Meldreth Matters, March 2023

People

Village

This month’s cover picture: Melwood February 2023 Cookery In Praise of ... 10 Miscellaneous Event Dates 9 Children & Education Activities for Children & Families 18 Shepreth Spitfires 15 Local/National Government Local Councillors 31-34 Parish Council 25-27 Planning 28-29 Advice/Information Advertisers’ Index 44 Home Start 38 MCCS 40 Neighbourhood Watch 37 Village Directory 42-43 Refuse Collections 22

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.

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Copy should be submitted by email where possible, to meldrethmatters@hotmail.com. Alternatively, it may be delivered to the Editor, Kathryn Betts at 36 North End, Meldreth, SG8 6NT Tel. (01763) 268428

Editorial

We are beginning to enjoy lovely spring weather, and various events are taking place in March including the film night at the Village Hall, an Easter Market and the Home Start Aquathon. You will also read that both the PCC and the Village Hall have important vacancies. The cover photo is of the snowdrops in Melwood; in the next issue Jim will tell us about the four varieties that thrive there.

The team is very grateful to Meldreth Tennis Club for their donation of £189.00, the proceeds from the raffle held at the Quiz Night in January. Finances are improving but we still have a long way to go. Please don’t forget to vote for us if you are shopping at Tesco (every little helps!). We hope you enjoy this edition

Robin Farbridge, Assistant Editor

Auction of Lots and Promises

We are very grateful to those who have responded with items for the Auction of Promises, to raise funds for Meldreth Matters. Do you have a skill, talent or something you enjoy doing from which others can benefit? Anything (legal!) considered. No firm date yet, as this depends on enough promises being donated. Questions, ideas, and offers of items please to lesleyfarbridge@hotmail.com or 07917 065465.

Easter Market

Please come and support the Easter Market at the Village Hall on Sunday 12th March 10.00am – 3.00pm. We will have a variety of stalls selling some lovely items. (see the poster on page 13) and will be supporting Meldreth PTA (see Julia’s piece below) and HomeStart who are providing refreshments. Because we very much want to keep this magazine reaching you each month, the proceeds from the Market booking fees will go to Meldreth Matters. We hope to see you there!

Lesley Farbridge lesleyfarbridge@hotmail.com

Meldreth PTA will be running craft activities for children at the Easter market on Sunday 12th March at the Village Hall. Crafts from £1. Come and make a special present for Mothers’ Day or Easter, and find out more about how the PTA supports our school.

Julia Moore

The Meldreth Matters Team

In Loving Memory of Jane Remnant

Jane Remnant, a long time member of the Meldreth community, sadly passed away at home on January 28th 2023. Jane is survived by her husband, Richard, her son Mark, her daughter Clare, her sister Diana and her eight grandchildren. Born in Lincoln in 1946, to Charles and Joan Harris, Jane was the youngest of two sisters. Jane believed strongly in the importance of education and after reading social sciences at Birmingham University, she began her career as a teaching specialist in an elementary school in Liverpool. Following the birth of her children, Mark and Clare, Jane was responsible for fundraising and volunteers at Aurora Meldreth Manor and later worked at Cambridge Regional College where she implemented the National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) programme. Before retiring, she was employed at Penna Sanders & Sydney, a provider of Human Resources in the West End of London.

A lifelong supporter of minorities and an opponent of injustice and oppression, Jane volunteered during retirement for a watchdog organisation at Oakington Immigration Reception Centre, to ensure the civil rights of the detainees; she was present as an advisor during the protests and unrest at the centre. Listening to the stories of asylum seekers who shared their experiences with her left a lasting impression on Jane.

Jane also followed her passion for travel, enjoying numerous trips with her beloved husband Richard, to Russia, China, the Middle East, Scandinavia, Europe, the Balkan states, Central & North America, the Caribbean, and Cuba. Through their travels, Jane and Richard made many new friends whom they continued to stay in touch with and have visited on subsequent trips. Jane also spent extended periods in the US, visiting her daughter Clare and her granddaughters. She and Richard spent several winters in Miami, savouring the sunshine, the sunsets, and long walks along the beach and boardwalk. A devoted and attentive grandmother, Jane adored her grandchildren. Her pride and love for them is evident from the many photographs in which she is positively alight with joy.

Jane read extensively and enjoyed discussing literature and film; she particularly loved the theatre and classical music. Jane was also an avid scrabble player, and she challenged friends and family both in the village and across the Atlantic, to online games. She also enjoyed discussing politics and current affairs with her son, Mark, and her grandchildren. She loved to walk in the countryside, and spent many happy moments walking with her devoted husband Richard at Wimpole.

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Holy Trinity Church: Treasurer

The Parochial Church Council (PCC) are urgently looking for a volunteer to take over as Meldreth church treasurer as the current treasurer is not standing for reelection at the Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM) to be held on 19th March. The current treasurer has been in the role for three years and has simplified many aspects of the job. The person appointed would preferably have an accountancy background with knowledge of spreadsheets. As well as the APCM, there are six PCC meetings annually where the treasurer informs the PCC of the current financial status. Other duties include the paying the weekly church collections into our bank account, and organising the finance part of our fundraising events. The current treasurer will provide support the first few months. For more information, please contact David Hollamby: davidhollamby@btinternet.com 07732106828; David Coton: david@coton.me.uk 07749850026 or Julie Draper: juliedraper@dumbflea.co.uk (01763) 260323

Vicar Survey

Thank you for your responses to our vicar survey which were enormously helpful and in wide agreement with what we believe to be necessary characteristics for our new vicar. We will keep you in touch with progress via Meldreth Matters and The Melde.

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Holy Trinity PCC

Friends of Holy Trinity

The FOHT Committee

The Friends committee met recently to discuss its continued role supporting the PCC through its remit to raise funds for the maintenance of the fabric of the Church, a Grade 1 Listed building and its facilities but excluding revenue items. About half of these funds come from membership donations and the rest from events.

The committee is headed by the Vicar and it will be interesting to see how involved our future incumbent might wish to be as the last two vicars have very much left the committee to its own devices. However when Jill Price and the writer were Churchwardens, the financial needs of the PCC were easily matched with the FOHT activities. The PCC Fabric Committee is now dealing with some very large projects which the Friends can support but in a limited financial way. The FOHT committee currently has eight members, one of which needs to be a PCC member with the PCC nominating four members and the other four being nominated at the AGM. At that meeting any amendments to the constitution will be put up for approval together with proposals for funding projects. The AGM will be in early May at a date to be defined.

The writer has been Vice Chairman of the Friends for many years. He has advised the committee he wishes to stand down from this role at the next AGM but is happy to stay on the committee, subject to agreement at the AGM that Ian Mitchell becomes Vice Chairman.

Events

Covid had a severe effect on the ability of FOHT to raise the funds essential for the maintenance of the Church fabric. With Covid behind us, we do hope that our supporters will be willing to attend future events. It was encouraging that Mary Macleod’s talk last year on the Vikings was very well supported while at present, the committee have a further five or six potential talks that we can follow up.

Tom Heap has agreed to give a talk to us when we find a suitable date. Tom is a Rural Affairs Correspondent for the BBC in Country File and a radio reporter for a Radio 4 Podcast ‘39 Ways to Save the Planet’ which is now in book form. More recently Tom has been presenting the Sky News ‘Climate Show’. With the spotlight on Climate Change, we are sure Tom’s talk will be very popular; subject to numbers, it will be held in the Meeting Room or in the Church.

