Meldreth Matters, February 2017

February 2017

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Meldreth Matters, February 2017 Contents include … February Events in Meldreth Melwood in Winter Danger for Otters Station Gardening Gardening Preschool & Primary School What’s On for Families 1st Melbourn Guides Friends of Holy Trinity Playing for Church Services Church Matters Photographic & History Groups Good Companions WI Letter to the Editor Christmas Day on the Job Volunteering Parish Council Used Stamps Women’s Group Community Grants Available Local Events District Councillor’s Report County Councillor’s Report Station Platform Extensions Village Litter Pick News from Heidi Allen Refuse Collections Planning Matters Neighbourhood Watch Village Directory Index to Advertisers

Page 3 4-5 6 9 10-11 13-16 17 18 21 23 24-25 26 27 28 29 30 31 35-39 42 42-43 43 44-45 48-49 50-52 52 53 54-55 57 58-59 60 62-63 64

Welcome to the February issue of Meldreth Matters. We have another varied issue for you this month, with news of village amenities, events and activities. Also in this issue is an article about the planned platform extensions at Meldreth Station. Some disruption while the work takes place is inevitable, but there will be enormous benefits in the long term. Not only can we look forward to a half-hourly offpeak service from next year but we will also have direct links to St Pancras, Farringdon and London Bridge stations, making journeys to Gatwick and Heathrow airports, for instance, much easier. See page 52 for details. Kathryn

Cover: Aerial photograph of Holy Trinity Church, Meldreth 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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February Events in Meldreth Saturday 4th February, 10.30am to 12 noon Community Coffee Break Sheltered Housing Community Room, Elin Way This is an opportunity to catch up with friends for a chat and enjoy either coffee, tea or squash, with biscuits, at very reasonable prices. there will be an opportunity to ‘bring and buy’ at our Cake Stall. We look forward to seeing you. Tuesday 7th February, 7.45pm Informal Station Gardening Chat with Susan van de Ven British Queen See page 9 for details Wednesday 8th February, 7.45pm Melwood Conservation Group AGM and Presentation Green Room, Meldreth Village Hall See page 11 for further information Sunday 12th February, 3.30pm Messy Church, Meeting Room, Holy Trinity Church An afternoon of activities, stories and songs See page 25 and/or back cover for further details Friday 17th February, 7.30pm Friends of Holy Trinity Talk: Ecology, Bats and Badgers by Will O’Connor of MKA Ecology of Shepreth Holy Trinity Church See page 21 for further details 3

Melwood in Winter Winter may seem to be a season when much of nature has gone to sleep, but for those caring for woodland, the season is exactly the opposite. Much can be achieved when not distracted by the need to avoid nesting birds or emerging flowers and the winter of 2016-17 should be a busy time, if the weather permits. It is pleasing to see that walkers around the back of the wood are now sticking to the path outlined by logs. This will improve the chances of success in our efforts to establish woodland flowers in the bare ground at the side of the path. Some seed has already been distributed and spring will tell whether this has been successful. The soil in the wood can become very dry in summer, which makes it difficult for seedlings to establish. Plants which go dormant in summer have the best chance of survival but even bluebells have proved difficult to grow from scattered seed. When enough seed is available, we scatter some and retain some to be grown in pots. During December, bluebells grown in pots from seed collected three years ago were planted towards the centre of the wood. It was interesting to note the difference in the soil of the two areas selected. One was rather grey and chalky, whilst the other was much browner and appeared to contain more sand and organic matter. This could have considerable impact on what will grow in the respective areas. A simple visual assessment of soil types in other parts of the wood now seems to be required, although shade remains probably the most critical factor determining what will grow and what will struggle. Bird life in the wood seems to be quieter this winter than in previous years. On my walks around the wood I have noticed fewer blue tits and great tits and I have not encountered a family of long-tailed tits for a long time. I may just have been unlucky, as I also 4

failed to see or hear any woodpeckers whilst walking in the wood, yet I can hear them regularly from my back garden. Kingfishers, herons and a little egret (pictured) have also been seen on the river. Despite the mild start to winter, or perhaps because of it, there have been no surprisingly early flowers from the snowdrop population in the wood. In 2015 and 2016, the first blooms were spotted between Christmas and New Year. I think this year it may be well into January before we see any signs. The main show will be expected in February, as usual. Primrose is another species that often produces the occasional early bloom but not this year. Even on the warmer corners of my garden, I wait for the first snowdrops and primroses. Rabbits are often a problem in the winter and we always need to net the base of any bushes that we plant. Hawthorn and blackthorn are generally selected but recently I have had to return to the bushes we planted in autumn to surround them with taller netting against what I assume to be muntjac damage. Fortunately, only a few tips were taken and neither deer nor rabbits seem to fancy the dogwood bushes. I hope in saying that I am not tempting fate. We normally leave some areas uncut when giving the wood its winter trim and this serves not only to provide cover for any voles or field mice that are still active, but also leaves a selection of food for rabbits. Perhaps the best way to prevent barking of trees by rabbits is to provide an easier alternative. Young wood with green bark, e.g. from ash, willow or sycamore is readily accepted and leaving some of this lying on the floor of the wood after coppicing may attract attention away from growing bushes. The green bark contains minerals and other nutrients that are lacking in green herbs, as they die back in autumn and winter. Ideally, nest boxes need to be cleaned and if necessary repaired before mid-February and I hope we may still be able to manage that this year. The group will hold its Annual General Meeting on Wednesday 8th February, in the Green Room of the Village Hall. The formal part is kept a short as possible, after which I will show slides of the butterflies found in the wood and in the surrounding Royston area. Further details are on page 11 of this edition of Meldreth Matters. Members of the public are cordially invited. Jim Reid Melwood Conservation Group

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Danger for Otters on Meldreth’s Roads Over the Christmas period I was explaining how dangerous I thought the roads in Meldreth, particularly the bends on North End were to a friend. On Monday 9th January I was reminded of this conversation when I saw something in the roadway on the A10. It was the corpse of an otter, evidently killed on the road overnight (we saw it at 8.00am). It was virtually undamaged but had, it appears, been clipped by a car. It was on the bridge deck near Fieldgate Nurseries. The saddest aspect to this “road kill” is that we have found two others in recent years and there may have been more. We have found them in virtually the same place. The explanation for their presence and deaths on the A10 is probably the proximity of the River Mel and other water on one side of the road and the Bury Lane Fruit Farm fishing lake on the other. There is a system in place for autopsies on dead otters as well as a reporting system. The body was picked up by the Environment Agency. It will be sent to Cardiff University and I will receive a report on its sex, condition, age and so on in due course which I will share with you. Otters are gradually spreading throughout East Anglia, after being made extinct by pollution and human persecution. But it is interesting to note that there is a building in the village which was used historically as a kennels for otter hounds. Not surprisingly this stands very close to the River Mel. Thinking of the River Mel and the great improvements made by the Restoration Group, one bright spot recently has been the presence of a Little Egret, a small pure white heron, [see page 4] on the river sporadically during the last month. This relative newcomer to the UK has expanded its population at the same time as the otters' has recovered. Terry Lynch (01763) 260475

Golden Wedding Joan and John Fallon would like to thanks everybody for their cards and good wishes on the occasion of their Golden Wedding anniversary in January. Joan Fallon 6

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Get Involved in Station Gardening (at the Pub)! The Meldreth, Shepreth and Foxton Community Rail Partnership has wonderful teams of local people who look after the platform gardens at each station. Twice per year the tubs are replanted for the new season, and if we’re lucky, Scouts or Duke of Edinburgh Scheme volunteers help us out with keeping the tubs watered and looking good. At our December Rail User Group meeting, British Transport police attended to update us on their work and said that crime and anti-social behaviour rates at our stations are about a quarter of what they would expect at comparable stations. They believe that well-tended environments, established firstly by the flower tubs, are part of the reason why. Platform lengthening work is about to begin at all three stations and some of the flower tubs have been suffering from the elements and need replacing. We’ve recently received a grant from the Association of Community Rail Partnerships to replace the tubs with weather-proof synthetic ones that will still look nice. The plan is to relaunch the gardens with the new tubs when platform lengthening work is completed. To make plans and catch up on some more news about station gardening and other opportunities, we’ll be meeting up for a chat and a pint or cuppa. So, whether you are already involved in station gardening or would like to learn more, please come to the Shepreth Plough on 11th February, at 11.00am. It’s always nice to meet people in Shepreth and Meldreth who’ve walked or cycled over from Foxton via the new A10 path! If you can’t make the 11th, I’ll also be at the British Queen, Meldreth, on 7th February, from 7.45pm to chat with anyone who’d like to find out more. Or come to both! Susan van de Ven 07905 325574 susanvandeven5@gmail.com

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Notes from a Small Garden Several interesting things have happened lately in Julie’s garden. Thankfully the moles have virtually stopped digging large holes in the grass. She guesses that this is because we have had some decent rain in the last month so that the earthworms have come up to the surface, making it easier for the moles to catch them. Sadly all the crab apples from Everest have been eaten; eschewed by the birds but loved by squirrels. But even more interesting she and Peter saw their first black squirrel on the lawn recently. Julie looked this up and “it occurs as a "melanistic" subgroup of both the eastern grey squirrel and the fox squirrel”. Apparently it is very common in the US and there are also quite a number to be seen around the village of Ashwell. A couple of years ago Julie ordered two clematis from the RHS Chelsea Flower Show and as so often happens she planted them and then forgot all about them! Imagine her joy when the one she put in a pot to grow against a south wall of the cottage suddenly flowered profusely in early December. The pale pink striped bells; darker inside than outside are very pretty. This clematis is aptly named Advent Bells. The other has more green than flowers this year, but has a much darker shade of pink bell and it is called Lansdown Gem. Both are available from Thornhill’s Clematis Nursery, www.thorncroftclematis.co.uk. This nursery has number of unusual plants; a treasure trove for those who live in the south and west of the village where clematis do really well. Jobs for February These are mainly gleaned from the RHS website, which in Julie’s humble opinion, is usually pretty good: prepare vegetable seed beds and sow some vegetables under cover chit potato tubers protect blossom on apricots, nectarines and peaches net fruit and vegetable crops to keep the birds off prune winter-flowering shrubs that have finished flowering divide bulbs such as snowdrops, and plant those that need planting 'in the green' prune Wisteria 10

cut back deciduous grasses left uncut over the winter and remove dead grass from evergreen grasses. Finally a message from Jim: not all varieties of small shrubs i.e. Hebes and Ceanothus are completely hardy. One way to shelter these from hard frosts is to take three large evergreen branches place them round the shrub and tie the top in to make a wigwam shape. This should be enough to shelter the shrub and let light and air through. Never use plastic sheets. This month's saying: the Old Boys would call snails 'Hod-me-Dods'. Good gardening from us both! Julie Draper juliedraper@dumbflea.co.uk Jim Eggleton

