HI Courier March 2011

HI CourierThe local community newspaper for Histon and Impington

March 2011Issue 19www.HIcourier.co.ukFREE

IVC's 50th Art Exhibition Histon Feast 2011 Performing Arts

HI CourierReturn ofthe Toads!Citi 7 Bus Route AxedDouble Decker Replacement Service to Start April 17th

Stagecoach has told the County

Council of changes to the Citi 7

service. It will be split into two

separate services, one north of city

centre and one south, although both

will go to Addenbrook's hospital.

From 17 April, Histon and

Impington will be served by a new

Citi 8 bus linking Cottenham,

Histon, Impington, City Centre and

Addenbrook's.

It will run every 20 minutes Mon-Sat

daytimes until approximately 7pm,

every 30 minutes Sunday daytimes

until approximately 5:30pm, and

hourly Mon-Sat evenings until

approximately 11 pm. A full schedule

is shown on page 2.

The New Citi 7 service will link to

villages further south: Sawston,

Duxford, Whittlesford and Saffron

Walden. Buses will operate every 20

minutes to Sawston and hourly to

Duxford, Whittlesford or Saffron

Walden. However, evening & Sunday

journeys beyond Sawston are

withdrawn.

The Parish Councils were surprised

and dismayed that Stagecoach plan

to cut service from 10 minute to a 20

minute frequency. After the obvious

success of the 10 minute service this

is a real backwards step. They

expressed deep concerned that whilst

the current poor timekeeping and

reliability is annoying and

frustrating, with a 20 minute service

it would be totally unacceptable.

Councillors also questioned whether

rush hour capacity would be

adequate. If not, at later stops,

possibly even those in Impington,

people may find buses full and

unable to pick them up. Returning in

the evening could be equally

problematic for those trying to get on

other than at the City centre.

Parents with buggies or prams

and wheelchair users may also

suffer. It could mean a long

wait for a bus with space.

Councillors felt strongly that,

particularly at a time when

residents are suffering from

the economic downturn and

may not have alternative

transport, what we need is a

frequent, reliable, public

transport service, not cuts.

The Parish Councils

understand that there is no

requirement for Stagecoach to

consult before putting this sort

of change to the Traffic

Commissioner. Indeed, the

Traffic Commissioner process

is, by design, not open and

transparent. The concern is

that by the time the

Commissioner has made his

decision this would be a “done

deal”.

Impington Parish Council is writing

to the Traffic Commissioner

expressing concerns over any

reduction in the Citi 7 service. The

Council will be contacting

Stagecoach to ask them to reconsider

their plans, particularly for the rush

hour periods. The Council will also

be asking, particularly if the changes

go through, for assurances that all

possible efforts will be put into

improving the reliability and

timekeeping of the service.

In a separate action, District Cllr

Jonathan Chatfield is pressing for the

bus service to be kept at its current

frequency. Several years ago, Cllr

Chatfield successfully campaigned

for Citi 7 to go through to the railway

station and Addenbrooke’s Hospital

and to run every 10 minutes. He

said, "Many people rely on the bus to

travel to work, the shops and the

hospital. They appreciate the 'turn

up and go' nature of the service. It

would be an outrage if the service

was cut and could leave people

standing on the bus or even left

behind at the bus stop."

Jonathan also wants to see the bus

service become far more reliable,

especially at peak times. "Often up

to three buses can bunch together,

leaving a big gap then until the next

service arrives. This is no way to

encourage people to leave their cars

at home", said Jonathan. "In

addition, the popular 110 Thursday

bus to Ely is thought to be under

threat. This is despite it being very

well used and even full on several

occasions."

Courier readers are invited to make

their own comments to Stagecoach

and to the Traffic Commissioner,

contact details are as follows:

Traffic Commissioner: Richard

Turfitt, Eastern Traffic Region

Commissioner (TC) Eastern Traffic

Area, City House, 126-130 Hills

Road, Cambridge CB2 1NP;

Stagecoach: Andy Campbell,

Managing Director, Stagecoach

Cambridgeshire, 100 Cowley Road,

Cambridge, CB4 0DN. E-mail:

[email protected]

Cllr Chatield is asking for support

on a bus campaign petition. He can

be contacted at: Jonathan Chatfield,

2 Parr Close, Impington, CB24 9YH

Citi 7 to be replaced by new Citi 8 service running to Addenbrook's every 20 minutes

SeeProposedTimetableson page 2

You may have seen on the front

page of last April's Courier that a

team of volunteers helped a number

of toads across the guided busway.

A stretch of Milton Road from St

Andrews Church until Clay Close

Lane is another toad/frog black spot

where large numbers cross to get to

lakes/ditches behind Percheron

Close. The kerb along part of this

stretch of road is very high and last

year large numbers were killed

especially during the wetter

evenings.

Firstly you can help by driving

carefully around this area in the

early-mid part of March when the

migration begins. Secondly if you

are happy to wander around for the

odd hour with a torch, fluorescent

jacket and a bucket to help them to

safety then please contact

[email protected] so we

can work out a volunteer rota.

Last week the Ely Crown Court

ruled to uphold the Magistrates'

Court decision to impose a fine on

Histon Football Club for its actions

last year in cutting down trees

protected by preservation orders

along the border of the Glassworld

Stadium and the Guided Busway

track.

The Court noted the Club's

financial predicament, with

substantial debt, but considered

that the club could meet the fine

within 24 months. The Bench ruled

that the Magistrates had been

correct in imposing a £9,500 fine

and ordered that Histon FC pay the

Council further legal costs in

respect of the appeal hearing of

£500.

Crown CourtUpholdsRuling inTree Case

Water LaneSkate Park?

Potholes

2 NEWSMarch 2011 www.HIcourier.co.ukHI Courier InfoThis is your local paper and we need your

help to keep it going. Everyone at the HI

Courier is a volunter - we pay no salaries!

We have many jobs to do each month and

always need help. If you would like to

volunteer please contact us.

News

Please send your news, photos and stories to

[email protected]

Advertising

We need ADVERTISING revenue to cover

the printing costs of the paper - all ‘staff’ are

volunteers working for FREE! Please

support the HI Courier by advertising with

us - prices are very reasonable, from only

£11! E-mail your advertising copy to

[email protected]

Submitting copy/adverts

Submit copy for editorial by email to

[email protected] - advert booking

forms are available on the website at

www.HIcourier.co.uk/help

Delivery

We need volunteers to distribute the paper:

if you are able to deliver papers for us in

your area please contact Elaine Farrell at

07855 314666 or by email to

[email protected]

Deadline for April issue:

29 March (published 7th April)

Diary dates 2011

For information about village events, see

www.HIcourier.co.uk/events

Please send us information about your

community events for our calendar and we

will cover them in the HI Courier. Send to:

[email protected]

Contacting Us

Histon Impington Courier Ltd*

Hollyoak-Middlewhite Building,

St Georges Way

Impington CB24 9AF

Telephone: 07904 876445

E-mail: [email protected]

Web: www.HIcourier.co.uk

*a not-for-profit company run by

volunteers

The HI Courier is a community newspaper and

we encourage you to submit articles and news.

Priority is given to news and ads from Histon

and Impington, then surrounding areas as

space permits. We adhere to the Code of

Practice issued by the Press Complaints

Commission. If you have any complaints, or

comments about how we can provide better

service to the community, please write to the

address above or call 07904 876445. For daily

and weekly news updates please visit our

online edition at www.HIcourier.co.uk

(C) Copyright 2011 by Histon Impington

Courier Ltd. unless otherwise noted.

Proposed NewCiti 7&8 TimetablesPCSO Tony Martin has asked all drivers in

the village to be mindful of the way they park.

"Please be considerate of others and do not

block the pavement." Children's buggies and

wheelchairs often find the pavement

obstructed by cars and they must then enter

the street to get around placing themselves at

risk. Alternatively they may try to get around

your car and inadvertantly cause unintentional

scratches or damage to the vehicle. We have

many narrow streets in the village and parking

is often difficult. Please park in a way that

allows wheelchair users and buggies to use the

pavement. Use your driveway if you have one.

We are reminded that is an offence to obstruct

the pavement so others cannot use it. If

necessary a fixed penalty notice (£60 ticket)

will be issued by the police, but they hope that

would be a last resort and the problem can be

solved through cooperation.

VillageParking

You can get both time tables on the web at:

www.bit.ly/citi7new and www.bit.ly/citi8new

Timetable Notes

It’s the planting season so here are some of

the activities we'll be up to in the weeks ahead.

Generally we meet up at 9:30am, stopping for

tea at about 11am and are usually finished by

lunchtime. Refreshments are provided along

with all tools, although gloves and stout shoes

are recommended. Please feel free to join us

whenever you fancy for as long as you can

manage - all help is greatly appreciated!

Saturday March 12th - meet 9:30am @ Clay

Close Lane (opp. IVC). Planting up wildflower

plugs, weeding and litter picking. All tools and

refreshments provided.

Saturday March 19th - meet 9:30am @ The

Dole footpath (opp The Community Centre)

Hedge planting . All tools and refreshments

provided.

Sunday March 20th - meet 9:30am @ The

Dole footpath (nr. Parr Close). Hedge

planting. All tools and refreshments provided.

TBC

Saturday March 26th - meet 9:30am @ The

Dole footpath (B1069 end). Hedge planting.

All tools and refreshments provided.

Sunday March 27th - meet 9:30am @ The

Dole footpath (B1069 end). Hedge planting.

All tools and refreshments provided. TBC

Saturday April 2nd - meet 9:30am @ IVC or

10:00am @ The Coppice. Litterpicking.

Pickers and bags provided.

For further information please ...

Email: [email protected]

Tel: 07831 361848

Web: www.hisimp.net/enviro/index.htm

Forthcomingenviro.volunteeractivities

3www.HIcourier.co.ukNEWS March 2011

Spring starts early by the wall at St Andrews Church in Impington (Photo by Brian Ing)

Impington based Lourish.com, the grow-

your-own community food-swap website, is set

to flourish in 2011 thanks to an award which

will finance the next stage of its development.

