Issue 107 Autumn 2021 by Melbourn Magazine

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...editorial After what seems a very long time it’s good to see that things are beginning to return to the way they were before the pandemic, as shown by the reports in this Autumn Issue of the Magazine. We may not have been able to visit our favourite overseas holiday destinations this year, but there are many beautiful places in our own country to get to know. We hope that you have all had a pleasant summer. There is an illustrated article on getting to know our village on page 42 and an account of the Fowlmere Reserve page 32, with great photos of the wildlife. It has been hard work for our educational establishments, but they have continued working, for which we thank them. Many places are now opening up, and we can meet up with our friends again, both inside and outdoors – things are becoming ‘normal’ again! Have a happy autumn getting to know our friends and neighbours again.

Contents Village news feature

5 19

Good Luck, Bad Luck and the Evil Eye

Travelogue

Travelling The Chinese Stretch Of The Silk Road

Education feature

25 26

Open Eco Homes

Bin collection Nature

30 32

Fowlmere RSPB Nature Reserve

Review

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue The Pigeon Tunnel: Stories from My Life

Authors and their Books

Fruit Farming in the Cam Valley: An horticultural, social and economic history,

Walks in & around Melbourn Churches Together Sports & Clubs

42 47 49

Melbourn Magazine is Independent of the Parish Council NO public money is used.

Front cover photograph: Marbled White gathering on thistle by Ade Cooper see Fowlmere Nature Reserve page 32.

The Melbourn magazine was first published in 1995 and delivered to every household in Melbourn. The magazine is also available to read online at www.issuu.com/melbourn and to download to a computer, mobile or tablet at www.melbourncambridge.org.

We would like to thank TTP for their continued sponsorship of the magazine. Melbourn Magazine is printed quarterly and delivered free to every household and business in the village. All work on the Melbourn Magazine, including layout and design is produced by volunteers. The cost of printing comes entirely from advertising and sponsorship.

If you would like to advertise in the Melbourn Magazine see inside back cover for details

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MELBOURN GARAGE

Cars and Motorbikes

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You may be unsure what support You may be feeling unsure what activities activities arefeeling available in your area as weor or activities are available in your area we or support now available in youras area, come outare of Covid-19 restrictions. come out of Covid-19 restrictions. Youryou localcan Community help how reconnect Navigator with your can community. Your localthe Community Navigator can help you take next steps to access services Your localthe Community Navigator can help, you take next steps to access services and your community once more and regain including access to our Home and and your community onceHelp moreatand regain confidence confidence Wellbeing services if you’re looking for practical Speak to your friendly South to yoursupport friendly South orSpeak emotional to gettoday back on on track. Cambridgeshire Coordinator Cambridgeshire Coordinator today on 01954 212100 Speak your local South Cambridgeshire 01954 to 212100 Coordinator to access our free services today on To learn more or be part of our work please visit To learn more or be part of our work please visit 01954 212100 care-network.org.uk or callor 01954 211 919with us To learn more, donate, volunteer care-network.org.uk or call 01954 211 919 please visit https://care-network.org.uk/ or call 01954 211 919

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Village news Village News Melbourn Open Gardens

Melbourn Community Library

Melbourn and District U3A

Royston Choral Society

Melbourn & Meldreth Women’s Group

Moorlands Court

Community Support for Dementia

Home-Start

The SUN Network

What’s On @ Melbourn Child and Family Zone

Bloomsday Celebrated in Melbourn

Relate Cambridge

Melbourn Parish Council

The Great British Sewing Bee

Melbourn Open Gardens In spite of the weather forecast, the sun shone most of the time. Even the occasional heavy shower did not dampen people’s enthusiasm for Melbourn Open Gardens 2021. The Fete Committee had to cancel the Melbourn Fun Day because of the delay in lifting the coronavirus restrictions. Fortunately, we had been able to plan MOG to take place under COVID restrictions if necessary. MOG has always been a popular event but this year everyone surpassed themselves. We had more gardens open, more visitors (especially more children which was lovely to see) and more cake eaten. This means that we have been able to donate £1400 to our chosen local good cause of HomeStart. Yet more reason to celebrate! The official opening time was 11am but people began to arrive for their garden passports well before that. And for the rest of the day there was not a quiet time. A total of 12 gardens and the St George’s Allotments opened. There was even a secret courtyard, accessible only from another garden. One of the really nice things about MOG is the range of garden sizes and styles. There are always ideas to steal – someone admired an arch in our

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Finally, thanks to all the visitors. It would not be the same without you! Listening to your comments on the gardens you had already seen and those still to visit was inspiring. My favourite part of the day is telling people what the different plants in my garden are and making a list of the popular ones to propagate for the next MOG. We are already looking forward to putting MOG on again in 2023! Julie Norman, Melbourn Fete Committee

Melbourn Community Library garden and it just so happened that a carpenter was nearby, so plans were made for a collaboration. A lady told me that at MOG 2019 she had looked at our summerhouse, gone home and planned. She now has her own garden retreat. This year we had a theme: gardening for wildlife. Several of the gardens had been planted with wildlife in mind and the owners could tell people what kind of plants to buy and how to make sure their gardens provided food for wildlife throughout the year. There was also a display of bat boxes and a hedgehog home at the Tea Room so people could see how to make their own whilst enjoying their tea. We upped our game in the Tearoom this year. As part of our COVID precautions, we decided to provide table service, but did this did add to the sense of occasion? Should we do this next time? As ever, the cakes proved very popular. So much so, that I was afraid that we might run out. In the event, there was enough left for all the helpers to celebrate the success of the day when the garden closed. A big thank you to all the people who made the day possible. Firstly, the garden and allotment enthusiasts. I had no idea how people would feel about opening their gardens when I approached people. It was back in the time of lockdown when the vaccination programme had yet to have real impact. There was immediate enthusiasm – the only reservation was whether people would be on holiday by July! Then there are the volunteers who sell the garden passports and serve teas. We really appreciate people giving a couple of hours of their time and making things go smoothly. Thanks, too, to those who donated plants for sale. The Plant Creche proved very popular as people made sure they bought their plants of choice and all plants were claimed at the end of the event.

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At the time of writing, the library is expecting to re-open on 23rd August once the extensive building work has finished at the Hub. The librarians are looking forward to this after such a long time away and to enjoying the enhanced facilities the Hub will have to offer. The library will be open every weekday afternoon from 2.30 to 4.30 pm and on Saturday mornings from 10 to 12 as before. We look forward to welcoming borrowers young and old, either those who have used the library before or those who haven’t. It is easy and free to join, just pop in for an application form or look online on the Cambridgeshire Library website. We hold a good stock of books at Melbourn which are regularly updated. It is mainly fiction to suit every taste though there is a good selection of biographies and some books on local history. Some of our fiction is in large print. We have a large number of children’s books, catering for children of all ages from toddlers to teens. Also for toddlers we have Story Time held once a week, which is led by one of the librarians and is a mix of songs, stories and games. At the end many of the mums and other carers stay on for a chat over coffee so it is a good way to get to know people. Melbourn Community Library is there for you. You may be sure of a warm welcome and an enjoyable browse. You may even be tempted to start reading your choice of book over a cup of coffee or tea and a delicious home-made cake in the Bookmark Café. Jane Stevens

Melbourn and District U3A Melbourn and District U3A is enlisting new members Are you working part time or fully retired? Got some time on your hands? In need of company – a new hobby or study subject, more exercise with others? Just moved to the area and want to find new friends and things to do?

The U3A is for you We have activity groups, excursions, gentle sports, discussion groups, language learning, quizzes, monthly talks on interesting topics and much more. Check our web site www.melbu3a.org Contact our Membership Secretary: membership@ melbu3a.org 01763 852738 A reminder for our existing Members – our AGM and speaker meeting is on 18th August 2021 at 2.30 pm. – look out for details online and in the post.

Royston Choral Society … bringing choral music back to life after Covid Lockdown! In March 2020 Royston Choral Society members from the town and surrounding villages were working hard to perfect their performance of Bach’s beautiful B Minor Mass for a concert in Ashwell Parish Church. But just the week beforehand, the Covid 19 Pandemic caused lockdown and, sadly, the choir has not sung together since. Members are looking forward to re-assembling in September – Covid permitting – to prepare a performance of Messiah Part 1 and Haydn’s Mass on December 11th. New singers are always welcome to join us. We don’t impose auditions on aspiring members, just come along to our open rehearsal, date to be confirmed, sing with us and see how you fit in. We anticipate restarting on Tuesday 11th September 7.30 at Royston Methodist Church, but keep an eye on our website for updateswww.roystonchoralsoc.org.uk

Melbourn & Meldreth Women’s Group We are a small friendly group and we meet on the 4th Tuesday of the month except in December. At present we are meeting using Zoom and await developments to see when we will return to face to face meetings. Usually these are varied between All Saints Community Hall in Melbourn and Holy Trinity Meeting Room in Meldreth. This year we are supporting The Helen Rollason Cancer Charity, and we raised funds for them in May when we did a “take away ploughman’s supper and cake” and ran a raffle. In June we had an interesting presentation by Peter Draper on some of the changes that Holy Trinity Church, Meldreth has undergone over the years In July Patsy Glazebrook will be speaking to us about

‘The Sick Children’s Trust’ and we are looking forward to that. In August we usually go out for a meal so we will canvass members nearer the time and see how things are with the Covid situation. On 28th September we are due to hear Carol Read talk to us about the ‘Stand By Me’ bereavement support group – if we are meeting in person this is due to be in Melbourn ASCH. 26th October would see us making Christmas decorations for the Christmas Tree Festival, if it takes place this year. 23rd November we hope to have an Advent reflection led by The Revd. Caroline Brownlie. Do feel free to contact any of the committee members if you would like to know more about the group or to check upon the venue as time goes on. Their contact details are as follows: Pat Smith (262575), Sue Toule (260955), Angela Leach (262793), Pat Ames (261130), Kimmi Crosby (07976228377), Mary Bailey (220171), Diane Blundell (221415).

Moorlands Court With the lifting of restrictions at last, we are slowly returning to normal at Moorlands Court – well, as normal as we possibly can be. The new easing of restrictions is a long overdue relief for our tenants and we can’t wait to resume all the usual activities in the communal area again. We have so many fun things planned: sing-a-long musical afternoons, quizzes, cinema evenings, games afternoons, day trips to local attractions, and even some party ponies are booked to visit in the late summer. Our Day Centre has continued since the last lockdown ended, but with restrictions in place. Now things have lifted we are planning lots of exciting activities for our Day Centre clients too and hope this will make their days more enjoyable. We had a summer party planned in mid-June which unfortunately had to be cancelled when restrictions were extended. It was such a disappointment as we had so much to celebrate. Denise, Moorlands Court manager had been working here for 40 years and Julie, one of our Team Leaders for 30 years. We did eventually celebrate in style on 19th July. We had delicious food prepared by our amazing kitchen staff and were entertained with music from Rennie, who played hits from years past. There was a little tipple to toast Denise and Julie’s long service too. One of our Team Leaders made an amazing chocolate and orange 70th cake see page 8, (to mark the combined years Denise and Julie have been at Moorlands) it was absolutely delicious and went down a treat.

continued on page 8

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Melbourn Mobile Warden Scheme Can we help you? Can we help a relative? Can we help a neighbour? Who does the Scheme help?

The tenants always enjoy a good sing-a-long and the summer party was a great way to catch up with old friends again in the communal lounge.

The scheme is open to the mobility impaired in Melbourn, Meldreth and Shepreth including those who live alone or with their families, but need the extra support offered by our services. Couples too are most welcome. It is also open to those in sheltered housing, as the scheme offers different, but complementary services. Note: The scheme also offers its services for short periods to cover the temporary absence of relatives who otherwise provide this support.

We offer help with: • Friendship and support via twice weekly visits and daily phone calls • Ordering and collection of prescriptions • Basic shopping • Collection of pensions • Setting up Lifeline service • Bereavement support • Going to the Post Office to pay your bills • Just coming round for a chat

What will it cost? We do have to make a small weekly charge for the warden’s services. The fee is only £7.50 per week (a little more for couples).

Jeannie Seers (Mobile Warden) 07808 735066 email: jeanseers13@gmail.com

Some of the tenants even enjoyed a little dance. It was such a lovely, relaxed afternoon and everyone had a great time.

Jane Cage (Deputy)

Denise Taylor – 40 years’ Service. When a 16-year-old schoolgirl started her first shift as a part time weekend carer back in 1981, she couldn’t possibly have imagined 40 years later she would still be here. The staff, the building, the residents/tenants,

Melbourn Warden Scheme

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07592 821976 email: janec55@virginmedia.com is a registered charity

and the role have changed massively, but Denise’s passion for the profession is still as strong as it was back then. Denise was attending Cambridge Regional College on a Pre-Nursing Course, and her part time role at Moorlands was to finance her studies. When her studies at CRC finished in 1983, she began working at the Old Mill Road Hospital in Cambridge as an Auxiliary Nurse. She quickly realised the job at the hospital wasn’t for her because she felt she had taken a step backwards. Her role at Moorlands gave her much more of a challenge, which she thrived on. She was providing hands-on care at Moorlands and the role allowed her to administer end of life care, medication, and other nursing tasks which the position at the hospital fell short of. She laughed and said, “I only lasted 2 weeks at the hospital because I loved Moorlands so much”. At this point, Denise decided to take a full-time position at Moorlands, with a view to gaining the necessary qualifications through on-the-job training and then returning to nursing in a higher grade at a later date. She loved her job and worked her way through all the necessary training offered. During this time, she met her husband and started a family. The care work provided Denise with a perfect family/work life balance and her original plan to return to nursing fell by the wayside. She took on a permanent night role and continued this arrangement while her children were young. In 1993 her hard work and fortitude paid off and she was offered the position of Assistant Manager. Her strong work ethic continued; she made the role her own and worked alongside the then Manager to grow the business. During this time CHS took over the overall running of the business from the Council and there were many new challenges ahead for Denise. By 2001 the role of Manager became vacant and once again Denise’s drive and determination were noticed and she was offered the role. Within a year of being in the post Denise managed to gain a coveted 3*, making Moorlands Court the highest rating the CQC grant. She was thriving in her new role and took on challenge after challenge to build Moorlands Court to a very successful and prosperous business. As part of her Managerial role, Denise made many changes to staffing. She was keen to ensure the residents were offered the 1st class care she expected. She built a very strong team and made many difficult

decisions but together they were making huge changes. In 2006 building work started on the current Moorlands Court and Denise oversaw it during the 2 years it took to build and fit out. She oversaw the change from Care Home to Extra Care with her usual vigour and thrived on yet another challenge. The switch from Care home to Extra Care wasn’t smooth by any means and Denise and her team worked exceptionally long hours to make the transition as smooth and pain free as it could possibly be for the residents of the “old” Moorlands to become tenants in the new building. She recalls the day the new Moorlands Court opened and how she walked all the residents from the old building into the new purpose-built building and all the emotions that day held. She laughed when she remembered that the lifts didn’t work, neither did the front doors and that she worked until almost midnight to make sure everyone was moved in and comfortable. Her hard work was worth it as within a few short weeks she saw her tenants come to love and flourish in their new surroundings.

