course using mini landrovers (Little Rovers).

Put Saturday 23rd June 2012 in your diary now!

The aim of the Village Fete and Music on the Moor is to bring the village together, to have fun, socialise and raise money for local causes. So whether you are a member of a local group looking for fundraising ideas, or want to meet new people in the village, why not contact us. Some ideas of how you can help out include: Manning the gate for a couple of hours on the day; Helping set-up the field the morning before (or cleaning up afterwards!); Sending us ideas and suggestions for improvements; Providing storage space for Fete day kit (e.g. chairs, signs etc); Taking out advertising space in our programme of events We rely on volunteers to enable us to give more money to local groups so why not lend a hand? If you can spare as little as an hour, or more, on the day or before then please let us know and help us make next year’s event even more fun!

Melbourn Mobile Warden Scheme Can we help you?

Can we help a relative?

Can we help a neighbour?

Who does the Scheme help?

The scheme is open to anyone who requests our help including those who live alone or with their families but need the extra support offered by our services. Couples too are most welcome.

It is also open to those in sheltered housing, as the scheme offers different, but complementary services.

Note: The scheme also offers its services for short periods to cover the temporary absence of relatives who otherwise provide this support.

We offer help with:

• • • • • • • • • •

Friendship and support via twice weekly visits and daily phone calls Ordering and collection of prescriptions Basic shopping Collection of pensions Setting up Lifeline service Bereavement support Advice on benefits Going to the Post Office to pay your bills Advice on getting repairs done in your home Arranging transport to the hospital or other appointments Just coming round for a chat

Get in touch by emailing melbournfete@aol.com or visit www.melbournfete.co.uk.

•

Catriona McKay, Melbourn Village Fete Commitee

We do have to make a small weekly charge for the warden’s services.

The fee is only £5 per week (a little more for couples).

What will it cost?

Margo Wherrell (Mobile Warden) 01763 260966 Mobile: 07935 315497 Email: tigress270549@aol.com Jeannie Seers (Deputy Warden) 01763 262651 Mobile: 07808 735066 Email: jeanseers1@ntlworld.com Joy Hyde (Assistant Warden) 01763 220139 Mobile: 07952 090089.

Melbourn Warden Scheme is a registered charity.

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MELBOURN PARISH COUNCIL MVC, The Moor, Melbourn, Cambs. SG8 6EF Telephone: 01763 262494 e-mail: parishclerk@melbournpc.co.uk Minutes of Parish Council Meetings and Planning Committee meetings are available on the village website Chairman Donald Mowatt 23, High Street SG8 6AL

268388

Council news www.melbourncambridge.co.uk/council/

Vice-Chairman Maureen Townsend 32 New Road SG8 6ER

260959

Clerk & Office Peter Horley, MVC, The Moor, Melbourn. SG8 6EF 262494 E-mail parishclerk@melbournpc.co.uk Website www.melbourncambridge.co.uk/council/ Councillors Val Barrett 2 Station Road, SG8 6DX Irene Bloomfield 78 Russet Way, SG8 6HF Alan Brett 44 High Street, SG8 6DZ Rosemary Gatward 94 High Street, SG8 6AL Jose Hales 23 Elm Way, SG8 6UH Michael Linnette 11 Chapel Lane, SG8 6BN Donald Mowatt White Walls, 23 High Street Andrew Mulcock 1 Lawns Close, SG8 6DR John Poley 11 Water Lane, SG8 6AY Mike Sherwen 3 Hale Close, SG8 6ET Peter Simmonett 42 Greengage Rise SG8 6DS Christopher Stead 70 Russet Way pm only Maureen Townsend 32 New Road, SG8 6BY Richard Wakerley 32 Chalkhill Barrow, SG8 6EQ Employees Handyman and Caretaker Peter Andrews Emergency mobile. 07778 682245

261227 222558 260306 261225 221058 262534 268388 222940 261117 260070 220363 260743 260959 262247 243312

Village Ranger Keith Rudge, 4 Dolphin Lane, SG8 6AF

221212

Internal Auditor Bruce Huett, 20 Rose Lane SG8 6AD

232855

County Councillor Susan van de Ven 95 North End, Meldreth susanvandeven@yahoo.co.uk.

261833

District Councillors Val Barrett, 2 Station Road Jose Hales, 23 Elm Way, SG8 6UH cllr.hales@josehales.me.uk

261227 221058

South Cambs M.P. Andrew Lansley

01954 212707

South Cambs M.E.P. Robert Sturdy

01954 211790

The Parish Office is open on Mondays from 9 am to 1 pm, on Tuesdays from 2 pm from 4 pm, and on Thursday from 9 am to 1 pm. The office is not normally open on Wednesdays or Fridays. As the Clerk is sometimes out on Parish business it is advisable to ring 262494 to ensure that the Clerk is available.

Meetings of the Planning Committee are normally held on the 1st and 3rd Mondays of every month commencing at 7.15 pm. Council Meetings are normally held on the fourth Monday of each month at 7.15 pm at All Saints’ Community Hall.

The Press Royston & Buntingford Mercury Tom Ship, Media Centre 40 Ware Road, Hertford, SG13 7HU 01992 526639 Royston Crow Heath House, Princes Mews, Royston, SG8 6RT 245241 Fax 242231 Cambridge News David Williams, 3 Melbourn Street, Royston, SG8 7BP 249144 Fax 244502 BBC Radio Cambridge Reception Newsroom

01223 259696 01223 358510

Avril Mellor My mother used to say that when one door closes another door opens, so I hope it will be for me. After 8 years as Parish Clerk I retire on November 30th to start a very different life. At the same time my husband, Roger, will also retire. Now some people have said, ‘WHAT! You must be mad! However, will you manage with him under your feet all day?’ Well, time will tell how well we get on together when it is for 7 days a week.

It has been an honour and a privilege to serve the residents of Melbourn. I will without doubt miss the contact that the post of Clerk has brought, especially being stretched by the necessity to learn new skills as the workload increased and the Council evolved. I have met and talked to some very interesting and lovely people.

I would also like to thank those employees of CCC and SCDC whom I have come in contact with, the local funeral directors and the Council’s contractors all of whom have helped me in my role as Clerk by carrying out tasks efficiently and given freely of their advice when required.

Monday night will never be the same again: no meetings, no Councillors, no involvement with village affairs. It has been fascinating, funny and sometimes I have to admit frustrating. I am very happy to leave the post of Clerk in the very capable hands of Peter who I know will serve the village well.

Looking back over my time as Clerk one of the most rewarding aspects was to see New Road Cemetery become fully operational and more recently to attend the official opening of the magnificent gates. This was the culmination of a project that commenced around 1994 with the search for a suitable piece of land The replies received from the Consultation Opportunity in respect of the Proposed Melbourn Community Hub, which had been sent to every house in the village clearly showed that residents are in favour of the Community Hub. On Monday 24th October at the full Parish Council meeting the Council gave its support to the project. Subject to Planning Approval, Iceni Homes plans to commence building on the Old Police site in summer 2012 with a finish date of summer 2013. This will be a very exciting venture and a great asset to the village. I look forward to visiting Peter in his new office and making use of the new community facilities.

To finish, I would like to wish you all a very happy Christmas and a peaceful New Year.

My very best wishes to you all, Avril Mellor.

From the Parish Clerk – Peter Horley Hello! I am Peter Horley and I have been the Deputy Clerk since June. I took over from Avril as Parish Clerk at the end of November. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Avril for the splendid training she has given me and I only hope I will be able do the job with the same acumen she has brought to the post. I would also like to thank the councillors for their warm welcome and for the help they have given me as I learn the ropes. I am becoming more familiar now with verges, hedges, ditches, car parks, drains, trees, allotments and compost heaps! melbournmagazine

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I am 60 years old, married to Barbara with two grown up sons, Richard and Edward. I have been a teacher for the last 38 years, latterly as Head of Humanities at Cromwell Community College, Chatteris. I have a B.A in History and an MBA in Church Administration.

My main leisure activity is as an amateur conductor: I conduct the Orlando Singers, a Cambridge-based Chamber Choir (performing a Christmas Concert in Melbourn on 10th December), and was the conductor of the Ascension Singers, a group of cathedral singers which I founded, and which last year completed singing in all 43 English cathedrals, a musical journey of which I am very proud. I also enjoy reading, antiques and I am a season ticket holder at Cambridge United and a life-long West Bromwich Albion fan, which some people think shows a lack of sound judgement!

I am looking forward to meeting new challenges in this new post and I intend to serve the village of Melbourn to the best of my ability in the coming years.

Please come into the office and talk to me sometime.

Best wishes, Peter Horley

Chairman’s End of Year Message How the seasons seem to pass ever more quickly these days; particularly so in these ever changing times.

You will be glad to hear that the Parish Council is very much on course, and it is our belief that many people in Melbourn have been forerunners of the Big Society.

So, without reservation I applaud all the Chairpersons and committees for their hard work and dedication in what has been a turbulent year, not to mention the many constraints facing our Regional, District and Parish Councils.

Despite this a number of objectives have been met with some very positive outcomes. Most importantly, Melbourn Parish Council continues to recognise the need to improve the means of keeping residents better informed of its activities.

This will allow the Parish Council to draw more easily and readily on the support of the Parish at each and every possible opportunity.

We believe that we now have a much

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better balance between finished and near finished projects and a sizeable portfolio of new projects. The latter tempered and positively enhanced by what we believe is a very ambitious and dynamic Village Plan. An early beneficiary and a good example of great things to come, has been Stockbridge Meadows. At a volunteer day organised by the Village Plan Committee, we witnessed the enormous benefit of people power, which can only best be described as awesome. A good number of volunteers reported for duty one Sunday morning, and demonstrated what can be achieved when you have the community on side. It was truly inspiring, and can confirm that the Parish Council are taking steps to avail itself of such willing and positive help.

In recognition of the Parish Council endeavours and for your information below are highlighted some of this years successes: The Old Recreation Ground is now in public ownership and its potential for greater recreational use now under review. Its long-term future is much more secure.

Our youth now have at their disposal one of the best BMX dirt jumps in the country, and are currently busy forming their Club and looking forward to gaining national and ultimately international recognition.

The village car park is now in Parish Council hands, and early in the New Year will benefit from a well planned and, may I add, cost effective makeover.

In September we took delivery of what can only best be described as a truly magnificent set of gates for New Road Cemetery, designed and sculpted by the nationally renowned Matthew Lane-Sanderson.

Finally we would confirm that following an analysis of the responses from a rigorous resident consultation exercise, which extended to every household in the village; the Parish Council unanimously agreed to commence immediately on a project to provide the village with a community hub to be located on the old Melbourn Police site on the High Street, opposite the public car park and close to the heart of the village. It will undoubtedly be of enormous benefit to all and Melbourn deserves no less.

I am confident that the Parish Council can continue to deliver good value for money, and set the pace for continued and more timely improvements. Not to mention grass cutting, hedge trimming and litter picking – ongoing and never ending, but if done well can make all the difference. Currently we are devising strategies to up our game in all such areas of expenditure and are confident we will be reporting on their success.

These are exciting times, and we are more certain than ever of our ability as a Parish Council to serve the needs of the community; which will always come first in all matters attendant. It is not difficult to be ambitious for Melbourn as it is a very capable community, fast becoming ever more aware of its great potential. Helping to exploit this and running parallel with the Parish Council are an ever-growing number of volunteer groups. These are too many to mention, but known to all, the Parish Council recognise the value of each, and wherever it can, looks to support and encourage their most welcome activities. You only have to visit our world class Village Website to see how well served we are by such groups.

Finally we mustn’t forget that behind every good parish council is an even better Parish Clerk – as truly witnessed here in Melbourn, and it is with some sadness that we acknowledge the pending retirement of our very own Avril Mellor at the end of November. Avril is going to be sorely missed, but deserves our every best wish for a very happy future doing lots of other things. A very big thank you Avril, for everything … not to mention putting up with us all for so long. To Avril’s further credit, she greatly extended her period of notice in order to get our new deputy clerk Mr Peter Horley up to speed and in the hot seat. We wish him well. Last but not least my thanks to Keith, Gerry and Peter for their continued hard work and support.

With the compliments of the season and best wishes for the New Year.

Donald Mowatt

New Road Cemetary Gates Do you think the September 17th events put Melbourn on the ‘Village with things to be proud of’ map, we really hope so?

Both the gates ceremony and the superb exhibition produced by Sarah Lane-

Artist’s impression of the mound

Sanderson, later that day at All Saints’ Community Hall showed just how much the Parish Council care and take pride in Melbourn.

The gates design deliberately incorporates features of the history of Melbourn using artefacts found in the nearby Anglo Saxon burial site. The eventual design submitted

by Matthew Lane Sanderson, was thought to represent Melbourn in 2011, most relevant when considering the cemetery has the ‘capacity’ to serve Melbourn parish residents for the next 200 years at least.

In addition to the gates there is an external parking area for visitors attending the cemetery on occasions when the gates are not open.

The exhibition, besides displaying some of the actual burial artefacts, showed plans for the ‘development’ of the Anglo Saxon mound. This will be a discrete ‘rest and contemplation’ spot that will overlook both the cemetery and the southern aspects of the parish. Some remains, (a ‘family’ comprising a child and two adults male and female) from the original site at Chalkhill Barrow (some 200 metres to the north west), are to be re-interred within the mound. Two seats and a ‘trig point’ will become the ‘rest and contemplation’ features and reached by a shallow spiralled path to the top from one of the main paths, enabling wheelchair users to access this area.

The seating and trig point features and a small information display at the base are also to be designed by Matthew in keeping with the gate design. This can be seen in the superb artist’s impression produced for the exhibition, courtesy of Jan Simmonett.

Work is scheduled for completion in the late summer of 2012, (we promise not to clash with the Olympics!).

The PC ‘gates team’ wish to thank all who attended the occasion and look forward to this next event when all will again be welcomed.

I make no apology for ‘banging on’ about the gates, they represent part of how the PC want to enhance life in the village, in this instance visually, in other instances it is and will be by provision of amenities such as Stockbridge Meadows, revamp of the High Street car park, the BMX trails and the Village Hub on the old police site.

Mike Sherwen

County Councillor Susan van de Ven The ground is shifting under our feet these days with so many changes underway; a great many are unsettling while some present opportunities. As your councillor there is always lots of chasing of small things that shouldn’t take so long, challenging when things aren’t being done properly, and scanning the horizon to find out what lies ahead. Often it is only when residents get in touch to report a problem that I learn what’s working and what’s not, so thank you for making contact.

