Post on 06-Aug-2020
Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: editor@grafhamgossip.co.uk
July 2019 1 Issue 171
Grafham Gossip Issue 172 Deadline: Midnight Thursday 18th July
Contents Church Services/View from the Pew……...….…...…
Parish News/Parish and County Cllrs / A 14 Updates…….
Notices / Village Hall Activities / Babysitters.….……………
Talking Shop / Flower Festival Photographs...………….
Notices / Shop Hours / Bin Collections……………………..
A visit to Salisbury, Tina Theodorou…………………..……
Notices / Some local events in July….……………….…….
The Threedom of God’s Music, Mike………….………….
Adverts / Notices………………………………………….
Flower Festival Photographs…………………..……...……
Adverts / Notices / Pub Opening Hours…...….……….....
Bees before the ships arrived, David Cudby……………....
Adverts…………...…..…………………………..……..…
Volunteer Officers, ‘ Specials,’ Cambs Police……………..
Local Activities…………………...…...……………………..
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11
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14
15
16
Editors’ note… Exams are over and the holiday season is creeping closer, let’s hope July brings better weather than June!
We have most of our regular articles this month; extras include Flower Festival photographs of on pages 2, 5 and 11; a review of a trip to Salisbury from Tina, on page 7 and a police write up about ‘Special Con-stables’ on page 15, so we hope you enjoy the read.
Following the success of the Flower Festival, Grafham now looks forward to another favourite village weekend, the Beer Festival, on Friday 5th and Saturday 6th, so get out your beer mugs and dancing shoes and we’ll see you there!
Please send in your news, views, photos and gossip in good time for the August deadline, midnight on Thursday 18th August.
Keep gossiping! Editors, editor@grafhamgossip.co.uk
Fake News and All The Right Notes
FRIDAY 5TH JULY
Free Entry
Bar 6 – 11:30pm
BBQ 6 – 10pm
Live Music 8 - 11:30pm
Vintage Stuff
SATURDAY 6TH JULY
Free Entry
Bar 12 – 11:30pm
Free Inflatable Assault Course
Cream teas 2pm onwards by Friends of Spaldwick School (FOSS)
Mrs Marvel Children’s Entertainer 3:30 – 5pm
BBQ 12 – 3pm / 5 – 8pm
Pizza Van 8pm - late
Live Music 5 - 11:30pm
Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: editor@grafhamgossip.co.uk
July 2019 2 Issue 171
View from the Pew Our service on 2nd June was led by Rob and the talk was given by Heather. Both Hazel and Jill were away that day and they were very pleased how well the service went in their absence. We have only a very small team to plan and participate in leading services, giving the talk, preparing prayers and reading a bible passage. If anyone is interested in being part of that team, do get in touch with Hazel or Jill as we welcome new ideas and help on the service days.
Our Flower Festival with the theme ‘Hobbies’ was, as ever, a great success. We never cease to be amazed at the inge-nuity and imagination of our flower arrang-ers. We were delight-ed to welcome sever-al people who had never arranged flow-ers before. They all delivered lovely dis- plays and we will be on their tails to take part next year. Our regular flower arrangers were as wonderful as ever, with lovely ideas to accompany the flowers, making the festival interesting as well as beautiful. Our Songs of Praise on Sunday was led by our musician friends from Brampton making a joyous end to the event. The teas, although ensconced inside on Saturday because of the rain but outside on Sunday in the sunshine, were very popular. An amazing array of cakes was on offer and we thank those donors who provided them and the ladies who served them. We would like to say thank you to eve-ryone who took part in the festival. There were many posi-tive comments from visitors and generous donations too. A total of £559.00 was raised including teas and dona-tions. There are more photographs of the displays on pag-es 5 and 11.
June still has much to offer. On 23rd June it is Grafham's
turn to host the ‘All Together’ Holy Communion service at 10.30. This is always a lovely service with the congrega-tion from our three churches. That same evening our
Taizé service is at 7pm. This is a very peaceful and inspir-ing time to come and listen to and sing the chants, medi-tate and light candles to our loved ones. On 29th June Ellington will have their Flower Festival with the theme ‘Children's books’ so do pop down and see what prove to be some wonderful displays.
0n 30th June we are having an ‘Out of church Sunday.’ This means there will be no service at any of the church-es. Instead we are being encouraged to go out and do something for our community. It could be helping an el-derly person with their gardening, or cleaning their win-dows, litter picking around the village or anything else we can think of to be of service to others. If you have an idea and need some help to put it together then please contact Mike our curate: curate@eastleightonstone.com
On the afternoon of 30th July, a church picnic/barbecue at Grafham Water is planned from 3pm. Free parking has been arranged for us. We hope that this will be a nice opportunity to gather together and share fellowship. Please bring some food and drinks (there'll be a barbecue to cook things on if needed), bring games, bring chairs, and we'll all have a lovely afternoon together. You can read all the information by visiting www.eastleightonstone.com click on News then Out of Church Sunday.
