Village news

Village News

Peggy Abrey

5 Melbourn Community Library 6 The Hall For All Defibrillator used! 7 Could this be the end of the 7 road for Melbourn Fete? New-Look Melbourn Hub for 2022 8 Melbourn W.I. – After Eights 10 Melbourn & Meldreth Women’s Group 10 Melbourn Springs 10 Royston & District Local History Society 11 Moorlands Court 11 What’s On @ Melbourn Child 11 and Family Zone 11 A10 Cycling Campaign and Spring cycling 21 Meldreth Station gardening 21

Peggy Abrey

19th October 1930 – 21st December 2021

Peggy was born in Melbourn, the daughter of Jack and Ivy Robinson. Her grandfather Harry Robinson owned the tailor’s shop at the corner of the Moor, and Jack, one of Harry’s 3 sons, worked in the shop. The cottage is still there, but the shop has gone.

Peggy went to the village school in Mortlock Street, and after leaving at 14 went to work in Melbourn Post Office. She later moved to the Post Office in Cambridge.

Peggy married Gerald Abrey in All Saints’ Melbourn and they moved to a small cottage in Meldreth. This was the only time that Peggy lived outside Melbourn. Peggy and Gerald both served the church faithfully over the years. Peggy was artistic and channelled her skill into dressmaking, needlework and embroidery.

Gerald was not in good health for some years and Peggy took good care of him until the end. Peggy did not get out so much after Gerald’s death, but she kept up to date with all village goings on and still had a sharp mind even at the age of 91.

Local authors visiting Melbourn Hub on May 17th

Nicola Upson is the author of a series of novels which feature the brilliant Golden Age writer Josephine Tey as their lead character. The books paint an atmospheric picture of England between the wars, and Nicola will talk about some of the settings and people which provide the backdrop to her mysteries, from Alfred Hitchcock and Marlene Dietrich to the infamous Edwardian baby farmers, Sach and Walters. She will also discuss her enduring fascination with Tey, and her latest books: The Dead of Winter, a riff on the Golden Age Christmas detective story; and Dear Little Corpses, set at the outbreak of World War II.

Nicola’s first book in the series was adapted for Radio 4 by BBC Scotland and since then Nicola has contributed to BBC Radio programmes.

Other titles are – An Expert in Murder, Angel with two faces, Two for Sorrow, Fear in the Sunlight, The Death of Lucy Kyte and Nine lessons. She has also published a stand-alone novel, Stanley and Elsie, about the artist Stanley Spencer. Mandy Morton began her professional life as a folk musician and freelance Arts Journalist, featuring on national and local radio including Radio Cambridgeshire.

After losing her long-haired tabby cat, who was feisty and clever, she wanted to keep her memory alive so wrote a story about the Adventures of Hettie Bagshot and her No 2 Feline Detective Agency – a tongue in cheek homage to Alexander McCall Smith’s cosy crime series – and self-published it to raise money for a cat’s charity. As this book was very successful the series was picked up by a London publisher and she has now written ten books based on cats which she has since adopted, most recently The Cat and the pendulum.

She says that “anyone who has ever been owned by a cat also knows that cats have the most incredibly different characters. You never get a cat that is the same. Cats can be incredibly cruel and selfish or self-effacing, lazy or full of beans and they can follow all the traits a human being would have.”

The books are set in the 1970’s, in a town entirely populated by cats who live in a street based on Mill Road in Cambridge.

Other titles in this series are The Death of Downton Tabby, The Ghost of Christmas Paws, Cat Among The Pumpkins, Magical Mystery Paws and Beyond The Gravy.

Melbourn Community Library

It has been so good to have the library back in business again after being closed for so long. We were delighted to welcome back our regulars and a lot of new ‘customers’. The volunteer in charge of buying our books has been very busy restocking the shelves after the long hiatus. The new adult books are put on a shelf above the children’s section and it is always worth looking there for inspiration or perhaps to try a new author.

Melbourn Mobile Warden Scheme

Can we help you?

Can we help a relative?

Can we help a neighbour?

Who does the Scheme help? 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

Jane Cage (Deputy) 07592 821976 email: janec55@virginmedia.com

Melbourn Warden Scheme is a registered charity

Our main priority since reopening has been the revamping and updating of our stock of children’s books, in particular the Young Adult and Junior Fiction. Much has already been done but this will be ongoing for the rest of the year and any comments and suggestions, particularly from our younger library members, would be useful.