The county council’s bus subsidies consultation finishes on December 9th and I have paper copies if anyone would like one. It is also available on line at www. cambridgeshire.gov.uk/transport/around/buses/busconsultation.htm. Consultations come and go but this one is important. It is a retrospective consultation on bus subsidy cuts already decided last February, forced by virtue of an application for Judicial Review

against the county council. With luck the collective response may force the council to rethink its total elimination of bus subsidies, and to devise a realistic plan to provide necessary support for transport needs of people who don’t have their own car or who may be isolated or vulnerable.

Melbourn’s Practical Solutions Group continues to provide a constructive forum for developing new ideas, especially for young people, and this is one of the most rewarding activities I’m involved with as your county councillor. Holding our meetings at Melbourn Village College has been great because it gives us all – parish, district and county councillors, police, youth services, MVC’s arts development officer, Melbourn Village Plan steering committee representatives – a chance to see what is going on at the college, especially now during the college’s transformation into an academy, which means some new freedoms. The PSG supports the new multi-village youth club on Tuesday evenings, and helps to sponsor a variety of volunteer-run afterschool activities.

The speed limit on the turn-off to Melbourn at the A10 Shepreth Frog End Junction has now been reduced to 50 MPH, after a long campaign. It seems incongruous that the adjoining Cambridge Road has not been included in the speed limit reduction; this is because of a variety of frustrating bureaucratic constraints.

It is good to see the new dropped kerbs around the village and hopefully this will make a difference to people navigating about with pushchairs, mobility scooters or wheelchairs. The county council’s own councillor scrutiny panel has recommended that the council use much more of the government grant it receives for road, pavement and cycleway maintenance than it does – presently it uses only 52% of what it gets for ‘highway maintenance’ on highways maintenance, and the rest goes into the giant council spending pot. We’ll have to see if the advice to invest more in highways maintenance is heeded.

If there is anything you would like to discuss, please do email, write or phone me and I’ll be happy to try and help.

Susan van de Ven, County Councillor tel 261833 melbournmagazine

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Jeremy Ashworth Electrician and Property Maintenance

21 Bramley Avenue, Melbourn, Royston, Herts. SG8 6HG

REMEDIES PHYSIOTHERAPY Back pain Disc problems Sciatica Referred pain Sports injuries Biomechanical assessment Postural analysis Gait analysis and orthotic correction Systemic conditions: Fibromyalgia Syndrome Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Massage: Sports, Swedish

07815 093166 01763 230831 jeremy.ashworth@ntlworld.com

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Aromatherapy 20 years in private practice Norman Threlfall MCSP HPC REG Home visits available 24 hr call out Mob: 07981 115 958

cambridgeshire

www.melbourncambridge.co.uk/safermelbourn/

Melbourn (Melbourn, Gt Chishill, Lt Chishill and Heydon)

To help pinpoint problems and find practical solutions to reduce anti-social behaviour in the village, Melbourn’s Practical Solutions Group (PSG) has recognised that a less formal and more inclusive approach is required to achieve its aims. This group remains multi-agency, and can work with and include Melbourn residents (young and old).

Crime Offence levels in Melbourn have decreased compared to the previous period (30 offences vs. 56 offences) also compared to the same period last year (40 offences).

There were 4 violent crime offences in this period compared to 11 offences in the previous period and 10 offences in the same period last year. Two of these offences were domestic related.

There were 8 offences in The Moor, three relating to criminal damage and three relating to theft/burglary. Two offences related to the same incident where two males started fighting and one demanded property and assaulted the other when he would not comply.

Non emergency phone number

The new police Service number is 101.

This replaces 0345 456 456 4, but this number will remain

101 MINICOM helpline for the deaf and hard of hearing, anywhere in the force area: 01480 422493 RNID TypeTalk is a national telephone relay service which enables, deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing and speech impaired people to communicate, to access the service dial: 0800 515152

Emergency 999

If you are affected by ASB would like to be involved in this worthwhile project then please get in touch by using the contact form at; www.melbourncambridge.co.uk/ problemsolving or phone 01763 221323 ASB incidents in Melbourn have decreased compared to the previous period (56 vs. 86 incidents). They have also decreased compared to the same period last year (67 incidents).

The Moor continues to be a problem with youths congregating in the area shouting, screaming, driving around in vehicles and on motorbikes in an anti-social manner and generally causing a disturbance.

Priorities Agreed

• •

Tackle anti-social behaviour associated with vehicle use

• •

Tackle misuse of green and open spaces in Melbourn

Tackle road safety issues to include excess speed, obstructive parking and use of mobile phones whilst driving.

Support South Cambs District Council to reduce ASB in Vicarage Close sheltered accommodation complex.

Next neighbourhood policing panel meeting 18th January 2010 at Bassingbourn Village College Doors open 7pm for 7.30pm start.

All welcome

The Parish Council has bought and installed several new salt bins within the Village. However, some people have been using the salt from other bins for their own gardens and driveways. The salt bins are there so that residents can treat public areas; mainly pavements and roads. The salt should not be used for treating areas on private property. Theft of, or from, the salt bins is a criminal offence (s.1, Theft Act 1968).

If you see anyone stealing a salt bin, or its contents, please contact the Police.

If it is a crime in progress, use the 999 number; if not, then please use the non-urgent reports number: 101.

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Trading Standards Why pay when you don’t have to Each month at Trading Standards we receive enquiries about things people have paid for that they could have got for free. In this article, we give advice on where you may be able to save unnecessary expense.

Warranties and Guarantees When you buy goods, whether on their own (like a washing machine) or as part of a larger piece of work (such as a new bathroom installation), by law those goods must be of ‘satisfactory quality’ and be ‘fit for their purpose’. They must be of a standard that a person would expect, bearing in mind the price paid, and be free from minor defects, be as described, and last a reasonable length of time for a product of that type.

So if, for instance, the normal life of a washing machine is 5 years and yours stops working after two years due to a defect, you may be able to claim for a repair or replacement from the business you bought it from. This is the case regardless of whether you bought a warranty or guarantee. So consider carefully whether a warranty gives you anything extra.

Claiming from your debit card or credit card If you are in dispute with a trader, instead of taking them to court, find out whether your bank may be able to help you.

If you paid for something on a debit card and there turns out to be problems with the purchase, many banks offer a ‘chargeback’ scheme where they refund you. Furthermore, if you pay for something worth over £100 and pay for at least some of it on your credit card, the credit card company is equally as responsible as the business that breaks its contract with you. So, if your holiday isn’t as it was described, if your new dining table arrives damaged, or if your new TV breaks down soon after purchase, you can insist that your credit card provider helps you if the shop won’t. This is even the case if you have paid off the amount you put on your credit card.

Personal Protection Insurance We have received a number of reports about companies offering to claim compensation for the mis-selling of personal protection insurance on residents’ behalf, whether in relation to a loan, mortgage or credit card. This is actually something you can do yourself. The Financial Ombudsman has produced a leaflet, which is available on www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk on how to make the complaint yourself. If you don’t have access to the internet, you can contact the Financial Ombudsman for advice over the telephone on 0800 0234567.

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European Health Insurance cards Even though some companies sell them, you can actually obtain a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) free of charge which entitles you, to medical treatment that becomes necessary, at a reduced cost or sometimes free, when visiting a country in the European Union, Norway, Switzerland, Iceland and Liechtenstein. This is limited to treatment provided under the state scheme and you will need to produce your EHIC card.

Visit www.ehic.org.uk to find out more and apply.

Door to door traders Consumers must be very careful when dealing with traders at their door. If you are approached by any person offering to carry out repairs to your property, turn them away and report the matter to trading standards via Consumer Direct on 08454 04 05 06. Have the confidence to say NO. Few jobs are so urgent that they need immediate attention.

New laws apply to any contract made between a consumer and a trader at the consumer’s home or place of work, which is for a total payment of more than £35. Consumers have a right to a cooling off period and may cancel the contract within seven calendar days. The trader must provide these cancellation rights in writing. The trader commits an offence if they fail to provide this cancellation notice. The cancellation notice must contain certain information including the trader’s identity and address and it must be given to the consumer when they agree to have the work done.

If you are considering work for your property it is always best to get written quotes from several reputable traders. To find a reputable trader ask for recommendations from friends and family and visit www.buywithconfidence.gov.uk/ to find a trader who has been vetted by Trading Standards. Consumer Direct can also provide details of Trading Standards Approved Traders and they can be contacted on 08454 04 05 06.

Legal advice There are many sources of free legal advice available to residents. Trading Standards, in partnership with Consumer Direct, offers advice to residents on issues with businesses.

Visit www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/consumer to see how we can help you or call us on 0845 4040506.

The Citizens Advice Bureaux offer advice on a wide range of issues including debt, benefits, employment, housing and family issues. Visit www.citizensadvice.org.uk or call 08444 111 444. Also, many people can get free legal advice under their home insurance policies; check yours to see if you can get assistance.

Cambridgeshire County Council Trading Standards Division Environment & Transport Department Sackville House, Sackville Way, Great Cambourne, Cambridgeshire. CB3 6HD t: 0845 0455206 f: 01954 284618 e: trading.standards@cambridgeshire.gov.uk

Telephone Adviceline 08444 111444 On Line Advice at www.adviceguide.org.uk

Help at Home

Consumer tip

What is Help at Home?

Q I have changed my mind regarding a loan, which I signed up for last week. Is it too late to stop the payments?

Help at Home is a volunteer-based service that can offer help if you have just come out of hospital or are recovering from an illness at home. Examples of help available include: fetching your prescription, getting your shopping, arranging services such as meal delivery or just to have a chat.

We also offer help with one-off tasks or for short periods, not just after illness, such as: change a light bulb, take curtains down for a wash or empty the contents of high cupboards.

How much does it cost?

The service is free for three weeks, after your illness or hospital stay. It is also free if you are referred for help by a health or social care professional. If you don’t fall into either of those categories we still want you to access Help at Home but we do ask for a donation to help cover the overheads of co-ordinating the scheme. As a guide, we suggest £2 for a short or simple task, or £5 for a longer job.

Who comes to help and when?

Before the first visit, a member of staff will visit your home to assess your needs. After this visits are arranged by Care Network’s Help at Home co-ordinator, at a time to suit you and your helper. The help arranged is given by volunteers, who offer their time freely.

All staff and volunteers are fully trained by Care Network Cambridgeshire and police (CRB) checked. They carry an ID badge and they visit at the time arranged, not unannounced, to protect your safety.

As a general rule help is offered on a short-term basis.

However regular help may sometimes be offered if there are volunteers free and, in those cases, we will try to arrange for the same volunteer to visit each time.

If your circumstances change and you need more help or different tasks carried out, you must contact the Help at Home co-ordinator first, and don’t just ask your volunteer.

How can I access the service?

The service is open to all adults in Cambridgeshire and anyone can ask for help. All you need to do is contact your local Help at Home office: South Cambridgeshire and Cambridge City: 01223 714433 or whfh.south@care-network.org.uk. Alternatively visit www. care-network.org.uk and click on Help at Home for more information.

A Recent changes to the Consumer Credit Act means that you are now better protected if you take out a loan or buy goods on credit. You now have the right to cancel a credit agreement within fourteen days, if you change your mind after signing the agreement. You can also settle the agreement early if you wish to, either by paying off the whole amount or part of it.

You must be provided with information, before you take out an agreement, to help you work out whether this would be the right kind of credit for you. Lenders must now also check more carefully to assess your ability to pay back the money before they offer you or increase your credit. This includes asking you for information and getting a credit reference agency (CRA) report, if necessary. If you are refused credit, because of information supplied by a credit reference agency (CRA), the lender must also give you details of the CRA who supplied the information. For more information go to www. adviceguide.org.uk.

Get advice From a Citizens Advice Bureau Citizens Advice Bureaux offer free, confidential, impartial and independent advice. Our advice helps people resolve their problems with debt, benefits, employment, housing, discrimination, and many more issues. It is available to everyone.

Advice may be given face-to-face or by phone. Most bureaux can arrange home visits and some also provide e mail advice. A growing number are piloting the use of text, online chat and webcams.

Your Local Bureau Royston Citizens Advice Bureau Town Hall, ROYSTON, Hertfs. SG8 7DA Opening hours 9:30-12 Mondays and Wednesdays Letchworth Bureau opening hours 9:30-3pm Mondays to Thursdays. 9:30-12 Fridays Adviceline 08444 111444 www.northhertscab.org.uk Cambridge Citizens Advice Bureau 66 Devonshire Road, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire. CB1 2BL Drop in drop in sessions: 9:30-1 pm Monday to Friday.

Adviceline 0844 848 7979 www.cambridgecab.org.uk

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Melbourn War Memorial We will remember them 1914–1918 Edgar Abrey, Edgar Brown, John Burton Arthur H Carter, George W Catley Frank Day, Henry Brodie Day, Charles Dodkin Charles Fordham, Lionel Frost, Frederick Green Ernest Green, Jesse Guiver, Thomas Guiver Edward l Hall, William Harper, Albert Holland William Howes, Charles Huggins, William Jacklin Arthur King, Frederick King, Walter Lee Walter LIttlechild, Samuel Northrope, Alfred Negus George Pateman, Frederick Pepper, William H Y Pullen John W M Reed, Robert Reed, Louis Robinson Harold Rumbold, Frederick Saunderson, James Saunderson, Alfred H Smith, Joseph Smith, Harry Squires, Job Stanford, Frank Throssell Stanley Waldock, Percy Wedd, William Willings Rydal Wing, Alfred J Winter, Frederick Winter

1939–1945 Douglas Bacon, William Bacon, Howard Burton Frederick Butcher, Clifford, Kenneth Chamberlain Percy Holland, Leslie Littlechild, Robert Ree Oswald Smith, Roy Stanford, Basil Stockbridge William Thomas, Cyril Wedd, William G Wilkin Cecil Winter, Thomas Wright

Melbourn Village History

If you’re new to the village and have not received your FREE copy of the Melbourn Village History Book & DVD or you would like to purchase a copy, contact Colin Limming on 01763 260072 for more information

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Profile The Royal British Legion The Royal British Legion is 90 this year and has been active in Melbourn since it was founded in 1921, as a voice for the ex-Service community. The Legion has 2,500 branches around the country and overseas, providing support for people in their local communities and a meeting place for members to get together. Today over 360,000 members continue to ensure that this voice does not go unheard.

