Church News

Holy Trinity Church News

Face Coverings

These are now mandatory. Please be aware that you are now required by law to wear a face covering in church unless you are medically exempted.

Holy Trinity is Open for Private Prayer

The church is open at the following times: Monday – Friday 10.00am – 6.00pm and Sunday 11.00am – 6.00pm. The church remains closed on Saturdays for cleaning and sanitising.

Holy Trinity Services during September

6th September: 9.45am – Said Eucharist with Organ Accompaniment 13th September: 8.00am – Holy Communion 20th September: 9.45am – Said Eucharist and Harvest Festival with Organ Accompaniment 27th September: 8.00am – Holy Communion

Church Meeting Room

The meeting room at Holy Trinity Church has not yet re-opened to groups, and we are looking at ways of doing so safely for all users. Regular users will be notified as soon as this happens.

Holy Trinity Churchyard Clean Up – Saturday 5th September

If you would like to lend a hand with a general churchyard clean up at Holy Trinity, do please come along between 9.00am and 11.30am. Your help will be much appreciated. NB please bring your own tools and refreshments.

Ride and Stride: Saturday 12th September

David Hollamby will be riding on behalf of Holy Trinity in the Cambridgeshire Historic Churches Ride and Stride. If you would like to sponsor David please contact him on 07732 106828. Of the sponsorship raised, 50% will go to Holy Trinity, Meldreth and 50% to Cambridgeshire Historic Churches Trust.

Lesley Hollamby

Christmas Tree Festival

A decision has been made to cancel this year's Christmas Tree Festival. We are sorry, as it is a very popular event with much thought and work going into each exhibit and is enjoyed by so many people. It seems that social distancing may still be necessary at the end of November especially as there may be a surge in the virus at the start of winter.

We are sorry that we have had to make this decision but hope we will enjoy an even better festival next year ! Christmas Tree Festival Committee

Friends of Holy Trinity

www.foht.org.uk

Church services have recommenced with considerable COVID-19 precautions but more general activities are not taking place and are unlikely to do so in the near future, which unfortunately affects both Open Gardens and the Car Show. Although The Friends are not involved, Meldreth Car Enthusiasts have been exploring other possible venues for a get together on Sunday 20th September. This would be subject to weather and any COVID restrictions in place at that time. After some discussions it is understood that Meldreth Car Enthusiasts intend to have a gathering in the grounds of the British Queen from 1.30pm on 20th September with appropriate COVID precautions. John Price

Meldreth Local History Group

www.meldrethhistory.org.uk

Straker Squire

It is believed that the very first car in Meldreth was a 1910 Straker Squire, registration CE3728, owned by Hubert Ellis.

That very same car returned to Meldreth on 2nd August this year; you may have seen it around the village or parked in the British Queen car park. It is shown on our front cover this month.

Hubert Ellis owned the car for some The car en route to Norwich years and would offer Meldreth in the 1940s residents lifts to the polling station in it - in exchange for a vote for the Conservatives, of course! After Hubert Ellis’s death in 1942, ownership of the car passed to his nephew, Charles Ellis. After the war, John Gipson repaired the car and took it to Meldreth Station (see photograph above) from where it was transported to Norwich. The car subsequently spent some years in the United States and in Austria before returning “home” to Cambridgeshire in June of this year.

Meetings

We last met in March of this year and at this stage it is not clear when we will be able to resume our meetings. In the meantime, some members are working on history projects from home and we are continuing to add material to our website.

Website

Work has continued on our new website which we hope to launch later this autumn. More information will appear in the October issue of Meldreth Matters.

Kathryn Betts Meldreth Local History Group