Lourish has just snatched one of the last

Channel 4 Television funded ‘4ip’ awards

issued by UnLtd, a charitable organisation

promoting social entrepreneurship.

UnLtd's Annalia Lemmo said of the award

"UnLtd is committed to supporting social

entrepreneurs - people with vision, drive,

commitment and passion who want to change

the world for the better, so we are delighted to

support Lourish’s work in encouraging local

food systems"

The award brings the experience of UnLtd to

help develop Lourish's vision of creating

"hyperlocal" home-grown food networks. It

also provides Lourish with financial support

over 12 months to take the innovative

lourish.com website from swapping to

shopping by enabling local communities to

generate their own sustainable food networks

selling what they grow.

“I’m really looking forward to working with

UnLtd to develop this exciting next stage of

Lourish's development." said Dave Bower,

founder of Lourish. "This year we’re bringing

collaborative consumption to local

communities – people coming together to

grow, share and sell their own fruit and

vegetables. I can’t wait!"

The lourish.com website launched last

summer to help people who grow their own

fruit and veg swap their surplus produce with

people in their local area. Lourish provides an

innovative solution to the problems of food

miles and waste by combining communities'

back gardens, allotments and smallholdings

into a sustainable local food network on

everyone's doorstep.

More details on www.lourish.com

Lourish Growyourownwins award

Open Garden’s Bulb Stall has sprung into

action with hyacinths already on sale outside

59 Cottenham Road, Histon - the thatched

cottage. Crocuses, narcissi and tulips will also

be available as they come into bloom. These

are ideal presents for Mothering Sunday 3rd

April. All of the bulbs are in pots so can be used

as gifts or go into flower beds to fill empty

spaces.

From April, the bulbs will also be available at

Hollyoak Veterinary Surgery, St. Georges

Way, Impington. Later on in the year we will

also have freesias and ranunculus.

All proceeds from the bulb sales will go to the

charities supported by Open Gardens - Histon

Feast, EACH, Emmaus UK and VSO.

If you would like to hear more about Open

Gardens, Val Robson is giving a talk at Histon

Library on Wednesday 6th April at 2pm. Or

you can surf our website at

www.opengardens.org

- Val Robson

Bulbs for Mother’s Day Now on Sale

You can get both time tables on the web at:

www.bit.ly/citi7new and www.bit.ly/citi8new

4 NEWSMarch 2011 www.HIcourier.co.ukParish Council ReportsHISTON PARISH COUNCIL

Histon Parish Council met on Monday 14

February at St Audrey’s Close Community

Centre. Minutes as always are available to view

on the website, in Histon Library or from the

Parish Office. The next meeting will be held

on Monday, 14th March.

Recent issues raised at Council meetings

include:

• Correspondence received from resident

regarding possible loss of the 110 Thursday

bus service to Ely. Cty Cllr Jenkins confirmed

his intention to fight any threat of withdrawal

of this service

• Residents attending the meeting for the Open

Forum session have asked the Council to

investigate ownership of overhanging trees in

Parlour Close

• Re-lining work in the car park has been

completed. Removal of the remains of an old

height barrier will be investigated

• District Councillors were able to update

Council on food-store provision for North West

Cambridge (2 medium sized supermarkets in

Cambridge and a small supermarket in

Orchard Park). Concern was raised regarding

increased traffic

• The sail shelter on the play area at the

recreation ground is to be reinstated in March

and the new innovative Outdoor Gym will

officially be opened on 2nd May as part of the

annual 5K Fun Run

• The Yesteryear Road Run to take place on

17th April will be the last one organised

• Council approved the recommendation to

request a precept for 2011-12 of £160,000

from SCDC. This represents a 9.25% increase

on a Band D payment, meaning the parish

portion of the rates will increase by £7.40 per

annum. This followed unexpected use of

reserves this year for asset renovation, plus

continued commitment to invest in specific

reserves for community improvement

• The Vice Chairman attended the Feast AGM

to explain about plans to improve the

Christmas lights display for 2011

• The Council are working with the Etheldred

House management on provision of a

landscaped boundary to the footpath between

Clay Street and Normanton Way

IMPINGTON PARISH COUNCIL

Impington Parish Council met on Monday 21

February at St Andrews Church Hall,

Burgoynes Road, Impington. The next

meeting will be held on Monday, 21st March.

Everyone is welcome to attend to listen to the

Council debate, or to raise issues of concern at

the Open Forum at the start of each meeting.

There are still 2 vacancies on the Council and

any interested resident is urged to contact the

Parish Office to discuss this opportunity to get

more involved in village life

Issues recently raised :

• Quotes are underway for tree works in The

Coppice

• Pene Nudds had been nominated for a SCDC

Arts award for 2011 for her excellent work on

environment projects in the villages, most

notably the recent rebuilding of the Crossing

Keepers Hut and the community uses planned

in the future

• A ballot took place for co-option to the

Council, resulting in Max Parish being co-

opted to Impington Parish Council. The

Council would be pleased to hear from any

resident interested in completing the number

of seats, currently at 11

• County and District Cllr reports received. It is

noted that the A14 Segregated Crossing safety

audit is due early in 2011; County Councillor

surgery is now held third Friday monthly at the

Parish Office on the recreation ground –

contact David Jenkins your local County

Councillor for details or see his website web-

site: www.chilibdems.co.uk. for details.

• No nomination was received to fill the

vacancy on the Recreation Ground

Management Committee, nor the more recent

vacancy on the Environment Committee

• A meeting to discuss drainage had taken

place with developers of the second phase of

the Unwins site off Impington Lane.

• The Environment Committee met at the

Burial Ground and Allotments to agree

planned works. Cambs County Council have

agreed to replant a hedge inside the boundary

of the allotments and clear brambles

• The Youth Advisory Body plan to arrange a

meeting with IVC with regards to the use of the

Lodge. A request for an “organised graffiti

area” has been received and is being

considered

• Concerns have been raised over the

termination of the new cycle path at St

Andrews Way and Milton Road/Butt lane. As

completion of cycleway is an Enforcement

matter, a meeting is to be sought with a SCDC

Officer

• A new disabled parking space has now been

agreed at Bishops Way

• Donations were agreed for Histon and

Impington Day Centre, Open Gardens, Victim

Support and the Shrievalty Trust Bobby

Scheme

• Communication with residents – suggestions

for new creative ideas were requested for the

next agenda

PLANNING APPLICATIONS

Recent Planning applications received from

SCDC and considered at regular Planning

Committee meetings (Impington Tuesday

evenings and Histon Thursday evenings). All

applications to the Planning Authority are

available to inspect at the parish office and are

also normally available to view on the SCDC

website

HISTON:

Council recommendedapproval of:

S/0002/11 Miss Watts, 20 Merton Road.

Two storey side and rear extension.

S/0066/11 Mr & Mrs Huggins, 2 Orchard

Road. Construction of a two storey side

extension to form a dining room/ play room on

the ground floor and further bedroom on the

first floor

S/0117/11 Mr Guillermo Blanco, 26 Saffron

Road. Single storey side extension.

Council hadno recommendation for:

S/2258/10 Histon Parochial Church

Council, St Andrews Church Halls, School

Hill. Partial demolition of unlisted C19 and

early C20 buildings. Refurbishment and

extension of remaining to form new Church

Halls, meeting rooms, church office and café.

This followed an initial recommendation of

refusal, with an amendment and supporting

and objection letters since received. The

Council has expressed a number of concerns

including traffic parking, noise and access. In

the event that permission was to be granted it

has requested stringent conditions to alleviate

some of those concerns

S/0073/11 The Strategic Land Partnership

LLP, 49 Station Road. Variations to Condition

5 (approved plan numbers) and 13 (visibility

splays) of planning consent reference

S/0307/08/F

Refusalwas recommended for:

S/0078/11 Mr & Mrs Simon Kerss, 19 St

Audreys Close. Single storey front extension

and two storey rear extension.

IMPINGTON:

Council recommendedapproval of:

S/2273/10 Mrs Ruth Allgood, Cambridge

Spire Lea Hospital, New Road. Extension to

existing Car Park.

Council hadno recommendation for:

S/2231/10 Mr Jonathon Chatfield, 2 Parr

Close. Single storey side extension to dwelling.

Refusalwas recommended for:

S/2276/10 Mr Bob Tonks, 2 Pepys Terrace.

Erection of dwelling.

Marks, 57 New Road. First Floor and Ground

Floor Rear Extensions.

S/2258/10 Histon Parochial Church

Council, St Andrews Church Halls, School

Hill (application as above). Following

amendment and supporting letter since

received. The Parish Council were however

recommending this on a particular planning

aspect of the application, not the concept

Jointmatters affecting both Parish Councils:

St Andrews Church Halls had requested

support from each of the Parish Councils for a

grant application to SCDC. It was agreed to

support this grant application for Community

Facilities.

The Youth Advisory Body had met with 7

young people to discuss skate park

possibilities.

Histon & Impington Action for Older

Peoples Group (HIAFOP). Mrs Gillian

Berry, Mobile warden for Histon & Impington,

Age UK spoke in support of an Older Person

Co-Ordinator to hep back up existing

voluntary groups Histon Parish Council

agreed to part fund the new role of an Older

Persons Co-ordinator. Impington Parish

Council supported the proposal but have asked

for reconsideration of the management

structure put forward by the group

Essential work has commenced on the SCDC

Awarded Drain 164 and Culvert at the War

Memorial and also at the Village Green

Do you have an

enquiry or comment

to make to your

Parish Council?

If so, email the Clerk

on

[email protected]

or post to:

The Parish Office

Histon & Impington

Recreation Ground

New Road, Impington

Cambridge

CB24 9LU


The children’s play area on Histon Green

has for many years been the most popular play

area in the villages of Histon and Impington

and over the years many thousands of village

children have spent countless hours of

enjoyment there.

In the last few decades there has been little

money spent on the play area equipment some

of which is over fifty years old. As a result the

costs of maintenance are increasing and at

some time in the near future a substantial sum

of money will be required to replace equipment

which is showing increasing signs of ageing.

