Meldreth Matters, August 2019

August 2019

In this issue … Favourite Jaunts Letters to the Editor Melbourn Hub Meldreth Pumping Station Events include … Football Tournament Live Rock Music Maycroft Alzheimer’s Walk

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Contents What’s On in August Local Events 30-31 Maycroft Alzheimer’s Walk 6-7 Summary of Meldreth Events 3

Gardens & Nature Gardening 36-37 Open Gardens in Meldreth 11 Transport Greenways Consultation 9

Village Groups Friends of Holy Trinity 42-43 Lift Off Choir 34 Tennis Club 44 WI 38 Women’s Group 41

Local/National Government Local Councillors 50-51 News from Heidi Allen 52-53 Parish Council 46-48 Planning 48

Children & Education 1st Melbourn Guides 17 1st Meldreth Brownies 16 Events for Families 22 Preschool 15 Primary School 19-21

Advice/Information Advertisers’ Index 56 Dementia Friends 7 Have Your Say 37 Mobile Warden Scheme 2 Neighbourhood Watch 27 Refuse Collections 28 Village Directory 54-55 Volunteering Opportunity 21

Miscellaneous Ann Barnes: an appreciation 5 Favourite Jaunts 32-33 Letters to the Editor 24-25 Melbourn Hub 12 Meldreth Pumping Station 10-11

The opinions expressed in the letters and articles in this magazine are those of the writers, who are responsible for the accuracy of the information contained within them.

The last date for copy is the 12th of each month. Copy should be submitted by email where possible, to meldrethmatters@hotmail.com or delivered to the Editor, Kathryn Betts at 36 North End, Meldreth, SG8 6NT Tel. (01763) 268428 The Editor reserves the right to withhold from publication or to shorten if necessary, any article or letter sent to her.

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Editorial Welcome to the August issue of Meldreth Matters. This month, we have the first in an occasional series of articles on our favourite jaunts from Meldreth (pages 32-33). If you have a favourite place that you like to visit, please let us know by emailing meldrethmatters@hotmail.com. Finally, please take a few minutes to respond to the Melbourn Greenways consultation which closes on 5th August (see page 9). An off-road link to Royston, including a bridge over the A505, will benefit us all by providing a safe walking and cycling route, thereby easing congestion on our roads. Kathryn

This Month’s Cover Picture The stocks and whipping post, from an old postcard, c.1905. For more information and photographs, see http:// www.meldrethhistory.org.uk/page_id__278.aspx. Kathryn Betts

Melbourn Mobile Warden Scheme Supporting people in Melbourn, Meldreth & Shepreth Can we help you? Your relative? Your neighbour? What is the service? We offer twice weekly visits and daily phone calls to support elderly or mobility impaired residents in their own homes by building a friendship and helping prevent social isolation. We can carry out errands such as local shopping, collecting prescriptions, paying bills or going to the Post Office so people can remain supported and independent at home. We can also help couples or those living with their family. We are also trained to support people living with dementia. Who provides the services? Mobile wardens, who have all been carefully selected for their caring nature and are DBS checked. What will it cost? We do make a small charge for the services, which is from as little as ÂŁ7.50 per week. How can I join? For more information please contact Jeannie on 07808 735066 or Jane on 07592 821976. Melbourn Mobile Warden Scheme is a registered charity 2

August Events in Meldreth Friday 2nd 8.30 - 11.00pm

Sunday 25th 10.30am-12.30pm

Live rock music with Pale Horse plus support

Maycroft Alzheimer’s Walk

Eternit Sports and Social Club, Whaddon Road

See pages 6-7

All welcome, free entry, licensed bar, real ale, etc .

13th, 15th, 19th & 21st, 6.45pm kick-off The John Fallon Memorial Cup Football tournament at Eternit Sports and Social Club Organised by Meldreth United Football Club All proceeds to the East Anglian Air Ambulance See back page

Lost Property If you have lost an item around the village please contact Mick Taylor, the Meldreth Litter Picker, on (01763) 261118 in addition to posting on the Spotted in Meldreth Facebook page, as Mick is not on Facebook. Judy Damant Meldreth Parish Council Clerk 3

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New Yoga Class for Meldreth Meldreth Village Hall Mondays 9.00 – 10.30 am th

Starts 14 January 2019 and runs weekly during term time Friendly, supportive classes in a non-competitive environment helping you to develop strength, flexibility and well-being. Suitable for all abilities. £10 drop-in or £90 for a 10 class pass. More details at www.yoga2.co.uk or email Chris and Shelagh: yoga2@btinternet.com

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Ann Barnes: an appreciation I really don’t know how any of us can even begin to thank Ann for all she has done. It was her idea to produce this magazine in the first place, it was Ann who got it going, who named it and who has put so much into it behind the scenes since its conception. It wasn’t a particularly difficult birth(!) but it was one that involved a great deal of time, effort and organisation; finding sponsorship, persuading people to write articles for it, editing, photocopying (Eternit bore the costs and gave us the use of their photocopier), and then delivering it through every single door in the village. That is all a considerable accomplishment.

Above: Ann and Rod Barnes Photograph by Joan Gane

Ann, and indeed, Rod as well, have both done an enormous amount for Meldreth. They have been instrumental in founding and setting up organisations and clubs, supporting various events, getting involved with numerous activities, fund raising and much else besides. I know Ann will not thank me for writing this; she is very unassuming, modest and she doesn’t take the stage easily (if at all) but I make no apology for doing so. We cannot let her and Rod’s departure from the village go without wishing them both every happiness in their new home and community where we hope they will make many new friends and enjoy all that their new surroundings have to offer. Finally, we thank you Ann, for leaving us with this wonderful gift; a village magazine of which you and we should be justly proud. Lesley Farbridge Chairman, Meldreth Matters Editor’s Note: see also page 42 5

Maycroft Alzheimer’s Research Walk: 25th August Once again we draw near to this walk through a lovely area of the village. This charity does not just focus on Alzheimer’s alone but on all the very different forms of Dementia, which have so many causes and symptoms. There is rarely a person in this country be it a close relative, friend or neighbour who has not encountered it. Initially our reason for supporting Alzheimer’s Research were that they are locally based at Granta park, Cambridge. Their research explores all forms of the disease, attempting to find the causes and hopefully the cures, while working on medications that may ease the agonising symptoms. It is with great anticipation I draw your attention to this fund raising activity hoping that we will be able to surpass our previous record breaking totals. In 2017 we raised £1601.90, in 2018 £2263.43 and this year? If you have not participated in the event before and don’t know what to expect, I will attempt to explain. We begin at 10.30am at Maycroft Care Home as they host the event. They provide sponsorship forms if needed and copies of the routes which have been planned so everyone can take part if they wish, whatever their ability. We finish at the home at about 12.30pm where we have refreshments freshly made by the kitchen staff. Almost all of the walk avoids crossing roads and parts can be done in wheelchairs or with other suitable aids supported if necessary by a family member, friend or Carer. This allows several of the residents to join in, which they enjoy. If you cannot join us on the day you can send a donation to Maycroft. Otherwise if you are shopping in One Stop you can always put some spare change in one of our buckets as we pass by. Likewise, if you are gardening at the front of your house, most of us will be passing homes in the High Street and down Flambards Close as we approach Melwood so please put some change in your pocket to cheer us on our way. Some of the more active participants will come out opposite the Church so perhaps this method of contributing could be the same for folk living in the lower part of North End.

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Last year we were pleasantly surprised by the number of motorist who stopped their cars and added to the funds. The atmosphere and generosity of the local people was magic. If you cannot take part, just make a wish that the weather remains dry. Rosemary Childerley Friend of Maycroft

Dementia Friends Dementia is something that sadly one in three of us will develop in our lifetime. In June, Melbourn Hub welcomed a Virtual Dementia Tour Bus, designed to give those who look after people living with the condition, a unique sensory experience, medically and scientifically proven to replicate what it might feel like to have dementia. A mix of family members and professionals signed up for the tour and found the experience both moving and insightful with comments such as “it has totally changed my thought process on how to help my mum – I can’t tell you how much it has helped me” and “an amazing experience”. So popular was the tour that we have a waiting list and plan to book a second one for September. We are also planning support sessions at Melbourn Hub for carers of family members living with dementia, to meet up and talk about their experiences and access professional advice and practical support ideas. If you are interested in the Virtual Dementia Tour and/or coming to the support sessions please contact Melbourn Hub on (01763) 263303 option 1 or email centremanager@melbournhub.co.uk. Jeannie Seers 7

Specialists in made to measure window coverings: Beautifully made and locally produced Curtains and Roman Blinds Suppliers of Sanderson, William Morris, Harlequin, Scion, Prestigious Textiles Top branded designer Wallpapers and soft furnishings Roller, Vertical, Pleated, Wood, PVC and Aluminium Venetian Blinds Contemporary window dressings: Plantation shutters and Awnings Experts in home automated motorised solutions FREE- NO OBLIGATION QUOTATIONS. FIND US AT Phillimore Garden Centre, Cambridge Road, Melbourn. SG8 6EY Tel: 01763 263399 www.sageblinds.co.uk Open Mon-Fri 9am-5pm & Sat 9am-4pm