In the early years, to qualify as a member of the Legion you had to have served in one of the armed forces, but nowadays anyone may become a member; and although there is still a Women’s Branch, women are encouraged to join the men in the British Legion. All they need to do is subscribe to the main tenet of the Legion, which is:

• • • • •

Reflection – through Remembrance of past sacrifice in the cause of freedom Hope – by remembering the past, a younger generation has the chance of a better future Comradeship – through shared experience and mutual support Selflessness – by putting others first Service – to those in need and in support of the whole community.

The Royal British Legion is a UK charity that has been helping Service people past and present for 90 years, and sadly the need for their work is as vital as ever. They are committed to the welfare, interests and memory of the Service family – those who have made a unique commitment to their country and deserve to be rewarded for that with long term care. The Legion is probably best known for its role as the nation’s custodian of Remembrance and for the Poppy

Appeal, the annual fundraising campaign. But the Legion is not just about poppies in November, but caring for people all year round. The Legion provides welfare to the whole Armed Forces family – serving, ex-Service and their dependents, and also campaigns on a range of issues affecting Service people.

The Poppy During the First World War some of the bloodiest fighting took place in the Flanders and Picardy regions of Belgium and Northern France. Following the devastation of the countryside the poppy grew and flourished. The fields were awash with red and the analogy with the blood, shed on those fields, made the poppy an obvious symbol of that terrible time. This was further endorsed by John McCrae, a doctor serving with the Canadian Armed Forces, who was deeply moved by what he saw and was inspired to write these poignant verses in 1915 – In Flanders’ fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place: and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved and were loved, and now we lie In Flanders’ fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe; To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high, If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders’ Fields From the left: Betty Murphy, Ann Neaves, Pauline Parker, Molly Chamberlain, Sheila Gouldthorpe, Patrick Parker, Tom Hughes, Don Littlechild

continued on page 27

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What’s on New Melbourn Singers

The Tavern Gallery Meldreth

As part of Cambridgeshire Choral Society, we have an exciting programme planned for the coming season.

On 28th January 2012 we shall be giving a concert in Cambridge, where the works to be performed are ‘St. Nicholas’ by Benjamin Britten and Vaughan Williams’ ‘Five Mystical Songs’, at Emmanuel Unitesd Reformed Church.

We shall then be joining with Ely Choral Society to perform Elgar’s ‘Dream of Gerontius’ in Ely Cathedral on 31st March.

For further information please contact Monica Gillings (262399) or Adrian Jacobs (243224).

The Tavern Gallery will be closed over the Winter period from 23rd Dec and opening in February with an exhibition

by The Royston Arts Society. In the spring there are painting workshops and an exhibition of superb watercolours by Rosalind Ridley in March. The Gallery is fully booked for Exhibitions throughout 2012.

Pre-School Picassos 11th January - 8th February 2012 Come and join us at Pre-School Picassos Art Group at the Farmland Museum & Denny Abbey. This course of 5 x 45 minute morning sessions held every Wednesday will introduce young artists (aged 2 to 5) a range of artistic and fun activities that can also be used at home. The sessions are led by local artist and experienced tutor Ann Biggs. No experience is necessary, just make sure you wear something you don’t mind getting a little messy! All five sessions costs £15 and bookings are now being taken. Spaces are limited so pre-booking is essential. For further information contact Chris Leuchars (Education Officer) T: 01223 860988

Wimpole Hall Christmas Lunches Sat Dec 3rd to Wed Dec 21st.

Booking essential 01223 206001 Pick, Pluck and Dress your own Turkey Sat 17th, Sun 18th Dec. £75/bird includes free entrance for 4 people.

01223 206000

SAVE THE DATE! Burns’ Night Supper Saturday 28th January 2012, 8pm 3-course meal followed by music and dancing Barley Town House, Barley, Herts For more information and tickets please phone Lucie on 01223 870251 All profits to Save the Children

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The Farmland Museum & Denny Abbey A Dickensian Christmas Saturday 10 December 2011, 12- 5pm Carols 4pm- 4.30pm Join us at Denny Abbey and The Farmland Museum for a family Christmas event full of Dickensian festivities.

Children’s activities include making a Christmas snowglobe (bring your own glass jar and lid), designing your own Dickensian Christmas plate and colouring in activities, plus a chance to take part in the Christmas stocking trail around the site.

Along with these activities have a bag of hot roasted chestnuts, enjoy a mince pie or two in the museum café, browse the selection of children’s books on sale and meet our Dickensian characters and street strollers. Don’t forget a visit to our 1940s cottage decorated ready for Christmas day and then join the Friends of the Museum for carols by candlelight supported by St John’s Church choir of Waterbeach in the atmospheric setting of Denny Abbey.

Carols by candlelight in the Abbey from 4pm. Be sure to wrap up warm and bring a torch!

The well-stocked gift shop will be open for stocking fillers, cards and gifts and the Tea-Room will be open for mince pies and hot refreshments 12pm- 5pm.

The Farmland Museum & Denny Abbey is open every day from 1st April – 31st October,12-5pm on weekdays and 10.30am-5pm at weekends and bank holidays. It is situated on the A10 between Cambridge and Ely. Admission prices are Adults £5.00, Concessions £4.00, Children £3.00 (under 5s are free), Family Ticket £12.00 with reduced admission to the Farmland Museum for English Heritage members.

For further information visit our new website at www.dennyfarmlandmuseum.org.uk T:01223 860988 e: info@farmlandmuseum.org.uk

The First World War ended on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918. McCrae never made it home, but his words moved an enterprising American teacher called Moina Bell Michael who decided to sell poppies made of red silk to raise funds for wounded veterans and in 1920. Her idea was adopted as the U.S. national emblem of remembrance.

There was a strong urge amongst civilians to show that they remembered the people who had given their lives for peace and freedom and the poppy soon became accepted world wide as a symbol of remembrance.

In 1922, Major George Howson, a young infantry officer, formed the Disabled Society, to help provide work for wounded ex-Service men and women from the First World War. He suggested to the British Legion that members of the Disabled Society could make the poppies and subsequently the Poppy Factory was founded in Richmond on Thames. The original poppy was designed so that workers with a disability could easily assemble it and this principle remains today.

The factory produces a whole range of poppies, wreaths and commemorative crosses, but it is the basic model – the red paper petal and green paper leaf attached by a black plastic button to a green plastic stem – which is the foundation of the entire act of national remembrance. And this year the factory has received orders for an astonishing 38 million of them. That is two million up on last year and nearly ten million up on ten years ago, but this does not beat the all-time high of 45 million poppies!

The Royal British Legion, Melbourn Branch Patrick Parkinson, is the present Chairman and Secretary and Molly Chamberlain, Vice Chairman of the Melbourn Branch.

Shirley Cunningham is Treasurer of the Women’s Branch for the Cambridge Area.

Patrick Parkinson is no stranger to parades and marching.

A former member of the Northamptonshire Regiment, he

was also a bandsman for St. John’s Ambulance, representing Hertfordshire as drum major and Bandmaster at their Hyde Park Centenary. Pauline Parkinson represents Melbourn & Meldreth as Standard Bearer for the RBL Women’s Section (founded in Melbourn in 1937).

Molly Chamberlain is escort to the standard bearer and has taken part in just about every service at The Cross since 1947.

Shirley Cunningham is unable to attend the service at The Cross in Melbourn as she is always on duty at the cenotaph in Cambridge where she lays a wreath as Treasurer of the Cambridge area.

There are familiar figures at The Cross each year; these include Don Littlechild and Reg Luff. Don has been a member of the Legion since the end of the war and has sold poppies for 43 years! He was anxious for me to record that selling the poppies is the easy part – it is the organisers who work for months before the November event, ordering the poppies and wreaths and arranging rotas and distribution lists. Reg, who served with the First Army in North Africa, Egypt and Palestine, has been a member of the Legion since 1982, and served as Treasurer and Parade Marshal for over 20 years.

These Melbourn folk and others that I have not had room to mention, are proud of the parts they play in continuing the tradition of Remembrance in the village.

The British Legion Hut in Melbourn stood at 82 High Street – now a small public garden with seats. Provided by Sir Stanley Fordham, it was originally for use as a Boys Club, but later it became the headquarters of the Legion.

Patrick Parkinson makes an impassioned plea for people to come forward to join the Legion with a particular view to taking office. The membership at the moment stands at some 50 people, pretty equally divided between the sexes. There is no President of the Melbourn branch at the moment.

Let us hope that The Royal British Legion continues to flourish in Melbourn.

Mavis Howard

The Remembrance Day Parade and Service held every year at The Cross, on the Sunday nearest 11th November. A smaller ceremony is also held on the actual day.

In former days it was a very big parade, a marching band and all the uniformed groups – Boys and Girls Brigade, Guides, Brownies, Scouts, Cubs and the Army Cadet Corps, marched from the Village College to The Cross.

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Nature River Mel Restoration Group A dry spring, followed by this autumn’s Indian summer has led to some of the lowest river levels seen in recent years. As we write this, in mid-October, the upper Mel is almost completely dry through the length of Stockbridge Meadows.

These low levels are a cause for concern for several reasons. Apart from the obvious and hopefully temporary effect on the wildlife, the river also forms an integral part of Melbourn’s sewage treatment system. The treated effluent from the sewage treatment works is discharged into the Mel on a three hourly cycle. This effluent is clean and, with normal river flows, is sufficiently diluted and dispersed so that it has no detrimental affect on either the wildlife or the environment. However, this natural balance can be disrupted to the detriment of the river in times of low flow, high rainfall, or both.

When it does rain, there is a time lag between rainwater soaking through the ground to reach the aquifers. A further problem is that in the summer, or after a period of drought, the ground is often so dry that the rain does not soak in, but instead runs off the baked ground into the drainage system.

Besides causing local flooding, the run off from roads and driveways can then overwhelm the sewage treatment works. If this happens untreated storm water mixed with incompletely treated sewage can spill over into the river.

If the river is flowing normally this is not a problem, as the storm overflows are quickly diluted and dispersed. But if the river flow is reduced then these storm overflows cannot disperse in the same way and in effect the river would become an extended sewer.

Ideally we wouldn’t want these ‘events’ to happen at all, but we live in an imperfect world, so the best we can hope for is some form of mitigation. This is one of the The dry river bed behind Dolphin Lane

The dry river bed in Stockbridge Meadows

reasons why the Environment Agency supports the river flow in summer by pumping water into the river from aquifers elsewhere in the region. This pumped support to the river is triggered by low flows through a gauging station downstream in Meldreth that automatically sends readings back to the Environment Agency. This year the Environment Agency has struggled to provide sufficient support to the river, even though water has been pumped into the Mel throughout the spring and summer.

The drought has also put pressure on the wildlife that lives in and around the river. We hope that there are enough deeper pools within the river to enable the survival of the fish, but concentrating fish and wildlife into small areas makes them much more vulnerable to attack by predators.

It is very difficult to assess accurately what is happening to the various populations of wildlife without some form of systematic survey. The Environment Agency and the River Restoration Centre have already carried out some baseline surveys of the fish and invertebrate populations that live in the river. Now we need to systematically monitor and identify the small mammals that rely on the Mel for their survival. This we are doing by using a series of in-river monitoring stations that have been loaned to us by the Countryside Restoration Trust. This study will provide a much better understanding of the number of species of small mammals that frequent the river and also where along its stretch they are located. The study should also give some indication of how they suffer when their habitat is under intense pressure, such as in times of drought.

Working Party Dates 10th December 2011 - Meldreth 7th January 2012 - Melbourn 28th January 2012 - Meldreth 18th February 2012 - Melbourn All working parties meet at 9.15am for a 9.30am start and we endeavour to finish by about 12.30pm. In Melbourn we meet at the Pavilion on the Recreation Field and in Meldreth at 14 Flambards Close. For further information, please contact info@rivermel.com or telephone Maureen Brierley on 01763 262752. melbournmagazine

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Chris Thomas

Cambridge Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning

Carpet and upholstery cleaner based in Cambridge.

Working in and around Cambridge, Royston, Saffron Walden, Newmarket and Huntingdon.

• Carpet cleaning using Dry Fusion™ system • Hot water extraction cleaning • Host® Dry Cleaning for natural floor coverings • Stain treatment • Upholstery cleaning using Crystal Fusion™ • Curtains cleaned in situ treatment • Infestation Odour neutralisation using ozone generator • Competitively priced Fully insured with public and product liability Environmentally-friendly products used

Mobile: 07830 227138 Landline: 01223 836002 www.carpetcleaningcambridgeuk.com

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www.melbourncambridge.co.uk

Village information What goes in the BLUE BIN? YES • Plastic bottles • Plastic bottle tops & triggers • Plastic packaging (pots, tubs and trays) • Plastic bags • Plastic film (clean food wrapping) • Glass bottles and jars • Food & drinks cans • Aerosols • Tin foil & foil trays • Cartons (e.g. Tetrapak) • Cardboard • Greeting cards • Wrapping paper (paper only) NO • Expanded polystyrene • Pyrex • Flat glass • DVDs/CDs • Plastic toys • Light bulbs and fluorescent tubes

Household Waste and Recycling Centres Milton

Items that are accepted

Butt Lane, Milton Tel: 01223 860674 • 9am–8pm Mon to Fri • 9am–6pm Bank Holidays, Sat & Sun • 9am–4pm Mon to Sun (1 October–31 March)

• Green waste • Hardcore (bricks, rubble) • Paper • Glass • Scrap metal • Waste oil • Fridges/freezers • Car batteries • Textiles • Cardboard • Plastic • TVs and computers (incl. monitors) Please Note: The sites will only accept waste from household sources.

Thriplow Gravel Pit Hill, Thriplow Tel: 01223 839001 • 8am–5pm Mon to Fri • 8am–5pm Bank Holidays, Sat & Sun (Summer) • 8am–4pm Mon to Sun (1 October–31 March)

Melbourn Bus Timetables Note: These times have been taken from the companies website, but are subject to change, please telephone the company for updates, or check the village website, Parking & Transport.

