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From left to right: Steven Barclay MP; Susanah Farmer; Deputy Mayor, Cllr

Jonathan Farmer; Sara Meekins; Mayor of Wisbech, Cllr Nick Meekins; Town Clerk, Erbie Murat and Father

Paul West the Mayor’s Chaplain.

ISSUE ONE MAY 2010

W E W I L L R O C K YO U

The town newsletter for Wisbech from Wisbech Town Council

In 2010 Wisbech Rock Festival is taking place on Sunday 6th June between 12pm-10pm. Organised by Wisbech Youth Council and Wisbech Town Council, the festival is now in it’s second year and for the first time it will be an open-air event in Wisbech Park with a large stage area for the fantastic line up of 10 bands. There will be fairground rides for families to enjoy, promotional support from KLFM and lots of other attractions. For details of the line-up see the back page and keep up to date on the website www.wisbechrockfestival.co.uk. Partners include: Wisbech Youth Council, Wisbech Town Council, Fenland District Council, Vennis Transport, Grays Amusements, Cherry Tree Recording Studios, KLFM, Art & Soul Magazine, Dimension 6000 Design. One of the confirmed groups is THE BRINK who have re-cently returned from a recording stint in Hollywood! The Brink pictured here playing at the 2009 Wisbech Rock Festival held at the Thomas Clarkson Sports Centre

Wisbech has a new Mayor!

Mayor Making 2010

In May of each year the town sees the instalment of a new Mayor, and Deputy Mayor. On 7 May 2010 Cllr Nick Meekins was elected Mayor and Cllr Jonathan Farmer his Deputy for Civic Year 2010-2011.

Wisbech Youth Council On the 23rd Sept 2008 the Council was proud to see the first meeting of the Wisbech Youth Council. Seventeen people attended, and committed them-

selves to many initiatives including: music festivals; sports for young people; keeping young people informed about what’s going on in Wisbech; and much

more!

In 2009 the Wisbech Youth Council helped to organise a two day musical ex-travaganza at Thomas Clarkson Community College. This year they are helping to organise a Rock Festival in Wis-bech Park on Sunday 6th June, and a Multicultural music dance and food festival ‘Bring & Share’ on Sunday 1st

August.

In May 2011 the Wisbech Youth Council is looking forward to working with partners to organise a Mini Olympics for 12-18 year olds. Partners include Wisbech Town Council; Wisbech Grammar School; Thomas Clarkson Community College; The Hudson Leisure Centre; Centre 4 Youth Club and The College of West Anglia.

Any young person can join the Youth Council as long as they live, earn, or

learn in Wisbech and are aged between 12-18 years old. They have regular

meetings at the Council Chambers at 1 North Brink.

If you wish to become a member and represent young people with your views, visit the Town Council website www.wisbechtowncouncil.org.uk or come and see us at the Rose Fair pa-rade on the Las Vegas float for Young People Wisbech.

Members of the Youth Council at last years Multi-cultural Festival with Batanai

I T ’ S N E W A N D I T ’ S H E R E F O R Y O U , Y O U R O R G A N I S AT I O N , C L U B O R B U S I N E S S

Welcome to a brand new bi-monthly newsletter. With the help of the Wisbech Youth Council and sponsorship from Wisbech Town Council, every two months residents and visitors will be able to pick up a copy of ‘Wisbech Matters’ FREE Shops and businesses have agreed to be a collection point so you can make sure you get your copy. The aim of this publication is to let everyone what’s going on in and around Wisbech. It’s your chance to get your event noticed-so get in touch with ANYTHING you’re putting on in Wisbech!

Inspiring & Celebrating Volunteer’s Week is an annual celebration of the fantastic contribution that millions of volunteers make across the UK. If your organisation uses volunteers, Volunteer Centre Fenland invites you to

promote your organisation at The Boathouse Business Centre, 1 Harbour Square, Nene Parade, Wisbech PE13 3BH

On Thursday 3rd June 2010 from 10.00a.m. – 3.00p.m.

If you are inspired by volunteering and would like to get involved in this national celebration, come along to the Boathouse to meet a wide variety of organisations to chat about how you could make a difference in your local community. To book

your free place, simply call Annette or Tina on 01945 582192 email: fenlandvb@btconnect.com

Mayor’s Charity Distribution

QUIZ NIGHT @ THE OASIS COMMUNITY CENTRE 4 June 2010

Teams of up to 5 players.

£1 per person Doors open @ 7pm for a 7.30pm start.