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Every Young Person Counts! Don’t forget to have your say on a safe link to Royston Hopefully you’ll have had a ‘Melbourn Greenway’ consultation leaflet and response form through your letter box. There’s also an on-line response form here: https://bit.ly/2F5VjQI. The consultation closes on Monday 5th August. Every person in a household is entitled to their own response. Most particularly, it is hoped that children and young people will be encouraged to respond and be counted because improvements to walking and cycling and getting around independently will be of particular benefit to them. Indeed, it is thanks to Junior Travel Ambassadors at Meldreth Primary School and students at Melbourn Village College who have been along to make the case at meetings of the Greater Cambridge Partnership that the link to Royston is now being considered as part of the overall Cambridge-Royston scheme. Funding for Greenways schemes comes not from councils but is earmarked Government funding for infrastructure development passed down to our area via the Greater Cambridge Partnership. There are very few funding opportunities for infrastructure straddling a county border, and so this scheme holds special potential for a path on the eastern side of the A10 and a bridge over the A505 to Royston. For children and young people, the route would feed into an existing Sustrans cycle network in Royston, leading to the Royston Leisure Centre, and to the amazing walk/cycle/scooter underpass at Coombes Hole that leads to the BMX track facility. For Melbourn Village College students coming from Royston, the two-mile link would mean the chance to travel independently to college. And of course, for mums and dads living and working on either side of the county border, a safe link to work. The Melbourn Greenway scheme is one of twelve schemes radiating out from Cambridge and these will be prioritised at the Greater Cambridge Partnership meeting on 12th December. Susan van de Ven and Mike Prior-Jones A10 Corridor Cycling Campaign

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New Pump at Meldreth Pumping Station The engineers at Anglian Water have recently installed a new pump at Meldreth pumping station which is located adjacent to the recreation ground. This follows on from issues caused by blockages over recent months. The following article has been written by Anglian Water for Meldreth Matters to help all residents in Meldreth ‘keep it clear’ and keep our sewers flowing freely. Anglian Water – Keep It Clear Programme Recent Blockages As some residents may have noticed, our Anglian Water sewer network technicians have recently been called to deal with issues caused by blockages in Meldreth. Following investigation, we found the main contributors to the blockages were wipes and other unflushables, which should not be put down toilets but placed in bins. These issues act as reminder to us all of our joint responsibility of keeping our neighbourhood arteries (the sewers) clear of unflushable items together with food waste, fats, oils and grease being poured down sinks. Taking used water and sewage safely away from homes and businesses relies on the network of sewer pipes and pumps all working effectively. If they become blocked by items that should never be flushed or poured down sinks, it can lead to sewage spills and flooding in homes and to the local environment, which is distressing, costly to put right and potentially devastating for wildlife and our local waterways and seas. What We Are Doing We have made changes to the local pumping station to increase its resilience to such possible future events. What You Can do to Prevent Sewer Problems in Meldreth In the bathroom only flush the three P’s – pee, (toilet) paper and poo. Wipes, sanitary and bathroom waste should always be put in bins. In the kitchen scrape all food waste into bins and dry wipe greasy pots and plates with kitchen roll before washing. Larger amounts of cooled, used cooking oil can be saved in sealed containers and taken to your local household waste recycling centre or put in a hot composter. More 10

information on hot composters can be found on the Anglian Water Direct website awdirect.co.uk Thank You Thank you to all those in Meldreth who are already taking action to help us keep our sewers free flowing and joining the growing numbers of people who are helping us to ‘keep it clear’. To find out more, go to anglianwater.co.uk/keepitclear or email us at KeepItClear@anglianwater.co.uk or telephone us on 03457 919155. Anglian Water

Open Gardens in Meldreth Sunday 1st September 2019 2.00pm to 5.00pm Some gardens in Chiswick End and one in Whitecroft Road, near to Chiswick End, will be open to visitors. Programmes can be obtained at any of the open gardens Programme price £4. Children £1, under 7 free. Good access to all gardens. Refreshments (teas and cakes) available to buy at 33 Chiswick End. Plant stall.

All proceeds are to go to the Meldreth Church Fabric Fund to maintain the structure of the 1000 year Holy Trinity Church. 11

A Warm Welcome to Melbourn Hub https://melbournhub.co.uk/ There is so much at Melbourn Hub. However, in spite of being here for more than five years some people are still missing out on the great things on offer at our venue! Open from 9.00am to 5.00pm Monday to Saturday, there is plenty of indoor and outdoor seating where you can meet with friends or work colleagues and enjoy great food and drink from our Bookmark Cafe plus make use of our free wifi and laptops. We also have dedicated meeting rooms available and our building at 30 High Street, Melbourn is situated directly opposite the large free village car park. The Hub boasts a daily library with a good selection of adult and children’s books and the popular ‘story time’ for the under 5’s on Friday mornings during school term time. Other children and adult activities feature in our Hub calendar, including a weekly lunch club for older residents to meet up and socialise together. Outreach services, bringing crucial support into the heart of community, such as Citizens Advice, Mind and Relate, are all available to access at the Hub. We provide regular community events and quality entertainment throughout the year. We held our fantastically popular Community Showcase in July bringing the community together to socialise and support local charities, groups and musical talent. Look out for the brilliant Keith James back by popular demand, bringing his ‘Music of Yusuf Cat Stevens’ tour to Melbourn Hub on 28th September and our atmospheric ghost walk with a warming supper on 26th October featuring our friends from MADS, giving you a fun but spooky night to remember! Whatever the purpose of your visit, you can browse the art on display, featuring different local artists’ work each month. We are taking bookings for 2020, so if you are an artist who would like to exhibit your work to the public at our popular venue, do let us know! For more information about our facilities, services and events please contact Melbourn Hub on (01763) 263303 option 1, email centremanager@melbournhub.co.uk or visit our website https:// melbournhub.co.uk. Jeannie Seers 12

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01763 260431

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Meldreth Preschool After an action-packed July in which the children took part in a fun-filled sports day, had graduation pictures taken and enjoyed an end-of-term party with their friends and families, preschool closed its doors for the summer. August may be a quiet month for the children that come to preschool, but the staff and committee never stop working. We will be cleaning, tidying and sorting all our equipment, rearranging the store cupboard to make some office space and reviewing the plans for the year ahead. Moving into the room at the school has brought many changes to Meldreth Preschool and we really appreciate the warm welcome we have enjoyed there. It’s nice for both staff and the children to see the familiar faces of those who have moved on to big school and the children who will be starting at the Primary School in September have had the chance to look around their new classroom, meet their teachers and prepare themselves for the next step of their education. Meanwhile, we have plenty to keep us occupied as we prepared to meet some new faces in September, and welcome back the familiar ones. Following the success of our open day in July, we know that there are plenty of children who are looking forward to starting with us after the holidays and we will have plenty of new ideas for things to do when we come back. If you want to get in touch about joining the committee, applying for a place or volunteering in the preschool, please email us on manager@meldrethpreschool.com or chair@meldrethpreschool.com as we will still be monitoring emails over the summer and would love to hear from you. Meldreth Preschool

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1st Meldreth Brownies The Brownies have had an exciting year so far. On Saturday 8th June we took sixteen Brownies to London for the Trooping of the Colour. After an early start we arrived in London and were escorted to the Youth Enclosure along the Mall, where we had an excellent view. The Brownies were so excited to see the Queen and other members of the royal family go past and waved excitedly. For some, it was the first time they had seen the Queen. We were then escorted by the Police to the front of Buckingham Palace where we had a great view of the Queen and the Royal family on the balcony who were watching the various fighter jets and red arrows fly over. Afterwards we headed to the Guiding HQ where had our lunch and a much needed cup of tea for the helpers. All in all it was a brilliant day enjoyed by all of us. Overall Brownies have had a busy year. They have tried many culinary foods - taking part in a fajita night, making pancakes for Shrove Tuesday and Chinese dinner to celebrate the Chinese New Year. Earlier in the year we went to the Gordon Craig Theatre to see Snow White and at Easter we held an Easter egg hunt, again thoroughly enjoyed. We are about to end for the summer and already have lots planned for the next year, including a pack holiday next April. If you would like to know more about joining our Brownie group please contact Sam Pascoe (Brown Owl) on 07779 145053. We meet every Wednesday at Meldreth Church Hall 6.00pm - 7.30pm. Susan Beedell Barn Owl

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1st Melbourn Guides It’s official: all Guides must have adventures! We have therefore been doing the skills builder ‘Explore’ badge, starting with map reading games and progressing to a tea-light representation of the Plough and the Pole star. The following week we explored the flora and fauna of Riverside Park, tasting hawthorn leaves, daring to touch deadnettle, spotting Muntjac deer, and searching for snakes in the grassland. No explorer should go hungry, so on another evening we made healthy flapjack snacks with the addition of nuts, seeds and dried fruit. A sleepover and hike at Cottered Guide Centre featured very little sleep, and a five mile hike during which we hunted for geocaches and had stickyweed wars. The unofficial rule of Guides is that there must be regular cooking competitions. This term’s challenges were a Chinese stir-fry with a free choice of ingredients and flavourings, and decorated strawberry shortcakes. Six new girls made their Promises this term, and the ceremony was preceded by a drama challenge to demonstrate the keeping of the Promise, whilst the Guide Law was explored through a customised version of Snakes & Ladders. The highlight of the term was a trip to Clip & Climb in Cambridge; we hired the whole venue and so had full use of all the climbing walls and the slide. Even the leaders had a go! To celebrate the fourth of July, we played Softball on the rec and then finished the term with tent pitching practise prior to our summer camp at Thriftwood Scout Campsite. If you would like to know more about joining our waiting list or becoming a leader, or if you have any skills, charities or interests which you would like to share with us, please contact me on: (01763) 261443 or email melbournguides@gmail.com. Hilary Marsh 17