Bin collection MELBOURN 2 9 16 23 3 9 14 20 27 3 10 17 24 2 9 16 23

December December December December January* January** January*** January January February February February February March March March March

Green & Blue Bin Black bin Green & Blue Bin Black bin Green & Blue Bin Black Bin Green & Blue Bin Black Bin Green & Blue Bin Black Bin Green & Blue Bin Black Bin Green & Blue Bin Black Bin Green & Blue Bin Black Bin Green & Blue Bin

* Tuesday ** Monday Collection *** Saturday Collection

For an update on collections visit: www.scambs.gov.uk/BinCollection/ default.htm?location=72

n For more informatio rge and collections of la phone household items tele 03450 450 063

Commercial service operated by Stagecoach in Cambridge

Cambridge - Foxton - Melbourn - Royston

Service 26

MONDAY TO SATURDAY

Cambridge, Drummer Street, Bay 7

From: 23 October, 05 Notes :

Cambridge, Trumpington Road, Leys School Trumpington, Maris Lane Harston, Village Hall Foxton, Memorial Shepreth, Tylers Melbourn, Car Park

Royston, Bus Station

Royston, Tesco Royston, Burns Roadoperated by Stagecoach in Cambridge Commercial service

08:40

40

14:40

15:40

16:40

17:40

18:40

08:45

45

14:45

15:45

A

17:46

18:46

08:51

51

14:51

15:51

16:56

17:51

18:51

59

14:59

15:59

17:04

17:59

18:59

05

15:05

16:05

17:10

18:05

19:05

07

15:07

16:07

17:12

18:07

19:07

15:11

16:11

17:16

18:11

19:11

20

15:20

16:30

17:35

18:20

19:20

09:26

26

15:26

16:21

17:26

|

|

09:28

28

15:28

16:23

17:28

18:26

19:26

08:59 09:05 09:07 09:11 09:20

Then at these mins hour

11

Until

Royston - Melbourn - Foxton - Cambridge

NOTES

MONDAY A Runs viaTO HillsSATURDAY Road and Long Road

Royston, Tesco THE SERVICE DOES NOT OPERATE ON BANK HOLIDAYS

Notes :

Royston, Burns Road

Royston, Bus Station

Melbourn, Car Park Shepreth, Tylers Foxton, Memorial Harston, Village Hall Trumpington, Maris Lane Cambridge, Trumpington Road, Leys School

Cambridge, Drummer Street, Bay 6

Service 26 From: 29 August, 04

06:46

07:16

--

09:26

26

15:26

16:21

06:52

07:22

09:02

09:32

32

15:32

16:23

17:28

07:00

07:30

09:10

09:40

40

15:40

16:40

17:40

07:08

07:38

09:18

09:48

48

15:48

16:48

17:48

07:12

07:42

09:22

09:52

52

15:52

16:52

17:52

07:14

07:44

09:24

09:54

15:54

16:54

17:54

07:20

07:50

09:30

10:00

00

16:00

17:00

18:00

07:28

07:58

09:38

10:08

08

16:08

17:08

18:08

07:34

08:04

09:44

10:14

14

16:14

17:14

18:14

07:40 08:20B 09:50

10:20

20

16:20

17:20

18:20

Then at these mins past each hour

54

Until

17:26

NOTES

Local Bus companies

BStagecoach On Saturdaysinand on Monday to01223 Friday during school holidays, buses may arrive in Cambridge Cambridge 423578 – Huntingdon & District 01480 up to 10 minutes earlier.

THE SERVICE DOES NOT OPERATE ON BANK HOLIDAYS

453159 – Alans Bus & Coach 01763 245073

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important numbers Police (non emergency) 0345 456 4564 Crimestoppers Freephone 0800 555111 Neighbourhood Watch Steven Cambery s.cambery@ntlworld.com Cambs Registered Trader Sceme 01223 221921 Telephone Preference Service www.tsponline.org.uk 0845 070 0707 CAB Royston

08456 889897

Childline

0800 1111

Samaritans

08457 909090

Hospitals Addenbrooke’s Royston

01223 245151 01763 238020

OUT OF HOURS EMERGENCIES

Camdoc NHS Direct (queries 24hrs)

01223 464242 0845 4647

Services Anglian Water 08457 145 145 Gas emergency 0800 111 999 Electricity 08007 838838 South Cambs District Fire & Rescue Service 01223 376217 Transport British Rail Enquiries Stagecoach Cambus

08457 484950 08706 082608

Melbourn Magazine Ann Dekkers Editor 261144 Mavis Howard Parish Profile 260686 Eric Johnston Distribution 220197 Peter Simmonett Production 220363 & Village website Anne Lambert Information Collection 261480 Colin Limming Proof reading 260072 Brenda Meliniotis Village Diary 261154 & Proof reading Roger Mellor Advertising 220463 or 220363

Education Melbourn Playgroup Jane Crawford 07842 151512 Childminding Group Sec. Vacancies Co-ordinator Heidi Hardwidge 221625 Library LAP Mike Stapleton 269956 Little Hands Nursery School 260964 Out of school times 01223 503972 Notre Ecole Janet Whitton 261231 Primary School Headteacher Stephanie Wilcox 223457 U3A (Univ. of Third Age) Chairman Arthur Alderton 260399 Hon Sec Hilary Docwra 222486 Mem Sec Arthur Alderton 260399 Village College Acting Principal Simon Holmes 223400 Health Age UK Cambridgeshire 01223 221921 Blood Donors 0300 123 23 23 Chiropodist 263260 Citizen’s Advice Bureau 238020 Community Care Val Trueman 260191 Dentist 262034 District Nurses (Primary Care Trust) 01223 846122 Home-Start 262262 S Cambs PCT 35 Orchard Road Child & Family Nurses 262861 Melbourn and Meldreth Self-Help Jayne White 220250 Car Scheme 245228 Orchard Surgery Appointments 260220 Dispensary 261246 For repeat prescriptions send email: prescriptions.orchardsurgery@nhs.net Osteopath Kath Harry 261716 St John Ambulance Robert Jakubiak 220507 LOCAL clubs Air Cadets 2484 (Bassingbourn) Squadron 249156 Tony Kelly Mon & Wed evenings 7 – 9.30 p.m.

Army Cadets Ted Neathey 01223 248001 Tuesday evenings at The Moor 7.15 to 9.30pm Bellringers John Gipson 262846 Bridge Club Howard Waller 261693 1st Melbourn Rainbows Abigail Roberts 261505 Brownies 1st Melbourn Stephanie Clifford 220272 Brownies 2nd Melbourn Samantha Pascoe (Brown Owl) 261400 Cambells (Handbells) Eira Martin 261221 Dramatic Society Kathy Wholley 223805 email: k_wholley@hotmail.com Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Stuart Morris 208634 Gardening Helen Powell 245887 Guides Hilary Marsh 261443 Mothers’ Union Anne Harding 260759 Melbourn & District Mushroom Club Helene Davies 01954 789 947 or m.07903 456 628 Melbourn History Group Colin Limming 260072 Melbourn Mushroom Club John Holden email: frog.end@virgin.net Melbourn Pottery Club Maggie 01223 207307 National Trust Colin Limming 260072

We shall be pleased to receive contributions in any form, articles, poems, drawings, photographs, letters etc., pertaining to Melbourn. Please send any contributions to the Editor, at the 110 High Street, Melbourn, marking them ‘MELBOURN MAGAZINE’ or you can email them to mag@melbourn.org.uk Apart from printing, all work on the Melbourn Magazine, including layout and design is produced by volunteers.

The cost of production comes entirely from advertising and sponsorship. No public money is used.

New Melbourn Singers Adrian Jacobs 243224 Photographic Club Bruce Huett 232855 Ramblers Dave Allard 242677 Royal British Legion Patrick Parkinson 262617 Royal British Legion Women Elizabeth Murphy 220841 Royal National Lifeboat Institution Jean Emes 245958 Royston and District Local History Society David Allard 242677 Royston and District Round Table 221398 Royston Lions Janet Daniels 260009 RSPB Doug Radford 208978 SOAS (Supporters of All Saints’) Doreen Johnston 220197 St George’s Allotments Assoc. Bruce Huett

brucehuett@compuserve.com Youth Club Amanda Bernard 223407 Women’s Group Pat Smith 260103 Places of worship All Saints’ Church Rev Andrew O’Brien Melbourn Vicarage 260295 Curate Mary Price 261569 Churchwardens Christine van Vliet 223063

Mike Galley 260127 Community Hall booking Colin Limming 260072 Baptist Church Rev. Stuart Clarke 261650 Secretary Guy Manners 01223 872298 United Reformed Church Minister Rev. Duncan Goldie 260747 Secretary Peter and Eirwen Karner 262346 Hall booking Beryl and Barry Monk 246458 Churches Together Helen John 261147 sport Badminton Steve Jackson Bowls Elaine Cooke Croquet Janet Pope Football Club Simon Gascoyne Jazzercise Linda Warner Judo Derek Coult Melbourn Community Sports Meldreth Tennis Club Sue Davies Swimming Club Jenny Brackley Squash Club Nick Sugden

248774 221571 248342 261703 241527 225004 263313 220174 244593 261064

Warden & sheltered housing schemes Dial-A-Ride 01223 506335 Mobile Warden Scheme Warden – Margo Wherrell 260966 Deputy – Jeannie Seers 262651 Assistant – Joy Hyde 220139 Neighbourhood Watch Scheme Stephen Cambery 261520 Vicarage Close Warden Eileen Allan Lead Sheltered Housing Officer Monday to Friday 9–1.30 263389 John Impey Way Jeanette Holland 269596 Southwell Court 262121 Moorlands 260564 Vicarage Close & John Impey Way, also covering Elin Way every other week. 9–5 Monday to Friday Eileen Allan Mobile 07876791419 01763 245402

Adverts should be supplied as finished artwork and must be at the sizes below. Please send artwork to mag@melbourn.org.uk We print 2200 copies of the Melbourn Magazine which is delivered free to every house in the village four times a year. Note: colour advert space is limited, please contact us for further details. The current rates for advertising in the Magazine are as follows: Size per…

Width x Height 1/4 inside page (79 × 128 mm) 1/2 inside page (163 × 128 mm) Full inside page (163 × 262 mm)

Annum £87 £152 N/A

Colour £130 £216 £422

Adverts must be supplied as high resolution jpgs or 300dpi Tif or eps.

For further information on advertising please telephone 220363 or 220463.

Remittance or cheques should be made to Melbourn Magazine.

email: mag@melbourn.org.uk

The closing date for the next issue is Friday 13th January 2012 which will appear in March, listing events in March, April and May.

DECEMBER Thur 1

Fri 2 Sat 3 Sun 4

Tue 6

Wed 7 Thu 8 Fri 9 Sat 10

Sun 11

Tue 13

Wed 14 Thu 15 Fri 16 Sat 17 Sun 18

Mon 19 Tue 20 Wed 21 Thu 22 Fri 23 Sat 24

Sun 25

Wed 28 Thu 29 Fri 30 Sat 31

Holy Communion All Saints 10am Story Time U5’s Melbourn Library 10-10.45am Royston&District Local History Soc Royston Town Hall 8pm Coffee at URC 10.30am Coffee Stop All Saints Community Hall 10.30am URC Christmas Bazaar 10-12 followed by lunch at 12.30 Holy Communion All Saints 8.00am Holy Communion URC 11.00am Baptist Church Communion 6pm Toddler Plus Baptist Church Hall 9.30am (term time) Melbourn & District Photographic Club Foxton Village Hall 7.30pm weekly September–April contact Bruce Huett 232855 Craft Club Baptist Church Hall 9.30am (term time only) Coffee Break Baptist Church Hall 10.30am-12.

Holy Communion All Saints 8.00am Story Time U5’s Melbourn Library 10-10.45am Coffee at URC at 10.30 Coffee Stop All Saints Community Hall 10.30am The Bookshelf and Christingle making.

River Mel Restoration Group Meldreth Family Communion All Saints 9.45am Service URC 11.00am Christingle Service All Saints 3pm Toddler Plus Baptist Church Hall 9.30am (term time) Mother’s Union Carol Service All Saints 2pm Melbourn & District Photographic Club meet weekly at Foxton Village Hall 7.30pm Melbourn & District Gardening Club All Saints Com. Hall 7.30pm Social Evening Craft Club Baptist Church Hall 9.30am (term time) Coffee Break Baptist Church Hall 10.30-12.00 Holy Communion All Saints 10am Story Time U5’s Melbourn Library 10.00 - 10.45am Coffee at URC at 10.30 End of term Coffee Stop All Saints Community Hall Holy Communion All Saints 8.00am Family Service All Saints 11.00am Carols by Candlelight Baptist Church 6pm Carol Service All Saints 6.30pm Royston & District Family History Society All Saints Community Hall 7.30pm Senior Citizens Luncheon Club 12.30pm Coffee Break Baptist Church Hall 10.30-12.00 Holy Communion All Saints 10.00am Check with library re Story Time Coffee at URC at 10.30 Coffee Stop Crib Service All Saints 3pm Midnight Mass All Saints 11.30pm Watchlight Service URC 11.30pm Holy Communion All Saints 8.00am Family Communion Holy Trinity Meldreth 10.00am Christmas Morning Service URC Service 8.30am Christmas Morning Service Baptist Church 10.30am Coffee Break 10.30-12.00 Baptist Church Hall Holy Communion All Saints 10.00am Coffee at URC 10.30am .

Coffee Stop All Saints Community Hall 10.30am

Spring 2012

All copy for the March, April & May Issue should be

in before 13th January 20 12.