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Annual General Meeting Wednesday 8th February, at 7.45pm in the Green Room of the Village Hall Please register any nominations for the committee with Bruce Huett on (01763) 232855 or Graham Borgonon on (01763) 260358 Following the meeting, which will be kept as short as possible, there will be a presentation by Jim Reid on “Butterflies of Melwood and the Royston Area�. Drinks and nibbles will be available. 11

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Meldreth Preschool www.meldrethpreschoool.com The preschool has had a lovely start to 2017 with the children getting stuck into the new year with gusto! As usual, they have been encouraged to spend their time learning through play as they experiment with a range of resources, from the role play activities that are set out every day to sensory play with flour, sand and of course the everpopular mud kitchen. The preschool has been lucky enough to receive several generous donations from local businesses and we are hugely grateful to everyone who has contributed to the ongoing success of this vital resource for the families of Meldreth. Despite the chilly weather, the children are still heading to Melwood once a week to learn about the natural environment and to gain an understanding of how to look after the woods. We are still hoping for snow, but either way, we will be hunting for signs of spring emerging as the days turn a little warmer. The children of the preschool are always eager to learn about what grown ups get up to during the day, so if you have a job or hobby that you think they would like to hear about, please get in touch. We would love to have you come and talk to us about what you do, so please contact our team on manager@meldrethpreschool.com to arrange a time to share your stories with us. There are still spaces available at the preschool for children aged 2 and above who want the chance to socialise, play and learn. You can make an appointment to visit the preschool to meet the staff, see what happens in a typical day and talk about your requirements. Simply call our manager Cassie on 07518 173653 or email manager@meldrethpreschool.com. Meldreth Preschool Junior and Senior School in Action Day, 10th February 2017 St Mary’s School, Cambridge To book a place telephone (012230 224167 or email admissions@stmaryscambridge.co.uk 13

Meldreth Primary School www.meldreth.cambs.sch.uk 2017! A new year and a new term for the children of Meldreth Primary School. The perfect time to ask Woodpecker Class to reflect on how 2016 turned out for them, whilst thinking of their goals for the year ahead. We talked about resolutions and the children gave their thoughts and ideas regarding, firstly, why people might make resolutions and secondly, what aspirations they had for 2017. Woodpecker Class were not shy; their opinions were blunt and their resolutions were, shall I say, diverse and interesting. Being hard working, eager to please students, there were many that involved the huge effort they (apparently) will be putting into every single piece of school work they are given this term!! Other (equally unlikely) declarations were the old chestnuts …. “to spend less time on my Xbox”, “to clean my room”, “to stop arguing with my brother/sister”. Alongside them, in the midst of thirty-two extremely well crafted pieces of writing (how long will that last?), there appeared a few “curve balls” that showed some fabulous insight and some far reaching goals…. Sally Willan Woodpecker Year 5/6 Class Teacher

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My new year’s resolution is to do my homework….because I want to do really well in school and it will make my teacher happy. Henry D New Year is all about forgiving and new starts. We make resolutions on January 1st. It’s a new year, which means it’s a new start. In my opinion, I wouldn’t make too many new year’s resolutions because they are hard to keep. Your resolution must be do-able! Try to keep them, for they will improve your life. Megan H You can put a time limit on the resolution (e.g. a month), so if you achieve it, then you can try and do it for longer! Aaliyah L We should make a resolution every year to be sure we don’t stay the same. If we don’t change, we will never be a better person. My resolution is to run with my dog because I will feel fresh, my brain will be freshened and my life will be fresher too! Isaac W I need to be more tidy because my room is a little messy… but really that’s only because of my sisters. I finish tidying and go downstairs and they trash my room, so then I have to do it all over again! Tristan B I’m going to be nicer to my sister because, if I am nice to her, I think she will be nicer to me…..I’ll see if I can do my resolution till the end of the year (but I don’t think I’ll be able to!). Daniella W I want to get in shape for Kung Fu. At the same time, I am going to get my revenge on Rhys (my brother), as he always annoys me… I want to use him as my sparring dummy! Lewis P People make resolutions of things they have not done the previous year. 15

So, if last year my mum told me to wash the dishes and I chose not to, maybe this year I would make the decision to wash up (all year round though!) to almost say sorry to mum. You can’t start a resolution on the 1st and say you have achieved it by the 2nd. So, if you want to keep yours, make it a really easy one! I am going to make more cakes, which is one of my strong points, for my family and friends.” Daniel F (no mention of the washing up, then ! – Mrs W) I want to get on my roller blades more – at the moment I look like a duck on ice! Bobby B New Year’s Resolutions are made at the start of the year when people have aspiration in their blood! My new year’s resolutions are very serious as I love to aspire. I am going to get better at cooking, which helps my mum for dinner. I want to get fitter and stronger, which may help me in the future to access triathlons. My last resolution is to go on a search and find the man himself – Cristiano Ronaldo! My true football hero! Henry S My resolution is to stop fighting with my brother as, nearly every day, he gets really hurt…..but he does give as good as he gets! Shania W It’s that time of year… time for celebration, love and cheer. And also resolutions! The saying goes, “New year, new me!” so it’s time to make a promise for the better. It does take a lot of willpower to keep going the whole year, however don’t fret; you won’t regret the outcome if you achieve it. Want some ideas? Should I give you mine? Well, my resolution is to learn to speak another language fluently: speak it, read it, understand it and write it. This idea works because I reckon 365 days is enough to learn a language well. If I work hard for at least an hour a day, I could complete my goal! Ailish F Meldreth Primary School 16

What’s On for Children and Families in February Wednesday 8th February, 10.00am to 11.30am It’s Magic, Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge CB2 1RB Listen to stories and make art of your own. For ages 2 to 5 years. £3. Email: education@fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk or call (01223) 332904. 11th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 25th February, 10.15am to 4.00pm Source at Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge CB2 1RB Practical art workshops and gallery research for students preparing for art exams (GCSE, A Level, BTEC). Advice, gallery tours, guest artists. Drop in. Free. For information see: www.fitzwilliam.cam.ac.uk. 13th, 15th, 17th, 18th February, 10.30am to 3.00pm Think, Make, Do … Cyber Bletchley Park, Milton Keynes MK3 6EB Drop-in workshops with games and activities exploring online safety and how hacking was used to break into Enigma. For children aged 5 to 14, supervised by parents. Under 12s free, 12 -17 year olds £9, adults £16. Tel (01908) 640404 or email: info@bletchleypark.org.uk. Wednesday 15th February, 4.30pm to 7.30pm Twilight at the Museums, Cambridge (various venues) Wrap up warmly, take a torch and drop in at the museums for free activities and exploration. Programme available from end of January. See: www.museums.cam.ac.uk. Thursday 16th February, 10.30am to 12.30pm or 2.00pm to 4.00pm Wintry Wild Art, Wicken Fen, Lode Lane, Wicken, Ely CB7 5XP Create some wild art using natural materials. For children aged 3 to 10 years. £5.50 per child. Wrap up well and wear wellies. To book, call (08442) 491895 or visit: www.nationaltrust.org.uk. Saturday 18th February 2.00pm and 4.00pm Max the Brave: Family Picture Book Concert Saffron Hall, Audley End Road, Saffron Walden CB11 4UH Join author and illustrator Ed Vere and the Britten Sinfonia on an exciting musical journey. Suitable for ages 3 to 7. Tickets £12, £6 for under 18s. Book online: www.saffronhall.com or tel 0845 548 7650. Compiled by Hilary Crawforth 17

1st Melbourn Guides Have you ever tried to start a war? To understand how and why people become refugees, the Guides did just that. Firstly they were split into two tribes and built themselves simple homes from tables and blankets and listed their most important possessions. The two groups were then separated and encouraged to believe that their tribe was superior to the other. After reuniting to trade insults, sanctions were imposed, then foreign superpowers (the leaders) took sides and destroyed the homes of the opposition until both tribes were homeless. The girls then had to revisit their lists of possessions and chose just three things to take with them. The following week the girls had to carry heavy bags in the cold and dark, quietly trying to evade the border guards who would confiscate their possessions. Back in the warm, the girls met Elisabeth from the charity Hope Not Hate, who discussed the nature of the refugee problem around the world and encouraged us to support local efforts to help them. On a more traditional note, the girls enjoyed an indoor campfire evening, firstly making paper lanterns and pumpkins lit by LED tealights before sitting around them to sing our favourite campfire songs. Games are always popular too and an evening of co-operative games got older girls mixing with the new girls in a series of challenges including play-doh modelling, a memory challenge, miming and untangling a rope. As always, the term ended with Christmas crafts. This year the girls made door wreaths from fresh conifer foliage on wire frames, which they decorated with ribbon, cones, and baubles. The Spring term started with First Aid skills which every Guide should have: bandaging, recovery position and CPR. They also looked at the unit’s First Aid kit and tried to memorise its contents. 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 18

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Carol Singing in the Pubs Special thanks to Sue, Alan, Keith and Lynn, (those scrumptious mince pies!), Tim and Nicky for the warming alcohol, the keyboard and PA organiser David Chappell, Richard Remnant for keeping us in order and of course all the singers who came and helped to raise ÂŁ250 for Royston & District Community Transport. What a fun evening! Churches Together: The Black Horse in Melbourn was the next venue when representatives from the Baptist, United Reformed Church, Melbourn and Meldreth parishes churches came together and sang carols for charity. Thank you all for coming and we look forward to Christmas 2017! Pauline Penfold

Choose Well to Stay Well Many A&E Departments have been extremely busy over recent weeks and people have been waiting longer than usual to be assessed and treated. Before presenting at A&E please consider the following options. Pharmacy - your pharmacy can provide confidential, expert advice and treatment for a range of common illnesses and complaints without having to wait for a GP appointment. Call NHS 111 - available 24 hours a day and free to call. Connects you with the out of hours doctor service. Will give information and advice of what you should do or where you could go for treatment. Also provides mental health crisis care if you choose option 2. Your GP surgery - make an appointment with your GP or telephone for advice for an illness or injury that won’t go away. Minor injuries units - usually a shorter wait for less serious injuries and illnesses that still need to be cared for quickly. Unfortunately, the closest Minor Injuries Unit is in St Neots. Healthwatch Cambridgeshire 20

Friends of Holy Trinity Supper Saturday 14th January The supper was as popular as ever and all tickets were sold. We are always grateful to the committee and others who prepare the food for 50 plus people with a few variations to accommodate dietary needs. With all the chatter there is not much need for entertainment. However, the table quiz always goes down well and this year there was a picture quiz to identify a number of varieties of sheep!