If you are interested, the Friends have a website (although not up to date as someone is needed to maintain it!). The site gives an appreciation of fund raising events back to 1999 and church projects up to 2015 that have been supported by FOHT. See: http://www.foht.org.uk

John Price

Melbourn and Meldreth Women’s Group

We are a small and friendly group that meet on the fourth Tuesday of each month (except December); venues vary between All Saints’ Community Hall, Melbourn and Holy Trinity Church Meeting Room, Meldreth. Our meetings usually begin at 7.45pm. We begin with notices and prayers and then either have a guest speaker or in house entertainment. We finish each meeting with a cuppa, biscuits and a chat. There is a charge of £2 to cover expenses. Each year we choose a charity to support and kick start this with a raffle at our AGM in January; our charity for this year is Camsight. At our AGM in January we received the formal reports and thanked those members who were standing down. We then had a bring and share supper which was much enjoyed by all.

On Tuesday March 28th we will meet in All Saints’ Community Hall when we are looking forward to a talk about ‘Jimmys’ which will be given by Barry Griffiths. And on Tuesday April 25th, we will be at Holy Trinity in Meldreth to hear from The Lift off Choir. If you would like to know more about the group, would like a programme or need a lift please contact one of the committee members: Diane Blundell (01763) 221415, Angela Leach (01763) 262793, Sue Toule (01763) 260955 Mary Bailey (01763) 220171 and Mary Purdy

Diane Blundell

Melbourn and District Photographic Club

With the season entering its last few months, we have a full and varied programme including competitions and lectures. March events are as follows:

7 Mar Three Counties Cup vs Saffron Walden & Letchworth: Judge: Adrian Stone

14 Mar 3rd Open PDI Competition: Judge: Clive Harward

21 Mar Wild Islands, The Falklands – Lecture by Mark Sisson

28 Mar Print of the Year: Judge: Vic Hainsworth Meetings are held weekly from 7.30pm-9.30pm on Tuesdays in Foxton Village Hall. The Club has a diverse membership, with a friendly and supportive atmosphere, and always welcomes new members. For details about the Club, and to see some of our work, visit our website at melbournphotoclub.com. If you are interested in joining, we are happy for you to join up to two meetings free of charge before deciding. To do this, just email me at melbournphotoclub@hotmail.com.

Peter North Secretary

The Curve; Nigel Northwood

Veg Club Saturday Meeting Dates

Below are the dates of meetings for the rest of the year. Please email Margaret Lynch if you can host September. Meeting dates are: March 11, April 1, May 13, June 10, July 8, August 12, Sept 9, Sept 23, October 14, November 11, December 2

Margaret Lynch & Sandra Ray

Scarecrow Festival June 10th

The village Scarecrow festival will be held on the weekend of the church fete. Theme not decided but there are two options: ‘Top of the crops’- Popstars or ‘The working wheat’ -Jobs. Email us with your preference at: meldrethscarescrow@gmail.com. If you are interested in helping out, please also get in touch.

Roger Faires

Fancy Rat

The National Fancy Rat Society will be holding a rat show in Meldreth Village Hall on Sunday 26th March, between 11.00am and 4.00pm. Visitors very welcome; refreshments will be available. Any questions email at: (cyber_ratty@yahoo.co.uk)

Mary Giles

Arthur Rank Hospice; Charity Event

Chariots of Fire event takes place on Sunday 19th March. More than 260 teams have already signed up so time to get involved. Arthur Rank Hospice Charity is the partner of the event organiser HCR Hewitsons Charitable Trust. The event is set to raise £71,000 to help fund the expansion of their Charity shops. To enter a team, visit: chariots-of-fire.co.uk before 5.00pm on 15th March. Come and watch the race or visit the Arthur Rank Hospice Charity’s JustGiving page: justgiving.com/campaign/ chariotsoffire2022

Sarah Cawley Head of PR and Communications

Meldreth Holy Trinity Church Fete

Save the date! Saturday 10th June 11.30am—4.00pm

Refreshments * Barbecue * Raffle * Family Games * Competitions * Bottle Stall * Books Plants plus lots more! For news or offers of help, please contact Toni 07584 195956 or canntwins@icloud.com

Toni & Karen

In praise of…

Celeriac

This month we showcase celeriac which is one of the most under-rated vegetables, combining a faint celery and aniseed flavour with a versatile creamy texture. Here are two recipes to celebrate celeriac in all its glory. Celeriac remoulade is one of the simplest salads you will ever come across, perfect as a side dish alongside cold roast beef or ham with some leaves for a healthy light lunch. Enjoy.

Celeriac remoulade

Ingredients

500g celeriac, peeled and sliced into thin matchsticks or coarsely grated, 1/2 lemon, juice only

For mayonnaise dressing: 4 tbsp light mayonnaise, 1/2 tbsp Dijon mustard, 1/2 tbsp grain mustard, 1/2 lemon, juice only, 1 tbsp double cream, pinch of sugar, salt and freshly ground black pepper, freshly chopped parsley

Method

Put the celeriac in a bowl and cover with approximately 100ml/3½fl oz cold water. Add the lemon juice. Toss well to prevent it going brown. Mix all the dressing ingredients together and season with salt and pepper. Drain the celeriac, toss in the dressing and leave to soften for 30 minutes before serving. Serves four; prep time 30 min

Celeriac Soup

Ingredients

25g butter; 1 onion, 1 garlic clove, 1 carrot and 1 stick celery, all finely chopped; 2 thyme sprigs, leaves picked, 700g/8oz celeriac, peeled and cubed, 1 litre vegetable stock, 100ml double cream, salt and white pepper

Method

For the soup, heat a large frying pan or saucepan until medium hot, add 25g/1oz of the butter, and fry the onion for a couple of minutes to just soften. Add the garlic, carrot, celery and thyme sprigs and fry for another minute; then add the chopped celeriac. Pour in the stock and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for ten to fifteen minutes, or until the celeriac is just tender.

Blend the soup to a fine purée using a stick blender or a blender. Return to the heat in a pan. Add the cream. Season with salt and white pepper. Serve the hot soup in bowls, or keep it warm in the pan if making the garnish. Preparation time less than 30 mins, cooking time 30 mins, Serves four.

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A Meldreth Garden

A difficulty of gardening without peat is the quality of commercial peat-free seed and cuttings compost. The formulae I have tried are very poor; they generally hold too much water and seedlings rot off or are too sharply drained and dry out quickly, or worse, both hold too much water and dry out like concrete. For that reason I have started making my own compost,. Last year I had several failures but now have an idea of what works well enough. It Includes leaf mould, sharp sand, perlite, and hot composted garden compost; all ingredients other than the perlite are sterilised in the microwave. The aim to provide the correct amount of water holding capacity while still allowing free drainage and low nutrients needed for seed and cuttings compost. Due to ingredient variability, I am still formulating by eye, but will report back when things are a bit more quantitative. For seed sowing, it is start again for everything half hardy that froze in the greenhouse. Most hardy plant seedlings survived the cold spell in the non-heated greenhouse. There is still time to re-sow for the coming year, but it all gets a bit frantic as space is at a premium when potting on. I can see the need for a cold frame.

I have sown seeds of leeks, onions and beetroots in modules and I have planted shallot sets to replace the few that died with frost in the allotment, while the garlic appears untouched. Early potatoes ‘Casablanca’ and second early ‘Charlotte’ are chitting; main crop ‘Picasso’ and ‘Pink fir apple’ will follow for later planting.

I have potted on plants grown from seed including chilli and sweet peppers, three varieties of tomato ( crimson crush, losetto and burlesque, all outside varieties resistant to blight). Of the flowers, the annuals, dwarf rudbeckia, heleniums, white laceflower ‘orla grandiflora’ and nigella grown from seed, have been potted on. They go into the greenhouse when the weather allows, currently on south facing windowsills.

