Meldreth Matters, March 2020

March 2020

In this issue ‌ Foxton Signal Box Visit Meldreth Country and Leisure Park Remembering Hughie Foggo

Events include ‌ An Evening with the River Mel Messy Church Primary School Open Day

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Contents What’s On in March FOHT Talk 37 Football Fixtures 3 Live Rock Music 2 Local Events 42-43 Messy Church 13 Primary School Open Day cover Summary of Meldreth Events 2-3 Waterlight Film Project 44

Gardens & Nature Gardening 26-27 Newspapers for Hedgehogs 14 Children & Education 1st Melbourn Rainbows 11 Events for Families 22 Meldreth Manor 20-21 Messy Church 12-13 Preschool 14 Primary School 17-19 PTA Quiz Night 23

People Hughie Foggo 4-5 Village Groups Friends of Holy Trinity 37 Friends of Maycroft 25 Lift Off Choir 39 Local History 33 Photographic Club 40 WI 34 Women’s Group 36

Local/National Government Local Councillors 47-49 Parish Council 50-53 Planning 54-55 Advice/Information Advertisers’ Index 60 Home Safety 57 Mobile Warden Scheme 53 Neighbourhood Watch 24-25 Refuse Collections 30 Village Directory 58-59 Volunteering 28

Transport East-West Rail: Events 19 Foxton Signal Box Visit 8-9 Roads & Footways Problems 52 Miscellaneous 2020 Craft Markets 45 Meldreth Country Park Plan 6-7

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

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

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Editorial Welcome to the March issue of Meldreth Matters. I would like to formally welcome Bill Peters to the Meldreth Matters team. Bill, who lives in Burtons, has been a deliverer for several years and has just taken over as Distribution Manager from Ken McLean. Bill may be contacted at bill.peters1@hotmail.co.uk or on (01763) 260983. Fortunately, Ken will be remaining on the MM team as proof-reader. On behalf of the rest of the MM team, I would like to thank Ken for his twenty years of service as Distribution Manager. Meldreth School (catering for 3-14 year olds) opened on 4th April 1910 and the school is therefore celebrating its 110th birthday this year. There will be an opportunity for villagers to visit the school on the afternoon of Friday 27th March from 3.00-6.00pm. See pages 17-19 and the back cover for details. Also in this issue, there are details of an interesting proposal to create a Country and Leisure Park on land along Mettle Hill. There is more information on pages 6-7. Kathryn

This Month’s Cover Picture: One Stop, High Street. Photograph by Kathryn Betts.

March Events in Meldreth

Friday 6th

Saturday 7th

8.30-11.00pm

10.00am to 4.00pm

Live Rock Music with Stormchaser Craft Fair

Eternit Sports and Social Club Whaddon Road All welcome; free entry; licensed bar with real ale, etc.

Meldreth Village Hall 2

March Events in Meldreth

Sunday 8th

Thursday 19th, 7.30pm

3.30-5.30pm

“An Evening with the River Mel” A screening of the Waterlight Project Film

Messy Church Holy Trinity Church

Sheltered Housing Community Room, Elin Way

See page 13

See page 44

Thursday 26th, 7.30pm

Friday 27th

FOHT Talk: The True Price of Fish and Chips: a talk by Andy Malcolm

3.00-6.00pm Primary School Open Day to mark the school’s 110th birthday

Holy Trinity Church See page 37

See back cover

Friday 27th

Football Fixtures

7.30pm

Saturdays: kick off 2.00pm 14th 21st

PTA Quiz Night Meldreth Primary School

Sundays: kick 10.30am 1st 22nd

See page 23

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Remembering Hughie Foggo

Hughie at the British Queen. Photograph by Stephen Leahy.

One of the pleasures of growing up in a village is knowing the local characters and hearing their stories and escapades. Sadly they are a diminishing breed and Meldreth has lost one such character with the passing of Hughie Foggo. I got to know Hughie towards the latter part of his life and was always cheered by his friendly greeting of “Hoy Terry boy”. Hughie came to Meldreth from Scotland in the mid fifties with his brothers Charlie and Ian when their father obtained a job as a railway porter. They lived in the Station Cottages at Allerton Terrace before moving to Elin Way. Hughie attended Meldreth Primary School before going on to Melbourn Village College. When he left school he started work at the Atlas Stone Company in the moulding gang and stayed there on and off most of his working life. Hughie was a very good footballer in his younger days and played on the left wing. He was known as Meldreth’s George Best, both on and off the field. He was also an enthusiastic member of the British Queen Darts Team in the mid eighties. When Alan and Sue Tobin bought the British Queen they also bought Hughie! He would leave home around 4

11.00 – 11.15am every morning, perhaps call in at the shop, then sit in the smoking area until the pub opened at midday. He drank Carlsberg in a Stella glass, loved to put music on the juke box, especially The Doors and ELO, and would get stuck into the Daily Mail crossword. Hughie was happy. A funny story concerning Hughie was on a coach outing to Hunstanton when Hughie’s friends decided he needed a girlfriend, so they bought him a blow up doll which was placed in the seat next to him on the journey back to Meldreth! Hughie was a gentle soul with a great sense of humour. On 12th February the joint funeral took place at Meldreth’s Holy Trinity Church of Hugh Foggo (3rd February 1950 – 4th January 2020) and of his mother, Mary Foggo (30th July 1926 – 21st January 2020). The service was very well attended and afterwards the lives of Hughie and his mother were toasted in a packed British Queen. I shall remember Hughie sitting on the seat by the village hall, usually having a smoke, and content in his own world. Terry Dash

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Meldreth Country and Leisure Park Overview Want a walk in the Park? There is a proposal for a Country and Leisure Park in Meldreth along Kneesworth Road and up Mettle Hill. This is possible, because of the foresight of Meldreth Parish Council which owns some land there. Meldreth owns the former Traveller site and some derelict woodland at the top of the hill. We would hope to purchase some more land and give Meldreth village the opportunity to put forward the big idea for a substantial country park. The Park would be approximately 12.5 hectares (30 acres) with a small housing development included. It would lie between the corner of Kneesworth and Whitecroft Roads and the top of Mettle Hill. This would be a band of woodland on the opposite side of the road to West Way which would be about 700m long and up to 200m wide.

A new Planning initiative gives a framework for this. Greater Cambridgeshire Shared Planning is currently making a “Call for Green 6

Space Sites” which includes country parks. We have been encouraged to make a submission by the Planning Department. The idea has also been discussed with our Parish and District Councillors. The Park would hopefully include the following, but it’s early stages and priorities may change:  A linear country and leisure park area  A woodland adventure playground  A new multi purpose sports pitch and pavilion  An events and picnic area  A possible medical centre  Leasehold and freehold housing The sports pitch would replace the football pitch on Meldreth Recreation Ground. Benefits to Meldreth This scheme outlined in the plan might enable Meldreth Recreation Ground to be transformed into a landscaped park with trees, walkways flower beds and seating for families and children to enjoy. The housing attached to the Country and Leisure Park would draw together the disparate communities of West Way, Burtons, The Boulevard and Five Acres to include them in the main village structure. There could be space for a medical centre. Most of all, the park would provide woodland and leisure facilities which would benefit future generations and enhance our rural tradition. This project has only just begun. We will need help from Meldreth residents. If you have skills, ideas or time to offer, please get in touch with me at the address below. Margaret Lynch Bury Farm, 42 North End, Meldreth margaret.lynch@intamail.com (01763) 260475 or 07746 496874