The old Moorlands Court – photo by Francis Firth

The night before the old building was demolished the staff planned a ghost hunting party. Denise said it was such a fun night and one of the lasting memories of that night was being told to stand perfectly still and quiet in one of the old bedrooms and to listen … she almost fainted when someone jumped out of the wardrobe to scare her. Things have certainly changed during her time from part-time weekend carer to Extra Care Manager, but the drive and determination is still as strong as ever and we hope she will carry on for many years to come. Congratulations Denise. Julie Manning – 30 years’ Service Julie began her career when Moorlands was a Care Home. She started on a work experience placement while studying Child Care at Cambridge Regional College. Her plan was to gain work experience while studying and then begin a career in childcare after her studies ended. Her chosen career path took an unexpected detour when the country went into recession in the early 1990’s melbournmagazine@gmail.com

and finding a position in the childcare sector proved harder than anticipated. While deciding what to do, she spoke to the then Manager at Moorlands, who had a position available which she quickly offered to Julie. Julie had obviously made a very good impression during her work experience placement, because without an interview or any formal meetings she was offered the post and was soon back working in a profession she had a real vocation for. Julie told me she loved the work and being paid for it was an added bonus. She loved the interaction with the residents and quickly became a valuable member of the team. She said the laughter and fun the residents had in the old Moorlands was joyous and she never ever had the feeling of not wanting to come to work. She recalls tenants sitting around in the communal area and the staff all interacting with them and it being a really lovely atmosphere. When Julie first started at Moorlands, Denise Taylor – Extra Care Services Manager – was a Care Assistant and on Maternity leave, so the pair didn’t meet for a few months. On her return, the two ladies became friends which has continued to this day. Denise told me that between them they have notched up 70 years of service which, is quite astonishing. Julie was part of the original team when the “old” Moorlands was changing and the “new” Moorlands was being built. She worked hard to ensure all the residents settled into their new flats and became tenants in the new building. By the late 1990’s Julie had trained as an NVQ assessor and was responsible for the in-house training of all the staff, which she did alongside Denise. The pair were the first two staff members to gain their NVQ 2. Julie continued as a Care Assistant and worked a permanent night shift pattern for approximately 5 years. The hours suited her lifestyle at the time as she wasn’t living close by, but eventually the night shifts became a little tough and she decided it was time to go back to more conventional working hours. Julie told me her Granddad was once a tenant at Moorlands, which she remembers with fondness. Due to her length of service, she has found herself caring for the second generation of families. One of our current tenants’ mother was a previous resident at the old Moorlands, which her family must find quite comforting, and what an achievement for Julie. Over the years she has gained many friends through Moorlands and enjoys socialising with them outside of the working environment. As Denise progressed with the company, she tried on many occasions to persuade Julie to become a Team Leader which she avoided at every turn. Eventually

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Call Angie Rixon, business owner, to discuss your property rental needs. The Letting Centre (Cambridge) Ltd, 107 High Street, Melbourn, Nr Royston, Cambridgeshire. SG8 6HH. enquiries@letting-centre.co.uk www.letting-centre.co.uk Registered in England No. 4472384 VAT No. 700035112

Denise’s perseverance paid off and 5 years ago Julie was promoted to Team Leader. She laughed when she told me it was because of her fear of all things IT that prevented her from doing it sooner. She soon realised it wasn’t as bad as she feared and has picked it up with ease. Julie is a well-respected and valued member of staff. Her knowledge, compassion and professionalism make her someone the newer and younger members of staff aspire to; she is always available to help and guide them. Julie is a staff member who, if sliced in half, would have “Moorlands” running through her like a stick of Blackpool Rock. Moorlands and CHS Group are extremely lucky to have Julie as part of the team and I know the tenants here are all grateful for her care and commitment to them. Congratulations Julie. If you or a family member are looking for support with care needs, we may be able to help. Our services range from Meals on Wheels, cleaning, personal care and even a sitting service. At Moorlands Court itself we occasionally have properties available for assisted living. We also have meeting/conference rooms for hire with the option of in-house catering too. We will be more than happy to talk over your needs in more detail, so please give us a call and we can discuss what services we are able to help with, either in the community or at Moorlands Court. Please call 01763 260564 or alternatively e-mail Denise. taylor@chsgroup.org.uk

Community Support for Dementia We are delighted to say that our monthly Memory Cafes have resumed!! It has been tough for everyone during the everlasting lockdowns, in particular carers looking after vulnerable people, living with dementia. Sadly, during the lockdown, many of our Dementia Friends were shielded and unable to go out. We continued to support them by producing and delivering a ‘Weekly Activities Calendar’ with wordsearches, recipes, quizzes, colouring-in sheets, sunflower competition, crafts etc. We also delivered tea and cakes to them once a month on the dates when we should have been meeting for our Memory Café. We kept in contact via WhatsApp Chat and Zoom meetings and even held two Virtual Walks: ‘London at War’ and ‘Post War London’, delivered by Guide Russell of londonwalks.com. This proved very successful with the young and old. However, nothing beats human contact and conversation. So as soon as it was safe to do so, we started our Memory Cafés with ‘Afternoon Teas’,

donated by Arlington Manor Care Home, Girton, ‘Flower Arranging’ funded and demonstrated by volunteers Vicky, Barry and Lesley, a visit by the Ice Cream van, giving everyone a ‘99’ cornet to enjoy and ‘Bingo’ delivered by our Dementia Champion, Lea-Ann Smith. Volunteers from the Melbourn Timebank helped in many ways: – collecting and delivering the afternoon teas; setting up the tables/chairs and helping to serve tea and coffees. Dates in the diary for September are: » Tuesday 7th September – Garden Tour, Coffee/Tea and Cake at Madingley Hall, Cambridge » Saturday 18th September – Memory Café and Afternoon Tea, Meldreth Village Hall » Saturday 25th September – Memory Café and Macmillan Coffee Afternoon at Margaret House, Barley, to include tombola, book exchange and magic table We plan to have a maximum of four social gatherings per month, each providing a different stimulus i.e., Music, Magic Tables, Pet Therapy, Crafts, Bingo etc, all accompanied with tea and cakes!! We are in discussions with two other venues and hope to be able to confirm details when Covid restrictions allow. The organisations and people who have supported us to date are: Dementia Champions – Lea-Ann Smith, Claire Uwins MBE and Samantha Adby; Melbourn Parish Council; Arlington Manor Care Home, Girton; Margaret House Care Home, Barley; Melbourn Timebank; Dementia training: Chris Elsey, Forget me not Training; Community Volunteers: Vicky Deville, Maria Stapleton, Joan Price, Stef Cooper; The Hub, Melbourn; Melbourn Springs Care Home. Community Support for Dementia is funded by fundraising events such as quiz nights, sports tournaments, clothes sales etc and we are fortunate to have received money from Melbourn Parish Council as part of the Community Grant scheme. If you are a carer, family member, or are ‘living with dementia’ and would like to join us at any of our Memory Cafés or associated activities, please contact us for details. Davina Biswell, 07961 574104, davinabiswell@gmail.com Stephanie Trayhurn, 07710 198299, Stephanie@traykyps. com

Home-Start Community Engagement in a Time of Covid In the face of lockdowns, restrictions, and the uncertainty of future events, Home-Start has been busy with a series of community activities around the area. While we’re gearing up for the next few months of fundraising activities, here’s a quick review of what we’ve been up to recently. melbournmagazine@gmail.com

Esse

in aid of

The

Royston Community Garden The community garden at Royston Tesco was suffering from a year’s worth of neglect, having been closed for the last 12 months. Home-Start volunteers helped to restore the garden, making it once again a fabulous resource for local groups and families. Walking Markets in Melbourn, Buntingford and Meldreth Did you spot our stall at the walking markets in Meldreth, Melbourn and Buntingford? It felt great to be out and about again – meeting lots of different people and being able to tell them about the work of Home-Start and how we are supporting families in their villages. WomenSing Choir Home-Start supporter Linda Bance, and her wonderful community Choir “WomenSing,” have continued to meet on Zoom all through the lockdowns, and the members have generously donated their choir fees to Home-Start. Linda has also organised two raffles – one at Christmas and one at Easter – with all proceeds coming to Home-Start. Thank you so much! Kelly’s Cake Kitchen Over the Easter holidays, we teamed up with Kelly of ‘Kelly’s Cake Kitchen’ (https://kellyscakekitchen. co.uk/) to run a family-friendly bake-along. Kelly hosted a live Facebook event to go along with our cookie ingredients packs, for families to create some yummy Easter cookies with her help and guidance. So tasty! RBN and MBN We are delighted to be part of the Royston and Melbourn Business Network meetings. Through these excellent local business networks we have: signed up a new trustee; received donations “in kind;” received offers of support for us at future fundraising events and been made aware of funding opportunities. All RBN and MBN meetings have been via Zoom since March 2020. These virtual meetings have offered such practical and emotional support during these difficult times, and we can’t wait until we can all get back to seeing each other face-to-face. Finally, we would like to extend a huge THANK YOU to: Tesco Extra Royston; Co-op Melbourn; One Stop Shop Meldreth; Fieldgate Nurseries Meldreth; Bury Lane Farm Shop Melbourn; and Leech’s Butchers Melbourn. These local stores have been extremely generous, kindly donating items for our fundraising activities. We are so delighted at the help we receive from our local businesses: their support is invaluable to us, and we really cannot express how grateful we are.

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What’s happening next? We have an action-packed autumn lined up, starting with the Buntingford Car Show on the 4th September, then a Literary Lunch on the 30th. In October we’re launching our team marathon, (get together with a group of friends a run a collective 26 miles for charity) and in November we’ve got the Esse Fashion Show. In the meantime, why not take part in our online escape game experience “Escape St Margaret’s Island”? Play together with friends and family, search the island for clues, solve the puzzles and escape – before the tide comes in! All our events are on our website (www.hsrsc. org.uk) and we’re looking forward to seeing you at an event soon!

Fashion Show 2021

Tuesday 16th November

Esse, Station Road, Melbourn, SG8 6DX

From 7.30pm until late Beautiful clothes and fun accessories Perfect gifts and little treasures

Tickets: £12 with a FREE glass of wine To book call 01763 262262 Email admin@hsrsc..org.uk Or visit www.hsrsc.org.uk/events

HOME-START ROYSTON, BUNTINGFORD & SOUTH CAMBRIDGESHIRE

Children's Kite Design Competition For children under 11 years

AGE CATEGORIES: UNDER 3 YEARS 3 TO 5-YEAR-OLDS 6 TO 8-YEAR-OLDS 9 TO 11-YEAR-OLDS

Design your kite on a piece of A4 paper or card (NB: don't forget to put your child's name and age, parent's name and telephone number on the back). Post or drop in your entry to our office by 29th July Home-Start Royston, Buntingford & South Cambs, Unit 6, Valley Farm, Station Road, Meldreth, SG8 6JP

The SUN Network The SUN Network are a non-profit organisation with an

office base in Huntingdon, working across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. We amplify the voices of those who have lived experiences of different challenges, including mental health, addiction, domestic and/or sexual abuse, who are in the criminal justice system or homelessness. Eating disorder referrals have increased recently. In response to this, our funders asked us to produce some leaflets and posters about eating disorders, which will complement the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Eating Disorder service. We co-produced this work by working together with individuals who have experienced eating disorders and carers/families of loved ones that

WWW.HSRSC.ORG.UK

have had eating disorders, to produce two information leaflets to include myths and truths and top tips. These two leaflets (one for carers/families and one for the person experiencing an eating disorder) have since been shared nationally as a best practice guide and distributed to different NHS trusts throughout the country as a helpful resource guide. You can access these leaflets here: https://linktr.ee/ SUNnetworkEatingDisorderInfo. The information is free, and the service information is specific to Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. At The SUN Network, we value the power of lived experience and are always looking for innovative and empowering ways to involve people in our work. We believe that co-produced information and services can be more beneficial to those that use or access it, and also to the providers, as it increases the likelihood of getting it right first time. Have you had your own experience of any of the challenges listed above? Would you like to be involved in sharing your experience in a meaningful and empowering way that could improve services for yourself and others? Or are you creative and have ideas on how to challenge stigma or raise awareness? If the answer is yes to either of these, we would love to hear from you. Please get in touch via our email enquiries@ sunnetwork.org.uk or text/call/WhatsApp 07712 358 172 or find and follow us on our social medias @ SUNnetworkcambs.

What’s On @ Melbourn Child and Family Zone Welcome to our Child & Family Centres. Our aim is to support you and your family as your children grow, especially through these challenging times. We are located on Mortlock Street, adjacent to Melbourn Primary School. Mini Movers For mobile babies aged around 9–18 months, focusing on activities that encourage physical development. Mondays 10.00 to 11.00am Stay and Play Stay and play session for children from around 10 months or walking. Thursdays 10.00 to 11.00am Baby Group For parents of pre-mobile babies. Meet other parents and access support and advice from the Child and Family Centre team. Thursdays 1.00 to 2.00pm

Booking is essential for all of our sessions and spaces are limited. Please call email ChildAndFamilyCentre. South@cambridgeshire.gov.uk or message us on Facebook to book spaces Please Note… Due to the current situation, some groups may have been suspended or reinstated. Please check our Facebook page or email us for more up to date information For further information: Email: ChildAndFamilyCentre.South@ cambridgeshire.gov.uk Facebook: search for South Cambridgeshire Child and Family Centres Instagram: @childandfamilycentre.south Youtube: Cambridgeshire Child and Family Centres

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Changing attitudes by education

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Do you consider yourself to be a good driver or motorcycle rider? Advanced driver and rider training is for the young or old, inexperienced or those who have been driving or riding for years. What is advanced driving and riding? Advanced driving and riding is about HAZARD management. Virtually all road traffic collisions and incidents are caused by driver (or rider) error with the driver (or rider) not being able to deal correctly with the HAZARD encountered. In our region the five most common causes of fatalities on the roads are using a mobile phone whilst driving, excessive and inappropriate speed, drunk/drug driving, not wearing a seat belt and distraction at the wheel. In the last year four people have been jailed in our region for causing a road fatality whilst using a mobile phone. What is a Hazard? There are fundamentally three types of HAZARD: 1 Physical Features such as roundabouts, junctions, bends, crests and the condition of the road surface, etc. 2 Other Road Users such as vehicle drivers, motorcyclists, cyclists, pedestrians, horse riders, animals, etc. 3 Weather Conditions such as rain, sun, ice, fog, snow, microclimates on bridges or under trees or shaded areas etc. RoADARC is a club where members are trained to recognise and manage HAZARDS using the System of Car Control as taught to police drivers. For an annual membership fee of £10.00 you can be coached in advanced driving (or riding) and will be encouraged to take the RoSPA Advanced Driving Test. If you just want to be coached but not take the test, then that is fine also. RoADARC’s mission is to promote safer driving. Contact us by email at info@roadarc.org.uk or visit our website at www.roadarc.org.uk for further details. This issue’s top tips: Never drive so fast that you cannot stop safely within the distance you can see to be clear on your own side of the road (Highway Code Rule 126). Be seen: Be safe – in poor light conditions use dipped headlights as they are better than sidelights or daylight running lights. Always drive with a 2 second gap between you and the vehicle in front (allow considerably more in adverse road or weather conditions) (Highway Code article 126). Not sure how long 2 seconds is? Then recite “Only a fool ignores the 2 second rule”. If you cannot recite that from when the vehicle in front passes a fixed point and you pass that same fixed point, then you are driving too close.

• • •

Bloomsday Celebrated in Melbourn The founders of Melbourn’s Bloomsday Celebration Group came together on Bloomsday:16 June to pay tribute to world famous writer James Joyce and his great novel ‘Ulysses’. First published in 1922, the action of the novel is spread across one entire day, 16th June 1904. It follows a Hungarian Jew, Leopold Bloom, throughout his working day, walking around Dublin, selling advertising space and chasing up accounts. A sort of Everyman character, he is matched by Joyce’s equally famous fictional creation, his wife Marion (Molly) Bloom, a local opera singer. Bloomsday Group Coordinator Hugh Pollock said: “Bloomsday: 16th June is celebrated in countries and regions across the world wherever great novels are read. Readers come together for fun – usually wearing June 1904 outfits – and celebrate with public talks, film, readings and re-enactments all drawn from famous scenes in the novel. Founded in 2015, our small Group have done this annual celebration to promote the work of WaterAid. Given the Covid times we are living in, we decided to meet without any readings, re-enactments or June 1904 outfits over a simple Bloomsday Lunch, and remember “Absent Friends”. These included Leopold Bloom himself, those absent through Covid, or those absent by living far away in dire poverty, with Covid rampant and their community still relying on WaterAid projects to provide safe clean water. In the novel, a tired and hungry Bloom seeking lunch enters Davy Byrne’s pub (still standing today in Dublin so check it online!) where he famously orders ‘a gorgonzola cheese sandwich and a glass of burgundy’. He chats with Davy Byrne and fellow customers about the headlines in his propped up paper, particularly that day’s Ascot Gold Cup.

Milly Bloom’s greeting sent on a postcard to the Bloom family home at Dublin’s 7 Eccles Street from her first job away.

