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ISSUE NUMBER 123
For some time now, we at the Newsletter have been struggling along without a delivery manager. It is putting a bit of a strain as we all have significant work to do to get the Newsletter produced each time. We need a delivery manager.
The job is straightforward: take delivery of the print run of the Newsletter, divide it into appropriate piles to give to the individual deliverers and get each pile to the appropriate deliverer. It’s not difficult and you do get a chance to meet our wonderful team of deliverers who are all extremely pleasant and very good at pretending to be happy to see a pile of newsletters for distribution!
Is this something you would be willing to do six times a year? It does require some lifting and access to a car for distribution would be a distinct advantage. Could you help us?
***The Fen Edge Family Festival 23–26 June is nearly upon us again. This much-anticipated event promises even more this year than in previous years. The programme contained in the centre of this edition of the Newsletter, is packed with exciting, entertaining and fun activities for all the family.
As always with such a huge event, the organisers need help to bring it all together and a great deal of help during
Help needed! JUNE/JULY 2011
the festival itself. If you haven’t already volunteered, please consider whether you could spare a couple of hours over the course of that weekend. Without the volunteers, there wouldn’t be a festival for us all to enjoy. If you can help please contact Caroline Dethridge on 01954 251155 or [email protected]
***Finally, congratulations to the Renegades Rugby Club (home ground Cottenham Village College) who had a stunning season. They entered the Green King Cup for the first time and made it all the way to the final. They also had a brilliant league performance – coming second to Cambridge Exiles, although technically winning the league because Cambridge didn’t register two of their walkover results by the deadline. It was a very creditable performance.
If you would like to try your hand at touch rugby over the summer then come along to the Rec. at 6:30 on Wednesday evenings. New players are always welcome. If you think you might like to play rugby proper next season, please contact Sam Vail on [email protected] and he can give you details of how to get involved.
Eddie Murphy
June 2nd Salvation Army, Coffee Morning, Salvation Army Barn 10:00am to 11:30am 4th Salvation Army, Jumble Sale, Salvation Army Barn 10:00am to 11:30am 5th Salvation Army, Sunday Slot, Salvation Army Barn 5:00pm 6th Royal British Legion, Bingo evening, Legion Hall, 7:00pm 7th Parish Council, Council Meeting, Ebenezer House, 7:30pm 9th Parish Council, Planning Committee, Council Office Ebenezer House, 7:15pm 16th Salvation Army, Coffee Morning, Salvation Army Barn 10:00am to 11:30am 20th Royal British Legion, Bingo evening, Legion Hall, 7:00pm 23rd Parish Council, Planning Committee, Council Office Ebenezer House, 7:15pm 23rd-26th Fen Edge Community Association, Fen Edge Family Festival 24th Gardeners Club, CVC, 7:45pm 30th Salvation Army, Coffee Morning, Salvation Army Barn 10:00am to 11:30am
July 2nd Salvation Army, Jumble Sale, Salvation Army Barn 10:00am to 11:30am 3rd Salvation Army, Sunday Slot, Salvation Army Barn 5:00pm 4th Royal British Legion, Bingo evening, Legion Hall, 7:00pm 5th Parish Council, Council Meeting, Ebenezer House, 7:30pm 14th Salvation Army, Coffee Morning, Salvation Army Barn 10:00am to 11:30am 14th Parish Council, Planning Committee, Council Office Ebenezer House, 7:15pm 18th Royal British Legion, Bingo evening, Legion Hall, 7:00pm 28th Salvation Army, Coffee Morning, Salvation Army Barn 10:00am to 11:30am 28th Parish Council, Planning Committee, Council Office Ebenezer House, 7:15pm
Dates:
MILLIONHAIRS mobile hairdressing. For an appointment in your own home call MICHELLE on 01954 201136 or 07788480239. 10% discount will be given to senior citizens on Monday and Tuesday. 10% discount will be given to all children eight years old and under. No travelling, no parking, no waiting. All in the comfort of your own home.
.........ExpERIENcEd pROfESSIONAL MuSIc TEAcHER/ExAMINER has a limited number of places available. Specialising in: Piano, Guitar, Drums and Theory of Music, but available for most instruments. All ages, beginner to professional. Examinations if required. Contact John Branton. Mobile: 07786 131782 Email: [email protected] Web: Johnbranton.co.uk
.........AIRpORT TRANSfERS fROM cOTTENHAM – Victory Executive Cars based in Cottenham. We offer transfers to all Airports, Seaports, Rail terminals. We are a chauffeured service, we can cater for all your transportation needs. Theatre trips, Restaurant runs, Nights out. Our Airport Transfers start from £45. Account customers welcome. Call us on 01954 252967 www.airporttransferheathrow.com
.........fRESH GRIMSby fISH Fresh and smoked fish, shellfish in Cottenham every Thursday morning. Est. since 1989. Call Ray on 07702 830308 to arrange a call to your office or home. No order too small.