The successful Recreation Ground Play area

project has demonstrated how important

children’s play opportunities are, and focused

the need to improve play experience elsewhere

in the two villages.

The Environment Committee of Histon Parish

Council has decided to embark on a major

project to redevelop facilities in The Green Play

area with a focus on the younger children aged

under 9.

A small project group has now been formed

including John Emmines, who is responsible

for the play area on the Parish Council, and

three members of the Rec play area project

group Erica Hunt, Edd Stonham and Neil

Davies.

John Emmines enthuses ‘I am really

encouraged that we will be able to focus on

redeveloping the play area, the existing

equipment looks jaded and a bit tatty in places

and I, hopefully, look forward to a wonderful

new play area being provided in due course’.

Local children and parents will be involved in

the development and design processes of the

play area scheme hopefully through village

schools and consultations on site. The process

will start this month with a family consultation

questionnaire to be circulated through village

schools. The questionnaire can also be

downloaded at www.hisimp.net. Project

group members will also be in the play area

between 3 and 4pm on Sunday 13 March to

hear your views and ideas.

Ideas for the play area include a pirates ship,

environmental improvements, retention of

some existing play equipment and new pieces

multi play / imaginative play equipment .

An indicative cost of the project is about

£40,000, it is hoped that Histon Parish

Council will fund about half the cost leaving

the remaining half to be raised from other

sources. A request is being made to the Histon

Feast, other grant applications will be made

and some community fundraising will also be

needed.

If you would be willing to help with the

project please do come on Sunday 13 March

or call Neil Davies on C 232514

This is a second opportunity in the last couple

of years to upgrade a village play area for the

future with a hopeful completion in time for

the Queens Diamond Jubilee in June 2012.

- Neil Davies

The Histon Green play area is set for a makeover

An Exciting New Era for Village Play Area

After a busy 2010 the Friends are organising a

full set of events this year to raise funds to help

improve facilities on the Village Recreation

Ground, and promote and develop sport.

Last year the Friends raised nearly £10,000

which included £8,000 for the redeveloped Rec

play area which opened last June, and this

year’s fundraising will help towards the cost of

the new outdoor sports gym and perimeter

path to be installed and opened this spring on

the Rec. In the longer term the funds will be

raised for a trim trail, new sports development

and the Friends have started a play equipment

replacement fund.

Friends of the Rec chair Jane Rush enthuses "it

was great that the Friends were able to support

the Rec so generously in 2010 as a result of the

excellent support received from the community

at events."

2011 fundraising kicked off with the annual

Sports and Leisure quiz in January at the

Junior School, and the event raised £430. This

amount was doubled under the Barclays Bank

Staff Pound for Pound Charity fundraising

scheme as the event was organised by local

Barclays employee and Friends Trustee Neil

Davies.

The 2011 programme of events includes:

• The Spring Ceilidh on Saturday 26th March

at 8pm at Impington Village College with live

music from the Parsons Nose.

• Impington 5k Fun Run + 2k All Age fun run

& 1k mini fun run for under 8s on Monday 2nd

May

• Rec Sports Fun day – Sunday 5th June 2 to

5pm

• Rec Summer Concert – Saturday 9th July

with live music from a great group ‘ Take

Cover ‘

• Rec Autumn quiz- Friday 21st October

• The Bonfire Burn 10k – Sunday 6th

November. A major new run for the locality to

be launched in Spring

In addition the Friends organises The Rec

Monday Club which provides a weekly chair

based activity on Monday afternoons

(transport is also provided), a Thursday

morning Pilates class from 10 to 11 and the

Village Healthy Walking Group which meets

Fridays weekly for outdoor exercise with a

qualified instructor.

For any information on Friends activities

contact Jane Rush on C 232959 or Neil Davies

C 232514

Full Year Planned for Friends of the RecThe H&I Village Society are happy to

report that sufficient expressions of interest

have been received to make the one-off reprint

of Photographic Memories of Histon and

Impington viable. The prepublication price to

H&I residents is £8.99 including free local

delivery (RRP £11.99). Please send a

completed order form with your remittance to

arrive by 14th May, to the address on the

form. Any queries or possible corrections to

the original text can still be sent to

[email protected] until the middle

of April.

PhotographicMemories ofHiston andImpington

6 NEWSMarch 2011 www.HIcourier.co.uk

During February, SCDC have engaged

contractors to clear out the culvert that runs

under Water Lane. This has meant traffic

control (and some delays on the B1049) but at

least the risk of flooding has now been

reduced. Further work at the Green end of the

culvert is expcted to take place in the next few

weeks.

Before the 1960s building of the by pass

through the village Water Lane was much

narrower and had an open ditch on the east

side (the Histon award drain), crossing the

lane in a brick culvert to the west side and

entering the pond via another short brick

culvert at the Impington Lane/The Green cross

roads. This is a major surface water land drain

originating in NWCambridge passing through

the NIAB fields and the factory to the War

Memorial where it enters the long steel,

concrete and brick culvert, constructed to carry

the present main road. A similar but smaller

culvert carries the Impington award drain

underneath Glebe Way (formerly Mill Lane) to

join the Histon award at the pond and thence

flowing out to Westwick and Cottenham.

Culverting of open drains is not generally

permitted under current regulations because of

difficulty of access for cleaning and de-silting.

There are only three manhole access points

between the War Memorial and Village Green

as as far as is known there has been no

cleaning of this culvert since it was built. Build

up of silt, which can be quite toxic due to road

"run off" including oils, tyre residues, paint,

nitrates etc., could cause flooding.

The photographs explain the process.

Filtering out the water dramatically reduces

the landfill costs (assessed by weight) from a

suction and dump process.

Many watercourses were "awarded to" the

former local authorities under the Enclosures

Acts of the 1860s. South Cambs. DC as the

successor authority has inherited the statutory

responsibility of maintenance to ensure free

flow of water for land drainage purposes.

However as the Highway Authority at this

location Cambidgeshire County Council shares

this responsibility where bridges and culverts

pass beneath the highway.

Water Lane CulvertClean Up Helps Efforts to Reduce Flooding Potential

Filter trucks separate water and silt. Clean water is returned to the drain.

Clean water is put back into the drain

One of the imponderables about climate

change is how it might affect us in the years to

come. We now generally accept it is

happening, even if we seem to have lost the

impetus to address it. But how bad will it be?

Are the astonishing floods in Queensland

heading our way or will our fields burn like the

Russia what fields in 2010? Or will we just

bask in warmer weather with more exotic

fauna and flora to enjoy in our gardens?

Marek Kohn, a renowned science writer,

whose previous publications include The Race

Gallery, has tackled this question head on in

his latest book Turned Out Nice, and HICCA

has invited him to come to speak at a meeting

on Thursday March 24th, 7.15-9.15 at the

Brackenbury Room, IVC. One of the reasons I

as chair was so keen to hear from Marek is

because his book is so vivid and prepared to

speculate in such a variety of ways about the

impacts that may await us.

The book is a fascinating hybrid of nature

writing and science fiction. One the one hand

he looks closely at specific parts of the UK to

imagine what the future holds – London,

subject to droughts, with new buildings

designed to cool themselves by being clad with

trees and plant life, dealing with a huge burden

of climate change refugees; or the forests of

Scotland filled with exotic animals rescued

from their now untenable habitats. Some of it

offers some comfort – the Yorkshire Dales as a

kind of Mediterranean haven for instance. But

while he suggests our island might win as well

as lose, the book is in no doubt about the

havoc that will be wreaked across the planet if

we continue as we are today.

So do come to the event – Marek will talk,

there will be a free glass of wine and the

chance after his presentation with the aid of

local experts such as Mike Mason and others

to reflect on more specific challenges this area

might face. Predicting the future is always a

risky business, but I predict this will be an

evening that will provoke and inspire.

- Steve Waters, Chair, HICCA

Author Marek Kohn to Speak"... a fascinating hybrid of nature writing and science fiction"

Valid Until 31th March 2011


Both Parish Councils were

pleased to be presented with

Quality Council certificates at

February meetings following submission of

portfolios of work and evidence to a Quality

Status Panel for Cambridgeshire.

A number of mandatory and discretionary

tasks including:

proof of communication channels with

residents, full compliance with legal

requirements at meetings and with audit

regulations, employment arrangements and

training programmes for both Councillors and

staff were undertaken and passed the stringent

test!

Both Councils are particularly grateful to the

HI Courier for providing a page each month for

Council news, an integral part of the

submission.

Histon’s award was a brand new accreditation

whilst Impington Parish Council’s award was a

re-accreditation of the status first achieved in

2007. Certificates were presented to Histon

Chairman Max Parish and Impington

Chairman Denis Payne by Histon resident

Steve Wilkinson, Chairman of the Panel and

Diane Bayliss, Project Officer who made some

very kind comments on the Councils’ abilities

and approaches in working for the community

at the highest quality standards, as well as the

hard work put in by the office staff in putting

together the portfolio

A happy co-incidence was highlighted at the St

Valentines Day meeting date of Histon Parish

Council, noting it was also the 17th

anniversary of the appointment of the

Councils’ clerk Angela Young! Steve said that

“as well as being a quality award this was an

award that honoured a quality Parish Clerk.”

We are a group of local teenagers who

would like to have a BMX/Skatepark in our

village. We are looking for support and help

from anyone who has experience in youth

work, fund raising and /or a passion for

BMX/Skateboarding or any other extreme

sport. We have had a lot of interest from

people of many ages who agree that a local

facility will make our village even more

popular. The nearest place we have at present

is the skate facility at Orchard Park and this is

often overcrowded. We also have to cross the

A14 to get to Orchard Park which is a long and

dangerous route for us to take. We are

enthusiastic and passionate and will do

whatever it takes to finally get a place to ride

and skate in our village. Can you help us drive

our campaign forward for a much wanted

skate park in Histon?

Contact details: Alex Davies

Email: [email protected]

Tel: 01223 232773

Skate Park Project... initiated by village teens

Photo by Alex Davies

UALITY Status for Parish Councils


Nursery duo Matt Darby and Jacquie

Ellison who own and run The Wendy House

day care nursery near Royston are soon

bringing their special brand of childcare to

Impington on the Chivers Farm Business Park.