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Foxton Signal Box Visit On 29th January, five Meldreth, Shepreth and Foxton Rail User Group representatives visited the Foxton Signal Box in order to better understand the potential for more breaks in Shepreth Station level crossing downtimes, so that pedestrian, cycle and vehicle traffic can pass through more frequently. We met with Jody Bidnell (Mobile Operations Manager), Giles Dinnewell (Crossing Operator) and Charles Baker (Public Affairs Manager) all of Network Rail. The Foxton Signal Box is operated by Network Rail and controls both the Foxton and Shepreth level crossings. What we learned: The current train pattern is designed so that there should be a reasonable lift and lower time at Shepreth and Foxton. If they are running to timetable many of the trains from either direction pass each other around Shepreth and Foxton, resulting in less barrier downtime. However, as soon as a train in either direction runs late that will extend the barrier downtime. When any train on the London core is delayed by more than three minutes, there is a knock-on effect across the whole Thameslink network that can take up to four to five hours to right itself. The level crossing barriers at Shepreth should rise automatically unless they are held down for another train coming in three minutes or less. In order to check that the Shepreth crossing is clear before giving a train a green light, the Signal Box has a direct CCTV camera view of traffic at Shepreth level crossing and can see any pedestrians waiting to cross, as well as anyone trespassing over the barriers. On our stretch of the London-Cambridge line there are currently eighteen trains per hour at peak time and twelve off-peak. The crossing 8

operators indicated that they see no capacity for additional trains, with so much pressure on the system. They also noted that Barrington quarry trains are not currently running, which is helpful. It was mentioned that when the quarry trains are reinstated the crossing operators had suggested that the trains reverse at Cambridge Station instead of Foxton, thus saving some barrier downtime. The RUG is asking for one month's crossing data to ascertain any anomalies in terms of longer down-times, which Network Rail is keen to understand. This has been agreed; we will study the data and report back to Network Rail. The crossing operators have an 8-hour shift pattern Monday to Saturday, and a 12-hour shift on a Sunday. There is currently discussion within Network Rail about changing the shift patterns and staffing at the Signal Box. With reference to the incident at Foxton on 27th January when the pedestrian gates were temporarily locked: the wicket gates at Foxton are controlled by the Crossing Operator in the Signal Box. The Crossing Operator’s protocol states that a train cannot be given a green light to proceed unless the gates send a signal to say that they are properly locked. If there are any problems with the gates they are manually locked with chains to prevent the risk of pedestrians opening them when a train is coming. The Crossing Operator then alerts the Network Rail Maintenance Team to come and fix the gates. To note: Both Crossing Operators – Giles Dinnewell and Jody Bidnell – are Melbourn Village College graduates. Jody’s father and grandfather were railwaymen, and his granddad lived at Meldreth Station. We will be looking to have current MVC students interview them, hopefully on film, in order to share information about how the level crossings are managed on this very busy stretch of railway. If you’d like more technical information on the mechanics of the level crossing, the reasons behind the shift to a full barrier system, and why the Meldreth Road system works so differently please let us know – or check out our website. Susan van de Ven and Sarah Grove Meldreth, Shepreth and Foxton Community Rail Partnership www.meldrethsheprethfoxtonrail.org.uk railusergroup@gmail.com 9

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1st Melbourn Rainbows Celebrating Gold Awards and Completion of Interest Badges 1st Melbourn Rainbows were celebrating at the end of last term as four of the girls were inspired to complete the Rainbows Gold Award, the highest award achievable by a Rainbow. Their awards were presented by District Commissioner Debbie Fisher. Part of the final challenge included learning about the next section of Girl Guiding and the girls met with a Brownie from a local unit. Through a scrapbook, a collage, a poem and a puppet show, they shared their Rainbows experience. Unit Leader, Abigail Roberts said, “We are incredibly proud of these Rainbows. They have had to work particularly hard both at home and in unit activities to complete this award. Their enthusiasm throughout their time at Rainbows has been infectious, and I’m excited to see where their future takes them.” Molly really challenged herself and showed that she was leading the way after completing every interest badge offered to Rainbows, twelve in total! She said that her favourite badge had been the Nature one which included growing a plant from seed. Lola said she had enjoyed the animal lover badge, Florence had a lot of fun making things for her badges, and Olivia said the Rainbow Sleepover had been her favourite event: “You get a special badge and that’s the most special badge you’ll ever get.” These girls have all turned seven and left the unit at Christmas to continue their Girl Guiding Adventure at Brownies. Stef Cooper 11

Messy Church Our January meeting was on the theme of Creation - appreciating our wonderful world and trying to care for it. Twenty-four children attended, with their parents. Here are some comments about the afternoon … From a family: I wanted to say thank you to you and all you helpers for Messy Church yesterday. We thought it was an absolutely fab and lovely event, and it was very much enjoyed by the children. The best event in the village Meldreth is lucky to have it! From a helper: It is a real joy to be a helper at Messy Church. From my vantage point in the kitchen at the January Messy Church I looked out on a happy buzz of activity as children, parents and helpers mingled around the craft tables to produce paper plate birds and fish, pipe cleaner flowers and many more items related to the Bible story of creation. Food, too, had creation/a creative touch – starry chicken pie and butterfly cakes. Although numbers can vary each session, somehow there is always enough to feed children and parents – and sometimes helpers too . . . although we haven’t had to cater for 5,000! Our next event is on Sunday 8th March - come and join us! See the poster on the facing page for details. Hilary Crawforth

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Meldreth Pre-School www.meldrethpreschool.com We had a very special reason to celebrate this half term. All of the children were invited to a party to mark our first anniversary of being in our new home at the school. Everyone got into the spirit, taking part in games including musical statues and pass the parcel as well as a very energetic dance party, all finished off with a yummy lunch. Later in the half term, celebrating Chinese New Year offered the children a chance to learn about Chinese culture and demonstrate their craft skills making Chinese dragons out of paper and lolly sticks. For Valentine’s Day children were asked to dress in red and/or pink and make a donation of £1 to go towards preschool resources. We recently welcomed a new member of staff to the team – Katie, who brings with her many years of experience and has already become a familiar face to children and parents/carers. Very sadly, we are saying goodbye to Louise who has been a valued member of the team for four years. We wish her lots of luck in the future. Bank Staff Vacancy We are looking for friendly, enthusiastic workers with a Level 3 in Childcare (NVQ or equivalent) to join our team as qualified bank or part-time staff. For more information please preschool@meldrethpreschool.com.

contact

us

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Julia Moore Meldreth Preschool Shepreth Hedgehog Hospital Needs Your Old Newspapers We have over 60 hedgehogs in the hospital and they get cleaned out daily, each using five newspapers. Please help us by dropping off your papers at 51 High Street (opposite One Stop) in the blue plastic box to the right of the gate. Or you can drop them on the brown bins by the shop at Shepreth Wildlife Park. Thank You! 14

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Meldreth Primary School www.meldreth.cambs.sch.uk Ten years ago, on Saturday 27th March 2010, we celebrated the school’s centenary, with something close to a festival of events in and around the school involving the whole school and village community. A year of Centenary Planning Committee meetings preceded this; meetings which often drew up to twenty interested parties in preparation for a suitably grand hundredth birthday party for such a distinguished old girl as Meldreth Primary School. In the weeks leading up to the big day, we organised for an ‘Arts Bus’ to visit the school; all children had an opportunity to design and make screen-printed bags to commemorate the centenary and a huge printed banner that was made still graces our corridor. Joan and Tim Gane came to school every week during the Spring term to teach the children a series of traditional maypole dances; we used the school’s original century-old maypole that rarely gets an airing these days and a dancing display duly graced the playground at the centenary event itself! Plans, negotiations and preparations for a commemorative stained glass window for the school were long, protracted and at times painful. The final outcome was installed some two years after the actual anniversary, but a tremendous memorial to the school’s first hundred years it certainly is, positioned precisely at the original entrance where Mr Aldridge would have welcomed the school’s first incumbents one hundred and ten years ago! Two further pottery plaques were created by my mother and these still hang in the school. The days preceding the event were grim, grey and wet and we feared that our plan for outdoor celebrations would be scuppered on the day. On 4th April itself, the wind picked up to gusting and smatterings of 17

raindrops skittered over the playground, but nothing was going to rain on our parade. Giant balloons strained on their tethers, the piano was rolled out for songs and ‘drill’ led by Mrs Evans and Mr Jones, and the crowds gathered. Mrs Dickson, the headteacher in 2010, welcomed one and all, as every child in the school released a helium filled balloon in a euphoric moment of thrill and colour! Alumni of the school and teachers from years gone by reassembled to share stories and memories of the good old days and the local press photographer took a snap for the Royston Crow! Meldreth Local History Group compiled a fascinating display of pictures, documents and ephemera from the school’s first hundred years, which was perused at length by one and all. One of the our most senior expupils that day, John Gipson was able to put a name to almost every face on the 1928 school photograph from which he himself peers out as a young, tousle-haired pupil. As many readers will know, John stayed in the village throughout his life and introduced many of our young charges to bell-ringing on our many visits to the church over the years. All told, our centenary certainly was a most memorable occasion, which continues to resonate as the school now reaches her 110th anniversary. Our commemorations are significant this time round, but more muted as we save the ‘big-ones’ for the big numbers! All our junior age children are learning about Meldreth in days gone by this term, particularly in the context of Victorian and Edwardian changes in Britain. Since the actual ‘birthday’ falls in the Easter holidays – as it did a decade ago - we are commemorating the event in March, with an Edwardian themed day when the children will dress in period clothes, and ‘enjoy’ old-style lessons to try and capture the flavour of our primary school’s first days, back in 1910! 18