This month’s event: Friday 17th February, 7.30pm Ecology, Bats and Badgers a talk by Will O’Connor of MKA Ecology of Shepreth MKA Ecology is the company that carried out the bat survey as part of one of the conditions of being granted a Faculty to replace the lead roof with stainless steel Tickets cost £7.50 (Friends £7.00) and include wine and nibbles. Please contact: Robert Long - (01763) 261365 Mary Gregory - (01763) 260120 John Price - (01763) 260048 Peter Chilvers - (01763) 260742

Forthcoming Events: Friday 17th March Mountaineering - locations, techniques and experiences. Talk by Peter Finklaire Friday 12th May AGM Sunday 4th June Open Gardens - now in early summer. John Price

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THE WALKERS PARTNERSHIP SOLICITORS Is it your New Year’s Resolution to make a Will or revise your existing Will? If so, please take advantage of our Special New Year reduced rate Wills offer. Reduced rate wills will be available every week day from 8.00am until 6.00pm, (Tuesdays until 8.00pm) by appointment only. Also on the Saturday mornings of 11th and 25th February 2017, again by appointment only: Reduced rates are:Double Wills - £250.00 plus VAT Single Will - £130.00 plus VAT HOME VISITS ARE ALSO AVAILABLE AT NO EXTRA CHARGE WITHIN A 20 MILE RADIUS OF ROYSTON. For more information please contact:Fish Hill Chambers, 2-3 Fish Hill, Royston, Herts SG8 9JY Tel: 01763 241121 Email: t.donnellan@walkerspartnership.co.uk 22

Playing for Church Services Those of you who have attended either Meldreth or Melbourn Church recently may have noticed that in the last month or two, I have been playing the recorder in services. Peter and I have a set of four recorders including the bass. It is fun playing, not only Thomas Webster, A Church Choir and Band, 1847 the hymns, but also the responses. If you are a sight-reader, rather than just playing the top part or the tune, you can try the alto, tenor or bass line, depending on the instrument you play. Luckily most Anglican hymn tunes are easy on the ear and easy to play. I know that you all are familiar with Toni on her trumpet, especially at Christmas, and her daughter playing the flute too, not to mention those who play at the family service in Melbourn Church. So instruments other than the organ will be familiar to you and of course are not a new feature in churches. Choir bands in the 19th and early 20th century were common and usually formed of four singing parts accompanied by a flute, clarinet, violins and a cello. You have probably all heard of stories of the church bands and their unreliable behaviour particularly where time and drink were concerned! Some members were often late and turned up the worse for wear after a particularly good Saturday night out! They usually played in the gallery at the back of the church, one of the reasons why priests insisted that organs were placed in the chancel so that the organist was under their eye! So this is a special plea to all instrumentalists in the village. If you would like to play in services please get in touch. It would be lovely to have a “band� playing in Meldreth Church again. We would love to hear from you. Any instrument played to any standard is welcome. Julie Draper 23 Chiswick End, Meldreth SG8 6LZ (01763) 260323 juliedraper@dumbflea.co.uk 23

Church Matters South Aisle and Porch Roofs Discussions are taking place with a company to install a roof alarm system and approval will be sought soon. Currently the insured limit for theft of roof material is ÂŁ7,500 which by no means covered the cost of the recent repairs. However, with an approved alarm system there is no limit within the policy cover. One of the consequences of the internal flooding after the lead was taken was that the organ could not be played for a month or so as some of the wooden moving parts had swollen. Dr John Rowntree, who is independent organ advisor acting for the loss adjusters, inspected the organ and extracts of his report relating to the history of the organ are below. Extracts from the Organ Report by Dr John Rowntree The organ by J. W. Walker is said to have been built in 1820 - National Pipe Organ Register K00583 - as a barrel organ with three barrels for St Peter and St Paul Church, Bassingbourn. The date of 1820 is without doubt incorrect. Joseph Walker was not in business until around 1825. The organ was placed in the west gallery. In 1856 it was altered into a barrel and finger organ with one and a half octaves of pedals. The style of the nameplate on the organ and the case design would suggest they both date from 1856. After being moved from the gallery first to the chancel in 1863, and then to the east end of the north aisle in 1865, it was bought in 1865 by Holy Trinity Church, Meldreth. Since then there have been a number of changes to the organ, as detailed in the National Pipe Organ Register reference NO3061, notably in 1974, when a Gamba was replaced by a Fifteenth, the manual compass extended from 51 to 56 notes, and the pedals electrified. The pedal board and keyboard have both been replaced, probably in 1974. Of the original three barrels, two survive, together with the operating mechanism. Though modest, the organ is an important survival from an early period in work of J.W. Walker - a firm of considerable significance from the mid-19th to the late 20th century. Though it has undergone change following its installation in Bassingbourn, and more recently in the 1970's, these latter changes are reversible and the form of the organ as in 1856 is readily recoverable. The organ currently has a Historic Organ Certificate of Recognition and under the current British Institute 24

of Organ Studies Listing it is likely to be listed as Grade II. It is therefore important in any work undertaken following the ingress of water through the roof, that due care is exercised in the making of any repairs. Norman Hall & Sons, who currently maintain the organ, have been a small family business stemming from the mid 19th century in Norwich and working in Cambridge for several generations. It currently consists of two brothers working in partnership. They are accredited for tuning and maintenance, and cleaning and overhaul by the Institute of British Organ Building. Their estimate for the work is a modest one and allows for careful checking of the whole instrument. John Price

Joint Parish Prayer Group The Prayer Group will be meeting on Tuesday 21st February at 8.00pm at 85 North End, Meldreth. Please join us for prayer and quiet meditation. Any prayer requests are welcomed and treated in strict confidence. Marion Long (01763) 261365

Messy Church comes to Meldreth! Come along to share an afternoon of activities, stories and songs for children with their parents in the Meeting Room at Meldreth Church on Sunday 12th February at 3.30pm. A simple meal will be provided so if your children have any allergies or special dietary requirements, please let us know. We look forward to welcoming you and hope you will have lots of fun. For information, contact Hilary on (01763) 262848 or email messymeldreth@gmail.com. Hilary Crawforth 25

Melbourn and District Photographic Club Meetings of the Photographic Club are held weekly from 7.30 - 9.30pm on Tuesdays in Foxton Village Hall from September to April. February Program: 7th: Wildlife through the lens. Lecture by Tom Way 14th: Portrait Session with Clive Downes 21st: Third Open Print Competition. Judge, Colin Strong 28th: Pairs Cup Competition. Judge, Liz Hatten The Club has a diverse membership, a friendly and supportive atmosphere and welcomes new members, whatever their ability. Anyone wishing to know more details or see some of our work should visit our website at melbournphotoclub.com or email the club Secretary, Peter North, at melbournphotoclub@hotmail.com. Peter North Secretary/Webmaster

Meldreth Local History Group Coffee Morning We will be holding another of our popular coffee mornings on Monday 6th March at 10.00am when we are delighted to be welcoming Rory Stephens, a WW1 Battlefield Guide, who will be speaking about WW1. AGM The Group’s 10th Annual General Meeting will be held on Monday 3rd April at 10.00am. Further details will be published in the March issue of Meldreth Matters. Both events will be taking place at the Sheltered Housing Community Room in Elin Way. All welcome. Kathryn Betts Secretary, MLHG 26

Good Companions There are two meetings to report on this time. December 15th saw us all enjoying our Christmas Party with a service and carols (thank you to Mary) a quiz, a raffle, Secret Santa and buffet. There was much merriment and it was enjoyed by all. January 5th had us all together again in another 'New Year': where does the time go! It was nice for everyone to catch up over tea, cake and a few games of bingo: well done Mrs. Tobin! The next meeting is on 2nd February at 2.00pm - all welcome. A belated Happy 2017 to everyone! Laraine Pocknell Secretary (01763) 261432

Melbourn Mobile Warden Scheme

Now operating in Meldreth Can we help you? Your relative? Your neighbour? What are our Services? The wardens make regular visits and telephone calls to provide social contact and friendship. They help people to keep safe and healthy in their homes and carry out errands around the villages for their clients, including shopping, collecting prescriptions and paying bills. Wardens assist clients to access other support they may need such as domestic help, home maintenance , meals or benefits etc. What will it cost? We do have to make a small weekly charge for the services. The fee is only ÂŁ6 per week (a little more for couples). How can I join? For more information please contact Jeannie on 07808 735066 or Jane on 07592 821976. Melbourn Warden Scheme is a registered charity 27