.........ALL buILdING wORk ANd pROpERTy MAINTENANcE Extensions, alterations, renovations. Portfolio and references available. Qualified tradesmen and reliable service. Free estimates. Call: 01954 200879 07900 980423
.........pEAT’S GARdEN SERvIcES lawn and hedge cutting, pruning, planting, rotovating, turfing, weekly and monthly visits, all garden work undertaken. All garden waste removed. For a free estimate call Pete Bullen 01954 250771 or 07749 863047
.........dON’T bE dISTRESSEd Learn to ‘Dee’-Stress – Classes for men and women – now located at the Salvation Army Barn 1:25pm–2:30pm £6.50 session. Please contact Dee Loakes 07901 774660 or email: [email protected]
.........ExpERIENcEd ELEcTRIcIAN Part P registered, local, reliable, over 20 years experience. Design, installation, inspection & testing work carried out, no job too small. 10% discount for senior citizens. Call Peter for a free, no obligation quote on 01954 775003 / 07796 260735
.........Lb TILING SERvIcE walls & floors tiled. Ceramic, porcelain, natural stone, kitchens, bathrooms, utility rooms, wet rooms, tanking and much more. For a quote call 07962 345697
.........2000w GARdEN SHREddER/cHIppER £30 ono. 01954 204716
.........p&R Laundry, ironing and laundry service. Duvet washing from £8.00 Free collect and return. Tel 01954 250658 Mob/Txt 07708 215701
.........cOTTENHAM SuMMER ScHOOL 1–5 AuGuST 2011 This year the summer school offers a wide variety of courses including Textiles, Drawing and Painting, Jewellery, Music, Walking, Crafts and others ranging from 2, 3, 4 and 5 days. To book contact Cottenham Village College Community Office on 01954 288751 or Email: [email protected]. Don’t delay book now!
.........pROfESSIONAL AdMINISTRATION SERvIcES (pAS) Providing annual leave / holiday cover in and around Cottenham. No job too small. 25 years PA/Administration/Sales experience. Confident telephone manner and proficient reception skills. Work from home or on site. Reasonable hourly rates. References available. Contact PAS on 07768 990088
Small ads:
TOAT – “Tom of all Trades” Tom Wykes Handyman. No job is too big or too small – garden/house clearance, shelving, plumbing and so on – call Tom for a quote on 01954 250324, 07762 559259
.........OddJObS – GARdENING, dIy, cLEANING Do you need somebody to do jobs around the house or garden? Call Adrian Ient on 01954 775004 or 07795 630037, email: [email protected]
.........LIvING IN cOTTENHAM Do you require any help with your housework? Then maybe I can help you out. I am available on Monday or Thursday Mornings. For more details call Penny on 01954 253351
.........Why not advertise in the Newsletter! Items for sale, announcement of family events, local products and/or services...
5p per word, with all proceeds going to charity. Send advertisements and payment to the editor.
Cheques should be made out to ‘Cottenham Newsletter’.
Summer ScHoolOnce again, the Village College is running its Summer School in August from the 1st to the 5th. Courses run for one to five days in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere with very experienced tutors. Included in the price is a two course lunch and refreshments.The courses include:• Intro to Making Felt • Weaving on a Table Loom • Batik • Spectacular Screen Printing – Full • Dressmaking • Patchwork • Botanical Illustration• Painting Landscapes in Watercolour • Delights of Drawing • Silver Jewellery • Beadwork Jewellery • Dichroic Glass Jewellery • Guitar Adventures (Blues) • Wired Sugar Flowers • Walking • Wildlife Walks • Upholstery • Calligraphy • Willow Weaving • Flower Arranging • Digital Photography • Bridge • Bee Keeping • Bricklaying for the Amateur • DIY & Home ImprovementsTo view a brochure, please visit our website: www.cvcweb.net (click on ‘Community Education’) or phone us on 01954 288751 or email us on [email protected] for more information.
Since the introduction of the blue bin and paper-only caddy we have seen the amount of recycling increase. The level of battery recycling has been very impressive with the equivalent of 400,000 AA batteries being recycled in the first three months.
We hope that this fantastic start can be maintained and that you find the following information useful.
Paper-only caddy
Paper is a very valuable material when collected separately from other materials through the paper-only caddy and it generates an income for the council. However, if paper is mixed in the blue bin with other materials, it needs to be sorted and is classed as lower quality which means we can’t get the same income from it and it costs the council money.
Yes please…
No thanks…
• Cardboard – e.g. cereal boxes (place in blue bin)• Tissues and kitchen paper (place in green bin)• Jiffy bags (re-use or place in black bin)• Wrapping paper (place in blue bin – only if made of paper)• Greetings cards (place in blue bin)
Blue bin
Yes please…
• Plastic bottles• Plastic packaging (pots, trays & tubs)• Plastic bags, Plastic film & clean food wrapping• Glass jars & bottles• Food & drinks cans• Aerosols• Tin foil & foil trays• Cartons (e.g. Tetrapak)• Cardboard• Greetings cards• Wrapping paper (only if made of paper)
No thanks…
• Paper (place in paper only caddy)• Expanded polystyrene (place in black bin)• Pyrex and flat glass (place in black bin)• Metallic wrapping paper (place in black bin)Top tips for recycling
To help you recycle more in your blue bin please squash plastic bottles and flatten cardboard boxes.
