Meldreth Matters, March 2024

March 2024

In thisissue…

Mary Reynolds (1940-2023)

Meldreth Primary School

Meldreth Village Hall: Trustees Needed

Eventsinclude … MLHG Coffee Morning Quiz Nights

Table Top Sale

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

The Editor reserves the right to withhold from publication or to shorten if necessary, any article or letter sent to her.

Editorial

Welcome to the March issue of Meldreth Matters.

In spite of all the recent rain and flooding, as I’m writing this it feels as if spring is well on the way, so hopefully we can all look forward to some drier, warmer weather ahead.

There are several events taking place this month in addition to the regular village events and classes: a coffee morning, quiz nights organised by Home-Start and Melbourn Dynamos FC, a charity craft fair, a table top sale and a talk arranged by the Friends of Holy Trinity. The Village Hall, where the majority of the events are taking place, is appealing for new trustees so if you have a few hours to spare and are interested in being involved in running this important venue, please read the article on pages 6-7 for more information.

Kathryn

Meldreth Local History Group

www.meldrethhistory.org.uk

Coffee Morning, Monday 4th March

Please join us at the Community Centre in Elin Way on Monday 4th March at 10.30am for a talk on “The history and development of Whitecroft Road over the last 100 years”. Everyone is welcome and free refreshments will be provided as usual. If you need local transport please let us know.

If you are unable to join us, we have lots of information and photographs of Whitecroft Road on our website for you to enjoy at your leisure. You can also follow us on Facebook where we post weekly on an aspect of the village’s history. At present we are taking a look at the village through the 1939 Register.

Meldreth Village Notelets

We will have packs of our new notelets available at the Coffee Morning. Showing four seasons in Meldreth, the notelets feature photographs taken by Meldreth Local History Group members. They are blank inside and cost £5 for a pack of ten cards, including envelopes. You can also purchase them by emailing us on info@meldrethhistory.org.uk or by telephoning Joan and Tim Gane on (01763) 260129.

Please see our website for details of our other merchandise, which includes walk booklets and leaflets. All profits go towards supporting the work of our Group.

Joan Gane, Chairman

Meldreth Local History Group

(01763) 260129

Mary Reynolds (1940 to 2023)

Mary was born Mary Elizabeth Smith on 14th February 1940 and was the first-born child of Arthur and Evelyn. Growing up in Thriplow, Mary later welcomed a baby brother Alan.

Mary started her career at Vintners at the age of 15 as a cook; a career that continued for most of her working life.

Mary went on to meet Frank Reynolds. It was an unusual first encounter; Frank was sitting in a bus shelter as Mary was passing by. Frank spoke to Mary and asked, “Do you want to go to the pictures?” to which Mary replied, “I suppose so as I’ve got nothing better to do.” They married six months later, in 1960; a marriage which lasted for 59 years.

Mary and Frank began married life in in a thatched cottage in Fowlmere, but after a large chimney fire they had to leave and seek accommodation from the local council. Mary would tell you that Meldreth was definitely not a place she wished to move to at that time, and when they were handed over the keys to the house in what is now Elin Way but then a part of Howard Road, Mary was not amused!

Mary, Frank, and their eldest daughter Stella, moved in in 1963 and Mary would soon say that she could not have been happier anywhere else! Their next two children, Wayne and Kerry, were born in Meldreth.

Mary’s first job in Meldreth was as a cleaner for Mrs Misslebrook until, in 1975, she became a Cook’s Assistant at Melbourn Village College. Sometime in the late 1980s Mary became Head Cook at Meldreth Primary School, working there for several years before ending her career cooking meals at Richard Cox House, a residential home in Royston, until her retirement in 1999. Mary enjoyed retirement and cooking was still at the heart of her every day.

After Frank passed away on 5th August 2019 Mary shared her home with Wayne. Eventually Wayne took over most of the cooking. Sadly Mary was unable to remain at home due to declining health and in August 2022 moved into Potton View Care Home. Mary moved to Hillings Care Home near St Neots for the final few months of her life, where she sadly passed away on 22nd December 2023. Wherever Mary went she always made new friends, which was another thread of silk in her life.

Mary loved her holidays in the Lake District with Frank, they made lots of friends there, visiting for many years for up to six weeks at a time.

Everybody who knew Mary knew how much of a passion she had for cooking and, apart from cooking during the working week, she often spent weekends catering for weddings, christenings and other events and was quite famous for her food, especially her Viennese whirls.

Mary's biggest passion, however, was her family. She was so proud of them all and enjoyed spending every minute she could with them. Mary was blessed with ten grandchildren and seven great grandchildren. When asked about their Nana, many said how loving, caring and warm she was and how she cooked the “most yummiest” roast dinner. They all agreed that she will be so missed and said how much fun she was.

Thoughts from a close friend: “Mary was someone you could turn to and talk to in confidence. She was a very good friend to have and loved it when you popped in for a chat. The kettle was on and tea was made. She loved to go to the Thurston Christmas shows. Mary loved knitting and word search. Wherever Mary went she made lots of friends. If you were Mary’s friend, you had a friend for life!”

Stella fondly remembers “friends’ nights” on Wednesdays, when egg and chips were on the menu and the children could invite some friends to eat with them. Stella says they were “the best nights but once, the power went out as there was a strike, the chips had not finished cooking and so mum finished them on the open fire”. She said, “Mum always made sure we had two weeks’ holiday in August.”

Wayne says he remembers, “mum always cooking for other people; rock cakes, chicken and mushroom pies, plus her famous Viennese whirls.” “And on holiday mum never took her tights off, even if paddling.” “Always on the beach hot or cold and always had blankets at the ready and a picnic for lunch.”

I have been a friend of the family ever since they moved to Meldreth and popped in quite often to say hello. I remember Mary with great fondness.

Mary’s funeral was held in Holy Trinity Church, Meldreth and was very well attended, which I think is a great tribute to Mary from those whose lives she touched.

David Hollamby Family friend and former neighbour

Meldreth Village Hall: Trustees Needed

Meldreth Village Hall needs your help! We need residents to stand up and be counted!!

The Village Hall forms a major part of the community and is used for a wide range of activities from Aerobics to Zumba via play groups, dance classes, table tennis, quiz nights and birthday parties to name but a few!

To protect the Village Hall for future generations a Charitable Trust was set up when the hall was built back in the 1970s. Since then, the Trust has run and managed the hall very successfully.

The Charitable Trust itself is composed of a number of residents and representatives of the main user groups. Over the years these Trustees have helped manage the hall’s interests and have ensured that the hall has stayed open, up to date and is being used by and for the community. Previous Trustees have all made the hall, in our opinion, one of the best village halls in South Cambridgeshire. Unfortunately, as with all things, change is inevitable and a number of our Trustees have recently reached the decision that they wish to hand over their duties to future Trustees.

The Trustees who have retired will be sorely missed as they have contributed and led the Trust in some amazing projects over the years, including an extension, a full refurbishment both inside and out and the new garden. Under their watch, the Hall has thrived. To continue this legacy we, the remaining Trustees, are in need of new members on our committee.