During their term of office the Mayor organises vari-ous functions to raise monies for the Mayor’s Chari-

ties. At the conclusion of her Mayoral Year, Councillor Mrs

Yvonne Lawrence gave a total of £3150 to local or-ganisations. This money was distributed at a recep-

tion held in the Council Chamber. In attendance was Lt Col (Retd) AD Slater OBE, Area

Secretary, The Royal Anglian Regiment. He received a cheque for the Royal Anglian Regiment Benevolent

Fund. Other recipients with representatives shown here were the 3rd Wisbech Guides, Wisbech GVCAC, St

John Ambulance Cadets, TS Falcon, 2nd and 14th Wisbech Scouts.

Donations were also given to 272 Squadron ATC, Wis-bech & Fenland Museum, Vivien Fire Engine Trust, Cambridgeshire Regiment, Showmen’s Benevolent

Fund, St Raphael Club, Angles Theatre, St Augustine’s Day Centre, Rotary Club of Wisbech, and Wisbech

Children’s Charities.

Wisbech in Bloom is a campaign run by a small group of volunteers aimed at improving

permanent planting, floral displays and environmental cleanliness in Wisbech town centre

and the surrounding industrial, retail and residential areas.

If you would like to be involved with Wisbech in Bloom please telephone the

Secretary, Penny Stocks on 01945 581208

Wisbech Mayor Cllr. Mrs Yvonne Lawrence congratulates Alan Sherfield and the Wisbech in Bloom team at a reception held in the Council Chamber on their return from the Britain in Bloom

A busy time ahead for Wisbech in Bloom Group At 2009’s Anglia in Bloom, Wisbech was awarded the RHS Gold Standard for the best

overall entry and is also winner of the Anglia in Bloom Trophy.

Wisbech also retained the Best Large Town (12001 - 35000 residents) award it won in 2008.

Good Luck for this year!

Judging days are 21 July and 10 August

Keep a note of the following dates for your diary of events organised and funded by Wisbech Town Council and held in the town. Full details will be put onto the Wisbech Town Council website and watch out for articles in the local press: the Fenland Citizen and the Wisbech Standard. Wisbech Rock Festival 6 June 2010 Sunday Armed Forces Day flag raising at the Council Chamber 26 June 2010 Saturday Armed Forces Service at Wisbech War Memorial 27 June 2010 Sunday Bring & Share Music & Dance Festival 1 August 2010 Sunday Armistice Day service at Wisbech War Memorial 11 November 2010 Thursday Remembrance Sunday service at Wisbech War Memorial 14 November 2010 Sunday Christmas Lights Switch On 3 December 2010 tbc Friday The Town Council is also involved in many activities held in Wisbech during the year. These include the annual fairs (Mart Fair in March and Statute Fair in September); Rose Fair held in July; Wisbech In Bloom and Allotment Presentation Evening in September and Wisbech Christmas Market.

FUN DOG SHOW Village Fayre & Car Boot

On Sunday 18th July 2010

@ new venue

175, Outwell Rd.

Emneth. PE 148 BG

On the main A1101

ALL WELCOME!

Phoenix Machine Knitting

Club A friendly group of machine knit-

ters who meet every 2nd Tues of

the month at 2pm at the Conser-

vative Rooms, Alexander Rd.

Anyone is welcome to join.

Come along to Meetings of Wisbech Town Council

Council and Committee Meetings are usually held on Mondays in the Council Chamber. Wisbech Youth Council Meetings are held on Thursdays.

At Town Council Meetings the Mayor chairs the meeting, and his/her decision on the conduct of the meeting is final. At other meetings of the Council there may be others who have been elected to chair them and they are in control. At the beginning of meetings members of the public have up to 15 min-utes to put comments and/or questions. In the event of several issues being raised the 15 minutes will be divided equally amongst attendees wishing to speak. All public and Press are invited to attend meetings.

Dates of meetings for May to July 2010

Dates and times for all meetings are available on the website www.wisbechtowncouncil.org.uk, on the notice board in front of the Council Chamber, or by request from the Clerk.

Hiring of the Council Chamber

The Council Chamber is available for hire for meetings and events. A hire charge is payable; this is £60.00 per session (morning/afternoon or part thereof), with a concessionary rate of £30.00 for charities/voluntary organisations. NB: In exceptional circumstances, and with prior agreement of the Council, this fee may be waived or reduced. Please contact the Town Clerk for further details. Wisbech Town Council Chambers are also registered as an Approved Premises and can be used as a venue for marriages, civil partnerships, renewal of vows, and baby naming ceremonies. See our website for full details and watch out for more information in future issues of Wisbech Matters.