The Wendy House enjoys an excellent

reputation and the nursery is regarded as one

of the area’s leading day care provisions.

They very much believe in the philosophy that

‘small is beautiful’ where childcare is

concerned. They have steered away from the

concept of large children’s centres housing

100+ children, concentrating instead on

providing top quality care in much smaller

numbers. They firmly believe that by keeping

numbers smaller than other nurseries they can

provide a much more tailored package of care,

focusing on each child’s individual

development and needs, thus ensuring that

each child’s personality is allowed to flourish

and grow.

Matt says: ‘We are not a large chain of

nurseries, governed by a distant head office,

and this makes a huge difference. In the past I

have worked in much larger nurseries, and

sometimes children’s personalities can get

‘lost’ in the overall numbers. We believe that by

keeping our nurseries smaller, we can provide a

much more personal level of care. Our

nurseries have a homely feel, where the staff

are very much seen as an extended family to

the children they are caring for.’

Jacquie says ‘We are very excited about

opening our second nursery in Impington – the

premises and garden are fantastic and we look

forward to welcoming children and parents

soon’.

The Nursery where small is beautiful

On the 18th March villager Fonz

Chamberlain will take up the challenge of a 12

hour walk in fancy dress around Cambridge to

support sick children and their families at Gt.

Omond Street hospital.

The walk will take place on Fonz's 32nd

birthday because his one birthday wish is to

help sick children at the hospital get better.

Fonz has connections to the hospital because

his son John was born with heart problems and

had major open heart surgery there at 2 days

old. It was a terrible time for Fonz and his

family and even caused him to suffer from a

break down.

'It was like a bad dream' Fonz saids ' I would

hate to see any parent go through what I had to

go through watching your child wired to

machines as they fight for their life.'

This is not the first time Fonz as done a walk

for the hospital he completed 10 hours around

Histon in 2009.

''I was trying for 12 hours, but had to stop after

10 because I seriously hurt my left leg leaving

me unable to walk on it for up to three weeks'

With that in mind Fonz is still set on

completing the 12 hours and said he will not

give in till he does.

' I know how hard it is to see your child go

through major surgery at such a young age and

that is why on my birthday I want one wish and

t

That's to be able raise as much money as I can

to offer support to sick children and their

families in Gt. Ormond Street, so please give

what you can - Thank you'

You can donate to Fonz's walk by calling

(01223) 234720 or by going to

www.justgiving.com/fonzbirthdaywish

Thank you

- Fonz Chamberlain

Fonz's birthday wish... help support sick children and their families


Do you ever wonder why that pothole you

hit every day isn’t being fixed? One answer

could be that no-one has told the County

Council about it!

A new web service makes it possible to see all

the current faults - and if its not there - report a

new one.

To look at the current faults in Impington and

Histon, go to www.hisimp.net/potholes.html

To report a new problem, go to:

www.bit.ly/reportaproblem - problems can

also be reported on 0345 045 5212

Getting that pothole fixedFault map on 1st March taken from the hisimp.net website address given in story

On Wednesday 23rd February Dave the

history bear visited Histon Library with his

good Friend the 'Cambridge Time Traveller'

Fonz Chamberlain to teach children about the

changing face of Cambridge.

During his visit Dave got the children to spot

old and new buildings and told them the tale of

why the kites above the Grafton are much more

than a logo. The visit was enjoyed by all the

children.

Dave the history bear creator Fonz

Chamberlain said: "Being a father and

Cambridge historian I found there were not

many ways my children could be involved with

local history so I created Dave to help them

and other children all over Cambridgeshire

discover the history around them."

Dave will soon have his own website full of fact

sheets,games and ways children can get

involved with local history. There is also a

radio show planned to go out later in the year

and Dave is also hoping to visit other libraries

and schools in the area very soon.

To find out more about places Dave will be

visiting call (01223) 234720 or email:

[email protected]

- Fonz Chamberlain

Dave The History BearHelping Children Learn about Cambridge History

The next Stepping Stones Coffee morning

takes place on Monday March 28th from 9:30

till 12 at the Church Halls Histon - opposite

Tesco. Come along for coffee, chat and

homemade cakes. Plus, visit the Usborne

Books, Phoenix Cards and hand-made

jewellery stalls.

Wine Tasting Evening:

Stepping Stones Wine Tasting Evening is on

Friday 1st April at the Church Halls, Histon.

8pm start. Come and join us for a light-hearted

evening of fun and learning. Enjoy fine wines,

as our expert guides us throiugh their qualities

and food matches. Nibbles provided. Plus, win

a corkscrew!

£60 for a table of 6 people. Booking through

Angie Wocha on 01223 237 655.

Easter Messy Play:

Keep the kids entertained in the Easter

holidays at Stepping Stones Messy Play.

Tuesday 12th April, 9:30-11:30 at St Andrews

Church Hall, Histon. £3 per family. All

welcome. Come along, play, have fun and get

messy! Plus, win Easter Eggs!

St Andrews Stepping Stones DiaryIt's worth remembering that any unruly

growth from the trees and hedges in your

garden needs to be managed on the highway

side too. People often forget that in the eyes of

the law footpaths (as well as bridleways and

byways) are minor highways.

Most people have had the experience of being

pushed off the pavement by a pretty fuchsia or

a thorny rose that the proud owner hasn't

trimmed back. This is all very jolly if you like to

enjoy the flowers and their fragrance, but not

so much fun for a pedestrian with a brolly.

Also vulnerable to these types of hazards

are people with poor eyesight, wheel chair,

mobility scooter users or a youngster in a

buggy. Don't forget too that tall branches or

fast growing creepers, which can shoot up

lamp posts at an alarming rate, can also cause

problems.

The birds will soon be starting to build their

nests, so now is the time to get out those

secateurs, pruning saws or loppers and get

that offending overhanging vegetation

trimmed back.

Owners are liable for any accidents caused by

or involving overgrown vegetation and

Cambridgeshire County Council Highways has

the power to ensure that any obstruction or

hazard is cleared. If you have any concerns

please contact them on 08450 455212 or for

obscured street lights contact

[email protected]

Walkway BlockagesCan you walk passed your house unimpeded?...Please consider others

1 0 NEWSMarch 2011 www.HIcourier.co.uk

Amaryllis and Pears by Neroli Sharp

Lobster by Rosaling Ridley

GiltEdge Cleaning by Michael Rimmer

On a drizzly Saturday in February 12

members of 3rd Histon Guides joined the

Enviro-voulenteers in the copse next to the

guided bus way.

The Guides enjoyed helped out by collecting

litter, and pulling ivy from the trees. Weeding

the hedge – was not a popular activity

nevertheless the girls managed to complete a

fair distance. The girls also helped to dig

some holes to plant trees. Filling wheel

barrows and spreading chippings (or

chickens as the girls say) on the paths is

always a worthwhile challenge.

By helping out on this project the Guides are

working towards their Community Action

badge for which they have to complete a

minimum of 12 hours service.

A good time was had by all despite the rain

and we are looking forward to the next

opportunity to help.

Histon Guides Community Action

Digital TV switchover in this area is

imminent. Residents in the Cambridge area

will need to have made the changes to all TV

receiving equipment by 30 March 2011 in

order to continue to receive TV services.

Many local people are upgrading their TVs

and, as a result, now own working but

redundant digiboxes.

If you have an unwanted digibox, please don't

throw it away. These digiboxes will still

enable an old style TV to receive the new

digital signal perfectly well. Please consider

an elderly neighbour or a family who may be

able to use it

If you would like to pass on your digibox, I

am happy to recycle it for you. You can get in

touch with Elaine Farrell on

[email protected]

Digital SwitchoverThis Month

The recreation ground is managed by the

Parish Councils.

The Community Room in the pavilion is

available for hire for meetings, seminars etc.,

children’s parties and family functions. Also

available for leisure class hire. Kitchen

facilities are included. For further

information and all bookings for facilities at

the recreation ground, please call Lynda

Marsh on 01223 232423 or email on

[email protected]

If you are interested in becoming a member of

one of the clubs using the facilities at the

recreation ground contact details are as

follows:

Histon Bowls Club – Neville Driver

(Secretary), telephone: 861151

Histon Cricket Club – Simon Byatt

(Secretary), telephone: 07971 787334

Histon and Impington Croquet Club – Keith

Heywood, telephone: 563487

Histon Hornets Football Club – Steve

Bradshaw (Chairman), telephone: 562307

Histon Tennis Club – Vernon Dudley

(Secretary), telephone: 515867

The Clubs are always pleased to welcome new

members.

Recreation Ground News

At our February meeting we welcomed

John Drayton. He is manager at Barrington

chalk quarry. Over the years whilst the site

was being used to excavate materials for

making cement they found lots of fossils. The

remains of an Icthyosaur was found in 2005

and donated to the Natural History Museum

in London. Icthyosaurs were marine reptiles

that lived at the same time as dinosaurs. They

lived in the world’s oceans and became

extinct 90 million years ago. Other fossils

found at this site are at the Sedgwick

Museum Cambridge. All very interesting to

imagine how our countryside must have been

that long time ago and to handle and examine

the details of the fossils.

Our next meeting is in the Annual meeting at

Methodist Church Hall 7 30 17th March.

Icthyosaur and other FindsWI Report:

Coming up this month are two stimulating

and perhaps at times controversial evenings

to challenge your thinking.

March 10th: Life after life after death - Rev'd

James Blandford Baker

March 31st: Introduction to Homelessness -

Barrie Woodman of Hope Cambridge

Doors open at 7:00 pm for a 7:25 start in a

relaxed and social enironment where coffee

and tempting desserts are served.

Histon Methodist Church Hall, High Street,

Histon. Admission FREE.