The Trust is very conscious that, today, time is very precious to us all so the role and commitment of a Trustee is whatever you wish to give. We meet, on average, one evening every two months, for approximately two hours, to discuss and vote on matters that involve the Village Hall and its use. We plan for any major works that may be required and we look for ways of raising funds to help keep the hall up to date, open and thriving.

As we are all aware the cost of living has increased significantly over recent years and our current focus is to make sure that the Village Hall has sufficient income and reserves to weather these costs and provide for the future.

Without the Trust, the Village Hall will not be able to operate and ultimately this may result in a wonderful asset to the village having to close. The all too real prospect of closure can be easily prevented by having new Trustees who are willing to give some time and share ideas on how we take the hall forwards. In particular we need a Treasurer, as this role is currently filled by one of the other officers. This is not good for the care of the Trust’s assets.

Anyone interested or considering becoming a Village Hall Trustee can speak, confidentially if required, to any existing Trustee or by contacting our Chair,

David, on 07749 850026 or the Vice Chair, Andrew, on 07572 553647. Alternatively, you can email Andrew on villagehallmeldreth@gmail.com. Please, help us protect the future of Meldreth Village Hall and volunteer to become a Trustee.

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

David Coton

Melbourn and District Photographic Club

melbournphotoclub.com

Our March programme includes one competition and three lectures.

5th Art of Macro – Lecture by Tony North (Zoom)

12th Getting the Best from your Smartphone – Lecture by Peter North Best Edit Challenge lead by David Stocks

19th Photographing Architecture – Lecture by Craig Allen and Kathryn Williams

MSc Dissertation on Sleep with Sam Buchanan

26th PDI of the Year Competition – Judged by Naomi Saul Meetings are held weekly from 7.30 - 9.30pm on Tuesdays at Foxton Village Hall from September to April. The Club has a diverse membership, with a friendly and supportive atmosphere and always welcomes new members whatever their ability. 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, please email me at melbournphotoclub@hotmail.com.

Peter North Secretary

Melbourn and Meldreth Women’s Group

We are a small friendly group who meet at either ASCH Melbourn, or the meeting room at Holy Trinity Church Meldreth. Meetings commence at 7.45pm, last about one and half hours and are followed by refreshments . We usually have a speaker or some in house entertainment. A charge of £2 is made to cover expenses and we also donate to the charity pot.

At our AGM in January we voted to support the charity Home-Start this year. The meeting was followed by a Bring and Share Supper which was extremely enjoyable. In February we will have had a talk from our Vicar The Rev. Andrew Birks which was entitled “Lent Reflection”. Our March meeting is at ASCH on Tuesday 26th March where we have a speaker from the Garden House Hospice.

If you require any information about the group, or would like a lift to a meeting, please telephone one of the committee members: Diane Blundell (01763) 221415, Sue Toule (01763) 260955, Angela Leach (01763) 262793, Mary Bailey (01763) 220171 and Mary Purdy (01763) 260864.

Angela Leach

Friends of Holy Trinity Church

www.foht.org.uk

Burns Night Supper - Friday 26th January

This was very successful event; please see the report on the following page.

This month’s Event:

Thursday 21st March 7.30pm

Talk on the National Portrait Gallery by Catharine MacLeod

As curator of seventeenth-century portraits, Catharine is responsible for the acquisition, display and interpretation of portraits dating from this period. She has kindly offered to talk to the Friends on the changes she has overseen recently at the NPG. Please reserve your seats by emailing Julie Draper at juliedraper@dumbflea.co.uk or Ian Mitchell at ianmmeldreth@gmail.com. Payment of £10 each can be made at the door and will include light refreshments.

Future Events:

Friday 17th May - Persuasion by Jane Austen.

We have booked the This Is My Theatre (TIMT) group to perform Persuasion by Jane Austen at Holy Trinity in the main church. This promises to be a very entertaining evening by the group. The show itself is an 80-minute production starting at 8.00pm. There will be good opportunity to meet friends and socialise before and after the show as doors will open at 7.00pm when we will have a licensed bar serving refreshments. Tickets are now on sale on the TIMT website at www.thisismytheatre.com/meldreth. Please contact me with any questions.

Friday 5th July at All Saints Church Melbourn

Piano Recital by Students of Toni Cann

Award-winning pianists perform a dazzling programme of music by Chopin, Liszt, Schumann and more. The concert will include Aymeric Tsyganov and Ruihan Wu who already have many fans in Meldreth. Aymeric, age 15, is studying for his LTCL, equivalent to a degree, pianistically, and Ruihan, 9, won first prize in her first international competition, the 7th edition of the PCO, and is also in the final of the Children’s International London Chopin Competition. Please save the date! This concert is being organised by FOHT but will be held at ASM as there is a better keyboard there.

Continuing Banking Problems

Along with many other small community organisations and businesses, the Friends had issues with our bankers last year, due to their confusing and everchanging requirements for information. This resulted in the bank unilaterally closing our account without advice or warning! Barclays has refused to reopen the account, so we are now in the process of opening a new bank account. Any Friends who have tried to pay a standing order recently will have had their payment refused. I will be writing individually to all the Friends as soon as we have our new bank account and apologise for any confusion this has caused.

Meanwhile we would love to hear from you with any ideas you may have for the FOHT to organise. Please get in touch.

Ian Mitchell Vice Chair FOHT ianmmeldreth@gmail.com

FOHT Burns Night Supper, January 2024

Thank you to so many of you for supporting our Burns Night supper in January. In the end, there were 50 of us including the chefs and servers. We managed to raise £750 for FOHT which will greatly help with our Holy Trinity Church fabric funds.

There was sumptuous Scottish fare of neeps and tatties (the neeps grown and cooked by one of us), haggis including the vegetarian option, also cooked by one of us, and cranachan, a superb pudding made of meringue, double cream, whisky and roasted oats. A spectacular Mary Berry version was shown off to all before being happily imbibed later!

We started with prosecco and blinis; all were then piped into their places, followed by an amusing version of the Selkirk grace. Then we had a toast in Gaelic to the haggis, with an English translation available on the tables, before we tucked in to our haggis and neeps.

We had some excellent and amusing poems, not all of them by Robert Burns and finished off the evening with the traditional ‘Auld Lang Syne’.

Anything to learn from this excellent evening? Too many haggis; one for every three to four people is plenty. Vegetables; just the right amount; one large potato each. Encourage veggies; vegetarian haggis is simple to make.

Maybe next time we could start a little earlier with reels in the church and have a real piper!

And a big thank you to all who contributed to making the evening such a success including those who bought tickets.

Julie Draper Friends of Holy Trinity

Meldreth Primary School

www.meldreth.cambs.sch.uk

After the long, dark months of winter, spring has started to arrive at Meldreth Primary, bringing with it blue skies and sunshine and clearing out the cobwebs left by the cold. As always, we have been extremely busy with the children enjoying a whole range of amazing activities, both in school and outside! Throughout the corridors of school, the sweet melodies and raised voices of talented thespians and singers can be currently heard as our lower KS2 students in Years 3 and 4 are gearing up for their grand production of ‘Plastic Pirates’.

Love was truly in the air as our PTA held a Valentine’s Day pop-up shop with a range of gifts and sweet treats available for loved ones and family whilst the children clad themselves in red and pink to celebrate ‘Love Your Home Start Day’. In addition to this, the children were treated to a fantastic cake sale by our talented Year 6 bakers!