Blooming at the moment are: daffodils and purple crocus at their peak, species tulip, white crocus, fritillary, garden hyacinth, pulmonaria, white periwinkle (a thug, don’t introduce it to your garden), grape hyacinth and forget-me-nots. Have a walk along the river Mel to Melwood for a great show of daffodils, including some native daffodil ‘Narcissus pseudonarcissus’. At this time of year I remember the ten mature Prunus serrulata ‘kanzan’ trees my parents grew around their garden. A beautiful, short lived, double pink flowering cherry tree, growing to ten meters high. The wind would come and blow confetti petals to a carpet of pink across the lawn.

Tasks for the Flower Garden

 Order plug plants.

 Prune winter flowering jasmine, buddleia, eucalyptus, bush and climbing roses.

 Deadhead hydrangeas cutting back stems to healthy buds.

 Start sowing half hardy annuals undercover.

 Plant out indoor bulbs like hyacinths into the garden when finished flowering indoors, be careful not to damage the roots.

 Put flower supports in place before being needed for a more natural effect.

 A good time to lay turf or to reseed lawns. Cut the lawn on a high cut if weather allows, followed by edging which makes the garden look neat.

 Mulch around fruit trees avoiding the neck to stop rotting and mulch anywhere else to nourish the fruit trees and suppress weeds.

 Take tip cuttings from tender fuchsias when they come into growth.

 Take basal cuttings from new growth at the base of, e.g. chrysanthemums, delphiniums, lupins, daisies and phlox.

 Plant out hardy herbaceous perennials and plant hardy annual seed outside.

 Lift and divide overgrown clumps of hardy perennials.

Tasks for the Vegetable Garden

 Protect early vegetables with cloches.

 Stay on top of weeding now to save problems later.

 Plant out onions and garlic sets. Grow leeks from seed under cover.

 Open the greenhouse to ventilate on warm days.

 Sow seeds in the allotment if weather permits.

 Pot-on tomato, pepper and other seedlings as required.

Iain McPhee

Melbourn Hub

http://melbournhub.co.uk

March is set to be a very exciting month at the Hub. Our artist in residence is Beth Pyle, who will be exhibiting her acrylic paintings. We have updated our website: www.melbournhub.co.uk so you can look at future events.

Weekly events:

Every Wednesday: Citizens Advice 10.00am-12.00pm - to book, contact us on (01763)263303 or email hubadmin@melbourn.co.uk (note; no CA on 1st March)

Every Thursday: Primary Care Network 10.00am-11.30am - drop-in session providing advice & support on health & wellbeing.

Every Friday : Children's Story time 10.00am-10.30am –for under 5s. Drop-in.

Monthly events

Thursday 2nd March: Carers Cafe 2.00pm-3.30pm.—A safe place, come along to chat freely and enjoy a tea/coffee and cake. No need to book, just drop in.

Wednesday 15th March: Menopause Cafe 10.00am-12.00noon. Please book via email at: cpicb@meridiancare.nhs.net

Monday 20th March : ‘Healthy You' Free Health Checks 9.00am-4.30pm

Wednesday 29th March: Monthly lunch club 12.15pm-1.45pm. Meet for a social lunch together. Booking essential; contact the Hub on (01763) 263303 or email hubadmin@melbournhub.com

Special for March:

Sunday 5th March: Melbourn Community NHS Health and Wellbeing Day. 10.00am-3.00pm Services include: Covid-19 vaccines for those eligible, child immunisation checks, (you will be contacted by the NHS if eligible) general lifestyle advice and free NHS MOTs.

Thursday March 9th: Meet the Author evening with Lucy Lewis. 7.30pm (doors open 7.00pm). Booking essential; call (01763) 263303 or email hubadmin@melbournhub.com

Saturday March 11th: Festival of Stories 10.00am-12.00noon. A sensory story experience for children followed by a book hunt around the village. To book, contact us on (01763) 263303 or email hubadmin@melbourn.co.uk

Linsey Craike

Shepreth Spitfires FC

I would like to start this village news piece by letting all of the villagers know that Shepreth Spitfires Football Club is run entirely by volunteers, many of whom live in Meldreth, Shepreth and Barrington. Further, Sean and I (who are also volunteers) would like to say a big thank you to all of the coaches, referees, organisers and fundraisers who give up their time for free, for the children of the villages and surrounding areas. It really makes a big difference to many families, especially since the fundraising keeps football at the club affordable, or indeed free for some, and that is especially meaningful these days.

The club also has sponsors for each of the teams to help with the cost of kits and equipment. The under 11 66 Sqn are very excited and very lucky that the Chequers at Fowlmere restaurant sponsors the boys and girls and have this month bought the team fantastic waterproof coats to keep them dry during winter; a big thank you to Tiffany and everyone at The Chequers.

Shepreth Spitfires are also very proud of the under 10s who are battling hard in a tough division; they are so enthusiastic and were very unlucky to lose 2 -0 this Saturday. They are very dedicated, and myself and their coaches Richard and Kevin W, both from Meldreth, would like to say what great little footballers and team mates they all are.

If anyone would like to join Shepreth Spitfires, please contact www.sheprethspitfires.co.uk or call Sean on 07510175370. Thank you

Volunteer Drivers Desperately Needed

Royston & District Community Transport need more volunteer drivers in this area to help them provide their vital service to the community. For more information or to volunteer, please see www.roytrans.co.uk or telephone (01763) 245228.

Lucy Smith

Canadian Film makers: March Visit

Three Canadian film makers came to Meldreth last month with a view to filming a documentary about a past Meldreth resident called Kathleen Parlow, a famous young Canadian classical violinist who lived at The Homestead in the High Street between 1912 and 1925. They have been sponsored by a Canadian Arts Fund. Kathleen was a prodigy, a great violinist and the first woman and international student to attend the famed St. Petersburg Music Conservatory in Russia. She did some of the first musical recordings with Thomas Edison on blue amberol cylinders in the early 1900's with the London Gramophone Company. When she was 17 she had a concerto dedicated to her by the famed Norwegian composer Johan Halvorsen titled Opus 28. The film will re-piece her career so that her incredible accomplishments can finally be recognized. and celebrated. Originally the director and one of the actors visited Meldreth in 2019 and considered it an ideal location for their film. Later, three members of their small film company revisited Kathleen‘s life here again this January. Look out for them in the village between March 25th to April 7th. If you have a connection with the Parlow family, please contact me via the email below. More information about Kathleen on our Meldreth History website: https://www.meldrethhistory.org.uk/newcontributions/kathleen-parlows-relationship-with-meldreth-1912-to-1925

Joan Gane

Tuesday & Thursday 9am - Late Monday &Wednesday closed Friday 9am - 6pm Sat 9am - 3pm

Things for children & families to do in March

Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th March, 9.30am - 4.00pm

World Book Day: Anglesey Abbey, Quy Rd, Lode, Cambridge CB25 9EJ

Dress as a book character, bring your favourite book for story-telling, writing and fun. Visit the Mad Hatter’s tea party. Under 17s free. Story time at 11am, 12.00noon, 1.00pm and 2.00pm. Non-members normal admission charge.

Tuesday 7th March, 4.00pm - 6.30pm

Apprenticeship Jobs and Careers Fair: CRC, Kings Hedges Rd CB4 2QT

Talk to local employers about placements, work experience, apprenticeships, training and volunteering.

Saturday 11th March, 11.00am - 1.00pm

Whipple Museum: Connections (part of British Science Week)

Cambridge Central Library, Lion Yard CB2 1JE

Interactive fun using scientific instruments and models relating to astronomy, navigation, surveying, medicine etc. Book on: www.eventbrite.co.uk.

Sunday 12th March, 11.30am or 2.30pm

Hulla Balloony Moon Time: Cambridge Junction, Clifton Way CB1 7GX

A zingy, high energy story with riotous rhyme, zany puppets and music. For ages 2-7. £12.50 adults, £8.50 children.