For our housebound readers, we are hoping to set up a ‘Library from Home’ service. The arrangement is that someone who is housebound, but would love to have access to the library, contacts us and they are then given a designated person who will choose library books for them and bring the books to their home. If anyone is interested in either having books delivered or in being the person who chooses the books and delivers them, please contact the library. Our email address is library@ melbournhub.co.uk or phone us on the Hub number.

We are in the process of setting up a number of events at the library including visits by authors. Please see the Hub website and other social media for details of these as they will be interesting and enjoyable. They are open to all whether or not you have a Cambridgeshire Library Service card. Jane Stevens

The Hall For All Defibrillator used!

Whilst we were all saddened to learn that it was necessary, I am nevertheless delighted to tell you that our lovely Defibrillator was used shortly after the beginning of the year.

We discovered this because the Emergency Services contacted our designated Trustee to inform her of the fact. Naturally no details were given, other than that the machine had been used and therefore certain checks had to be made to ensure that all the parts had been returned and were in working order. I am so pleased we decided to mount it on the outside wall so that it is readily available to everyone.

We showed a short film on the use of the defibrillator at Coffee Stop in February and will repeat this every so often throughout the year. The more people become familiar with the process of using the machine the more confident they will feel should the need to use it arise. When our very popular Cinema Event starts up again (which we hope will happen in the spring) we shall include a clip on the defibrillator in the notices we show before the start of the film.

We are delighted that so many groups and clubs are coming back to the Hall, it is good to see it being used again. I must say how grateful we are to our wonderful cleaners, who have kept the place immaculate and ensured that all the hand sanitizers were replenished. If you have not seen inside the Hall, do come down to Coffee Stop one Saturday morning and have a look around at the facilities we offer. Mavis Howard

Could this be the end of the road for Melbourn Fete?

The Melbourn Fete Committee have essentially remained the same group of friends who have been organising the event for 20 years. We have often asked for volunteers to join us and indeed we have a very enthusiastic group of people who offer their help for the event weekend itself.

However, with the odd exception we have had no new joiners to the organising committee itself. The last couple of years have seen the event cancelled, and that has given the committee members a chance to assess what they want to do about future commitments to the fete. Whilst some are happy to continue there were several resignations, which means the Fete committee is not viable. We have the following choices: a the summer fete ending b a significant number of volunteers joining the organising committee c a fresh start, with an entirely new group of volunteers taking over the entire operation. If you would like to be involved in saving our village fete I ask that you contact the fete committee through secretary.melbournfete@gmail.com by the end of May.

It is important to note that the two fete offshoots, Melbourn Open Gardens and Turn on to Christmas, are much smaller and simpler events and the present volunteers involved in these allow for their continuation. As always, however, if you wish to be involved in these events your support would always be welcome.

New-Look Melbourn Hub for 2022

It’s been a strange and turbulent time for small businesses, and the Hub has had some ups and downs like most hospitality venues over the last two years. However, we are delighted to be fully open for business once again with a new-look building, new people and much improved meeting spaces.

The Covid crisis highlighted the importance of the Hub, especially our ability to support the entire community with practical help. The Hub building, its staff and volunteers stepped up to the plate in a time of crisis. For those of you that do not know, this included a food bank, counselling support, doorstep services for prescriptions and food shopping for those who became lonely and isolated. This project, delivered during the first 2020 lockdown, was of historic importance, providing crucial help to literally hundreds of isolating and vulnerable Melbourn residents, delivered through a dedicated team of volunteers.

As 2020 came to a close we fondly thought that 2021 would be a better year. This unfortunately was not the case. A substantial new lockdown was again in place by January, that lasted to mid-year. Again the Hub was forcibly closed. This closure, however, proved to be a major opportunity.

Having already secured the needed finances from grants, the long-awaited upgrade and expansion of the Hub building was able to go ahead while the building was closed for business due to the Covid lockdown.

After seven years of operation it had become clear that changes to the building layout would have major benefits. Staff and customers were thoroughly consulted on the best way of proceeding, and formal plans were submitted to and approved by the planning authority.