For anyone who wants an opportunity to worship there'll be Ellington Songs of Praise at 6pm, to which all are wel-come.
Please email Mike if you have any questions or ideas or would like a parking permit or anything else!
Looking further ahead into July, our first Sunday service is on 7th at 10.30am.
Grafham All Saints Services Every Wednesday morning 09.00 - 09.30 Morning Prayer – a short service open to all. Download the Daily Prayer app from the Church of England website available for iOS and Android to join us in spirit from home if you wish, but preferably please come along to the service
23rd June (4th Sunday) 10.30 ‘All Together’ with Holy Communion
23rd June 19.00 Taizé service with music and candles
30th June (Out of church Sunday) Community good deeds and picnic/BBQ at Grafham Water from 3 pm --------------------------------------------------------------
7th July (1st Sunday) 10.30 Family Service - Lay led
18th July (Thursday) 10.00 Mid - week Communion
21st July (3rd Sunday) 10.30 ‘All Together’ with Holy Communion at Brampton
28th July (4th Sunday) 19.00 Taizé service with music and candles -------------------------------------------------------------
4th August (1st Sunday) 10.30 Family Service - Lay led
Mid week Holy Communion services are on Thursdays at 10.00 roughly once a month.
On Fourth Sundays, an ‘All Together’ Holy Communion Service rotates between the three churches
For more information on church services and other events, visit www.eastleightonstone.com and click on Calendar
Contacting the Clergy Revd Jason Taylor (Rector) Rectory, 15 Church Rd, Brampton PE28 4PF revjasontaylor@gmail.com 07807 118070
Revd Mike Bigg (Curate) mike@eastleightonstone.com 07380 809377
Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: editor@grafhamgossip.co.uk
July 2019 3 Issue 171
PARISH NEWS June 2019
Several residents attended the public forum of this
month’s meeting. They came to discuss various issues
ranging from providing an update on the A14 Legacy
Fund applications and request for funds towards the
upgrading of the gents’ toilets in the village hall, to the
dangerous situations arising on the bends around the
top end of Breach Road outside the Old School House,
a request for funds towards the provision of better
quality furniture for the proposed patio/garden area
outside the Grafham Trout and clarification on areas of
verges to be included in the contractor’s schedule.
These issues took a while to get through and actions
are in place on most of them. One resident came to
discuss the potential for the carbon neutrality target for
the village and wanted to suggest that specific recy-
cling issues might be addressed by groups of people in
the village. She will be looking for ideas and sugges-
tions – perhaps on the village facebook page?
The dangers around the bend outside School House
were part of the Local Highways Initiative grant applied
for by the Parish Council, but turned down by High-
ways. The application for speed controls and warnings
has been passed to the A14 Legacy fund along with
requests for funding solar panels for the village hall,
electric vehicle charging points and a ground-source
heat pump.
In considering the erection of a basketball net at the far
end of the all-weather court, the Council discussed the
current level of nuisance to drinkers outside the pub
and whether or not that would be less-
ened by another net at the other end.
Also, the likelihood is that children using
the court while their parents are seated
are better monitored at the near end than
at the far end. It was considered that an-
other net was not worth the cost and therefore this idea
is rejected.
It was also agreed that the goal nets needed to be se-
cured to the posts. This has actually been done twice
now and, each time, the ties have been cut. The Coun-
cil is now considering padlocking them.
The idea of developing a Neighbourhood Plan, jointly
with Ellington Parish Council, was approved. It was
further agreed to combine a new Parish Plan with the
Neighbourhood Plan. The last Parish Plan was done in
2011. A Neighbourhood Plan is designed to help pre-
vent excessive and unwanted development in Grafham
and Ellington and it has the force of law. To ensure
that people in the villages understand the purpose,
scope and relevance of a Neighbourhood Plan, it was
suggested that the Councils hold a public meeting,
perhaps sometime in September. It is also considered
important that members of the panel include residents
as well as councillors.
The next meeting of the Parish Council is scheduled
for 9th July in the village hall at 7.30pm. Everyone is
welcome to the Public Forum.
Margaret Life, Parish Clerk
07780 119311 mlife.parishcouncil@gmail.com
Grafham Parish Council You may contact your parish councillors through the parish clerk or directly.