He also reflects on life passing and his absent daughter Milly, in her first job working away from home, whose postcard had arrived that morning. Then leaving his belongings – bowler hat, reading glasses, propped up newspaper and Milly’s handwritten postcard – he famously pops out to the Gents. If you are able today to remember “absent friends” and the vital work of WaterAid which goes on through this Covid pandemic then please do so. You can donate direct to WaterAid via the online form at www.wateraid.org/ uk/donate. Cheque or bank transfer also welcomed – to arrange call the Supporter Care Team on 020 7793 4594. Hugh Pollock, Co-ordinator Melbourn Bloomsday Celebration Group

Relate Cambridge Cycling 200 miles to thank local charity Relate Cambridge for life-changing work A client of Relate Cambridge has cycled 200 miles in one day to raise money for the charity after visiting them for counselling sessions which he describes as “transformative”. Local man Alex Devereux decided to give back in recognition of Relate Cambridge’s lifechanging work after realising the charity receives no government support.

Leopold Bloom has left his famous lunch and a propped up Royston Crow in Davy Byrne’s pub on 16 June 1904 and gone out to the Gents. melbournmagazine@gmail.com

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Jan & Matt wanted to show thanks to their hospital, “Leaving a gift in a will is just something we can do so easily.” email wills@act4addenbrookes.org.uk

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Alex sought support through Relate Cambridge in 2019 after a string of unhealthy relationships left him feeling hopeless, and he worried that history would repeat itself the next time he entered into a romantic relationship. He received weekly counselling sessions for over a year, and found them incredibly helpful: “Through my counsellor’s guidance I managed to unpack a lot of the baggage that I was holding onto from past relationships and a lot of the things that contributed to a low selfimage”, describes Alex. Relate is widely known for couples counselling. Yet the charity also works with a range of clients, including those who attend sessions solo, for example after the breakdown of a relationship, as was the case for Alex. In addition, Relate Cambridge also offers family counselling, children and young people’s counselling and psychosexual therapy. Alex was therefore surprised to learn that Relate receives no government funding and is funded through client fees and donations. After experiencing the fantastic work that Relate Cambridge does first hand, he wanted to give back and raise some funds as a way to say thank you. In

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true Cambridge fashion he decided upon a bike ride. Having previously cycled 100 miles for charity, he felt he could double the distance over the course of a day. And Alex did exactly that: from dawn until dusk he cycled 20 mile loops until he’d covered the 200 miles. Alex has raised over £400 in donations and Gift Aid and Relate Cambridge could not be more grateful. Claire Godward, Centre Director at Relate Cambridge says: “It’s donations like Alex’s that enable Relate Cambridge to subsidise sessions for those who cannot afford professional counselling otherwise. We are so grateful to Alex and it’s lovely that he has been a client and knows just how much the counselling sessions can transform someone’s life.” Alex’s time at Relate has since enabled him to feel confident with new relationships: “I can honestly say that the time I spent at Relate was transformative and I am now in a very healthy, balanced and fulfilling relationship”. To hear more about Alex’s experience with Relate Cambridge, you can listen to Alex’s podcast ‘break the mould’. He interviewed Claire and Annie from Relate to discuss his positive counselling experience while he also finds out more about Relate Cambridge and what they do. You can listen to it on Spotify: bit.ly/relatespotify or Buzzsprout: bit.ly/ relatebuzzsprout If you would like to find out more about Relate Cambridge, visit: www.relatecambridge.org.uk For all media enquiries contact Amy Kong on 01302 347712 or admin@relatecambridge.org.uk

Melbourn Parish Council Clerk’s Report At the time of writing, Covid restrictions have largely been lifted. Please see our website or Facebook page for details of how these changes will affect Parish Council meetings. Meeting venues are always published on the relevant Agenda. A project to replace the boardwalk in Stockbridge Meadows is underway. Stockbridge Meadows is a bit of a hidden gem and it can be difficult to gauge the number of visitors to the area. If you visit the nature reserve, we would like to hear from you to help us build a picture as to how Stockbridge Meadows is used and enjoyed by local people. Our resident litterpicker (although he does so much more than just pick litter), is moving on from Melbourn. Tim Stebbing has been a true local hero when it comes to keeping our village clean and tidy. Thank you, Tim, for all your efforts – we shall miss you and we wish you well. We are delighted that the Hub is to re-open for business on Monday, 9 August. Although the building has hardly been quiet during the building works, we have really missed the ‘buzz’ of the Hub Café and are very much looking forward to it re-opening. Claire Littlewood, Parish Clerk

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feature

Good Luck, Bad Luck and the Evil Eye

We all know of lucky objects or sayings and use them without thinking. We have horseshoes on the outside doors, upside down of course as we don’t want the luck to run out. And with unlucky things and sayings, a single magpie is momentarily alarming! In this country we are not so aware of the evil eye fortunately. Luck, good or bad, is a matter of chance. Various items are said to help with receiving good luck, such as carrying a four-leaved clover, a rabbit’s foot, horseshoe etc. The horseshoe must be open end up, so that the luck does not run out. Knocking on wood when hoping for something is also widespread. Horse brasses, still used at country shows etc, help ensure good luck. Similar beliefs are held in many countries. Bad luck can be caused by many things, such as: getting into bed on the wrong side, opening an umbrella indoors, seeing magpies, (one for sorrow, two for joy, three for a girl, four for a boy), breaking a mirror brings seven years bad luck, numbers such as thirteen, or four in China, Japan and Korea, walking under a ladder, putting shoes on a table. There are many other regional suspicions – putting your clothes on inside out for example. The Evil Eye is a belief from several parts of the world, particularly the Middle East, Mediterranean and IndoEurope, and was unknown in much of the Southern Hemisphere until brought in by European cultures. It

originated in Mesopotamia around 5,000 years ago, although it may have existed in the Palaeolithic era. The real ‘evil’ done by the Evil Eye is that it causes living things to ‘dry up’, notably babies, lactating animals, nursing mothers, young fruit trees, withering of fruit in orchards and loss of potency in men. It is believed to have originated in Sumer, in ancient times, acknowledged by Arabs, Jews and Christians. It spread to India, then west to Spain and Portugal, north to Scandinavia and Britain and eventually south into North Africa. The Evil Eye is mentioned in the Old Testament. In Proverbs 23 v6. ‘Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thee his dainty meat.’ Possibly the 10th Commandment is referring to the Evil Eye when it says ‘Covet not your neighbour’s ox, nor his ass etc;’ The early Jewish Christians believed in ‘ayin ha’ra’ or the evil eye, and protected babies, the colour red being commonly used for this purpose. Referring to the belief that the evil eye is related to dryness or loss of fluids, Jewish folk belief says that fish are immune to the evil eye as they are covered in water. The results of the evil eye are, almost everywhere it exists, said to occur as an accidental side-effect of envy, or praise. In old English it is known as ‘overlooking’ (implying that the gaze has remained focussed on the object for too long). If a woman with no children praises another woman’s child, that child is likely to fall ill with vomiting and diarrhoea, caused by envy on the childless woman’s part. Mothers will often put a mark on the baby’s face, so that it cannot be said to be perfect. It is said that Socrates may have possessed the evil eye, as his disciples remarked on his glaring eyes. There are, of course, protective talismans and cures. In Turkey there are concentric circles of blue and white, found on Turkish aircraft, on vehicles and houses, or worn as beads. Horses and donkeys wear turquoise beads, especially in the Sub Continent. Blue eyes are also found on the Hamsa hand, a hand shaped amulet, known as the Hand of Fatimah by Muslims and the hand of Miriam by Jews. Ann Dekkers melbournmagazine@gmail.com

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Foxton Scarecrow Festival Saturday 9 October from 12.00 We will be holding our popular, well-loved Scarecrow Festival once again this year on Saturday 9 October, to raise funds for St Laurence Church, Foxton. Please put this date in your diary so you can come along and join us for some scarecrow fun!

As in previous years, you’ll be able to wander through Foxton village from one scarecrow to another and join in with the various fundraising activities along the way, including a children’s quiz and ‘Where’s Wally?’ Will you be able to find this special scarecrow, hidden somewhere in the village? We welcome you to stop at various venues around the village for refreshments such as bacon butties, home-made soup or tea and cakes. This fun event for all ages will finish in the Church with prize giving, raffle draw and a performance by Foxton Singers. Programmes will be available on the day from the Church, the Village Hall and the Village Shop, Foxton. More details will be available nearer the time, but for further information, contact us at foxtonscarecrow@gmail.com. In Life Change Will Come Change at hand Whether we will or no Can come in life A zephyr breeze Or a blow. A thick ear From the blue Mind your tongue It gets you into trouble A lesson in life. Early at school To meet and handle The playground bully With guile Not fist Duck and weave Dodge the blows of life Time on your side Change will come. by Ray Pritchard

The Great British Sewing Bee The BBC programme ‘The Great British Sewing Bee available’ on BBC iPlayer has had a huge impact on Creations Store UK a local shop next to Philimore Garden Centre in Melbourn. For those who have not seen it the programme follows a group of contestants who undergo a pattern challenge, a reworking garment challenge and finally making up a personal design challenge to the weekly theme, alongside the comic chat from Joe Lycett and the slightly more acerbic critique of the judges. The owner Heidi Clark was particularly intrigued when she was asked for fabric suitable for Paperbag shorts six times over two days having never been asked before. It is no coincidence that they were featured the previous evening. Only yesterday inspired by the sewing bee a young girl came into the shop to show the staff a fabulous pair of dungarees she has made. The show is inspiring new generations of talented dressmakers. The youngest to date has been a seven-year-old boy who is making scrunchies for his friends. The staff all get quite excited when they see a fabric being used by a contestant on the show that we sell. Creations Store UK has been extending the range massively since opening increasing dress and quilting fabrics along with haberdashery and yarn. During lockdown lots of customers were contacting Heidi, desperate to have something to keep themselves occupied and so she started posting and delivering fabric, wools, embroidery silks etc. She quickly realised that despite the damage lockdown was inflicting on retail she had something that had potential to help people cope with isolation and loneliness. The other interesting development was that many people took the opportunity to significantly improve their surroundings with the use of the amazing Frenchic paint, as decisions were taken to upcycle kitchens, gardens, and various furniture pieces. I think one benefit of lockdown is that people have found time to discover the joy in creation be it sewing, knitting, macrame, diy etc.. Programs like the Sewing Bee highlight just how many incredibly talented people there are, it seems to be inspiring a new generation of sewing talent! In the current climate of stress and anxiety we feel that Creations Store UK offers our customers some respite. The opportunity to be truly immersed in a project to rediscover old skills and develop new ones, to make new friends together sharing the magic of creativity; Creations Store UK has become a ‘go to’ destination. Creations Store UK is at Phillimore Garden Centre and open between 10am and 4pm. Telephone 01763 268686

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Travelogue

Travelling The Chinese Stretch Of The Silk Road North – South links to India For the last stretch of my journey I turned South between the peaks of the Pamir and Karakorum ranges along the Karakorum highway. This has been an important route, possibly stretching back to the Neolithic period, as recent excavations of a thriving trading hub at Bannu (Pakistan) have indicated. The construction of these routes by kingdoms was essential for effective trade and revenues, but also a symbolic act of imperial power, often with impressive arches to mark the entrance to their territory and a point to collect customs duties. However, the duties meant extensive smuggling and also brigand attacks were a constant danger. Local tribesmen could sweep down from the hills and disappear again easily. They needed large amounts of horses etc. for their own use due to losses from battles and disease. They could also sell the goods and animals stolen. This activity enabled these people to transform their economies from subsistence pastoralism to agriculture and trade. Proper highway construction was started by the British in 1827 to connect Hindustan to Tibet and to try and control the tribal warlords of what is now Afghanistan, but it was abandoned. In 1959 China and Pakistan started work on this route again, calling it ‘The Friendship Route’, finishing in 1979. It is part of INSTC the International North South Trade Corridor and also China’s 2013 ‘One Belt One Road’ initiative (silk route echoes), linking about 70 countries.

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Above: Mountain glaciers along the route

It is one of the highest paved roads in the world, some say the eighth wonder of the world. However, it is difficult to maintain due to the stream of heavy trucks on fragile terrain, with constant erosion, falling rocks and fractures caused by a temperature differential from below zero to 45°C. I had a bumpy ride! However, it was worth it as the views between gaps in the mountains were spectacular and we eventually reached a ‘magical land’: Tashgorgan, nestled between Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Pakistan. The transition was enchanting, like entering a fairy tale. Suddenly there was lush grass, grazing yaks and horses and extensive orchards full of ripe fruit. One almost expected to see a unicorn leap from behind a rock. It reminded me of a favourite T.S Eliot poem: The Journey of the Magi: A cold coming we had of it, Just the worst time of the year For a journey, and such a long journey: Then at dawn we came down to a temperate valley, Wet, below the snow line, smelling of vegetation; With a running stream and a water-mill beating the darkness, And three trees on the low sky, And an old white horse galloped away in the meadow The area is nestled between the Karakorum (South East), Hindu Kush (South West) and Pamir (North West) mountain ranges, so there are spectacular views

on all sides. The town is built on a high, steep hill, which further enhances the views. It was a major hub, with routes leading through the mountain passes to India to the South, Kashgar to the North leading onto Persia and Russia to the North West. To the West there was Wakhan in current Afghanistan and to the East was Yechengin in China. Xuanzang, who we have met before, the monk who travelled the silk routes from China to India in search of Buddhist scriptures, passed through around 650 CE and remarked on the impressive Buddhist buildings with tall towers. Unfortunately, there are no excavated remains of these. As well as being a major international trading hub it was also a market in its own right, selling locally produced fruit from its extensive orchards together with sheep and associated wool products, particularly carpets. It was the capital of the Puli Kingdom, and around 1 CE needed a solid defensive structure: the impressive stone tower from which its name derives. It may have been the stone tower mentioned in Ptolemy’s Geography (140 CE), marking the mid-point between Europe and China, (although there are other possible sites). The tower controlled access to routes from all directions. As well as the stone tower is the ‘princess’ castle, derived from a story about a princess who became pregnant by an enigmatic stranger while being kept on a high rock to protect her from local civil war. Her son became a powerful ruler forming the dynasty that was still in power at the time of Xuanzang’s visit. The story was still being told in 1921 when the explorer Stein visited.

Above: Tashgorgan City

There is a small museum in the city with interesting artefacts, including a mummy found in the dry surrounding area. From Tashkorgan I returned to Kashgar and then flew into Tibet carrying with me thoughts of those ancient travellers who would have had a much more strenuous and dangerous journey along the various routes from Tashkorgan into Tibet along branches of this part of the silk route. I also dream of following their travels West from Kashgar along the routes to Iran. Bruce Huet Below: Tashkorgan landscape with watermill

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What a year we have all had! If I thought the 2019-2020 school year was a marathon for which I had not trained, then the 2020-2021 definitely beats it in the ‘challenge’ stakes – it has felt more like an ‘ironman challenge’ with a blindfold on and my hands tied behind my back! The autumn term saw us successfully implement our bubbles, oneway systems, strict hand washing and cleaning regimes and many other COVID-19 safety measures. We were then brought to an abrupt halt by the rather chaotic closure of the country’s schools on 4th January – and what frustration that brought. The national lockdown meant that we had to launch our home learning provision. This was something we had planned, reflecting on lessons learnt during the first lockdown, but hoped we would not need. We remain in awe of how our families coped during this time. Thankfully, the children were all able to return to school in March and have completed the year in school! I cannot find the words to describe the happiness finishing the year together brings. The challenge this year has been keeping the school open. We have not had a single day with a full complement of staff. Every day has been a juggling act of covering and re-deploying staff where it has been ‘COVID secure’ to do so. The staff have been amazingly tolerant of changes and the pressures this caused. Together, we have made it to the end of the race. We are proud that we only had to close one class for one day in September and only one bubble burst!