Our dedicated and passionate Junior Travel Ambassador team have also been hard at work, designing a range of competitions to help promote safe and healthier travel alternatives to school by prioritising walking and cycling over driving. Indeed, they attached the famous ‘golden padlock’ to a random bike or scooter every day for a week in a bid to encourage more people to scoot or cycle in to school, with those lucky children awarded a goody bag of travel-related prizes!

True to form, our brilliant Meldreth sports teams have continued their winning ways with victories for the football team over local rivals Harston & Newton and our hockey team, who performed brilliantly in the local Quicksticks Competition.

As if this wasn’t enough to celebrate, our students are also looking forward to some amazing school trips. Our Year 3s and 5s, who are currently studying Hinduism, are soon to journey into the heart of North-West London to visit the absolutely astonishing Shree Swaminarayan Temple in Neasden. Similarly, our Year 1s cannot wait to visit Mountfitchet Castle to help supplement and enhance their topic learning too.

Sasha Howard Headteacher

Good Friday Activities

We are holding the Good Friday activities for families again this year, on 29th March. There will be a short all-age service at 10.00am, followed by a craft session and an Easter egg hunt. Parents will be able to enjoy hot cross buns and coffee. Booking is not essential but it would help us to provide enough buns, crafts and eggs. Please email me at david@coton.me.uk with numbers of adults and children.

Shepreth Spitfires

www.sheprethspitfires.co.uk

The Under 10 19 Squadron celebrated a great away win against Newmarket.

The Under 11 66 Squadron match against Milton ended in an unfortunate loss of 0-1, following their promotion to an upper league. The effort and performance of every player was tremendous. Players of the match were Jayden and Charlie B.

Under 12’s News

We had a fantastic victory against Newmarket played at our home ground in Shepreth. The entire team put in a great performance. Goal scorers were Tom and Harry, with Archie and Stan being awarded players of the match awards. The 14-year-old referee maintained a great match.

The Under 12’s 56 Squadron had some ‘non football’ team building activitiesall going bowling and relaxing with a meal together afterwards.

Under 12 19 squadron won 5-4 against Needingworth following some tense penalties after a 0-0 match. Celebrations afterwards were hosted by the amazing local company Hot Numbers.

Thank you letters were sent out by all the teams to the wonderful sponsors of prizes for our fundraising events.

Please contact Shepreth Spitfires Football Club if your child may be interested in joining our friendly local football club. Our website is www.Sheprethspitfires.co.uk or call 07510 175370.

David Coton

Julie A Wilson

Things for Children and Families To Do in March

Saturday 2nd March, 10.00am - 1.00pm

Tropical Magnets, Cambridge Botanic Garden, 1 Brookside CB2 1JE

Make a magnet inspired by plants from the tropical glasshouse. For ages 3+. Free tickets available online a week before the event. Adults pay garden admission fee. www.botanic.cam.ac.uk.

Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd March, 10.30am - 4.00pm

Woodland Crafts at Wandlebury Ring, Cambridge CB22 3AE

Bodgers will be at work in the woods building a traditional work shelter and making items from wood. Join them for activities suitable for adults and children. Free. Donations welcome.

Sunday 3rd March (and first Sunday of each month), 11.30am - 12.30pm

Crochet for Kids, Market Hill Rooms, Melbourn St, Royston SG8 7BP

Learn the basics. All materials provided. £15 per lesson. Ages 10 -16. Book on www.no3royston.com/products/kids-crochet-workshop.

Monday 4th March and weekly, 10.00am - 11.30am

Stay and Play, Melbourn and Family Zone, Mortlock Street, Melbourn Activities based on the app 50 Things to do Before You’re Five for children aged 0 - 5 years. £2 per family. To book ring (01954) 284672.

Tuesday 5th March and weekly, 9.15am - 9.45am

Little Foxes Music Makers, Market Hill Rooms, Fish Hill, Royston

Parent and toddler music group for children 18 months to 3 years. Call or text on 07949 390524 or email littlefoxes.toddlergroup@gmail.com.

Saturday 9th March, 9.00am - 11.30am

Fowlmere Playgroup Thrift, Fowlmere Village Hall, SG8 7RY

Sale of pre-loved baby equipment, books, games, toys, bikes, scooters, clothesnewborn to 10 years, shoes etc. £2 entry per adult.

Saturday 23rd March, 10.00am - 4.30pm

Family Day - Growing a Backbone!

Museum of Zoology, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ

Free, hands-on activities inspired by skeletons. View the museum’s temporary exhibition ‘The Rise of the Vertebrates’.

Saturday 23rd March to Sunday 14th April, 9.30am - 3.30pm

Easter Egg Hunt, Wimpole Estate, Arrington SG8 0BW

Pick up the trail pack from the Visitor Centre and try the nature-themed activities. Paths suitable for wheels. £3 per trail. Includes bunny ears and chocolate egg (vegan eggs available). Normal admission applies.

Compiled by Hilary Crawforth

With some very wet weather in the autumn and generally mild temperatures, plant growth has been fairly vigorous. Seedlings planted back in October have had the best possible conditions for survival, threatened mainly by the vigour of the grasses and other species around them. To deal with this, we cut the meadow and the floor of the wood during November, December and January. This also cleared the ground for the spring bulbs and in particular the snowdrops, for which the wood is locally famous.

Another job for the winter is to clean and repair the wood’s nest boxes This was done fairly early, in December before any cold weather, so that birds could use the boxes for shelter if conditions got really bad. All the boxes showed signs of having been used during the year and box number 3 once again, had been taken over by mice. In 2022, there was a single mouse in box 3. This year there were two, probably wood mice but they evacuated too rapidly for a close look. I expect they returned after dark and can now relax, undisturbed for the remainder of the winter. Four new boxes were added to replace some too badly damaged to be worth repairing

As usual, the first snowdrops showed up before New Year but the best of the show was on schedule, about the start of February. The Winter Aconites appear late in the show of snowdrops and a few years back were restricted to just one main clump. Now they seem to be appearing in more places. One new clump has already established well, whilst individuals and small groups are starting to appear more widely. It is not clear how this species manages to spread so far when the seeds are small, round and not readily mobile without help.

One of the main tasks of the group in coming years will be to establish a colourful selection of wild flowers in the meadow. A key element of this will be ensuring an appropriate regime of cutting and enhancing sunlight where possible. To that end, the Yew hedge alongside the river path was reduced in height, to enable more late afternoon and evening sunshine reaches the meadow. Knapweed and field Scabious appeared late in 2023 and should be more evident in 2024. They will survive a winter cutting regime but will need to be left to grow through spring and summer, so we cannot rely on cutting to keep control of the coarse grasses that surround and smother them. To do this, we have seeded Yellow Rattle across part of the meadow. This is a species that is semi-parasitic on many grass species and reduces their vigour.