Philip Allingham Chairman 01480 811516 philip_allingham@sky.com David Russell DPRussell@live.co.uk
Ian Gardener Vice Chair 01480 812821 idg@asc-geomatics.co.uk Roy Harold roy.harold5@btinternet.com
Alastair Watson Alwatson.parishcouncil@gmail.com Jo Dunn pink.pony.princess@hotmail.co.uk
Details of the planned road closures, diversions and latest news can be found on the Highways England
website by clicking here or type www.highwaysengland.co.uk/A14C2H into your search engine,
or stay updated by following: https://twitter.com/a14c2h and https://en-gb.facebook.com/A14C2H
There is also a dedicated A14 Public Helpline 0800 270 0114
Details of the planned road closures and diversions are also available on the Grafham village web site
www.grafham.org.uk Ed
A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon Improvement Scheme
Grafham’s County Councillor Grafham’s District Councillor
Peter Downes
07765 833486
peter.downes@ cambridgeshire.gov.uk
Darren Tysoe 01480 388310 darren.tysoe@huntingdonshire.gov.uk
Grove Cottage, Malting Lane, Ellington, PE28 0AA Follow me on Twitter@darrentysoe and twitter.com/darrentysoe Receive my updates on Facebook www.facebook.com/cllrdmtysoe
Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: editor@grafhamgossip.co.uk
July 2019 4 Issue 171
Babysitters Bryony 22 yrs 812354 experienced with newborn to 14yrs
Mya 15 yrs 819326 Nicci 17 yrs 811279
Deadline Please send us all your adverts, notices,
news, views and gossip ASAP and definitely by midnight on
Thursday 18th July for the August issue
Thanks, Ed editor@grafhamgossip.co.uk
Grafham Village Hall
Activities & Classes 2019
Mondays Line Dancing 7.30pm
Tuesdays Pilates 9.45am
Art Club 1.30pm
Wednesdays Little Fishes (pre-school children)
10.00am
Yoga 6.15 - 7.15pm
Karate 7.30pm
Thursdays Kick Boxing 7.00pm
Saturdays Chinese Martial Arts
10.30am
For enquiries about classes and about booking the hall, please telephone 07711 769911
Read more about village hall activities on page 16
Playtimes Pre-school Ferriman Road, Spaldwick PE28 0TQ
Tel: 01480 890077 www.playtimesplaygroup.co.uk
We offer: Breakfast club 8am - 9am
Preschool 9am- 3pm
Out of school club 3.30pm - 6pm
Parish of
East Leightonstone To join the mailing list and receive
the regular newsletter visit
http://www.eastleightonstone.com and click News
The book stall is a fantastic fund-raiser for our village church, but we‘ve found that we can sell only good quality, clean paperbacks and find it difficult to lift, carry and dispose of other items.
Good quality paperback books in clean condition
We love to receive your paperback books to stock our church bookstall. Please leave them in the
church porch.
Paperback books in
good condition
Thank you for your continued support!
No x
Hardbacks x
Manuals x
Magazines x
Encyclopaedias x
Other items x
Yes
Next date for Churchyard Makeover
The next tidying session is
planned for Saturday July 27th.
Do come along to help out, enjoy
the chat and the
delicious refreshments.
To find out more, email Jean Baty:
jeanbaty@btinternet.com
Hunts Community Cancer Network (HCCN) hold a weekly support group
Ellington Holistic Drop In at Ellington Village Hall
Every Tuesday 10am until 2 pm
To find out more contact Annie by phone 01234 709836 or email annie@hccnthecharity.org
Send your news, views, photos and gossip to
editor@grafhamgossip.co.uk
Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: editor@grafhamgossip.co.uk
July 2019 5 Issue 171
Talking Shop Introducing our new Manager, Chloe. Lots of you
will know Chloe as she has been a volunteer in the
shop since we opened and we have seen her grow
up from a 14 year old schoolgirl. With school now be-
hind her, we welcome her to our managerial team.
Please pop in and see her and make her feel wel-
come in her new role.
As Chloe is now a Manager, we are a volunteer
down! We rely on our volunteers to cover the shop
and relieve us to purchase new stock, complete pa-
perwork and lots of other tasks. We have a great
team of volunteers who would make you very wel-
come if you would like to join them. No experience is
needed and full training will be given. Any amount of
time you can spare would be appreciated and you do
not have to commit to doing regular shifts.
*NEW*
We now have our first consignment of honey from
Grafham. As you probably know, we have a number
of bee-keepers in the village and the first truly local
honey is now available in your village shop.