There is much to be proud of The wonderful children

• Their resilience – they have been awesome! They have shown grit and • • •

determination in their approach to learning, whether in school or at home. The positive relationships they have maintained – what joy they exuded when reunited with their friends. It has been heart-warming to watch their smiles as they have reconnected. Their care for each other – they have kept to all of our rules and safety measures to collectively keep each other safe. Their appreciation for education – they missed school and regularly talk about how they are enjoying being back in school. continued on page 27 melbournmagazine@gmail.com

feature Open Eco Homes

Open Eco Homes challenges you to future-proof your home during autumn tours and talks FOR the twelfth year running Open Eco Homes invites you to join their autumn series of free talks and tours in Cambridgeshire. Open Eco Homes (OEH) invites you inside local eco home-retrofits and new-builds in Cambridgeshire and offers expert-led talks to support you to improve your own home. This autumn the focus will be on supporting people to get started with their home eco projects, by getting expert advice to create a whole house plan or starting small with some ‘easy win’ actions such as draught-proofing or moving to a green energy supplier. Cambridge Carbon Footprint Manager, Alana Sinclair, says: “Retrofitting our housing to be more energy efficient is critical to achieving the UK’s climate targets and will be a key focus for policy makers in the coming years. “At Open Eco Homes visitors have the opportunity to see the latest technologies and solutions in situ, in beautiful, comfortable homes. On the tours visitors have the opportunity to speak to and learn from those homeowners who have done it before, and on the talks they can get their questions answered by local experts. “There are no vested interests, just straightforward honest advice. It’s perfect for anyone who has ever wondered what it would take to make their own home cosier, more comfortable and better for the environment.” This year there will be eight different homes available to tour and five expert-led talks. Andy and his family will be offering a tour of their new eco home. Built from the ground up with sustainability in mind it is largely carbon positive to run, exporting considerably more energy than it uses. Andy says: “Our previous home was a narrowboat and, while we loved our boat, it was the right time for somewhere bigger. After the boat we didn’t feel like moving into a conventional house. When we stumbled across a building plot in 2017 that we liked we just thought ‘why not’?” OEH host Shaun, offering a tour of his 1960’s semi, says: “Our retrofit has made a huge difference to our overall standard of living: reducing pollen, dust and the frequency of cleaning; completely eliminating mould; almost no car and hot water running cost; heating only four months a year; no energy cost from home working; and the house is

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perfect for drying wet clothes indoors (no tumble dryer needed). I could go on…”. This year there is also a unique opportunity to tour one of only a few eco-retrofitted churches. Downing Place URC and halls now have solar panels, secondary glazing for the stained-glass windows, mechanical ventilation with heat recovery in the smaller rooms and more. In addition to the tours, the five talks will cover a range of themes including embodied carbon, home ventilation and smart electric homes. Talks will be led by expert speakers and current and former hosts, including Mark Brinkley, former OEH host and author of the Housebuilder’s Bible. The Open Eco Homes programme of tours and talks will take place between Monday 13th September and Friday 15th October. Visit cambridgecarbonfootprint.org/what-youcan-do/open-eco-homes-events/ to find out more and register to attend. Open Eco Homes is a project of the charity Cambridge Carbon Footprint.

The wonderful staff • Their commitment to our children and their hard work in providing a quality home learning provision whilst also teaching children in school. • Their personal sacrifice in ensuring that all health and safety measures have been followed– they have taken on additional responsibilities in cleaning surfaces at lunchtimes and supervising children in their break / non-contact times. • Their flexibility and creativity in making school work with reduced staffing levels. • Their collaboration to ensure that our children could have as ‘normal’ a year as possible by providing a rich and varied curriculum. The wonderful parents • Their partnership with us in educating their children throughout another lockdown – they did an amazing job. • Their acceptance of our many health and safety measures, from one-way systems to mask wearing and staggered starts to name a few. • Their adapting to our new ways of working for example Zoom parent consultations and meetings. • Their regular encouragement to us with smiles, warm greetings and supportive comments and emails. So, as we close the door on this ‘ironman challenge’, exhausted and eager for normality to return, there is much to celebrate. I will remember the 2020-2021 academic year as the year the whole school community shone and shone brightly. We will be ready and raring to tackle whatever 2021-2022 brings – fingers crossed that this time I won’t be blindfolded or have my hands tied behind my back! Stephanie Wilcox (Headteacher)

Melbourn Village College MVC pupils came back after Easter, focused and ready to learn with a very positive attitude. They continued wearing face coverings in lessons and communal areas until 17th May when these measures were lifted, although other mitigations, such as year group bubbles, hand washing, social distancing and the one-way system remained in place. We are grateful to parents/carers for their support of these measures and encouraging pupils to do regular lateral flow testing and record the results. Although progression to the next stage out of Covid restrictions was delayed until 19 July 2021, staff and pupils continued to test twice-weekly and student bubbles stayed in place until the end of the school year. We have been very impressed with pupils’ maturity and compliance with these arrangements.

We continued to support pupil mental health and wellbeing in school with various interventions, including: weekly tutor time aimed at promoting wellbeing, talks from MACK (Motivation, Aspiration, Confidence, Knowledge) about coping with stress and anxiety, and sessions from ‘Directional CIC’ on being positive, reflecting on skills and thinking about the future. In addition, the pastoral team have been on hand to provide individual support. In May, MVC subject leaders met with their colleagues across the Trust to look at the exam board assessment materials and to finalise the assessment arrangements. Year 11s have worked very hard, even during the lockdown, and coped well with the assessments. On their last day in school we held a ‘leavers’ event’ with a bouncy castle and ice cream on the back field, as well as the traditional shirt-signing. They will also have a Yearbook packed with wonderful memories of their time at MVC. We wish them all the best for GCSE results day on 12th August 2021. Twenty-Six Y11 pupils were the first at MVC to take the full Mandarin GCSE test paper. This marks 5 years since Mr Fan became the first Mandarin teacher at MVC and in the whole of Cambridgeshire. The number of pupils choosing to take Mandarin GCSE continues to rise year on year, and we have just appointed our third Mandarin teacher. From September Mr Fan will also be working with Comberton Sixth Form to offer A-level Mandarin there. The success of Cambridgeshire’s first in-school GCSE Mandarin course has been shared on different platforms such as the Times Educational Supplement, the British Council, the Institute of Education and even BBC News. At MVC, pupils not only learn Mandarin as a language, but also experience Chinese culture. We offer all kinds of opportunities, including the Beijing exchange programme, a visiting English experience for Chinese students and an MEP trip to China. In 2021, the MEP team worked hard with partners in China to provide a virtual visit for Year 9 and 10, which included different online activities such as Panda Zoo, Winter Olympics, and a live visit to Beijing and Chendu. They also performed online for a music festival and had live talks with Chinese children. We were delighted that three of our year 11 pupils (Daisy, Ed and Ryan) won the prestigious Cambridge and District Secondary Schools Sports Association Roy Burrell Awards for performing at a high level throughout their time at MVC, receiving recognition at District level and beyond. Ryan and Ed are linked with Norwich City and Histon Football Clubs, while Daisy has represented Cambridge and County at swimming. Samuel (Y8) made it through to final stage of the 2021 British Council Mandarin Speaking Competition together with eight melbournmagazine@gmail.com

Moorlands Court

Local Community Services ü Homecare – our fully trained carers visit you in your home. ü Sitting service – a visit from our experienced staff gives family carers time for themselves. ü Day Centre – based at Moorlands Court, with a friendly and sociable atmosphere and includes a tasty 2 course lunch. ü Meals service – nutritious, hot lunchtime meal delivered to you. ü 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.melbourncambridge.co.uk

pupils from different schools across the country. This is a fantastic achievement. Congratulations also go to Tom and Josh (Y9) for achieving their certificates in the UK Maths Challenge. Year 11 Fine Art pupils exhibited their work online this year when Covid restrictions prevented the exhibition being hosted at The Plough in Shepreth. We hope to hold the exhibition at The Plough again next year and appreciate the support we have received from them for many years, allowing the local community to see MVC pupils’ artwork in such a professional setting. This year, however, every final piece of art has been framed and displayed in the main corridor of the school and, to give the amazing work a wider audience, the Art Department has turned the work into a virtual exhibition, which can be viewed via the college website: www.melbournvc.org/ news/article/MVC-Virtual-Art-Exhibition-2021. The MVC Eco Group has been going from strength to strength over the last two years. Last year, we installed seven new water fountains with bottle refilling facilities as result of funding from the South Cambridgeshire District Council Zero Carbon Emissions Community Grant. Pupils from the Eco Group were delighted to meet Anthony Browne, MP for South Cambridgeshire, when he visited the school at the end of July. They told him how they have been inspired by a talk from Birgitta

Laurent, recycling co-ordinator for South Cambs, to introduce recycling points for empty crisp packets, used pens and board markers around the school. They have been ‘greening-up’ the school by adding pot plants inside and some pollinator-friendly plants outside – all kindly donated by the local community. Other changes include ‘tweaking’ the grass cutting plan and leaving the hedge boundary to grow long to help wildlife and pollinating insects. From September, the Eco Group has lots in the pipeline such as introducing ‘Meat-free Mondays’ in the canteen and enjoying the ‘wildflower meadow’ that has been planted at the edge of the field. There are also plans to set up an Eco Committee to work towards an EcoSchool Green Flag Award for Melbourn VC. We are looking forward to welcoming our new year 7 pupils in September. They will benefit from our new iPad leasing scheme. Parents have been asked for voluntary contributions, but the school will cover insurance, a case, screen protector, technical support in school hours and a range of apps managed and provided by MVC. Nobody will miss out due to financial constraints and there will be financial support for all those who need it. Whilst it is not without cost, we are committed to giving every pupil the best education possible and believe that technology can play a crucial role in transforming learning opportunities and preparing pupils for their future careers.

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 and 30 hours per week of free funded nursery for all 3 and 4 year olds and 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

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Village information

Orchard Surgery & Dispensary Melbourn Health Visiting Team Monday to Friday 8:30–1pm and 3pm–6pm Phone 01763 260220 Repeat prescriptions can be made either, in person or by registering to use the online NHS service. www.orchardsurgerymelbourn.co.uk Prescriptions can still be collected from: Surgery Co-op Tesco in Royston Prescription Home Delivery The surgery offers home delivery service for prescriptions, on a Tuesday & Thursday. For more information on any of the above, please see their website or contact the surgery.

BIN COLLECTION MELBOURN Bin collection day – TUESDAY Bins must be out by 6am at the latest on collection day

1 September

Black

7 September

Blue & Green

14 September

Black

21 September

Blue & Green

28 September

Black

5 October

Black

19 October

Blue & Green

26 October

Black

2 November

Blue & Green

9 November

Black

16 November

Blue & Green

23 November

Black

30 November

Blue & Green Black

14 December

Blue & Green

21 December

Black

Bin collection dates are taken from the South Cambridgeshire District Council website and are correct at the time of publishing. For an update on collections visit: www.scambs.gov.uk/bins/find-your-household-bincollection-day/

NHS Hearing Aid Maintenance Centre open at

Melbourn 4th Thursday of every month 2pm – 4pm We are pleased to announce that we have opened an NHS Hearing Aid Maintenance Centre at Vicarage Close Community Room, where you can go to get your hearing aids cleaned and re-tubed. This is a drop-off and wait service, By Appointment Only. Community Room Vicarage Close Melbourn SG8 6DY To book an appointment please use our online booking service at: www.cambridgeshirehearinghelp.org.uk or telephone the office on 01223 416141 Cambridgeshire Hearing Help is a charity for people with hearing loss.

Blue & Green

12 October

7 December

(Wednesday)

Drop in clinics for parents and babies are held as follows: Melbourn clinic every Wednesday between 9.30am and 11.00am at: 35 Orchard Road, Melbourn. Telephone 01763 262861

www.melbourncambridge.co.uk

Cam Sight’s Rural Support Group meet in Melbourn to provide help, friendship and ongoing support to local people with sight loss. The group enjoys speakers, music, information, advice and a chance to try out low vision equipment. For further information please call 01223 420033 or info@camsight.org.uk

MELBOURN PARISH COUNCIL 30 High Street Melbourn SG8 6DZ Telephone: 01763 263303 ext. 3 Parish Office opening hours Monday to Friday 10am – 3:30pm (closed 1–2pm) www.melbournpc.co.uk

Melbourn Parish Clerk Claire Littlewood parishclerk@melbournpc.co.uk

Assistant to the Clerk Sophie Marriage assistantclerk@melbournpc.co.uk

Responsible Financial Officer Gabrielle van Poortvliet rfo@melbournpc.co.uk

Chair Graham Clark cllr.clark@melbournparishcouncil.co.uk

Vice Chair Ian Cowley cllr.cowley@melbournparishcouncil.co.uk

Councillors

Kieron Baker cllr.baker@melbournparishcouncil.co.uk Rebecca Barnes cllr.barnes@melbournparishcouncil.co.uk Graham Clark cllr.clark@melbournparishcouncil.co.uk Ian Cowley cllr.cowley@melbournparishcouncil.co.uk Tina Davey cllr.davey@melbournparishcouncil.co.uk Sally Ann Hart cllr.hart@melbournparishcouncil.co.uk Steve Kilmurray cllr.kilmurray@melbournparishcouncil.co.uk John Travis cllr.travis@melbournparishcouncil.co.uk Richard Wilson cllr.wilson@melbournparishcouncil.co.uk

Timebank Coordinator Stephanie Trayhurn timebank@melbournpc.co.uk Village Wardens Keith Rudge Steven Pitman

County Councillor Susan van de Ven, 95 North End, Meldreth – 01763 261833 susanvandeven5@gmail.com

District Councillor Jose Hales, 23 Elm Way, SG8 6UH 01763 221058 jose@josehales.me.uk Sally Ann Hart, 62 High Street, SG8 6AJ cllr.hart@scambs.gov.uk 07791 233303

South Cambs M.P. Anthony Browne – 01954 211444 anthony.browne.mp@parliament.uk

IMPORTANT NUMBERS

Melbourn Mushroom Club John Holden email: frog.end@virgin.net

Orchard Surgery Appointments & Dispensary 260220

Melbourn Pottery Club Maggie

Hospitals

Meldreth Local History Kathryn Betts

268428

Mothers’ Union Pauline Hay

260649

Addenbrooke’s Royston

01223 245151 01763 242134 111

NHS111 – Urgent Care 24hr helpline

101

Police Non Emergency number Help when not a 999 emergency

01223 376201

Crimestoppers

Royston and Saffron Walden Nation Trust Association Avril Mellor

220463

avril.mellor@ntlworld.com

Medical help when not a 999 emergency

Fire & Rescue Service

01223 207307

0800 555111

Photographic Club

melbournphotoclub@hotmail.com

Ramblers’ Association Dave Allard

242677

www.ramblers.org.uk/royston Royal National Lifeboat Institution Jean Emes

245958

Royston and District Local History Society 242677

David Allard

Neighbourhood Watch debbieclapham@icloud.com

Royston Family History Society Pam Wright

Telephone Preference Service www.tsponline.org.uk

Royston Lions Chris Cawdell

448236

SOAS (Supporters of All Saints’) Colin Limming

260072

Women’s Group Pat Smith

260103

0345 070 0707

EDUCATION Melbourn Playgroup Library LAP Jane Stevens

223459 or 07842 151512 johnjane.stevens@tiscali.co.uk

Little Hands Nursery School

260964

Out of school times01223 503972

frierley@ntlworld.com

PLACES OF WORSHIP All Saints’ Church Revd. Elizabeth Shipp

Churchwardens Roger Mellor

Notre Ecole Janet Whitton

261231

Primary School Headteacher Stephanie Wilcox

223457

Baptist Church Rev. Stuart Clarke

U3A (Univ. of Third Age) Chairman Tony Garrick

01223 510201

Hon Sec David Allars

01223 871480

Mem Sec Chris Davison

264189

Village College Principal Simon Holmes

HEALTH 01223 221921

01223 870869 246458

SPORT Badminton Steve Jackson

248774

Bowls Arthur Andrews

261990

Croquet Janet Pope

248239

Judo Iain Reid (Chief Instructor) or Lesley Reid

241830 07974 445710

263260

Melbourn Dynamos FC Gordon Atalker

07770533249

262034 01223 846122

Home-Start S. Cambs PCT 35 Orchard Road Child & Family Nurses Car Scheme

07730488743

Blake Carrington Melbourn Football Club Simon Gascoyne

07732 613555

262262

Melbourn Sports Centre Graham Johnson-Mack Meldreth Tennis Club Tracy Aggett

243376

262861 245228

Swimming Club Jenny Brackley

244593

LOCAL CLUBS

263313

COMMUNITY SERVICES Community Hall

melbournwi@gmail.com

Air Cadets 2484 (Bassingbourn) Squadron

249156

Tony Kelly Mon & Wed evenings 7 – 9.30 p.m. Bellringers Andrew Downs

Secretary Rosaline Van de Weyer Hall booking Beryl and Barry Monk

email melbournjudoclub@gmail.com

Dentist

After Eights

07568 376027

United Reformed Church

0300 123 23 23

Chiropodist District Nurses (Primary Care Trust)

221022 261650

223400

Workers’ Educational Association (WEA) – Royston Courses on Zoom. Go to www.wea.org.uk