Meldreth WI End of Meldreth WI? Meldreth WI was initiated in 1920 and very sadly it was announced at our meeting in January that we may have to fold due to lack of membership. Throughout the years there has always been a strong WI here in Meldreth always willingly helping out when needed but, like all good things if no one is willing to take over that will be the end. The officers and committee have all worked very hard trying to make meetings interesting but like time, age doesn't stand still and try as we might we cannot get new members. It will be very sad if next month's meeting is our last one. However, at last night's meeting we had the pleasure of a four-legged friend Hugo who is being trained to be a guide dog for a blind person. His trainer Gill Bland explained the vigorous training they have to undergo. They are delivered to the trainer at seven weeks old and for the first two days are allowed cuddles and sweet talk then on the third the training begins. Toilet training at certain times and by a specific word, feeding at a certain time and then gradually they are taken out into the wild noisy world. They are taught how to manoeuvre left and right and how to place their paws on the stairs and road side. They are not taught how to cross a road so if you see a blind person waiting please help. At 14 months old 'the puppy snatcher' comes and they are taken to Redditch for the next part of their training. They are allowed to spend two days playing with the other puppies and eventually after more intensive training are given to a person needing a guide dog. If you see a guide dog with the harness flat on its back you can talk to it but if the harness is raised, the dog is working so please don't distract it. It was a very interesting evening, both with Gill and Hugo. Our Next Meeting Sir David Wright will be speaking about his life in the Diplomatic Service. It’s a very interesting subject so please do come along and help us to keep Meldreth WI going: Thursday 9th February at 7.30pm in the Village Hall. Kathleen Thompson

28

Letter to the Editor Flats at Station Yard Could someone please explain to me if there are any building rules in this country that anyone takes any notice of? I am referring to the application for flats at Station Yard (S/1140/15/FL). The building that stood there until recently was destroyed without any one knowing what was happening and with no permission and then construction of a block of flats was begun, again with no permission, no S106 having been agreed. Now we are told that SCDC felt it wasn’t viable to stop the work, so presumably no one from SCDC bothered to come and see the site or assess the traffic going in and out of the car park every morning and every evening. It’s very dangerous now so when these flats are built goodness only knows what it’s going to be like. Anyone with half a brain must have been able to see what a horrendous corner it is and how stupid it would be, if of course anyone did come to see it! Which brings me to another point, there are apparently eight flats being built and provision been made for eight cars, but there are going to be potentially sixteen cars if two people in each flat have a car apiece. Could someone explain where the others cars are going to be parked? In the High St along with all the commuters who apparently can’t afford to pay the Station car park charges? We have two visitors’ bays outside our house that are constantly in use by commuters every day. Plus all these cars will be using the station entrance along with the other cars going in and out morning and evening. Am I correct in presuming in the light of this that if I want to have a block of flats on my lawn all I have to do is clear the site and start building, no permission is needed, as I will be automatically given permission at a later date? If someone could answer my questions I would be very pleased as I am baffled as to what the building laws are in this country now. Ann Rogers High Street, Meldreth [This letter was also sent to Meldreth Parish Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council.] 29

Christmas Day on the Job! This Christmas both my colleague, Vanessa and I volunteered to work at our 24hour emergency clinic for Christmas day. It is a long shift there, some 12 hours, but usually really good fun and this year was no exception. I thought it might be interesting for Meldreth Matters readers to know what kinds of things are presented as an emergency on days such as this and the kinds of cases we are dealing with out of hours. Of course at Christmas we expect “seasonal problems” and this year was no exception. We had a lot of telephone calls about dogs who had eaten chocolate, which can be harmful. Most just needed a little telephone advise because they had eaten quite a small amount, but we had to see two or three and make them sick. Chocolate oranges are not the best treat for our canine companions; most had “stolen” the chocolate from unsuspecting owners who were distracted by the Christmas day goings on at home! A couple of cases were seen with wounds that had just occurred and needed sorting out and some cases were post operative and hospitalised for the entire Christmas period for 24/7 nursing and veterinary care, perhaps receiving fluids and diagnostic tests while they were with us, or with medical conditions such as diabetes which needed stabilising and close observation. We certainly inherited a few inpatients on Christmas morning who had been in for a while, including a gorgeous cat who was going home after having had really very major surgery. It was nice to send him home for Christmas. Of course there are the inevitable sad stories and of all days to lose your pet, Christmas day is one of the worst. All we could do was provide support for those saddest of cases and spend time where it was needed with our clients We were really busy all day and able to help a number of emergencies, animals who are unable to breathe or eat properly and need urgent attention, whether its 25th December or not! Thankful that none needed any major surgery though, we were able to give them all more than enough attention and love and most of the diagnostic tests, blood work, ultrasound scans and digital x-rays are all done on the premises so the results are incredibly quick to hand. With a bit of forward planning we still managed to have a lovely Christmas lunch by sharing the cooking and bringing it all together. It 30

was lovely to spend this time with colleagues and took the sting out of working all day and being away from our families. Being able to be there for people's pets when they need us is one of the major advantages of having a 24 hour hospital. We are there anyway and so no pet has to wait for treatment or pain relief if they need it and of course we never mind seeing any patient when it’s urgent (we usually like seeing them even when its not!). Everyone was in a really festive mood and although our day was long it was a really good one! Joanna Brown, RVN

Volunteering Opportunities Meldreth: Village Litter Pick A village litter pick is planned for Saturday 4th March. page 53 for details.

Please see

Cambridgeshire Constabulary Victim and Witness Hub Police and Crime Commissioner, Jason Ablewhite is calling for people to volunteer to help victims and witnesses of crime. Cambridgeshire Constabulary’s Victim and Witness Hub is looking for volunteers to work with them in helping victims of crime to cope and recover from the impact. The Hub provides an ‘end to end’ support service for all victims and witnesses of crime. Applications are welcome from volunteers with or without previous experience of supporting victims and, to try and reflect the county’s diverse community, people with language skills are always welcome. Anyone applying needs to be over 18, have the ability to communicate effectively, have basic IT skills and be willing to work as part of a team. Volunteers are expected to commit a minimum of 4 hours a week and in return, the Victims and Witness Hub will provide all the support and tools required to carry out the role. The role is subject to successful interview, satisfactory police vetting and accreditation after training. More information about the Victim and Witness Hub can be found here: www.cambsvictimshub.co.uk. 31

Meldreth Village Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday 9.30-11.30am Baby & Toddler Group 5.30pm & 7.30pm Slimming World

Thurs

6.00-7.00 Brownies

2.00-4.30pm Companions 6.00 - 6.45pm Pilates 7.00 - 9.00pm

7.45-9.00pm Bell Ringing

7.30pm Parish

1 2 6 7 8 9 13 14 15 1 20 21 22 2 27 28 Half Term is 13th-17th February

9.30-11.30am Meldreth Local History Group 7.30-10.00pm Old Time Dancing

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

9.30-11.30am Baby & Toddler Group 5.30pm & 7.30pm Slimming World 6.00-7.00 Brownies 7.45pm Melwood AGM 7.45-9.00pm Bell Ringing

6.00 - 6.45pm Pilates 7.30pm WI

9.30-11.30am Meldreth Local History Group 7.30-10.00pm Old Time Dancing

9.15am Cycling Group

5.30pm & 7.30pm Slimming World

6.00 - 6.45pm Pilates 7.00 - 9.00pm Tennis

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

7.45-9.00pm Bell Ringing

7.00-10.00pm Crafters

9.30-11.30am Meldreth Local History Group 7.30-10.00pm Old Time Dancing

10.00am-12.00 Handbells

9.30-11.30am Meldreth Local History Group 7.30-10.00pm Old Time Dancing

9.15am Cycling Group 10.00am-12.00 Handbells 10.45-11.30am Mobile Library 5.00-6.00pm Martial Arts 7.00 - 8.00pm Aerobics 7.00-10.00pm Crafters

9.30-11.30am Baby & 5.00-6.00pm Martial Arts Toddler Group 5.30pm & 7.30pm 7.00 - 8.00pm Aerobics Slimming World 7.00-10.00pm Crafters 6.00-7.00 Brownies 8.00pm Prayer Group 7.45-9.00pm Bell Ringing

6.00 - 6.45pm Pilates 7.00 - 9.00pm Tennis

Did You Every copy of Meld January 2009 onw online at fre

Church Services and Bell Ringing are held at Holy Trinity Church. The Prayer Group meets at 85 ‘Coffee Break’ mornings are held in the Sheltered Housing Community Centre, Elin Way. Browni room. The Mobile Library Service visits Bell Close. The Cycling Group meets in the lay-by oppos 32

Diary - February

sday

Friday

Good

Saturday 10.30am-12 noon Coffee Break

Sunday 9.45am Family Communion and New Seekers Sunday School 5.30pm Meat Raffle, British Queen

2 3 4 5 9 10 11 12 6 17 18 19 3 24 25 26

m Fitness

m T Tennis h Council

8.00am Holy Communion

m Fitness

m Fitness

m Table

3.30-5.30pm Messy Church (see back page) 5.30pm Meat Raffle, British Queen

9.45am Family Communion and New Seekers Sunday School

7.30pm FOHT talk Ecology, Bats and Badgers (see page 21)

5.30pm Meat Raffle, British Queen

m Fitness

8.00am Holy Communion

m Table

5.30pm Meat Raffle, British Queen

u Know? dreth Matters from wards is available e.yudu.com

The copy deadline for the March issue of Meldreth Matters is Sunday 12th February

North End. Cam Valley Crafters, Good Companions, Meldreth Local History Group and the es, Messy Church & Melbourn and Meldreth Women’s Group meet in the Holy Trinity meeting ite Holy Trinity Church. All other events are held in the Village Hall unless otherwise indicated. 33

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34

Meldreth Parish Council www.meldreth-pc.org.uk Below are extracts from the unapproved minutes of the Parish Council Meeting held on Thursday 5th January 2017. Present: Councillor C A Land - Chairman, Councillor N P Pellatt - Vice Chairman, Councillor CJ Fallon, Councillor R Goddin, Councillor A Keena, Councillor D Lee, Councillor R Searles, Councillor D Stewart, Councillor A Young Councillor Keena arrived at 7.45pm