SOME OF THE GROTESQUE AND HORRORS AT WISBECH & FENLAND MUSEUM

Did you know at the Wisbech and Fenland Museum there are several artefacts that have a reputation of amazing, delighting and making visitors stop and look in awe? They have a mummified cat and hand (see picture). Did you know the ancient Inca Priests had their skulls stretched? What was a Gin Trap & a Head Restraint? I was about to find out. Firstly I wanted to know more about the ‘Stretched Skull’.

The Paracas lived between 750 BC- 100 BC in the Inca Region of Peru. They employed methods to alter the shape of the skull, elongating it with weights and boards, it was supposed to show social status. A crude form of brain surgery called ‘Trepanation’s was practised where the appointed ‘doctors’ surgically drilled holes in the skull to treat both physical trauma and, it seems, psychological disorders.

Another ‘ghoulish’ item found at the museum is a mummified hand. The ancient Egyptians believed that mummifi-cation guaranteed the soul passage into the next life. Believing that the dead lived on in the tomb until they passed over to a blessed after world they provided for both worlds, and left with the carefully wrapped bodies items that would be needed in the next life. The preservation of the dead was a major event and taken very seriously. The mummified hand in the Wisbech Museum was donated by an aptly named Dr Black in 1850 from Tydd Saint Mary’s, near Wisbech. But that’s not the only mummified item you can see when you visit the museum, they also have a cat!

Coming a bit more up to date, within a few hundred years, we have in the museum proof of what lengths man went to, to protect what was his. The atrocious ‘Gin Trap’ or ‘Man Trap’. Landowners and Gamekeepers did not share the poacher’s view that birds, livestock and other tasty living things were free for the taking. Wisbech museum has a fantastic collection of leg irons, handcuffs and shackles. Although our modern restraints are fully capable of keep-ing a felon where he’s required, if you were put in any of these shown you’d certainly know you were wearing them! They’re really heavy and virtually impossible to escape from. There’s even a Head Restraint from Guyhirn Gibbert and much more.

I am indebted to Wisbech and Fenland Museum for their help in researching this article. Annie Appleby.

The Museum runs many exhibitions and activity days throughout the year why not call in for full details! After all our towns Museum is a fascinating place to visit– and entry is FREE! Tuesday - Saturday 10.00 - 16.00. Last admission 15.45 Tel: 01945 583 817 Admission is free. Donations are very welcome!

Wisbech Matters is published and printed by Wisbech Town Council

and is the newsletter for the Parish of Wisbech.

Wisbech Town Council

Wisbech ‘Capital of the Fens’ twinned with

If you have any comments, questions or items for future newsletters please contact

Wisbech Town Council at:

1 North Brink, Wisbech PE13 1JR

Tel: 01945 461333

email: wisbechtc@aol.com

Further information on Wisbech Town Council may be found on the website

www.wisbechtowncouncil.org.uk

Meet the animals day at the Wisbech campus of the College of West Anglia was a huge suc-cess with around 200 people attending the event in May. Students from the National Di-ploma and Certificate in animal management, worked really hard throughout the day, dem-

onstrating the knowledge they have -gained throughout their time at col-lege.. On display was a range of animals which the students work with through-out their courses, from the size of stick insects up to goats. The courses run here at Wisbech range from schools groups and various level one, two and three courses. The students thoroughly enjoyed the day and visitors commented on their level of knowledge and obvious enjoyment in their chosen course. The charities in attendance and the animal care team raised a combined total of more than £400. The sponsor an animal project was a huge success with people sponsoring

animals from tarantulas to goats. We would like to thank everyone who

attended the event and hope they all found the day as enjoyable as we did.

Guided Town Walks Wednesdays in July

Enjoy a guided evening walk around various parts of His-

toric Wisbech & Area. For more info:

Tel: : 01945 583263

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Elgood’s Brewery 6th JUNE Come and stroll around our gardens & enjoy a brewery

tour Special Sunday opening.

Tel 01945 583160

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OCTAGONGALLERY 5 MARKET STREET, WISBECH,

Tel: 01945 429122 July Artist

JOHN LINCOLN The life of trees - free entry.

Details on website www.theoctagongallery.co.uk

Atelier East The Saturday Art Club is going really well at Wisbech & Fenland Museum. If you know any Young Artists aged 11-18 who would like to join in on a Saturday morning from 10-12 then please tell them to get in touch! The Young Artists are working towards the nationally recognised Arts Award qualification and produc-ing some really excellent work which we will be exhibiting later in the year.