JANUARY Sun 1 Tue 3

Wed 4

Thu 5

Fri 6 Sat 7 Sun 8

Mon 9 Tue 10

Wed 11 Thu 12 Fri 13 Sat 14 Sun 15

Mon 16 Tue 17 Wed 18

Thur 19 Fri 20 Sat 21 Sun 22

Tue 24 Wed 25

Thu 26 Fri 27

Sat 28 Sun 29

Tue 31

Holy Communion All Saints 8am New Year’s Day Family Service 10.30am Royston Ramblers Circular Walk meet either at Royston Town Hall 9.30am or Black Horse Brent Pelham 10.00am Melbourn & District Photographic Club Foxton Village Hall 7.30pm Term begins Craft Club Baptist Church 9.30am (term time) Coffee Break Baptist Church Hall 10.30 Royal British Legion Vicarage Close 7.30pm Holy Communion All Saints 10am Story Time U5’s Melbourn Library 10-10.45am Royston & District Local History Society Royston Town Hall 8pm Coffee at URC 10.30 Coffee Stop All Saints Community Hall 10.30 River Mel Restoration Group Melbourn Family Communion & Sunday School All Saints 9.45am Holy Communion URC 11.00am Evensong All Saints 6.30pm Melbourn Bridge Club Vicarage Close every Monday contact Howard Waller 01763 261693 Toddler Plus Baptist Church Hall 9.30-11.30am Mothers Union Holy Communion 11.30am then Lunch at the Hardwick Arms Arrington Melbourn & District Gardening Club All Saints Community Hall 7.30pm Britain’s Wonderful Wildlife Craft Club Baptist Church 9.30am (term time) Coffee Break Baptist Church Hall 10.30 Holy Communion All Saints 10am Story Time U5’s Melbourn Library 10-10.45am Coffee at URC 10.30 Coffee Stop All Saints Community Hall 10.30 Holy Communion 8.00am Family Service URC 11am Evensong 6.30pm all at All Saints Royston & District Family History Society All Saints Community Hall 7.30pm New Year Social Toddler Plus Baptist Church Hall 9.30-11.30am Craft Club Baptist Church 9.30am Coffee Break Baptist Church Hall 10.30 Melbourn & District U3A monthly meeting Holy Communion All Saints 10am Story Time U5’s Melbourn Library 10-10.45am Coffee at URC at 10.30 Coffee Stop All Saints Community Hall 10.30 The Bookshelf Family Communion 9.45am Evensong 6.30pm both at All Saints URC Service 11.00am Toddler Plus Baptist Church 9.30-11.30am Women’s Group All Saints Community Hall 7.45pm AGM Craft Club Baptist Church 9.30am (term time only) Coffee Break Baptist Church Hall 10.30 Royal British Legion Women’s Section Vicarage Close 7pm Reflective Service URC 7pm Holy Communion All Saints 10am Story Time U5’s Melbourn Library 10-10.45am Coffee at URC at 10.30 Royston & Saffron Walden National Trust Assoc Market Hill Rooms Royston ‘Suffragettes’ Mary Dicken Coffee Stop All Saints Community Hall 10.30 River Mel Restoration Group Meldreth Holy Communion 8am Evensong 6.30pm both at All Saints URC Service 11.00am Toddlers Plus Baptist Church Hall 9.30am (term time)

FEBRUARY Wed 1 Thu 2

Fri 3 Sat 4 Sun 5

Tue 7 Wed 8

Thu 9 Fri 10 Sat 11 Sun 12

Mon 13 Tue 14

Wed 15 Thu 16 Fri 17 Sat 18 Sun 19

Mon 20 Tue 21 Wed 22

Thu 23 Fri 24

Sat 25 Sun 26

Tue 28

Craft Club Baptist Church Hall 9.30am Coffee Break Baptist Church Hall 10.30-12.00 Holy Communion 10am All Saints Story time U5’s Melbourn Library 10.-10.45 Royston & District Local History Society Royston Town Hall 8pm ‘The Life and Times of Tommy Atkins’ Coffee at URC 10.30am Coffee Stop All Saints Community Hall 10.30 Holy Communion All Saints 8am Holy Communion URC 11am Baptist Church Communion 6pm Evensong All Saints 6.30pm Toddler Plus Baptist Church Hall 9.30am (term time) Mother’s Union Orwell 2.30pm discussion on ‘Gifts’ Craft Club Baptist Church Hall 9.30am (term time) Coffee Break Baptist Church Hall 10.30 - 12.00 Reflective Service URC 7pm Holy Communion All Saints 10am Story Time U5’s Melbourn Library 10-10.45am Coffee at URC at 10.30 Coffee Stop All Saints Community Hall Family Communion All Saints 9.45am URC Service 11am Evensong All Saints 6.30pm Half term Mother’s Union Half Term Activity Day Foxton Village Hall 12.30-3.30pm Melbourn & District Gardening Club All Saints Community Hall 7.30pm Fun with Herbaceous Borders Coffee Break Baptist Church Hall 10.30-12.00 U3A monthly meeting MVC Holy Communion All Saints 10am Coffee at URC at 10.30 Coffee Stop All Saints Community Hall River Mel Restoration Group Meldreth 9.15am Holy Communion 8am URC Service 11am Evensong All Saints 6.30pm Royston & District Family History Soc All Saints Community Hall 7.30pm Toddler Plus Baptist Church Hall 9.30 (term time) Craft Club Baptist Church Hall 9.30 (term time) Coffee Break Baptist Church Hall 10.30-12.00 Royal British Legion Women’s Section Vicarage Close 7pm Holy Communion All Saints 10am Story Time U5’s Melbourn Library 10-10.45am Coffee at URC at 10.30 Royston & Saffron Walden National Trust Assoc Town Hall Saffron Walden ‘A Wander Around Pompeii’ Coffee Stop All Saints Community Hall 10.30 The Bookshelf Family Communion 9.45am All Saints URC Service 11am Evensong All Saints 6.30pm Toddler Plus Baptist Church Hall 9.30 (term time) Women’s Group Melbourn 7.45pm Joanne O’Brien craft evening

Melbourn Library

Open at the following times: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 2.30 to 4.30 pm 5.00 to 7.00 pm Thursday 10.00 to 12.00 am Saturday

Village information continued Orchard Surgery – Dispensary Monday to Friday 8:30 – 1pm and 3pm – 6pm Phone 01763 261246 Telephone requests are not accepted For repeat prescriptions you can: Fax 01763 262968 or email: prescriptions.orchardsurgery@nhs.net

• •

Allow at least 48 hours (two working days – excluding weekends and bank holidays) for repeat prescriptions to be ready.

Do not leave your request to the last minute.

Prescription/medication depending on eligibility can be collected from the Surgery

Co-op

Tesco in Royston

Please let the dispensary know where you wish your prescriptions to be sent.

This will remain your choice until we are informed otherwise.

Prescriptions requested before 12pm Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

will be ready after 10am Wednesday Thursday Friday Monday Tuesday

Prescriptions requested before 4pm Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

will be ready after 3pm Wednesday Thursday Friday Monday Tuesday

Prescriptions requested after 4pm Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

will be ready after 10am Thursday Friday Monday Tuesday Wednesday

Melbourn Health Visiting Team Drop in clinics for parents and babies are held as follows: Melbourn clinic every Wednesday between 9.30 and 11.30am at: 35 Orchard Road, Melbourn.

Telephone 01763 262861

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Sue Hempstead 8a Romsey Terrace, Cambridge. CB1 3NH Telephone 01223 416 141 sueh@camtad.freeserve.co.uk Office Mon-Fri 9.30am-12.30pm.

A drop in advisory session is held at

Vicarage Close Community Room, Thursdays from 2pm to 4pm,

22nd December

22 March

26 January 20012

26 April

23 February See the following website for more information

www.camtadcambs.org.uk Battery exchange and retubing.

We do not do hearing tests

CAMSIGHT Cam Sight’s visually impaired group meet on the 1st Wednesday of the month every month except in August, at the Vicarage Close centre, Melbourn from 2 until 4pm.

We offer a warm welcome with speakers, outings, up to date information and equipment demonstrations.

Come and see what’s on offer, join us for a cuppa and a chat.

Call 01223 420 033 for further information

GREAT TRUTHS 1

In my many years I have come to a conclusion that one useless man is a shame, two is a law firm and three or more is a congress.

John Adams

2

If you don’t read the newspaper you are uninformed, if you do read the newspaper you are misinformed.

Mark Twain

3

I contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle.

Winston Churchill

4

A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul.

George Bernard Shaw

5

Foreign aid might be defined as a transfer of money from poor people in rich countries to rich people in poor countries.

Douglas Casey, Classmate of Bill Clinton

6

Government is the great fiction, through which everybody endeavors to live at the expense of everybody else.

Frederic Bastiat, French economist (1801-1850)

7 Government’s view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.

Ronald Reagan (1986) 8

I don’t make jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts.

Will Rogers

9. In general, the art of government consists of taking as much money as possible from one party of the citizens to give to the other.

Voltaire (1764) 10 Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn’t mean politics won’t take an interest in you!

Pericles (430 B.C.) 11 The government is like a baby’s alimentary canal, with a happy appetite at one end and no responsibility at the other.

Ronald Reagan 12 The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of the blessings. The inherent blessing of socialism is the equal sharing of misery.

Winston Churchill 13 The only difference between a taxman and a taxidermist is that the taxidermist leaves the skin.

Mark Twain 14 The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of folly is to fill the world with fools.

Herbert Spencer, English Philosopher (1820-1903) 15 What this country needs are more unemployed politicians.

Edward Langley, Artist (1928-1995) 16 A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have.

Thomas Jefferson 17 We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office.

Aesop

feature

Fringe Benefits from Meldreth Station It’s not often that the claim that an article in a local magazine has inspired a play at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival but that is indeed what happened with Meldreth Matters this year.

See below for a review of the play-Editor.

The largest arts festival in the world by some margin, Edinburgh Fringe has quite staggering statistics: this year, 21,000 performers appeared in more than 2,500 shows and just less than 2 million tickets were sold.

A good example of the creative drive for new ideas and new venues was Allotment, a ‘darkly funny physical comedy’ exploring ‘the powerful legacy of generations of gardeners.’ Performed in an actual allotment it won a prestigious Fringe First award. However, even as a serial Fringe-goer, my credulity was severely stretched by reading of a show, which ‘takes you to the tiny village of Meldreth in Cambridgeshire in the throes of a fight to save the name of its railway station.’

And so it was that Shirley and I were at the head of the queue at the Bosco Theatre tent for a performance of New Art Club: Quiet Art of Destruction. New Art Club is a double act who deliberately defy description. Pete Shenton and Tom Roden are trained dancers with ‘proper’ jobs in the world of dance theatre, but each year take a show to Edinburgh to branch out of dance to combine choreography, physical theatre and comedy. Genre-definition, however is not really the point, this show was about conflict, involved lots of audience participation, was very silly and hugely enjoyable.

The audience was cast as the rival populations of Meldreth and Melbourn separated by Melwood. As the dispute over the station’s name boiled over, the villagers started throwing missiles at each other and earning points from daft competitions such as speed-eating cornflakes.

There were many, very specific references such as the The Dolphin, ‘the butchers in Melbourn’, One Stop, the Post Office, British Queen, Bowls Club, Church Fete, Meldreth Local History Group and Meldreth Matters all of which for someone such as myself who has lived in both villages was a surreal experience. It was very easy and great fun to get drawn in. Unsurprisingly, when it became apparent that I had local knowledge, I was ‘picked’ but failed to catch an egg in a bowl.

Throughout the show I could not help wondering who might have written the material – could it have been a highly respected ‘station master’ or a Radio 5 presenting resident or even a local historian from the other side of the tracks? But at the end of the show I realised that it was none other than Tom Roden himself who unknown to me lives in Meldreth!

Angus Bell With thanks to Meldreth Matters for the use of the story above

melbournmagazine

35

You talk, we listen Specialist Dental Partners is a fully comprehensive, modern family dental practice. Based on Melbourn Science Park, the practice offers the full range of treatments, from simple to complex dentistry.

BOOK NOW FOR A FREE INITIAL CONSULTATION. 9 BEECH HOUSE, MELBOURN SCIENCE PARK, MELBOURN, CAMBRIDGESHIRE, SG8 6HB (SAT NAV) T: 01763 261129 | F: 01763 269661| E: info@specialistdentalpartners.co.uk

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www.melbourncambridge.co.uk

Little Hands Karen

01763 260964

Melbourn Playgroup Jane Crawford 07842 151512 Notre Ecole Janet Whitton

261231

Primary School Headteacher Stephanie Wilcox 223457 U3A (Univ. of Third Age) Chairman Arthur Alderton

260399

Village College Act. Principal Simon Holmes

223400

Melbourn Primary I was thrilled to join the primary school back in September and I can hardly believe how quickly the first half term has gone. It is a very exciting time to join the school as the new head teacher. After the completion of a building project, providing the super new spaces of new hall, offices and refurbished old hall as two new foundation classrooms, it feels like a time of new opportunity and new beginnings for the school. I already feel very much part of the team and have been made to feel very welcome by all the staff, children and many of the parents and members of the wider community that I have met.

I have spent my first few weeks Headteacher Stephanie Wilcox getting to know the staff and children visiting classes to find out what everybody thinks about their school and also inviting the opinions of parents via parent workshops and questionnaires. I am collating all of this information and drawing up an action plan of how best to develop the school.

One of the strengths of the school is the strong sense of community that is felt by staff and I hope that these contributions to the village magazine help widen our community even further.

KS1 Assembly October 2011

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We welcomed forty six new Foundation children to school for the first time in September, who have settled extremely well and are enjoying all the exciting learning opportunities that their teachers are providing them with. As well as Foundation children we welcomed four new children in other year groups and two new teachers Miss Cottle and Miss Clarke who are beginning their teaching careers with us, teaching in years 1 and 2.

The Years 5 and 6 team have been out and about many times already this term visiting Ely Cathedral and Wicken Fen. The year 6’s have also been to Duxford with other year 6’s from all the cluster primary schools in the Melbourn Village College catchment area for a year 6 conference. Here are some comments from children: Wicken Fen: It was fun learning about birds on the boardwalk.

The windmill went really fast when the wind was blowing.

The water was pumping through the windmill. The faster the windmill went, the water went even faster. The pond dipping was best. I caught a water boatman and lots of mud as well.

We used a net to catch the creatures in and pots to put them in helped us look closely at what we caught. After we sat down and had a talk with the lady, we talked about what we caught.

By Sian Howard Ely Cathedral: Exploring the cathedral was fantastic and I thought the colours were amazing: gold, silver and bronze, mainly gold though. The history was really fascinating. The story of Henry VIII with him cutting most of the heads off to make him look powerful. By Thomas Doggett Duxford Year 6 Conference: When we went to ‘Learning to Learn’ we went in an auditorium and some people talked about having a dream and fulfilling that dream. After that we got into our groups and we did some trust games and puzzles.

We got to do fun things like make models. After that we got to watch a performance by a theatre group which was very funny and showed a lot about being a responsible year 6. We got to go outside and play with people we had never met before.

By Findlay Livingstone.

During this half term Years 3 and 4 have been exploring a topic called ‘Food, Glorious Food’. It is a new topic that we are including in our new creative curriculum cycles. As part of the topic the children have investigated where their food comes from and have developed their geographical skills. They have also studied what constitutes a healthy diet and how they can maintain a healthy lifestyle. In art they have studied the work of famous still life artists and using a range of art media created their own. I think all the children thoroughly enjoyed their DT sessions where they designed and made their own ‘Super Sandwich’ which of course they were allowed to eat as well.