Blood Donors

220463

David Farr

Secretary Brian Orrell

Age UK Cambridgeshire

220626

vicar.melbournmeldreth@gmail.com

01763 262093 or 07710755465

Bridge Club Howard Waller

261693

1st Melbourn Rainbows Abigail Roberts

261505

Brownies 1st Melbourn Stephanie Clifford

220272

Guides 1st Melbourn Hilary Marsh

261443

Luncheon Club at Melbourn Hub (Wednesdays) 263303 op1 MADS (Melbourn Amateur Dramatics Society)

bookings@communityhallmelbourn.com

07821 656033

Dial-A-Ride

01223 506335

Home Start Tracy Aggett

262262

Melbourn Community Hub

263303

Melbourn Springs Care Home

01763 722734

Mobile Warden Scheme Jeannie Seers

07808 735066

Moorlands Denise Taylor

260564

Southwell Court Telephone

750006

Vicarage Close Warden Eileen Allan

263389

Lead Sheltered Housing Officer – Monday to Friday 9–1.30 Vicarage Close, John Impey Way & Elin Way

Donna Sleight

232622

Eileen Allan

Melbourn History Group Ann Dekkers

261144

Every other week. 9–5 Monday to Friday

Mobile 07876 791419 / 245402

melbournmagazine@gmail.com

Nature Fowlmere RSPB Nature Reserve

Common Lizard

The water table remains high at Fowlmere RSPB nature reserve and with the warm weather there have been some interesting sightings. In this article, local birder Ade Cooper sets out his diary for the months of May, June and July. May The month began with the weather fine, dry and not too warm but still with overnight frosts. There were very few incoming migratory birds, but the reserve’s first House Martin of the year was in evidence and the first Hobby had been reported on the 1st. A calling Siskin flew over, which was unusual for this time of year. A nice sight to witness was a Tawny Owl flying across the path at the old Cress Hut with a Blackbird in hot pursuit! May 3rd was ‘Dawn Chorus Day’. The morning was almost perfect: clear skies with no wind, but zero degrees’ Song Thrush, always prominent in a dawn chorus

www.melbourncambridge.co.uk

Juvenile Reed Warblers

temperature; the birds were in song (albeit subdued due to the cold) and it was nice to listen to, just a shame it wasn’t warmer. The Sedge Warblers seemed to have reached their maximum numbers at this time but many more Reed Warblers were expected to arrive. Wrens were also numerous, but I was very concerned to count just 6 singing Chaffinch males. This once common species seems to be in a steep decline – a few years ago I would have found 5 times that number. We were pleased to find the first Spotted Flycatcher returning on the 5th. This bird was on the field side of the Spring hide, keeping in the early sun and out of the chilly breeze. I believed it to be the first in Cambridgeshire this year, not having heard of any others. On the 7th there were male and female Wheatears in the pea field just out

from the east gate, and a female Redstart on the Guilden brook. The Hobby was coming in regularly and the male Cuckoo noted in April was still around. The weather began to warm up on the 9th and the first Garden Warbler was found singing near the Reedbed hide. Considering the habitat is perfect for Garden Warblers we really don’t get many at all, so I hoped this one would stay as it was likely to be the only one! We were very excited at this time to discover that our male Cuckoo had attracted a mate. This was the first pair on the reserve since 2017 and a species that I had thought lost as a breeder. Now if only the Turtle Dove could make a similar sort of come-back! Water Voles were still showing extremely well from the first bridge, with 2 regularly being seen there, giving amazing views. By mid-month the weather was still below normal temperatures, adversely affecting nesting species. A Hobby appeared over the reedbed when the sun came out and it was good to see several visitors enjoying the aerial acrobatics of the hunting bird. Two Little Egrets seemed regular to the mere at that time. A Garden Warbler singing by the bench at the end of the boardwalk was nice to see and hear; I assumed it was the same bird that had been near the Reedbed hide

Osprey over the mere, photo by Doug Radford

butterflies. Brimstones were numerous, a couple of Orange tips, Green-Veined and Holly Blue, but also the first Red Admiral of the year. The 17th saw the welcome reopening of all three of the hides on the reserve. By the third week the return of cold temperatures, rain and gales once again gave concern as a very bad start for the breeding season. One very exciting moment though was the sight of an Osprey hovering over the mere. I had heard many reports of sightings in the past but this was the first time I had seen one at the reserve myself. Happily, there was also a small gathering of regular visitors to witness the special event. This is only the 10th record for the reserve. Slightly less exciting but in fact with fewer records than Osprey was an Egyptian Goose that flew in and out shortly afterwards. The female Cuckoo was also flying around, presumably looking for nests, and a Spotted Flycatcher seen up at the centenary end was hopefully one of the nesting pair. Water Voles were again showing well from the bridge near the east gate and at the Spring hide pool. How many are on the reserve would be a guess but numbers are very good at the moment. Certainly, more than I have ever known, which is fantastic! Water Vole

Little Egret on the Mere

the previous week. 2 Grasshopper Warblers were also reeling well at the end of the boardwalk but I could not see them. The following day I was on site at 04.30 hoping to hear a Turtle Dove, but there was no sign of one. I had hoped that they were just late because of the unseasonal weather, but I now suspected that this could be the first year ever that Turtle Doves have not ‘purred’ at Fowlmere – a grim milestone. Temperatures rising to around the 15 degrees mark in the afternoon of the 16th brought out quite a few melbournmagazine@gmail.com

Willow Warbler

On a bright, sunny day towards the end of the month a visitor was reported to have heard a Golden Oriole singing in the Poplar Wood, by the bridleway. I was at first sceptical as this bird is frequently misidentified, but a few minutes after arriving at the spot myself a sweet, liquid, fluty song started up – definitely a Golden Oriole! It continued to sing for the next hour, delighting me and 9 other birders who were also there. Typically, the bird was very hard to see, despite being very close to the bridleway. This was the first confirmed record of Golden Oriole at Fowlmere: several have been claimed over the years but none with any firm evidence being submitted. At this point migration was coming to a close, with just a few new arrivals: Willow Warblers and Garden Warblers were new in on the 29th, and a surprise 4 Common Sandpipers on the 30th. These birds were found feeding in the right-side corner of the mere, a little bit elusive in the vegetation but were seen well when Three of the four Common Sandpiper

Barn Owl

they all flew out and perched on the fence and posts around the mere. An adult Grey Heron was also present, bringing newly fledged juveniles with it, and the Barn Owls were appearing frequently: they now had young and needed to feed them. The sun brought out lots of insects; new for the year were Small Heath and Small White Butterflies, Hairy Dragonflies and Four-Spot Chasers. Plenty of Azure, with a few Large Red Damselflies as well. June With migration now over, we mainly concentrated on the breeding species. The Cuckoos were still in evidence but not frequently seen as the birds are very wary of people. The female was very elusive, but the male could be heard singing constantly and could occasionally be seen, from a distance, perching on exposed tree branches. On the 5th I saw the first groups of fledged Blue Tits, but there were few other youngsters. Later in the week the Coots surprised me by hatching another brood of 6 little ones. The fully-grown juvenile from the first brood was still present. A few Black-Headed Gulls were coming down to the mere, and on one occasion were seen chasing off a Grey Heron. A pair of Marsh Harriers which had been seen on site some weeks earlier, giving us hope that they would settle and breed, had in fact done so and were now doing well: the young had hatched and there were good views of the adults to be seen from the Reedbed hide.

www.melbourncambridge.co.uk

Sad news was that there were definitely no Turtle Doves this year, for the first time in the reserve’s 44-year history; another nail in the coffin. In general, Butterflies were definitely later than last year, not many being recorded despite the very hot weather. The first Large Skipper of the year was found on the 12th, 11 days later than last year. Dragonfly numbers were increasing, and the Common Blue Damselfly was a new addition for this year: they are actually less common than Azure Damselflies at Fowlmere.

The Coot brood sadly lost 3 fledglings overnight on the 16th and were then down to 2. At this time the Marsh Harriers were still to be seen, with the male very busy supplying food. Over subsequent days he was seen mostly to bring prey straight to the nest, but once did a very nice food pass to the female. On two occasions the prey was identified as young hares.

Reedbed hide is good to watch the Marsh Harriers from but Drewer hide is just as good

Common Blue Damselfly

We also had a report from visitors who saw a Downy Emerald Dragonfly around the picnic bench at the centenary wood, and it was subsequently seen showing well from the Drewer hide in the afternoon of the 13th with two still there a few days later. This was the first ever record of this species at the reserve, and also a first for me! A few Emperor Dragonflies were now on the wing as well as Black-Tailed Skimmers. The number of Damselflies over the mere was amazing: there must have been at least 1000. It was great to hear, and then see, a Tawny Owlet in the scrub by the Shep. This youngster could fly well, and stepping on a twig was unfortunate when I was just about to get a nice photo! A young Barn Owl in the box in front of the Reedbed hide made its first appearance: its wing feathers had grown but it was still very downy on the back and crown. An adult brought in food while I was watching.

In the third week I was really pleased to find a Green Woodpecker nest. The young inside the tree trunk were making so much noise that it was a complete give-away, otherwise I would not have known they were there. A juvenile kept popping its head out to take a look at the outside world. I was lucky to see them as they fledged soon afterwards. Towards the end of the month my most unexpected sighting was a juvenile Nuthatch around the centenary end. This is still a scarce species for the reserve, but they have been more regular in recent years thanks to a breeding pair in Fowlmere village. I suspect this bird was one of the offspring dispersing out. The Barn Owl in the nest box had been joined by a sibling so there were at least two youngsters inside. The male Cuckoo seemed to have departed though, there had been no sign of the bird for several days. Warmish afternoons brought out some Butterflies including the first Marbled White and the next day another first of the year with a single Small Skipper. The end of the month brought unseasonably dull weather but there was still plenty to see at Fowlmere. melbournmagazine@gmail.com

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Teals had been seen on the mere, the first since the end of April, and 5 Gadwalls stayed for a day. Highly unusual for the time of year was a male Wigeon, reported by visitors on the 29th. Mallard numbers had risen to 53, Little Egrets were still feeding on the mere and a Hobby showed well catching dragonflies over the water. At last the Kingfishers were showing a bit more regularly in the mere area, with at least 3 birds present, one being a juvenile from a first brood. On the 30th it was a great moment when a juvenile Marsh Harrier was seen for the first time! The youngster was clumsily perching in a bush before taking what might be its maiden flight. I hoped there were more to come. July Sitting in the Reedbed hide on the evening of the 1st was very entertaining. A Barn Owl was out, a Hobby was over the mere, the Marsh Harriers and Kingfishers were on view, and then an Otter spent a short time swimming around the mere, scaring the life out of the waterfowl. A Black-Headed Gull particularly didn’t like it and continually mobbed the Otter until it left! The weekend of the 3rd – 4th was extremely quiet, apart from the delight of seeing a second juvenile Marsh Harrier briefly in flight with its sibling. Then the following weekend I was delighted to find that there were 4 juvenile Marsh Harriers in all. The family were seen frequently with the male bringing in food and the young ones perching on bush tops. On one occasion the male brought in prey and all four flew up to greet him; 5 Marsh Harriers over the reedbed was quite a sight! The juveniles were beginning to be more adventurous in drifting further away from the nest area and three of them took a flight to the southern end of the reserve before coming back. The female was now spending less time at the reserve so was not often seen. Three of the four juvenile Marsh Harrier

Otter being attacked by a Black Headed Gull

A Grasshopper Warbler briefly reeling at the end of the boardwalk was the first time I had heard one for a few weeks, meaning that the pair had bred and the first brood had fledged. At this time the first Gatekeeper of the year was on the wing, with many Skippers, Ringlets and Meadow Browns also flying. A brilliant Common Lizard also showed itself for at least 5 minutes on the bridge over the Shep. They are fairly reliably seen on the bridge in sunny weather. At mid-month, the temperatures in the high 20’s meant that the reserve was very quiet. The juvenile Marsh Harriers were now wandering longer distances, one being seen at the top of Manor farm hill. Another was also seen to attempt to catch a Mallard, so they were learning fast. The Kingfishers were very active around the old Cress hut pool, and interesting behaviour was seen from a male Kestrel which was hunting like a Hobby, swooping fast across the mere to catch a Dragonfly lunch. Meanwhile, the first Willow Emerald Damselfly of the year was seen near the Reception hut. The water level of the mere at this time was quite high, with no mud at the edges, and this meant that wading birds did not call in on their way through. I saw only one Green Sandpiper fly over. As the month ended I was pleased to see that the Moorhens had done well – 20 were counted on the mere, with 14 young ones. We were also celebrating that Red Kites had nested just off the reserve – the first time this has happened in the immediate area of the site. The nest itself was well out of view, but the chick could be heard begging quite clearly from the car park, with an adult circling above. Far more interesting than the flyover by the Red Arrows from the Duxford Air Show! This article is a synopsis taken from the website produced by Ade Cooper and Caroline Scott about Fowlmere Bird Reserve. To see the full version and other interesting visits Ade and Caroline have undertaken in the UK and abroad, visit: www.cooperandscott.wordpress.com melbournmagazine@gmail.com

Review

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V E Schwab

Do you ever feel invisible? Have you ever been forgotten by someone who you’ve definitely met before? Well this is life for Addie LaRue, granted immortality but in exchange must go through life never making a mark on the world: people forget her as soon as she’s out of sight, her writing disappears and any influence or memory she wants to leave behind is quickly erased. This is a sturdy, well-crafted contemporary novel standing firmly in the fantasy genre. The author, Victoria (V E) Schwab is an American fantasy author who grew up in Tennessee and graduated with a degree in Fine Arts from Washington University, St Louis in 2009. A prolific and frequent best-selling author she is, perhaps, best known for her 2013 novel “Vicious” and the “Shades of Magic” series. She now lives and works in Edinburgh and, in May 2018, delivered the Sixth Annual Tolkien Lecture at Pembroke College, Oxford. She came out as gay when aged 28. This novel was a decade in gestation and as of July 2021 has spent 37 consecutive weeks on the New York Times Best Seller list. It covers 300 years from medieval France to modern day New York city. The character of the book’s title, Addie LaRue, makes a Faustian exchange with a powerful god in eighteenth-century France to escape a looming marriage, and spends the next 300 years moving through life forgotten. Her only companion is Luc, the god that cursed her and who offers to end the curse in exchange for her soul. She travels the world witnessing major historical events, then one day she finally hears the words “I remember you” spoken by Henry Strauss, a present day New Yorker. Henry, a bookshop worker in Manhattan, seems content with his life. Everyone is drawn to him and noticeably mesmerised. Henry’s story is one of inner turmoil, self-worth and the need for validation and love from those around you. The three central characters of the novel – Addie, Luc and Henry – become entangled in each other’s stories, each of them at odds with the world around them and at the same time desperately looking to be embraced by it.