The upgraded Hub now has more and better meeting rooms, dedicated staff facilities, first and ground floor toilet facilities and increased general storage while remaining fully disability accessible and compliant. The public spaces and building exterior were all repainted and remodelled with new furniture and decor to give a new-look Bookmark Café. The five star commercial kitchen was also improved and enlarged. It now offers an even better range of freshly baked and cooked food.

Gemma Dowling, our new Catering Manager, seen here on the right with Maddie Windred and Hayley King, has now been in post since August, complementing an amazing transformation.

The Community Library was of course included in the upgrade plans. The volunteer librarians now operate from the main desk as you enter the building, with the benefits of purpose built storage and better IT systems. Smart new graphics adorn the main public

spaces, with more improvements yet to come. Exciting plans are afoot, in conjunction with wider county organisations, to spice up the library offering with readings by visiting authors and additional bespoke services especially for children. Debby Brown and Siobhan Pitts looking after some young readers!

Library volunteers Mandy Handscombe and Jane Stevens.

Expanded Meeting Room Offer When the Hub was first constructed there were only two meeting rooms, one on each of the ground and first floors.

Following the expansion and upgrade the Hub now boasts four meeting rooms, two on each floor, and all with ‘state of the art’ facilities.

The new room services are standard in every room and are included in the room hire rates. Customers benefit from secure digital communications, ceiling-fitted projectors with motorised screens and air-conditioning.

Most importantly the new rooms offer privacy and seclusion to customers who are looking for confidentiality, such as Relate and Citizens Advice. The ground floor rooms are finished to be compliant with healthcare uses, such as NHS clinics.

With the on-site catering facilities to hand, our room hire customers can naturally enjoy in-room catering or visit the Bookmark Café for meals and refreshments.

Special offers are often available so make sure you ask when booking your room! First floor meeting rooms now have toilet facilities near by with full disabled access.

To book a room online, go to melbournhub.co.uk/ roomhire

You can also email hubadmin@melbournhub. co.uk with any enquiries you may have or phone on 01763 263303 #1. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook @TheHubMelbourn We look forward to welcoming you in 2022 We are proud to be open again, with the Café, Library and Room Hire facilities in a modern and welcoming environment. Our takeaways are ever increasing in popularity and we are now offering a ‘delivered or collection’ outside buffet service for customers who want catering support for parties or business lunches.

Exciting community events are planned as we anticipate fully returning to normality in the Spring and welcoming even more people through the doors. Don’t miss the 13th March Craft Fair and our Mother’s Day Lunch event on March 27th! Melbourn Hub Management Team

I do hope you saw and liked our ‘Sprout Tree‘ at the Meldreth Christmas Tree Festival. We certainly had a lot of fun making them – some did seem to develop personalities of their own! After the weekend, the sprouts found their way onto the WI stall at Coffee Stop in December, where they were sold for our funds along with traditional WI festive fare. Some of us even managed to meet up just before Christmas to have a meal together in The Old Bull, Royston.

We have an exciting and varied programme lined up for 2022: a talk by someone from Trinity House, a taste of Tai Chi, in March we shall be trying our hand at Felting, and so it goes on through the year. We are planning a summer party and something to mark the Platinum Jubilee. CFWI in Cambridge also hold frequent seminars and day schools, which you can attend in person or sometimes by Zoom.

We meet at 8 p.m. on the fourth Wednesday of the month in the Community Hall in the centre of the village, and can arrange for lifts to and from the meetings if you are nervous about being out at night. We try to keep in touch by meeting for coffee in between the monthly meetings and we always welcome new faces

If you would like more information, please do get in touch with our President, Gail McPhee at melbournwi@ gmail.com and she will tell you what is happening. Mavis Howard

Melbourn & Meldreth Women’s Group

We are a small friendly group who normally meet on the 4th Tuesday of each month (except December). Our meetings begin at 7.45p.m. and we vary our venue between Melbourn & Meldreth. We make a nominal charge of £1 on the evening and there is an opportunity to support our charity for the year, which is “Stand-byme” Children’s Bereavement Support.

If you wish to know more about us, please contact one of the committee members:

Pat Smith (262575); Sue Toule (260955); Angela Leach (262793); Pat Ames (261130); Kimmi Crosby (07976228377); Mary Bailey (220171); Diane Blundell (221415).