Don’t bin it—use it! - we are after any pink, red and/or green plastic items you can give us.. please! We are working on a sculpture projects, for a celebration of 100 years of Girl Guiding and we really, really need your help to collect pink, and red plastic rubbish items to help make these sculptures work! Please save your pink and red plastic rubbish items, whatever they are. They will be used to create a large scale sculpture as part of an art project, being delivered by Atelier East with 1000 Girl Guides, to raise money for Can-cer Research UK this summer. www.atelier-east.co.uk PLEASE! The sculptures will be exhibited and we will put photos on the Atel-

ier East website- so you will even be able to spot your own rubbish! If you can put a poster up at work (or at home!) we'd be really grateful, and did I

mention we can collect?!

Wisbech Photographic Festival 2010—May Bank Holiday Weekend 28-30 May 2010

Friday 28 May 60th Anniversary Exhibition of Wisbech Camera Club—

opened 3pm by Cllr Nick Meekins, Mayor of Wisbech—The Boathouse, Nene Parade

7.30pm Victorian & Edwardian Magic Lantern Show by Richard & Jan Rigby of the Magic Lantern Society

—The Long Room, Octavia Hill Birthplace House, 7 South Brink

Saturday and Sunday 29 and 30 May 1pm-4.30pm A peep into the past with Andrew Ingram

Lee Miller of Farley Farm Exhibition— Octavia Hill Birthplace House, 7 South Brink

The Reverend William Ellis: Pioneer photographer of Madagascar —Wisbech & Fenland Museum, Museum Square

More Lilian Ream: exhibition of newly discovered photographs Are you in the picture?—Come along and see —Wisbech Social Club & Institute, Scrimshire’s Passage

Photographic exhibition by Karol B—The Pump Room, Wisbech Castle

Jonathan Peckover: Pioneer of education—The Reed Barn, Peckover House

Saturday 29 May: Try the Roddons Community Photographic Challenge or Join the Photographic Treasure Trail Collect your camera at Octavia Hill Birthplace House from 1pm and return by 4pm

Entry £2.50—FREE camera plus FREE tea and cake! Sponsors: Roddons Housing, Octavia Hill Society, Fotogenic, Clifford Cross Auctions, Fenland Arts, Chiller Blinds

Taekwon-do

Dominic Marcinkevicius, from Wisbech, brought home two gold medals from the

Scottish National Taekwon-do championships; in sparring and flying high kick. Dominic also won a gold in sparring at the

Welsh Championships held in May. Below, in his own words, is a description of the Scottish experience from Dominic... Scottish Open Championships – Saturday 17th April 2010, Glasgow, Bellahouston Leisure Centre. Started at 9, but had to wait 4 hours until my division in sparring, which were very nervous hours, because I didn’t know who I'll get to fight. But after long 4 hours my division was called. The competitors that I had to fight were high standard. All together there were 5 people in my weight category. (My Division 13-17 63-70kg) I was exhausted by the end of every round, because I was trying my best to beat them. But I didn’t have any draws, all wins were clean.(GOLD for sparring) Then after the sparring I had to wait another three hours for flying high kick. In high flying kick division, there were about 20 people. I was the only one to get the board at the height of 230cm/240cm. (GOLD for special technique) There were no people from Wisbech, except me, but there were 3 competitors from King's Lynn. There were over 300 competitors from 53 schools throughout the UK.

Dominic is one of the exceptional young students at all grades coming out of the Carter School of Taek-won-do in Wisbech. Anthony Carter trains at the Hudson Leisure Centre on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays between 6pm and 7pm, where Dominic trains, with County champions such as Stuart Murat and Jasmine Griffiths, and her sister Jade. “The first lesson is always free,” said Mr Carter, “I believe that Taekwon-do should be open to everyone, and with some very hard work and application some of my students do seem to do very well at County and National competitions. We do cater for everyone though – if you want to go for competitions we will help you, if you just want to keep fit we will work with you, and if you want to do it just for fun then that is great too.” The Carter School of Taekwon-do gave a demonstration at last year’s Muticultural Festival (see picture, left) which was enjoyed by all

Raising money for charity or organising a free event in or around Wisbech?

Get your event publicised in this

newsletter for FREE

What we need to know: WHEN and WHERE is your event

being held and CONTACT DETAILS

Please send us any information about your event to the Editor, Annie Appleby —including any

photos, pictures for publication—by email if possible to wisbechtc@aol.com

Wisbech Matters, 1 North Brink, Wisbech PE13 1JR

Fancy a bit of CAMPANOLOGY?