Sunday 12th March, 4.00pm - 5.00pm

Ben Goldscheider and Richard Uttley: Saffron Hall, Audley End Rd, Saffron Walden CB11 4UH

Winner of the BBC Young Musician Brass final in 2016, horn player Ben teams up with pianist Richard to play music from Beethoven to Bozza. Tickets £10, under 25s free. www.saffronhall.com.

Saturday 18th March, 2.30pm - 3.30pm

Dino Crafts: Cambridge Central Library, Lion Yard CB2 3QD

Part of British Science Week. For accompanied children of 4+. Free but book a place on www.eventbrite.co.uk.

Saturday 25th March, 2.00pm - 3.30pm

Plants that bite back: Cambridge Botanic Garden, 1 Brookside CB2 1JE

Discover how carnivorous plants catch their prey and what they have eaten; make your own model plant. For ages 12+ with accompanying adult. Book on www.eventbrite.co.uk. Free.

Compiled by Hilary Crawforth

Things to do in March

Saturday 4th March, 1.30pm to 2.15pm

‘Snow Widows’, a talk by author Katherine MacInnes

Scott Polar Institute, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1ER

Celebrate International Women’s Day by hearing the untold stories of the race to discover the South Pole from the perspective of five remarkable women whose lives were forever changed by it. Free event.

Sunday 5th March, 11.00am to 7.00pm

Indian Street Food Mela: Namaste Village, 45 - 47 Castle Street, Cambridge CB3 0AH

Showcasing the varied food traditions and flavours of the country’s different regions. Plus guest speakers, dance, music, henna and handicrafts. Experience India’s rich cultural heritage. Admission £3 per person. For details visit www.eventbrite.co.uk.

Friday 10th March, 8.00pm

Foyer Folk: Gilmore and Roberts: Saffron Hall, Saffron Walden, Essex CB11 4UH

Celebrated folk/acoustic duo Katriona Gilmore (fiddle, mandolin) and Jamie Roberts (guitar); relax in the Saffron Hall foyer. Street food and bar. Tickets £13.50, under-25s £6.75 from www.saffronhall.com.

Saturday 11th March, 7.30pm to 11.00pm

Melbourn FC Quiz Night: MVC The Moor, Melbourn SG8 6EF

Teams of up to six people, licensed bar, snacks provided. For tickets (£5 per head) contact Ash on 07845 766945, email melbournfc@outlook.com or buy on the night. 20% of proceeds goes to charity.

Sunday 12th March, 10.00am to 3.30pm

Peterborough Book Fair: Highgate Hall, Overend, Elton, Cambridgeshire PE8 6RU

Popular fair held in a pretty village. Up to twelve dealers selling books covering a wide variety of subjects, also postcards. Delicious home-made refreshments. Free parking. Admission £1, children free.

Wednesday 15th March, 7.00pm (online Zoom event)

‘A life in Stained Glass and Geometry’ with Debora Coombs

Ely Stained Glass Museum: South Triforium, Ely Cathedral, Cambridgeshire CB7 4DL

A series of talks by influential stained glass artists share their skills and experience. Debora, a graduate of the London Royal College of Art, has done pioneering work in the UK and America, using mathematics to explore the way light is projected. Reserve your place at www.stainedglassmuseum.com. Joining fee £6.50.

Friday 17th March to Sunday 2nd April, varying times and venues: Cambridge Festival, University of Cambridge Online, on-demand and in-person events covering all aspects of the research happening in Cambridge. Over 350 events: panel discussions, film premieres, selfguided walking tours to family interactive events. Sign up for full programme details and news at www.festival.cam.uk.

Sunday 19th March, 7.30pm

Songs of Springtime, New Cambridge Singers: St Botolph’s Church, Trumpington St, Cambridge CB2 1QA

The choir, conducted by Graham Walker, will perform songs by Elgar, Howells, Vaughan Williams, Britten, Rutter and others, each inspired by a flower. Tickets £16, students £8, under-18s free from www.concert-diary.com.

Wednesday 22nd March, 10.00am

Woodland and Wildlife Walk: Wandlebury Country Park, Gog Magog Hills, Cambridge CB22 3AE

Enjoy the woods and learn about its wildlife. Gentle two hour guided walk led by one of Wandlebury’s wardens. Meet at noticeboard in the car park. Free but donations welcome. www.cambridgeppf.org.

Saturday 25th/Sunday 26th March, 10.00am to 5.00pm

Thriplow Daffodil Weekend and Country Fair

Two days of fun activities, street food, bars, live music, Morris dancing, hot drinks and great home-made refreshments. Browse over 100 stalls and watch blacksmiths at work in the smithy; the daffodils are pretty spectacular too!

Admission on the day £10 adults, Children 5 - 16 £5, under 5s free.

Saturday 25th March, 7.00pm (doors open 6.30pm)

J S Bach: St Matthew Passion: St John’s College Chapel, 11 St. John’s St, Cambridge CB2 1TW

The Fairhaven singers will sing Bach’s masterpiece complete, in German (full translation provided in free programme). Tickets: adults £19 (rear) £27 (front), students £11/£18, under 18s free from www.fairhavensingers.org.uk.

John Crawforth

Meldreth Village D

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thurs

Refuse Collections

Black bins: 14th, 28th

Blue bins: 7th, 21st

Green bins: 7th,21st

DownloadBinCollections

datesonyourmobileapp

Church services, Women’s Group meetings and FOHT talks are held in Holy Trinity Church. The M Holy Trinity Church. MLHG meetings, Parish Council meetings, Food Bank & Warm Hub are in the C

iary - March 2023

sday Friday Saturday Sunday

m Hartbeeps

Warm Hub

nt Group

cro lates

able Tennis

uncil

9.30am Slimming World

9.30am Slimming World pm

Warm Hub

Lent Group

Acro Pilates

Table Tennis pm

Warm Hub

Lent Group

Acro Pilates

Table Tennis

9.30am Slimming World

2.00-4.00pm Dementia Memory Cafe

9.45am Sung Eucharist

9.30am Slimming World pm

Warm Hub

Lent Group

Pilates

Table Tennis

pm Hart-

Warm Hub

Lent Group

Pilates

Table Tennis

9.30am Slimming World

End of Spring Term

7.00 for 7.30pm Film Night: Elvis Pre-booking essential. See back cover for details.

8.00am Said Eucharist

10.00 am Easter Market

Thecopydeadlineforthe AprilissueofMeldreth Matters

9.45am Sung Eucharist

Meldreth Matters is one of the community projects being supported by Tesco’s. Please vote for Meldreth Matters by putting a token in our box! Voting closes 31st March.

Mobile Library Service visits Bell Close. Meldreth Marvels Cycling Group meet in the lay-by opposite Community Room in Elin Way. All other events are held in the Village Hall unless otherwise indicated.

£1,000 welcome bonus!

Earn from £11per hour

No experience necessary

Day Support Workers wanted Night Support Workers wanted

Get paid to pursue your ambitions and career in care, while making a positive and lasting impact on the lives of children and young people with complex needs.

• Earn from £11 per hour - no experience necessary as we’ll train you.

• Earn an extra £25 per night shift.

• Plus, a £1,000 welcome bonus, great benefits and opportunities to develop your career with qualifications fully funded by us!