On the 27th March, we shall be hosting a celebration event to commemorate the school’s hundred and tenth birthday, with the school being open to visitors between 3.00 and 6.00pm as an open invitation to the community to come and see how we have flourished and grown, even in the past decade since the 2010 centenary. There will be an opportunity to have a look round the school and grounds, to view the school’s photograph albums and maybe share a piece of cake in celebration of Meldreth Primary School’s longevity! Andrew Jones Deputy Headteacher

East West Rail: Community Events Following the announcement of the preferred route option for the East West rail link between Bedford and Cambridge (see pages 47 & 50) several community events have been planned for those wishing to find out more. Local events taking place in March are as follows: Friday 20th March, 2.30pm - 6.00pm, Ross Street Community Centre, Cambridge, CB1 3UZ Monday 30th March, 11.30am - 5.00pm Webb Library, 31 Jesus Lane, Cambridge, CB5 8BJ Tuesday 31st March, 11.00am - 3.00pm Barrington Village Hall, 63 High Street, Barrington, CB22 7QX For the full list of events, please see www.eastwestrail.co.uk. Kathryn Betts Editor 19

Meldreth Manor School Winter Warmth Winter can be a difficult time for us all at Meldreth and Orchard Manor. The cold wet winter means we cannot spend as much time learning and exploring our grounds, going out on trips or in our local community all of which are so important to our learning and wellbeing. It has been the perfect time to snuggle up with our furry friends. We have two very friendly guinea pigs, Patch and Speedy, who live in the school. They are cared for attentively by our students and staff, but most particularly by Logan who takes responsibility every day to provide their food and water and cleans them out each week without fail. In the mornings Patch and Speedy come to the edge of their hutch to greet the children with excited squeaks. They have special little ‘nests’ which they happily jump into so that they can be safely petted and stroked by all our children, regardless of their needs. It is very important for our residential children that they are able to develop the skills and responsibility that come with being a responsible pet owner. The Guinea pigs love the children as much as the children love the Guinea pigs. We are very fortunate to have two PAT (Pets As Therapy) dogs that visit us. One is Poppy which is a very experienced PAT dog, and the other is Beiber, a newly qualified PAT dog, which visits us almost every week. Their arrival to class is always welcomed and very positive for our children. Having a pet is an important aspect of many children’s childhoods, including our children, many of whom live away from their families and pets at home. 20

To help us shake off the winter blues we have regular visits by a team of ‘Laughter Specialists’. They role is exactly as their name suggests. They specialise in making our children and staff laugh. They bring joy and energy to our classrooms with their wonderful madcap antics. We are really looking to a very busy March with lots of school events including World Book Day, Sports Relief and ‘Lots of Socks’ Down Syndrome awareness day. For Autism Awareness week we will be attempting to all ‘walk’ 10,000 steps throughout the week. Wish us luck as this is a considerable undertaking for many of our children. Our learning theme for this term is ‘Space’ so we will be hosting a Sci-Fi fancy dress day in school too. If anyone has a Darth Vader costume I can borrow I would be most grateful. Nadine McFadden Head of Education Meldreth Manor School nadine.mcfadden@the-aurora-group.com

New to the village?

www.meldrethhistory.org.uk See the Meldreth Today section for information on footpaths * village facilities * over 25 local clubs & groups 21

What’s On for Children and Families in March Tuesdays 3rd and 31st March 9.15am - 11.15am Soft Play Sessions, Coombes Community Centre, Burns Road, Royston SG8 5PT £6 per child, children under 6 months free. Drinks and snacks available to buy. For more information call Nessa 07732 133007. Saturdays 14th and 21st, Sundays 15th and 22nd March, 10.30am - 5.00pm Hands on Science with Cambridge Science Centre The Guildhall, Market Square, Cambridge CB2 3QJ Free, drop in event with plenty of hands-on experiences. Part of Cambridge Science Festival. See www.sciencefestival.cam.ac.uk for details of other events from 9th to 22nd March. Saturday 21st March, 10.30am - 12.00pm for ages 5 - 7 years, 1.30pm - 3.00pm for ages 8 - 12 years Clay Celebrations, Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge CB2 1RB See the exhibition Feast and Fast then create something in clay under expert guidance. Book on (01223) 332904 or email education@fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk. Sunday 22nd March, 11.30am and 2.30pm Strongwomen Science Cambridge Junction, Clifton Way CB1 7GX An engineer and a scientist reveal the science behind tricks such as juggling liquids. Science meets circus. Tickets £10 adults, £6 children from www.junction.co.uk. Sunday 22nd March, 11.00am - 3.30pm Wandlebury Wildlife, Wandlebury Country Park, Gog Magog Hills CB22 3AE Find out about the local wildlife and how habitats and species are cared for. No need to book. Drop in. Parking £3. Saturday 28th March, 2.30pm Morgan and West - Unbelievable Science Broadway Theatre, Eastcheap, Letchworth SG6 3DD A live, interactive science show for all the family. Expect explosive thrills, chemical spills, wit and charm. For ages 6+. Tickets £14, £12.50 concessions from (01462) 681088. 22

Compiled by Hilary Crawforth

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Neighbourhood Watch Courier Fraud It's been a while since we warned about ‘courier fraud’ scams, where fraudsters pose as a police officer or bank official to persuade their often elderly and vulnerable victims to hand over large amounts of cash. Unfortunately, this type of fraud is becoming more common and Cambridgeshire Police are aware of seven separate instances in January where victims lost almost £88,000 to courier fraud. In six out of the seven instances, the fraudster cold-called the victim by telephone, posing as a police officer and claiming that they had someone in custody as part of a fraud investigation. The bogus officer told the victim there was an issue with their bank account or requested their assistance with an ongoing investigation. The ultimate aim of the call was to lure the victim into withdrawing cash from their bank and later hand over the money to a courier. On the other occasion, the fraudster claimed to be from the tax office, claiming the victim owed in excess of £10,000 and would be arrested if they didn’t pay the outstanding balance. In this instance the victim was told to hand over cash and also to purchase thousands of pounds worth of Amazon vouchers from a supermarket. Criminals are increasingly turning to vouchers as a method of obtaining funds since these are much more difficult to trace than banking transactions. During January, five victims in the East Cambridgeshire area lost a total of £78,500 and on two occasions in Peterborough, two victims lost a combined £9,000. Whilst these incidents are all in the same two areas, it is likely the scammers are working through a list organised by postcode and therefore there is a strong chance this scam will appear in our area too. Not only do these crimes cause a significant financial loss, they often have a devastating impact on the health and wellbeing of the victims and their families. Remember, your bank and the police will: - NEVER ask for your bank account details or PIN over the phone - NEVER ask you to withdraw money and send it to them - NEVER send someone to your home to collect cash or anything else. 24

If you're not sure whether something is a scam, it can be helpful to talk to someone else, for example a friend or one of the trusted contacts in Meldreth: Graham (01763) 260 358 Linda (01763) 261 405 Peter (01763) 260 323 Tim (01763) 262 801 Report scams to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or visit www.actionfraud.police.uk: every report matters. Meldreth Neighbourhood Watch

Friends of Maycroft The days are drawing out and the bulbs are developing. It is probable that the snowdrops, which are aglow against the grass, were planted here by the family who owned what is now Maycroft Care Home, formerly called The Homestead. Certainly, the beech trees are of a size and age to have been planted then, while in turn, we have been adding to the scene with a mixture of bulbs in a vibrant range of colours, visible from the residents’ rooms. There are also bulbs in the personal gardens of residents, each with a mixture of shrubs to please the eye and nose. The heating system for the new building extracts heat from the ground and uses a system of pumps to circulate it. At a recent event, we donated a cheque for £1505.12 to the Alzheimer’s Research Society. For coming events, including our fete, watch this space. Greetings from us to all to our neighbours. Carol and Ray 25

Notes From a Small Garden Light in the Garden As I write these notes today, it is one of those beautiful but windy and cold mornings. We have had some frosty mornings recently, but the wind has moved the air around furiously, which luckily stops ground frost. But perhaps the most notable thing for our garden and other gardens in Chiswick End is that most of the Christmas trees have been cut down in the field to the south east of us, in preparation for building nine houses there. So far a large badger set in the plot has stopped progress! We now have much more light in the garden and this has set me thinking about how important light is in any garden. For example, when I look at my friends’ vegetable patches, without exception the most successful ones have a lot of sun coming from the south. Ours has been shaded by the old Christmas trees although we’ve had more light in our potager since we took down a black walnut tree, planted in memory of my father who lived with us for the last few years of his life. I was saddened at the time but there’s no doubt that we’ve been able to grow more prolific vegetables since. With all the encouragement from the government, the county and all of us who are trying to ‘green’ up and plant more trees, there’s no doubt that we need to think carefully about where to plant a new tree. Try thinking why you bought it and what you wanted it for, before planting the tree in the wrong place, where it might quickly grow to give more shade to that part of the garden where you would have liked more light. On the other hand, I have noticed over the years that certain plants, particularly roses planted under trees when they were young, tend to get used to increasing lack of sun during the day, and flower quite well. Jobs for March  Prune apples and pears now if you haven’t already, but leave stoned fruit until May  Cut back vines and Group 3 clematis (mainly viticellas - very useful as they always sprout up well later) if you haven’t already done so  Trim honeysuckles, the winter-flowering variety lonicera fragrantissima 26