If you are having difficulty in fitting all of your recycling into the blue bin please place excess recycling in a cardboard box (which will be recycled along with its contents) or in a returnable container.
If your caddy has gone missing you can contact us on the details below for a replacement.
To avoid any potential shredded paper being spilt during collection, please place shredded paper in an old envelope to prevent littering and remember that you only need to shred documents displaying personal or confidential information.
If your battery bag is not replaced after collection please contact us for a replacement or alternatively use a plastic bag.
Attach your battery bag to the outside of the blue bin; please do not place it inside the caddy or blue bin.
Contact us
For more information please visit our website:www.scambs.gov.uk/bluebin. Alternatively you can contact us on 03450 450 063 or at [email protected]
Blue Bin
claSSfinder Find fitness or activity classes near you. Visit: www.classfinder.org.uk put in your postcode and you can search by class type, day, time and distance.
The site is completely free and has been set up to make it easier for people to find class details in one place rather than having to search multiple websites. There are already over 700 classes listed and this number is growing every week.
If you are an instructor, you can advertise your classes for free. Simply log on and add all the classes you teach including, time, venue, level and day.
ZumBa! Start the week off feeling great – come and join in the fun of Zumba Fitness. Zumba is a dance-based fitness workout to Latin-based rhythms. The moves are easy to follow, you don’t have to know how to dance, just follow the instructor’s lead. Guaranteed enjoyment whilst burning off those calories! Classes on Monday evenings at the Cottenham Community Centre from 7:00pm – 8:00pm.
Why not continue your week feeling great by joining our Line Dance class? Here we dance to all types and rhythms of music! These are held on Tuesday evenings at Cottenham Village College Sports Centre in the Dance Studio. Beginners class 6:30pm – 7:30pm, Intermediates 7:30pm – 9:00pm.
For more information contact Jo on 07915043205. Also see us on the green at the FEFF festival!!!
open StudioS Every July in Cambridgeshire artists in Cambridge city and around the county open their studios to become part of Cambridge Open Studios. Here in Cottenham for the fourth year running Amanda MacPhail opens her studio at her home, The Wooden House, Twenty Pence Road to show her work and to explain how it is made.
Trained as an illustrator and having finished 18 years of teaching Graphics and Illustration on the Art Foundation Course she started a new venture incorporating her love of drawing and colour not on paper, but instead applied it to bone china. She uses flat brightly coloured onglaze enamel. Drawings are transferred to the glaze, cut and applied to the bone china which is in turn fired fluxing the glaze together. The results are bright and contemporary. She also does drawings which are transformed into glaze in Stoke on Trent and applied over colour. A fascinating process and one which you can come and try yourself with friends and family.
Many of you may already know her as you have been to classes at The Wooden House or been given work done by her as she has run workshops at Brownies, art clubs and with some of the residents at Cottenham Court.
Do go and visit her over one of the first four weekends in July. The studios are open from 11:00am – 6:00pm on Saturday and Sunday or visit the Cambridge Open Studios website which is www.cambsopenstudios.co.uk where you will find over 200 other artists and studios that will be open during July.
I am constantly amazed at the imagination and initiative of Cottenham Theatre Workshop. This year’s Spring production was a surprising, but inspired choice of “Daisy Pulls it Off” by Denise Deegan. This play was first performed in 1983 but it is loosely based on the schoolgirl novels of Angela Brazil, written between the two world wars.
The play is set in the 1920s and concerns the attempts of super-achiever Daisy Meredith to submerge her poor Elementary School background and find acceptance in the snobby confines of Grangewood School for Young Ladies. Our plucky heroine undergoes a number of tribulations (including possible expulsion) before, by being honourable and straight in all things, all comes right in the end with Daisy saving the lives of sneaky Monica and toady Sybil – her arch-enemies – discovering the treasure of Grangewood, and scoring the winning goal at hockey.
I saw the Cottenham production on the first night and I think we were all a bit puzzled as to what sort of play it was: comedy?, detective story?, social problem play? And was it aimed at children or adults? In the end it doesn’t matter, because it is a hugely entertaining work on all levels.
Some of the play reminds us of Jane Eyre, St. Trinians or Tracey Beaker, but it remains a highly original play and CTW gave it their best.
So much of the production was enjoyable: the wonderful set on two floors, the schoolgirl uniforms, the hot water bottle fight, the lovely singing (and how useful to have a professional pianist – Barbara Duckworth – in the cast!), the hockey match, and much, more.
But of course the success of the play depends greatly on the cast, and it was clear that the play could have been written
for CTW. From the moment when Helen McCallum as the Headmistress addressed the school, we knew we were in for a good time. Helen was just one of the more experienced actors who gave such a solid framework to the play. Duncan McCallum as the mysterious Mr Scoblowski, Tony Chapman as Mr Thompson, and Mary Garside in two smaller parts, gave their usual highly competent performances.