BigIssues

haveyoueverconsideredhowdifficultitwouldbetoreadmodernlanguagesiftherewereabsolutelynospacesnocapitallettersandnopunctuationmarksofanysortancientwritingsdidnothavespacessothequestionihaveforyouisthisdoesanyoneknowwhenthespacewasinvented


Impington Village College’s 50th annual art

exhibition took place during the spring half-

term from the 19th to the 23rd of February. As

in previous years, it featured over 400 works by

local artists in a wide variety of materials and

styles. The exhibits ranged from £10 to over

£400.

The first exhibition took place in 1959, when

some friends of the college bought a painting

by Mervyn Roe, a local artist and former

student of the college. This was the first of their

many contributions to the College’s art

collection and, to mark the event’s 50th year,

the main exhibition will be accompanied by a

retrospective of works purchased for the

College over the years. There was on display a

range of student art, offering a flavour of what

we might expect to see in years to come.

At the private view from 7.00 - 9.00 pm on

Saturday the 19th of February, visitors viewed

the exhibits and met some of the artists. The

£3 ticket included a catalogue (normally

costing £1.50), along with complimentary

wine and snacks. A musical accompaniment

was provided by Richard Compston, a former

organ scholar at Trinity College, Cambridge,

who has recently returned from a concert tour

in the USA.

The event was organised by the IVC Parent,

Staff and Friends Association, a local charity,

which raises money for the college. This year

over £3,500 worth of paintings were sold,

which matched last year’s receipts and the

commission on the sales is used to support the

work of the College.

Viewers, buyers and artists remarked

enthusiastically on the overall quality of the

exhibits and the organisation of the event.

Many observed it being better than the last two

years. What is significant is the sales figures.

Exhibition Organiser, Hill Stewart said, “We

had some reservation due to the current

economic climate, but were surprised to see the

figures matching last year’s receipts. This is

highly rewarding for the helpers, artists, the

school and the community. We are enthusiastic

in making next year an even better event. We

thank the artists and buyers for making the

50th event, a highly rewarding one”.

Impington’s 50th Art ExhibitionIVC Parent, Staff and Friends Association Earn Commissions on £3,500 Sales

Global Warming by Dudley C Denham

Pied Flycatcher by FA Betteridge

The Glen Kaye by Benson

over 400 works by local artistsin a wide variety of materials

and styles

1 2 NEWSMarch 2011 www.HIcourier.co.ukPet Column:This is a relatively common problem in cats

and one which, as well as causing pain and

distress, is potentially a very serious condition.

It is not a single condition but an umbrella

term for a variety of problems which can affect

the bladder and urethra (tube between the

bladder and outside). Whatever the cause an

affected cat will be showing one or more of the

following symptoms.

* Straining to pass urine – cat will sit lower to

the ground with a straighter, flatter back

compared with the raised, rounded posture

when squatting to pass faeces

* trying to pass urine more frequently than

normal

* urinating in unusual places

* passing blood-tinged urine or even blood

clots

* only passing urine in very small amounts

* licking around the urethral opening

* meowing when urinating

It is important to note that a male cat showing

some of these signs but unable to pass urine may

have a blockage. This is an emergency and

requires urgent veterinary treatment to prevent

kidney damage or even rupture of the bladder.

Unfortunately the symptoms give no clue as to

the likely cause and often tests need to be carried

out to determine the most appropriate treatment.

What are the possible causes?

The picture is different for older and younger

cats. Cats over the age of 10 years are likely to

have an infection in around 50% of cases. One

third of them will have bladder stones or

crystals in their urine which irritate and

damage the delicate lining of the bladder.

Small numbers will have urinary incontinence,

a blockage or cancer. Around 1 in 20 will not

have a cause which can be determined. Many

of these older cats will also have problems with

the upper urinary tract, ie, a degree of kidney

failure which must also be treated.

Half of younger cats showing symptoms of

FLUTD will not have a cause which can be

determined in spite of extensive testing.

Around 1 in 5 will have a blockage and a

similar number will have bladder stones or

crystals. Very few will have an infection and

cancer is unlikely. In a minority of cases the

damage will have been caused by trauma eg

being hit by a car.

What treatments are available?

In blocked cats it is important to drain the

urine form the bladder as quickly as possible to

prevent further damage to the kidneys and

bladder and avoid the death of the patient from

complications. The cat will be assessed to see if

this should be done via a needle into the

bladder and the blockage dealt with once the

cat is a little more stable or if the cat is suitable

to undergo sedation or light anaesthesia to deal

with the blockage. In some cats, once the

blockage has been cleared, a catheter may be

left in for a day or so to allow drainage of urine

while the tract heals. A period of

hospitalisation is likely. For male cats which

block repeatedly an operation is available to

alter their anatomy – it gives them a larger

opening which is less likely to block.

For cats which are not blocked the treatment

given will be aimed at a specific cause if it is

known. Often, especially in younger cats, the

cause is unknown and anti-inflammatory

medication will be given to relieve the pain and

discomfort, reduce swelling within the urethra

making blockage less likely and to reduce the

inflammation within the wall of the bladder

and allow its protective lining to repair.

Antibiotics will only be given if there is reason

to suspect an infection.

Other treatments are used sometimes to deal

with a bout of FLUTD and sometimes to help

minimise future problems in cats which are

prone to recurrence. Nutraceuticals

(nutritional supplements which have a medical

effect) are useful to help repair and maintain

the protective coating which is found lining a

healthy bladder. Diet can play a very important

role in preventing recurrent bouts by helping

the cat produce urine which is the correct pH

(level of acidity) and mineral composition to

prevent the formation of crystals and even

dissolve them. It also helps to maintain the

protective coating of the bladder. On of our

surgery cats, Fudge, lives very happily on this

type of prescription food and has not had a

problem for about a year now.

Although the cause of the disease is not known

in many cases certain risk factors are

recognised. It is a more common problem in

cats which are overweight, cats living in a

multi-cat household or vulnerable to stress for

other reasons. Your veterinary practice can

give you advice on these issues if you think

your cat may be affected.

- Paula Dean MRCVS BVSc

Hollyoak Vets

FLUTD – Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease

1 3www.HIcourier.co.ukNEWS March 2011

Both, January and February, have been very

eventful months for us and many people from

across the world. The riots in Egypt have been

headlines, along with Libya. These riots have

occurred due to the way the countries have

been governed. Also, the Brit Awards was a

smash with all the artists, with Tinie Tempah

winning two awards and then giving an

amazing performance.

In the season of film awards, this issue is going

to be about films, reviews and predictions for

the big winners!

HI Squad have been writing for the paper for

quite some time and we want to know what you

want to read. Whether its celebrity news or

local achievements, we want to know! You can

contact us at: [email protected]

Top 10 films for 2011 By Nesha Saini

2011 is going to jam packed with exciting,

refreshing and amazing films. The top 10 films

are going to extremely fascinating to see what

film is worth seeing in 2011.

1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Part II (15th July 2011)

The latest film, Harry Potter and the Deathly

Hallows Part I, has broken box office records,

proving that we all want to have a little magic

in out lives. Or we all wish we could go to

Hogwarts. Harry Potter and the Deathly

Hallow Part II screens July 15th and is 2011’s

number one film to see. Be sure you watch it –

it’s the end of an era.

2. The Hangover 2 (27th May 2011)

Zach Galifianakis was not very known before

The Hangover. However he did so

magnificently with 2009 hit The Hangover, and

there’s without doubt that he contributed a

massive quantity to the film’s triumph. He

returns now with his “Wolf Pack” in the

second part and number 2 on this list for Top

20 Films To See In 2011 in the Hangover 2.

With special appearances from former US

President Bill Clinton and surprisingly

amusing Mike Tyson, this will definitely be one

of the funniest films of 2011.

3. The Hobbit: Part 1 (31st December 2011)

The “prequel” to Peter Jackson’s epic Lord of

the Rings has finally decided on a release date.

For quite some time it was feared the

development would never happen but it seems

The Hobbit was just waiting for its chance. But

if The Hobbit: Part I is done on the same scale

as Jackson’s previous venture with Tolkien’s

story he could once again raise the bar for

fantasy.

4. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger

Tides (18th May 2011)

Johnny Depp returns as the lovable scallywag

Captain Jack Sparrow, this time in search of

the fountain of youth rather than just rum in

the latest film in the Pirates of the Caribbean.

Although it seems likely that there will be some

loved characters not joining him, Elizabeth and

William Turner have sailed away in to the

Caribbean sunset. However, joining him this

time are newcomers to the series: Ian McShane

as Blackbeard, and Penelope Cruz, as

Blackbeard’s daughter. This film will be again

one to watch in 2011.

5. Transformers: Dark of the Moon (1st July

2011)

The third instalment of the Michael Bay’s film

and it looks and sets to be one of his best yet. It

is everything you could ask for in a movie

involving transforming cars. However, if you

were planning to watch this film for Megan

Fox, look away now. She is not in this film. But

I have good news, British Victoria Secrete

Model is the new heroine of the movie.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon is set to be

many member s of the publics favourite film.

6. X-men: First Class (2nd June 2011)

The first X-men will always have a special place

in film history. It was the first comic book

adaptation to show audiences. What is

refreshing about X-men: First Class is that it

really appears to be going back to the

beginning of the X-men story; looking into the

origins of the quintessential battle between

good and evil. James McAvoy and Michael

Fassbender, young Xavier and Magneto

respectively and have the support from

amazing actors which makes X-man to become

a great film for 2011.

7. Sherlock Holmes 2 (16th December 2011)

Guy Ritchie is back with Sherlock Holmes 2

after the incredible success of the first film.

Robert Downey Jr. and even Jude Law will be

back solving the world’s mysteries. The second

instalment, Sherlock Holmes 2 is likely to be

one of the better action/comedies of the year.

8. Just Go With it (11th February 2011)

Another ‘rom-com’ to watch in 2011 and it has

been reviewed to be the funniest. The plot is a

guy recruits a woman to pretend to be his girl

so he’ll win the heart of someone else. It seems

to be a funny and yet touching film starring

Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler.

9. The Green Hornet (14th January 2011)

Seth Rogen, the comedy star is set as the lead

in the latest comic book made into a

movie, The Green Hornet. Joining him is

courageous martial arts sidekick Kato (Jay

Chou), with Christoph “Godlike” Waltz

playing the baddie and Cameron Diaz

rounding off the astral cast. From what we

have seen so far the film looks great, promising

both action and comedy.