 Trim Garrya Elliptica and varieties of cornus (dogwoods,) cotinus (smoke tree) and sambucas (elders) and cotoneasters  Prune roses; if you do this in succession you will get a nice spread of flowering times in June and July.  Sow vegetable seeds. I often do this in seed trays first, planting them out later; this protects them from the muntjacs. The RHS magazine has lots of useful articles in it this month. It’s worth visiting the RHS Garden at Hyde Hall: rhs.org.uk/hydehallwhatson and also Chippenham Park Gardens, Newmarket CB7 5PT: open until Sunday 22nd March. See chippenhamparkgardens.info for more details. A message from Jim: cut back your border carnations, and ‘when the days get longer the frosts get stronger’! Good gardening from Jim and me. Julie Draper juliedraper@dumbflea.co.uk

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Royston & District Community Transport www.roytrans.co.uk RDCT needs volunteer drivers. Mileage paid. Hours to suit you. Please call (01763) 245228 (24 hour answerphone). Our service is for those who cannot access public transport for reasons of age, frailty, impaired mobility or the lack of public transport. RDCT 28

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Full-fibre Broadband Rollout Announced in Meldreth Following £46 million Investment In the latest major boost to Cambridgeshire’s growing digital economy, County Broadband has announced Meldreth as one of the first villages in which it plans to build an entirely new gigabitcapable full-fibre network, along with eight other local villages if enough demand is secured. More villages are set to be announced later this year. County Broadband announces Hyperfast full-fibre rollout in Meldreth

The project is funded by a £46m private investment by Aviva Investors and follows an initial launch in Essex and Norfolk last year which has seen over 10,000 residents and business owners sign up to receive future-ready digital connectivity. Meldreth will have some of the fastest internet speeds in the UK at up to 20 times the national average. It follows the government’s flagship pledge for the entire UK to have access to gigabit speeds by 2025 to catch up with the rest of the world and forms part of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s “infrastructure revolution”. Residents and businesses now have the choice of pre-ordering the new network or staying with their current providers. Just 30% of the community is needed to commit to pre-ordering the service to give the green light to start construction in each village. The network is planned to be installed in late 2020 and be available to all premises. Full-fibre broadband provides lightning-fast speeds of up to 1,000 megabits per second (mbps) through FTTP (fibre-to-the-premises) networks in which fibre optic cables are connected directly into properties and offices – even in difficult-to-reach rural areas. This means HD films and music can be downloaded in seconds. FTTP speeds are up to 20 times faster than superfast broadband which is based on a FTTC (fibre-to-the-cabinet) infrastructure which, even though it is promoted as fibre, uses slow copper cables to deliver the internet from green roadside cabinets to the home. Speeds typically halve every 600 metres on these outdated FTTC networks and connections can be unreliable at peak times. Construction of the new networks is already under way in over 50 villages in Essex and Norfolk which have joined County Broadband’s Hyperfast full-fibre rollout. County Broadband, which also provides superfast wireless internet, was established in Aldham in Essex in 2003. Residents and businesses can visit www.countybroadbandfibre.co.uk/futureready to find out more. 29

Meldreth Village D Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thurs

10.00am-12.00 Handbells 1.30-2.30 Aerobics 5.00-6.00pm Martial Arts 7.00 - 8.00pm Aerobics 7.00-10.00pm Crafters 8.00-10.00pm Old Time Dancing

9.30-11.30am Toddler Grp

10.00am Hartb

1.30-2.45pm L O Choir

4.00-5.00pm A

5.30pm Slimming World

6.00 - 6.45pm Pilates

9.00-10.30am Yoga

9.15am Cycling Group

11.00-12.00 Trigger Point Pilates

10.00am-12.00 Handbells

8.00-9.00pm Zumba

5.00-6.00pm Martial Arts

9.30-11.30am Toddler Group 1.30-2.45pm Lift Off Choir 5.30pm Slimming World 6.00-7.00pm Brownies 7.30pm Slimming World

9.00-10.30am Yoga 9.30-11.30am Meldreth Local History Group 11.00-12.00 Trigger Point Pilates 8.00-9.00pm Zumba

1.30-2.30 Aerobics 7.00 - 8.00pm Aerobics 7.00-10.00pm Crafters

9.00-10.30am Yoga 9.30-11.30am Meldreth Local History Group 11.00-12.00 Trigger Point Pilates 8.00-9.00pm Zumba 9.00-10.30am Yoga 11.00-12.00 Trigger Point Pilates 8.00-9.00pm Zumba

9.00-10.30am Yoga 11.00-12.00 Trigger Point Pilates 8.00-9.00pm Zumba

6.00-7.00pm Brownies 7.30pm Slimming World 7.45-9.00pm Bell Ringing

10.00am-12.00 Handbells 10.40-11.30 Mob. Library 1.30-2.30 Aerobics 5.00-6.00pm Martial Arts 7.00 - 8.00pm Aerobics 7.00-10.00pm Crafters 8.00-10.00pm OT Dancing

9.30-11.30am Toddler Group 1.30-2.45pm L O Choir

9.15am Cycling Group 10.00am-12.00 Handbells 1.30-2.30 Aerobics 5.00-6.00pm Martial Arts 7.00 - 8.00pm Aerobics 7.00-10.00pm Crafters

9.30-11.30am Toddler Group 1.30-2.45pm Lift Off Choir 5.30pm Slimming World 6.00-7.00pm Brownies 7.30pm Slimming World 7.45-9.00pm Bell Ringing

10.00am-12.00 Handbells 1.30-2.30 Aerobics 5.00-6.00pm Martial Arts 7.00 - 8.00pm Aerobics 7.00-10.00pm Crafters

Refuse Collections

5.30pm Slimming World 6.00-7.00pm Brownies 7.30pm Slimming World 7.45-9.00pm Bell Ringing

7.00 - 9.00pm Tennis 7.30pm Parish

10.00am Hartb

4.00-5.00pm A 6.00 - 6.45pm Pilates 7.30pm WI

10.00am Hartb 12.00-2.00 Pub 4.00-5.00pm A 6.00 - 6.45pm 7.00 - 9.00pm 7.30pm Waterl Mel Film, Elin

10.00am Hartb

4.00-5.00pm A

6.00 - 6.45pm F Pilates

7.00 - 9.00pm T

7.30pm FOHT

Black bins: 3rd, 17th Blue & green bins: 10th, 24th

Church Services and Bell Ringing are held at Holy Trinity Church. Cam Valley Crafters and Meldreth L Brownies, Messy Church & Melbourn and Meldreth Women’s Group meet in the Holy Trinity (HT) me opposite Holy Trinity Church. Football Matches take place on the Recreation Ground. All other events 30

iary - March 2020

sday

Friday

Saturday

beeps

9.30am Slimming World

ACRO

8.30-11.00pm Live Rock Music with Stormchaser, Eternit Sports & Social Club

Sunday

10.00am to 4.00pm Craft Fair

9.45am Family Communion

9.30am Slimming World

2.00pm Football Match

9.45pm Family Communion followed by APCM

beeps b Club BQ ACRO F. Pilates T Tennis ight River Way (p44)

9.30am Slimming World

2.00pm Football Match

8.00am Holy Communion

beeps

9.30am Slimming World

Fitness

Table Council

beeps

ACRO

10.30am Football Match 2.308.00am Holy 6.30pm Communion Tea 3.30pm Messy Dance Church

Fitness

CRO

Fitness

10.30am Football Match

8.00am Holy Communion

3.00-6.00pm Open Day, Meldreth Primary School (see back cover)

Table Tennis 7.30pm PTA Quiz Night, Meldreth Primary School Talk (p37) (see page 23)

The copy deadline for the April issue of Meldreth Matters is Thursday 12th March

ocal History Group meetings are held in the Sheltered Housing Community Centre, Elin Way. eting room. The Mobile Library Service visits Bell Close. The Cycling Group meets in the lay-by are held in the Village Hall unless otherwise indicated. 31