Our March meeting is on the 22nd, when we will hear a talk on behalf of the Marie Curie charity. This is scheduled to be in All Saints’ Community Hall beginning at the usual time of 7.45p.m. 26th April sees us meeting in Holy Trinity Meeting Rooms in Meldreth, when we will hear Dan Amis speak to us. Dan has led a varied life and I am sure his talk will be interesting.

We hope to have our Summer Supper on 24th May, where the committee organise ploughman’s supper and puddings for members and their guests.

We continue to be aware of and sensitive to the fluctuating situation with regard to Covid and will endeavour to keep members informed of any changes to venue.

Melbourn Springs

Melbourn poet has poem published after winning competition Elizabeth (Betty) Murphy of Melbourn was delighted to finally see her award-winning poem in print after beating 300 other entries in a national ‘Poems in The Pandemic Competition’ which took place last year.

Dan Amis, Deputy Manager at Melbourn Springs Care Home, entered Elizabeth into the Humour category (with Elizabeth’s authorisation of course) and to their surprise Elizabeth won with her extremely funny poem ‘Isolation Musings’. Elizabeth has even gone on to take part in a Zoom celebratory event and now that the book has been published, Dan could not wait to deliver a copy.

Dan added, “All of our residents at Melbourn Springs love to hear Elizabeth’s poems when she very kindly sends them to us. Elizabeth has a real talent and it’s great that this has been recognised by her win. Although the competition was over a year ago I am so pleased the

book is out and Elizabeth could have a copy just in time for Christmas!”

Upon receiving a copy from Dan, Elizabeth said, “I am so very happy and aiming to get a few more copies to share with my family and friends. The book really is very well compiled and to have a poem of mine actually published is a very special moment!”

For more information about Poems in a Pandemic please visit: www.caretalk.co.uk and for more information about Melbourn Springs please visit: www.barchester.com/home/melbourn-springscare-home

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 in the Heritage Hall (the main hall downstairs) at Royston Town Hall. » 3rd March – Climate Change – Mrs Anne Littlefair » 7th April – ‘The History of the Bedford and

Cambridge Railway’ – Stephen Owen » 12th May – AGM 7.30pm followed at 8pm ‘In

Common’ – a look at the origin, development and standing of the most English of institutions

‘The Common’

Annual membership £10 (Sept-Aug) (Under 18s half price) Visitors £2

Moorlands Court

The end of 2021 was what could only be described as ‘concerning’ at Moorlands Court. We continued to deal with the pandemic, as the rest of the world did, with the constant worry about the huge uncertainty of what the new Covid variant would bring to our tenants and staff.

We approached Christmas with trepidation, almost expecting it to be cancelled as it was the previous year, and eagerly awaited all updates from the Government. We took advice from the relevant agencies and decided to continue with our plans and try to provide as normal a Christmas as we possibly could.

I’m so glad we did, as the festivities at Moorlands this year were very much needed and it turned out to be excellent.

What’s On @ Melbourn Child and Family Zone

Welcome to our Child and Family Centres. Our aim is to support you and your family as your children grow, especially through these challenging times. We are following all COVID guidelines and you will be required to pre-book in advance. We ask that all staff and volunteers adhere to the latest Vovid-19 guidance. Charges apply for groups. Concessions may apply. Email:ChildAndFamilyCentre.South@ cambridgeshire.gov.uk Facebook: search for South Cambridgeshire Child and Family Centres Whats On @ Melbourn Child and Family Zone Mini Movers For mobile babies aged around 9–18 months, focusing on activities that encourage physical development. To book, please email or message us on Facebook. Mondays 10.00 to 11.30am Stay and Play Stay and play session for children from around 10 months or walking. To book, please email or message us on Facebook. Thursdays 10.00 to 11.30am Baby Group (for parents of pre-mobile babies) Meet other parents and access support and advice from the Child and Family Centre team. Booking essential, please email or message us on Facebook. Thursdays 1.00 to 2.30pm Melbourn Child and Family Zone, Mortlock Street, Melbourn, SG8 6DB (adjacent to Melbourn Primary School)

We had a couple of new entertainers visit us in December who were both amazing and their shows were a huge success. Christmas Entertainment Our tenants were treated to a music hall inspired singalong show by Lillian Lace. She belted out some classic oldies, including, Knees up Mother Brown, My Old Man’s a Dustman and Doing the Lambeth Walk. The audience were full of enthusiasm and were clapping, cheering and participating fully with the show. This was so lovely to witness as many of our tenants have dementia and so the interaction from those tenants was wonderful to see.