10. New Year’s Eve ( 9th December 2011)

This film is the spin off to the film ‘Valentines

Day’. However, this film is great for snuggling

on the sofa watching with your love interest for

with a group of friends. This film has many

cameos which makes it a great film and it is

one to watch ladies!

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Nesha's predictions

that follow were submitted well before

Oscar night. Let's see how she did. The

winners are shown in italics]

And TheWinner Is... By Nesha Saini

This year will probably be one of the greatest

years for film. Many actors and actresses have

been working extremely hard to gain a massive

achievement. This could include nominations,

awards and great success.

The Oscars are considered one of the highest

awards given. This year the choices are

extremely close and the quality of film is

outstanding. Just being listed for an Oscar is

amazing and many actors are incredibly

humbled with the honour.

This year’s nominations are high and not many

people can even consider who will win this year

Oscars. However, us at HI Squad have decided

to try and guess who the winner may be, and

we will only know the actual winners on the

27th February 2011.

Best Picture:

Black Swan, The Fighter, Inception, The Kids

Are All Right, The King’s Speech, 127 Hours,

The Social Network, Toy Story 3, True Grit and

Winter’s Bone.

HI Squads predicted winner: The King’s

Speech

Actor In A Leading Role:

Javier Bardem Biutiful, Jeff Bridges True Grit,

Jesse Eisenberg The Social Network, Colin

Firth The King’s Speech and James Franco 127

Hours

HI Squads predicted winner: Colin Firth The

King’s Speech

Actor In A Supporting Role:

Christian Bale The Fighter, John Hawkes

Winter’s Bones, Jeremy Renner The Town,

Mark Ruffalo The Kids Are All Right and

Geoffrey Rush The King’s Speech

HI Squads predicted winner: Christian Bale

The Fighter

Actress In A Leading Role:

Annette Bening The Kids Are All Right, Nicole

Kidman Rabbit Hole, Jennifer Lawrence

Winter’s Bone, Natalie Portman Black Swan

and Michelle Williams Blue Valentine

HI Squads predicted winner: Natalie Portman

Black Swan

Actress In A Supporting Role:

Amy Adams The Fighter, Helena Bonham

Carter The King’s Speech, Melissa Leo The

Fighter, Hailee Steinfeld True Grit and Jacki

Meaver Animal Kingdom

HI Squads predicted winner: Amy Adams The

Fighter or Helena Bonham Carter The King’s

Speech (it was too hard to pick one!)

Animated Feature Film:

How To Train Your Dragon, The Illusionist and

Toy Story 3

HI Squads predicted winner: Toy Story 3

Directing:

Darren Aronofsky Black Swan, David

O.Russell The Fighter, Tom Hooper The King’s

Speech, David Fincher The Social Network and

Joel Coen and Ethan Coen True Grit.

HI Squads predicted winner: David Fincher

The Social Network

Visual Effects:

Alice In Wonderland, Harry Potter and the

Deathly Hallows, Hereafter, Inception, Iron

Man 2

HI Squads predicted winner: Inception

Foreign Language Film:

Biutiful (Mexico), Dogtooth (Greece), In a

Better World (Denmark), Incendies (Canada)

and Outside the Law Hors-la-loi (Algeria)

HI Squads predicted winner: Incendies

Hopefully all our predications are correct and

congratulations for all who were nominated

and who will win. Catch the latest gossip and

who wearing what on E! .

HI SQUAD IVC Student Page

FREE!!!Subscribe to theHI CourierDigital Edition atwww.hicourier.co.ukto receivevillage news by email


EVENTSAT THE LEGIONSaturday 19 March

Billy G'sRockin Revival

Saturday 2 April'Get Back'.

Live 60's dancing music

For details and tickets01 223 233447

22-24 Saffron Road, Histon

TEL: 01 223 233447

Back Issuesof theHI Courierare availableatwww.hicourier.co.uk

Etheldred House in Histon cares for up

to 85 patients suffering from dementia. One

of the characteristics of this disease is the

loss of short term memory while longer

term memories from decades earlier are

often preserved. Holiday times are

challenging as patients memories of good

times past are often confused. The setting

plays an important roll in patient wellbeing.

This past Christmas Etheldred House under

the leadership of Home Manager Santall

Steytler and her staff won the Excelcare

prize for best decorated home for Christmas

2010. She based her theme on “Santa’s

Grotto” with the Elves as Helpers. "You

may be thinking nothing unusual however,

there was a twist to Santall’s theme, yes the

Elves were all modelled on Excelcare’s

Senior Management Team! ," said Cherry

Seymour from Excelcare. "Feedback on the

Home’s theme was amazing." Jenny

Brennan, Cambridge Contracts & Care

Placement Team commented: "The Santa’s

Grotto at Etheldred House were deserving

of winning first prize. The Staff and

residents worked very hard to create such a

wonderful Grotto. The Elves were hilarious

and all had individual looks." Visitor Rhona

Theron commented: "Congratulations to

you and your Team for the absolute

beautiful Christmas display in the Foyer of

your Home. It is clear that you are not just

dedicated to the care of Residents but you

are obviously passionate about ensuring

that a homely environment is created for

everyone" .

CHRISTMAS WINTER WONDERLAND …Histon “Etheldred House” Wins Competition!

The Parish Council has recently been

approached by residents of Winders Lane in

Histon to ask if it may be able to contribute

funding towards signs for each end of the lane.

This follows reports from the people living

there of a marked increase in usage of the route

for access, sometimes at inappropriate speeds

The signs would indicate the lane has no

footpath. However, after full consideration the

Council feels that it would be more appropriate

for the residents to fund any proposed signage

they feel necessary themselves, given the lack

of funds available at County Council at the

moment for this purpose

The Council would however like to remind

drivers that the lane is a particularly narrow

one, unique to our village, and passing on-

coming vehicles is extremely awkward

Please use alternative routes wherever

possible, to make is safer for pedestrians to use

Winders Lane

Driving on Winders LaneWinders Lane is narrow and extreme caution is needed even when driving at 15 MPH!

1 5www.HIcourier.co.ukNEWS March 2011

Residents may have noticed orange

jacketed young men (and some women)

working in the village at weekends. Some of

the high visibility jackets have the legend

"Community Payback". Pene Nudds has

obtained several working parties to undertake

work that counts towards a community service

sentence. Fences have been mended, paths

cleared, paths laid, ground cleared, chippings

spread and many other activities that make our

community a better place to live.

The pictured crew were putting new fence

posts along the southern boundary of

Homefield Park on a recent Sunday. All were

delighted to be photographed. On being told

that the work was appreciated, one said "Yes,

we have done wrong, but it is good to do this

work and be noticed for doing it". With the

present government expected to increase the

use of community services, we will see more of

this type of activity.

It needs a local volunteer coordinator,

prepared to give up much of a weekend to

make it happen, and Courier readers will be

sure to applaud what has been done. It should

be a matter of pride to all of us that our village

looks better, and we are engaged in an

important social activity.

Our gain is their gain

The Histon Feast Committee held its

Annual General Meeting on Thursday 17

February in the Salvation Army Hall in Histon.

At the meeting the Chair Sandra Dunn

reported that Feast 2010 had been a great

success with some outstanding events.

However, as the Chair pointed out, it was

becoming more difficult to raise funds due to

the initial outlay of staging each event. Plus, in

these recessionary times, obtaining

sponsorship was more and more difficult.

However, with the support of the local

community the Feast was still an important

part of village life and would continue to bring

the community together.

The Treasurer outlined the accounts for 2010

pointing out that over £10,000 had been

raised and distributed to local organisations.

Twelve applications had been received for

funding in 2011 ranging from a request from

the Parish Council for a donation to help

upgrade the Histon Green play area to a

request for games/equipment for the

Connexions Bus Project. The Feast

Committee would consider each request at its

next meeting and would contact each

applicant with its decision.

Sandra Dunn stepped down as Chair but

would remain on the Committee.

Unfortunately no one on the Feast Committee

had volunteered to be chair, Neil Davies had

agreed for his name to be put forward to

ensure Feast Committee was able to

continue, and was voted in as Chair for 2011.

In accepting position Neil hoped that a new

Chairman volunteer would come forward for

next year. Fonz Chamberlain and Steven Cox

were elected as new members of the Feast

Committee.

Feast Week this year would start on Saturday

2 July and finish on Saturday 9 July. The

Feast Parade would be held on 3 July at 3pm

starting from Clay Street, Histon. The Feast

Committee is already planning for Feast

Week 2011 and the following information

may be helpful:

Feast Parade contact:

[email protected]

Feast Market contact:

[email protected]

Articles for Feast Magazine:

[email protected]

Fun Run:

[email protected]

Please do visit our web site and contact us if

you have any ideas or suggestions for Feast

Week 2011.

- Sandra Dunn, Histon Feast Committee

Histon Feast AGMSandra Dunn steps down as Chair but stays on Committee

Coffee mornings have been held at Histon

Methodist Church Wednesdays and Saturdays

for many years.

It has been our custom

in the past few years to

donate all proceeds

received during the

season of Lent to

charity. This year’s

chosen charity is

Breakthrough Breast Cancer

We are open: Wednesday’s 10am - 11.30am,

Saturday’s 10.30am -11.30am.

All Welcome

Histon Methodist ChurchCoffee Mornings


LETTERS:

For Small and Home Businesses:

Huntingdonshire Fibromyalgia Support

Group welcomes new members.

My diagnosis of fibromyalgia syndrome (fi-

bro-my-Al-juh) led to a rush of emotions:

thankfulness, it isn’t terminal; relief, I’m not

mad; and a sense of vindication that I am not a

hypochondriac. But then feeling very alone as

I realized that there is no cure, limited

medication and no ongoing treatment

program.

This disorder affects the fibrous tissues of the

body. Symptoms include pain, fatigue, sleep

disorder, irritable bowel syndrome, chronic

headaches, to name a few.