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Meldreth Primary School www.meldreth.cambs.sch.uk An enduring conundrum for all teachers is how best to prepare our students for the world they are set to inherit. On the basis that being well-informed enables children to be well-equipped for meeting all kinds of challenges that they may face, we place a high premium on current affairs in school. The children in our older classes watch the short daily BBC Newsround programme which, despite being heavy on celebrity, sport and animal stories, does also present children with the serious news issues of the day. Unsurprisingly this frequently provokes some energetic discussion and debate as children strive to make sense of the harem-scarem world they are growing up in. A number of parents enquired recently of the school’s position regarding children staying off school to protest about climate change, a subject that children are particularly passionate about; Greta Thunberg is something of an icon for many. There is currently a display in school of children’s responses to the discussion; ‘Should young people be punished or arrested for protesting?’ With so many questions, strong feelings and passionate expressions of frustration at our political leaders abounding, we invited Heidi Allen our local MP to come into school and sort it all out for us! Heidi needed no introductions; her recent appearance in the tug-of-war team at the Church fete has rendered her quite a celebrity among all the children, who burst into spontaneous applause as she strode smiling into Kestrel class on a hot Friday afternoon in July, ready to meet her young constituents. She was accompanied by a BBC film crew who were shadowing Heidi for a piece for the Look East local news programme. From the start, the children were rapt. Heidi gave us an account of her relatively recent metamorphosis from astrophysicist to businesswoman to politician, being inspired into action by the depressing scenes of 19

rioting in London and other cities in the summer of 2011. She described the rewards and challenges of being a Member of Parliament and especially of being a woman at Westminster, managing among other things the chauvinism of some colleagues and the ongoing trolling by strangers. Almost every child had a question and Heidi handled all of these frankly, honestly and directly. Subjects for discussion included Brexit, leaving the Conservative party, climate change, women’s rights, homelessness and world affairs. When asked who might make the best Prime Minister, Heidi suggested, tongue in cheek, that Larry the Downing Street cat, might get her vote! And when she gave her response to an enquiry about who she would advise young people to vote for, she glanced up with a guilty smile and said; ‘Hmm, I’ll bet they put that on Look East!’….but by then the cameraman had started to pack away his equipment! Heidi Allen was a great inspiration, telling us about her route to being South Cambridgeshire’s MP. We were surprised to hear that up until 2015 Heidi couldn’t watch politics on the television, as she absolutely hated it. The riots in Tottenham made her aware that she needed to do something and the only way to do that was to enter the world of politics and exit the world of Astrophysics. After telling us about herself, she handed the mic over to us, letting us ask our questions about life in Westminster, immigration, President Trump and his wall, equality, climate change and Brexit. Here are some of our questions: I myself asked what it was like to be a woman in parliament, because I’m interested in women’s equality. ‘Do you want to be friends with Donald Trump?’ was asked as well as ‘should Climate change be put before Brexit?’ ‘Which party should I vote for?’ and ‘Why did you leave the Conservative party?’ were also answered directly and clearly. I would definitely welcome her to school again and I would love to sit down and have a one to one chat with her. Thank You Heidi. Eva Roden, Year 5 20

A couple of days ago, our MP Heidi Allen came to visit our school. We could not believe our eyes when she came through the door. As she came through the threshold she even had one cameraman, and one other person who worked partly on the camera as well. After a couple of minutes of Heidi Allen talking about how she became an MP, the other cameraman person turned round and said to ask questions about anything like politics, climate change or even Brexit. I asked: ‘do you think that the next prime minister should respond to climate change?’ and in response she said: ‘They would definitely need to’. She even said why she left the Conservative party and moved in to the Independent party. One of her main questions was: ’who is nervous for Boris Johnson to be Prime Minister?’ I put my hand up, but I was quite surprised that nearly everyone put their hand up. Some people even asked about Donald Trump! Matthew Lane, Year 5 I think that we all learned a lot from the answers that Heidi gave us and she answered them in a way that we could all understand. The majority of Year 5 and 6 agreed that Heidi had made a good decision to be an independent person. She asked us if we would be nervous if Boris Johnson became Prime Minister and all of us (including her) put our hands up! I learned that important people like Heidi have a lot of things to do and never have a day where they are not doing anything. Annabel Walder, Year 5 Andrew Jones Deputy Headteacher

Volunteering Opportunity Royston and District Community Transport (RDCT) If you might be interested in becoming a volunteer driver for Royston and District Community Transport, which provides lifeline lifts for people in our community who cannot access private or public transport for essential local trips, please contact RDCT to find out more. Telephone (01763) 245228 or email david@roytrans.co.uk. 21

What’s On for Children and Families in August Sunday 4th August, 10.30am - 4.30pm Kite Festival, Therfield Heath, Royston SG8 5BG Watch the kites, fly your own, visit the stalls, see historic cars and climb on a tractor. Enter the HomeStart Design a Kite competition. Festival entry for over 14s £3.50. All money raised goes to charity. Wednesday 7th August, 10.15am - 11.15am (4-7 years), 11.30am - 12.30pm (8-12 years) Nature Yoga, Cambridge Botanic Gardens, Cambridge CB2 1JE Try yoga poses inspired by the animals and plants of the gardens. £5 for unaccompanied children. Book on (01223) 331875. Further details at www.botanic.cam.ac.uk. Thursday 15th August, 2.00-4.00pm Family Fun! Foxton Village Hall Meeting Room, Hardman Road, CB22 6RN Come rain or shine: games, children’s crafts, lucky dip, raffle, teas and cakes. All children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. Proceeds in aid of Home-Start Royston & South Cambridgeshire. Saturday 17th August, 11.30am Bach to Broadway Concert Little St Mary’s Church, Trumpington Street, Cambridge CB2 1QG A concert series for babies, toddlers and their carers. Children dance, roam and wonder at live music by Rodgers and Hammerstein, Gilbert and Sullivan and Andrew Lloyd Webber. See www.bachtobaby.com. Thursday 22nd August, 10.30am to 1.00pm Acrylic Sun Catchers The Stained Glass Museum, Ely Cathedral CB7 4DL Paint your own sun catcher. For accompanied children over 4 years. No need to book - drop in. £1.50 per child. www.elycathedral.org.s Saturday 31st August and Sunday 1st September, 9.30am - 5.30pm Ancient Oak Medieval Fayre Quy Country Park, Stow Road CB25 9AF Knights, jesters, falconry, drummers, storytellers, horses, blacksmiths, stalls, refreshments. A Fairy Glade with workshops, fantasy items, music, gifts. Workshops must be booked in advance. Adults £8, children under 16 free. See www.medieval-fayre.uk. 22

Compiled by Hilary Crawforth

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Call David on 07749 850026 17 Flambards Close, Meldreth

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Letters to the Editor Heidi Allen Having read Heidi Allen's piece in the July edition of Meldreth Matters, I am of the opinion that her political statement set out at length under MP Matters should not be allowed to pass without comment. As a result of the Brexit referendum, on 29th March 2017, Conservative Members of Parliament voted to invoke Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union. For Heidi Allen and others to then spend the following two plus years actively campaigning against the withdrawal of the UK from the EU is to deny democracy. An MP who decided that they could not support the democratic outcome of the referendum should have, in all conscience, immediately – not two years later resigned from the Party. In order to continue in Parliament as an Independent MP it is her duty to put forward her views to her constituents in the form of a by-election rather than to make a political justification of her action in the pages of a village magazine. To continue as Member of Parliament for South Cambridgeshire without a mandate from the people is not acceptable and, as things stand, South Cambridgeshire is without an elected representative in Parliament. Roger Wallbridge

Chillies, Jams and Chutneys I would like to say a big thank you to everyone who supported my stall at the Meldreth church fete. It was great to see the people of Meldreth embracing chillies so wholeheartedly! After selling out of chutneys at the fete, I now have more homemade chutneys available for sale at ÂŁ3.50 a jar. The mango chutney, beetroot chutney, rhubarb chutney and red onion relish are all made with homegrown chillies and are medium/hot in spiciness, depending on individual tolerance! I am also hoping to have a range of fresh chillies for sale from the middle of August. If anyone is interested in buying chutney or chillies, please contact me at julieehiscock@yahoo.co.uk. Julie Hiscock 24