In attendance: Mrs J Damant (Clerk), Councillor S van de Ven (CCC) and Councillor P Hart (SCDC Public Participation There were five members of public present. Mr J Hales attended the meeting to give an update on MAYD (Youth Club). Mr Hales thanked the Parish Council for their continued support to the Youth Club and it is now seeing a marked increase in the numbers of young people attending. Ground Work run the Youth Club and it appears to be working well enough for a second session to be planned. This is possible due to the increased numbers and will provide a split between age groups. MAYD is unique and appears to be very successful. It is hoped that in future the young people will be able to get involved with parish projects as they live in the various local parishes. The Tennis Club thanked the Parish Council for their ÂŁ5000 donation. The recent Parish Council extract in Meldreth Matters was incorrect regarding membership numbers. The courts are not for the sole use of the Tennis Club although the Tennis Club does carry out the maintenance programme. It was also stated that the planned work needs to start within the next two months. The LTA have inspected the courts and have reported that they did not think they were fit for purpose. Councillor Goddin asked to see this report; if the courts are not fit for purpose then there is the question of safety and the courts may have to be closed until they have been resurfaced. The Parish Council stated that the ÂŁ5000 already agreed to has come from the Community Benefit Grant and that the Parish Council were still going over the precept for 2018/19 contributions, whereby further funding will be given. 35

Money for Good Companions was on the agenda and it was stated that the application received was for 2017/18 financial year. A query was made as to why the Parish Council had not paid to have the landscaping done at the solar farm. This is not a Parish Council responsibility but is between the developers and SCDC. Councillor Hart will make enquiries as to why this has still not been done. Questions were again raised about allocations of funding/donations. It was noted that donations come from the Parish Council in two ways: Community Benefit (solar money) and the precept, which is set once a year. Organisations wishing to receive funding need to request a form from the Clerk and the Parish Council will decide whether it is to be allocated from the precept. If appropriate, the Parish Council will forward the application to the Meldreth Futures Group who overlook all applications regarding the Community Benefit funding. The question was again raised about moving Parish Council meetings to the Elin Way Community Room as it was felt that disabled/vulnerable people would benefit from the better facilities at the Community Room. rather then the village hall. This has been discussed before. Marley Eternit: Proposed development of 150 dwellings Councillor Hart reported that she has spoken to the case officer at SCDC and that the viability is still being looked at regarding this application. The percentage of affordable housing is still being questioned and this is unlikely to be going to the planning meeting at SCDC before March. S106 Project for the flats at Station Yard (S/1140/15/FL) Councillor Hart has not been able to contact James Fisher (S106 Officer) to enquire what is now happening with this application. It is assumed that the commuted sum for S106 has now been agreed and that some of this should still come to Meldreth but it is not certain if Meldreth will received any S106 funding for this application. Residents have contacted the Planning Department with their concerns regarding how SCDC have handled this application. Playground Monthly Report: all equipment appears to be in good working order. There is a piece of wood on the rocking horse which needs to be replaced. Clerk to arrange.

36

Recreation Ground Ditch A meeting has taken place between Brian Heffernan (CCC), Peter J Taylor (CCC), Councillor Goddin and the Clerk. Pavilion Councillor Pellatt will now oversee the refurbishment to the specification as agreed by the Parish Council and KTL Building Services. Councillor Pellatt has met with the contractors and work is in progress. Street Lighting The decision to turn off street lighting between the hours of 2.00am to 6.00am and to dim by 60% at all other times was overturned at the recent CCC meeting. Heidi Allen MP Feedback is being sought regarding public transport provision in South Cambridgeshire. If there are concerns regarding public transport email Heidi Allen directly on heidi.allen.mp@parliament.uk using subject title 'Public Transport Feedback'. Extra Comments Melbourn Village College No decision has been made on this as further information is needed. Councillor Fallon also suggested this application be forwarded to The Triggs Trust. Meldreth Lunch Club This has been precepted for this year at £150.00. It was proposed by Councillor Young to agree the request of £220.00 and to also precept this figure for 2017/18; seconded by Councillor Goddin all agreed. This will be taken from S137. Good Companions This has been precepted for this year at £250.00. It was proposed by Councillor Young to agree to the request of £300 and to also precept this figure for 2017/18; seconded by Councillor Goddin all agreed. This will be taken from S137. Tennis Courts Councillor Young does not feel that the Parish Council can match fund the amount of £25,000 out of the precept. Councillor Goddin proposed an offer of £5000 from the precept to go with the £5000 already allocated from the Community Benefit Fund. It was suggested by the Clerk that the finance group should look at this when discussing 37

the precept allocation on 19th January as they will be able to see if there is any extra funding available. Councillor Stewart stated that the footway along Station Bridge should also be considered with the precept especially as it appears there will be no S106 funding being made available for this project. Pavilion Management Programme It was suggested that a working party be put together to begin the process of setting up a Management Committee or Working Party to overlook items such as bookings, cleaning and general maintenance. Councillor Young and Councillor Goddin will begin the proceedings. Mettle Hill Councillor Goddin reported that the working group will be visiting Tingdene Park Homes in January to see how this facility might work. They have been waiting to see what is happening with Marley/Eternit in regards to affordable housing. There have been informal discussions with the Planning Department at SCDC who are looking for areas to develop affordable housing. Other suggestions under review are to establish an industrial site but the way forward remains unclear. The original consultation did not specifically consider affordable housing. Councillor Goddin asked whether the Parish Council, would in principal, be agreeable to selling the land, subject to safeguards on its use. It was agreed by the whole council that in principal they would be open to the proposal of selling the land for affordable housing, though more investigation needs to be done. Councillor Goddin agreed to report more fully at the February Council meeting. Councillors' Reports Councillor Searles: Can the Clerk make enquiries with CCC to see what is happening regarding the reduced speed limit along North End, which is in conjunction with Shepreth Parish Council. Councillor Lee: Would like to thank the resident who has written to SCDC regarding the flats at Tavern Yard, this will also appear in Meldreth Matters [see page 29]. The Parish Council have noted the comments. However, this is now in the hands of SCDC Planning Department. Councillor Young: Is waiting for a site meeting to look at where to place the '20 is Plenty' signs. Councillor Land will contact Councillor Young with a date to meet. 38

Councillor Goddin: There are increasing amounts of mud on the roads at the moment. Councillor Young also reported that many of the verges were being driven over by large vehicles. Councillor Searles suggested that the Clerk contact CCC to see when the street sweepers will be operating. Councillor Pellatt: Could the procedures for meetings be checked? The Clerk reported that the agendas are correct, as are the procedures that the Council practice. The practise of stopping meetings in order to allow the public to comment should not be done. Meldreth Parish Council The official Minutes of Meldreth Parish Council are those signed in Public Meetings by the Chairman. They are available for public inspection from the Clerk and can also be accessed on the Parish Council website at www.meldreth-pc.org.uk or on the Parish Council notice board opposite the One Stop shop.

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 10.00 am to 12 noon. By appointment at other times. Parish Clerk: Mrs J Damant (01763) 269928 parishclerk@meldreth-pc.org.uk Parish Councillors: Mrs C J Fallon

(01763) 262822

joan.fallon@btinternet.com

Mr R Goddin

(01763) 260061

goddin@btinternet.com

Mr A Keena

(01763) 260267

alankeena@aol.com

Mr C A Land (Chairman) (01763) 261004

c.land963@btinternet.com

Mr D Lee

david@oakrits.plus.com

(01763) 261571

Mr Nigel Pellatt (Vice Ch) (01763) 262444

nppellatt@btconnect.com

Mr R A Searles

(01763) 260435

robert.searles@btinternet.com

Mr D Stewart

(01763) 261562

derekstewart67@hotmail.com

Mr A Young

(01763) 263484

andrewmpc@gmaail.com

New to the village? Information on village facilities and over 30 local groups is available at

www.meldrethhistory.org.uk 39

Poetry Matters Winter in the Morning Cold steam rises from the wooden fence, Frost lifts from the ground in wisps, Mist whispering across the air in fireless smoke As the sun dissolves the crystals of icy hoar frost: The earth breathes again. The robin must have cold feet As he lands deftly on the slippery globe Of the ice coated solar light. The bird table drips with pearls: Water for thirsty beaks freeing itself to be devoured. Birds perch on roofs Silently watching and waiting For the sun’s microwave to defrost their food. The trees weep liquid diamonds, Sparkling briefly as they fall to succour the ground. Glistening light runs a thin trace of fire Along a gossamer thread so fine That briefly catches the sunlight, Floating on an unseen, unfelt breeze: Illuminated danger visible for a moment; The spider has been busy. A leaf slowly unfolds From the sharp grasp of ice. Crystalline feather frost decorates with a lacy trim: Nature’s mathematics on show In intricate perfect patterns, Having coated its host in the secret dark of night, Now melts away in the face of sunlight. Yvonne Chamberlain January 2017

40

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41

Used Stamp Appeal For my 65th birthday present I asked to sponsor a puppy for Hearing Dogs for Deaf people. My puppy is a golden cocker spaniel with green eyes called Indiana. Hearing Dogs staff collect used postage stamps which can then be sent off to raise money. I can collect any used stamps from people on a six monthly basis and pass onto a friend who lives near the training centre. Alternatively please post used stamps through my door - 20 Oakrits - in an envelope labelled 'stamps'. Here is some information about this important charity. Hearing dogs are trained to alert deaf people to sounds they would otherwise miss – simple sounds that many people take for granted like the doorbell, alarm clock and even danger signals like the fire alarm. Being aware of these, thanks to a hearing dog, makes a real difference to deaf people’s lives. Deafness can also be a very isolating disability. A hearing dog can give a deaf person a newfound sense of independence and confidence now they have a loyal companion and a true friend by their side. Thousands of dogs have been matched with deaf recipients since 1982. At the moment, there are over 900 working hearing dog partnerships across the UK. Once a deaf person has a hearing dog, they are guaranteed one for life so when their first hearing dog retires at about the age of 11, they will be soon partnered with a new dog – and a lot of them keep their former hearing dogs as pets! Jan Butchers jan.butchers@googlemail.com