But, inevitably, it was the “schoolgirls” who stole the show. Megan Scully was just right as the sporty captain of hockey, and she had a devoted band of followers.
It is often said that it is easier to play bad characters than good, and Martha Nunn and Barbara Duckworth made the most of the nasty, snobbish characters of Sybil and Monica, and their eventual U-turn, when they recognised how vindictive they had been, and finally hugged Daisy, was really quite moving.
The real heroines of the play, in all senses, were Amy Unwin as Daisy and Wendy Borrow as Trixie Martin, the one girl to befriend Daisy. They contrasted well: Trixie with her posh, jolly-hockeysticks accent, and Daisy with her down to earth, sensible, optimistic nature. The scenes they played together were a real delight and it must be said that Amy Unwin was a real treasure. Her speech, her movement, her facial expressions, her interplay with the rest of the cast were faultless, and her assured performance was the main contributory factor to the success of the play.
This predominantly young cast, directed once again with real skill by Sue Macdonald, whetted our appetites for the next production.
Jasper Kay
daiSy definitely did!
Bird report Today is Easter Sunday and I have just been down the garden, which is full of the sound of song birds: sparrows, starlings, blackbirds, thrushes, tits, finches, wood pigeons, collared doves, robins, wrens, chiffchaffs and the resident green woodpecker. Some of them were singing already at 5:00am contributing to one of the wonders of Spring – the Dawn Chorus.
This is a frantically busy time for birds and I am constantly amazed at the speed at which they work. One day you can notice that they are beginning to make nests and a few days later some birds have already dropped bits of eggshell and are looking for worms for baby birds.
The very warm weather during April has certainly made a slight difference to the birds’ schedule and some summer birds have arrived a few days earlier than usual. But much of bird migration puzzles me. In the first week of April we were in the Peak District and we immediately saw swallows, house martins, willow warblers and curlews, but it wasn’t until a good deal later that some of these birds arrived in the area around Cottenham. Here are my dates for the first sightings of summer birds in our area:
March 27th – chiffchaff. April 16th – Willow warbler, blackcap. April 22nd – swallow, house martin, common tern, sedge warbler, grasshopper warbler, avocet, cetti’s warbler, cuckoo.
Other birds have been seen (garden warbler, whitethroat, nightingale) but not yet by me. Swifts and fly-catchers are still to arrive.
Birders have noticed an interesting change in the activities of ravens. Apart from the ones which inhabit the Tower of London, they are usually seen in mountains and high moors. But now they seem to be coming lower down and can sometimes be seen in lowland meadows and fields. Some people have recorded a decline in the number of kestrels around, but this does not seem to be a problem in our area.
We have kept up our bird count for 2011 and the present number is 84. This may sound a lot, but the list contains few surprises. A couple of weeks ago we had goldcrests in the garden, the first time for a few years. These tiny birds love feeding in fir trees and are surprisingly tame. A curious omission from our list is the barn owl, a bird we have seen quite often in the past. No doubt it will appear any time now.
A friend has recently had a visit from a woodcock in his garden. There are a number of these birds about but they are very secretive and remain hidden in woodland.
Since being given a book called “The Butterfly Isles” by Patrick Barkham, I have tried to take an interest in butterflies this year. The book is an amusing account of how the author tried to see all British butterflies in one year. I was surprised to learn that there are only just over 50 different species. So far this year I have seen nine, and I am not sure that I will get much further! I do not know how Patrick Barkham fared because I am reading his book month by month, and we have only got as far as April.
Once again I am really grateful to the many people who ring me up or stop me in the street to tell me of the birds they have seen. Please keep it up!
Jasper Kay
pariSH council The following matters need to be brought to your attention:
Dog Fouling – This never seems to go away. We regularly get complaints about dog mess. As requested many times we ask dog owners to carry bags with them when they take their dog for a walk, and use one of the many receptacles provided around the village. Gas service engineers were working in the compound behind the doctors in the High Street recently, and told me that they had found a number of bags containing dog excrement. This is laziness by dog owners as there is a dog bin nearby. It is certainly not hygienic. Please be responsible when you take your dog for a walk.
Vandalism – We now have the lighter evenings, so out come the vandals! Fires have been lit on the Recreation Ground causing damage to the grass, and a piece of equipment on the skateboard park was damaged by fire. This item needs repairing at a cost to the community. We find broken glass on a regular basis, which obviously is dangerous. The youths who are responsible had better think again as the Police are fully aware of the many incidents, and are carrying out regular checks of the area.
Barbecues and Camping – With the good weather we have had a spate of barbecues and camping overnight on the Recreation Ground. Please note that this is not allowed, and appropriate signs will be installed.
Brenda Gautrey Way –Those of you who live in this area will be aware that some work has been carried out to the ditch. We are not satisfied with Taylor Wimpey’s contractors as they have not removed any of the silt which is affecting the flow of the water. We have advised the
developers of our concern, and are doing all we can to improve the situation.