Letters to the Editor Meldreth Burglaries Please can I make you aware that we had nine offences of theft from vehicles plus a shed and dwelling burglary around 8th July in Meldreth. The streets that were hit were High Street, Whitecroft Road and Chiswick End. PCSO James Lynch Cambridgeshire Police Seeking a Special Tutor Some readers will know me - I have lived in Meldreth and Melbourn since 2008. I have an autism spectrum disorder that somewhat wrecked my school years and childhood, teachers in the poor part of Kent where I grew up simply were not geared up for me, maybe this would have been different had I been born in Meldreth and sat out my secondary education at one of the nearby village colleges. Despite my previous negative experiences, I still remain very keen to learn. In the past few years I have found some exam based distance learning courses - interior design, Indian head massage amongst others which I have been able to access. I am thrilled to have my first ever certificates at age 30 and with distinctions too! They were at a basic level and I have moved on to my real ambition, creative writing. But it is now getting difficult and I need to find a very special and understanding tutor who can help me to access the next level material and give me encouragement to get beyond my hopeless lack of confidence. I am registered on a course and have my sights on the Open University eventually. I am very bright and able but understandably have some difficulties relating to the Autism Spectrum Disorder and past negative experiences when learning. I am very keen on and get a lot out of visual learning using word games, story cubes, flashcards etc! If any reader knows (or is!) such a tutor, please let me know via Meldreth Matters who will kindly pass the relevant information on to me. I can afford fair and appropriate tuition charges. Many thanks. Daniel Harris 25

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26

Neighbourhood Watch Meldreth Car Crime Alert: Keep Your Car Safe This article has previously been published in Meldreth Matters, but we received reports of possible attempted car thefts in Meldreth in early July, so it is repeated here as a reminder about car security, particularly for modern high-value cars with keyless entry. Keyless entry works when the correct key fob is near to the car. The fob recognises the signal and transmits its own code, instructing the vehicle to unlock the doors and to allow the ignition to work on the car. Thieves use wireless transmitters to capture its radio transmission, which allows the thief to open and start your car in the same way. To prevent this from happening, use car key signal blocker cases/sleeves (they cost less than £10), or put your keys in an aluminium tin at home. Find a safe place for your keys at home and check to ensure they are out of range, i.e. well away from your car. Keys for all types of cars should not be kept near the front door, since thieves may break in with a view to stealing the keys and the car. Following some of these other steps will also help to protect your vehicle:  Use a good quality crook lock or full cover steering wheel security lock to immobilise your vehicle.  Consider fitting an ‘OBD safe’ device, a secure lockable device that fits over the vehicle’s on board diagnostic port, in the vehicle cabin. This prevents criminals using software to code an electronic key for the vehicle.  If your vehicle is fitted with on board wi-fi consider switching this facility off if you do not need it, which will reduce the chance of criminals hacking into the vehicle’s system and reading your banking details or personal data from linked devices.  Criminals can also employ remote/keyless entry jamming equipment, so make sure your car is locked physically by trying the door handle and viewing the indicators flash, before leaving it. If you would like to be involved in crime prevention with Meldreth Neighbourhood Watch, please contact Graham Borgonon on (01763) 260358. Meldreth Neighbourhood Watch 27

Meldreth Village D Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thurs 10.00am Hart

Refuse Collections

6.00 - 6.45pm Pilates

Black bins: 6th, 20th Blue/Green bins: 13th, 28th

7.00 - 9.00pm

*late collection due to bank holiday

9.00-10.30am Yoga

10.00am-12.00 Handbells

7.30-8.30pm Zumba

5.00-6.00pm Martial Arts

5.30pm Slimming World 7.30pm Slimming World

7.30pm Parish

10.00am Hart

7.00 - 8.00pm Aerobics

6.00 - 6.45pm Pilates

7.00-10.00pm Crafters

7.30pm WI

8.00-10.00pm Old Time Dancing

9.00-10.30am Yoga

9.15am Cycling Group

5.30pm Slimming World

7.30-8.30pm Zumba

10.00am-12.00 Handbells 5.00-6.00pm Martial Arts 7.00 - 8.00pm Aerobics 7.00-10.00pm Crafters

7.30pm Slimming World

Copy Deadline for the

7.45-9.00pm Bell Ringing

10.00am Hart 12.00-2.00pm British Queen 6.00 - 6.45pm Pilates 7.00 - 9.00pm Tennis

September Issue 10.00am-12.00 Handbells 10.40-11.30 Mob. Library 5.00-6.00pm Martial Arts 7.00 - 8.00pm Aerobics 7.00-10.00pm Crafters 8.00-10.00pm Old Time Dancing

5.30pm Slimming World

10.00am Hart

7.30pm Slimming World

6.00 - 6.45pm Pilates

9.00-10.30am Yoga

9.15am Cycling Group

5.30pm Slimming World

10.00am Hartb

7.30-8.30pm Zumba

10.00am-12.00 Handbells

7.30pm Slimming World

5.00-6.00pm Martial Arts

7.45-9.00pm Bell Ringing

6.00 - 6.45pm Pilates

9.00-10.30am Yoga 7.30-8.30pm Zumba

7.00 - 8.00pm Aerobics 7.00-10.00pm Crafters

7.45-9.00pm Bell Ringing

7.00 - 9.00pm Tennis

7.00 - 9.00pm Tennis

Church Services and Bell Ringing are held at Holy Trinity Church. Cam Valley Crafters and Meldreth L Brownies, Messy Church & Melbourn and Meldreth Women’s Group meet in the Holy Trinity meeting Holy Trinity Church. All other events are held in the Village Hall unless otherwise indicated. 28

iary - August 2019

sday

Friday

beeps

8.30-11.00pm Live Rock Music with Pale Horse plus support, Eternit Sports & Social Club

Fitness Table Tennis

Saturday

Sunday 9.45am Family Communion 5.00pm Meat Raffle, British Queen

Council

beeps

8.00am Holy Communion

Fitness

5.00pm Meat Raffle, British Queen

beeps Pub Club,

9.45am Family Communion

Fitness

5.00pm Meat Raffle, British Queen

Table

beeps

8.00am Holy Communion

Fitness

10.30am Maycroft Alzheimer’s Walk (see pages 6-7)

Table

beeps

Fitness

5.00pm Meat Raffle, British Queen

9.00am-12 noon Churchyard Clear Up

The copy deadline for the September issue of Meldreth Matters is Monday 12th August

Table

ocal History Group meetings are held in the Sheltered Housing Community Centre, Elin Way. room. The Mobile Library Service visits Bell Close. The Cycling Group meets in the lay-by opposite 29

Local Events in August To have your event listed, please email meldrethmatters@hotmail.com. Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th August, 10.00am to 7.00pm Magic of Thailand Festival Parker’s Piece, Cambridge CB1 1NA Experience the culture and taste of Thailand with traditional food, music, dancing plus Thai boxing, massage and more. Tickets: adults £4 in advance, £5 on the day, under 15s free: www.magicofthailand.co.uk. Sunday 4th August, 10.00am to 4.00pm Great Chishill Antiques and Vintage Fair Great Chishill Village Hall, Chishill, SG8 8SH Well-established fair with wide range of stylish antique and vintage items on sale. Light refreshments. Entry £1 per person. For further information see: www.ruralmagpie.co.uk. Wednesday 7th August, 7.00pm to 9.00pm Guided Walk around Fowlmere Nature Reserve Mill Road, Fowlmere, Cambridgeshire SG8 6EZ An evening walk to see the wide range of habitats and species found at this local RSPB reserve. Dusk may bring the sight of a hunting barn owl or an otter swimming across the mere. Free but donations welcome. Book on 07738 243676 or email: ect23@cam.ac.uk. Friday 9th August, 8.30pm to 10.00pm Go Bats at Wandlebury Wandlebury Ring, Gog Magog Hills, Cambridge CB22 3AE The reserve is home to several species of bats and this guided tour at dusk will be led by members of Cambridgeshire Bat Group. Look for bats, use a bat detector and learn more about these fascinating animals. Free but donations welcome. Bring a torch and remember it gets cooler as night falls. Suitable for all ages, 9 plus. www.cambridgeppf.org. Saturday 10th to Sunday 25th August, 10.00am to 6.00pm Anglian Potters Summer Ceramics Festival (closes 5.00pm Sun) All Saints Church, Jesus Lane, Cambridge CB5 8BP Handmade ceramics showcasing talents of 60 local potters. Something for every taste and budget, set in Victorian Arts and Crafts designed church. Free. See: www.wherecanwego.com for more information.