Melbourn & Meldreth Women’s Group We are a small and friendly group who meet on the fourth Tuesday of each month (except December) varying our venue between Melbourn and Meldreth. We charge £1 per meeting to cover expenses and there is an opportunity to make a donation to the charity pot. If you would like to know about us please contact one of the committee members listed below. By the time this article is printed we will have had our AGM when we will have conducted the formal business of receiving reports and 42

accounts, electing committee members and choosing which charity we will be supporting this year. We also had our bring and share supper. Our February meeting is on 28th in All Saints Community Hall Melbourn and we are looking forward to hearing a talk about the role of Cambridge Street Pastors. This begins at our usual time of 7.45pm and we will finish with tea/coffee and biscuits. If you would like a copy of the programme or would like to know more about the group please contact one of the following people: Pat Smith on (01763) 262575, Sue Toule on (01763) 260955, Anne Harrison on (01763) 261775 or Angela Leach on (01763) 262793. Pat Smith

Grants Available for Community Projects Tesco is inviting local community groups, green space projects and other organisations to apply for their share of a £12million carrier bag charge fund. The supermarket has teamed up with the charity Groundwork on its Bags of Help initiative, which sees the money raised from the 5p bag levy being used to pay for a large number of local projects to improve green spaces in communities. Tesco customers will decide on a monthly basis which groups get grants of up to £5,000, £2,000 and £1,000 in regions up and down the country. It’s expected the new monthly format will see more than 100 projects receive vital funding across Cambridgeshire every year. Funding will be awarded to projects that use and develop outdoor spaces in ways that will benefit their local community. We’ve already seen local groups, schools and charities benefit and look forward to seeing many more exciting projects come out of this initiative. Find out more about how to bag your share or nominate a good cause at www.groundwork.org.uk/tesco. Katie Dean Community Project Officer Tesco Bags of Help Enabler Groundwork Cambridgeshire and Peterborough 43

Local Events in February Here is a selection of events happening nearby this month. To have your event listed, please email meldrethmatters@hotmail.com. Wednesday 1st to Saturday 18th February, 10.00am to 5.00pm Community Cabinet Exhibition: Royston in Winter Royston District Museum and Art Gallery, King Street SG8 5AL Winter-related items from the museum’s collection and photographs shared by local people. Free: www.roystonmuseum.org.uk. Thursday 2nd February (and each Thursday), 10.00am to 11.30am Healthy Walking at Wandlebury (10.30am for a shorter walk) Wandlebury Country Park, Babraham, Cambridge CB22 3AE Keep fit this February on a sociable walk around the country park. Free and no booking needed. See: www.cambridgeppf.org/whats-on. Sunday 5th February, 10.30am to 5.00pm Winter Flower Festival All Saints Church Melbourn, Station Road, SG8 6DX Striking floral displays to reflect the season. Crafts, gifts and plants will be on sale. Warming refreshments available. More details from Rosemary Gatward on (01763) 261225. Friday 10th to Wednesday 15th February, at various times Cambridge e-Luminate Festival, venues across the City This fun and interactive festival returns to dazzle spectators and show the city’s iconic buildings and public spaces in a new light. For further details: www.cambridgelivetrust.co.uk. Saturday 11th February, 9.00am to 11.30am Fowlmere Farmers Market (and second Saturday each month) Fowlmere Village Hall, SG8 7RY A relaxed shopping experience with top quality local foods and crafts. Refreshments available. See: www.fowlmerevillagehall.wordpress.com. Saturday 11th February, doors open 7.00pm for 7.30pm About Love – choral concert, St John’s Church, Royston SG8 9LB Tickets £10, under 13s £5, from Royston and South Cambs Home-Start (01763) 262262 or email admin@hsrsc.org.uk or www.ticketsource.co.uk/hsrsc; sold in aid of the home visiting service. 44

Sunday 12th February, 11.00am to 12.30pm From Castle Hill to the Cavendish: the story of Cambridge Part of Cambridge History Festival, a walking tour led by Green Badge Guide Chris Skilton to look at the people and places which make up the city’s fascinating history. Tickets £8.50 (£6 concessions) and further festival details from: www.chf2017.eventbrite.co.uk or Museum of Cambridge, 2/3 Castle Hill CB3 0AQ or phone (01223) 355159. Tuesday 14th February, 10.00am to 5.00pm (Sundays and Bank Holidays from 12.00pm) continues until 21st May Fitwilliam Museum, Trumpington Street, Cambridge CB2 1RB Making Waves – Discovering seascapes through drawings and watercolours Many rarely seen works from the museum’s collection showing how the sea has been a source of inspiration to centuries of artists. Free. Shiba Gallery. www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk or phone (01223) 332900. Friday 17th, February 12 noon till 6.00pm and Saturday 18th February, 10.00am to 5.00pm Premier Book Fair, Guildhall, Cambridge CB2 3QJ Huge variety of interesting and unusual titles, with second hand and antiquarian booksellers and map dealers. Tickets £2. Phone (01223) 312913; visit: cambridgebookfair.org or email: philsalin@gmail.com. Saturday 18th February, 8.30am Men’s Breakfast Meeting, Village Hall, Foxton CB22 6RN This month’s speaker is Greg Butler on ‘A brief history of recorded sound from 1800 to 2000’. Contact Tony Garrick (01223) 510201 garrick.tony@gmail.com or Mark Howard (01223) 503377 markhoward@uwclub.net to reserve your place. Women & guests welcome. Friday 24th Saturday February, 7.30pm and Saturday 25th February, 2.30pm and 7.30pm. Aladdin, presented by Foxton Luvvies Melbourn Village College, The Moor, Melbourn, SG8 6EF Featuring many ‘well known characters from Foxton’ and described as a ‘must for all children under 76’. Tickets from The White Horse pub, Foxton Post Office Shop or from Andy Ranner: abiranner@yahoo.co.uk or phone (01223) 874143. Funds raised will go to Cancer Research. Compiled by John Crawforth 45

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Men’s Breakfast Meetings, Foxton The Men's Breakfast is an outreach event sponsored by the Anglican Four Church Benefice and the Methodist Church of Foxton. We aim to bring mostly men together for companionship, friendship and to provide a meal in good company. Our objective is to provide enlightenment, education and encourage good fellowship. It's an opportunity for us to learn more about each other, our local community and how we can help others including charitable giving. New people are always welcome. Please let us know in advance if you will be attending so we know how many to cater for. Contact either Tony Garrick on (01223) 510201 or email garrick.tony@gmail.com or contact Mark Howard on (01223) 503377 or email Mark-Howard@UWclub.net. We ask for a £7 donation to cover costs and as a contribution to the charity of the speaker’s choice. February’s event is shown on page 45. Our program for the rest of the year is as follows: 18th March Rev Alison Walker - Cambridge Churches Homeless Project 14th April Jason David Ablewhite, Police & Crime Commissioner 20th May Dr Flora Raffai, Executive Director, Findacure – Degenerative Diseases Causes, Cures and Challenges 17th June Revd Colin Smith LLB MA, Wesley Methodist Church – in the barn, Tony Dean’s Farm, Fowlmere 15th July Chairman of B C W - The Development of the Cement works 16th September Heidi Clark & Shelagh Chessman – Cambridge Lupus UK, Charity 21st October Rev Charity Nzegwu, Methodist Minister – how does she see this new job? 18th November Alan Ambrose – Guide Dogs for the Blind Mark Howard 47

District Councillor’s Report Planning Performance Improves at Last As I have reported on previous occasions, the performance of South Cambridgeshire District Council's planning department has come in for considerable criticism. The performance of the department has recently improved and planning decisions have been issued on time for 91% of major and 79% of non-major applications over the last five months. This is a considerable improvement. By way of contrast, for a 24 month rolling period up until September 2016, the Council had determined just 47% of major and 63% of non-major applications within 13 weeks and eight weeks respectively. A major planning application is considered as ten homes or more, or 1,000 square metres or more for a business development. Marley Eternit Application - an Update There has been further slippage over Christmas on this application and it is unlikely it will now be heard before the March Planning Committee. A number of statutory consultees are still objecting to the 150 house scheme and council planning officers await a report from an independent expert concerning viability: the applicant is only offering 12% affordable housing, 22% short of the 40% required by the District Council to be at least policy compliant. The projected cost of site remediation is being used by the applicant as the reason for not offering more affordable houses, but this argument may not be upheld, despite it theoretically being more acceptable to obtain planning permission in brownfield sites. There is still all to play for in fighting this application. Councillor Goddin and I presented the list of community impacts requiring mitigation (called the section 106 list) to case officers before Christmas and the case for the developer funding these will be made in due course. Affordable Homes - Some Interesting Statistics ... Councils are under enormous pressure to transfuse their dwindling government grant and the decimation of their house building activities. It is estimated that for every 19 council homes sold, only one is built to replace it. The Local Government Agency's (LGA) Housing Commission has recently published a report which included these rather depressing statistics: 48

Whereas nearly half (46%) of all 25 year olds owned their own home 20 years ago, only a fifth are on the housing ladder today. Just 6,550 social rented homes were built in 2015/16 representing a drop of 88% from 20 years ago when 56,950 were built in 1995/6. The LGA has made 30 recommendations which it is hoped will influence the outcome of the Government's housing white paper due out shortly. In summary it advises giving back powers and funding to councils to replace sold homes and reinvest in building more of the genuinely affordable homes our communities need. If you would like to read the LGA's report "Building our communities, homes and future," in full go to www.local.gov.uk/LGA-housingcommission. In another move which threatens further to reduce the number of homes built, the Business Secretary Sajid Javid announced in December that the New Homes Bonus which SCDC benefitted from will now be diverted to help plug the yawning hole in social care provision. Social Care - More Statistics ... This is Susan's remit, but I thought it might be useful to mention the following. Although the local government finance settlement recently allowed councils to raise their precept, (passed on to residents via the council tax) in order to assist in meeting adult social care costs, council tax payers in rural areas pay much more on average than urban areas because of the way the tax is assessed on homes. Furthermore the number of rural residents aged 65 plus is set to rise to one in three by 2039, as against one in six in urban areas. Social care support costs are also much higher in rural areas due to added sparsity. Loss of rural bus services adds to social isolation among the most vulnerable residents. Tennis Club Funding Mrs Christine Knight is to be commended for her magnificent efforts thus far in raising considerable amounts of money to help to pay for the resurfacing of the village tennis courts. This is just the sort of energy and enterprise we need from individuals working on behalf of residents in our community. Councillor Philippa Hart Meldreth and Shepreth Ward (01763) 261255 or 07811 323571