Potholes – Earlier in the year discussions took place with the County Council regarding the dreadful state of some of our roads. Work was carried out to improve the road surfaces, but this work was only to be a temporary measure. Some of our roads now look like patchwork quilts, but we are told that proper resurfacing will be carried out eventually. When? Not known. We will continue to press for action.
The Moat, Tenison Manor – Discussions have taken place with the Ecology Officer at the District Council concerning the reedmace in the water areas. We did have a quote from a specialist, but as it was in the thousands we decided to rethink what we should do. Through the District Council’s help we met on site a member of the local County wildlife organisation. They will send a team in October to carry out the necessary work at a cost of £100 approx. We cannot do anything until then in view of the presence of Great Crested Newts, and there are lots of them. They are a protected species, so caution is needed when walking in that area. In a later edition of the Newsletter you will be given the date when the work will be undertaken, so that anyone local to this area can take part if they so wish.
Tenison Manor Culverts – The same specialist referred to above also quoted for removal of the vegetation in the culverts that run alongside the Moat. Again this was a ridiculous amount, so we organised the hire of a digger at a very small amount, and our Groundsman carried out the work in a morning. By the time you read these notes it should have all greened up on the banks. These culverts are part of the drainage system, and therefore need to be kept clear.
Annual Parish Meeting 3rd May – Reports were given by David Mudd, Chair of the Parish Council, Tim Wotherspoon, District Councillor, and Sue Gymer, County Councillor. Sgt Paul Rogerson gave the meeting an update on Police matters. Six members of the public attended, and questions involved District & County Council surgeries held in the village, the finances of the District Council, the Traveller & Gypsy Development Plan, and the response from the Police to new crimes including the dealing with calls related.
Annual General Meeting 3rd May – David Mudd was re-elected as Chair and Mark Burton was elected as Vice Chair.
David Mudd, Cottenham Parish Council
tenniS Have you renewed your membership or thought about joining the tennis club? It’s not too late.
See the flyer with this Newsletter for membership benefits and this year’s fees. For less than 80p per week for an adult member (40p for a junior), surely the free use all year of decent courts at Cottenham Village College is a no-brainer?
Junior coaching sessions on Saturday mornings are really popular. More kids come along than at much bigger clubs in Cambridge. We can take more but we want them and more adults to play at other times as well. In a village of this size, there must be scores of active tennis players who choose not to take advantage of the facilities at CVC. If you are one of those, what puts you off playing there and what might help persuade you to do so?
We also need new blood, with new ideas, to help run the club and give it a boost. With a healthy bank balance, the club has the potential to grow into a much bigger and more successful one. If you’d like club evenings to be lively and well attended, please come forward! The current, declining core of old tennis dogs needs to be pushed aside!
Finally, a word about the grass courts at the Recreation Ground. The tennis club revived these a few years ago and funded their re-fencing and the provision of new nets with grant money from Donarbon. Anyone can use them but the club has in the past kept them going. Club members will be informed when they become playable this year.
It is important that the grass courts are used only when they’re playable. If they are still wet or soft, say the day after a downpour, they could be damaged for the rest of the season. Common sense is needed. The courts are not locked and are left with the nets up but unwound (a 10mm spanner/winder is needed to wind them – care needs to be taken not to overdo it, as this would damage the post bases.)
For any further information, please contact:Bruce Hutchison on 07977 504917 or email: [email protected] or Paul Dixon on 07901 910186 or email: [email protected]
Bee BorderS The double Bee Borders at the Botanic Garden have been created with some of the flowers bees love best and are also a honeypot for visitors since what makes a flower attractive to bees also makes them excellent garden plants – lots of brightly-coloured flowers on sturdy plants, in this case massed in an exhilarating ‘cottage garden’ style.
Bees visit flowers for food: nectar provides sugars for energy while pollen provides proteins essential for growth. Many good bee plants have large, tubular flowers symmetrical along the vertical axis (as we are!). The lower petal is often lipped to provide a landing platform for the visiting bee and can be decorated with lines or spots, called nectar guides, which show the way to the nectar. Foxgloves are a good example of this, and are used extensively along with snapdragons and our native Viper’s Bugloss.
Bees, and especially honey bees, are in major decline worldwide due to a complex range of factors thought to include climate change, pests and diseases, colony collapse disorder, and a decline in wildflowers due to intensive agricultural practices. And yet, honey bees are vital to our food chain as pollinators of crops accounting for about one third of our diet. Gardeners can play an important role in shoring up the bee population by including some of these beautiful flowers in their own planting schemes and borders to provide a rich food source, helping to keep bees healthy. Visit us soon for inspiration – most of the plants in the Bee Borders are readily available from garden centres and many are straightforward to raise from seed. Find the Bee Border plantlist on the website at:www.botanic.cam.ac.uk
The Botanic Garden is open 10am – 6pm through the summer, and a one-hour highlights tour leaves Brookside Gate every Saturday at 11am. In June, July and August, the Garden stays open late on the first and third Wednesdays. Call 01223 336265 or visit www.botanic.cam.ac.uk for further information, including this week’s Plant Picks from the Head of Horticulture.