One of the annual festive traditions at Moorlands Court is a visit from Little Hands Nursery. The children came along to sing to our tenants. Again, it had to be from outside the building to protect the tenants and the children. It certainly didn’t stop everyone enjoying the performance and the children were brilliant, their little voices lit up every single face of the audience.

Another of our entertainers; Mikey Fordola, treated everyone to a show full of crooner swing hits, with a Christmas twist.

He had some of the more able-bodied Moorlands Court Tenants and Day Centre clients up on their feet. Hearing everyone singing along was amazing and, from the feedback I’ve been given, I know everyone is very keen to have Mikey visit us again.

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It was a wonderful afternoon, we all enjoyed mulled wine, mince pies and sausage rolls provided by our talented kitchen staff, who have excelled themselves again this year. As usual, they have continued to provide amazing meals while faced with continued substitutions from some of our suppliers due to the pandemic, but never have they provided a meal that hasn’t been perfectly balanced or delicious… hats off to our kitchen team who have helped make Christmas amazing.

Another of our traditions is the Christmas raffle. We were lucky to have some very generous donations from local businesses and individuals and all the money raised will go towards bringing more entertainers into Moorlands Court to entertain our tenants and their families. Cinema afternoon Last year, we introduced a weekly cinema afternoon and this has continued to grow in popularity over the past few months. Each week we find ourselves adding additional seats to the ‘cinema’.

In the autumn we purchased a projector from funds raised throughout the year and this has added to the whole cinema experience, which we try to make as authentic as possible. Each week we show a different genre of film, have popcorn and everyone eagerly awaits the poster going onto the notice board to see what’s showing that week.

Day Centre Our Day Centre continues to be extremely popular and we have welcomed some new faces this year. From musical bingo, competitions to arts and crafts, and not forgetting the amazing lunches provided by our in house chefs, our clients are always very busy and their days with us are full of fun and laughter. Please call us if you would like to try a taster session.

Every Tuesday we welcome the ever popular Jess the PAT dog to Moorlands Court. She is a firm favourite with Tenants, Day Centre clients and Staff. She is such a gentle dog and everyone eagerly awaits her arrival every week.

Scrabble club One of our new tenants has just set up a Scrabble club. It was the first session this week and was well attended. Our more able tenants really enjoy and need the interaction with their neighbours, who have also become good friends. It was a great way for them to get together, igniting the brain cells and getting to know their new neighbour a little better. I hope to report in my next update about the success of her club.

Newsletter

We produce an in-house quarterly Newsletter and as part of the features we usually like to interview one of our tenants, but this quarter I decided to chat to a staff member for a change. What a great story I uncovered from Sabina, who is one of our cooks. I hope you find it as interesting as I have.

Sabina came to the UK in late 2004 from a small Polish town called Swiebodzice. Her home town is situated close to the German border and the town has quite an infamous history. The Ksiaz Castle and its cave complex were expanded during World War II to create the private quarters of Adolf Hitler.

She had been studying Economics at college in the hope of working within the banking/finance sector, but after her relationship broke down she felt the need for a fresh start. She heard through a family friend that a hotel in the UK was looking for staff and thought it would be a good opportunity to get away for a short

time to help heal her broken heart. Her plan was to come for a couple of months, earn some extra cash, move on from her relationship and gain some life experience. In December 2004, at just 19 and without speaking any English, she set off from Berlin for the UK.

Her role at the hotel was mainly cleaning and waiting in the restaurant but her hard work and enthusiasm were quickly realised and it wasn’t long before she was preparing breakfasts and working behind the bar. She said she always had an interest in cooking, as her Grandmother and Mother were very good cooks and she enjoyed helping them when she was a child. She said she has very fond memories of those times.

The role at the Hotel was challenging, as December in the hospitality industry is extremely hard work with the numerous Christmas Parties and lunches. Sabina didn’t have a single day off during her first month and found it exhausting.