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County Councillor’s Report This report was originally given at the Meldreth Parish Council meeting on Thursday 5th January. Meldreth Good Companions It was good to hear Julie Draper speak in support of the Good Companions during public participation tonight. Thinking about the often-made suggestion by members of the public that the Parish Council consider moving its meeting venue to the Elin Way Community Room, I wonder if such a move would make Parish Council meetings more inviting to a wider range of people in the community, as that venue is more suited to people with limited mobility. Gritting Routes As I reported during the course of the year, the formal County Council decision last February to freeze council tax, rather than proceed with the standard 1.99% rise to meet inflation and demography demands, has exacerbated the problem of budgetary constraints mainly arising from the ending of government support grant. The freezing of council tax was a Conservative-led decision, supported by UKIP and not supported by my group, the Liberal Democrats. The 1.99% rise would have allowed winter gritting routes to remain unchanged; instead the network has had to be redrawn to a smaller scale. At last month’s County Council meeting, responding to deep public concern, the Liberal Democrat group proposed to reinstate the pre-cuts gritting routes by drawing from reserves. This was unanimously agreed. However, reserves are not a permanent solution. The Council will once again, in February, be asked to consider a 1.99% rise. Street lighting Another motion to December County Council proposed that the decision to switch off late night/early morning street lighting be reversed. Again, this will have cost implications that cannot be solved without adequate revenue streams. Furthermore, as a cost saving exercise but without the knowledge of councillors, street lights have been significantly dimmed to the point where complaints have come in that they are not doing their job. This was raised at full Council last month and will now have been rectified. Meldreth Station: Platform Lengthening [see also page 52] Work will start in mid-February to lengthen the Cambridge-bound platform. As reported, this is to enable eight-car trains to stop at the 50

station in anticipation of the increase in service from 2018. Work will take place at night when trains are not running, but also during at least six weekends and will last a total of six months. There will be some usage of car park space for equipment. The same programme will run at Shepreth and Foxton for the same reasons and at exactly the same times. Network Rail attended the Rail User Group meeting last month to present the information and answer questions; minutes are at meldrethsheprethfoxtonrail.org.uk. Meldreth Station: Ticket Machine Problems and Random Booking Office Closures These too were discussed at the Rail User Group meeting. Ticket machine problems are causing enormous frustration, though credit cards are now accepted and the Permit to Travel machine is working too. The Rail User Group was assured that if nothing is working, people should board the train without a ticket and pay at destination. Any problems, please let us know and please join the Rail User Group to help us lobby for improvements! Recruitment for the vacant post at Meldreth Station is also causing concern. We’re told this is because it’s a small part time post. Thanks for the useful comments made at tonight’s meeting which we can take back to Govia Thameslink. Community Rail Partnership (CRP) The last of four equal funding applications to Parish Councils for contributions towards a paid Community Rail Partnership post has been agreed in full by Shepreth Parish Council. Govia Thameslink has also contributed an equal sum and South Cambridgeshire District Council hopes to be able to make a contribution – details are being worked out. The CRP will be signing new Terms of Reference that include the formation of a new Community Interest Company specifically designed to provide a financial and legal framework for the CRP. A grant of £1K has now been received from the Association of Community Rail Partnerships for the purpose of refreshing the station platform gardens at all three local stations. This will include replacement of the tubs with a weather-proof ones. The plan is to launch the new gardens following completion of platform lengthening work. [See page 9.] British Transport Police attended our December Rail User Group and said that Meldreth, Shepreth and Foxton experience about a quarter the level of reported crime and anti-social behaviour compared with stations with similar footfall and they attribute this in large part to the 51

station gardens because well-tended environments are generally better respected. Susan van de Ven County Councillor susanvandeven5@gmail.com 07905 325574

Platform Extensions at Meldreth Station As part of the government sponsored Thameslink Programme, Network Rail and VolkerFitzpatrick will be working in conjunction with each other to extend one platform at Meldreth station. The work will be to extend the ‘London end’ of platform two (for trains towards Cambridge) by around 20 metres. Work will start in February 2017 and is likely to last for around six months. There will be parking suspensions in operation in the car park at the station for the duration of the work. The work is required to facilitate the roll-out of brand new, more accessible Class 700 trains, with the platform extension at Meldreth being required to allow passengers with reduced mobility easier access to the most accessible carriages on the new locomotives. These brand new, eight car trains will provide an immediate capacity increase for passengers from Meldreth travelling either to London or Cambridge. The new trains are both longer and more spacious than the existing rolling stock used on the Great Northern route. The Thameslink Programme is also facilitating better connections from Meldreth in the future. From 2018 onwards it will be possible to reach St Pancras, Farringdon (for interchange with Crossrail/Heathrow and Gatwick Airports) and London Bridge (for stations south of London and Gatwick Airport) directly. For any queries or further information about the Thameslink Programme please visit our website at www.thameslinkprogramme.co.uk, send your questions to contact@thameslinkprogramme.co.uk or follow us on Twitter: @TLProgramme. Liam Farrell Community Relations Executive, Thameslink Programme Communications, Network Rail 52

Meldreth Litter Pick: Saturday 4th March Volunteers Wanted Last year our District Councillor organised a successful litter pick at the extremities of the village, not covered by our Parish Council's Litter Picker. This year the Meldreth volunteers of the Highways Scheme would like to repeat the process on Saturday 4th March. We are only a small group and a few more people to help would be good and make the whole job quicker.

Graham Borgonon

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Little Hands is a Private Nursery School specialising in quality education for the under fives and offers: Flexible hourly booking - open 08.30 to 16.30 Term time bookings with optional holiday club Bumble Bee room for children 12 – 24 months Ladybird room for 2 year olds Butterfly room for children 3-5 years With optional “ready for school sessions” All sessions have a high staff to child ratio and are available for eligible funded 2 year olds and all funded 3/4 year olds with no extra charges Categorised as “Outstanding” by Ofsted

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News From Heidi Allen www.heidisouthcambs.co.uk In the twilight of 2016 I visited the Blood Donation Centre in Long Road, Cambridge for my first ever blood donation. I have to say, it was utterly painless, parking was free and I had my choice of biscuits afterwards! Giving blood is easy, very quick (I was in and out in less than an hour) and it saves lives. The blood service have come up with a great resolution for the New Year – ‘don’t give up, just give’. If you can donate, please go to www.blood.co.uk or call 0300 123 23 23 to book your appointment. I was honoured to be invited to the Gamlingay Cubs 100 year promise party. I’ve never been asked to do a ‘wolf howl’ at the start and end of a party before but I really enjoyed remaking my own pledge and seeing the excellent work of this Cub pack in action. Thanks to Steve and all the Gamlingay Cubs for having me along. The Christmas period also gave me time to visit the Cambourne Food Bank, a poignant reminder that Christmas isn’t easy for those struggling with basic needs. It is open every Thursday from 10.00am to midday at the Old Blue School on Eastgate. You can find out how to apply for a voucher here https://cambridgecity.foodbank.org.uk/get-help/foodbankvouchers/. The Food Bank is run by kind, dedicated volunteers who try their very hardest to help with the many issues that bring someone to a Food Bank. I'm hoping to be able to work with them more in the future, unlocking some of the housing and benefit difficulties that are often at the heart of food poverty. I’m delighted to share the launch of Cambridgeshire County Council’s Communities Innovation Fund which gives community groups the opportunity to apply for funding for initiatives which will improve lives. If you know of a scheme that enhances your community and helps people stay safe and independent, please see www.cambscf.org.uk/ccif.html for details of how to apply. 54

December saw the publication of the National Schools Funding Formula from the Department of Education. I’m still analysing the data and will be writing to my schools for feedback on proposals. If you want to contribute, please make your views heard here https:// consult.education.gov.uk/funding-policy-unit/schools-national-fundingformula2/. The consultation closes on 22nd March 2017. I’m continuing to push for safer and more efficient roads in our region and joined the A1307 Forum last month. Constituents from Babraham and those who work at Granta Park will know the impact this road has on the surrounding region and the A505. These roads are no longer fit for purpose, so alongside an improved road crossing at Foxton, I’ll be pushing these initiatives in 2017. With the city deal, devolution deal and the £1.1bn announced in the Autumn Statement for road congestion pinch points, I am confident we can build a strong case to put to Government. Turning to buses and trains, I’m inviting constituents to contact me about any issues they have with existing public transport services. I have been contacted by a number of residents about unreliable services, so if you too have experience of this, please contact Nicola in my office on the contact details below. One of the best parts of my job is getting to know you at my surgeries and events. If you have a concern you think I could help with, or some feedback you’d like to share with me, please get in touch. You can find details of my ‘no appointment needed’ surgeries here: www.heidisouthcambs.co.uk/residents-drop-surgeries. I’ll be in Comberton on 4th February or you can telephone (01954) 212707 or email me at heidi.allen.mp@parliament.uk. Heidi Allen MP

County Councillor’s Drop-in Advice Surgery I hold a surgery every first Monday of the month, 2.30-3.30pm at Melbourn Hub. Susan van de Ven County Councillor susanvandeven5@gmail.com 07905 325574 55

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Refuse Collections Collections in February will be on the following dates: Black bins: 3rd & 17th February Blue bins: 10th, 24th February & 28th February* Green bins: 10th & 28th February* * change of bin collection day to Tuesday from 28th Feb - see below

Important Changes to Collection Days From the end of February most households across South Cambridgeshire, including those in Meldreth, will have a change to the day that their bins are emptied, the sequence of their collection, or their collection time. Everyone will still have their black bin emptied one week and their blue and green bins emptied the following week. When? The new bin days will start from Monday 27th February. All residents affected will receive a leaflet from the Council ahead of the changes with a collection schedule for their village. Residents are asked to continue to put their bins out on their usual day up to 24th February but after this date should use the new schedule which will also be included in the spring South Cambs Magazine, due out between 28th February and 19th March. Please ensure bins are out for collection by 6.00am to avoid missing the collection. Why? In order to save £700,000 over three years, we now have a shared waste collection service for South Cambridgeshire and Cambridge City. New bin collection rounds will work across the City and South Cambs boundary, travelling approximately 20,000 fewer miles per year saving money and reducing traffic and emissions. The savings will help meet some of the Council’s overall targets as the funding we receive from Government has been cut considerably. The new rounds mean that we need to make changes to collection days for most properties. Anna Efford Communications Officer South Cambridgeshire District Council 57

Planning Matters Parish Council Reference and Address 1 Woolpack Way S/3224/16/FL

Detail

73 High Street S/3181/16/DC

Discharge of Conditions – Amended. For information only.