Rabbits seem to have been particularly active at the start of 2024 and it almost appears that they have been deliberately targeting the plants that we planted in the autumn. Some of their diggings contain clear evidence of the compost that was around the roots of potted seedlings planted in October. We will have to wait and see what eventually develops. Meanwhile there remains plenty to do before

winter finally turns to spring. This will include repair to path edges where logs have been removed for seats around a bonfire. It would be nice if they were replaced after use and certainly not added to the fire. Perhaps the revellers would like to join the Conservation Group and help maintain it as a pleasant place to visit, always remembering that it is, first and foremost, a nature reserve.

Jim Reid Melwood Conservation Group

A Meldreth Garden

Garden activity is now in top gear: the greenhouse is more than full of new plants and the challenge is management; which plants to grow-on in a cold frames and which to plant-out in the garden at a time they will survive.

Currently flowering in the garden are Crocus ‘Joan of Arc’, a large white cultivar and Crocus tommasinianus with silvery-lilac flowers, one of the best for naturalising, hazel catkins, rosemary, cherry blossom, white lesser periwinkle Vinca minor f. alba (as I have said avoid this one, beautiful but massively invasive.), late snowdrops, wild violets Viola odorata, cyclamen coum and c. alpinum and tulips with wallflowers. Radde’s fritillary Fritillaria raddeana and Fritillaria bucharica are two early flowering fritillaries in the front garden, they need dry summer dormancy.

I am preparing seed beds in the allotment in preparation for seed sowing, planting out plug plants and planting early potatoes. Gladioli and lilies have been planted in the cuttings garden.

In the flower garden it is time to top dress containers with new compost after removing the top layer of old compost; this I do for Hydrangea paniculata Prim white 'Dolprim' and plantain lily Hosta sieboldiana. Forced bulbs like hyacinth that have finished flowering indoors can be planted-out in the garden. They may not flower next year but will do fine in following years. I place white hyacinths in the front garden and coloured cultivars in the back garden. Early this month, dig up and plant out winter aconites and snowdrops in the green to create drifts. Divide and replant primulas after flowering. This is a good opportunity for me to group together colours and forms of this promiscuous genus. I will be cutting back the old stems and flower heads from ornamental grasses that provided winter interest, allowing new growth from the base. For the bronze leaved New Zealand hair sedge Carex comans bronze form, it is difficult to differentiate old and new growth as the plant looks dead all the time. Deadheading spring flowering bulbs like daffodils ensures energy goes into the bulb for next year rather than producing seed. I will prune and feed shrub roses before they come into leaf, it’s also time to prune climbing roses if you have them. Shrubby perennials can be divided early this month, day lilies, Jerusalem sage (Phlomis russeliana), sedum Hylotelephium ‘Herbstfreude’, etc., if needed and not done last autumn.

Update on peat free compost: my garden has been peat free for several years but dissatisfied with the commercial offerings, particularly for seed and cutting compost, I make my own. In producing compost, at first there were problems with watering holding capacity and plants damping off. With practice I have come to a formula for a seed and cutting compost that works well. This is made up of equal parts of garden loam molehill soil is ideal, sharp sand, leaf mould and

perlite. This gives the level of drainage require. The loam, leaf mould and sharp sand are sterilised in the microwave. Seed sowing is generally undertaken into 9cm diameter, 7 cm deep recycled plastic pots, the pots are watered from the base until saturated and not watered until seedlings are potting-on at the two seed leaf stage. This is earlier than generally advised but seedlings can become chlorotic and leggy if left longer. For potting compost the exact mix is less important, I now regularly recycle potting compost from summer and winter pots, tomato and potato grow bags, etc. The recycled material is sieved and blood, fish and bone fertiliser added before using for potting-on. The watering procedure is important, the surface may appear dry; pots are lifted to assess their weight and judge if more water is needed.

Fratilliary is an interesting and extensive genus of plants from the Mediterranean, Americas and Japan. Fritillaria raddeana with reddish stems and white flowers and Fritillaria bucharica with green stems and pale yellow flowers are flowering now. Next month crown imperials Fritillaria imperialis will flower in red, yellow and orange with an unusual odour. I carry on with these statuesque plants, though with me in the open garden they are short lived bulbs, too wet in winter. One garden in the village has a beautiful display every year, possibly Fritillaria imperialis ‘Goldstar’, planted in semi shade behind a hedge. Next there will be the familiar snake’s head fritillary Fritillaria meleagris in chequered mauve and purple, and the white cultivar Fritillaria meleagris var. unicolor subvar. alba, I also grow Fritillaria elwesii, F. acompetala, and F. uva-vulpis which do well under the canopy of the damson trees providing a much dryer environment than the open garden. In addition I grow some fritillaries in pots plunged into sharp sand including Fritillaria pudica, F. graeca and F. crassifolia these would not survive in the open garden or at least not under my care. Some fritillaries have been grown for years and never flowered.

Enjoy your garden.

Iain McPhee mcpheia1@gmail.com

River Mel Footpath Working Party

On Saturday 9th March a working party of local volunteers will be spreading wood chippings along the footpath by the River Mel. We will be starting at 9.30am and would welcome any help we can get.

If you would like to help please call me on (01763) 260079 for more details.

Martin Berry

Things to Do in March

Here are some things happening in March in the local area. To let us know about future events or activities please email meldrethmatters@hotmail.com.

Fridays 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd and 29th March, 7.30pm to 10.00pm

All That Jazz

Parker’s Tavern, Regent Street, Cambridge CB2 1AD

Jazz nights come to the tavern bar at the University Arms Hotel every Friday. Start your weekend to the swinging music of the Sam Miles Trio and Andy Bowie Quartet. All welcome. www.visitcambridge.org.

Saturday 2nd March, 10.00am to 12.00pm

Orwell Pannier Market

Village Hall, 32-66 High Street, Orwell Royston SG8 5QN

Meet your friends for coffee and cakes or be tempted by a bacon roll! With two new stalls added for March - the Potton Brewing Co. and Finkel & Hirst with their beautiful and unusual seasonal wreaths. Anne Borakis returns with her Greek delicacies and there are speciality cheeses from The Honest Fig.

Friday 8th March, 8.00pm to 10.00pm

Art Demo - Floral Scene in Acrylics

Royston Arts Society, Market Hill Rooms, Fish Hill, Royston SG8 9DW

Heather Miller presents the next in this series of art demonstrations to help artists of all abilities improve their painting skills. Royston Art Society members free, non-members £3. Pay on the door. No pre-booking required.

Saturday 9th March, 9.30am to 1.00pm

Ashwell’s Famous Flea Market

St Mary’s Church, Mill Street, Ashwell, Baldock SG7 5LY

All sorts of weird and wonderful items on sale. Free entry. Refreshments available. Funds raised go to the church’s restoration fund.

Saturday 9th March, 2.00pm to 3.00pm

Bring and Buy Sale

St John the Baptist, Melbourn Street, Royston SG8 7BP

See www.thelistingmagazine.co.uk for further details and how to donate goods.

Wednesday 13th March to Thursday 28th March, various times/venues

The Cambridge Festival

The annual Festival returns welcoming you to another great series of talks, films, exhibitions, walks and family events. A mixture of online, on-demand and inperson events covering all aspects of Cambridge’s world-leading research. Visit www.festival.cam.ac.uk for full programme details.