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V E Schwab

Author V.E. Schwab has created an inclusive and magical tale of love and loss, where you’re rooting for Addie the entire way through. Her refusal to sell her soul and to keep trying to leave her mark on the world despite years of being forgotten is heroic. At least two of the characters are LGBTQIA+ and Schwab introduces this in a nuanced and unpremeditated way, making this a fantasy novel where LGBTQIA+ people are celebrated and embraced, but in a way which lets the characters be themselves and doesn’t overtly rely on their queerness to form the narrative. The non-linear narrative regularly transports us back in time to Addie’s past, but it never gets confusing. The story is also told from both Addie’s and Henry’s points of view which offers a story full of substantial characters and a real character-reader connection. The surreal and fantastical elements of the book fit seamlessly within the world of the narrative and entwine wonderfully within the intricate life of Schwab’s protagonist. Readers will come away with a message of hope and the importance of persevering even when we feel like we aren’t making a difference. Schwab has created an optimistic and powerful story of the importance of ideas, creativity and internal self-worth and discovery. April McIntyre

The Pigeon Tunnel: Stories from My Life by John Le Carre

If there is indeed a Heaven then we can be certain that David Cornwell (more famously known around the world as the writer John le Carre, who died in 2020 in his 89th year) is already ensconced in some quiet corner seated at a writing

desk, looking out on a sea view and lost in the task of writing. He is surely following his famous practice of writing pains-takingly in long hand – and using a traditional fountain pen! John le Carre was a writer of great elegance and poise. He was that rarity in our now terribly tarnished English public life: a thoughtful, deeply principled figure. His self-penned biographical details on a single page at the start of this volume and headed “About the Author” are modest: “John le Carre was born in 1931 and attended the universities of Bern and Oxford. He taught at Eton and served briefly in British Intelligence during the Cold War. For more than fifty years he has lived by his pen. He divides his time between London and Cornwall.” Although recognised with mainly overseas awards and British university honorary degrees in acknowledgement of his writing, he eschewed with good reason celebrity interviews and the medals and titles of the British political honours system. He chose instead to reveal himself in: his body of work; the themes he chose to write about and the writing itself; the characters he created from his fertile imagination with which to explore those themes; and the lives, beliefs and personalities of those major and minor characters which he first imagined and then brought vividly to life for his readers – characters that were fully formed yet each with an aspect rich for potential development. The rounded figure (in more senses than one) of, perhaps, his most famous character George Smiley – only one of the many such memorable characters he created – was sketched almost fully formed in his slim and very slight first novel “Call From The Dead”, published in 1961 and today still impressive. It is a huge and sad loss, and not just for readers everywhere, that John le Carre’s life and that great talent is no more. Like many readers across past decades I grasped each new le Carre novel as it appeared and was gripped by his writing and his values. This volume, a detailed memoir of his life, is as absorbing and as well written as any of his 25 or more novels. It reveals the extent to which the fictional characters le Carre created resided not just in his imagination but were part of the rich, colourful, personally challenging and simply astonishing life he led. In this memoir, finished four years before his death, le Carre has looked hard at life and looked hard also at his own life as he lived it in pursuit of his career as a writer. From these two well springs, across a creative lifetime spanning fifty plus years, he wrote a body of work which is broad deep, universal and richly satisfying for the reader. If you are minded and feel yourself deserving of a treat, start with “Call From The Dead” – a fine first

David Cornwell, more famously known as John le Carre

novel from a young aspiring author – and proceed in sequence through the novels following the footsteps of the lifelong development of a great writer. You will not regret it. The memoir makes clear that while from a privileged, well-connected wider family background, he was the son of a hopeless bankrupt fraudster who was eventually imprisoned, and so his early life and youth was chaotic. It is not necessary to have read any le Carre novels to enjoy and appreciate the worth of this book. The national and international elected public figures and those from the upper echelons of many spheres of public influence who travelled alongside him for part of his road, or whose own journey intersected the career path of le Carre the writer, are here to be seen and heard. The personalities, the anecdotes, the descriptions, the small and large occasions; the intimate dinners that were formal or informal or large or small affairs; the meetings and conferences with leaders and others of civil, military, diplomatic or intelligence background are all perfectly and tantalisingly drawn. He creates for the reader that sense of presence: of truly ‘being there in the room’. If you have read even a few of his novels then the connections between the writer’s lived life and his creative work stand revealed as he traces the linkages and reveals the strands, some subconscious, that bind the life he led to his views and his creative output. John le Carre is above all else a reader’s writer – he takes great care of the reader. At the same time, and tilting in the opposite direction, he does not spare himself as he serves his art and calling as a writer. He has done this across all 25 or more novels whose settings evolved from his third novel – the murky world of a specific State Intelligence operation involving British spy Alec Leamas at the height of the Cold War – to the complex concerns of our more modern, supposedly continued on page 40 melbournmagazine@gmail.com

John le Carre

more open and free, but in reality much more unsafe and conflicted world. And who among us has not read that third and, once read never to be forgotten, novel which brought him to international stardom “The Spy Who Came In From The Cold”first published in 1963? All who have read the novel are forever challenged by the decisions and actions of British spy Alec Leamas and those at the pinnacle of the London government who ordered and manipulated him? Having read this memoir I reread the novel again a few evenings ago and it is still a stunning achievement, even though the Berlin Wall has long fallen. If you have the opportunity to experience also the glorious film performance of Richard Burton in the noirish black and white 1965 film adaptation, it will add enrichment to the reading. Le Carre’s account of this film-making experience (pp 239–52) alone is worth the price of the book, including his reflections on the world of film, the personal price of film-acting and celebrity, and his view of talent. He tends to the view of the film’s Hollywood director Marty Ritt: “I don’t have a lot of respect for talent. Talent is genetic. It’s what you do with it that counts.” This volume of memoirs is set out in 38 easily read chapters across 350 pages of elegant polished sentences of beautiful prose and is a joy to read. But be warned – it is very very dangerous. It will cause you to think and, indeed, may cause you to change perhaps long-held views of the people we are, the country we live in and the values and beliefs we suppose ourselves to hold dear. For John le Carre, who always acknowledged the sword – but urged laser-like focus on the true reasons for the sword’s being wielded – the pen truly was mightier than the sword. Hugh Pollock

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Authors and their Books Introduction Fruit Farming in the Cam Valley: An horticultural, social and economic history, by Jonathan Spain, price £25, A4, 488 pages including illustrations, maps, bibliography and index. To order a copy please email: jrspain1@ hotmail.com. (Tel: 01763 262007) Based on a wide range of documentary sources and extensive interviews with local fruit growers and fruit pickers, this study records, whilst it is still within living memory, the history of the local fruit industry, which played such an important role in the economy and society of the Cam Valley. Extract Melbourn and Meldreth In 1902 Charles G. Harper, (1863–1943), the author of a series of popular travel books, described the two villages thus: ‘Everyone in Melbourn lives on fruit. In other words, this is a great fruit-growing district. This village, and its neighbour, Meldreth, specialise in greengages, and from the railway station that serves the two many hundreds of tons of that fruit are despatched to London in the season … Little wonder then, that when one comes down from the bleak downs and heaths of Royston to these sheltered levels, the swelling contours of the windy pastures and breezy cornfields give place to long lines of orchards’.1 Harper captured the ubiquitous nature of fruitgrowing in the two villages and its central importance to the local economy. Given the proximity of the two villages it would be misleading to treat them as separate entities. Orchard ownership crossed the parish boundary. Both the Palmer and Howard families, originating in Meldreth, leased or owned property, farmland and sizeable orchards in Melbourn; the large Bury Lane orchard, situated in Meldreth, was part of the Melbourn Bury estate, owned by the Fordham family. In terms of population and size Melbourn and Meldreth have always been two of the largest villages in the valley and this partly explains their importance. Their smaller neighbours had fewer orchards. The ease of access to the local railway station, situated in the centre of Meldreth, but lying close to Melbourn, provided further stimulus. But there was always a strong tradition of fruit-growing in these two villages.

The Ministry of Agriculture’s survey of the West Cambs. fruit-growing area characterised the Melbourn district as one of large holdings, ranging from 10 to 50 or 60, acres, in the hands of farmers growing fruit in conjunction with mixed farming.2 This needs to be qualified in two respects. Firstly, this was the case from the 1870s through to the end of the First World War, after which the larger holdings were cultivated by specialist fruit growers. In the case of the Howard and Palmer families these holdings also became much larger, in the order of one to two hundred acres. Secondly, in Melbourn and Meldreth, smallholder fruit-growing remained an important part of the mix, integrated with other trades and occupations. Orchards were also attached to the large residential properties of the middle and professional classes in the villages. Harper’s comment that ‘Everyone in Melbourn [and Meldreth] lives on fruit’, was no exaggeration. Biography Graduating from York University, with First Class honours in history, and employed in a variety of historyrelated jobs and archival work, Jonathan has lived in Shepreth, and before that Foxton, since the early 1980s. He has previously published a wide range of articles and pamphlets on historical subjects and has a local history blog site, jonathanspain.wordpress.com. Jonathan has given numerous talks to local history groups.

Footnotes 1 Charles G. Harper, The Cambridge, Ely and King’s Lynn Road. The Great Fenland Highway, 1902, p.131. 2 J.F. Ward, ‘West Cambs. Fruit-Growing Area. A Survey of the Soils and Fruit, 1925-7’, Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Bulletin No.61, 1933, pp.35, 40.

Are you or a friend an author with a published book? Tell the readers of Melbourn Magazine about how and why you came to write your book, provide an abridged extract, and some biographical details. Contact Melbourn Magazine for full details email: melbournmagazine@gmail.com Telephone: 261144. melbournmagazine@gmail.com

Walks

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“Melbourn Village: Much To Offer” could be the marketing slogan of a property developer promoting an unwanted large scale housing development on Melbourn’s outskirts– while simultaneously working through a planning procedure only property developers and our District Councillors seem to understand. Indeed, it could even be the back-handed compliment to Melbourn that brought about the same District Council’s recent, and now fully implemented, housing policy for Melbourn, seemingly entitled: “Big Bang: Delivering Two Hundred Houses in One Development in One Village”. Instead, “Melbourn Village: Much To Offer” is presented here as a statement of truth, to promote a local walk to all residents who live in Melbourn Village or its surrounding area and who are, perhaps, raising young teenagers. The walk comes highly recommended, having been personally ‘testdriven’ in the company of young teenagers at different times during all kinds of sunny, rainy, blowy or snowy days some decades ago, and on many other recent times walking alone– including as recently as last week. The walk is ideal for stressed parents living with young teenagers as it offers many possibilities with things to point out, thoughts to share, discussion to be had, things to do, possible activities for them– or you– to join in and, perhaps, most importantly, shared memories to be created and stored away. Throw a few useful bits of kit into a kit bag: a football; a few tennis balls; a couple of rackets; a basketball; a rounders bat; a hurley stick; a frisbee and set out. (What’s a hurley stick you ask? Look online at the Irish national game of hurling– perhaps a national championship final from Dublin’s Croke Park– and give yourself a heart stopping adrenalin rush of excitement!) Include a few snacks– hunger is at the root of many day-to-day family arguments while poverty, its much more devastating twin, is something far too many families now find on their doorstep. If a stressed parent today, do invest in this walk and you may also secure a future bonus: my children (now two independent young adults) remind me often of those days and the walks we took around Melbourn, particularly this one. Set out from the gates of the URC cemetery on Orchard Road, opposite the URC church building, and proceed to the junction with Mortlock Street. Turn left, passing the Baptist Church building on your right, and proceed to The Cross. There stands the imposing presence of the country’s established church: the Church of England. The church building dominates the skyline with a tall spire atop a square

great Welfare State. I recall some Melbournians, family and friends, who lived in this development during past decades. Indeed, I nodded to their memory last week as I walked along following the footpath, exiting the small mature enclave through a pedestrian gate onto the Village College’s playing fields. If you are still in animated conversation with teenagers in tow (sullen or animated as only they can be) and are about to continue forward onto the playing field, instead bear immediately left and proceed to the well-hidden nearby bank of the River Mel.

clock tower bearing a bright blue diamond shaped clock face. Rather surprisingly, the clock is owned and maintained by Melbourn Parish Council. Could this be a secular clock? Maybe an agnostic clock? Perhaps even an atheistic clock in Melbourn? At the traffic lights, look to the heavens and wonder aloud what three separate church buildings of the Christian persuasion– standing for hundreds of years within a few minutes’ walk of each other and still functioning successfully– tells you of the good citizenry of Melbourn past and present and of the village’s civil and public life. “They provide great cover for the likes of us” a passing Serpent in human form might reply with a sly wink, as he slithers and slides past in rapid pursuit of a young woman– while polishing a keepsake apple, presumably for old times’ sake. Perhaps wonder aloud about the influence of the great religions across very many societies and why it is always the woman– both in our modern world and throughout history– who is persecuted, blamed and treated unfairly? An opportunity to engage young minds with issues of religion and politics perhaps? Surely these are the most important influences in their young life and, of course, in ours. Cross the High Street, take the path to the right of the church building, pass through the old iron kissing gate, follow the footpath and turn right. Enter and admire– while engaging your accompanying young people in conversation– a long established, attractively laid out small enclosure. Recent history shows that, at one time, a serious sheltered housing area with a community of residents, a full-time on-site Warden with support staff and an on-site thriving community facility for all to enjoy was planned and developed here. This was serious housing Policy. Our elderly in those days were cared for and knew they were valued for themselves and for the contribution they had made over a lifetime– including through a long and very uncertain World War– from which they emerged and built a society of which all were proud: our

Walk along beside and amidst the trees. Absorb their calm and feel the timelessness of their embrace. Listen to the Mel gurgling quietly on your left and humming to itself, as is the way with chalk streams. Turn from the trees’ shadows and the Mel’s bank and, if you are fortunate, witness sports coaching with full dramatic action on the Village College’s playing fields to your right. If walking outside school hours, be astonished at the wide community use of these fine College facilities for all kinds of sport. If sporting activity is going full throttle, then slow down and watch as you walk. Smile and greet the passing dog walkers. They are always social and very friendly– owners and dogs! Better still, rest awhile on a well-positioned bench remembering, perhaps, your own misspent youth when school sports lessons were dodged in order to loll about at a distance, chatting and messing with friends. Then, with contrition or, perhaps, contentment at the memory, re-shoulder the kit bag and lead the way alongside the bank of the Mel and the playing fields to reach the walk’s main target: the abrupt end of that long dense hedge of stout trees or, more accurately, what lies behind that hedge. Turn right at this hedge and see in the middle distance the elegant renovated Melbourn Pavilion. Recall perhaps, like me, from the 1970s an old and care worn Pavilion building– but with local village cricket teams in front of the building enthusiastically attacking and melbournmagazine@gmail.com

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• two sports pitches with permanent white painted goal

defending a wicket, and showing all the qualities that justifiably put the ‘Great’ in Great Britain and made English people everywhere stand tall with pride. Today, as those wonderful national qualities and values we have all seen, shared and applauded are themselves under sustained attack, dwell on them as you walk along this long-established footpath and, as I did just last week, perhaps reflect on the insights of one commentator as ‘knees were taken’ and racial hatred spewed recently: “You ask about what passes for our national qualities and our national values today? Well ‘it’s just not cricket’ is all I can say.” Having noted the external elegance of that fine village asset which is the renovated Melbourn Pavilion, continue alongside the river bank and consider the options and activities which await your choice. Leave aside for a moment the other, equally visible, excellent village assets: directly opposite and across both sports pitches, the well-regarded Little Hands Nursery School; and behind it the large, well-equipped Melbourn Children’s Playground with its picnic tables and benches, all maintained by Melbourn Parish Council. Look closer and behold in sequence: • behind the Pavilion, a large area comprising the Millennium Copse and within it the Melbourn Parish Jubilee Orchard. Stroll among the trees planted by residents, pause for quiet reflection on the seats nearby, admire the wild flowers planted with care (and with much back-breaking ground clearance work) by some sadly no longer here to enjoy them. At the Copse edge, for those so minded, is a sturdy wellconstructed path of bark and wood chippings, laid alongside the Mel as the footpath’s next stage for the onward journey to Melwood Local Nature Reserve and Meldreth Village.

•

posts, each awaiting a leaden-footed keeper (middleaged but fighting it every step of the way) and a couple of teenage penalty takers, or, if more gifted and fleet-of-foot, skilled dribblers and strikers; and the complementary well-maintained grass surface, awaiting only a walker with young teenage children to step forward clutching the ageless, ever popular frisbee or a rounders bat and a ball for pitching; the practice basketball net with its generous surround of hard standing, awaiting only a couple of agile fit young teenage hoop-shooters and a possibly out of condition, fast approaching middle-age hoop defender (who now and again casually glances in the car rear view mirror and sees only youth and looks fast disappearing); Melbourn Bowls Club, its club-house standing like a beacon of tolerance, decency, and camaraderie, welcoming all who care to come along and be initiated into a beautiful game. If you are in luck, as I was last week, you can stand and watch the players in action on a pitch so smooth and green it could be a large billiard table. Club Officer Martin Leggett whom I met is a fount of knowledge, so let me tell you: Bowls is for everyone– all ages, all abilities, all fitness levels. Forget any stereotype you might have and find out the truth. Club Membership Secretary is Pat Leggett (01763 220794). Full information available by phone or online and a warm welcome assured.