The pain comes from the muscles, tendons,

and ligaments. Most patients report feeling as

if their muscles have been overworked. It is a

chronic problem, which tends to have a waxing

and waning intensity. It can show up in people

of all ages and is estimated to affect up to 1.76

million adults in England and Wales.

Due to varying levels of pain and fatigue, there

is a reduced quality of life. As with many

chronic diseases, the extent to which patients

succumb to the various effects are dependent

upon numerous factors, in particular their

social support network.

Discovery of Fibromites, a Fibromyalgia

support group, quite literally changed my life.

It has given me the opportunity to talk to other

sufferers, draw on their strengths, experiences

and good humour, especially during the

difficult times.

The group meets twice monthly in

Godmanchester, inviting speakers from a

variety of disciplines, undertaking activities

designed to broaden horizons, providing

friendship while ensuring that everybody

remains positive.

For more information contact Jackie on 01480

381308 or Anne 01480 454763.

Fibromyalgia Support GroupThe Cambridgeshire County Council

Disabled Children’s Access to Childcare

(DCATCH) project is aimed at supporting

parents/carers of disabled children in

accessing suitable childcare; enabling them the

chance of returning to employment and/or

training. It is part of the Cambridgeshire

Childcare Information Service (CIS).

The aim of DCATCH is to highlight that “a

child with a disability and his/her family

should have access to the full range of

childcare options that are open to other

families” Sure Start, 2005

“A lack of information about the childcare

services that are available, and confusion about

the quality and potential benefits of using

childcare, continue to create barriers for some

parents”. Department for children, schools and

families, Dec 2009.

The aim of the project is to work closely with

parents, childcare providers and professionals,

embedding the principles of DCATCH;

ensuring inclusion into early years and

childcare settings for all. A referral service to

parents shows where to go for support and

guidance with their childcare options via the

Childcare Brokerage Service.

Once a family is identified we can then,

through the CIS Childcare Brokerage Service,

enquire about suitable childcare. This will

include information on provision of childcare

from providers, funding options, costs,

specialist care and specialist facilities, if

required by the provider.

The DCATCH project provides a service to

families, which is free of charge and

completely impartial.

If you would like further information on

DCATCH then please ring 0845 04 54 014 and

ask for Denis Green or send an email to

[email protected]

Alternatively check our website

www.familiesandchildcare.org.uk and click on

the DCATCH

Childcare for Disabled Children

Storytime and Rhymetime continue on

alternate Tuesdays 2.30-3.00 term time only.

Rhymetimes are March 15th, 29th, and

Storytimes are March 22nd, and April 5th. For

a list of future dates call into the library, phone

the contact centre, or check the website.

Use It Or Lose It! Rhymetime hasn’t had a

very good uptake this year and if more people

don’t come along to the session I think we will

have to cancel it. It’s very disappointing

because a lot of effort and time goes into

preparing and running one of these sessions

and if nobody comes then there doesn’t seem

to be any point. If you think it would be better

on a different day or different time, please let

us know.

The Library Club takes place on the first

Wednesday of the month at 2pm. Tea/coffee

and biscuits are provided, and we have a

different speaker each month. March 2nd sees

Suzie King back by popular demand, showing

us how to relax using general meditation

techniques. On 6th April Val Robson is going

to tell us about Histon Open Gardens, and on

4th May we have our very own personal trainer,

Ann Hutchinson, showing us how to keep

active in our own homes.

Don’t forget the many things that are available

in your library. As well as borrowing books,

you can hire DVDs, CDs, and talking books.

You can read the newspaper, borrow jigsaws,

join a reading group, and attend Library

Club/Storytime/Rhymetime – depending on

your age! You can use the computers for email

and internet, and explore Your Library Online.

The things you can do on the internet are

endless – research your family history, book a

holiday, study online, job and/or house hunt,

check bus timetables, use ebay... Come on

down to your local library and see for yourself

what you can do.

For more information on any of the above, call

0345 045 5225 or check the website at

www.cambridgshire.gov.uk/library

Histon Library NewsDeadline forApril issue is29 March(published 7th April)


This month Village Energy Project is seeing

surveys conducted and quotes delivered to the

first 50 homes in the village. We continue to

answer questions and help villagers choose the

best solar photovoltaic (PV) system for them.

The good news is that costs are dropping as a

result of our united approach. Here are a few of

those frequently asked questions:

Q. Do I have to install by the end of March

this year to get the best Feed in Tariff rates?

A. NO! You have until the end of March 2012!

Some cowboy salesmen are calling villagers

telling them they need to install this month.

Not True. Let us know if you get those calls

and we will put those companies on notice.

Q. Is it correct that when the solar panels are

working, one uses the power from the

panels, and any excess goes into the grid?

A. Yes. It's similar to charging a mobile phone.

When not in use, the power required by the

phone is small and can be provided by the

charger. Any excess flows into the battery. In

use, the phone needs lots of power. If it is still

charging, part may be supplied by the charger

and part by the battery. And of course if the

charger is off all power is supplied by the

battery. In the case of solar PV the battery is

the national grid. Anything not supplied by the

rooftop array is supplied by the grid.

Q. How does one get paid for the power one

puts into the grid?

A. Every installation has a 'generation meter'

which meters the amount of power generated

by the solar panels. You take a reading

quarterly and submit (online, by phone, or

post) to your electricity supplier and they send

you a cheque every 3 months for all that you

generate. You get 41.3 p for each kWh of

electricity you generate whether you use it or

whether you export it to the grid. In addition,

exported power to the grid gets another small

payment. On home installations the power

companies do not meter how much power you

actually export to the grid. They instead

assume that you will use 50% of the power you

generate and export the rest. That adds 1.5p to

your overall generation income so you get

42.8p per kWh generated.

Q. Do the solar panels need cleaning

periodically? How often? Our roof certainly

grows a bit ofmoss.

A. I have never run into anyone who cleans

their rooftop solar panels! We get more than

enough rain to keep them quite clean. Dust

tends to get blown away. I lived for 15 years

using only solar PV for my electricity needs.

About 10 years after I installed the panels I

decided to check if they needed cleaning. I

carefully measured power output before and

after cleaning and I just couldn't tell the

diference. The rags I used for cleaning didn't

show much dirt either. So don't worry, it's

unlikely to be very important.

Q. What is the nature of the guarantee on

the panels.

A. That has been a prime consideration for the

Village Energy Project. First, it should be said

that PV panels are a very old and reliable

technology. So there aren't any problems that

are new and unexpected, or problems that

manufacturers haven't already fixed. There is a

good guarantee structure. Most panels are

warranted to be free from manufacturing

defects for a minimum of 5 years and that

includes installation related problems. They

also come with output guaranteed to be 90% of

the original after 10 years and 80% after 25

years. The expected life of the panel is in the

vicinity of 40 to 50 years. Most failures in the

past have been caused by water getting under

the glass and corroding the electrical

connections. That was in the 1980's. Now the

panels are far superior so I would not expect to

see that as a problem. Happily the guarantee

will take care of that because if water does get

in the panel output will surely drop below the

80% (25 year) threshold and the panel will be

replaced free of charge. That's not to say your

should use the cheapest panel available.

Quality is key.

Let's also talk about the DC inverter. This

device converts the DC power coming from the

PV panels into 240 volt AC power that feeds

your home and the grid. During the 25 year

lifetime of your system it will probably have to

be replaced once. Inverters generally have a 10

year guarantee. The present cost is

approximately £1000-1500 depending on the

size of your panels. In 10 years costs are

expected to have dropped significantly. One

manufacturer is already quoting replacement

costs of only £200 to exchange the old one for

a reconditioned one with another 10 year

guarantee. Even that price will drop. The

components that are likely to fail in these

inverters are quite inexpensive and are easily

repairable.

The entire system has just those two main

parts - panels and inverter. Very simple, very

reliable. The secret to long trouble-free

operation is starting with high quality panels

and inverters.

If you would like to join Village Energy

Project, send your details to

[email protected] or post it to the HI

Courier address on page 2 of this issue.

- Editor

Village Energy Project Gains Momentum

Histon is an attractive vibrant village with

good shopping, banks, a library and a good

selection of eating places. This activity puts a

lot of pressure on the village and one of the

adverse consequences is the amount of litter.

Happily, the cleaning in the centre of the village

is supplemented each month by a group of

cheerful volunteers who spend an hour or so

litter picking to help keep our village looking

good. Maybe you are one of the people who

stop to say that we are 'doing a grand job'. If so,

thank you for that.

It would be super if we had more volunteers

doing a grand job to make an even bigger

impact. Could that be you? Almost certainly!

We usually gather on the first Saturday of each

month (weather permitting!) outside the

library. All the equipment needed is provided.

You can get more information from Sheila (tel.

232698) or just turn up on the first Saturday

morning outside the library at 9.30 in old but

warm clothes.

If you can't help in this way, can you encourage

your family and friends to use litter bins or to

take their litter home?

Histon is lovely. Let's keep it that way and be

proud of our village.

- Cedric Foster

Histon is Lovely!


An amateur dramatic group in Histon and

Impington is to be formed to encourage the

area's residents to develop theatrical skills and

to produce exciting drama for the community

to enjoy.

We are seeking to start a new group serving

Histon and Impington and the surrounding

areas to focus on performing existing and

potentially new material. In this way we hope

to contribute to the development of

individuals' skills and confidence. We are

hoping there will be enough people who are

interested in getting this exciting new project

off the ground.

The group are looking for willing individuals

with skills in acting, directing, producing and

writing. The group would also welcome people

with an interest in the action behind the scenes

such as set building, lighting, sound and

costume.

The group, to be aimed at adults in the

villages, will be holding an introductory

meeting in the next few weeks to establish

what skills people have and how best to

establish a new theatre company. If you are

interested in joining the group or helping form

a committee or would like more details please

email [email protected] or find us

on Facebook under Hisimp players.