Parish Council Recommend

Proposed single The Parish Council recommend 'Support' storey rear with no comments. extension. Noted that the Parish Council had not been sent tree reports or phasing plans. It was agreed to express concern about parking, it being noted that provision has been made for off-street parking for contractors and that the Parish Council should ask for a condition that there would be no on-street contractor parking during the period of work at the site

79 North End, Tree work The Warren, S/3362/16/TP

It was agreed that the Clerk write to the applicant asking for clarification on the proposed work and enclose the Tree Warden's report.

New Farm Shop, Bury Lane, S/3387/16/FL

Erection of staff accommodation building and car park

The Parish Council would like a condition that the existing hedge which shields the proposed building from the A10 be maintained. Landscaping is not shown on any of the plans.

64 Whitecroft Road, S/3517/16/LD

Lawful Noted. There were no comments. development certificate for the creation of an outbuilding for home office use.

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

Editor’s Note: Full details of all planning applications may be viewed at this website: http://plan.scambs.gov.uk/swiftlg/apas/run/wphappcriteria.display 58

SCDC Decisions Reference and Address

Decision

4 Howard Road, Permission has been granted for a single storey side S/2551/16/FL extension involving the replacement of an existing outbuilding. S/0965/12/DC Approved Landscape Conditions: Mrs Carol 15-17 Whitecroft Newell, Landscape Officer SCDC wrote to the Road Parish Council having visited the site and reported that there are a number of plant failures and she is in the process of contacting the developers. It is anticipated that the works will be undertaken by the spring of 2017. Meldreth Parish Council

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service On-call firefighters are a vital part of today’s Fire and Rescue Service and in Cambridgeshire make up 56 per cent of the workforce. An oncall firefighter is not based at a fire station but carries a pager and responds to emergency incidents as and when they happen. They receive an annual wage to reflect the time they commit to being available plus additional payments for attending incidents and drill nights, one evening a week for two hours. On-call firefighters may have other jobs but are able to provide evening, daytime or weekend cover. When they are on-call they may be at home, working for themselves or for a nearby company or out in their local community staying within a five-minute travel time of the fire station. They are generally located in rural communities, small towns and villages. If you would like more information on becoming an on-call firefighter, please go to our website, www.cambsfire.gov.uk and search for on-call firefighter under the careers section. For the latest news, incidents and safety advice, or to contact us, log on to www.cambsfire.gov.uk. Sign up to email alerts and find us on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Facebook. Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service 59

Meldreth Neighbourhood Watch This month, rather than reporting on a specific scam, we've got a list of resolutions to help keep everyone safe from fraudsters in general. These have been adapted from a list retweeted by the National Trading Standards Scam Team. Never trade on the doorstep, so you can avoid rogue traders. Always go to company websites directly rather than clicking on links in emails. Never give out your PIN, passwords or any other personal information. Spend time with friends and family who may be at risk of being scammed and offer your support. Check with friends and family if you are unsure about a telephone call, email, letter or cold caller. Consider a call blocking device for yourself or your family to stop unwanted telephone calls. Report scams. Reporting scams means that they can be publicised and the perpetrators have more chance of being caught. Stop and Take Five: "Pausing for that short moment and asking ourselves, is this the safe thing to do, will go a long way towards thwarting the fraudsters that prey on people's trusting nature." Ian Dyson, Commissioner, City of London Police. Don't forget the trusted contacts in Meldreth who you can talk to about a possible scam, which may include being asked to buy by a cold caller: Graham (01763) 260358; Peter (01763) 260323; Linda (01763) 261405; Tim (01763) 262801 Anyone can report a scam to Action Fraud by calling 0300 123 2040 or visiting www.actionfraud.police.uk. The Cambridge Police website for reporting a variety of issues is: www.contactcambspolice.uk. If you are the sort of person who likes to watch out for neighbours and notices things out of the ordinary, joining Neighbourhood Watch in Meldreth will allow you to contribute to keeping crime low across South Cambridgeshire. Please contact Graham Borgonon on (01763) 260358. Meldreth Neighbourhood Watch 60

Personal care for your feet in the comfort of your own home • Nail Trimming • Hard Skin & Cracked Heels • Corns & Verrucas • Fungal Nails Telephone

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on 01763 261250 or 0791 3913955

Nancy Foster MCFHP MAFHP Registered Member of the British Association of Foot Health Professionals

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

John Rogger (01763) 260809 L. Pocknell—(01763) 261432 (01763) 260129; www.meldrethhistory.org.uk Nikki & Julie 07599 292327 (01763) 232855; www.melwood.btck.co.uk www.melbourn-photographic-club.co.uk

Revelation U3A WI

Miriam Skuce—(01763) 262440 Chris Davison—(01763) 264189 Maureen Moody—(01763) 260938

Bowls Club Croquet Club Meldreth United FC Table Tennis Tennis Club

Shirley Lambert (01223) 207888 Janet Pope (01763) 248342 07930 650036 Christine Knight—(01763) 261676 (01763) 243376; http://cspark.at/Meldr2

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

(01763) 220626; www.meldrethchurch.org.uk (01763) 261569 Peter Hinton—(01763) 262045 (01763) 260048; www.foht.org.uk

Baby & Toddler Group Pre-School Primary School

Rosalind Wing - 07432 150721 07518 173653; www.meldrethPreschool.com (01763) 260432; www.meldreth.cambs.sch.uk

Parish Council District Councillor District Council Offices

Please see details at end of Parish Council report Philippa Hart—(01763) 261255 03450 450500; www.scambs.gov.uk/ Susan van de Ven—07905325574 susanvandeven.mycouncillor.org.uk/ 0345 045 5200; www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/ Heidi Allen—(01954) 212707; www.heidisouthcambs.co.uk/

Councils & Govt.

Photographic Group

Sport

(01763) 262199 Mick Taylor—(01763) 261118 Graham Borgonon—(01763) 260358 (01763) 262158, open 7am-10pm, 7 days Sherida Richards—(01763) 262512 Paul Ray—(01763) 260304

Church

Community Access Point Litter Picker Neighbourhood Watch One Stop Village Hall Bookings Village Hall Chairman

Childn.

Clubs & Societies

Facilities

Village Directory

County Councillor County Council Offices MP

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Transport Health Support Services Emergencies NonEmerg. Misc.

Station Ticket Office

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

Rail User Group

(01763) 261833; www.melbourn.org.uk/railusergroup

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.

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

Citizens Advice Bureau

Police

Details of village groups and facilities can be found in the Meldreth Today section at www.meldrethhistory.org.uk or on the PC website, www.meldreth-pc.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; Cover & Advertising Layout: Richard Burns 263121; Founder Member: Ann Barnes Meldreth Matters is available online at free.yudu.com (search for Meldreth)

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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. A10 Timber ......................................8 Affordable Plumbing .....................19 Art of Clean ...................................53 Art of Clean Wood ........................46 B2B Automotive ......................Cover Bracey’s Accountants .................Cover Cambourne Self Storage .................2 Cambridge Roofers ..........................8 Cambridge Sunblinds .......................2 CHS Day Centre .............................19 CHS Group ................................Cover Coton Electrical .............................34 The Country Store ........................56 Eternit Sports and Social Club ..........8 Gilhooly .........................................19 Handyman .....................................22 Home Foot Care ...........................41 iPlaster .............................................2 Keyholes Driving School ................56 Lawn Partners ...............................41 The Letting Centre ..........................46 Little Hands Nursery School ..........53 Mandy Thornton Counselling ..........8 Melbourn Flooring ....................Cover

Melbourn Village College ................12 Meldreth Landscapes .......................56 Meldreth Plant Hire ...........................9 Meridian Lawncare ............................2 Michael Easton Personal Trainer .......7 Moncraft Computers ......................56 Nancy Foster Footcare ....................61 Newlings of Royston Funeral Service .7 Nigel Wigg Home Improvement ......41 Penn Farm Physiotherapy ................53 Prime Bookkeeping Services ............46 Quicksilver Yoga ...........................46 Reed Autos .....................................61 Reflections Hair Studio .....................34 Richard Burns Electrician ..................7 Rod’s PC Support .............................12 Royston Fencing ..............................12 Shelford Energy ................................22 Slimming World ..............................34 Spice Hut Indian Takeaway .............61 Summit Landscapes ............................7 Village Cycles ....................................7 Village Garden Services ...................22 Walkers Partnership Solicitors .........22 64

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

MELBOURN FLOORING AND INTERIORS LIMITED Cherry Park, Cambridge Road, Melbourn, SG8 6EY Tel: 01763 262413 Fax: 01763 262450 Vast Range of Carpets, Vinyls, Real Wood, Laminates, Karndean, Amtico and Project Floors Free Estimates - Fitting by experienced staff Dulux Paint stocked in a wide range of colours Over 6000 Wallpaper samples Colour co-ordination service by experienced staff Designer Fabrics, most with next day delivery - Curtain making service Match flooring to walls and fabric for a designer finish New Tile showroom at 26 Royston Road, Foxton, CB22 6SE, 01223 870011. Covering all your tiling needs. www.melbournflooring.co.uk j.shepherd@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.

Meldreth Matters is printed by Plumridge Printers 41 High St Linton 01223 891407