30

Sunday 11th and Sunday 25th August, 11.30am to 1.00pm, Ely Riverside Walk (meet at Oliver Cromwell’s House) CB7 4HF Learn about the draining of the Fens, the people who lived there and how the river has served the city for centuries. Stunning views of city and riverside. Experienced guide. Distance 1 to 1.5 miles; lasts up to 1.5 hours. Pre-booking advised: www.olivercromwellhouse.co.uk. Friday 23rd to Monday 26th August, 10.00am to 6.00pm (12.00pm to 6.00pm on Sunday) Flower Festival, St Mary’s Church, Saffron Walden CB10 1JP Annual feast of floral art with coffee, tea and light refreshments available (till 4.00pm). Plants and flowers also for sale. Tickets £2 from the Saffron Walden Tourist Information Centre in advance or £3 on the door. See: www.stmaryssaffronwalden.org/flowerfestival2019. Saturday 24th to Monday 26th August, 10.00am to 5.30pm Cambridgeshire District Art Circle Exhibition Grantchester Village Hall, Grantchester, Cambridge CB3 9NF Annual exhibition of landscapes, abstract works, still life and more. Opportunity to browse or buy original art by local artists, amateur and professional. See: www.cambridgeshiredistrictartcircle for more details. Sunday 25th August, 10.00am to 5.30pm Little Gransden Air and Car Show Little Gransden Airfield, Fullers Hill, Little Gransden SG19 3BP Supporting BBC Children in Need appeal and local charities. Over 300 vehicle exhibits plus 3 hour flying display by historic aircraft. Tickets £25 on the gate (£20 in advance); 1 child under 16 free per adult ticket, otherwise £10 (£8 in advance). See: www.littlegransdenairshow.co.uk. Monday 26th August, exact timings to be confirmed Ashwell Village Show, Ashwell, Hertfordshire Nearing its 100th year but now offering a wider range of attractions than before. To include falconry, dog show, equestrian events, food and drink, Punch and Judy show. Adults £9, concessions £5, under 5s free. Advance booking discounts. See: www. ashwellshow.co.uk. Saturday 31st August, 1.00pm to 5.00pm Open Garden at Wolfson College, Cambridge CB3 9BB Lawned courtyards, stunning herbaceous borders, a variety of different ‘garden rooms’ with rare small acers and Chinese trees. Admission £3, children free. Proceeds to charity. 31

Compiled by John Crawforth

Favourite Jaunts from Meldreth: the Munnings Art Museum Our destination is the village of Dedham in Essex. It houses the Munnings Art Museum in the former home of Sir Alfred Munnings, considered the finest painter of horses since Stubbs, 150 years earlier. The museum is open from Wednesday to Sunday from 2.00 – 5.00pm, from Easter until November, closing this year on 3rd November. It is also open on Bank Holiday Mondays from 2.00 – 5.00pm. Admission £8. If travelling by road there are two main routes averaging about 70 miles. The first is via the A14 to Junction 55, then the A12 to Junction 30. The second is via the M11 to Junction 8 and then the A120 joining the A12 at Colchester. The postcode of your destination for your Satnav is CO7 6AZ. Journey time is likely to be about 90 minutes. Alfred Munnings was born in 1878, the son of a Suffolk miller from Mendham and died in 1959. He left school at fourteen years of age and was apprenticed to a firm of lithographic printers in Norwich for six years. During this period he studied in the evenings at Norwich School of Art. In 1899 at the age of only 21 two of his pictures were accepted by the Royal Academy of Arts, of which he was to become President from 1944 – 1949. The same year, disaster struck. While engaged in country pursuits a thorn entered his right eye resulting in the loss of its sight. Munnings’ attempts to enlist at the outbreak of the First World War were unsuccessful as a result of his impaired vision. However, in 1918 he was assigned as an official war artist with the Canadian War Memorials Fund, established by Lord Beaverbrook. Munnings went to France in January 1918 and was attached to the Canadian Cavalry Brigade which was on active service on the Western Front. Subsequently he transferred to the Canadian Forestry Corps and painted their activities in Normandy and the French Jura. To mark the 32

centenary of this event, an exhibition entitled “Behind the Lines, Alfred Munnings, War Artist, 1918” has been staged at the museum in conjunction with the Canadian War Museum of Ottawa and will only be on show until 3rd November. This is a unique opportunity to view these paintings in this country. The museum has an attractive Garden Café which is housed in part of Sir Alfred’s studio, which is also open to visitors. The Garden Café is open from 10.00am until 5.00pm, Wednesdays – Sundays. More information on the museum can be found at www.munningsmuseum.org.uk. If you decide to explore this jaunt please tell us if you enjoyed it for the guidance of others. The Meldreth Matters Team Do you have a favourite jaunt? If so, please share your favourite days out with our readers by emailing meldrethmatters@hotmail.com.

Secure Cycle Parking Planters

These are on the corner of Bell Close opposite One Stop and have secure fixtures to which cycles can be attached whilst you are visiting the shop. Please use these and secure the cycle to them as shown with your bike lock. Joan Gane 33

Lift Off Choir As our summer break draws near I have found myself reflecting on the journey that has been the first year of Lift Off Choir. On the first day of the choir I figured I may have five or six people turn up, and was absolutely astounded when 30 or so people filled the room with joyous singing. I am pleased to report that our numbers have remained healthy and consistent and that our singers are growing in confidence. Some have told me that they had not sung since they had left primary school and others stated that they could not sing but had a desire to join in. They have all gone on to surprise themselves at the beautiful sound they can create when singing with others. There is no solo singing at Lift Off Choir. My vision for the group was that it should be about letting go and enjoying the incredible uplifting feeling that singing can bring. We sing a mixture of popular songs and cater for all voice types, male and female. Whilst we learn new skills and music we have tremendous fun, and the group has also seen new friendships formed and old ones rekindled, over tea and coffee during the break. In June we were invited to sing at the Church Fete. We loved having an audience and everybody was so supportive; giving us wonderful feedback. We would like to thank the Church Fete Committee for hosting us for our debut performance. Lift Off Choir will commence again in September and we would love to invite others to join us on Wednesdays from 1.30-2.45pm in the Village Hall, ÂŁ5 per session. Please do not hesitate to contact me for more information. Clare Silver claresilver.co.uk (01763) 262892

New to the village? Information on village facilities and over 25 local groups is available at

www.meldrethhistory.org.uk 34

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We can make life a little easier Local Community Services delivered from Moorlands Court Homecare: our fully trained carers visit you in your home. Sitting service: a visit from our experienced staff gives family carers time for themselves. Day Centre: based at Moorlands Court with a friendly and sociable atmosphere and includes a tasty 2 course lunch. Meals service: nutritious, hot lunchtime meal delivered to you. Housekeeping: we do those jobs which you can no longer manage, from cleaning and ironing, to bed changing and shopping. To find out more, call us at Moorlands Court on 01763 260564 or email: denise.taylor@chsgroup.org.uk 35

Notes From a Small Garden Here we are at the beginning of July and alas everything is getting a bit dry in the garden. I water the pots and the potager with a hose and feed on Fridays when I remember, with a watering can and some seaweed mixture. It all takes a long time, but then it is nice thinking time and I dead head the roses as I go and pull out the odd weed. But I feel guilty about using so much water. I reassure myself that in East Anglia we have a lot of underground water, and despite our low rainfall we never seem to have a hosepipe ban. But it’s not easy. And what about climate change? We have certainly planted more trees than we have taken down (mainly dying greengages, and a false acacia), but we should be planting more trees in the village (see this space next month). There used to be an unwritten rule when we first came here forty years ago; if you take down a tree you must plant two replacements. Jobs for August  Keep picking vegetables and plant more lettuces so that you have a succession of them  Feed pots, tubs and tomatoes once a week  Get someone to water your precious plants when you are away if you can  Prune spring flowering shrubs and early clematis (you have to keep going with them) and don’t forget the philadelphus family  Sit down and enjoy your efforts when you can! Peter and I spent a night in Warwick recently and by chance were told about Hill Close Gardens, www.hillclosegardens.com which turned out to be such a delight to visit. They are a survival of what were called ”detached” gardens usually rented or bought by townsfolk who only had a backyard, and the practice was very similar to the allotment movement. In this case a farmer had sold plots to townsfolk who wanted a garden, which were then laid out with hedges, entrances, paths, summer houses, fruit trees, vegetable patches lawns and borders. The owners were usually from the middle class, the butcher, baker, shop keeper etc. 36

After the second world war they sadly fell into disarray. But in the early 1990s the council planned to build on them. A group was hastily formed into a trust to rescue the gardens as there are very few left now in England. Fortunately English Heritage came to the rescue and listed the summer houses! Since then the gardens and summer houses have been restored and planted up in Victorian style with border and veg plants to match. There is a full-time gardener and volunteers who keep the gardens in order. Do go and visit them if you are in Warwick; it was a real treat to see them. And now a date for your diaries: On 1st September from 2.00pm – 5.00pm there will be Chiswick End Open Gardens to include Sherida and John’s garden in Whitecroft Road just around the corner. Teas will be available and some interesting gardens as well as the stream and ditches will all be on view. There will also be a plant stall. Money raised will be in aid of the Friends of Holy Trinity Church, and the Church’s fabric. Please come and support us! Good gardening! Jim and Julie juliedraper@dumbflea.co.uk

Have Your Say  Melbourn Greenway Public Consultation Following early engagement, with the public, a route has been designed to enable cyclists, walkers and equestrians to travel sustainably from Melbourn into Cambridge. Visit www.greatercambridge.org.uk/greenwaysconsultation for detailed information on the proposed route and to give your feedback. The consultation will run until Monday 5th August 2019.  Local Transport Plan

The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority is consulting on the Local Transport Plan. Open until Friday 27th September 2019, the consultation will help to shape how we deal with the challenges of a growing area sustainably. Full information is available at: https://cambridgeshirepeterborough-ca.gov.uk/about-us/ programmes/transport/ltp.