In Years 1 and 2 the children have really enjoyed their topic on Australia. The children have been very keen to learn lots of new facts and have approached their work enthusiastically. We are teaching the children our topics using a creative approach and are linking all subjects through this. In Literacy we have looked at fiction books with an Australian setting. We have read ‘The diary of a wombat’, ‘The sun mother wakes the

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world’ and ‘Wombat goes walkabout’. We used the structure of these stories to write our own. We have been making Aboriginal music, creating Aboriginal dance in PE and we even made our own Australian pots!

In Foundation our topic this term has been bears, which we have all really enjoyed! We have packed our rucksacks for a bear hunt and been finding out about textures by using lots of interesting materials to make a ‘feely bear’ collage. We have been experimenting with different art materials and used charcoal to draw a picture of an old bear – we used smudging and rubbing techniques. We have enjoyed getting to know our classroom and can now independently choose resources and games to develop our own learning – the creative table is a favourite! To end our topic this term we have planned a teddy bears picnic. We all brought our teddies to school and ate sandwiches and jelly.

We have celebrated Harvest Festival this term and were very appreciative of all of the gifts of food that were donated which we sent to the Cambridge Foodbank charity for families in need in and around the city of Cambridge. Music is a strength at the primary school and this was evident during the various harvest services. I enjoy hearing all the practises coming from the hall. After half-term the year 5/6 children will be preparing for a visit to the Birmingham NEC to participate in the ‘Young Voices’ concert, with the Melbourn Village Fete Committee kindly paying for all the children to have an event t-shirt. Alongside this, preparations for Christmas will be starting with the Foundation / KS1 Christmas production of The Grumpy Sheep.

The PTFA at the primary school run an exciting calendar of events to help raise funds for the ‘extras’ that school budgets unfortunately just do not cover. This year we will be striving to raise funds to improve our playground and outdoor learning facilities for gardening, environmental studies and the arts. The first event of the academic year is the annual fireworks event, a little earlier than normal on Saturday 29th October at 7pm, which I am looking forward to attending for the first time and perhaps meeting some of you there.

Stephanie Wilcox

Notre Ecole We have been very pleased to welcome several children to our Wednesday after school group. They have been making good progress learning how to greet each other, to talk about themselves and to count to twenty. They have also been learning the French words for some of those things we use in the classroom such as un-crayon – a pencil or un-stylo – a pen.

Meanwhile children attending our Thursday after school group have revised classroom words and are developing this theme to make sentences using prepositions of position to say where one thing is in relation to another. Both groups have enjoyed making the most of the late summer and early autumn sunshine, which has allowed us to take our activities outside.

We have also welcomed some new members to our

adult group. In the beginner’s group we have talked about our summer holidays and revised phrases used to talk about today’s weather and tomorrow’s weather. We have also revisited the grammar rules for forming the past tense.

Meanwhile the more advanced group have been practising the conditional tense and using direct and indirect pronouns.

They have also read and discussed a text in French about the ‘Friends of the Children of Chernobyl’ charity and completed a quiz based around the Shepreth Wildlife Park.

Perhaps you would like to start learning a new language in the New Year, in which case we would be very happy to see you or your child at one of our groups. We are a French native speaker and a graduate of European Studies with French. Please call either Marine on 01763 222876 or Janet on 01763 261231 for further details.

Learn French in a friendly atmosphere *French for Children Games, role-play, songs etc.

Every Wednesday from 3.45pm to 4.30pm Every Thursday from 4:15pm to 5:00pm *French for Adults All levels, Conversation Every Wednesday from 8.00pm to 9.00pm GCSE lessons available by arrangement.

Individual lessons also available.

Tel. Marine – 01763 222876 or Janet – 01763 261231 mob-07533 443153 mob-07791 853448 (Enhanced CRB clearance recently completed)

MVC Open Evening by the Journalism Club The recent Melbourn Village College open evening was a successful event and one that was great to be part of. I was working in the Journalism Club team as part of the English department to set up and run a fun informative and interactive interview system.

We had the idea based on a series of comical interviews the group had made early this year, where to test our interviewing skills with an interesting variety of people and personalities we interviewed each other as fictitious characters. We then repeated the setup with the younger of our visitors and had

the options of us interviewing them as a fictional character or them interviewing members of the club who then were the fictional characters.

We thought that this would be a good way of interacting with people who could be shy or nervous as they could hide behind a fictional character. After some thought we also had visitors interviewing other visitors so as to reduce the intimidating factor of being interviewed by a big, scary year 9.

The team had a successful evening and got a lot of appreciative thank you’s and positive comments from both parents and visiting students.

I really enjoyed working at the Open Evening, it was a great feeling to be positively representing Melbourn Village Collage and interesting to meet with families and children to help them enjoy their evening. I would definitely help again and look forward to having more good experiences with it in the future.

Jeremy Bridle So, my day at open evening, (sigh) I really haven’t been looking forward to this but, okay, my ‘blog’ as I am hesitant to call it goes as follows: I arrived, ‘annoying’ cousin in tow as I went to the drama hall to begin my drama piece of forum theatre, preparing myself for the switch because two parties had requested my services.

Mrs Nichols ordered the hall in her design and we set off to our places. Our act got off to a flying start as I realized this was, in effect, a pantomime. Since I love a good panto’ I was soon ‘in my element’ with several satisfied applicants walking away their confidence in drama renewed. We then merged our plays together and set up an impromptu rota. Everyone was satisfied, the time flew by with our group but at quarter past, I broke it to my group that I would have to leave. They asked me where on earth was I going, so I replied, ‘Into journalism’.

I arrived at the library, cousin in tow once more, and was tasked with the job of interviewing random people who came along in a unconventional manner. Alright I thought, not one to complain, I set to work having to interview a whole host of characters ranging from Tracy Beaker to Henry VIII and even one name of a village idiot. So I took to my task with considerable gusto armed with an amazing recording computer, camera hybrid and throughout the night this was my task. The aftermath consisted of exploring what tasty treats I could find in history (surprisingly quite a lot!) and being told to write this ‘blog’.

I definitely think that journalism club will be infested with new students.

Alex Crockford It began as a small trickle of people that soon became an onrush; me and my fellow journalists, Alex, Jeremy and Robert were desperately trying to keep up with the seemingly endless amount of visitors.

We all had jobs we were supposed to do, I was originally running the video interview, basically I sat down with a kid and interviewed them in front of a small machine with the ability to record and playback our interviews, they had the option to melbournmagazine

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be a fictional character from either their own imaginations or a character from a book/film, or they could be themselves. The majority of the kids chose to be a large range of characters from TV, we had kids pretending to be everyone from Tracy Beaker to Homer Simpson.

Then they had the option to be either the interviewee or the journalist, although nobody chose to be the journalist.

Robert had essentially the same job as me, just without the video booth as we only had one. Jeremy was at the door greeting people and telling them a bit about what we were doing and a bit about the school in general.

Alex arrived later and by that time we were alternating roles every few minutes to try not to get bogged down by the huge amount of people coming in. The visitors came in waves, just as we thought things had calmed down for the evening another group would arrive. Jeremy and I stood at the entrance trying to talk to everyone so they knew what was on offer, however, it was not unusual for a family to slip past us, as we were talking to another.

The prospective students often seemed more confident than us at what we were doing, and would often choose to do a video interview. At one point when there was a large wave some of the students actually asked to interview each other.

Overall, I think the evening was a huge success, everyone had loads of fun and I have a feeling Journalism Club may be adding some new members to its ranks in 2012.

Tom Windred On open evening I was tasked with helping Journalism Club in the library. What we were doing in there was making interviews with the year 5 & 6’s in front of the video booth (a sleek white TV with a web cam in built to record and play back the interviews for the children to watch).

It was a big hit and lots of kids wanted to partake in the activities. Half way in, one of my colleagues who had been working over in drama, came along and helped out which meant that it wasn’t as hard because of the extra help. Later, with about 40 minutes left, another unexpected helper came in the form of Alex’s cousin Andrew.

My personal opinions on the whole night; at first I was bit nervous as were we all, I would think but as the night went on the butterflies went away.

Robert Fox This year’s open evening was a nice experience. One reason was because I performed drama with my friends which we had been working on it for 3-4 weeks, and it was one of the first times I had performed on stage in front of many of the young visitors.

I was rather nervous before we did it even though there were other groups performing around me, plus they were people who I had never met.

The experience was worth practising as it was really fun and I would definitely do it again if I got the opportunity. Every time we performed, people clapped and thanked us. Another reason I enjoyed open evening was because of all the things that people were doing. There was loads of stuff to do. It was a very good night and I hope that they would like to come to MVC because of the lessons and the different subjects.

Andrew Houghton

U3A (University of the Third Age) U3As are self-help, self-managed lifelong learning co-operatives, open to everyone not in full time work, but as the name implies, consisting of mainly older people. The learning experiences are for fun, not for qualifications, and you can brush up a language, play sport or do yoga, share your music or art preferences, discuss books and poetry, study local history or churches, go on long (or short) walks, bird watch, paint, share your collecting, gardening or textile passions, join a quiz or Scrabble group. Or, start up a group to share your own interest/skills!

Melbourn and District U3A currently has over 30 interest groups supported by members from many surrounding communities and if you would like to join or know more please contact Arthur Alderton 01763 260399

Workers’ Educational Association (WEA) The spring courses will be held at Royston Town Hall on Tuesday Mornings 10am–11.30am starting on 17th January.

If possible, please enroll on 10th January between 10am and 11am at Royston Town Hall. The fee for 10 classes is £45, payment by cheque preferred, payable to WEA Royston.

There is a choice of courses: 1960s in retrospect by Stephen Barnard or Bright Wings of Summer by Brian Sawford.

A more general natural history course. Contact Carol Bradshaw 01763 268678.

From an Old Melbourn School Girl In 1952 when the Saxon burials were being excavated at The Whiting Company site in Back Lane, a group of pupils from the school were taken to the dig. I, and a friend remember that we were allowed to jump into the graves and take bones as a souvenir. Are there any people in the village who remember this trip and did they keep the bones? Both my friend and I got the heebie-jeebies and the bones were buried for us by our families.

I do enjoy the magazine keep up the good work.

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Learn to

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United Reformed Church News Harvest Festival and Scarecrow Display The harvest festival and scarecrow display during September was a great success and enjoyed by all who attended. Matthew McCombie, our talented guest pianist was outstanding, playing Schubert, Liszt and Chopin as well as Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole.

This year we were supporting Tools with a Mission (TWAM).

During the weekend all sorts of tools were donated and these have been delivered to a warehouse in Ipswich. From Melbourn there were 6 spades, 4 forks, 2 rakes, 8 hoes, 4 shears, 2 typewriters, 2 sewing machines, 100 knitting needles, 10 saws, 1 socket set, 50 + spanners, large numbers of woodworking tools and numerous other items. These things will all be checked and serviced before been packed and sent. The next container, going a few days after our delivery, was heading for Zambia who had requested specific combinations of items. The proceeds from the refreshments and the sale of harvest produce came to £286 and was also donated to TWAM. Everyone who attended our harvest service was invited to be in a photograph of the congregation and then most people stayed for the bring and share lunch. Thank you to everyone who helped and supported these ventures.

Christmas Bazaar On Saturday 3 December, Melbourn URC will be holding its annual Christmas Bazaar. We open the doors at 10 am for traditional stalls and games. Refreshments will be available throughout the morning. You are also invited to enjoy a hot lunch at 12.30. This festive event gets you off to a great start for Christmas. A warm welcome to all.

At Songs of Praise ‘The Big Sing’ On Sunday the 11th September, a group from Melbourn Linked Pastorate joined with 5000 other people in the Albert Hall to record material for two programmes. They are due to be broadcast on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

Above: A Twam volunteer mechanic Left: Outside the URC at the Harvest Festival.

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Take a fresh look at The Cambridge Home-Start Royston & South Cambridgeshire are looking for more volunteers - could you give a Home-Start family the most precious gift - your time ?

Our volunteers are all parents or grandparents who can give a few hours a week to help families who are finding it difficult to cope All parents need emotional and practical help to get through the first few years, but not everyone has friends or family nearby This is when Home-Start volunteers can help!

Further details can be obtained by calling into our offices: Unit 6, Valley Farm, Meldreth, SG8 6JP, or contacting us on 01763 262262 and talking to Barbara or e-mailing admin@hsrsc.co.uk

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Supporters of All Saints’ (SOAS) Two splendid fund raising events have recently taken place in aid of the Parish Church.

The first was a Quiz Evening that raised £300 for the funds and was an evening of great hilarity especially when the ‘valuable prizes’ were produced for the winning team. One wonders if that supply of mugs will ever end?

The second was the Russian Evening in October when one of our members Olga Leonordova, with the aid of Sharon, produced a complete three-course meal for a packed hall. It was truly Russian and even included a small glass of vodka to help the digestion. The Committee and helpers were kept very busy serving the tables but from the conversation and comments everybody had a wonderful time.

SOAS will be busy at the Church Christmas Bazaar in November selling their cards and novelties and the programme for 2012 is beginning to take shape.

The subscription is set at a minimum donation of £3.00 for individuals and £5.00 for a household and that’s a bargain in these cash-strapped days. Please let me know if you would like to join.

Colin Limming, Membership Secretary 01763 260072 colin.limming@btinternet.com

SOAS 100 Club The August draw of the SOAS 100 Club was made by Mr Mike Rawlings on 9th September. There were 76 members. The first prize of £25.40 goes to Robert Burgess (78) at 5 Rupert Neve Close and the second of £12.70 to Mrs M Handscombe (47) at 23 Palmers Way. The September draw of the SOAS 100 Club was made

by Rev Andrew O’Brien on 30th September. There were 76 members. The first prize of £25.40 goes to Rebecca Gatward at 94 High Street and the second of £12.70 to Colin Limming at 4 Chapman’s Close.

The October draw was made by Rev Andrew O’Brien on 30th October. There were 76 members. The first prize of £25.40 goes to Mrs P R Mitchell (25) at 3 Meadow Way and the second to Helen Poley (46) at 11 Water Lane.

The Word of God from David Burbridge The fact that the Jews have never lost their identity though scattered throughout the nations of the world, and suffered many extermination attemps, most clearly proves the spiritual and historical truth of the Holy Bible.