Rewarding work that changes lives

Saturday 7th January

Saturday 11th February

Additional support services available

If you would like further information or support please contact:

Davina Biswell 07961 574104 - davinabiswell@gmail.com

Stephanie Trayhurn 07710 198299 - Stephanie@traykyps.com

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 Assistant Clerk: Mrs Sally Walmesley (01763) 269928 parishclerk@meldreth-pc.org.uk

Cllr R Goddin (Chairman) (01763) 260061 goddin@btinternet.com

Cllr Adam Bostanci 07400 236329 adam.bostanci.pc@gmail.com

Cllr Joan Fallon (01763) 262822 c.jfallon@icloud.com

Cllr Nick Garner (01763) 268328 nickphgarner@gmail.com

Cllr Roger James (Vice Ch.) (01763) 261085 roger+pc@rogerjames.net

Cllr Alan Land

(01763) 261004 conradland@btinternet.com

Cllr Helen Meridew 07787 734973 helenmeridew@gmail.com

Cllr James Mossey

Contact details not provided at the time of going to press

Cllr Nigel Pellatt (01763) 260909 nppellatt56@gmail.com

Meldreth Parish Council

www.meldreth-pc.org.uk

Meeting of the Parish Council held on Thursday 2nd February 2023

This meeting was held in the Community Room in Elin Way. The main points of the meeting are set out below in the usual summary format. The full formal minutes can be viewed in due course on the website noted above and on the Parish Council notice board; these will be presented for approval at the next Council meeting.

Discussions and Decisions

New Councillor

The Council welcomed Councillor James Mossey to his place after his recent cooption.

District and County reports

The Council thanks our District and County Councillors for their latest Report; this can be seen in Meldreth Matters on pages 31 to 34 and questions and requests for further information on this wide range of subjects can of course be raised directly with our District and County representatives. The repairs to potholes and road/pavement surfaces remain a matter of great concern to the Council and to our District Councillors. Recent discussions between our SCDC councillors and Highways appear to confirm our fears that these works are not likely in the near future, as a result of the very large number of repairs required throughout the district, combined with a shortage of available funding. We will continue to engage with the authorities to press our case for urgent work. In the meantime we urge all residents to take particular care when travelling in the village whether on foot, by car or cycle etc. and to ensure as far as possible that visitors to them are suitably forewarned. Some of these holes appear to be extremely dangerous.

Planning issues

A proposal to develop agricultural land at Fenny Lane farm with nine self-build houses was on the agenda of the SCDC Planning Committee on Wednesday 8th February. A report to that Planning Committee from the SCDC Planning Officers recommends refusal. The Parish Council chair will be making a representation in person at that meeting and will also press the case for refusal. (Please note that we can report that the Planning Application was refused by SCDC Planning Committee)

MCCS

The Warm Space initiative in the Elin Way Community Room is now fully established on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12.00 noon to 3.00pm and is proving popular with local residents. This important resource, which should soon include some hot food as well as hot drinks and simple refreshments, particularly provides a great opportunity to meet and chat with other residents

as well as a warm space. The Council thanks our team of volunteers, led by Councillor Helen Meridew, for their commitment and hard work. The Food Bank at the Community Room also provides a valuable facility to the village and, again, we sincerely thank our volunteers who manage this operation and of course all those who contribute food to the inventory.

Recreation Ground and Pavillion

The monthly inspection report on our equipment confirms that most of it is in good order. Some remedial work remains outstanding, including the need to fill holes in the vicinity of the gates into the play area. The usual annual maintenance work is now needed at the Howard Road / Recreation Ground ditch before the frog spawn season.

Village infrastructure

This is an especially busy time of year for our usual contractors. Some of the necessary work has now been completed to repair and/or install equipment and the reminder will be completed as soon as possible.

Traffic issues

At the time of writing we continue to await the announcement from the County about the procedures to process requests for a twenty mph speed limit in local communities. This issue remains under active investigation along with other measures to address questions of safety, particularly with regard to speeding traffic. Residents are asked to report any highways accidents that come to their attention. The very poor condition of many of our roads has been worsened by the recent low temperatures. Highway users who, by reason of these hazards, suffer damage to themselves, or to their modes of transport, are able in certain circumstances to claim compensation and the Council is investigating this.

Village Hall

There is a request from the Village Hall trustees to install a bollard at the rear outside the emergency exit onto the car park, to help prevent an obstruction being caused by parked cars at that spot. The Council supports this important safety measure and will order an appropriate bollard(s) after looking into what is available for this assignment.

Melwood

Councillor Helen Meridew has been appointed as the Council’s representative on the management group of Melwood.

Next Council meeting

Thursday 2nd March 2023 at 7.30 pm at the Elin Way Community Room.

Meldreth Parish Council

Planning Matters

Information is based on the unapproved minutes of the Meldreth Parish Council Planning Committee meeting of 12th January 2023; the minutes can be seen on the Parish Council’s website: www.meldreth-pc.org.uk. Planning authority decisions can be seen at: https://applications.greatercambridgeplanning.org

24 Fenny Lane

22/04515/HFUL

38 High Street

22/05425/HFUL

Fenny Lane Farm

22/04018/OUT

Detached single story garden outbuilding.

Noted that size of the garden outbuilding exceeds limits of permitted development.

No recommendation.

Construction of a single garage

Online application with all matters reserved other than access for the erection of nine selfbuild dwellings on land at Fenny Lane farm.

Technical proposal – drainage-does not meet planning S/7 issue of density of development. Comments: while flood risk is mitigated for new houses by a bund, the existing building in the same risk area 14, is not mentioned; a cause for objection unless 14 is similarly protected. Noted that the Planning Officer at GC Shared Planning objected to the application as it contravenes policy S/7 regarding location of site outside development framework boundary of Meldreth.

The development does not comply with policy NH/2 (protection of landscape character). The nine dwellings on this constrained piece of land would densify a low density village edge, out of context with the surrounding area.

MPC continues to object strongly to the application

ParishCouncil

Planning Authority Decisions

Ref. & Address Details

85 High Street

22/04816/LBC

Land SW of 31 Whitecroft Road

21/01443/ CONDC

24 Fenny Lane

22/04515/HFUL

Land west of 79 High Street

22/04163/S106A

38 High Street

22/05425/HFUL

Fenny Lane Farm

22/04018/OUT

Remedial work to internal walls. Approved.

Submission of details required by condition 4 (materials) of reserved matters application 21/01443/REM. Approved.

Detached single story garden outbuilding; Approved.

Modification of planning obligations contained in section 106. Agreement of planning (S/1124/17/OL) under 1. Definitions

“Shared ownership lease” (c) and “Requisite number of affordable dwellings”. Approved.

Construction of a single garage. Approved

Online application with all matters reserved other than access for the erection of nine self-build dwellings on land at Fenny Lane farm. Refused permission.

The Letting Centre is a dedicated letting agency established for 29 years, operating from High Street premises in Melbourn. We offer an expert, tailored service to suit each clients’ individual needs. Covering Cambridge, Royston, Melbourn and surrounding villages.

Friendly, no obligation advice on how to achieve the best possible return on your rental investment with clear and simple guidance on your legal obligations.

The Letting Centre (Cambridge) Ltd, 107 High Street, Melbourn, Cambridgeshire, SG8 6AP. Tel: 01763 263039. Email: enquiries@letting-centre.co.uk. www.letting-centre.co.uk

Moorlands Court

Local Community Services

 Homecare – our fully trained carers visit you in your home.

 Si ng service – a visit from our experienced staff gives family carers me for themselves.

 Day Centre – based at Moorlands Court, with a friendly and sociable atmosphere and includes a tasty 2 course lunch.