Kathryn Betts Editor 37

Meldreth WI Being a member of the WI isn’t just about meeting once a month to hear an interesting speaker and enjoy a cup of tea and meeting up with friends, it also involves many national affairs. Each year at the annual meeting these have ranged from equal pay, save the honey bee, climate change, more ladies toilets and wider access to them!! This year the resolution was one close to our needs here in Meldreth and other out of the way places … the decline in public transport. At the meeting 96% of all members voted to pass a resolution aimed at tackling the decline in local bus services. According to the Department of Transport, 134 million miles of bus coverage has been lost in the last ten years, yet many of us still rely on the bus service: 60% of us in fact. Buses are a lifeline to many people; not just to go shopping but for hospital and doctors visits also for work. Steps will now be taken to urge Parliament for more funding. I am sure the WI will be heard. We didn’t need public transport to attend out July meeting, however/ We were away from our usual venue and went out for a meal at the Green Man in Shepreth. An enjoyable meal and enjoyable company; what could be better? Thank you to those who attended our strawberry tea. £180 was raised to be sent to the Arthur Rank Hospice Charity. Next month Dr Ed Turner will be speaking about ‘Gardens for Wildlife’. Come and join us on 8th August at 7.30pm in the Village Hall. Kathleen Thompson

Help St. Mary’s Church, Whaddon In June, the entire lead roof of St Mary’s Church was stolen. A crowdfunding site has been set up to help raise £50,000 towards the cost of a new permanent roof. For further details or to pledge money, please visit https:// www.crowdfunder.co.uk/a-newroof -for-st-marys-whaddon-after-lead-theft/backers#start 38

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40

Melbourn & Meldreth Women’s Group Our June meeting saw us take a whirlwind tour of Chile as Roger Mellor took us through some beautiful photographs of his and Avril’s holiday last year. They started at Valparaiso northwest of Santiago and travelled across much of the wine growing area in the central valley. They spent three nights in Santiago itself and visited the contrasting areas of Santa Lucia Hill, the cathedral and the shopping areas where they found shops of the same kind next door to each other, for example three adjacent wool shops and three adjacent hat shops!! Next, a visit to the Atacama which is the driest desert in the world and occupies about 41,000 square miles. It is at a high altitude and Avril said everything was so much harder; even chewing meat was difficult! They viewed the sunset over the salt flats and the photographs were wonderful, as were the pictures of the Atacama where the sheer scale of everything was vast and very rugged, not delicate sand dunes. They saw the remains of an Inca settlement and visit the El Tatio Geysers too. The next leg of their journey took them to Temuco and on to the town of Villarrica where they had a raft ride up the river in the morning and in the afternoon, a trip to the Villarrica volcano. The next day there was an opportunity to visit a Mapuche Community and learn something of their indigenous lifestyle. Yet another drive and flight enabled them to visit Torres Del Paine National Park; this was followed by a three day cruise around to see glaciers and icebergs in abundance. Throughout their visit the people were friendly and food featured often! Sue Toule gave our thanks and a small gift to Roger. We meet on the fourth Tuesday of the month except December; varying our venue between All Saints Community Hall in Melbourn and Holy Trinity Church Meeting Room in Meldreth. There is a fee of £1 each evening and a chance to make a donation to our charity of the year: Acorn House at Addenbrookes Hospital which supports families who have children in hospital. On Tuesday 27th August 2019 we will be going out for a meal; the venue to be confirmed. For more information or if you would like a lift, contact one of our committee members: Pat Smith (01763) 262575, Sue Toule (01763) 260955, Anne Harrison (01763) 261775, Angela Leach (01763) 262793, Pat Ames (01763) 261130 or Kimmi Crosby. Pat Smith 41

Friends of Holy Trinity www.foht.org.uk Farewell to Ann Barnes A combined evening between the committee of the Friends of Holy Trinity and Link Murang’a was held in June to thank Ann and her husband Rod for their contribution to Meldreth over the past 35 years as they move to St. Ives. Ann was instrumental in the formation of the Friends of Holy Trinity in 1984, Meldreth Matters in 1988 and Link Murang’a in 1996. During the evening Ann was reminded of the original constitution and was read an extract from the minutes of first AGM of The Friends on 15th May 1984: “The Object of the Society being the preservation of the fabric of Holy Trinity Church Meldreth and the general maintenance of the Church.” “Also Dr Peter Draper gave a short talk on the history of the church building and its architecture, and this was followed by Mr John Gipson who talked about the recent work on the Church. The meeting agreed to have a stall at the Fete and to organise a concert with the flautist David Dennis.” Since those initial days the Friends have had 47 committee members including three vicars as Chairman. Over the years by running events including open gardens, suppers, wine tasting, concerts, talks and car shows, aimed at a wider audience than just the church, the Friends have raised in excess of £150,000 which has been used to support many fabric repairs. Some examples being: meeting room store £10,000, timber, stone, stained glass window and rain water pipe refurbishment £40,216; tower lead and south aisle stainless steel replacement £15,000; central heating £15,000. We thanked Ann for her foresight for initiating the Friends and Link Murang’a which has created many benefits - not forgetting Rod who ran the Scouts, was a Primary School Governor for twelve years and ran the Primary School Nature Club for 24 years. As a reminder of this, Ann was presented with a memory stick including the early Friends’ documents as well as pictures of events and fabric repairs and similar reminders of Link Murang’a. John Price 42

Friends of Holy Trinity Events www.foht.org.uk Future Events Sunday 1st September, 2.00-5.00pm - Chiswick End Gardens Gardens in Chiswick End and one in Whitecroft Road, near to Chiswick End, will be open to visitors with good access to all gardens. Programmes can be obtained at any of the numbered gardens for ÂŁ4 per adult, children ÂŁ1 and children under 7 free. Teas and cakes will be available to buy at 33 Chiswick End and there will be a plant stall. All proceeds will go to the Friends of Holy Trinity Church Fabric Fund to maintain the structure of the 1000 year old Church. Sunday 22nd September - 15th Churchyard Car Show This year marks the 60th anniversary of the introduction of the Mini and it is hoped that a selection of models and years of manufacture can be assembled. As usual, a selection of cars from the 1920s to the 1980s is planned including some sporting examples. In addition there will be motorbikes from the same era and an enlarged selection of pedal cycles. Thursday 17th October - Talk by 'Tamsin Wimhurst' on David Parr House Cambridge February 2020 - Talk by Peter Allen, BBC Radio 5 Live broadcaster

Events Currently Under Review Rescheduling the talk Remap - making aids for people with disabilities The Importance of being Earnest by "This is My Theatre" group" John Price

Meldreth Matters is Online To view this or past issues, follow us on Issuu: https://issuu.com/meldrethmatters 43

Meldreth Tennis Club https://clubspark.lta.org.uk/meldrethtennisclub

Tournament winners Richard & Pam with the trophies, flanked by runners up Gary & Gill

On a very hot day, eighteen players took to the Meldreth courts to play the annual Marion Oliver tournament. This very popular fun doubles tournament took place on Saturday 22nd June at 10.00am. With so many players entering this year, the tournament was split into two groups on the club’s two refurbished courts. Play was enthusiastic and matches very close. Winners of Group 1 were Gill Perry and Gary Luxton winning the very last set with twelve games - everyone else in the group tied on 10 games. Winners of Group 2 by two games were Pam Whalley and Richard Phillips. In the final between the two group winners, Pam and Richard triumphed by 2-0 to take the trophies and prizes of a bottle of wine each. Gill and Gary took the runners up prizes of chocolates. The Trophies were presented by Doug Oliver, husband of the late Marion Oliver to whom the tournament is dedicated. The Players thanked Christine Knight for organising a very successful day. For further information on Meldreth Tennis Club please go to the website: www.clubspark.lta.org.uk/meldrethtennisclub. Christine Knight 44

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SATURDAY 17th AUGUST 2019 FREE WILL SERVICE for the over 55s through the Cancer Research Free Will Scheme. For more information please contact:Fish Hill Chambers, 2-3 Fish Hill, Royston, Herts SG8 9JY Tel: 01763 241 121 t.pilcher@walkerspartnership.co.uk Wills | Probate | Lasting Powers of Attorney | Conveyancing | Commercial Property *home visit appointments are subject to availability, Saturdays by appointment only,

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Meldreth Parish Council www.meldreth-pc.org.uk The main points of the meeting held on Thursday 4th July 2019 are set out below; the full formal minutes can be viewed in due course on the website at www.meldreth-pc.org.uk and on the Parish Council notice board; these will be presented for approval at the next PC meeting. Discussions and decisions  Tree planting: The Council agreed to consider a tree planting programme in the village. Some costs could be met from the Zero Carbon initiative being promoted by South Cambridgeshire District Council (SCDC). The Council’s Tree Officer will be consulted, the first step being to identify suitable locations for additional trees. 

Kissing Gate: County Councillor Susan van de Ven reported that discussions were continuing with regard to replacing the kissing gate on the railway footpath approach with pushchair-friendly posts, and that further permissions that may be needed to do this.



Traffic: Councillor Gilmore updated the Council on the work being performed by the Traffic Working Group, including speed control measures, notably movable traffic speed signals and more effective speed limit signs. Detailed discussions with County and District are taking place. The Council agreed to submit a Local Highways Improvement application for installing warning red lines at the Fenny Lane crossroads. The hedge obstructing the view of traffic at this junction is the subject of urgent discussions with Highways and with the landowner.