Friday 15th March, 8.00pm to around 10.00pm (with 20 minute interval)

Foyer Folk: Christina Alden and Alex Patterson

Saffron Hall, Audley End Road, Saffron Walden, Essex CB11 4UH

Two renowned performers whose music is inspired by the world around them, especially the relationship between humans and the wild. Foyer seating in tables of four. Street food provided by Azahar. Tickets from £16; half price discounts for under 25s. Book online at www.saffronhall.com.

Wednesday 20th March, 10.00am to 12.00pm

Woodland and Wildlife Walk

Wandlebury Country Park, Gog Magog Hills, Cambridge CB22 3AE

Join one of the Country Park’s wardens for a gentle, guided walk to learn about and enjoy the woods and their wonderful wildlife. Meet at the noticeboard in the car park. Free, donations welcome. www.cambridgeppf.org.

Wednesday 20th March to Tuesday 7th May, 10.00am to 5.00pm

International Garden Photographer of the Year 2024

University Botanic Garden, 1 Brookside, Cambridge CB2 1JE

Enjoy exploring a selection of stunning, winning images from the 17th International Garden Photographer of the Year Exhibition, displayed in large format, outdoors, near the Grass Maze. Free event but normal Garden admission applies. See www.botanic.cam.ac.uk.

Wednesday 20th March, 6.30pm to 9.30pm

Board Games Night at the Museum of Zoology

David Attenborough Building, Downing Place , Cambridge CB2 3EJ

Visit the Museum after-hours for animal-themed board games. Grab a drink, play strategy games, create canine chaos or battle to be the best at Hungry Hippos. Tickets £5. For booking link visit museum.zoo.cam.ac.uk.

Friday 22nd and Saturday 23rd March, 8.00pm

Hamlet by In Situ

The Leper Chapel Newmarket Road, Cambridge CB5 8JJ

Richard Spaul’s compelling solo performance of Shakespeare’s masterpiece in the atmospheric Leper Chapel. Tickets £15 from www.wegottickets.com/insitutheatre or call (01223) 211451, or on the door from 7.30pm. NB no car parking at chapel itself but plenty in nearby streets.

Saturday 30th March, 10am to 4.00pm

Easter Paw-ty

National Horseracing Museum, Palace Street, Newmarket CB8 8EP

Celebrate Easter and join in doggie-themed events including a Fun Dog Show. Entertainment starts from 10.30am with a Pet Blessing. Then take part in the Easter Trail to explore the museum grounds and enjoy lots of creative activities. Entry £5 per adult, children/under 16s free. www.discovernewmarket.co.uk. Compiled by John Crawforth

Refuse Collections

Black bins: 12th & 26th

Blue & green bins: 5th & 19th

Getremindersonyourmobile:

downloadthe BinCollections app

9.00-10.00am Cardio

10.00-11.00 F. Fitness

10.30-12.00 History Grp Coffee Morning (p3)

11.00-12.00 TP Pilates

4.00-6.30pm Street Dance for Children (multi classes)

6.30-8.00pm Guides

9.00-10.00am Cardio

10.00-11.00 Functional Fitness

11.00-12.00 Trigger Point Pilates

4.00-6.30pm Street Dance for Children (multi classes)

6.30-8.00pm Guides

9.00-10.00am Cardio

10.00-11.00 Functional Fitness

11.00-12.00 T P Pilates 4.00-6.30pm Street Dance for Children (multi classes) 6.30-8.00pm Guides

9.00-10.00am

10.00-11.00

11.00-12.00

4.00-6.30pm

Spring Term ends on Thursday 28th March

9.30-11.30am B&T Group

1.30-2.45pm Lift Off Choir

6.00-7.30pm Brownies

7.30-8.15pm TP Pilates

9.00am-12.00 Food Bank 9.15am Cycling Group

9.30-11.30am B&T Group

1.30-2.45pm Lift Off Choir

6.00-7.30pm Brownies

7.30-8.15pm TP Pilates

7.45-9.00pm Bell Ringing

9.30-11.30am B&T Group

1.30-2.45pm Lift Off Choir

6.00-7.30pm Brownies

7.30-8.15pm TP Pilates

7.45-9.00pm Bell Ringing

10.00am-1.15p Hartbeeps

12.00-3.00pm 4.00-5.00pm A 6.00-6.45pm T 7.00-9.00pm T 7.30pm Parish

A

Church services, Women’s Group meetings, bell ringing and FOHT events are held in Holy Trinity Chu Church. MLHG meetings, Parish Council meetings, Food Bank & Village Hub are in the Commu

pm

Village Hub

Acro

TP Pilates

Table Tennis Council

March 2024

9.30am Slimming World

9.30am Slimming World

6.45pm for 7.30pm HomeStart Quiz Night

9.30am Slimming World pm

9.30am onwards Work on River Mel footpath (see page 19)

10.00am-1.30pm Table Top Sale (see back cover)

09.45am Sung Eucharist

11.00am-3.00pm Charity Craft Fair

8.00am Said Communion

4

Village Hub

Acro Trigger Point

Table Tennis

pm

Village Hub

Acro

9.30am Slimming World

7.00pm for 7.30pm Melbourn Dynamos Quiz Night (see page 27)

12.00-4.00pm Dementia Memory Café

9.45am Sung Eucharist

TP Pilates

Table Tennis

1

T Talk (Holy 10

ndy harist

9.30am Slimming World

pm Village Hub

Acro

8

TP Pilates

Table Tennis

10.00am All Age Worship followed by a craft session and Easter Egg hunt, Holy Trinity Church (see page 13)

9.45am Easter Sunday Eucharist

rch. The Mobile Library Service visits Bell Close. Meldreth Cycling Group meet opposite Holy Trinity unity Room in Elin Way. All other events are held in the Village Hall unless otherwise indicated.

£1,000 welcome bonus!

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Rewarding work that changes lives

Local Community Services

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

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 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

www.melbournhub.co.uk

Thank you to everyone who came to celebrate with us when Melbourn Hub turned ten last month! It was great to see so many of you and to mark this very special occasion with you.

Here’s what’s on during March. See our website for further information.

Weekly Events

Every Tuesday - Lunch Club - a weekly social gathering for older people to meet and enjoy the company of others over a two course, subsidised, meal. There are a few places available for Lunch Club. If you are interested please contact Melbourn Hub on (01763) 263303 or email hubadmin@melbournhub.co.uk.

Every Wednesday - Citizens Advice - 9.30-11.30am. No need to book, just drop in!

Every Friday - Children's Story time 10.00-10.30am - For under 5s. Come and enjoy a story and a singalong. No need to book!

Special for March

Wednesday 13th and Saturday 16th March - Fundraising stall for Melbourn

Coffee Corner and Food Bank (organised by MACS - Melbourn Action Community Support)

Linsey Craike on behalf of Melbourn Hub

All Saints Fundraising Group

On Saturday 23rd March between 10.30am and midday at Coffee Stop, All Saints, Melbourn we will be having a table of items that we had left from the Autumn Fayre. They are all either new or as new, and it would be lovely if you could come along and have a look while enjoying a cup of coffee and a chat. All money will go to the church funds.

If you have any items that we could sell please contact me on (01763) 262793 and I could collect.

We hope to see you.