Now there’s a word to get your tongue around! It’s the art of Bell Ringing…

Did you know the Bell Tower of Saint Peter’s Church in Wisbech has 10 bells? From June the bell ringers are to re-start ringing on a Sunday prior to the morning service. Adults and children over the age of 10 is welcome to come along with a parent or guard-

ian if they would like to train to ring the bells.

However, it’s not just the pulling of a rope attached to a bell in the belfry, oh no, it’s an art, indeed a skill, that unfortunately is

fast becoming forgotten. Fewer and fewer people are coming for-

ward to learn the art.

Fully-fledged Campanologists are becoming extinct!

Imagine having a church wedding without bells, or not hearing them toll as mourners say goodbye to a loved one.

You don’t have to be particularly strong to be a bell ringer, at one local church in Wis-bech Saint Mary’s a ten year old is learning to carry on the craft.

Even though some bells weigh a much as a ton and a half.

For more information call Assistant Tower Captain David on:

01945 871 308. Beginners & Returnees

welcome!

Events at Peckover House

Behind the Scenes Tour

19th & 20th JUNE 1pm & 2.30pm Tour of rooms not normally open to the pub-

lic. Booking advisable. Note: the tour will involve several flights of

stairs.

Robin Hood 11th July 2010 6-8pm

An outdoor performance on the lawn by the Cambridge Touring Theatre

Top Stitch Quilters

17th-18th July 12noon - 4pm Come and see the

Beautiful workmanship and an Exhibition and Sale of work by the local Wisbech Quilting

Group Normal admission charges apply

Further details 01945 583463

Peckover House, North Brink, Wisbech

East Anglia's Premier Flower Festival

The Norman church of St Peter & St Paul is the main attraction for the an-nual Wisbech Rose Fair, one of the finest flower festivals in England. Rose Fair began more than 40 years ago when rose buds picked locally were sold in the church gardens to raise funds for the restoration of the church. St Pe-ter & St Paul is set in beautiful gardens which won a Green Flag Award in 2008 and 'Anglia in Bloom Gold'. During Rose Fair the church is surrounded by a wide variety of stalls from the Wednesday to Saturday of Rose Fair week selling local produce and cakes, plants and flowers, crafts, gifts and bric-a-brac - and lots more! (Please note that no stalls are open on the Sun-day of Rose Fair week).

During the Rose Fair (Wednesday to Saturday), the church of St Peter & St Paul is open most days until 8pm. Entrance to the church is free but donations are appreciated. A preview eve-ning is held on Tuesday 29th June from 7.30 to 9pm with music by the Jazzmin Dixieland Band with free entry. The other town centre churches are also open with displays, each with its own theme so there are 4 flower festivals to visit in one go! The theme for the displays at St Peter & St Paul in 2010 is "Saturday Night at the Movies".; Wis-bech Baptist Church :Flower festival theme - 'Women of the Bible' ; United Reform Church: Flower festival theme - 'Biblical' ; Trinity Methodist Church: Flower festival theme - 'All Things Bright & Beautiful' All the town centre churches are within a few minutes walk of the main car park. On Rose Fair Saturday a grand parade of floats organised by the Round Table tours the town at 11am and 2.00pm. The theme of the Parade for 2010 is "Famous Places". For your further enjoyment and entertainment, Norfolk Street Saturday Fun Day offers a variety stalls, games, face painting, food and drink. On Sunday there will be a choral concert in St Peter’s Church by the Clarkson Singers and Chatteris Town Band will be playing in Wisbech Park.

Rose Fair Shuttle and Park and Ride - The service links free parking in Elm Road Car Park and at Elgood's Brewery & Gardens with the Flower Festival and town centre. On Wednesday to Friday the service runs between Elm Road Car Park and Elgood's Brewery & Gardens with stops at the town centre and Peckover House on North Brink. On Saturday the service runs only from Elm Road Car Park to the town centre. For further information visit www.wisbech-rosefair.co.uk or call the Tourist Information Centre on: 01945 583263

Advertising rates If you would like to advertise your business in the Wisbech Matters Newsletter the rates are:

One Issue - Full page £140, Half page £75, 1/4 page £45 Three Issues - Full page £100, Half page £55, 1/4 page £35

Six Issues - Full page £80, Half page £45, 1/4 page £25 All rates quoted are per issue and are exclusive of VAT

Call us on 01945 461333 for Charity Discounts

Wisbech rocks—June 6 2010

Trick of the

Light