Melbourn Area Youth Development: The Chairman reported that he had signed the agreements as agreed at the PC meeting in June.



Community Funding Recommendations: The Council accepted the recommendations of Meldreth Futures Group (MFG) in respect of the following financial contributions: Royston and District Community Transport, £500; Meldreth Village Hall Trust, for the installation of a hearing loop, £702; Relate, a service providing counseling to local residents, including child mental health issues, £500, noting a willingness to consider an increase if a supplementary request is made. It was noted that three other applications from Meldreth Croquet Club, Melbourn 46

Amateur Dramatics Society and Meldreth Local History Group were also being processed by MFG. 

Mettle Hill: The Council will obtain quotations from contractors to restore a short length of ditch and bank between our site and the adjoining orchard land, to improve the security of the site.



Playground: Matters arising from Councillor J. Fallon’s monthly report focusing on RoSPA inspection issues. With regard to matting and flat swings it was agreed to proceed with Sovereign with funding coming from S106 balances. It was also agreed to replace the rusted netball/basketball posts out of Community benefit funds. The purchase will be made immediately if costs are within discretionary limits. The Council considered the possibility of repairing/restoring the existing kickball wall and confirmed the decision taken in June to demolish it. The Clerk will ask the contractor to give an indication of the cost of replacement, which will inform the Council’s decision regarding possible early action or, alternatively, waiting until S106 funds are available.



Recreation Ground and Dog Fouling: As a first step, new warning signs will be installed at recreation ground entrances.



Car Parking Issues: It was noted that this subject had been extensively discussed at SCDC. We are informed that the police will act when there are three reported breaches in respect of any vehicle; the Council decided to maintain records of such breaches.



Flambards Close: A further meeting has been arranged between Parish Councillors and representatives of the Flambards Residents Association (FRA) to discuss issues arising from the lease to FRA by the Parish Council and the management obligations of FRA under that lease.



Death of a Senior National Figure: The Council has procured a Union Flag for use on the school flag pole. The arrangements recommended by SCDC were noted and the Council decided that the steps already identified would be appropriate.



Tennis Courts Public Bookings: It was noted that the Tennis Club committee is meeting on Wednesday 10th July to discuss an alternative public booking system. Meldreth Parish Council 47

Meldreth Parish Council - Contact Details http://www.meldreth-pc.org.uk Parish Office, Meldreth Sheltered Scheme, Elin Way, Royston SG8 6LT

Office hours: Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 12.30-2.30pm By appointment at other times Parish Clerk: Mrs J Damant (01763) 269928 Mr R Goddin (Chairman) (01763) 260061

parishclerk@meldreth-pc.org.uk goddin@btinternet.com

Mr R A Searles (Vice Ch)

(01763) 260435

robert.searles@btinternet.com

Mrs C J Fallon

(01763) 262822

joan.fallonpc@gmail.com

Mr N Garner

(01763) 268328

nickphgarner@gmail.com

Mrs P Gilmore

(01763) 263138

patgilmore.mpc@gmail.com

Dr R James

(01763) 261085

roger+pc@rogerjames.net

Mr C A Land

(01763) 261004

conradland@btinternet.com

Mr Nigel Pellatt

(01763) 262444

nppellatt@btconnect.com

Mr A Young

(01763) 263484

andrewmpc@gmail.com

Planning Matters Parish Council Reference and Detail Address

Parish Council Recommend

29 Elin Way, S/1906/19/FL

Meldreth Planning Committee recommended ‘Support’ with no comments

Rear extension to replace existing conservatory

The full minutes of Meldreth Parish Council planning meetings are available on the Parish Council’s website, www.meldreth-pc.org.uk.

SCDC Decisions There were no SCDC decisions. Meldreth Parish Council

Editor’s Note: Full details of all planning applications may be viewed on the SCDC website: http://plan.scambs.gov.uk/swiftlg/apas/run/ wphappcriteria.display 48

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Slimming World MELDRETH WEDNESDAY 5.30pm & 7.30pm Meldreth Village Hall High Street, Tel: Alison 07812 825 389

slimmingworld.co.uk

0344 897 8000

The Letting Centre Established 23 years, The Letting Centre is a local, dedicated letting agency based in Melbourn. With longstanding clients some of whom have been with us for 20 years or more, we aim to provide a personal, tailored service covering Cambridge, Royston, Buntingford, Saffron Walden and surrounding villages. We offer discounted fees for multiple properties, as well as those located in Melbourn and surrounding area. Call us for a free market appraisal and comprehensive landlord pack. The Letting Centre, 24b Orchard Road, Melbourn, Cambridgeshire SG8 6HH Tel. 01763 263039 email enquiries@letting-centre.co.uk www.letting-centre.co.uk

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District and County Councillors’ Reports We provided a longer report to the Parish Council meeting in July, with a number of pieces of background information on things happening at South Cambridgeshire District Council, Cambridgeshire County Council, the Combined Authority and Mayor’s Office and the Clinical Commissioning Group which is facing enormous cuts in its NHS budget for services here in Cambridgeshire. For Meldreth Matters we’ve provided the most local issues that we reported on, but if you’d like to read the full version, you’ll find it on Susan’s website on the Meldreth Report page: www.susanvandeven.com. Kissing Gate, Footpath 9 Getting an ancient kissing gate relocated and replaced with a different simple structure to protect people from running into the road involves a bureaucratic marathon. The importance of this one is that it sits on the connecting pedestrian path to Meldreth Station and allows people to access the station away from the busy vehicle entrance. The County Council Definitive Maps officer says records show the kissing gate in its current position since the 1950s though the Parish Council knows it has been there for far longer. Advice has been provided on acquiring permission for its removal and the probably ownership of the gate, as part of the process in seeking to replace it with a staggered gate or bollard. Work in progress! Bin, Footpath 9 through Burlton’s Farm There’s a problem of litter emanating from the station exit onto Footpath 9 toward Melbourn. Would be possible to install a litter bin somewhere in the vicinity of the path as it approaches the station? Passenger Benefit Fund The Rail User Group will shortly draft a submission to GTR, due in late July. The Community Rail Partnership is able to attract some matchfunding for some of the projects people have asked us to put forward, which widens the scope of what can be achieved. Station Tubs Thanks to both Whaddon and Meldreth Parish Councils and Aurora Meldreth Manor School for stepping up to sponsor garden tubs at Meldreth Station. Any other local businesses, families or individuals who would like to do the same at Meldreth, Shepreth or Foxton Stations, please get in touch with the Community Rail Partnership via Susan. 50

And thanks too to our new Duke of Edinburgh volunteers and Meldreth Primary School children who are helping to keep the flower tubs watered over the summer. All offers of help gratefully received! Station Waiting Room Redecorated Thanks to gentle pressure exerted from Melbourn Science Park, and to GTR for prioritizing Meldreth to get the job done. Rail services August Bank Holiday weekend: The message from GTR is, ‘Don’t Travel.’ The tracks leading to King’s Cross Station need untangling, and bus replacement services will be the order of the day. This is the start of a process that will run for some time. Please do check the GTR website if in doubt! Dementia Friends at the Hub The Melbourn Hub now in association with Dementia Friends looking to set up a support group this autumn, open to surrounding villages. Please contact the Centre Manager or Jose. Blue Plaque Scheme South Cambs has just launched this scheme which has been running in Cambridge since 2001. The first plaque was unveiled yesterday at Girton College to honour its two principal founders, Barbara Bodichon and Emily Davies, who were pioneers in providing education at degree level for women in this country. South Cambridgeshire residents are now being encouraged to nominate a person or event for commemoration. See www.scambs.gov.uk/blueplaques for further details and the nomination criteria. Any questions, comments, concerns or ideas, please get in touch with us any time! Jose Hales, District Councillor jose@josehales.me.uk, 07703 262649 Philippa Hart, District Councillor philippajoyhart@gmail.com, 07811 323571 Susan van de Ven, County Councillor susanvandeven5@gmail.com, 07905 325574 www.susanvandeven.com 51