‘Saith the Lord, who stretchest forth the heavens and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him: I will destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem, and will pour upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem the spirit of grace and of supplications, and they shall look upon Me whom they have pierced and they shall mourn.’

Zechariah 12.1 & 9/10

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Get Yourself Fit and feel great!

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Bowls Malcolm Davey 262704 Bridge Club Howard Waller 261693 1st Melbourn Rainbows Abigail Roberts 261505 Brownies 1st Melbourn Stephanie Clifford 220272 Brownies 2nd Melbourn Samantha Pascoe 261400 Cricket Martin Winter 262733 Croquet Janet Pope 248342 Football Club Andrew Edwards 223109 Dynamos Football Club Les Morley 07739 593771 Gardening Club Helen Powell 245887 Judo Derek Coult 225004 Melbourn Sports Centre Graham Johnson-Mack 263313 Photographic Club Bruce Huett 232855 Ramblers Dave Allard 242677 Royston and District Round Table Michael Seymour 221398 Squash Club Nick Sugden 261064 Swimming Club Jenny Brackley 244593 Tennis (Melbourn) Dave Liddiard 07508 995 781 Tennis (Meldreth) Sue Davies 220174

A Winter Wonderland at MSC! We’re not going to let those long winter nights stop us from enjoying our exercise! As well as our indoor facilities like the swimming pool, squash courts and sports hall, we have loads of classes to keep you fit and healthy, including Boxercise, Core Stability, Swim Clinic, AquaFit, Pilates and Body Workout. We also now offer table tennis alongside our normal indoor racket sports. And they’re all reasonably priced, so the one thing that will stay plump is your purse!

Looking to book a birthday or Christmas party? How about bouncing those cares away with our new trampolining party, now available as well as our normal activities. We also have the adjacent Community Centre available for booking, with or without the pool facilities.

Trampolining is also part of our Olympic countdown lesson programme, offered to children at full-time school, as are the Saturday gymnastic lessons run by a qualified instructor, for children aged 3 and up.

With Christmas just round the corner, keep your eye out for our gift promotion – a fun and fit idea if you’re looking for something different to buy a loved one or friend (or treat yourself!).

For further details on parties, gift memberships or any of our activities, please drop in, call 01763 263313 or go online at www.melbournsports. com. We look forward to seeing you this season!

Graham Johnson-Mack, Melbourn Sports Centre

Autumn Review After the success of our summer

activities, including the ever-popular Pentathlons and holiday courses, we were looking for new and exciting ways to continue our community’s interest in exercise, as the nights grew shorter.

This included a new gymnastics class on Saturdays, which was an instant hit.

We also ran tennis coaching sessions during the summer, funded by Sportivate, aimed at 14-24 year olds. They proved to be very successful, with a healthy number of attendants continuing to play tennis after the course. The Melbourn and District tennis club is still working hard to increase participant numbers, with Set2Play Tennis having been awarded the coveted Beacon status, which usually takes years to gain! They have also donated windbreaks, already erected and in use on the courts.

Attendance numbers for swimming seem fairly consistent, now that the summer holidays are over. We expect this trend to remain steady over the next few months. Why not get in some early practice for next year’s Swimathon and join our lane swimming or public swim sessions, in a nice warm pool?

We would like to thank MC-Splash Swimming Club and its members for generously donating approximately £150.00 toward the purchase of a new speed clock, which we believe will be an asset to both young and old pupils on our popular swimming lesson plan.

1st Melbourn Rainbows During the summer term we worked towards our Roundabout Badge where we worked on activities based around the themes of Look, Learn, Laugh and Love. The girls have a choice of activities for each section and they choose which activity they wish to do. This is part of our encouraging the girls to make their own decisions and to accept decisions made by others in the unit.

The first activity was based around the theme of Look and the girls chose to look at and discuss their dolls. Each girl told the other Rainbows their doll’s name, how they got their doll and if there were any characteristics about the doll that were similar to themselves.

After this activity they chose for the theme Love, hand painting. The girls were asked to make creatures using melbournmagazine

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We are a warm, friendly, family run home conveniently situated close to the station and town centre of Royston.

If you would like to find out more about St George’s, please call us for a brochure or drop in for a chat.

42 Kneesworth Street, Royston, Herts. SG8 5AQ Telephone: 01763 242243 web site: www.stgeorgescare.com

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their handprints and some wonderful, colourful pictures were made of caterpillars, birds, butterflies, ladybirds plus many more. This is always a popular activity with the girls and I expect with the parents who have to try get the wet paintings home without covering themselves in paint!

This was followed by our Learn activity, which was how to make a smoothie.

The girls designed their own smoothie recipes and then made them using strawberries, blackcurrants, yoghurt plus lots of other delicious ingredients.

For our last activity, Laugh, the girls decided to do foot painting. This was, as you can imagine, quite a messy and funny experience. I know I still had paint between my toes when I got home so I expect the Rainbows did too.

For our summer outing we visited Shepreth Wildlife Park where we had a fantastic day seeing wonderful animals, birds and insects including watching the tigers being fed, the birds of prey flying and having an educational talk. The girls behaved beautifully as you would expect from Rainbows.

Unfortunately during the summer term we did lose two of our most valued helpers Michele Hooker (Orchid) and Vanessa Merrick (Violet). We also at the beginning of the Autumn Term had to say goodbye to Tulip, Joanne Evans, who will be attending Winchester University and we all wish her lots of success for the future. We were all very sad to see them go and will miss them very much, but we hope they will still come back and visit us.

As usual we have lots of fun activities planned for the new Autumn Term and we are also busy preparing our Annual Sleepover for January 2012, which we all look forward to.

Although we do have quite a long waiting list, if your daughter wishes to become a Rainbow, please call Abigail Roberts, Unit Leader on 01763 261505.

Guides, we camped near Norwich and enjoyed kayaking and climbing, as well as firelighting, cooking and crafts. We did experience one afternoon of very heavy rain, but it was a valuable lesson in how to pitch a tent correctly!

We started the autumn term with 33 girls and formed new patrols, so settled in with an evening of patrol bonding activities, including drawing a friendship web, and trying to fit six girls onto an ever-shrinking sheet of newspaper. The following week we hit the High Street and Riverside Park armed with torches, compasses, and a patrol treasure hunt

quiz. Despite there being a new moon and it therefore extremely dark in the park, we all got round and out safely, with 3 of the 6 patrols scoring 95%.

In October we enjoyed a visit from Lainie and Peter of the Shepreth Wildlife Park, who talked about the importance of conservation, and let us handle some of their creatures. High on the ‘yuk’ factor were the giant cockroaches, snails and huge black stick insects; the royal pythons tested the snake-o-phobes amongst us, but the finale of a brace of cute long haired skunks stole the show.

A wonderful evening.

1st Melbourn Guides Whew, what a scorcher! OK, slight exaggeration, but we probably had one of the best weeks of the summer for our annual camp. Together with 2nd Melbourn and Steeple Morden melbournmagazine

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FROG END PET SUPPLIES at Phillimore Garden Centre

A pet shop that caters for all your pet needs • • • • •

all types of birds rabbits guinea pigs many other animals wide range of accessories and pet supplies Also stockists for CALOR GAS Ample parking facilities Open 7 days a week Mon to Sat 9.00am – 6.00pm Sunday 9.30am – 4.30pm Cambridge Road, Melbourn, Cambs. SG8 6EY Tel 01763 263342

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www.melbourncambridge.co.uk

We currently have a full unit and a waiting list, and would welcome another adult leader. However if you would like to know more about becoming a Guide or a leader, or if you have any skills or hobbies which you would like to share with us, please contact me on: 01763 261443 or email: melbournguides@ gmail.com Hilary Marsh

Melbourn and District Gardening Club Are you interested in gardening? Why not join the Melbourn and District Gardening Club on a regular or occasional basis.

We meet at 7.30 on the second Tuesday each month, at the Community Hall, behind All Saints’ Church (near traffic lights, lane by telephone box).

January 10th – slides and talk by Richard Revel, photographer on Britain’s Wonderful Wildlife. A collection of recent pictures, taken of Britain’s wildlife. Birds, Mammals, Wild Flowers, Butterflies, and other invertebrates, together with the landscape of our varied countryside.

February 14th – Richard Ayres, retired gardener from Anglesey Abbey, is an entertaining and very knowledgeable speaker, who will show slides and advise us on choosing herbaceous plants.

March 12th – Pauline & Gerald Greenway from Priorswood Clematis Nursery near Ware, will visit the club to give a talk, with slides on on all aspects of growing Clematis. How to choose your ideal plant, where and how to plant, prune and feed. Plants from the nursery will be for sale.

Outings There will be an evening visit to Hopleys Nursery at Much Hadham near Ware in July. We are planning next year’s coach outing at the end of May, probably to the late Christopher Lloyd’s garden, Great Dixter in East Sussex. Non members are welcome to come with us, if there are spaces.

The 2012 programme, will be available for non members in November.

13 December 2011 – Christmas Social Evening.

10 January 2012 – Britain’s Wonderful Wildlife – Richard Revels.

14 February 2012 – Fun with Herbaceous Plants - Richard Ayres.

13 March 2012 – Clematis Priorswood Clematis Nursery.

New members and visitors very welcome.

For more information telephone Helen 01763 245887 or Angela 01763 262793

Melbourn and District Photographic Club This long-standing club of local photographers from Melbourn and the surrounding area meets weekly from September to April at Foxton Village Hall. Meetings are from 7.30 to 9.30 on Tuesdays. We have recently welcomed a number of new members, including some Duke of Edinburgh award students from Melbourn Village College. The programme December to April comprises: 6 December – Club evening: Critique of competition entries 13 December – Competition: Melbourn Trophy 3 January – Xmas meal 10 January – Lecture: Safari to the Back Garden and Beyond: Barrie Hattan 17 January – Competition: Panel Prints 24 January – Lecture: The Best of Ted Rowe: Ted Rowe 31 January – Competition: Melbourn v. Gamlingay 7 February – Competition: Melbourn v Bottisham and Burwell 14 February – Competition: Projected image 21 February – Lecture: Simple but not easy: John Bulpitt 28 February – Competition: Prints 6 March – Club evening: Landscapes 9 March – (FRI) Competition: Melbourn v. Saffron Walden and Letchworth 13 March – Competition: Projected Image of the year 17 March – (SAT) Competition: Melbourn Trophy Final

18 (SUN) March – Practical 20 March – Competition: Print of the year 27 March – Club evening: Judging 3 April – AGM New members, of any skill level, will be warmly welcomed. For further information please ring the secretary: Bruce Huett 01763 232 855

Ramblers’ Association Royston and District An invitation is extended to members of the public to join us for a 5¼ mile circular walk starting from the Black Horse Public House at Brent Pelham at 10am on Tuesday 3rd January or you may meet us at Royston Town Hall car park at 9.30am. It will be possible to pre-order bar snacks before the walk.

It is hoped to visit the church at Brent Pelham to view the tomb of Piers Shonks, the dragon slayer. The walk is in pleasant rolling countryside. The walk is free. Festival of Winter Walks www. ramblers-herts-northmiddlesex.org.uk

Melbourn Dynamos Football Club www.melbourndynamos.co.uk Our new 2011/12 football season is now well underway with a busy training and match schedule for all our young players. We now have a permanent base at Melbourn Village College, where we hold our training and home matches in beautiful surroundings.

MDFC is a friendly community football club and we give boys and girls the opportunity to play regular football regardless of their experience or ability. Our squads train weekly and play matches at weekends in the Royston Crow Youth League. Our younger members play 7 a side football on small pitches, moving through to 11 a side on bigger pitches for the older players.

MDFC is now 8 years old and is going from strength to strength. Starting out with a handful of local children and parents in 2003 we now have approximately 180 children aged 4–15 years signed up to our club. continued on page 55

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Jazzercise combines jazz dance, resistance training, Pilates, yoga, cardio box and Latin style movements into a fun and effective total body workout. All ages and abilities welcome

Melbourn Village College W ednesday: Jazzercise 7.15 pm Greneway School, Garden Walk, Royston Tuesday: Bodysculpt 6.15 pm Jazzercise 7.00 pm Thursday: Bodysculpt 6.40 pm Jazzercise 7.30 pm Saturday: Jazzercise 9.00 am Seth Ward Community Centre, Buntingford Thursday: Jazzercise 6.15 pm For more information call Linda on 01763 241527 www.jazzercise4fitness.co.uk

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Nature Winter Barks & Traceries

at the Botanic Garden

example, has a trunk of deep mahogany red, burnished and satin shiny, striped with bands of peeling bark interspersed with elongated lenticels. It was introduced to Britain by Ernest ‘Chinese’ Wilson in 1908. At the eastern end of the Winter Garden, a special selection of the Chinese Red Birch, Betula albosinensis var septentrionalis is grown as a tri-stemmed specimen. The bark is irresistible to the touch and generations of visitors have polished it to a shimmering smooth surface of rosy pink, pearly grey and warm apricot.

Perfect Proteas

Tibetan Cherry Bark

As the last bonfire-coloured leaves of autumn are blown from the branches, winter reveals the bone structure of the Garden. The deciduous trees take on a spare grandeur, and one of the finest is the Black Walnut (Juglans nigra) that stands at the junction of the snaking path from the new Brookside Gate with the original peripheral path enclosing the 1846 Garden. Once the large pinnate leaves that turn a warm butter yellow in autumn are shed, the deeply-fissured dark bark and vast, spreading crown are revealed. In winter sunshine, the statuesque yet sinuous tracery of the bare-branched canopy casts a plaited shadow pattern on nearby Brookside Lawn.

Another wonderful tree for winter is the Persian Ironwood (Parrotia persica), by the Systematic Beds. It is a native of the southern Caucasus and northern Iran and is named for its extremely hard wood. The flattened, spreading canopy of branches in a patchwork pattern of buff, pink and pearly grey, have self-grafted and fused into an intricate lattice. Some of the ornamental cherries and birches also display beautiful barks.

The Tibetan Cherry (Prunus serrula), for

The Temperate House of the Glasshouse Range is home to Continents Apart, a display focusing on the floristically rich Cape region of South Africa and that of Southwest Australia. Over three-quarters of all plants growing in these firedependent environments grow wild nowhere else on earth.