The options and activities before you are yours to choose. “Melbourn Village: Much To Offer” includes this very easy walk intended to exercise mind and body and lead, perhaps, to a beautiful game: cricket and its eternal values and qualities forever seen as quintessentially English; hurling to be enjoyed in Dublin’s Croke Park via the internet; or lawn bowls with wonderful Melbourn Bowls Club, astonishingly in continuous existence since 1922! Whatever you choose to do in Melbourn today think hard and, as you do so, enjoy life– surely the most beautiful game of all. Hugh Pollock melbournmagazine@gmail.com

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Churches Together United Reformed Church Worship We have been able to worship in church on Sunday mornings at 11am since 2nd May without further interruption. The easing of restrictions means that we can sing hymns again from 25th July, albeit with masks, and it is such a joy to sing and praise our Lord in voice. Induction The induction of our minister, Rev’d. Sue Fender, into the Linked Pastorate took place in our church on Saturday 26th June at 3pm. This date was chosen as the Covid restrictions were beginning to be relaxed: we were able to have around 70 people safely attend the service within the social distancing rules and stay for refreshments afterwards in the hall. The service was available on Zoom for those unable to attend. Rev’d Nigel Uden led the service and the sermon was delivered by the Rev’d Dr John Bradbury. After the Act of Induction, a representative from each of the five churches welcomed Sue and gave her the “Right Hand of Fellowship”. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to actually shake Sue’s hand as we would in normal circumstances, but we were able to give her a warm welcome verbally. We were pleased that some of Sue’s family were able to travel down for the service and give Sue their support. We all enjoyed the delicious afternoon tea provided by outside caterers. Sue was able to circulate round the tables and chat to everyone. There were carboys in the hall for donations and we were able to send £165 to Jimmy’s Night Shelter. Harvest We are celebrating our Harvest Festival on Sunday

12th September. Morning worship is at 11am followed by a soup lunch. There will then be an opportunity to buy the produce before taking the rest to Jimmy’s Night Shelter.

All Saints Church Melbourn & Holy Trinity Meldreth The past 16 months has been different for all of us as we cope with and adapt to the ongoing situation with Covid, and at the time of writing this article we are awaiting confirmation as to the relaxation of restrictions. Whatever happens, we will have to learn to live with this in our midst and as a society we have to realise that what we do can have a knockon effect on others. The wonderful volunteers who have stepped up to help in lots of different situations have shown how we can all look to help others with positive actions. This also relates to our stewardship of the natural resources of this world from which we receive many blessings. As we consider our individual and collective responses to the ever-changing situation, perhaps we can all pray for wisdom for those leaders who will be meeting at The UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow from 31 October – 12 November. Our Prayer Group and Bible Study Group hope to start meeting in person in September. At the time of writing we are not sure if our Harvest Supper will take place, but our Harvest Festival will be celebrated in Melbourn on Sunday 26th September and in Meldreth on the 19th September. On October 3rd, we welcome our Archdeacon, The Ven. Dr Alex Hughes, to Holy Trinity, Meldreth melbournmagazine@gmail.com

and on the 10th October he will be with us at All Saints’ in Melbourn. On Sunday 31st October we will be celebrating our patronal festival at All Saints’ and The Right Revd. Dr Dagmar Winter, Bishop of Huntingdon, will be with us at our 9.45am service. In the evening we hope to have our All Souls Service, where we remember those who have died, and we will be contacting those families for whom we have carried out a funeral service of their loved ones in the preceding year. We hope to have our All Saints’ Autumn Fayre on 6th November and look forward to the generous support from all those who help and attend. This is particularly important as we try to ensure the Church building remains open and safe for everyone. We have had extensive works carried out on the rewiring of the church and new boilers have been installed. There remains outstanding work on our sound system and rainwater goods which we are unable to finance at the moment. Our thanks go to our Church Wardens who have initiated and overseen these major works, to SOAS for their contributions which have helped finance some of the works. To our members who have continued to clean the church building throughout all of this to ensure it is as safe and clean as possible. We are grateful for all who help in any way and do contact us if you would like to make a financial donation. Remembrance Sunday will be on the 14th November this year and details will be finalised nearer the time. During the restrictions, we have been running a monthly Zoom service, which is a blend of our Sunday School and our informal Sundays@11 service; see the pictures on page 48 of some of the craft activities we have made at this service. Whilst Lizzie is on maternity leave please contact Revd. Mary Price on 01763 261569 (maryprice9486@ gmail.com) or Pat Smith (Licensed Lay Minister) on 01763 262575. If you would like to receive our weekly e-news letter please contact Ian Henderson (ian.melbournas@gmail.com). Check our Facebook page for details of services https://www.facebook. com/asmhtm. If you would like to receive a copy of our Parish Magazine please contact Diane Blundell on 01763 221415

The Word of God Thou, Lord, alone hast made heaven with all the stars, the earth and all therein. Thou gavest right judgments, true laws, and good statutes and commandments. (Nehemiah Ch 9 Vs 6/13)

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Sports & Clubs Bowls Arthur Andrews 261990 Bridge Club Howard Waller 261693 1st Melbourn Rainbows Abigail Roberts 261505 Brownies – 1st Melbourn Stephanie Clifford 220272 Croquet Janet Pope 248342 Dynamos Football Club Les Morley 07739 593771 Guides – Ist Melbourn Hilary Marsh 261443 Melbourn Football Club Simon Gascoyne 07732 613555 Melbourn Judo Club Iain Reid 241830 Melbourn Karate Club Peter Khera 07866 374674 Melbourn Sports Centre Graham Johnson-Mack 263313 Melbourn and Meldreth Women’s Group Pat Smith 262575 Sue Toule 260955 Anne Harrison 261775 Photographic Club Bruce Huett 232855 Ramblers Dave Allard 242677 Royston and District Round Table Michael Seymour 221398 Swimming Club Jenny Brackley 244593 Tennis (Melbourn) Dave Liddiard 07508 995 781 Tennis (Meldreth) Tracy Aggett 243376

1st Melbourn Guides Together at last! This summer term we have been meeting face-to-face again, but only outdoors, and with a requirement to maintain social distancing. A further challenge to our planning has been the cold wet May weather; on two inclement evenings we t ook refuge behind our computer screens again, playing games, and making stencil pictures. With 30 girls on the books, including five new girls, we have split into two groups for the outdoor activities. A scavenger hunt hike took one group to the Melwood and back, whilst the other group learnt fire lighting, with the reward of toasted marshmallows when the embers were hot enough. The following week the groups swapped around. A Five Senses themed evening in the churchyard included identifying household products by smell, and passing messages by writing letters on each other’s backs. Meanwhile, on The Moor the girls tried a version of archery by throwing Velcro balls onto a Velcro target, and doing a photo orienteering hunt around the Orchard. As we entered June the weather improved somewhat, and we have had access to the Community Hall again, with restrictions. So far we have enjoyed ball games on the Rec, and ‘Taskmaster’ style challenges beside the community hall. The girls have tried to transport water whilst walking on wooden planks, hooking pieces of puzzle out of a bucket with a magnet, and doing an ‘A – Z of Kindness’. Thanks to a generous donation from GlaxoSmithKline via a parent employee, we were able to treat the girls to a very enjoyable session at Jurassic golf on one evening. The last two evenings have included a Penny Hike, where you flip a coin at every junction to determine which way to go, and an ice-cream sundae making session. The girls made the icecream by shaking full fat milk in a melbournmagazine@gmail.com

Melbourn Bowls Club

bag, super-cooled by a mix of ice and salt. They then had to add flavourings and toppings, and give their sundae a brand name. By the time you read this we should be packing our bags for summer camp: fingers crossed for a cloud-free sky, and Covid-free girls! Our Guide unit is full and has a waiting list. If you would like to know more about helping with Guides, please contact me on: 01763 261443 or email: melbournguides@gmail.com. You can also look on the girlguiding.org.uk website to find out more. Hilary Marsh

Royston & District Local History Society www.roystonlocalhistory.org.uk Our website shows all the books we have for sale. Many of these result from the considerable work undertaken by our Publications sub-committee. The books may be ordered by post from David Allard 01763 242677. Some are also available at the Cave Bookshop in Melbourn Street. Our evening meetings are held on a Thursday evening at 8pm, and it is hoped that it will be possible to resume these as previously in the Heritage Hall (the main hall downstairs) Royston Town Hall. » 9th September: Annual General Meeting 7.30pm (postponed from 13th May) 8pm ‘The Spy who Loved’ Clare Mulley » 7th October: ‘Stevenage, the first post-war New Town’ Jo Ward » 4th November: ‘The Blue Plaque Scheme in Royston’ F John Smith Please check our website for any possible changes. Annual membership £10 (Sept-Aug) (Under 18s half price) Visitors £2.

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It has been great to be back on the green and able to take part in the usual league matches. There have been some restrictions, including the suspension of tea and sandwiches after games, as not all clubs are able to accommodate the numbers safely with regard to space and ventilation. The competitive spirit has now been resumed, however, even though the games are all played in a good spirit. We are pleased to have been able to purchase new changing rooms with the additional help of donations from the Parish Council and TTP, for which we are extremely grateful. You will see from the announcement later that these will greatly help with accommodating our prospective guests next year. We had a very successful recruitment campaign, as a result of which we are delighted to welcome more than twenty new members. The majority are new to the game of bowls so existing members have been trying to give them as much instruction and advice as possible. I can say already that we have got some very promising new recruits based on the progress they have made. Encouragingly they have also reduced the average age of the membership. In view of the number of new members we have arranged new Saturday afternoon events to provide some more novel forms of Bowls and also a social gathering. The reaction of the newcomers to these events has been very positive, which makes the effort involved worthwhile. Our Thursday Coffee Mornings, ably run by Muriel Cooper, have again been very popular. These are coupled with our internal league competition, which occupies three rinks. The other three rinks are made available for other members, particularly the new members, to take part in Roll Ups, often guided by more experienced players. The Coffee Mornings are not restricted to club members, so if you happen to be passing the green on a Thursday morning between 10.30 and noon why not come in and join us, have a chat and perhaps watch any games that are in progress. The last Coffee Morning is likely to be on 23rd September. Next year is a momentous year for the club as we will be celebrating our centenary. We are still gathering ideas for appropriate events, but we have had a promise from the Chelsea Pensioners Bowls Club to visit for a celebration match. This should be a highlight of the year and was a big incentive for us to get the new changing room. We do not yet have an actual date for the match, but expect to have confirmation before the end of the year. So, watch this space in the next issue. We hope to resume our fortnightly Whist Drives

starting in October, but this will be dependent on the situation regarding COVID – particularly as leaving windows and doors open for ventilation is not very practical in cold weather. If you want to keep up to date with what is going on at the Bowls Club, we have a website whose address is: www.melbournbowlsclub.co.uk. This will give you the latest news and contact details should you want to seek information from any of the committee members.

Melbourn Dynamos Football Club All welcome! https://melbourndynamosfc.wordpress.com https://www.facebook.com/ melbourndynamoscommunity/ Founded in 2003, Melbourn Dynamos FC is a thriving and friendly community football club that gives all the opportunity to play regular football, regardless of their experience or ability, at all ages from 3 through to and including Adults. We are looking forward to a normal and successful 2021–22 season, unlimited by the Covid-19 pandemic. We are, of course, prepared to comply with any residual restrictions imposed by the government and FA, but hope that these will be minimal. We are very grateful to the team of volunteers, led by our wonderful Covid Protection Officer, Nicky Patel, who have ensured that our 300 plus players have been able to have regular, healthy fun through structured exercise and team building after the lockdown confinements. The coaches and parents have described the importance of normal structured exercise and fun to the mental health and well-being of our players. This support, which is so much more than football, has been especially important during these difficult times. Last year, our club was recognised as an FA Community Hub Club, one of only eight in Cambridgeshire. What this means is that our growth and development has been recognised by Cambridgeshire FA for its important community contributions: • A football club at the heart of the community • Providing football opportunities For All • Developing young leaders and planning for a sustainable future. This recognition by Cambridgeshire FA has resulted from the tireless work of our club volunteers to develop and grow MDFC at the heart of our village. The Club is currently FA Charter Standard and will soon be applying for the higher Community Club status. This will ensure a continued thriving partnership

with Cambridgeshire FA, who have been instrumental in the Club’s recent development. As an FA Hub Club we hope to attract further funding and support to secure and continue development at the heart of our community. We have established inclusive football teams to bring the beautiful game to a wider range of players at both youth and adult level. Thanks to the support of our wonderful club volunteers we now have the OWLS (Opportunities Without Limits), a team for adults who play in the Cambridgeshire FA Parability League. The Club was the first to receive the Pledge Project Certificate of Recognition from Cambridgeshire FA and we are very proud to have received the Project of the Year award from Cambridgeshire FA for our commitment to offer everyone with a disability the opportunity to get involved in football, either competitively or socially. We are also planning to host disability Saturday morning drop-in sessions – watch out for future announcements. For many years the club has been working hard with our community to establish Girls’ Football. Our latest initiative has been working with the FA to set up the Melbourn Wildcats, providing girls aged 5-11 years with the opportunity to have fun, make friends and play football. This fun, friendly environment will develop young girls’ physical and social skills by encouraging a healthy lifestyle and inspiring them to develop a lifelong love of the game. Please use the following link to book your place http://faevents.thefa.com/ book?sessionid=138685 We are pleased to learn that the Managers and Coaches of our many teams are seen as important role models in our community for young players. All are trained to at least FA level 1, so have a clear understanding of child safeguarding as well as physical first aid issues. At the start of the season a number stepped forward to request training in mental health first aid as well. This training is not compulsory for the club’s FA Charter Standard status, but we recognise the importance of mental health issues for young people in our community, are providing this training and have been very fortunate in receiving financial support from our sponsors. If you would like more information you melbournmagazine@gmail.com

can follow this link to Mental Health First Aid England – https://mhfaengland.org/mhfa-centre/about/. We are a successful club, defined by the strength of support from members and families, the praise and recognition of fellow clubs and FA Leagues, the work with our Community partners including Melbourn Village College and Melbourn Parish Council, and of course our players’ achievements on the pitch and their support for the community. With the support of our fundraising and community partners, we are making the club more inclusive by assisting players whose families are unable to afford the necessary fees. Our club is committed to developing our players through respect of fair play and a love of the game. This approach wins the respect of other clubs as well as providing the skills and commitment to win leagues and cup finals. Next season we expect to have more than 300 players in more than 20 teams. There are opportunities for all as we welcome new players and volunteers. Our youngest players – the Dynamites, increasingly provide the core of our success with league teams from under 7 upwards. The Dynamites’ coaching team is led by Dipak Patel. Dee was Cambridge FA’s Community Coach of the year for 2013, gained his Level 2 coaching qualification in June 2015 and is our Football Development Officer. These players, aged 3-6, have fun and develop their skills before deciding whether to play league football as the club’s under 7s team. The Dynamites train with level 2 and level 1 FA qualified coaches in Saturday morning fun sessions at Melbourn Sports Centre. These feature lots of short activities aimed at improving individual skills, concentration and the ability to be part of a team. The first one-hour session is free, thereafter we charge £2. All are welcome to the Melbourn Dynamites so why not bring your kids along so they can check it out. Many of you will have seen the great news in previous articles about the full-size all weather Astro pitch for Melbourn. Work has started at MVC and we hope that it will be ready for our new 2021-22 season. Melbourn Dynamos is proud to have initiated this exciting project delivering a huge asset for the whole community. We have been providing our children with increasing opportunities for healthy-living and well-being for more than 18 years and our club is now the largest sport provider in our community. The quality and safety of the village’s current Astro pitch has been an increasing concern and we have been exploring a new and better facility with our community partners for many years. This has been a long and sometimes frustrating process, but thanks to the resolute determination of the Dynamos’ leadership team and their actions to win the support of the Football Foundation and Cambridgeshire

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FA, we are pleased that the village will have this new full-size artificial pitch. The 100m x 64m floodlit pitch, based at MVC and costing more than £800,000, will be approximately four times the size of the current aging artificial surface it is replacing. In addition to school use, it will be available to local football clubs, for all ages and abilities, as well as the community out of school hours. The club’s success at providing accessible and inclusive sport and exercise for our local children means we need volunteers and financial support from our community. This enables the club to train our volunteers and continue to provide opportunities for all children, irrespective of their financial circumstances. We are particularly grateful to Melbourn Parish Council for the Community Grant awards that recognise the importance of our community work and the need for financial support. Melbourn Dynamos’ continuing success and growth means that we also need your help. Please contact Blake Carrington at chairman. mdfc@gmail.com for further information about the following opportunities: • Volunteers: If you would like to contribute to the club as a Facilities Manager, Administrator, Fundraiser, Fixtures secretary, Coach, Match day official or in some other volunteer capacity then we are very keen to hear from you. We know that there are many potential volunteers in our village who have skills and enthusiasm to support and develop our work in the community. • Sponsorship Partners: Our success and development come at a cost as we need to pay for the £250 training and kit costs of our new volunteer coaches as well as ensuring that we have 2 trained coaches for each of our existing teams. In addition, our pitch fees are in excess of £9,000 per season plus maintenance costs. Therefore, as Melbourn’s major community sports provider, we would be pleased to hear from potential sponsorship partners who share an interest in our community work. More information about the club and individual teams is available from the club’s Website: https://melbourndynamosfc.wordpress.com.