 Meals service – nutri ous, hot lunch me 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, just call us at Moorlands Court on 01763 260564, or email : denise.taylor@chsgroup.org.uk

Little Hands Nursery School

The Moor, Melbourn

A Private Nursery School specialising in quality care & preschool education for the under fives High staff to child ratio, individual child centred planning & learning, Flexible booking system for the 08.00am –5.30pm nursery day. Optional holiday clubs available, dedicated baby room for children under two We accept nursery funding giving 15 & 30 hours/week of free funded nursery for all 3 and 4 year olds & eligible 2 year olds

For further information contact Sharon Tutty,nursery manager on 01763 260964 lh-melbourn@btconnect.com

Little Hands is also at Bourn, Linton and Newton visit the website at www.littlehands.co.uk

PC Repairs

Advice & Installation of Home Networks

Help with Selecting a computer

Fault Finding

Brian Girling 01223 208529 (Wimpole)

E-mail bg@moncraft.co.uk

We can also provide the following services: Design of brochures, posters, business cards, etc.

A4/A3 laminating • A4 comb-Binding Small print runs on A6 to A3 media

1 Abbots Close Litlington Nr Royston, Herts SG8 0QQ

District and County Councillors’ Report

It is heartening to report on positive local initiatives like services on our doorstep at the Melbourn Hub, and the social support organized as part of Meldreth Cares -Community Support, against a back-drop of tough times for many people; the significant increase in uptake in free school meals being just one sign of the times. Apparent to the eye on a daily basis is the failing state of roads and pavements.

Thank you for your various questions, offers and concerns; we will always do our best to find answers and people who can help.

The Vaccinators return: Melbourn Hub

The Vaccinators are coming again to the Melbourn Hub on Sunday 5th March 10.00-3.00pm. No need to sign up; just come along for Covid and flu jabs, health checks, lifestyle advice and childhood immunisations.

Free School Meals

Requests for free school meals have increased by 24% in the past sixteen months. Please search ‘Cambridgeshire Free School Meals’ to find out more about support and how to access it , or feel free to get in touch with us. SCDC keeps an updated cost-of-living support information on its website; please search ‘South Cambs Cost of Living support’.

Meldreth High Street

Hopefully by the time you read this the worst of Meldreth High Street will have had some serious patching done. It has been an awful winter with horrific potholes proliferating.

Very recently, we met our Highways team on site once again to look at options for longer term remedial work, following consideration of a new ‘surface dressing’ which we’d hoped would be the next stage. The fact that the surface of the High Street is already quite high means that any surface dressing treatment would raise the height of road close to that of pavement level, creating new problems, especially flooding; frustratingly therefore that option has been ruled out. Clearly the High Street needs a complete digging up and re-creation, but the estimated cost of this is astronomical and beyond the reach of available budget. We will of course continue to work closely with the Highways team to seek a workable strategy.

This summer, Fenny Lane will be resurfaced as it meets the standard for surface dressing treatment. Good of course but we’ll see a very frustrating contrast with the High Street.

The awful legacy of under-investment in maintenance over decades and the policy of ‘managed decline’ has no easy answers and, frighteningly, it is replicated all over the county. It was more than ten years ago that the state of the county highways network was considered so bad as to warrant a study of the overall cost of bringing it up to a decent standard of repair. Sadly, adequate investment was not made when times were less challenging than now.

County Council budget

Government announced its ‘financial settlement’ for councils just before Christmas and proposed that CCC’s ‘core spending power’ (the overall revenue funding available for council services) should increase by 9.5%, less than the current rate of inflation. Half of that 9.5% derives from the council’s power to raise council tax, in other words, the Government expects local council taxpayers to shoulder a lot of the extra costs.

The County Council has set a balanced budget for 2023-24, in the face of a national funding settlement which takes no account of Cambridgeshire’s population growth. The Government’s decision to move its fair funding review back for a further two years leaves Cambridgeshire with a formula which takes no account of recent population growth, and in some cases, that review bases funding on population figures which are more than twenty years old!

The budget seeks to bridge a potential funding gap for the coming year of £21.4M, even after finding more than £10M of additional savings or income, in the face of levels of inflation not seen for forty years, along with rising costs for energy and essential services. The budget also outlines how the Council plans to spend more than £15M in one-off funds from reserves next year including;

 £1M to continue free school meal vouchers for eligible children.

 £1M into highway schemes including rural roads drainage.

 £1M investment into flood mitigation.

 More than £1.3 into libraries.

 £380,000 investment in community services.

The council’s new ‘triple bottom line’ approach to the impacts of budget proposals has seen increased investment in biodiversity improvements, and in ensuring all new schools are built to net zero standards.

The budget sees band D properties paying an additional £73 per year in council tax, although more than half (64%) of the county lives in homes rated band C or below and would see rises of between £49 and £65 per year. In total this would raise £17.8M towards setting a legally balanced budget for 2023-24 and help to mitigate the costs of adult social care. Statutory children’s and adult social care combined, where acute needs have risen, make up about 80% of the council’s expenditure.

Support Home-Start with the Turtles

Home-Start Royston, Buntingford and South Cambs provides support to young families in our communities. A fundraising Aquathon will take place at the Royston Leisure Centre on the evening of Sunday April 23rd. Susan is organizing the South Cambs Turtles team for the second year event; she comments; ‘We are swimmers of all abilities. A swimsuit and enthusiasm for supporting Home-Start is all that’s needed.’ Please get in touch if you’d be up for taking part.

See: https://www.home-start.org.uk/home-start-royston-south-cambridgeshire.

Foster caring

Cambridgeshire County Council seeks residents who would like to make a real difference to the lives of a child or young person by becoming a Foster Carer. Applicants must be over 21 years of age, have a spare bedroom, and be willing and able to provide a stable and loving environment in which a child or young person can thrive. Foster Carers can benefit from local training and development, generous pay and benefits and 24/7 support from a Supervising Social Worker, as well as local support groups and networking opportunities. Information at: www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/residents/children-andfamilies/fostering-and-adoption Alternative contacts are: Email fostering@cambridgeshire.gov.uk tel 0800 052 0078 Text FOSTERING to 60777

Combined Authority Precept: supporting bus services

A precept from the Mayoral Combined Authority of £12 per year per Band D property has been agreed, to ensure continued subsidy for bus services restored following the Stagecoach cuts last year. The Combined Authority was able to step in before Christmas to provide a six month subsidy for a large number of threatened rural services but this was from financial reserves and it was always known that a longer term solution would be required. Effort now needs to go into improving bus ridership so that in the longer-term large subsidies will not be required.

Support for Ukraine : it all starts with a spare room

Under the Homes for Ukraine programme, around 740 people from Ukraine have so far arrived in South Cambridgeshire, with approximately 400 more in Cambridge. The programme allows UK residents to sign-up to host guests who are often women and children who have fled the war in Ukraine. Between the two areas, a total of almost 500 hosts have already been providing housing to guests. However, since the war in Ukraine continues and it is not safe for many families to return, there is an ongoing demand to provide them with a safe place to stay.

Under the Homes for Ukraine scheme, hosts sign up to provide a home to guests for a minimum of six months. However, around 20% of current hosts are not able to continue beyond that initial six-month point and hence, the guests who have been staying with them would benefit from alternative accommodation locally, so that they can continue to build on the relationships and community connections they have already been able to make. SCDC and Cambridge City Councils have therefore launched a joint campaign to recruit extra hosts.

Anyone who can offer a spare room and warm welcome is being asked to text:: ROOM to 88802 so that the councils can support them through the process and match hosts to guests who have already started to settle in the local area. Hosts receive comprehensive support from the councils, along with a £350 monthly Government ‘Thank you’ payment. Both councils are also offering extra opt-in monthly payments to hosts of £150, in response to feedback about rising costs of housing guests, particularly over the winter months.