While at the hotel she met her partner and they quickly became a “couple”. They moved into a flat together and he helped her with the necessary paperwork to enable her to live and work in the UK. Within just 4 months of her arrival, she was in a position to move on and find a permanent position. After registering with an employment agency, she found a job in a staff cafeteria and also as a cleaner and worked two jobs. Her partner and his family were very supportive and told her about a vacancy at Moorlands Court. She applied and came for an interview, and in the meantime was also offered another job working as a cleaner. She then found herself in the very privileged position of having to choose between two jobs. She chose Moorlands Court and the rest is history!

I asked Sabina some fun questions and here are her answers

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What do you enjoy most about working at Moorlands Court? “I really enjoy working with elderly people, it reminds me of my Grandparents. I was very close to them. It’s so interesting to hear about their life stories too. Another thing I like about working here are my colleagues, they are all so easy to get along with. We have a great team here.” What are your biggest achievements to date, personal or professional? “Not being able to speak English when I came to the UK was challenging, but my sister helped me with the translation by writing notes in English and Polish. Also, becoming a qualified cook and taking my NVQ level 3 City and Guilds. I wouldn’t allow my assessor to help me with the translation, I wanted to do it myself to help me learn and understand the language.” What gets you out of bed every day – except for work? “My German Shepherd, Shona. She never allows me a lie in and is always waiting by the bedroom door in the morning for her walk. She only really likes me to walk her. If my partner takes her she reluctantly goes with him to do her business then wants to come straight home. When I take her we go for long walks around the village and have lots of different routes, I think she likes that better. She was a rescue dog and will be 11 in June.” When was the last time you laughed so hard you cried? “Oooh I can’t remember. I am a very positive person and I like to have fun and laugh a lot anyway, but this morning I did have a very good laugh with the handyman and the cleaner. We joked about the film 50 Shades of Grey; it was mainly a joke about how good women are. I always joke and laugh with the delivery drivers too; they brighten up the day.” What’s on your wish list for the next 5 years? “I’d love to win the lottery and buy a farm in Wales or the countryside of Norfolk. I wouldn’t want to be on the coast, just close enough to visit the sea. I’d prefer to live near a forest. I would have a farm with lots of rescue animals: chickens, pigs and cows, I’d let them enjoy the rest of their lives.” If you were planning a celebrity dinner party, who would you invite? “Lots of fit men……..ha ha ha. Maybe Tom Hardy, Ryan Reynolds, oh and my work friends of course. I also like Matthew Goode, he’s such a good actor. If I could invite someone who had passed away it would have to be Clarke Gable, he was such a handsome man. I had a bit of a crush on him when I was younger. Ricky Gervais would also have to be included because of his love for animals and how funny he is and maybe Colin Firth too, he’s a real English gentleman.” What advice would you give to the 16 year old Sabina? “Ha ha ha……….don’t fall in love with an idiot!! Mind you, if I hadn’t done that then I would never have come to England so maybe I’d say choose a man who can clean and cook!”

Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to chat with me Sabina, it was lovely hearing about your life. Moorlands Services

As always, we are here if you or a family member are in need of Extra Care in the community, from Meals on Wheels, help with housework, care needs, to a sitting service. We can offer extra support when needed so do not hesitate to give us a call for an informal chat if this might be something you are considering now or at some point in the future. Where possible, and dependent on availability, we occasionally have flats with Extra Care available within Moorlands Court. Please call us if this might be something you are looking for. Carol Bailey, Administrative Officer

Parish Council – Clerk’s Report

Not For Sale! The Parish Council often receives enquiries about land to be made available for development around the village, particularly allotment land. It is not the Parish Council’s policy to sell land for development, and indeed the Parish Council has a duty to provide land for allotments. We are very lucky in Melbourn to have two allotment gardens, both on The Moor: St Georges Allotments, with 90 plots, is owned by the Parish Council, and Grays Allotments, with 7 plots, is managed by us under a long lease. Both allotment gardens are well established and well run (with thanks to the St Georges Allotment Association). The allotments are an important amenity for the village and there is absolutely no plan to sell the land that we own for development. Please contact the Parish office for more details about availability of allotment plots. The Draft Local Plan The first public consultation for the draft Greater Cambridge Local Plan was held in November 2021 and the responses received will feed into the draft Local Plan to be further developed during 2022. I will continue to share details about opportunities for public participation on our notice boards, website