39

Lock ‘n’ Load or “will I ever get to read that book?”

With the start of the lockdown in March there was no Tennis Club or Table Tennis Club to run; both having been shut down until further notice. Will I be bored? No, I thought - now is the time for me to start all those jobs that have been waiting to get done, then I can relax and read a few books while sitting in the immaculate garden. The campaign began, all the seeds sown in the greenhouse were potted up, borders were tidied and shrubs pruned within an inch of their lives. I stood back and admired the results, then the unseasonal heatwave hit. I spent loads of time everyday watering to save the plants from dying from thirst; why did I sow and pot up so many? My burnt shoulders from the blazing sun dictated I do something indoors for a while so I oiled up my sewing machine and overlocker and made eight cushions for our new garden chairs. Right, now to get that book and try them out … No – before I could open the first page, Phillimore garden centre opened up so I rushed down to get my tomato growbags and get the tomato plants in and settled. Where did that two months go? Right, where’s that book ... No – as soon as I had fished it out the call came out from Papworth Hospital: Help! all you sewers, we need scrubs, our supplies are dangerously low. A whole group of us from Meldreth and Royston Tennis Clubs set ourselves up to respond to the call. One of us who didn’t have a sewing machine, elected to be the collector and deliverer of the outfits and off we went: we “locked ’n’ loaded” our sewing machines and started cutting, overlocking, sewing, hemming, swearing when the cotton broke or the two front trouser legs were sewn together … The real cottage industry spirit hit us all. The material started coming through from neighbours, friends and the charity office at Papworth. There were pink polka dots, outrageous flowery prints, Thomas the Tank Engine and Mr Men duvets and orange, yellow and red spotted prints. Surely no one wanted to wear those, but no, the brighter the better to cheer up patients isolated in hospital wards. The Papworth scrubs fashion catwalk had begun. The Great British Sewing B came back on the telly during all this and

there we were, all expert critics by now, shouting: “we would have done better than that!” “call that a good seam?” “I wouldn’t have chosen that material” and “garment of the week is the scrubs outfit made by Mary as modelled by Surgeon Mr Davies on his rounds this week wearing blue stripes on a purple and lime green background”.

The production line is still running and to date the group have made over 90 tops and trousers and the material keeps coming in. We have added washing bags to our repertoires. We had plenty of offcuts for these so 50 or so bags were made and sent on. Papworth sent out a thank you to us all and included some pictures of the nurses and doctors in their colourful outfits. We were all excited to see some of our outfits being “modelled”. Oh yes and just in case our machines were slacking we made some masks too. Well done all you sewers. It was great to be able to do something for the heroes on the front line.

Now where is that book …

Too late. The Tennis Club has reopened so it’s back to sorting out memberships, court keys, court notices, booking diary etc. Christine Knight

New to the village?

www.meldrethhistory.org.uk

See the Meldreth Today section for information on footpaths * village facilities * over 25 local clubs & groups

Friends of Holy Trinity

www.foht.org.uk

Unfortunately, our planned activities continue to be affected by the COVID-19 outbreak.

AGM

Our AGM has been postponed until further notice. It is planned to circulate the Vice Chairman’s and Treasurer’s reports to the Friends. At the rearranged AGM, the appointment of three new committee members will be considered while one will be standing down.

Jane Eyre by ‘This is My Theatre’ Group

This was due to have been held in the church in May. Due to the pandemic, This is My Theatre have postponed this tour until 2021.

Open Gardens and the Car Show

These will be run if restrictions are reduced at a suitable time of year. John Price