Angela Leach and Joan Statter

MM is Available in Colour Online

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

Specialists in made to measure window coverings:

Beautifully made and locally produced Curtains and Roman Blinds

Suppliers of Sanderson, William Morris, Harlequin, Scion, Prestigious Textiles

Roller, Vertical, Pleated, Wood, PVC and Aluminium Venetian Blinds

Contemporary window dressings: Plantation shutters and Awnings

Experts in home automated motorised solutions

FREE- NO OBLIGATION QUOTATIONS.

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Phillimore Garden Centre, Cambridge Road, Melbourn. SG8 6EY

Tel: 01763 263399

www.sageblinds.co.uk

Open Mon-Fri 9am-5pm & Sat 9am-1pm

Melbourn Armed Forces & Veterans Breakfast Club

Melbourn AFVBC has now been running for eighteen months and we regularly see as many as 30 people gather for breakfast, hailing from Orwell, Letchworth and Royston as well as Melbourn and Meldreth. The Armed Forces & Veterans Breakfast Clubs are a group of all personnel, both serving and veterans, of His Majesty’s Armed Forces and his allies, who meet regularly to break bread together in a safe, social, informal environment, to allow them to ‘return to the tribe’. The Melbourn club meets on the first Sunday morning of the month from 10.00am. We continue to welcome new members most months and for our first breakfast of 2024, we really enjoyed a visit from an Armed Forces Biker known as Santa.

If you know anyone who has served and you think would like to join us, the next breakfast is on Sunday 3rd March 2024 from 10.00am at ‘The Dolphin’, Melbourn. Any enquiries please call me on 07927 397531 or email melbournafvbc@gmail.com.

Cath Sharman Melbourn AFVBC

Quiz Night, Meldreth Village Hall

Melbourn Dynamos FC Quiz Night

Meldreth Village Hall

Saturday 16th March

Doors open at 7.00pm for 7.30pm

Cost £40 per team. Teams can be up to a maximum of eight people

There will be a raffle and a licensed bar. Only beverages purchased on the premises can be consumed. Prosecco and cheese boards are available to be pre-ordered.

Book at mdfc.fundteam@gmail.com.

In Praise Of … Apples

Each month the focus will be on seasonal fruit and vegetables with some recipes to inspire you. This month is it apples. Cheap and readily available in the UK, apples come in an array of colours depending on the variety (of which there are around 2,000) from pale yellow and green through to deep red. Their taste and texture vary too, from juicy to firm and sweet to tangy. Due to the large variety available, you can buy British apples pretty much all year round, but traditionally apples are in season in the UK from September to February.

Apple Crepes

Preparation time less than 30 mins, Cooking time 10 to 30 mins, Serves 6

Ingredients

75g plain flour

1 level tsp ground cinnamon

2 eggs

1x200ml tub crème fraîche

1 large Granny Smith apple

Method

To make the pancakes

50g/2oz melted butter

To serve

Caster sugar

Double cream, well chilled

Begin by peeling and coring the apple then cut it into quarters and grate it on the coarse side of the grater into a bowl.

Meanwhile, sift the flour and cinnamon into a bowl. Then in a separate bowl or jug, whisk the eggs and crème fraîche together, then gradually whisk this into the flour mixture using an electric hand whisk until you have a smooth, lump-free batter. Then stir in the apples.

Before you make the pancakes, put a large plate in a warm oven or a warmingdrawer so that as you make them they can be kept warm, covered with some foil. To make the pancakes, melt the butter in the frying pan, then tip it into a cup. To make your first pancake, heat the pan over a medium heat until it is really hot then use 1 tbsp of the batter to make each pancake, cook until it becomes crisp at the edges and is a lovely golden colour underneath, then, using a palette knife or spatula, turn the crêpe over and cook the other side until crisp and golden (this should take about 45 seconds on each side.)

Remove the crêpe to a warm plate. Use a wodge of kitchen paper to lubricate the pan again with melted butter, then continue cooking the pancakes until the batter is all used up. When you are ready to serve the pancakes, transfer them to warmed serving plates, giving each person three or four, lightly dusted with caster sugar and serve with cream.

Normandy Apple Tart

Preparation time less than 30 mins, Cooking time 1 to 2 hours, Serves 6–8

Ingredients

6 Braeburn apples, peeled, cored and sliced 1 uncooked sweet shortcrust pastry case, about 25cm/10in wide 80ml full-fat milk

120g crème fraîche

1 vanilla pod, seeds only

Method

50–60g caster sugar

2 free-range eggs

100ml calvados

Fresh nutmeg, to grate

4 tbsp apricot jam, warmed

400g crème fraîche, to serve

Preheat the oven to 210°C/190°C Fan/Gas 6½. Arrange the apple slices, fanned out in the pastry case. Bake for 30 minutes until the pastry is golden and the apples are soft. Remove and turn the oven down to 160°C/140°C Fan/Gas 2½.

Whisk together the milk, crème fraîche, vanilla seeds, sugar and eggs in a bowl and add half of the calvados. Pour this mixture evenly over the apples in the pastry case and place back in the oven for another 40–50 minutes until just set. Whilst still warm, grate over some fresh nutmeg. Leave to cool a little and drizzle over the remaining calvados. Glaze the top of the tart with the warm apricot jam. Place on a serving plate, cut into slices and serve with the crème fraîche.

Jane O’Hagan

Meldreth Parish Council

www.meldreth-pc.org.uk

Meeting of the Parish Council held on Thursday 1st February 2024

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 noticeboard; these will be presented for approval at the next Council meeting.

Discussions and Decisions

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 33 to 35 and questions and requests for further information on a wide range of subjects can of course be raised directly with our District and County representatives.

With regard to the forthcoming repair and surfacing work on the High Street, it was noted that the gullies/drains should be cleared prior to the resurfacing and this will be emphasised to the Highways authority.

Village Maintenance

The Council will be considering other steps to deal with outstanding maintenance and repair tasks on items of village infrastructure. These will include exploring a closer working relationship with other local parish councils who have already set up schemes within their villages.

Village Traffic

The recently acquired second Speed Indicator Device (solar powered) will be installed in Whitecroft Road near the Fenny Lane crossroad junction. The Council continues to be very concerned about major breaches in the speed limit in both directions along this part of Whitecroft Road and our Traffic Group will be actively considering other traffic calming measures in this section of the road, where the dangers of excessive speed are clearly present and need urgent action.

Community Projects Funding

It was noted that the Meldreth Bowls Club have agreed to place a notice on their gate about the defibrillator that will be installed outside their clubhouse and the Council will therefore contribute to the costs of the defibrillator when the Club makes further progress with its purchase.

The Council agreed to make a donation of £500 to MCCS for the Village Food Bank.

The Council’s annual contribution to the Rail Partnership Group, currently £700 p.a., was approved.

Other Issues

Mobile Warden: The Mobile Warden scheme was discussed and the Council continues in principle to support this important community resource. This will be further reviewed at the next meeting with regard to the forthcoming financial year.

Football at the Recreation Ground: The current arrangements for the use of the facilities by Orwell FC and by a team based at Eternit, were confirmed for the current season. This will be reviewed with regard to the next season.