Juliet Day, Development Officer, Cambridge University Botanic Garden
ladyBirdSNow that we are moving into summer, Easter seems a distant memory, but we had a very successful Easter Egg Hunt yet again and raised nearly £700. We are very fortunate to have such a great team of fundraisers, staff willing to help out and parents willing to support us. Many of you may not realise, but without our endless fundraising, Ladybirds would struggle to cover its costs; this is something that we seem to be continuously reminding the Local Education Authority, as well as local and central government.
Now, along with the whole of Cottenham, we’re looking forward to the Fen Edge Family Festival which runs from 23rd – 26th June. As well as running the “Dino bouncer,” “Mega Slide” and inflatable assault course on Saturday 25th and Sunday 26th, we shall be running a Pimms tent serving glasses and jugs of traditional Pimms as well as neat lemonade for those of you wanting to keep a perfectly clear head! The whole weekend looks set to be one of the most exciting festivals so far, so please come along and have some fun with us.
At Ladybirds our sessions are almost full to capacity and we are very sorry if you haven’t been able to get your child into Ladybirds this term, or into the sessions you would have liked. However, I take heart from this fact as it goes to show what an excellent facility we have in the village – it’s full to bursting and has a team of fantastic staff. Make sure you have your child registered well in advance of when you want them to start with us. Claire and Patricia are always very happy to see you in the office and you are more than
welcome to come and take a look at everything we do, any time you’d like.
Lastly, if you have a child starting at Cottenham Primary School this September and are wondering how you will arrange childcare whilst they spend the first part of the Autumn term settling in on half days, Ladybirds may have the solution for you. We shall be offering the same service that we did last year of collecting your child from the school and looking after them at Ladybirds until the end of the school day. If you are interested in this, please contact the office for more information – this offer applies to all children starting in Reception, regardless of whether they currently attend Ladybirds or not.
Rebecca ColeTrustee Chairperson
neigHBourHood WatcH
In a previous edition of the Cottenham Newsletter, Kevin Evans asked for volunteers for Neighbourhood Watch. The response was disappointing with no contacts coming forward.
I am Neighbourhood Watch co-ordinator for Paxton Close and the burden is not great. We registered and we had a talk from the local PCSO. We get all the latest information on crimes in our area which we can circulate very quickly. We keep an eye out for strangers behaving suspiciously or unusual cars. In addition, people tell me when they are going away so I know if alarms go off that I need to do something!
We only have a few Neighbourhood Watch groups in Cottenham compared to Histon or Waterbeach, which is a real shame. Please come forward and give your details to either myself or e-mail Kevin Evans ([email protected]) who has far more information. Please let’s get Cottenham up to the same numbers as the other villages.
Thank you,Alison Kitching ([email protected])
if tHe cup fitS…Specialist bra fitters, bras4mums, are pleased to announce their newest bra fitting agent is now ready to support women across Cambridge, Huntingdon, Ely and St. Ives areas. Mum of two, Emma Launchbury, from Willingham, has been trained by expert bra fitter and owner of bras4mums, to offer a home fitting service to pregnant and breastfeeding women in her area, giving them specialist advice and support for their changing body and breast shapes.
Founder of bras4mums, Tracey-Jane Hughes, said, “bras4mums was set up seven years ago with the sole aim of ensuring women get the correct advice and well-fitting bras for their pregnancy and breastfeeding. We’ve achieved this through our online and telephone bra fitting service where every woman is assigned a personal bra fitter to check they get the right size and style for their body shape. We now want to extend this to offer a one-to-one home fitting service, that has proven so popular in the North West of England, and across the UK. We’re delighted Emma has come on board as she’s passionate about women’s health, and bras can be a major problem, particularly during pregnancy and post natally”.
Emma said, “I’m really pleased to be able to offer this service to women in my area. As a woman who has been pregnant twice, and breastfed, I know how difficult it is to get advice about bras during pregnancy and breastfeeding. The training T-J gave was comprehensive and I know so much more now that I can’t wait to share with other women in my area. To be able to offer women a choice of bras from 28-50 band size, and A-L cups is fantastic. I hope to be able to spread the word about bra fitting to prevent women getting health problems, such as back ache and mastitis.”
To make a home fitting appointment with Emma, contact her direct on 07925 056509, or [email protected]
Help neededThe Day Centre, which takes place every Tuesday at the Sports and Social Club on the Rec., needs help with setting up and clearing away of the furniture used. Set up is at 8:30 am and the clear away at 2:00pm. If you could help with this please call Frances Clarke on 01954 250443.