Melbourn Football Club Who are we? Melbourn Football Club are a men’s adult football team that play in the Cambridgeshire Kershaw County Leagues. With home games held at The Moor Recreation Ground, the club offers affordable sport within the village to players of 16 and above. We have been representing the village for over 130 years and are always looking for new players to join us, so if you

feel that you would like to play Saturday afternoon football in a friendly but competitive atmosphere then please contact the First Team Manager, Chay Wilson on 07966 573008, our new Reserve Team Manager, Ben Hammond on 07402 777584, or our Club Secretary, Simon Gascoyne on 07732 613555, or you can e-mail him on simon_gascoyne@hotmail.com. Alternatively, you can also contact us using our social media pages and can find these details at the end of this report. Owing to our fundraising efforts and excellent support from our sponsors, we are able to provide the opportunity for young adults (16 years and above) to continue playing football for as little as £30 per year (this is the signing on fee for all players), as we don’t charge Under 18’s, unemployed or those in full time education a match fee (this is normally £6 per match). So, if you are wanting to continue playing football, or would like to get back to playing, then we would be pleased to hear from you. We also provide the highest level of insurance cover against injury that is available via the Cambridgeshire Football Association, which has been of benefit to a couple of our players over the past couple of years. We are currently training on a Tuesday night at The Moor recreation ground between 19.00 and 20.30. In addition to training, the management team have also arranged Thursday night friendlies for both teams right up until the season starts, and details of these can be found on our social media pages. Again, new players are welcome and encouraged to join the training sessions for a taste of what we do as a club. First Team Promoted Following the voiding of the 2020/21 season, where we were unbeaten in the league, and a very good campaign in the Kershaw 30 Year Intermediate Cup, we have been promoted to the Kershaw 1A league along with local rivals Foxton Reserves and Guilden Morden. We will also be renewing our ‘battles’ with Barrington and Steeple Morden. I am sure that all of these fixtures both home and away will offer some great challenges to all involved. The reserves remain in Kershaw 4A but with our new Reserve Team Manager, Ben Hammond, taking over the reins we are confident that they will be challenging for promotion as well when the new season starts. The new season will kick off on Saturday 4th September and we will provide the details of these fixtures on our social media sites. Reserve Team Manager Due to work commitments Gaz Crouch has decided to step down as reserve team manager and I would like to take this opportunity on behalf of Melbourn Football Club to thank him for the excellent work that he put in

during the time he was in charge. It is never easy being a manager in any walk of life, and it is even more difficult in an amateur football club, and Gaz approached the role with a calm and balanced approach, integrating new players into a new team very successfully. However, Melbourn Football Club are very pleased to welcome back Ben Hammond as Gaz’s successor. Ben was previously a key member of our first team before injury forced him to retire from the game long before he should have. His ‘no nonsense’ approach and commitment to a tackle was renowned by his peers and sadly missed when he had to stop playing. Ben also spent time as a coach with us assisting the first team manager, and having him accept the role of reserve team manager is a massive bonus for the club. Sponsors & Fund Raising As I have mentioned in my previous reports, we have been supported well by a number of local businesses from the village and surrounding area with generous donations allowing us to purchase new kits and training equipment, and once again a number of these have come forward to offer further financial assistance, despite the difficulties businesses face in these uncertain times. This support has meant that we are able not only to provide the teams with excellent kit and equipment but also to continue with our support of our chosen charity CPSL Mind the mental health charity (more about this later!). On behalf of the club, I would once again like to thank: Shire Tree Surgery; T J Plastering; P J Deards Plumbing; MJF Construction; Conqueror Industries. A special thank you must go to Julian Ireland and Conqueror Industries, as they have been a major sponsor to the club for a great number of years and have recently provided additional sponsorship, allowing us to progress further in our advancement as a local community football club. We would again like to thank Steve and Kerry Harrington and their team at the Black Horse Public House for welcoming us into their establishment and providing food to the team after matches and during our monthly committee meetings. As always, I would like to ask that if you feel that you are able to offer sponsorship in some way then please contact Simon Gascoyne on the contact details below. Unfortunately, due to the recent restrictions we have not been able to hold any fundraising events since before Christmas but we are hopeful that this will be changing very soon, so please keep a look out on our normal communication channels including Instagram, Twitter and Facebook for news of what we are planning to do. melbournmagazine@gmail.com

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CPSL Mind – Our chosen Charity I am pleased to announce that, following the success of our fund raising efforts for CPSL Mind over the past two years, the committee have taken the decision to continue our support for this very worthy cause. Normally the Player of the Year would nominate a charity of their choice, but due to the season being cut short because of Covid 19 we decided that there wouldn’t be any awards presented this year and therefore no one able to select a charity of their choice. It was a unanimous vote to continue with our support and once again 25% of the monies raised from our fund raising events will go to CPSL Mind. Do you have any old Photographs of the past teams or players? We are currently putting together a picture library on our website and would like to ask if anyone has any old photos of players or teams from the past or newspaper cuttings. We have already received some (and thank you to those who have got in touch since my last request) which are great to reminisce about as we talk

about some of the great teams and individuals that have been part of the club over the years. What would be really great when sending them in is if you can provide any names, the year/s the picture was taken and any anecdotal comments that could be added as it is always lovely to hear these stories. If you are able to help then please forward these to the following: website@melbournfc.com or www.facebook. com/MelbournFC Contact Details If you are interested in joining Melbourn Football Club as a player, committee member or even as a supporter then please contact the First Team Manager, Chay Wilson on 07966 573008, Reserve Team Manager, Ben Hammond on 07402 777584 or our Club Secretary, Simon Gascoyne on 07732 613555 or you can e-mail him on simon_gascoyne@hotmail.com You can also find us on social media and can follow us on Twitter @Melbourn_FC, Facebook www. facebook.com/MelbournFC, Instagram @melbourn_fc and our website www.melbournfc.com

Melbourn Football Team Bambridge Cup – 1962/63 Melbourn Recreational ground Back Row: Eric Chamberlain – Brian Chamberlain – John Chamberlain – Percy Smith Andrew Housden (Goal) Sid Winter – Dennis Pammenter – Ron Hunt-Eaves (Landlord Black Horse) Front Row: Ralphie Mead – Phillip Chamberlain – Reg Woods – Bernard Winter Anthony Catley – Tony Cooper

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Melbourn Sports Centre Summer Review It’s been a hectic summertime at MSC! It’s been great to be able to see so many pupils returning to our swimming lessons, and such relief to get through a whole term uninterrupted, after so many postponements due to COVID. It felt so good to welcome back primary schools for lessons too, including Meldreth, Melbourn, Meridian and Trumpington schools, which have been a great success with lovely feedback from both pupils and parents. We have been working very hard over the summer months to gain funding to help improve the centre, and are pleased to announce that we have been successful in gaining funds to improve our Fitness Suite machines and to finally repair our trampolines, which we hope will mean we can bring back this popular activity very soon. We welcome Olivia Sole to our team, who has recently qualified as an Aqua Fit instructor. This has meant we have been able to bring back our Monday morning class, adding to the very popular sessions that already take place on a Tuesday & Friday morning and also Wednesday evenings. It’s coming home, football’s coming home! After the success of the England performance at the recent European Championship, we are delighted to announce the commencement of building Melbourn College’s full size Astro-turf pitch. We’ve worked closely with Melbourn Dynamos and the Football Fun Factory over the summer, who both ran very successful football camps, training the football stars of the future! Our Summer holiday camps were once again well attended, with children put through their paces with a variety of fun games and activities. Finally, it is with great sadness that our colleague Maggie Stebbing is moving away from the area. Not only has Maggie taught many of you and probably your children to swim at Melbourn since we first opened, but had a hand in getting the pool built in the first place. We owe her a lot and wish her all the very best for her new life and home. We hope to see you all this Autumn for plenty of sports activities and challenges to keep you fit and well, and thank you once again for your continued support. September / October / November / December We have loads on offer for the remainder of 2021, with something for the whole community to get involved with…. So why not come along and find out more about your local sports centre, run for the benefit of the community.

Come in out of the cold! With Autumn fully upon us and the nights closing in, why not come in out of the cold and have a go at such activities as table tennis, squash or badminton? Court hire from only £5.50 per hour. The perfect present! With Autumn comes Christmas preparations, so keep your eye out for our gift promotion – a fun and fit idea if you’re looking for something different to buy a loved one or friend (or treat yourself!). Or why not take advantage of one of our great membership schemes for our Fitness Suite, which houses the latest in gymnasium equipment, including C.V. machines fitted with audio visual technology, an ideal (and healthy) present for a loved one, perfect for losing those extra Christmas ‘mince pie’ pounds! Half term activities Children’s Half Term is fast approaching, an ideal time to book your young ones onto one of our great activity courses. These include swimming crash course, soccer camps, trampoline taster sessions and our popular Ofsted PlayScheme. Party time! Looking for the perfect venue to hold your children’s birthday or Halloween party? Then your search is over! We have all the facilities here for a fun-packed event with a variety of activities for your guests to enjoy, including trampolining (always a popular choice), football and traditional pool parties. Swimming lessons We still have plenty of spaces on our pre-school lessons, so for more details or to book a place then please contact Robbie or Graham on 01763 263313. Spaces still available for this term include: • Junior lessons for Intermediate – Advance standards / McSplash Swimming Club • Waterplay (pre-school swimming lessons) are an ideal first step for your child learning to swim, with the aim to build confidence in water, learning basic skills like floatation and movement using buoyancy aids. » Tuesdays: 13.20 – 15.00 (30 min lessons) / Thursdays: 13.15 – 14.55 (30 min lessons) » Fridays: 10.30 – 12.00 (30 min lessons) Prices: £4.00 per lesson (paid termly)

Melbourn Sports Centre, The Village College, The Moor, Melbourn, Royston, Hertfordshire, SG8 6EF 01763 263313 / www.mc-sport.co.uk info@mc-sport.co.uk

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Melbourn magazine is non-profit and all work on the magazine including design and layout are produced by volunteers. The Magazine is published four times a year in the first week of March, June, September and December. We print 2250 copies which are delivered free to every house and business in the village. Advertising revenue is used for printing costs only. Adverts should be supplied as finished artwork and must be at the sizes shown below. Please send artwork to melbournmagazine@ gmail.com. The current rates for advertising in the Magazine are as follows: Size per… 1/4 inside page 1/2 inside page

Width x Height (79 × 128 mm) (163 × 128 mm)

B/W £132 £225

Colour £205 £313

We are grateful to TTP for their continued sponsorship Ann Dekkers

Editorial

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Editorial, production, Peter Simmonett

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design and layout Advertising

David Sansom

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email: davidthemelbournmagazine@idnet.com Parish Proﬁle

Mavis Howard

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Proof reading

Ann Dekkers

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Christine Orchard

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Advertising rates are per year (four issues)

Jane Stevens

For further information on advertising see committee list. Remittance or cheques should be made to Melbourn Magazine.

Village Diary

Christine Orchard

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Printer

Langham Press 01223 870266

The Melbourn magazine team would like to thank all our advertisers for their support and sponsorship Advertisers

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Advertisers

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Abode Town & Country / Estate Agent – 01763 259888

Melbourn Flooring & Interiors – 01763 262413

All Eyes / Spectacle Makers – 01954 231545

Melbourn Garage – 01763 263344

Amber Health – 01462 490141

Melbourn Ironing Service – 01763 220996

angliEAR / Hearing services – 01223 661399

Nancy Foster Footcare – 01763 261250

B.C.R / Plumbing & Heating – 01763 260007

Bumpkins Day Nursery – 01223 208777

Bury Lane Farm Shop – 01763 260418

Bury Lane Fun Barn – 01763 260418

Chris Thomas / Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning – 01223 836002

CHS / Local Community Services – 01763 260564

PL Cooper / Flooring Specialists – 01763 260918

CSL Cheap Storage Ltd – 01763 262344

Prince Property / Property Improvements – 01763 269565

ESSE – 01763 261000

Richard Arnott – Garden Designer – 01763 263231

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Newlings of Royston / Funeral Services – 01763 242375

Norburys / Building & Landscape Supplies – 01763 261740

Paul Hutley / Carpenter – 07702905915

Phillimore Garden Centre – 01763 260537

Fender Piano Services / Piano Tuning & Repairs – 0800 233 5440 17

Rothwell’s Carpet Cleaning – 01223 832928

Greenlow Kennels – 01763 260624

Royston Complementry Health – 01763 247440

GYC Photography family photographer – 07786 707869

Jeremy Ashworth / Property Maintenance – 07815 093166

Jeremy Rule / Funeral Service – 01763 242560

JKL Tackle / Fishing tackle shop – 07966 268486

J Oliver Radley / Opticians – 01763 273300

Langham Press – 01223 870266

Lawn Partners / Bespoke lawncare – 01763 244955

Sage / Blinds & Interiors – 01763 263399 Simon Robinson / Bespoke Picture Framers – 01223 873123

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Southwell Court Residential Home – 01763 750006

Summit / Landscape Gardeners – 01223 929394

Taylor & Co /Chartered Accountants – 01763 248545

The Letting Centre – 01763 263039

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Law Storage Ltd – 01223 874629

The Spice Hut / Indian Takeaway – 01763 262425

Leech & Sons / Master Butchers – 01763 260255

TTP – 01763 262626

Little Hands Nursery School – 01763 260964

Wrights Mower Centre / Garden Machinery – 01763 263393

melbournmagazine@gmail.com

Buntingford business celebrating Buntingford business celebrating Buntingford business celebrating Buntingford business celebrating 15 years anniversary.

15 years anniversary. 15 years anniversary. 15 years anniversary. Thank you to all our patients for their support over the years. Thank Thank you you to to all all our our patients patients for for their their support support over over the the years. years.

Thank you to all our patients for their support over the years. Thank you to all our patients for their support over the years. Our mission Our mission Our As yourmission local independent practice, J. Oliver Radley Opticians Our mission As your local independent practice, J. Oliver Radley Opticians As your independent practice, Oliver Radley Opticians strives tolocal provide an excellent serviceJ. that’ s tailored to your Our mission As your local independent practice, J. Oliver Radley Opticians strives to provide an excellent service that’s tailored to your

strives to excellent service that’ ss Radley tailored to your individual optical an needs. We welcome both privateOpticians and NHS As your local independent practice, J. Oliver strives to provide provide an excellent service that’ tailored to your individual optical needs. We welcome both private and NHS individual optical needs. We welcome both private and NHS patients, whatever your visual requirements for fashion, sports, strives to provide an excellent service that’ s tailored to your individual optical needs. We welcome both private and NHS patients, whatever your visual requirements for fashion, sports, patients, whatever your visual requirements for fashion, sports, style, UV protection and budget mayboth be. private patients, whatever your visual requirements for fashion, sports, individual optical needs. We welcome and NHS style, UV protection and budget may be. style, UV protection and budget may be. style, UV protection budget may be. for fashion, sports, patients, whatever yourand visual requirements style, UV protection and budget may be.

Open Tuesday to Saturday: Open Tuesday to Saturday: Open to Open Tuesday to Saturday: Saturday: 8:00amTuesday to 6:30pm 8:00am to 6:30pm 8:00am to 6:30pm Open Tuesday to Saturday: 8:00am to 6:30pm T: 01763 273300 T: 01763 273300 8:00am to 6:30pm T: 273300 T: 01763 01763 273300

T: 01763 273300

James Edel James Edel James Edel James Edel James Edel J. Oliver Radley Opticians J. Oliver Radley Opticians J. Oliver 36 High Radley Street, Opticians J. Oliver Radley Opticians 36 High Street, 36 High Street, Buntingford, High Radley Street, Opticians J.36 Oliver Buntingford, Buntingford, SG9 9AQStreet, Buntingford, 36 High SG9 9AQ SG9 SG9 9AQ 9AQ Buntingford, SG9 9AQ

www.radleyopticians.com www.radleyopticians.com www.radleyopticians.com www.radleyopticians.com Printed by The Langham Press

Issue 107 Autumn 2021

Articles inside

Issue 107 Autumn 2021

Travelogue