With so many exotic and unusual flowering plants, including the King Proteas and Pincushion flowers from South Africa, and the Grass Trees and aptly-named Kangaroo Paw from Australia, the plantings provide a horticultural display to excite the eye, and flowering is at its best in the winter.

When flowering plants first appeared, Australia and South Africa were conjoined as part of the supercontinent called Gondwana, which started to break up around 180 million years ago. Continents Apart also explores how plant families that originated in Gondwana and are still common to Australia and South Africa, like Proteaceae, evolved once these land masses drifted apart. Both floras also exhibit a fascinating dependency on bushfire for regeneration.

So in the colder months, let the Glasshouse Range take you on the ultimate winter minibreak – a tour of the world’s floras in an afternoon!

The Cambridge University Botanic Garden and Botanic Shop will be closed from 24 December – 02 January 2012 inclusive and reopen on 3 January from 10am until 4pm through January and February, with the Garden Café and Glasshouse Range closing at 3.30pm. Adult admission is £4.00 (£3.50 Concessions). Join the Friends & help the Garden grow!

To discover this week’s Plant Picks from the Head of Horticulture, please visit the website at www.botanic.cam.ac.uk or telephone 01223 336265 for admission charges, tours and special events.

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Dan Alder Painting & Decorating

13 Rupert Neve Close Melbourn Nr Royston SG8 6FB

Mobile: 07843 621885

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www.melbourncambridge.co.uk

Our Under 10 squad is pictured on the right.

We always welcome new players, with or without football experience, to join our squads. If you are a boy or girl aged 4 – 15, interested in playing football, please contact us to find out more. For the younger ones aged 4 – 5 years, we run a ‘Dynamites’ Saturday morning ‘pay as you go’ fun football session in Melbourn. All welcome.

If you are interested in finding out more about MDFC, please contact Nicky Patel on 07951 590139 or email us on melbourndynamos@aol.com

WANTED! Girls aged 11 – 14 (School Years 7/8/9) We are building a girls squad, coached by a fully qualified FA coach. If you know of any girls who might be interested in playing football, please contact Nicky Patel on 07951 590139.

All of our coaches are CRB checked and qualified to a minimum of F.A. Level 1 standard. We are also recognised as a Charter Status Club, which means that we have all the correct people and practices in place to operate in line with government requirements.

Grinnel Hill BMX Club Coming soon to Melbourn – the Grinnel Hill BMX Club. A new and exciting local community project!

Located at Grinnel Hill on London Way, the club will cater for locals

aged twelve to adult and visitors from surrounding towns and counties.

Our aim is to promote an activity for the young community of Melbourn to participate in, with the guidance of our committee and experts, in a safe and friendly environment. Members will have access to BMX coaching and expertise on site during club open days.

Acknowledgements A local group of BMX riders have put many hours of hard work and dedication into building the BMX jumps on the site at Grinnel Hill.

None of this would have been possible without the ongoing support of Melbourn Parish Council who owns the site. Cllr Val Barrett, who has supported the project from the beginning and Cllr’s Mike Linnette, Jose Hales and Irene Bloomfield who have also given great support to get things up and running.

To construct the BMX jumps, a great

deal of earth has had to be brought on to the site. We would like to thank the following local Businesses who have donated time and materials. Clive Onslow of Seearo Group Ltd for soil and a digger, so that we could get things up and running. Peter Norbury of Norburys Building and Landscape Supplies also provided us with soil for construction and also the foundations of a track and car park, which has enabled us to provide on site parking and David Mallyon of Alfreshco Paint and Graphics, who has given up a lot of time to provide us with a regular water supply so that we can build and maintain the jumps.

Melbourn Bridge Club The Bridge Club continues to thrive, now attracting an average of 28 players each Monday. We have been meeting at the Vicarage Close Community Centre for two years now, with a very friendly group of both good players and the less experienced who are not daunted by the duplicate competitive element. There has recently been an Individual Tournament, won by Kevin Clark, with Fergus Moynihan and Linda Carey coming second and third. We are sure that this is the first of many Tournaments. If you would like to try some good fun Bridge we are very happy that you should come along with or without a partner. More details can be obtained from Howard Waller tel.

01763 261693. melbournmagazine

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wE Are a RAre brEed One of only a handful of butchers in Britain to run our own abattoir, we are Master Butchers in the truest sense.

From farming selection through to cutting and hanging, our craftsmen make sure you always know exactly where your meat is coming from: from pasture to pantry.

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www.melbourncambridge.co.uk

28/1/11 6:04:41 pm

Your local lawn care company Be the envy of your neighbours!

17, Royston SG8 SG86EU 6EU 17,Portway, Portway,Melbourn, Melbourn, Royston Phone 07976-769398 Phone01945-428757 01945-428757 Mobile Mobile 07976-769398 Surveysofofall allgas gas & & lpg lpg appliances appliances carried Surveys carriedout. out.

Surveys of hot & cold water installations carried out.

Surveys of hot & cold water installations carried out.

We provide: • Lawn moss killing • Scarification • Aeration • Complete weed and disease control • Bespoke feed programme • Hard surface weed control

17, Melbourn, SG8 6EU 17,Portway, Portway, Melbourn, Royston SG8 6EU out.

Surveys of central heatingRoyston systems carried

Phone Mobile 07976-769398 Surveys of 01945-428757 central heating systems carried out.

Phone 01945-428757 Mobile 07976-769398

Gas & lpg boilers serviced or replaced.

Gas &heating lpgallboilers serviced or or replaced.

Surveys of gas & lpg appliances carried out.

Central systems replaced upgraded.

Surveys of all gas & lpg appliances carried out.

Surveys of hot & cold water installations carried out.

Surveys heating of hotPowerflushing & cold waterreplaced installations out.

Central systems upgraded. service.or carried Surveys Surveysof ofcentral centralheating heatingsystems systemscarried carriedout. out.

Servicing, faultfinding, repairs toservice. all gas & lpg appliances.

Gas & Powerflushing lpg boilers serviced or replaced.

Gas & lpg boilers serviced or replaced.

Bathrooms fitted. Underfloor installations.

Central heating systems or upgraded.

Servicing, faultfinding, repairsreplaced to heating all gas & lpg appliances.

Central heating systems replaced or upgraded.

All general plumbing work undertaken.

Powerflushing service.

Powerflushing Bathrooms fitted.

Underfloorservice. heating installations.

Servicing, faultfinding, repairs to all gas & lpg appliances.

Landlord & Gas repairs Safety to Certificates Servicing, faultfinding, all gas & lpgissued. appliances.

All carried general plumbing work undertaken.

Bathrooms fitted.

Underfloor heating installations.

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by Gas Safe Registered engineers.

Bathrooms fitted.

Underfloor heating installations.

All general plumbing work undertaken.

Landlord & Gas Safetywork Certificates issued.

All general plumbing undertaken.

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Gas Safety Certificates issued.

Landlord & Gas Safety Certificates issued.engineers.

All works carried GasSafe Safe Registered All works carriedout out by

by Gas Registered engineers.

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All works carried out by Gas Safe Registered engineers.

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melbournmagazine

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www.melbourncambridge.co.uk

It wasn’t all riots last summer

Available on Royston Market: ➧ Fresh Fruit and Veg, Fish

direct from Great ➧ Yarmouth, Bread and Cakes, ➧ Flowers and Plants ➧ Groceries, Jewellery

(Gold bought for Cash) ➧ Picture Framing ➧ Plastics ➧ Swimming Pool Supplies ➧ Kitchenware

In the same month when you were reading in your newspapers and seeing on the news channels the riots in our cities and towns, some 40,000 young people from nearly every nation in the world were meeting together in Sweden for two weeks of getting together to exchange news and views, to find out about reach other’s cultures and to live harmoniously together.

If you missed that then blame the news media because it seems that ‘good news in no news’ and doesn’t sell newspapers.

Neither did the media report much if anything about a group of young people in south London who joined with other youth organisations in clearing up the mess left by the riots, and even painting a mural on the boarding around the House of Reeves furniture store that had been burnt down.

So who were these young people? Just a few of the 500,000 Scouts in the United Kingdom who week in and week out carry on the tradition of ‘a good deed’ laid down over 100 years ago.

While we have Rainbows, Brownies and Guides in our town it’s a pity that so many of our young men and boys have to go out of Melbourn for their Scouting. Several efforts have been made to re-start Scouting but it is the problem of finding leaders that is the big stumbling block.

Colin Limming.

➧ Antiques ➧ Pet Supplies.

Have you seen our new Furniture Stall?

Why not give your old furniture a new life – have it sprayed or sanded, House Clearance also available – see Fred and Kay for more details, every Wednesday and Saturday.

FIVE BEST SENTENCES 1 You cannot legislate the poor into prosperity, by legislating the wealth out of prosperity.

2 What one person receives without working for another person must work for without receiving.

3 The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else.

4 You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it.

5 When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work, because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work, because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that is the beginning of the end of any nation!

(This is the thesis of Atlas Shrugged. Ayn Rand)

In Chinese numerology and Feng Shui 2011 experienced four unusual dates: 1/1/11, 1/11/11, 11/1/11, 11/11/11.

Take the last two digits of the year you were born and the age you were in 2011 and the result will add up to 111 for everyone!

2011 was also the year of MONEY! Also, October had 5 Sundays, 5 Mondays & 5 Saturdays, which only happens only once every 823 years. melbournmagazine

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www.melbourncambridge.co.uk

M

Melbourn Flooring and Interiors Limited

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Vast Range of Carpets, Vinyl’s, Real Wood, Laminates Karndean and Amtico.

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www.melbournflooring.co.uk VISIT OUR LARGE SHOWROOM 9 TO 5 MONDAY TO FRIDAY 9 TO 4 SATURDAY OR CALL ON 01763 262413 AND SPEAK TO ONE OF OUR FRIENDLY STAFF AMPLE FREE PARKING Melbourn Flooring and Interiors Limited is celebrating approval of their selling practices by the Office of Fair Trading, the consumer affairs champion. OFT approval means that Melbourn Flooring and Interiors Limited will be using a new Consumer Code of Practice, which will take all the worry out of buying a carpet. melbournmagazine

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Gibbs Denley

MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR MONEY GET INDEPENDENT FINANCIAL ADVICE FROM REPUTABLE LOCAL ADVISERS

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Pinney Moore & Co Ltd is an appointed representative of Gibbs Denley which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority 62

www.melbourncambridge.co.uk

Cambridgeshire Registered Trader Scheme The Cambridgeshire Registered Trader Scheme can help by providing you with a list of traders who have been checked by Cambridgeshire Trading Standards.

Advertisers

Type of business

Tel. No.

Absolute Solutions Amber Osteopathy

Bathroom Design and Installation Osteopathic & Sports Injury Clinics

01763 261777 01462 742942

Bannold Bretts Bury Lane Farm Shop Butlers

Landscaping Materials Plumbing and Heating Fresh produce, Coffee shop Taxi and Car Service

01954 231666 01763 260007 01763 260418 01763 212223

Cambridge Building Society Cambourne Self Storage CAMTAD Carters Shoes Cheap Storage Child Nursing Team Cooper, P.L. & Sons Ltd Creative Building Landscape

Building Society Secure Storage Deafness Advisory sessions Shoes – wide choice Secure Storage Family Health Advice Flooring Specialists Building design & Conversions

01763 217510 01954 717444 01223 416141 01223 264930 01763 262344 01763 262861 01763 260918 01763 802003

Dan Alder David Hall

Painting & Decorating Bespoke furniture

Fieldgate Nurseries Fowlmere Village Hall Frogend Pet Supplies

Advertisers

Type of business

Tel. No.

Melbourn Flooring

Flooring, Tiling & Home Interiors

01763 262413

Melbourn Garage

MOT and Servicing

01763 263344

Michael Eastern

Personal Trainer

01763 249254

M&M Books

Second hand & rare books

01763 849789

Molly Maid

Cleaning Services

01462 896123

Meridian Lawncare

Lawn care company

01763 242909

Phillimore

Garden Centre

01763 260537

Prince Property Improvements Property Repairs

01763 269565

Pinney, Moore and Co.

Financial Advisers

01954 234370

Redgate Plastering

Plasterers

07588 472691

Riding for the Disabled Association

01223 290807

Roots Designs

Building Surveyor

07795 337046

07843 621885 01763 261010

Rothwells

Carpet Cleaning

01223 832928

Rubber Roofing company

Roofing Solutions

01763 869035

Fruit, vegetables, flowers & plants Hall Facilities Pet supplies

01763 260737 08704 649200 01763 263342

Rule, Jeremy

Funeral Service

01763 242560

Simon Robinson

Picture Frames

01223 873123

Greenlow

Kennel & Cattery

01763 260624

South Cambs Motors

Motor Car Servicing

01763 260246

Specialist Dental Partners

Dentist

01763 261129

H20

Gas, Heating & Plumbing

01945 428757

Sprint Printers

Printers and Copiers

01763 263339

Harry, Kathleen. B.Sc.Hons.

Home Start Home Store

Osteopath Family Support Bathroom & Tiling

01223 842978 01763 242919 01763 245888

St Georges

Nursing Home

01763 242243

Taylor & Co

Chartered Accountants

01763 248545

Jazzercise J&M Carpet Care Jeremy Ashworth Julie Newby

Dance based Fitness Carpet Cleaning Electrician & Property Maintenance Beauty Therapist

01763 241527 01954 780999 01763 230831 01763 208387

The Letting Centre

Letting Agency

01763 263039

The Spice Hut

Indian Takeaway

01763 262425

Thomas, Chris

Professional Cleaning

01223 836002

Tony Buch

Guitar Lessons

01763 262938

Law Storage Leech, C.A Little Hands LM Homeopathy

Secure storage Butchers Nursery School Health & Wellbeing

01223 874629 01763 260255 01763 260964 01763 290282

Tree Tops

Small tree work

01223 208733

TW Painting & Decorating

Painters & Decorators

07811 957257

Urban Plastics

Plumbing, electrical supplies

01763 262337

Mel-bourn2Swim Melbourn Community Sports

Swimming School Sports Centre

01763 262344 01763 263313

Warners

Letting Agency

01763 242528

Wrights Mower Centre

Garden Machinery Supply & Maint.

01763 263393

melbournmagazine

Magazine Advertisers

lf you live in Cambridgeshire, are aged over 60 or have a physical or learning disability, you are eligible to use this Scheme.

Telephone Age Concern, Cambridgeshire on 01223 221 921.

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