In preparation for writing my first Annual Report to Parishes I’ve been looking back over the monthly reports that I’ve written during the last year. Almost all of them express concern about the situation that we find ourselves in and trepidation about how we are going to be affected for the next few years. On the positive side, though, the other strong thread running through the reports that have been written over the last year by either Tim Wotherspoon or me is team-working. And to end the year on a positive note yesterday gave me a wonderful opportunity to observe the successes of other teams in the ward.
Jean Hunter, CEO of South Cambridgeshire District Council, is also coming to the end of her first year with the authority. Some of you will have already met her as tirelessly she has popped up at meetings right across the district in her effort to get to know the people that the Council serves and to understand their priorities. Yesterday afternoon she visited our villages and it wasn’t just the sun that shone as I introduced her to members of some of our successful teams.
In Oakington she saw the sports pavilion with its excellent facilities provided through grants that members of the parish council had worked hard and successfully to apply for. She learned about their efforts to provide a much needed new play area for local children and how the discovery of archaeological remains which might have delayed the provision of the play facility had been turned to advantage. Had this work had to be done by the parish in developing the play area the cost would have been prohibitive but through the involvement of the University of Central Lancashire the financial burden for the community has been significantly reduced and by moving the play area slightly, delay whilst the archaeological work is carried out has also been avoided. And the parish can also boast fame as the site of the first ‘open dig’; one where the public have been able to view what is going on. Despite a grant from SCDC however the hard work to raise enough money for the play area continues but the ‘can do’ attitude shone through and I’ve no doubt that we shall get the opportunity to watch children enjoying the facility in due course.
In Cottenham she was given a tour of the new 6th Form building at Cottenham Village College. This is nearing completion now and it really is a project of which the college and indeed the village can be very proud. It will
provide not just purpose built facilities for vocational learning and do away with the ugly, temporary buildings that have provided accommodation for special needs classes for the last 25 years but will offer an amazing community resource. Jean commented that it was the best use of space that she had seen in the whole of South Cambridgeshire. After that she was offered tea and delicious cake at the newly opened coffee shop at the Cottenham Community Centre where she remarked on the lovely light atmosphere that had transformed what must have been a very sombre interior as the building was given a new lease of life whilst still preserving its history as a meeting place for the community. She saw the roll that celebrates the 22 successful applications for funding, one of which was made to SCDC and acknowledged the hard work that must have gone into the countless applications that resulted in those successes. Equally impressive is the fact that this very successful project continues to depend on volunteers to run it led by one catering professional.
The afternoon ended at Rampton. Here we walked in the beautiful late afternoon sunshine to see the successes of the smallest village in the ward; the work that is being done to restore All Saints Church, the only thatched church in Cambridgeshire still in regular use; the recently planted community orchard; the wildflower meadow and the hedge planted along one boundary, all of which in some way had been supported by grants from SCDC. This small community seems to have turned the identification of funding sources into a delightful art form. And, as we enjoyed a cup of tea and another piece of delicious cake (we felt we had walked far enough to justify this indulgence) Jean learned about the next community project being investigated. The village has recently joined Cottenham as one of the 23 villages now signed up to SCDC’s Sustainable Parish Energy Partnership and, as seems to be its way, has a plan for a new community resource.
Of course, during discussion with the many people that she met yesterday, Jean also heard about concerns, hopes and fears but, just for this once, I thought I would concentrate solely on the positives. As a ward we have faced and still face challenges but yesterday’s experience reminded me of what a resilient and resourceful community I represent.
Lynda Harford
diStrict councillorS’ report
Many people will already know what a fabulous community Cottenham is; the schools provide our children with a great local education, the High Street meets many of our day to day needs, and the multifarious groups and societies in the village provide facilities, entertainment and social gatherings for so many different ages and groups of people. Cottenham is an unassuming but positive, happy and communal place to live.
In this community context, we decided that instead of giving up an important role at the Primary School, teaching pupils one to one to help them improve their Maths and English when the Government funding is withdrawn in July, we would see if local businesses would be willing to sponsor children in our local schools to continue to receive this invaluable help.
We have called ourselves Teach One, and we have set up as a “not for profit” organisation, seeking funding to cover the costs of teaching children who find aspects of English or Maths particularly challenging. We have spent the last few months approaching different businesses and groups within the community, and we were delighted to find that the community spirit so prevalent in our village is alive and well in our local businesses too. We are grateful to M2 Environmental, Voland Roofing, Dataracks and Cottenham British School Trust who have all committed themselves to sponsoring children to receive help from September this year. We hope to help make a difference to the young people’s lives who receive this help. We aim to enable them to achieve their potential, and perhaps, one day, they might work in one of those local companies.
If you think your company might like to get involved, or you’re simply interested in our project and would like to know more, please contact Helen Davis or Sue Arnold at [email protected]
Sue Arnold
teacH one
memory Quilt I am coordinating the making of a Memory Quilt which will have its home at the Community Centre.
I would like to invite all residents (past and present), organizations, groups and societies, in fact anyone who feels they can contribute, to contact me for further information.