Council Representation on Groups: Appointments of councillors were approved to the following village activities: Triggs Charity, village charities, almshouses trustees, Village Hall trustees and the Recreation Ground and Cemetery groups.

Next Parish Council meeting

Thursday 7th March at 7.30pm at the Elin Way Community Room.

Meldreth Parish Council

There is a vacancy for a Co-Opted Parish Councillor.

See page 37 or contact the Parish Council Clerk for further details.

The closing date for applications is Monday 11th March.

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) goddin@btinternet.com

Cllr Jenni Bone

Contact details had not been provided at the time of going to press

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

Cllr Nick Garner nickphgarner@gmail.com

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

Cllr Alan Land conradland@btinternet.com

Cllr James Mossey j.mossey1211@gmail.com

Cllr Nigel Pellatt nppellatt56@gmail.com vacancy

All correspondence should be directed to the Clerk in the first instance

Home Improvement Specialist Home Improvement Specialist Home Improvement Specialist

••

• Exterior and interior home Exterior and interior home Exterior and interior home decorating decorating

••

• Tiling Tiling Tiling

••

• Carpentry Carpentry Carpentry

••

• Refurbishment Refurbishment Refurbishment

••

• Timber carport and veranda Timber carport and veranda Timber carport veranda design and construction design and construction design and construction

••

• General home repairs General home repairs General repairs

••

Now treating paddocks & large areas

BESPOKE LAWNCARE SERVICES SINCE 2005

• Pruning / hedge and tree trimming Pruning / hedge and tree trimming Pruning / hedge and trimming

••

• Professional service Professional service Professional service

nigelwigg@gmail.com nigelwigg@gmail.com nigelwigg@gmail.com

Independent and family run, we put the care into lawncare

Nigel Wigg Nigel Wigg Nigel Wigg

District and County Councillors’ Report

Malton Lane

We’ve been working with County and District Councils and a local farmer to try to deal with significant vegetation encroachment on to the public highway in Malton Lane. County Highways has agreed to accept the offer of the farmer to assist in a trim of vegetation overhang along the public highway; the District Council will assist with a road sweep tidy up.

Civil Parking Enforcement

This came into proper effect on 1st February and will be focusing on places like railway station areas. The situation in Meldreth is a bit better than many other villages, most likely due to the very affordable parking charges. These are in place on account of negotiation by the Community Rail Partnership, as a thank you for all the local volunteer gardening work to keep the station looking good!

Chasing Highways Jobs

We’re painfully aware of the slowness in closing off highways jobs dotted around. We are chasing these as best we can. Rain and flooding and the damage that brings around the county is not helping.

Foul Water problems continuing

Thank you to affected residents for sharing with us your reference numbers when reporting household foul water backup to Anglian Water, so that we can help lobby for action. The failure to shift this ongoing problem is causing massive distress and frustration for all those affected. We have raised our concerns in the strongest possible terms with our Public Health and Environmental Health Authorities (District and County Councils, respectively), as well as Planning, as there is understandable concern about any additional pressure on a beleaguered system.

Visit to Meldreth Primary Junior Travel Ambassadors

A visit to Meldreth Primary School’s Junior Travel Ambassador team by Susan and Parish Councillor Adam Bostanci was a high point of the early new year. These Year Five pupils were a huge inspiration! Learning about their wishes and aspirations for getting around the local area under their own steam gave us much to think about.

Measles – from County Public Health

Cases of measles are rising in some areas of the country including London and Peterborough. Please make sure you and your family are protected by having both doses of the free MMR vaccine. Measles is more than just a rash. It is an infection which spreads very easily and can cause serious complications in some people. Find out more about measles, including symptoms and how you can get vaccinated by searching ‘Measles get vaccinated’. Please also be aware there is a significant cohort of 18-25 year olds who also have not had the MMR vaccine.

Help at Home: New ‘Care Micro Enterprises’

The County Council is now in the process of helping local residents to set up local care microenterprises, as part of a shift toward small localised personalised care and support services for local people.

If you would be interested in setting up such a service, or just finding out more perhaps as a resident in need of care, there is helpful information at: cambridgeshire.gov.uk, then search ‘Care Micro Enterprise’. It’s early days but things are taking shape.

New Care Professional Website for Cambridgeshire – Training and Career Development

Care professionals make up the biggest proportion of Cambridgeshire’s working population, even more than the NHS. The County Council is making a big push on supporting career development in the care sector. This includes rolling out the Real Living Wage for its care workers and supporting its providers to pay the Real Living Wage.

It has also now launched a new website for training and career development. The Care Professional Academy, which is supported by Cambridgeshire’s Academy for Reaching Excellence (CARE), is a training website for adult social care providers and professionals to access training initiatives, receive benefits for taking part in training and access information from the local authority.

There’s lots of information at www.cambridgeshire.careprofessional.co.uk.

Childminding Careers – Grants of £600 Available

The County Council asks: ‘Are you interested in working in a profession which would enable you to work in your own home and continue to care for your own children, whilst providing quality care for children of working parents? If so, Registered Childminding may be the profession for you. To help with starting your childminding business, the Government are currently offering a grant of £600 towards your set up costs. We hold regular information evenings about childminding which are free to attend.’

Online Checker for Home Improvement Projects

The Greater Cambridge Shared Planning Service has launched a user-friendly online checker to help home owners find out if planning permission is needed for home improvement projects such as dormer windows, fence installations, outbuildings, front porches, flue and solar panel installations and more. Search ‘Greater Cambridge Shared Planning’ and then select ‘Planning Applications’.

South Cambs Four Day Working Week Update

The four-day working week trial has now been in place for twelve months for desk-based staff. Savings made by not overspending the budget on agency staff have been enormous; money saved is now in reserves to be spent on services for communities across the District. The impact on staff wellbeing and attitudes has also been amazing. Going the extra mile is now commonplace across the Council, with obvious benefits to our residents and businesses.

In response to a couple of requests the Council has put all of the data they are currently submitting weekly to the Department of Levelling up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC), on to the website for the pubic to look at. The original intention had been to publish this at the end of March when the trial completes along with a lot of information to help make sense of things. Everything about the trial can be found at www.scambs.gov.uk/your-council-and-democracy/fourday-working-week-trial.

Zoom Cuppa every Monday

Please let us know if you’d like to join us on Mondays from 5.00-6.00pm for a zoom chat , or just give us a ring or drop us a line any time if you have concerns, questions or ideas.

District Councillor Sally Ann Hart, sallyannhart@riskingonpurpose.com, 07791 233303

District Councillor Jose Hales, Josehales@gmail.com, 07703 262649

County Councillor Susan van de Ven, susan.vandeven@cambridgeshire.gov.uk, 07905 325574

A10 Off-Road Path

A10 Off-Road Path All Tidied Up – Enjoy!

A huge amount of vegetation cut back has taken place along the A10 cycle/walk/ scooter path, which has brought the path width back to its original state, making for a more pleasant excursion.

This has been made possible by a ‘Community Impact’ grant from Bruntwood SciTech to the A10 Corridor Cycling Campaign. Works have been carried out by Herts and Cambs Grounds maintenance. Thanks to our team of volunteers for scouting the path and managing our accounts.