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Meldreth Local History Group www.meldrethhistory.org.uk Coffee Morning and AGM Monday 6th April, 10.00am Sheltered Housing Community Room, Elin Way Everyone is welcome to come along to our Coffee Morning (including a brief AGM). Refreshments will be provided free of charge. The theme for the meeting will be Memories of Meldreth in the 1950s and 1960s. Do come along and hear about this era through pictures and sound bites. See how Meldreth has changed over the past 60-70 years: you may be surprised! Joan Gane

‘The Enigma of Sutton Hoo’: an Illustrated Talk Friday 15th May, 7.00pm Meldreth Village Hall Sutton Hoo near Woodbridge in Suffolk and on the banks of the River Deben is home to one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of all time. Sally Sibley from the National Trust will tell the amazing story of how an Anglo Saxon king, probably Raedwald, was buried in his ship 1400 years ago together with his most treasured possessions. Narrowly missed by grave robbers, the royal burial mound was excavated in 1939 and its contents give a fascinating insight into the power and wealth of Anglo Saxon rulers, their trade links across the world and the exquisite craftsmanship of the time. This illustrated talk will also offer a chance to view and photograph replicas of some of the extraordinary finds. Tickets are £5 per person, £3 under 16s. To book please call Joan Gane (01763) 260129 or John Crawforth (01763) 262848. John Crawforth

Website Thanks to a grant from the Meldreth Futures Group, we have begun the process of upgrading our website and expect the new site to be live in a few months’ time. In the meantime, we are continuing to add pages to our current site. See our home page for the most recent additions: www.meldrethhistory.org.uk. Kathryn Betts 33

Meldreth WI Our February meeting could be described as ‘small but select’: there are lots of colds and coughs around at the moment, which kept some members away. Forthcoming events were discussed, together with the selection of planned outings. The Monday weekly walk still continues although with the recent wet weather it is usually a short walk and a cup of tea somewhere. If you would like to join it, we meet in the Village Hall car park at 1.00pm each Monday. Jack Clarkson was then introduced and gave a talk on Maggie’s, the cancer support group. Maggie Keswick was born in Scotland in 1945 and died at the early age of 54 from cancer. She introduced the Maggie Centres which are now country wide. Ours being in Milton House Puddlecombe Way, Addenbrookes Hospital. Look for the big round orange sign. Her attitude was that people should not lose the joy of living in the fear of dying . The centre is not only for cancer patient but also provides support for their relatives. Support and help can be given in many ways, including benefits advice, a wig clinic for both men and women, a singing group, art therapy and more. Many of our group hadn’t heard of Maggie’s but I do know of a gentleman who gained much support and friendship as a result of his visits. It is open from 9.00am to 5.00pm from Monday to Friday and you are welcome to drop in for a cup of tea and a chat any time. This is a voluntary scheme not funded by the NHS, but is a very helpful scheme for cancer support. Next month will be our AGM. It would be nice to see some new members and some help on the committee. We will also have a talk on the River Mel. We will meet on Thursday 12th March at 7.30pm in the Village Hall. Kathleen Thompson

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34

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Melbourn & Meldreth Women’s Group We held our AGM on 28th January in All Saint’s Community Hall; 23 people attended and we received several apologies. The Reverend Mary Price ably steered us through the formal business of receiving and approving last year’s minutes and the reports of the Chair and the Treasurer. The committee were re-elected and Mary Bailey joined as a new committee member; we welcome her as she has given a lot of support last year in an unofficial capacity. The Helen Rollason Cancer Charity was chosen for our support this year and the proceeds of the raffle and donations from drinks will go to them. Our new programme was available for members. After the formal business, we had a bring and share supper with lovely food and an opportunity to chat with friends. Thanks to all who contributed the food and helped with the setting up and clearing away. In February we will have had a talk by Una Cleminson about the Royal British Legion. On Tuesday 24th March we look forward to the Reverend Angela Melaniphy leading us on a reflection for Lent which will be in All Saints Community Hall, Melbourn. All our meetings begin at 7.45pm and we vary our venue between Melbourn & Meldreth; there is no membership fee but a charge of £1 on the night and an option to donate to the charity. We usually have a guest speaker or in-house entertainment! The meetings end with a cuppa and biscuits which gives us a chance to chat. If you’d like to know more about the group please contact one of the following: Pat Smith (01763) 262575, Sue Toule (01763) 260955, Anne Harrison (01763) 261775, Angela Leach (01763) 262793, Pat Ames (01763) 261130, Kimmi Crosby (07976228377) or Mary Bailey (01763) 220171. Pat Smith

Meldreth Matters is Online To view this or past issues, follow us on: issuu.com/meldrethmatters 36

Friends of Holy Trinity www.foht.org.uk This Month’s Event: Thursday 26th March - 7.30pm The True Price of Fish and Chips: a talk by Andy Malcolm Andy Malcolm will be talking about The Fishermen’s Mission, a UK charity caring for the men and women who earn a living at sea doing the most dangerous job there is. They work in coastal communities around the UK improving the lives of active and retired fishermen and their families. Come and hear from Andy, the Fundraising Manager for the Fishermen’s Mission in the East of England about the unique life of a trawlerman and the charity that supports them. Also be intrigued about the history and trivia of fish and chips, enjoy some sea poetry, a quick fishy quiz and a sea shanty or two to get in the seafaring mood. Tickets cost £7.50 (Friends £7.00) include wine and nibbles and are available from: Mary Gregory - (01763) 260120 John Price - (01763) 260048 Peter Chilvers - (01763) 260742

Future Events: Friday 15th May 2020 - AGM Friday 29th May 2020 - Jane Eyre by ‘This is My Theatre’ group in the nave of the church. John Price

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

Starts 14 January 2019 and runs weekly during term time Friendly, supportive classes in a non-competitive environment helping you to develop strength, flexibility and well-being. Suitable for all abilities. £10 drop-in or £90 for a 10 class pass. More details at www.yoga2.co.uk or email Chris and Shelagh: yoga2@btinternet.com 38

Lift Off Choir

How time flies when you are having fun! Last month Lift Off Choir celebrated its first birthday, and what a celebration it was. We spent the session singing lovely songs, before, of course, singing Happy Birthday to ourselves. The highlight was indulging in two beautiful cakes which one of our singers, Chris Robinson, made. I can vouch that they tasted just as good as they looked. It has been wonderful to watch the choir grow and develop over the year, becoming a lovely social hub for the village; not just in numbers, but also in confidence as singers. We are always ready to welcome new members. We are a mixed choir of men and women, and welcome all abilities. There is no solo singing at Lift Off Choir, but we thrive on the sound we can produce as a group. What are you waiting for? Come along and join us every Wednesday during term time in Meldreth Village Hall, from 1.30 to 2.45pm. Each session costs ÂŁ5 on a pay-as-you-go basis, and includes refreshments. Just turn up or you can contact me on 07548 247755. Clare Silver 39

Melbourn and District Photographic Club www.melbournphotoclub.com With just two months of the season to go, we have a full and varied programme remaining including four competitions, one club evening, a lecture and the annual AGM. Our March programme is as follows: 3rd:

Pairs Cup Competition. Judge: Alison Jenkins

10th:

3rd Open Print Competition. Judge: Ron Tear

17th:

Club Evening. Book Title Challenge (Lynne Cole)

24th:

Composition. Lecture by Peter North

31st:

Projected Image of The Year. Judge: Naomi Saul

Sandstorm in Dead Vlei Namibia By Paul Ravenscroft

Meetings are held weekly from 7.30 to 9.30pm on Tuesdays at Foxton Village Hall from September to April and visitors are welcome (ÂŁ2 entry fee). 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 me at melbournphotoclub@hotmail.com. Peter North Secretary Melbourn & District Photographic Club 40