News From Heidi Allen, MP www.heidiallen.co.uk I know from my inbox that many of you share my concerns about the acute pressures on our NHS and last month, I called a debate in Parliament to challenge the Health Minister about this and press for a much-needed increase in funding. The level of local funding continues to fall behind funding in other areas and does not reflect the fact the Cambridgeshire is one of the fastest growing counties. The NHS funding formula has determined that our population is growing at 0.1% below the England average whereas in reality, growth across the county has been 0.6% above the England average for the past four years. Even ignoring this growth issue, our per capita funding has always been too low. In Cambridgeshire, we receive £1,125 per capita, as compared with £1,244 in Bedfordshire, £1,288 in West Suffolk and £1,497 in Norfolk. During the debate, the Minister agreed to meet me and our Clinical Commissioning Group’s Chief Executive to discuss these concerns in more detail. I will of course let you know how that meeting goes. Climate change is undoubtedly one of the greatest challenges of our time. The recent announcement committing the UK to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, so ending the UK’s contribution to climate change, is welcome but to meet this target, we all need to play our part in increasing the use of cleaner and renewable energy. So last month, I was pleased to be joined by a group of constituents who made the journey to Westminster as part of the climate change lobby. I’ll be working with a cross party group of MPs to come up with some tangible targets that we will campaign to have embedded in the next Queen’s Speech. To commit our ambitions to the next Government’s legislative programme would be without doubt the most effective way of focusing minds. Some further local news is that the Government has re-opened the Rural Community Energy Fund, a £10 million programme to encourage rural communities in England to develop community-based renewable energy projects. Further details are available here: https://www.gov.uk/ guidance/rural-community-energy-fund. Last month, I visited the Medical Research Council’s Cancer Unit on the Biomedical campus to learn more about their innovative work which seeks to advance our understanding of the earliest steps in the 52

emergence of cancer, and to use this knowledge for early diagnosis. The Unit receives core funding from the Medical Research Council, with additional external support from Wellcome, Cancer Research UK and other sponsors. My thanks to the team for an informative tour of the labs and a really great conversation about their work – and Brexit! There are a couple of important consultations underway at present: Local Transport Plan The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority is consulting on the Local Transport Plan. Open until Friday 27th September 2019, the consultation will help to shape how we deal with the challenges of a growing area sustainably. Details are given here: https://heidi-allen.co.uk/heidi-allen-mp-urges-south-cambridgeshireresidents-to-submit-to-the-cambridgeshire-and-peterborough-localplan/. Greenways Until Monday 5th August 2019, you can also get feedback on the Greater Cambridge Partnership’s proposals for the Melbourn and Sawston Greenways. These Greenways routes will enable cyclists, walkers and equestrians to travel sustainably from Melbourn and Sawston into Cambridge. More details can be found here: https:// consultcambs.uk.engagementhq.com/greenways-melbourn-sawston. As ever, my newsletter can only provide a snapshot of my work but if there is anything you would like to talk to me about, my next appointment surgery is on Friday 16th August 2019 between 3.00pm and 5.00pm at my new offices at 2 Mill Yard, Childerley, CB23 8BA. If you would like an appointment, please call my office on (01223) 830037. As Parliament breaks for Summer recess and I’ll be at home more, I’ll be holding a series of pop up surgeries in cafes, garden centres and pubs across the constituency, so please check my website for details: https:// heidiallen.co.uk/constituency-surgeries. In the meantime, if you would like to contact me, please call my office or email me at heidi-allen.mp@parliament.uk. See you next month! Heidi Allen MP 53

Mick Taylor—(01763) 261118 Graham Borgonon—(01763) 260358 (01763) 262158, open 7am-10pm, 7 days Sherida Richards—(01763) 262512 Paul Ray—(01763) 260304

Cycling Group Good Companions Local History Group Lunch Club Melwood Cons. Group

John Rogger—(01763) 260809 Marian Oakman—(01763) 261481 (01763) 260129; www.meldrethhistory.org.uk Nikki & Julie—07599 292327 (01763) 232855; www.melwood.btck.co.uk

Photographic Group

www.melbourn-photographic-club.co.uk

Revelation U3A WI

Miriam Skuce—(01763) 262440 Chris Davison—(01763) 264189 Jane Bates—(01763) 261638

Sport

Bowls Club Croquet Club Meldreth United FC Table Tennis Tennis Club

Vivien Constable—(01223) 207557 Janet Pope—(01763) 248239 07930 650036 Christine Knight—(01763) 261676 (01763) 243376; http://cspark.at/Meldr2

Church

Rev. Lizzie Shipp Rev. Mary Price Bells John Price (Friends)

(01763) 220626; https://allsaintsmelbournholytrinitymeldreth.co.uk (01763) 261569 Peter Hinton—(01763) 262045 (01763) 260048; www.foht.org.uk

Baby & Toddler Group Hartbeeps Pre-School Primary School

Thea Peacock—07930 893201 Kelly@hartbeeps.com 07518 173653; www.meldrethPreschool.com (01763) 260432; www.meldreth.cambs.sch.uk

Parish Council District Councillors

Please see details at end of Parish Council report Philippa Hart—07811 323571 Jose Hales—07703 262649 03450 450500; www.scambs.gov.uk/ Susan van de Ven—07905 325574 susanvandeven.mycouncillor.org.uk/ 0345 045 5200; www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/ Heidi Allen—(01954) 212707; www.heidiallen.co.uk

Councils & Govt.

Clubs & Societies

Facilities

Litter Picker Neighbourhood Watch One Stop Village Hall Bookings Village Hall Chairman

Childn.

Village Directory

District Council Offices County Councillor County Council Offices MP

54

Opening hours: Mon - Fri 7-11.15am, Sat 8.45am - 1.25pm

Rail User Group

07905 325574; www.meldrethsheprethfoxtonrail.org.uk

Transport

Govia/Great Northern

www.thameslinkrailway.com

The Trainline Stagecoach Potholes, Highways problems, etc. Streetlights (faulty)

www.thetrainline.com www.stagecoachbus.com/Cambridge 0345 045 5212; http://www2.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/ HighwaysReports/Highways/ReportProblem1.aspx 08007838 247 - give location, fault & SC or CCC no.

Health

Melbourn Surgery Addenbrooke’s NHS

(01763) 260220; Dispensary—(01763) 261246 (01223) 245151 111 (24 hour non-emergency number)

Childline

Community Transport Home-Start Mind (mental health) Samaritans

0800 1111 (24 hours) Cambridge: 0344 848 7979 Royston: 03444 111 444 www.citizensadvice.org.uk (01763) 245228; www.roytrans.co.uk (01763) 262262; www.hsrsc.org.uk 0300 123 3393 (9am-6pm M-F); www.mind.org.uk 116 123 (24 hours); www.samaritans.org

General Emergency Gas Electricity Anglian Water Cambridge Water

999 or 112 0800 111 999 0800 783 8838 03457 145145; www.anglianwater.co.uk (01223) 706050; www.cambridge-water.co.uk

Crimestoppers

S Cambs Fire & Rescue

0800 555 111; crimestoppers-uk.org 101; www.cambs.police.uk Report issues: www.contactcambspolice.uk (01480) 444500; www.cambsfire.gov.uk

Melbourn Hub

(01763) 263303; www.melbournhub.com

Royston Museum

(01763) 242587; www.roystonmuseum.org.uk

Misc.

NonEmerg.

Emergencies

Support Services

Station Ticket Office

Citizens Advice Bureau

Police

Details of village groups and facilities can be found in the Meldreth Today section at www.meldrethhistory.org.uk. Meldreth Matters Team: Chairman: Lesley Farbridge 261578; Editor & Layout: Kathryn Betts 268428; Distribution & Proof-reading: Ken McLean 261243; Treasurer, Secretary & Trade Advertising: Beverley Cottrell 262176; Advertising Layout: Richard Burns 263121; Editorial Assistant: Robin Farbridge; Founder Member: Ann Barnes Meldreth Matters is available online at issuu.com (search for Meldreth)

55

Advertising Rates Size per issue Half page £27.25 Quarter page £16.50 Eighth page £8.75 Business listing per line

6 months £134.00 £74.00 £43.00 £11.00

12 months £216.00 £118.00 £65.00 £16.00

Occasional full page advertising features are also available on request. For all advertising enquiries, please email meldrethmatters@hotmail.com or telephone Beverley Cottrell on (01763) 262176.

Index to Advertisers Meldreth Matters depends entirely on advertising revenue to cover its production costs. Please mention Meldreth Matters when contacting our advertisers. Abode Town & Country……………14 ADDS…………………………………..4 AngliEAR Hearing ...........................8 Art of Clean ....................................39 Art of Clean Wood ..........................26 Aurora Meldreth Manor (Job) ....Cover B2B Automotive ........................Cover Cam Valley Orchards ......................18 Cambourne Self Storage ..................39 Cambridge Solar .......................Cover CHS Day Centre .............................45 CHS Group ....................................35 Coton Electrical ..............................23 The Country Store ...........................39 Dog Walker/Animal Sitter ..............14 E Tills Limited (Jobs) .....................13 Ely Design Group ............................26 Eternit Sports and Social Club .........40 Gilhooly ....................................Cover The Green Lounge ...........................39 Huw Shortle Window Cleaning .......13 iPlaster ............................................26 Lawn Partners .................................35 The Letting Centre ..........................49

Little Hands Nursery School ............26 Melbourn Flooring ..........................40 Melbourn Hub ................................13 Melbourn Village College (1) ............39 Melbourn Village College (2) ............18 Meldreth Landscapes .......................35 Meldreth Plant Hire .........................15 Moncraft Computers .......................39 Nancy Foster Footcare .....................13 Newlings of Royston Funeral Service .8 Nigel Wigg Home Improvement ........4 P D Property Services ….………45 Penn Farm Physiotherapy……………26 Reflections Hair Studio ....................14 Richard Burns Electrician .................13 Rod’s PC Support ............................23 Royston Fencing ..............................18 Sage Blinds and Interiors ..................8 Shelford Energy ...............................14 Slimming World ..............................49 Summit Landscapes ..........................23 Village Garden Services ...................26 Walkers Partnership Solicitors .........45 Yoga2 Classes...………………………4 56

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