Please note that if you spot a dead animal on the verge this can be reported to the District Council - search South Cambridgeshire District Council Street Care and Cleaning.

Our campaign started in 2013 with the aim of creating an off-road path between Cambridge and Royston. We still need to see through the Melbourn-Royston link, but must also support path maintenance in all ways possible.

Susan van de Ven and Adam Bostanci A10 Corridor Cycling Campaign

Email a10cycle@gmail.com

Planning Matters

Meldreth Parish Council

The minutes of the Parish Council Planning Meeting of 4th January 2024 were not available at the time of going to press. When available, minutes may be viewed on the Parish Council’s website, www.meldreth-pc.org.uk.

The following items were taken from the minutes of 1st February 2024.

Bowling Green Pavilion, North End 24/0039/TTPO

2 no. Sycamores to remove 1-2 metres of branches overhanging 26 North End causing light issues and damp. No Comment but noted.

Northfield Kennels and Cattery 23/04702/FUL

Change of use from business (class E) to residential (class 3). Re-use of building in the countryside for residential use (H17). The building will be used for storage. No Recommendation with no comments.

64 Gables Close 24/00153/HFUL

Installation of a wheelchair ramp, removal of chimney, alterations to windows and internal alterations. No Recommendation with no comments.

Other Items

Proposed communications installation for Cellnex at Valley Farm, adjacent to Melbourn Sewage Treatment Works. Planning permission to be submitted by WHP on behalf of Cellnex for an upgrade to existing equipment.

Planning Authority Decisions

Communications Station Hrt0160 Valley Farm Station Rd 23/04795/PDNOT

3 no. Antennas, 1No.Cabinet and 1no. Cabinet to be removed and replace with 1No. Cabinet. Existing 1No. Antenna to be relocated. Existing 3 no. antennas to be removed and 1No. Cabinet to be removed. Reserved 1No. 0.6m Dish and assorted ancillary works.

SCDC note as follows: The proposed development constitutes Permitted Development under Article 3 and Schedule 2, Part 16, Class A of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 2015.

80A High Street 23/04762/HFUL

First floor extension, single story rear extension and air source heat pump to side of existing property. Permission granted.

Northfield Kennels And Cattery Malton Lane 23/04630/HFUL

Front porch extension and single story rear extension. Permission granted.

Details of all applications and all Planning Authority decisions may be viewed online: https://applications.greatercambridgeplanning.org/online-applications.

The Meldreth Matters Team

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 £7.50 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

Home-Start Royston, Buntingford & South Cambridgeshire

www.hsrsc.org.uk

Free Volunteer Preparation Course

Are you a parent, grandparent, or carer wondering how to make a positive impact with your free time in 2024? We're looking for local individuals with invaluable parenting experience to join our Family Support Volunteer team!

Our volunteers work side by side with parents in the comfort of their homes, providing support to navigate life's challenges. Our free Volunteer Preparation Course begins soon, equipping you with the knowledge needed to be a pillar of support for a family. Plus, you'll become an essential part of our incredible Home-Start team. For more details, visit www.hsrsc.org.uk/become-home-startvolunteer or reach out to us at admin@hsrsc.org.uk or by calling (01763) 262262.

You have the power to be the vital support a family needs to bring positive change into their lives and help parents be the best they can be. Join us in making a difference!

MCCS – Community Support

MCCS is pleased to be coordinating the Meldreth Food Bank and Meldreth Village Hub.

Huge thanks to everyone who is supporting these initiatives, whether through volunteering and warm welcomes, or donations of daily basics to the collection box outside 62 High Street, or cash support from individuals and groups (please contact MCCS Treasurer Roger James 07808 235873). Behind the scenes, invaluable support has been received from our Parish and District Councils. Core funding initiative for the Warm Hubs comes from the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Integrated Care System (our local NHS).

Our Neighbourhood Zone Leaders are always on hand for a friendly chat by telephone and to help locate the support you’re looking for. Their telephone numbers 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 Yard and Road:

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

If you have any other questions, please let us know.

County and District Councillors Susan van de Ven, Jose Hales, Sally Ann Hart and all at the MCCS team

17 Bus Service

This bus runs Mondays to Saturdays from Guilden Morden via Steeple Morden, Litlington, Bassingbourn, Whaddon, Meldreth, Melbourn and Kneesworth to Royston and return.

The bus stops in Meldreth High Street (near the Stocks) at 10.20am and then makes several stops in Royston including Tesco at 10.35am before the last stop at Royston Bus Station at 10.49am. The return bus leaves Royston Bus Station at 1.10pm and Tesco at 1.21pm, arriving in Meldreth at 1.31pm.

Susan van de Ven

Litter Picker

Mick Taylor—(01763) 261118

Neighbourhood Watch Graham Borgonon—(01763) 260358

One Stop

Village Hall Bookings

Clubs & Societies

Sport

Church

Children

Facilities Councils & Govt.

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

Julia Moore: email meldrethvillagehall@gmail.com

Village Hall Chairman 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 Nicole Searle—(01763) 269561

Bowls Club

Croquet Club

Table Tennis

David Rich—(01763) 262116

Janet Pope—(01763) 248239

Christine Knight—(01763) 261676

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

Vicar

Rev Andrew Birks—(01763) 230178

Bells tba

Ian Mitchell (Friends) 07726 936635; www.foht.org.uk

Baby & Toddler Group Julia Moore—07403 462198

Brownies (1st Meldreth)

Guides (1st Meldreth)

Hartbeeps

Meldreth Rainbows

Email: 1stmeldrethbrownies@gmail.com

Email: 1stmeldrethguides@gmail.com

Kelly@hartbeeps.com

1stmeldrethrainbows@gmail.com

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

Parish Council

District Councillors

Please see details at end of Parish Council report

Jose Hales—07703 262649; Sally Ann Hart—07791 233303

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

County Councillor

County Council Offices

Susan van de Ven—07905 325574

https://susanvandeven.mycouncillor.org.uk/

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

Govia/Great Northern

The Trainline

Stagecoach

07905 325574; www.meldrethsheprethfoxtonrail.org.uk

www.thameslinkrailway.com

www.thetrainline.com

www.stagecoachbus.com/Cambridge Potholes, problems,Highways etc.

Streetlights (faulty)

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

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.

Melbourn Surgery (01763) 260220

Addenbrooke’s (01223) 245151

NHS

Childline

Citizens Advice Bureau

Community Support for Dementia

111 (24 hour non-emergency number)

0800 1111 (24 hours)

Cambridge: 0344 848 7979 Royston: 03444 111 444 www.citizensadvice.org.uk

Davina Biswell 07961 574104 or Stephanie Trayhurn 07710 198299

Community Transport (01763) 245228; www.roytrans.co.uk

Home-Start (01763) 262262; www.hsrsc.org.uk

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

Mind (mental health) 0300 123 3393 (9am-6pm M-F); www.mind.org.uk

Samaritans

116 123 (24 hours); www.samaritans.org

General Emergency 999 or 112

Gas

0800 111 999

Electricity 0800 783 8838

Anglian Water 03457 145145; www.anglianwater.co.uk

Cambridge Water (01223) 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

Royston Taxis (01763) 0250811

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

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