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41

Local Events in March Here is a selection of events happening nearby in March. To have your event listed, please email: meldrethmatters@hotmail.com. Sunday 1st to Sunday 22nd March, 10.00am to 4.00pm Chippenham Park Spring Gardens Chippenham Park, Chippenham Hall, Newmarket CB7 5PT With acres of lakes, woodland and walled gardens, this is a stunning place when the daffodils are a sea of yellows, creams and whites. Plus the cosy Potting Shed café serving hot, homemade food. Admission £5, children free, dogs on leads welcome. Payment at gate, cash only. Tuesday 3rd March, 10.00am to 3.30pm Ely Cathedral Photo Walk Ely Cathedral Chapter House, Ely, Cambridgeshire CB7 4DL Spend a day photographing this extraordinary building, full of beautiful light and shadows - or treat someone you know! Professional photographer Lucy Kane is on hand for creative and technical advice. All abilities & types of camera. Tickets £40. Contact 07944 505419. Wednesday 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th March, 11.00am to 12.45pm Wimpole’s Wednesday Walk (throughout the year) Wimpole Hall, Arrington, Cambridgeshire SG8 0BW A different walk each week around Wimpole’s parkland. Walks range from 2.5 to 4.5 miles with an experienced leader. Can be muddy. No booking needed. Normal National Trust admission applies. Monday 9th to Sunday 22nd March, at varying times and venues Cambridge Science Festival 2020 Hundreds of free events with everything from Astronomy to Zoology. Talks, hands-on activities, performances, exhibitions and films. Leading international scientists and researchers examine how science is changing our world. Full programme and to book: www.sciencefestival.cam.ac.uk. Thursday 12th March, 7.30pm Buckden Handbell Ringers Royston Methodist Church, Queen’s Road, Royston SG8 7AU With over 50 handbells, a programme of classical music through ragtime to popular music from shows and films. Tickets £5 (to include refreshments) from Sue on (01763) 243815 or email: walter962@btinternet.com or online: www.ticketsource.co.uk/rmc1. 42

Friday 13th March, 8.00pm (doors open 7.00pm) Royston Folk Club Showcase The Old Bull Inn, High Street, Royston SG8 9AW Come along and listen to the pick of Royston Folk Club’s talent. Admission £4 (£3 for performers), under 25s £2. www.roystonfolk.org. Sunday 15th March, 12.00 noon (coffee from 11.00am) Cann Twins - Coffee Concert Stapleford Granary, Bury Road, Stapleford CB22 5BP Meldreth’s very own acclaimed Cann twins play a programme of piano duets to include Gershwin, Schubert, Faure and Strauss. Tickets £12, £8 for under 16s: www.staplefordgranary.org.uk or call (01223) 849004. Saturday 21st March, 10.00am to Saturday 28th March, 4.00pm Cambridge Drawing Society Spring Art Exhibition Pitt Building, Trumpington St., Cambridge (opposite Fitzbillies) Open daily until 5.30pm, except final Saturday. Major exhibition of over 400 new original works by local professional and amateur artists, most for sale. Admission free. See: www.cambridgedrawingsociety.org. Saturday 21st March, 7.30pm GLOW Cambridgeshire Huntingdon Racecourse, Cambridgeshire PE28 4NL 5 km night-time, glow stick walk to raise funds for the Alzheimer’s Society. Event opens 6.30pm, walk starts 7.30pm. £10 registration fee, under 16s free. Meet outside the Grandstand - bring your friends and family! To register & for further details: www.memorywalk.org.uk. Saturday 21st March, 7.30pm J S Bach’s Mass in B Minor, sung by Royston Choral Society St Mary’s Church, Mill Street, Ashwell, Herts SG7 5LY Directed by Andrew O’Brien and accompanied by East Herts Sinfonia in what promises to be a memorable evening. Tickets £15, £1 for under 18s, available from choir members or www.roystonchoralsoc.org.uk. Saturday 28th, Sunday 29th March, 10.00am to 5.00pm Thriplow Daffodil Weekend, Thriplow, Cambridgeshire Two days of charity fund-raising and friendly, fun activities for all the family. 100 plus stalls, street food, beer, live music, Morris dancing, blacksmiths at work and much more. Admission: adults £8, children 516 £5, under 5s free. Visit: www.thriplowdaffodils.org.uk to book and for programme details; 10% discount for bookings before 22nd March. Compiled by John Crawforth 43

Waterlight Film Project www.waterlightproject.org.uk The Film Comes to You: Thursday 19th March You may have read about this project in previous editions of Meldreth Matters. Inspired by the River Mel, poet Clare Crossman wrote nine poems capturing the essence of our beautiful chalk stream. She then linked up with film maker James Murray White to make a film about the river based on her poems. Further filming has been carried out by Nigel Kinnings who has also edited the film. More details about the project can be found at waterlightproject.org.uk. After a year of capturing memories, interviewing residents, involving Meldreth Primary School children and extensively filming, the film is now going to be shown in Meldreth. You are invited to ‘An Evening with the River Mel’ on Thursday 19th March at 7.30pm at the Elin Way Community Centre. Donations appreciated. Bruce Huett

The Tango Effect Clare and Iain McPhee and Kate Swindlehurst would like to thank everyone from Meldreth who came to our open garden in the summer of 2018 which was part of a fundraiser for the Unbound Publication of Kate's eloquent memoir: The Tango Effect, An exploration of the impact of the Argentine tango on Parkinson's Disease. The book is being published in April and you are invited to the launch on Thursday 2nd April at the Amnesty International Bookshop in Mill Road, Cambridge. The start time is 6.30pm and the readings will finish at 8.00pm. There will be a chance to see the book and all the other books in the shop! Names of all patrons will be listed in the publication and patrons will hopefully already have received their copy. If you want to attend (it's a small shop) please email Kate: kswin75@gmail.com to reserve a place (free entry and refreshments). All welcome. Clare McPhee 44

Come and dance the night away with The Cyriacs and celebrate St Patrick’s Day

£16 a ticket to include a jacket potato supper Telephone Home-Start (01763) 262262; email admin@hsrsc.org.uk or book online through www.ticketsource.co.uk/hsrsc

MELDRETH BOWLS CLUB

North End, Meldreth, Royston SG8 6NR www.meldrethbowlsclub.co.uk

Bookings are now being taken for the

CRAFT MARKETS in MELDRETH VILLAGE HALL On Saturday 18th April & Saturday 14th November from 10.00am to 1.00pm We are looking for people who would like to sell their crafts, e.g. woodturning, jewellery, patchwork, pottery, etc. as well as plants and food. The fee for stallholders is £8.50 including a drink & piece of cake! Funds are being raised for the Bowls Club, as this involves much expenditure, including essential, expensive treatment and maintenance of the green without which, of course, we would not have a club. If you are interested in either or both of these events or would like further information, please contact Vivien Constable on (01223) 207557 or 07776 390436 or email Fairgreen@kript.net 45

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

46

District and County Councillors’ Reports East West Rail Route Confirmed The route for East West Rail has been announced by the Government. The route via Cambourne was the option South Cambridgeshire District Council said should be chosen when asked during a consultation. The County Council’s preferred route was Option A via Bassingbourn. Councillor Aidan Van de Weyer, Deputy Leader and lead Cabinet Member for Strategic Infrastructure at South Cambridgeshire District Council said: “We were told that one of the key factors in determining the route was the environmental opportunities that this option offers. Any project of this size has an impact, but overall it will offer huge scope for environmental enhancements, much of which be in South Cambridgeshire. The decision on whether this will be an electrified line has not yet been made but we are told that it will be a net zero carbon railway which is exactly what we would want as we move towards being a zero carbon district by 2050.” Councillor Bridget Smith, Leader of South Cambridgeshire District Council, said: “I have asked East-West Railway Company to work very closely with local councillors and officers, and to fully engage with all of our affected villages from the outset. This is vital so they know exactly what is going on and have every opportunity to input their views into the whole process.” [See page 19 for details of local East West Rail Community Events.] Solar Carport, SCDC Offices Proposals have been put forward to make the Council offices less dependent on fossil fuels, including installing a solar carport which will generate more than 20% of the electricity for the entire building, and installing a ground source heat pump to reduce the amount of gas used on site by at least 80%. For full details see: https://www.scambs.gov.uk/making-south-cambshall-green-to-its-core. Model Parish Council Climate Change Policies A number of South Cambridgeshire Parish Councils are declaring a climate emergency and adopting climate change and environment policies, for example in the realm of planning. There is a good deal of sharing of information and best practice available. 47