Village Amateur Dramatic Group

Sky Blue Theatre are looking for adults for a

new Musical Pollyanna. Auditions are open to

anyone. We are looking for enthusiastic actors

with good singing voices. There are adult

singing and non singing parts. A large chorus

is also wanted. These auditions will be by

special appointment. We will be taking this up

to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival from the

19th-26th August and then presenting it at the

Cambridge Corn Exchange from the 9th-11th

September. Rehearsals will not be starting

until the weekend of 23rd July then three

weekend rehearsals with previews on the 13th

and 14th August. As rehearsals are mainly in

the holiday season we do realise that not

everyone can attend all the rehearsals. This is

a great opportunity to have a wonderful week

of theatre at the Edinburgh Fringe which is an

unforgettable experience and then to perform

in the largest venue in Cambridge - the Corn

Exchange. This new show, based on the

popular, classic novel by Eleanor Porter will

enthral the whole family. This is a wonderful

family musical, with songs you will want to

sing, comedy, and an enthralling story.

Pollyanna’s ‘glad ‘ song will get your feet

tapping and Mr and Mrs Gripe make you want

to boo. All ages will love this story and the way

that Pollyanna triumphs over all her problems.

With libretta by Frances Bartram, music by

Geoff Page and Directed by Frances Brownlie.

Please get in touch with Frances on 01223

832288 or email:

[email protected].

- Sky Blue Theatre

Pollyanna Auditions

On Monday 21st March young singers will be welcoming

anyone aged 10 to 17 and interested in singing to take part in a

Taster Session for a new singing group. This group, which will

meet on Monday evenings in Histon after Easter, is led by

Thanea Hodges who is well known for conducting the choir at

the Cambridge Holiday Orchestra Summer Schools. The

group is serious about music but expects to have fun at the

same time as developing their skills. There are no auditions,

and both boys and girls are welcome. There are many different

ways to do music, so if you would like to find out if this is ‘your

thing’ come and join in the Taster Session. The taster session

is free but after Easter the weekly group will cost approx £30

per child for a 10-week term.

For more information, and to book your place, contact Ruth

on 01223 524013 or e mail [email protected]

New Youth Singing Group

We are holding our very own fashion show

at the Junior school, to raise funds for the

school, and would like to invite ladies to our

Girls Night Out! Wardrobe Mistresses are

bring their collection of High Street clothes

and accessories, and local ladies will be

modelling them.

For the cost of £5, you can have a great fun

night out and enjoy a glass of wine, then after

the show you can purchase the clothes at a

great discount! So, ladies, if you are free on

Wednesday 16 march at 7.30, we would love to

welcome you to the school. Tickets can be

purchased at Daisy Chain on the Green in

Histon.

Hope to see you then!

- Allison Bentley

HISTON AND IMPINGTON JUNIOR SCHOOL PTA PRESENTGirls Night Out!

1 9www.HIcourier.co.ukSPORT March 2011

The annual Friends of the Rec Sports and

Leisure Quiz was held late January in the

Junior School. Eleven teams of six each

battled in a close fought battle of the “little

grey cells”. Quiz Masters David Collins and

Debbie Cates tantalised and teased the

audience in their usual friendly way.

However, the competition between teams was

very tight. It was a credit to the question

selection that throughout the nine rounds, any

team could have won. The lead changed hands

with one team sharing the lead on the first

round and thereafter being only one point

behind the leaders for the remaining rounds

until a final push on the song recognition

helped Nigel Charles the team captained by

Steve Fallon to draw level again on the last

round.

The tie break turned on knowing (or, more

honestly, guessing) the year that France won a

silver medal at cricket in the Olympic games.

Belinda Fallon and Joy McCombie were

delighted (as the picture shows) to receive the

winners prize of bottles of wine.

Again another successful event from the

“Friends”, money raised and all enjoyed the

evening. Thanks to Jane Rush and all her

helpers.

Sports and Leisure QuizQuiz Master David Collins Belinda Fallon and Joy McCombie collect prize

The annual Yesteryear Road Run of vintage

and classic vehicles is the major external fund

raising event for Magpas, the Emergency

Medical Charity. In these hard times Magpas

need your support more than ever to maintain

their vital, life saving services. This year’s run

is on Sunday, 17th April.

The Road Run attracts over 300 entries, from

live steam to classic sports cars, so there’s

something for everyone. The procession

assembles on the Village Green in Cottenham,

and then heads off through Rampton,

Willingham, Over, Swavesey, Longstanton,

Oakington and Histon, returning to

Cottenham in the afternoon. Each village

along the route supports the Run by creating

its own carnival atmosphere, with barbecues,

refreshment stalls and music provided by the

Waterbeach Brass band, who accompany the

parade in a double decker bus! This year the

lunch stop will be at Swavesey Village College,

complete with Real Ale Bar and Hog Roast.

The first Road Run was in April 1994, had 70

entries and raised £2,700 for the Children's

Hospice in Milton, Cambridge. From 1996

onwards, Magpas became the major charity

supported and by 2010 the number of vehicles

and static exhibits had risen to over 300 and

the donation to Magpas was £14,000.

Magpas was formed in 1971 as the Mid Anglia

General Practitioner Accident Service

(MAGPAS), and was the brainchild of Dr

Neville Silverston MBE, a local GP. 30 years

later, the Emergency Medical Teams had

evolved into highly trained specialist accident

doctors and paramedics operating in teams of

two. To get to accidents faster and farther

afield, the teams began to use the local police

helicopter, and are now co-located with the

police Air Operations Unit at RAF Wyton. In

June 2010 the Emergency Medical Team was

renamed Magpas Helimedix 24/7 to reflect

the aim of providing a 24 hour emergency

service to the people of East Anglia. Magpas

also operates two land-based Emergency

Medical Team response vehicles and continues

to support the Community First Responder

Scheme that is now operated by the East

Anglian Accident Service Trust.

For more information on the Road Run visit

the website at

www.cottenhamroadrun.co.uk

or call Frances Hedger on 01954 250965 or

David Norman on 01954 250917

For more about Magpas please contact Debbie

Florence 01480 371062 or visit

http://www.magpas.org.uk and follow

Magpas by joining their facebook group

20 March 2011 www.HIcourier.co.uk

The Local Community Newspaper for Histon and Impington

HI Courier SPORT

www.HIcourier.co.uk

After the defeat by Cambridge United the

chips are really down now for the Stutes as we

try to retain our place in the Blue Square Bet

Premier League but everyone at the club is up

for the challenge and relishing an exciting

finale to the season

Despite the defeat in the local derby, and

contrary to reports emanating from elsewhere,

I thought from my viewpoint of the wider

Match Day Experience there was a great

atmosphere and a good spirit for our biggest

game of the season so far and particular

features included:-

* A full house in the Pre match Hospitality

Carvery which included two tables of former

Histon players, as well as supporters and

sponsors, who all really enjoyed the occasion

* Four young mascots , George and Adden,

courtesy of a Cambridge News competion

representing the Stutes and the U's

respectively, plus Josh Rizza and birthday boy

Liam

* Waterbeach Colts were the Guard of Honour

and warmly welcomed both teams onto the

pitch

* Girton Colts Under 16's were ball Boys and

before the game heralded Match Sponsor

Anglia Accommodation, a very good friend and

supporter of Histon FC

* To celebrate 'National Chip Week' Jack and

Jamie represented the U's and the Stutes in the

inaugural Half Time 'Chip Challenge' kindly

sponsored by Petrou Brothers

* Mark Petrou picked out Graham, the Histon

Postie's, ticket in the 50/50 Draw

So despite Histon losing Graham went home

feeling quite chipper about winning the big

cash prize!

So we may have lost the game but I reckon we

won a few friends in the process who all

enjoyed being a part of the Match Day

Experience. We look forward to welcoming

Courier readers to any of our remaining home

games as part of the Match Day Experience,

be it as mascots, Guard of Honour, sponsors,

helpers or simply spectators as we continue to

strive to encourage the local community to get

behind it's local club.

Please try and 'Get Along to the Glass World'

for any of the following games, you will be

made most welcome

Sat March 12th v Darlington ko 3pm

Sat March 19th v Mansfield Town ko 3pm

Sat April 2nd v Forest Green Rovers ko 3pm

Sat April 16th vWimbledon ko 3pm

Mon April 25th v Luton Town ko tbc

- Graham Eales, PR Manager

Histon FC Report:Girls football over the last few years has

become increasingly popular, and the Histon

Hornets are enthusiastic that this should

continue. The Hornets presently have four

girls teams from Under 10s to Under 15s and

they all play in the County Girls leagues.

In the last four years the Hornets have

organised taster training sessions each

spring inviting girls who want to start

playing football to come and try the game.

This year we are holding our first session

1on Tuesday 22nd March at 5.15pm to

6pm, and girls in Years 2,3,4 and 5 are

invited to come. Please meet outside the

pavilion and we hope to continue the

sessions weekly. All Histon Hornet coaches

are CRB checked and fully qualified, and it

is hoped that older girl players will also help

with the sessions. Indeed one player Abi

Davies has obtained her introductory

coaching qualification.

If there is sufficient interest new girls

Under 9 and 10 teams will be formed, and

for the first time Cambridgeshire FA are

organising Under 9s and Under 10s

Festivals in May for teams that are being

formed. We hope that the Hornets may be

able to enter teams in the May Festivals.

Last May we launched a new taster football

session when four girls attended, and it was

a joy to see the numbers increase to 12 by

the end of July when we were able to form

this year’s Under 10s side.

One of the players Adele Butcher describes

her time over the last nine months ‘ playing

for Hornets Under 10’s has been a

character building experience. Football

teaches you teamwork as well as having fun

and providing good exercise. I have made

new friends and become an average

footballer. Having not ever played football

before, I am very proud of how much I have

already achieved. The team has won, drawn

and lost games and are continually

improving thanks to the time and efforts of

our Managers Martin Crook and Neil

Davies ‘

For further information please contact Neil

on C 232514.

- Neil Davies, Histon Hornets Girls

Girls Needed for NewHiston Hornets TeamsWaterbeach Colts were the Guard of Honour at the Cambridge United match Smiles all around from last year's U10 Girls team

Great atmosphere and a good spirit for our biggest game of the season

Deadline forApril issue is29 March(published 7th April)

Documents

HI Courier March 2011