The idea is to have a pictorial representation of peoples’ memories of Cottenham as a village or of the Methodist Church specifically. It will take the form of a quilt made up of 88 pieces of fabric each measuring twelve and a half inches square which can be patchwork, fabric art, collage, photo transfer, embroidery, applique etc. The only criteria which have to be met are the size and the fact that it has to be made of fabric.
So summon up your creative instincts and get in touch. It would be good to get this in place before the end of the year.
Please contact me, Jenny Bramford, on 01954 253336 or email me at [email protected]
for neXt iSSue25tH June
Deadline:
articleS, dateS and adVertiSementS
E–mail, PC floppy disk and paper submissions are all welcome. Please contact the Editor if you have any questions. Dates of events to be advertised in the next issue (No. 124) should span the months of August and September.
Letters for publication may be sent to the Editor, and should include the name and address of the sender, although this may be omitted from publication if requested. Please keep correspondence short and topical. Please note that the Editor may use his discretion regarding publication, and his decision is final. The views expressed by correspondents and other contributors are their own and are not necessarily shared by the Editor.
dear Editor,
On Sunday May 1st at 5:30pm, a cyclist from the Oakington Road riding at fantastic speed around the corner of the almshouses missed me by a millimetre. Had he hit me I would have been killed.
Can someone get the message over to these youths that pavements are for pedestrians only. Cycling on the pavement is illegal and very dangerous for the elderly, those who have walking difficulties and hearing problems.
Yours sincerely
Walter Adams..........
dear Editor,
Further to the excellent letter from Doreen Waghorn concerning the lack of bus stops for Broad Lane and Church End.
I have also exchanged correspondence with Andy Campbell of Stagecoach and Tim Wotherspoon of the Parish Council. Stagecoach implied that, providing there was a lay-over bay and a sufficient turning circle in Broad Lane, he could perhaps, provide an extension to the service giving the opportunity for people at that end of the village to board and dismount closer to their homes.
Surely, funding could be found for what I consider is a small outlay in providing a bus stop in Broad Lane.
Ron Jones
Lettersto the Editor:
contactS:Police General Switchboard 0345 456 4564Community Beat Office 01223 358966DoctorsDr. Julie Gould, 188 High Street 250079Dr. M. Grande, 42 Telegraph Street 251180Urgent Care Cambridge (formerly Camdoc) 0330 123 9131District Nurse Team 251071Cottenham CareCarCo–ordinator, 10:00am – 4:00pm, Gerry Brett 251929Cottenham Community Centre 202109Cottenham Charities 250387Cottenham Day Centre 250636Cottenham Toy Library Caroline Dethridge 251155Cottenham WI Mrs Rita Williams 251454Dentist Wiese and Associates, 40 Margett Street 251696Chemist 222 High Street 250556Chiropractorwww.inspiredchiropractic.com 01223 864444Counsellor & Therapist Ruth Barnett, [email protected] 202556, 07961 644006OsteopathPhysic, [email protected] 01223 237459Physiotherapist Tiffany de la Cour, 07879 642697Veterinary Surgeon Village Vet Cottenham, 252122SchoolsCottenham Village College and Community Office 288944County Primary, Lambs Lane 250227Under Ones Group Baptist Church 252378 Pre–SchoolLadybirds Pre–School, Recreation Ground 250891Out of School Club 01223 568397Brownies & Rainbows Chris Hurworth 2037641st Cottenham Guides Alison Morris 202873Scouts [email protected] Shaun’s News 250398The Corner Shop 01954 252350Council OfficesCounty Council Switchboard 0345 045 5222SCDC Switchboard 0345 045 0500Parish Council Clerk [email protected], 202928
District CouncillorsLynda Harford [email protected], 251775
Simon Edwards [email protected],
01223 233682 / 07711 079089
Tim Wotherspoon [email protected],252108
County CouncillorsDavid Jenkins [email protected]
01223 236232 / 07739 758859
Sue Gymer [email protected]
01954 252902 / 07919 036246
British Red Cross Shop 01223 301426
Citizens Advice Bureau66 Devonshire Road, Cambridge, CB1 3BL 08701 264010
Social Services Histon Team 01223 718011
Mobile Warden Scheme 200080
NSPCC Cottenham Area Team, 01733 558245
RSPCA 24 hour cruelty & advice line, 0300 1234 999
Samaritans Cambridge Centre, 01223 364455
Railway Station Cambridge Passenger Enquiries 0845 7484950
Driving Instruction TOPS Driving School 252239
Taxi 1st Stop Private Hire 261026 or 07919 385702
Insurance Saffron Insurance 01954 203204
Library Margett Street, 0345 0455225
Library Doorstep Service Hilary Firth, 01223 718358
Parish Church The Rectory, 6 High Street, 250454
Baptist Church Church Office, 252378
Catholic Church St Laurences Church, 01223 704640
Methodist Church [email protected]
07554 202929
Salvation Army Envoys Russell & Alison Day 252419
Royal British Legion Ann Scott, 251468
Cottenham Brass Band Colin Watson, 250813
Bridge Farm Riding School 252284
Allotments Cottenham United Charities 200080