Zero Carbon Communities Grants for Meldreth Station and Melbourn Village College We’re delighted to report two successes: Melbourn Village College students spearheaded the ‘Melbourn Community Refill Project’ that will see the installation of personal water bottle refill stations in public areas of the College, in an effort to do away with single use plastic water bottles on site. The Meldreth, Shepreth and Foxton Community Rail Partnership has won funding to partner up with Govia Thameslink Railway for new secure cycle parking at Meldreth Station – GTR’s proportion having been won from the Department for Transport’s Cycle Rail Fund. Work on the new cycle park installation including CCTV will commence very soon; the site is likely to be behind the new waiting shelter. More details to come. Under-Funded Special Educational Needs Takes Funding from General School Budgets The most significant recent decision by the County Council’s Children and Young People’s Committee has been to ask the Department for Education to allow the County Council to remove 1.8% of the main schools budget and put it in the High Needs Block to help meet the extra cost of providing for the increasing number and proportion of children needing extra help and also to help pay off the £16 million deficit carried forward. This will mean, if approved, that the per pupil allocation in mainstream schools will go down by £50; this will have a significant impact particularly on already perilous primary school budgets. Potholes and Christmas Break As a cost saving measure, the County Council now requires its employees to take off the Christmas to New Year holiday period, which means that there’s no one in the office to process reports of Highways faults during that time. This causes a backlog in January. Bus Meeting and Bus Stops The Cam Vale Bus User Group met on 22nd January at The Limes Bassingbourn with about 40 people in attendance, including Meldreth bus users. The upshot was support for a cross-border service to Letchworth, amalgamating resources of both Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire and seeing the 127 from its pick-up points in Bassingbourn reach all the way to Letchworth. This won’t directly benefit our Meldreth users but another outcome of the meetings was 48

that all the bus stops along the route of the 127 will be inspected by the Combined Authority, with our Hertfordshire bus officer colleague, Daniel Washington, leading the tour. This happens at the end of February, and we’ll report back. Royston and Hertfordshire Growth and Transport Plan and Links into South Cambridgeshire Please take a look and respond to this new Hertfordshire County Council strategic Growth and Transport consultation that specifically envisages a cycle link over the A505, tying in with the Melbourn Greenway. The consultation runs until 30th March. See https:// arcg.is/1GuXCL. Any question big or small, don’t hesitate to contact us – we’ll be glad to help. Our contact details are in the Village Directory at the back of Meldreth Matters. Jose Hales and Philippa Hart, District Councillors Susan van de Ven, County Councillor

Whaddon Road, Meldreth, SG8 5RL

Club Facili es

Entertainments

Licensed bar Hall available for private hire for any occasion (compe ve rates) Fully equipped gymnasium (annual subscrip on) Snooker room, Pool table Large children's outdoor ac vity area Bowls green, Petanque pistes Football pitches, changing rooms

1st Friday of the month Melbourn Rock Club One Saturday a month Melbourn Rock Club Rock and Roll Night Every Thursday night Eternit bingo—starts 7.30pm Local gig venue

Big charity events during the year Motorcycle Rally - Air Ambulance - Mini Chill weekend - Camping - Local Chari es Club Charity - LUPUS

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Meldreth Parish Council www.meldreth-pc.org.uk Meeting held on Thursday 6th February 2020 The main points of this meeting are set out below in the usual summary format. The full formal minutes can be viewed in due course on the website at www.meldreth-pc.org.uk and on the Parish Council notice board; these will be presented for approval at the next Parish Council meeting.

Discussions and Decisions  District and County Councillors’ Report [see pages 47-49]: the Council was pleased to note that two local projects had secured funding from the South Cambridgeshire District Council carbon fund. One is the installation of personal water bottle refill stations at Melbourn Village College and the other is the provision of secure cycle parking, including CCTV, at Meldreth station. The EastWest rail route has been determined in outline and will route through a new station at Cambourne. The exact route will now be decided but it will not pass in the vicinity of Meldreth, so a good result for our village. The Chairman recorded our thanks to the two Parish Councillors who had undertaken a lot of work on this project. [See page 19 for community information events.]  Planning Issues: the Chairman reported that following the former

GoCold site decision at appeal [see page 55], he had written to SCDC Planning Department to confirm the Council’s concern about the issue of visibility splays. The Chairman noted that the Leader of SCDC had reported to a recent Parish Council forum meeting that SCDC might not be able to demonstrate a Five Year Land Supply. If this cannot continue to be demonstrated, it will lead to further speculative planning applications.  Futures Working Group: it was decided to support the Futures

Group recommendation to provide a funding grant of £2,500 towards the new boiler system installed at the Village Hall.  Traffic

Working

Group:

discussions are continuing with 50

Highways department about traffic management issues in the High Street, especially in the area of the Primary School. It was noted that a speed sign had been destroyed in Whitecroft Road; this will not be replaced by the Highways authority and the Traffic Group now has this under consideration. The question of a lollipop warden at the School has been investigated but the volumes do not meet the required levels for this to be provided. The issue of trimming hedges and trees adjacent to pedestrian footways has been researched and the Council agreed to adopt as its policy the dimensions in, and recommendations of, a Working Group report presented to the Council. It is hoped that voluntary compliance will negate the need for enforcement measures that would otherwise fall to be taken via the Highways department. The decision regarding the purchase of a further mobile speed indicator will await the collection of further data from the Council’s existing mobile indicator.  Kissing Gate: a decision has been taken to retain the kissing gate

for historical reasons. A local blacksmith’s firm has been approached and it is expected that repairs will be undertaken shortly; the same blacksmith will repair the cemetery gate latch.  Recreation Ground: One tree will be purchased under the South

Cambs £60 grant scheme; our Tree Warden will make a recommendation and has agreed to procure the tree for planting. The Parish Council is continuing to investigate the cost and feasibility of installing a hard surface between the two basketball hoops and will need to obtain three quotations. Most of the play equipment is in good order but as reported previously some repair and maintenance is needed. The Council discussed the potential hazard of the ditch along the Howard Road boundary and decided to investigate measures to address this, including fencing and then possibility of piping.  Country and Leisure Park Proposal [see pages 6-7]: this idea for

Kneesworth Road was considered in principle to have merit but much more work needs to be performed by the proposers to investigate its feasibility in detail, both as regards initial deliverability and being able to meet ongoing costs. The Council’s Mettle Hill site forms part of the overall plan and the Council may need at some point to consider its position with regard to the site as part of any overall scheme. The resident 51

proposing the scheme will consider registering it within the Local Plan window but this does not commit any of the five landowners.  Annual Tree Survey: the Report will be provided to our Tree

Warden who will advise on what steps the Council should take to implement the findings of the survey.  Other issues: Melbourn Area Youth Development Youth Club

(MAYD) and the changes they have recently introduced were discussed. Traffic issues in the High Street are becoming intolerable but the Council’s Traffic Group will continue to make representations through the links it has established with Highways department. Discussions continue to take place through the A10 Corridor Group of Council chairs about the Foxton Travel Hub car park and the minutes of a recent meeting will be circulated in due course. Next meeting: Thursday 5th March 2020. Meldreth Parish Council

Roads & Footways - Repairs and Faults Thank you to all of you who are using the Highways Cambridgeshire website to report the potholes and flooded areas on our roads and footways. These problems create hazards for both pedestrians and motorists alike, with particular issues being experienced by pushchair users and those in our community less able to get about. To ensure our local highways team are aware of the state of Meldreth’s roads and footways, please continue to report faults and repairs to: https://highwaysreporting.cambridgeshire.gov.uk. Pat Gilmore Chair, Traffic Working Group, Meldreth Parish Council 52

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

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

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

Mr R A Searles (Vice Ch)

(01763) 260435

robert.searles@btinternet.com

Mrs C J Fallon

(01763) 262822

joan.fallonpc@gmail.com

Mr N Garner

(01763) 268328

nickphgarner@gmail.com

Mrs P Gilmore

(01763) 263138

patgilmore.mpc@gmail.com

Dr R James

(01763) 261085

roger+pc@rogerjames.net

Mr C A Land

(01763) 261004

conradland@btinternet.com

Mr Nigel Pellatt

(01763) 262444

nppellatt@btconnect.com

Mr A Young

(01763) 263484

andrewmpc@gmail.com

Melbourn Mobile Warden Scheme Supporting people in Melbourn, Meldreth & Shepreth Can we help you? Your relative? Your neighbour? What is the service? We offer twice weekly visits and daily phone calls to support elderly or mobility impaired residents in their own homes by building a friendship and helping prevent social isolation. We can carry out errands such as local shopping, collecting prescriptions, paying bills or going to the Post Office so people can remain supported and independent at home. We can also help couples or those living with their family. We are also trained to support people living with dementia. Who provides the services? Mobile wardens, who have all been carefully selected for their caring nature and are DBS checked. What will it cost? We do make a small charge for the services, which is from as little as ÂŁ7.50 per week. How can I join? For more information please contact Jeannie on 07808 735066 or Jane on 07592 821976. Melbourn Mobile Warden Scheme is a registered charity 53

Planning Matters Parish Council Reference and Address

Detail

Parish Council Recommend

Bury Lane Fruit Farm, S/4034/19/FL

Retrospective replacement of biomass boilers, flues and boiler room and biomass silos

Parish Council recommended ‘No Recommendation’ with no comments.

Land to north Discharge of condition 17 (traffic Information only. of 14 West management plan) of planning Way, permission S/2939/16/FL S/4251/19/DC 53 Station Road, S/3999/19/FL

First floor extension over garage and first floor and single storey rear extensions.