Anglian Water information for residents

Following our meeting with Anglian Water last month about issues in our area, AW provided some basic public information, to be followed as soon as it’s available with updates on the specific issues we asked about. AW advised as follows:

‘Keeping the community informed of our works: To keep local residents informed about what we are doing locally and provide updates on our works to resolve any issues in the area, we provide open access to our interactive ‘In Your Area’ map. This map, through filtering map layers at the top right, allows you to see details about sewerage and drainage issues, maintenance and improvements, roadworks, reservoirs, key sites and private pumping stations.’

‘Reporting issues: To report an incident, including pollution, call us at any time on 03457 145145 or contact: www.anglianwater.co.uk. If you need extra help, contact the AW Priority Service or ring 03457 919 155.

National Lottery funding

Funding of up to £10,000 is available for activities through the National Lottery Awards for All programme. See: www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/funding/ under10k

Zoom Cuppa : Mondays 5.00-6.00pm

We’re always available to help answer any questions or concerns. Please feel free to contact us anytime, or come along to our Zoom Cuppa surgery.

Susan van de Ven, County Councillor, and Jose Hales and Sally Ann Hart, District Councillors

Daniel Anderson, Friendly Gardening Service

Unit 1, Whitecroft Rd, Meldreth, Royston, SG8 8NE

Catalytic Converter theft

Catalytic converter theft in Cambridgeshire is at an all-time high. The number of catalytic converters stolen from cars across the county has risen by 141 per cent in the past four years. In 2022, thieves stole 758 catalytic converters, an average of two a day, compared to 314 in 2019.

With 133 further thefts recorded up until 31st Jan this year –more than four a day – Cambridgeshire police are urging residents to call in any suspicious behaviour around vehicles so that it can be acted upon as soon as possible.

Catalytic converters are found in the exhaust system of every car and reduce the output of toxic gases and pollutants. Stealing them has become popular because they are not easily identifiable when sold on for the metals found inside them. Toyotas and Hondas have been predominantly targeted but other vehicles including Lexus, Mercedes, Mazda and Volkswagen have also been affected.

The police believe that there are several groups of people coming from out of the county to carry out these thefts. It takes as little as a minute for criminals to remove a catalytic converter and on many occasions, victims are unaware their vehicle has been targeted even though it was sitting on their driveway. Vehicles that sit high off the ground are particularly vulnerable and thefts occur most frequently in car parks.

Look out for vehicles jacked up (especially in the middle of the vehicle). Listen out for the sound of metal being cut. There may be a vehicle nearby with the engine running and two or three people involved. But please do not approach or disturb the suspects; they have been known to be violent in the past and may even be carrying weapons. Instead, call the police on 999 and share the vehicle number plate and any other details that could help to identify the suspects.

If you discover that a catalytic converter theft has already occurred, you should call the non-emergency 101 police number and report the crime immediately. Alternatively, you can report the theft online by going to the homepage of the Cambridgeshire Police website and select ‘Report’

You can contact Neighbourhood Watch by phoning Graham on (01763) 260358, or by emailing nhw.meldreth@btinternet.com.

Meldreth Neighbourhood Watch

Home-Start Royston & South Cambridgeshire

Aquathon

Home-Start are very aware that everyone in our local community, like us, have found it hard to raise funds over the past few years and we really want to help you raise funds for your school / organisation / club through our Home-Start Aquathon event.

If you need to raise funds for equipment, a project or a trip, we can help you. All you need is a team of 6 swimmers to swim in relay on the night and gain sponsorship. Our Aquathon will take place on Sunday 23rd April between 6.00pm – 10.00pm at Royston Leisure Centre. Any sponsorship gained will be split 50/50 between Home-Start Royston, Buntingford and South Cambridgeshire and your school, organisation, club or maybe even Meldreth Matters! So pick your swimmers from teachers, PTA members, coaches, leaders, children, parents, family members and come and have some fun.

We will organise paper sponsorship forms and online funding pages for your team. It is not a race, so please come along and have fun! Then your organisation will receive 50% of the sponsorship money raised and also know that you are helping Home-Start to continue their work in our local community with families who are struggling with day-to-day life. Contact Tracy on 01763 262262 or email events@hsrsc.org.uk for more information and the necessary forms if you would like to get involved.

Home-Start 40th Anniversary Concert

Home-Start invites you to join us for our 40th Anniversary concert, ‘Celebrating Voices’, led by the wonderful Linda Bance, on Saturday, 4th March. Come and enjoy a brilliant mix of singing styles from four local choirs; Foxton Singers, Lift Off Choir, Reed Choir and WomenSing choir. Our amazing Poet-in-Residence, Jude Simpson, will be hosting the event, and local author Sarah Harrison will join us to recite one of her poems.

The concert will be held at St John the Baptist Parish Church, Royston, SG8 9LG; doors open at 6:45pm for a 7:30pm start. There will be a licenced bar available and a raffle. There is free parking at the Health Centre car park opposite the church.

Tickets are £10 for adults, £7 for U13s - to book your tickets please call 01763 262262 or email events@hsrsc.org.uk And just by booking your ticket/s, you are helping Home-Start continue their work supporting local families in the community – so thank you!

Tracy Aggett Fundraising Events Support Manager

Meldreth Village Hall: Volunteers

The Trustees of MVH are on the lookout for volunteers to fill vacancies on the Board of Trustees. We also have a number of big projects coming up for which we would appreciate some general help; we are also looking for some help with fund raising for future projects!

Trustees

Firstly we need a Treasurer and a Minutes Secretary. These roles are voluntary but not incredibly demanding. The Trustees meet up to 6 times a year and each meeting takes on average two hours.

As Treasurer you will be ensuring that the books are balanced and can produce a financial report at the end of the year. Our current Chair is very experienced with this role and is very happy to provide assistance and training to anyone who may wish to takeover. No previous financial experience is required.

The Minutes Secretary takes the minutes in the Trustees meetings and produces the minutes after each meeting which are then circulated via email. They may also work alongside the Chair to create an agenda. No secretarial or previous similar experience is required but access to a computer and email is essential.

For any information or to enquire on either of these roles please contact the Chair (David) via 07749 850026 or email david@coton.me.uk

Fund Raisers

We are looking for volunteers to help with a big fund-raising programme we are aiming to start early in 2023. We have a number of projects in mind over the next two or three years but we'll need to raise the money. If you feel that you can help us as a member of the Fund-Raising Committee, we would love to hear from you. No experience is required but if you do have some, we would especially like to hear from you. If you don’t want to be on the committee but are prepared to just to give a couple of hours here and there, we would also love to hear from you. Please contact: villagehallmeldreth@gmail.com .

General volunteers

We plan to paint the outside of the Hall in the early spring and are looking for people to help. The current plan is to split it over a couple of weekends to ensure that the whole building is painted. We will request help again nearer the time but if you feel that you do fancy wielding a paintbrush for a few hours in March/ April, then please do get in touch with the Trustees either through David, the Chair or Andrew on: villagehallmeldreth@gmail.com Thank you and the more the merrier!

The Meldreth Village Hall Trustees

Meldreth Warm Hub

Meldreth Warm Hub is FREE for everyone!

We continue to welcome people to our Warm Hub at the Sheltered Housing room in Elin Way on Tuesdays and Thursdays 12.00noon-3.00pm. FREE hot drinks, cakes, and biscuits. We have many new plans for the Spring: FREE hot lunches, bingo, darts, board games, quizzes and knitting & crochet lessons. Or share your love of music and the arts with our group, or simply sit and soak up the friendly relaxed atmosphere. Any questions or ideas, please contact Helen 07787734973 or hmeridew@btinternet.com We look forward to meeting you

Helen Meridew Lead Volunteer

Meldreth Winter Emergency Food Bank

Meldreth Winter Emergency Food Bank is open at the Elin Way Community Room on Tuesdays from 10.00am-12.00noon, running till spring. No referral is necessary – just come along. Please feel free to contact the Food Bank coordinator Jo on 07572443522 for support if Tuesdays are difficult for you; another time to visit can be arranged.

Donations of food

Please leave any donations of food or toiletries in the box at the end of the drive, 62 High St (opposite Elin Way) or ring Jo on 07572443522. Thank you so much to everyone who has already popped something into the box! And thanks for cash donations received – these have really helped too. Contact Roger (07808235873) Thank you for your support!!

Meldreth Cares – Community Support (MCCS)

MCCS – Community Support

MCCS is coordinating the Meldreth Winter Emergency Food Bank and Meldreth Warm Hub. A huge thanks to everyone who is supporting these initiatives, whether through volunteering or donations of daily basics to the collection box outside 62 High St, or cash support (please contact MCCS Treasurer Roger James 07808 235873). Invaluable support has been received from our parish and district councils plus a core funding initiative for the Warm Hubs from the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Integrated Care System (our local NHS). Our Neighbourhood Zone Leaders are always on hand for a friendly chat by phone, and to help locate the support you’re looking for.

Contact details are below.

· Kneesworth Rd, West Way, Burtons & Fenny Lane: Bev Cottrell, 07773 592838

· Elin Way and Howard Road Zone: David Hollamby, 07732 106828

· Whitecroft Road, Chiswick End, Oakrits, Melrose, Marys Way, Westacre: John Crawforth, 07595 627684

· High Street, Flambards, The Grange, Woolpack Way, Station Yd & Rd: Lindsey McCaig, 07884 432345

· Bell Close and Gables Close: Cathy Walston, 07757 086380

· North End, Brewery Lane, Malton Lane, Cam Farm: Bev Cottrell, 07773 592838 and Ian Mitchell, 07726 936635

County and District Councillors Susan van de Ven, Jose Hales, Sally Ann Hart

Meldreth, Shepreth and Foxton Community Rail Partnership

Our Rail User Group meets next on Wednesday 8th March at 7.30pm via MS Teams. Some news: Cambridge South Station: GTR and Network Rail advise that this station now has approval and is expected to be built relatively quickly although there will be some construction impacts on our services. Network Rail will also update us on the Meldreth Road, Shepreth, Level Crossing ‘upgrade’ proposal, now scheduled to go to public inquiry. Rail Replacement Bus: We’ve discussed with GTR the fact that this service does not always work well and needs clearer signposting. GTR has promised to take action. Station garden: Thank you to all our station gardeners who keep the station platforms looking bright and cheerful. At Meldreth the additional garden area behind the station has been transformed by the Veg Club, including a recent snow-drop planting session. This has become a true community garden. Underpass: We are now working to coordinate those individuals and community groups interested in participating in the Melbourn-Meldreth Underpass refurbishment project, in terms of artwork and vegetation maintenance. If you haven’t heard from us and would like to know more, do please contact us.

Finally, an annual reminder that we would be delighted to support anyone looking for Duke of Edinburgh or any other volunteering experience at our station gardens; please just get in touch.

Susan van de Ven and Sarah Grove – railusergroup@gmail.com or sarahgrove.msfcrp@gmail.com

Facilities

Litter Picker Mick Taylor—(01763) 261118

Neighbourhood Watch Graham Borgonon—(01763) 260358

One Stop

Village Hall Bookings

Village Hall Chairman

Clubs & Societies

Sport

Church

Children

(01763) 262158, open 7am-10pm, 7 days

Julia Moore—meldrethvillagehall@gmail.com or 07403 462198

David Coton—07749 850026

Cycling Group John Rogger—(01763) 260809

Local History Group (01763) 260129; www.meldrethhistory.org.uk

Lunch Club Nikki & Julie—07599 292327

Melwood Cons. Group (01763) 232855; www.melwood.org.uk

Photographic Group www.melbourn-photographic-club.co.uk

Revelation Miriam Skuce—(01763) 262440

U3A Nicola Searle—(01763) 852738

Bowls Club Christine Piper Hatch—(01223) 263266

Croquet Club Janet Pope—(01763) 248239

Meldreth United FC 07930 650036

Table Tennis Christine Knight—(01763) 261676

Tennis Club (01763) 243376; http://cspark.at/Meldr2

Vicar Post vacant

Rev. Mary Price (01763) 261569

Bells Sandra Webb—(01763) 261451

John Price (Friends) (01763) 260048; www.foht.org.uk

Baby & Toddler Group

Councils & Govt.

Bridget Rinaldi—bridgetjrinaldi@gmail.com or Julia Moore—07403 462198

Brownies (1st Meldreth) Email: 1stmeldrethbrownies@gmail.com

Hartbeeps Kelly@hartbeeps.com

Meldreth Rainbows 1stmeldrethrainbows@gmail.com

Pre– and Primary School (01763) 260432; www.meldreth.cambs.sch.uk

Parish Council Please see details at end of Parish Council report

District Councillors

Jose Hales—07703 262649

Sally Ann Hart—07791 233303

District Council Offices 01954 713000; www.scambs.gov.uk/

County Councillor Susan van de Ven—07905 325574 www.susanvandeven.com/

County Council Offices 0345 045 5200; www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/

MP Anthony Browne; www.anthonybrowne.org/

Station Ticket Office Hours: Mon - Fri 7-11.15am, Sat 8.45am - 1.15pm Rail User Group 07905 325574; www.meldrethsheprethfoxtonrail.org.uk

Govia/Great Northern www.thameslinkrailway.com The Trainline www.thetrainline.com Stagecoach www.stagecoachbus.com/Cambridge

Potholes, problems,Highways etc.

http://www2.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/HighwaysReports/ Highways/ReportProblem1.aspx or in an emergency tel 0345 045 5212

Streetlights (faulty) Report on SCDC website. For urgent faults use (01954) 713000 - Mon-Fri, 8am-5.30pm. Out of office hours: (01354) 65432. Give location, fault & SC or CCC no.

260220

Community Support for Dementia

Davina Biswell 07961 574104 or Stephanie Trayhurn 07710 198299

706050; www.cambridge-water.co.uk Crimestoppers 0800 555 111; crimestoppers-uk.org

Police 101; www.cambs.police.uk

S Cambs Fire & Rescue (01480) 444500; www.cambsfire.gov.uk

Melbourn Hub (01763) 263303; www.melbournhub.com

Taxi (Butler Meltax) (01763) 244444; 212223

For details of village groups & facilities see the Meldreth Today section 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: Lesley Pemberton 07798586875 and Maggie Smith 260378; Founder: Ann Barnes

Meldreth Matters is available online at https://issuu.com/meldrethmatters

Advertising Rates

Occasional full page advertising features are also available on request. For all advertising enquiries, please email meldrethmatters@hotmail.com or telephone

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.

MM is Available in Colour Online

To view this or past issues online, follow us on: issuu.com/meldrethmatters

Whaddon Road, Meldreth, SG8 5RL

Club Facili es

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

Petanque pistes

Football pitches, changing rooms

Entertainments

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

The Moor Melbourn

SG8 6EF 07163 223400 office@melbournvc.org

www.melbournvc.org

A highly-rated community secondary school committed to ensuring every student achieves his or her very best through a rich and varied curriculum.

OFSTED (Sept 2017) confirmed:

‘An innovative curriculum that truly meets the needs of pupils’

‘The first school in Cambridgeshire to introduce Mandarin at Key Stage 3’

‘The school’s vision of Everybody is Somebody is evident in the support you provide for all pupils’

‘Parents are overwhelmingly supportive of the school’

Senior Leaders will be delighted to show around prospective students and their parents. For more information or to book your tour, please contact Karin Doyle – office@melbournvc.org

EVERYBODY IS SOMEBODY