Parish Council recommend ‘Support’ with no comments.

Maycroft Residential Home, S3863/19/FL

Installation of zero carbon emitting ground source heat system (GSHP) and the construction of a timber construction energy centre measuring 5.6 x 3.6 metres and associated development.

It was noted that this was a retrospective application. Recommend ‘Support’.

Land to the Discharge of condition 12 west of (Ecology Report) of planning Burtons, application S/2939/16/FL Whaddon Road, S/4281/19/DC

Information only. No comments.

13 Chiswick End, S/4376/19/FL

Parish Council recommend ‘No Recommendation’ with comments. A condition should be put on the planning consent that the annexe must remain part of the property and not be used as a separate dwelling.

Detached garage and carport outbuilding and single storey detached annexe.

64 Whitecroft Non material amendment of Road, Planning Permission S/4362/19/NM S/3187/19/VC 54

This was noted, information only.

SCDC Decisions Reference and Address

Parish Council Recommend

S/3568/19/FL, 86a High Street

Permission has been granted for the erection of a single storey outbuilding in rear garden.

S/2538/19/VC, Meldreth Booster Station, Fenny Lane

Retrospective Planning Permission has been granted for the erection of a new kiosk over the top of the existing one.

Other Items: Elin Way Containers It was noted that some containers have been positioned next to the community room. This maybe due to works being carried out to neighbouring SCDC properties. GoCold An appeal was held on 13th November 2019 against SCDC's decision to refuse planning permission for the construction of 22 dwellings on the Gocold site near Meldreth Station. This was attended by Councillor Goddin, District Councillor Philippa Hart and the Clerk. The Planning Inspectorate allowed the appeal and granted planning permission for the demolition of the existing factory building and office, and construction of 22 dwellings with associated landscaping in accordance with the terms of the application, Reference S/1502/17/FL. The Chairman has met with Section 106 Officer at SCDC to discuss the allocation of S106 funds that the Parish Council will receive from the development. Section 106 allocations are fairly specific on what they can be spent on and there was concern that the main amount of allocation will go on the recreation ground and maybe not on other projects which the Parish Council feel are important and justified, e.g. the footway across the railway. Changes in allocations are achieved through a Deed of Variation which would require the consent of both the developer and the Parish Council. The full minutes of Meldreth Parish Council planning meetings are available on the Parish Council’s website, www.meldreth-pc.org.uk. Meldreth Parish Council Editor’s Note: Full details of all planning applications may be viewed on the SCDC website http://plan.scambs.gov.uk/swiftlg/apas/run/wphappcriteria.display 55

since 2009 Winner: British Renewable Energy Installer of the Year, 2018

Call us anytime on 01223 863 885.

cambridge-solar.co.uk 56

Home Safety Test Your Smoke Alarm! Did you know that you should test your smoke alarms at least once a month? Or that you should have smoke alarms on every floor of your home? Or that Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service do free home visits to make sure your home is fire safe? Visit this website for helpful tips and advice: https:// firekills.campaign.gov.uk. It only takes one accident to start a fire. Fire kills. Let’s prevent it. Safe and Well Visits: Stay safe & independent in your own home Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service wants everyone in the county to be safe from fire at home, and to know how to escape safely if a fire starts. That’s why we visit people in their own homes to make sure they have working smoke alarms and a good level of fire safety awareness. To help keep our communities safe we offer free Safe and Well Visits across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. These are home visits that last no longer than an hour, at a convenient time for you, carried out by trained staff. During the visit we will:  Talk to you about fire safety in the home.  Check your property to identify any fire hazards.  Check that you have at least one working smoke alarm on each level of your home. Fit free ten-year smoke alarms as appropriate  Provide you with fire safety advice and show you how to test your smoke alarms.  Talk about escape plans, so that you can escape safely if a fire starts.  Provide advice, or link you into organisations that can help you, if you need support with other issues such as health, wellbeing or crime prevention. To find out if you are eligible for a visit, call us on (01480) 444500 or email us at firefire@cambsfire.gov.uk. For regular updates see www.facebook.com/cambsfrs or follow us on Twitter @cambsfrs. For more information or to get in touch contact us at firefire@cambsfire.gov.uk or on 0800 9179994. Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service 57

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

Cycling Group Local History Group Lunch Club Melwood Cons. Group

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

Photographic Group

www.melbourn-photographic-club.co.uk

Revelation U3A WI

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

Sport

Bowls Club Croquet Club Meldreth United FC Table Tennis Tennis Club

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

Church

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

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

Baby & Toddler Group Hartbeeps Pre-School Primary School

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

Parish Council District Councillors

Please see details at end of Parish Council report Philippa Hart—07811 323571 Jose Hales—07703 262649 03450 450500; www.scambs.gov.uk/ Susan van de Ven—07905 325574 susanvandeven.mycouncillor.org.uk/ 0345 045 5200; www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/ Anthony Browne; www.anthonybrowne.org/

Councils & Govt.

Clubs & Societies

Facilities

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

Childn.

Village Directory

District Council Offices County Councillor County Council Offices MP

58

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

07905 325574; www.meldrethsheprethfoxtonrail.org.uk

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 Melbourn Time Bank 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 (01763) 263303; https://tol2.timebanking.org/melbourn 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

Taxi (Butler Meltax)

(01763) 244444; 212223

Citizens Advice Bureau

Police

Details of village groups and facilities can be found in the Meldreth Today section at www.meldrethhistory.org.uk. Meldreth Matters Team: Chairman: Lesley Farbridge 261578; Editor & Layout: Kathryn Betts 268428; Proof-reading: Ken McLean 261243; Treasurer, Secretary & Trade Advertising: Beverley Cottrell 262176; Advertising Layout: Richard Burns 263121; Editorial Assistant: Robin Farbridge; Distribution: Bill Peters 260983; Founder: Ann Barnes Meldreth Matters is available online at issuu.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. AngliEAR Hearing ..........................46 Art of Clean ....................................41 Art of Clean Wood ..........................10 Aurora Meldreth Manor (Job) ..........56 Cambourne Self Storage ..................38 Cambridge Solar .............................56 CHS Day Centre .............................15 CHS Group .....................................46 Coton Electrical ..............................38 The Country Store ...........................41 County Broadband .......................... 29 Dog Walker/Animal Sitter ...............12 Ely Design Group ............................32 Eternit Sports and Social Club .........49 Eve Construction .............................10 Gilhooly ....................................Cover Huw Shortle Window Cleaning .......41 iPlaster ............................................38 Lawn Partners .................................32 The Letting Centre ....................Cover Little Hands Nursery School ...........41 Melbourn Flooring ....................Cover

Melbourn Village College (1)............27 Melbourn Village College (2)............15 Meldreth Landscapes .......................35 Meldreth Plant Hire .........................37 Minders Keepers (Job) .....................16 Moncraft Computers .......................35 Nancy Foster Footcare .....................15 Newlings of Royston Funeral Service16 Nigel Wigg Home Improvement ......10 P D Property Services .......................27 Penn Farm Physiotherapy ..................5 Reflections Hair Studio ....................32 Richard Burns Electrician .................10 Rod’s PC Support ......................Cover Royston Fencing ..............................32 Sage Blinds and Interiors .................10 Slimming World ..............................35 Summit Landscapes ...........................5 Trademark Kitchens .........................16 Village Garden Services ...................35 Yoga2 Classes ..................................38 Z Web Hosting ................................41

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The Letting Centre Established 23 years, The Letting Centre is a local, dedicated letting agency based in Melbourn. With longstanding clients some of whom have been with us for 20 years or more, we aim to provide a personal, tailored service covering Cambridge, Royston, Buntingford, Saffron Walden and surrounding villages. We offer discounted fees for multiple properties, as well as those located in Melbourn and surrounding area. Call us for a free market appraisal and comprehensive landlord pack. The Letting Centre, 107 High St, Melbourn, Cambridgeshire SG8 6AP Tel. 01763 263039 email enquiries@letting-centre.co.uk www.letting-centre.co.uk

MELBOURN FLOORING AND INTERIORS LIMITED Phillimore Garden Centre, Cambridge Road, Melbourn, SG8 6EY Tel: 01763 262413 Vast Range of:

 Carpets and Vinyls  Real/Engineered Wood– Woodpecker, Xylo and many more  Balterio & Quickstep Laminates  Karndean, Amtico, Moduleo and Project Floors– Luxury Vinyl Tiles  Safety Flooring  Brand leading manufacturer samples available to take away Free survey and Estimates - Fitting by experienced staff VISIT OUR LARGE SHOWROOMS 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.

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