Hopefully as you read this, the sun is shining and
Summer is well under way. At the time of writing, the
recent weather has been very disappointing with
many days of heavy rain. This has had an adverse
effect on sales and so we hope with the improving
weather that things will pick up. Sunny days are al-
ways good for business but please remember to sup-
port your local shop whatever the weather!
We’ve recently had a new delivery of our scrummy
cakes and biscuits from Bramble Foods. These al-
ways sell well so get your favourites while you can.
And back to thoughts of Summer – don’t forget we
stock all your favourite ice creams and cold drinks.
And if the children are bored, we have a selection of
toys including frisbees, badminton rackets and skip-
ping ropes.
See you in the shop soon. Lynn x
Opening Times
Mon-Fri 8.00 - 6.30
Sat 8.00 - 5.00
Sun 9.00 - 2.00
Bank Holidays 9.00 - 2.00
01480 810119 shop@grafhamvillageshop.co.uk www.grafhamvillageshop.co.uk
Grafham Flower Festival 2019 - Hobbies
More photographs on page 11
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July 2019 6 Issue 171
Useful Phone Numbers All emergencies 999
Non-emergencies 101
Cambridge Constabulary HQ 01480 456111
Minicom for hard of hearing 01480 422493
Action Fraud 0300 123 2040
Crimestoppers 0800 555111 (anonymous)
To report anti-social behaviour in Grafham 01480 388379 or 387097 or e-mail: Barbara.gowling@huntsdc.gov.uk or tracey.guinea@huntsdc.gov.uk
To stop unwanted phone calls 08450 700707
To stop unwanted mail 08457 034599
Power cut Call 105 or 0800 31 63 105 or text POWER and your postcode to 80876
Mon-Fri 8.00 - 6.30
Sat 8.00 - 5.00
Sun 9.00 - 2.00
Bank Holidays 9.00 - 2.00
Grafham Community Shop Opening Times
Tel: 01480 810119
Email: shop@grafhamvillageshop.co.uk
www.grafhamvillageshop.co.uk
See page 5 for shop news in ‘Talking Shop’
RecyclingRecyclingRecycling For an update on
recycling and a reminder of the right
recycling to put in the right bin, go to
www.recap.co.uk
The Highwayman Car Scheme Do you know what it is?
It’s a scheme to help provide transport for people who
are not able to make essential journeys by public
transport or any other means.
A team of volunteer drivers take you to appointments
e.g. the doctors, hospital, dentist alongside
social activities such as
visiting relatives or friends and even shopping.
The scheme is aimed at helping people
to get out and about.
Passengers pay the driver on the day of travel to
contribute towards fuel expenses. This is at a rate of
30p per mile with a minimum charge of £3.00.
To arrange a journey or for more information please
call 07786 520540
If the phone is not manned at the time of your call
leave a message on the answerphone and the
coordinator of the drivers will get back to you.
We are also always looking out for volunteer drivers
so if you want to help your community, give us a call.
We would love to hear from you.
The scheme is supported and advised by
Cambridgeshire County Council
and Care Network Cambridgeshire
Has the bin man bin Mam?”
If you require any further advice or information about waste and recycling services, call 01480 388640 between 8.45am and 5.00pm Monday to Thursday and 8.45am and 4.30pm on Fridays or visit www.huntingdonshire.gov.uk/bins
Wednesdays Blue bin (recycling) and Black bin (refuse) - alternate weeks
Every other Thursday - Green bin (garden waste)
Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: editor@grafhamgossip.co.uk
July 2019 7 Issue 171
A Visit to Salisbury, Wiltshire by Tina Theodorou
I recently spent two nights and three days in Salisbury and I have to confess, my friend and I had an amazing time.
We booked and stayed in The Red Lion Hotel, which claims to be the first pub ever built in England! It has some
lovely features and I would recommend a visit. The staff are friendly, the food is very good and the restaurant is an
extremely pleasant place to have breakfast. On the first night we dined at Bill’s Restaurant in the town and had ex-
cellent food and excellent service too!
The Red Lion is located just a short walk from the shops, the main square, Salisbury Cathedral and St.Thomas’s
Church. We were fortunate to have a personal guide for a tour of the town, Cathedral and St.Thomas’s Church.
There is so much history to learn about in Salisbury and a three day break will give you enough time to explore it
fully and take everything in.
Our tour included a trip by coach to Fisherton
Mill Gallery café and artists studio for lunch
and this is a fascinating place too! Their food
is home grown and all freshly cooked to or-
der. Our lunch was absolutely delicious.
The main square is surrounded by trees and
is all lit up at night. This looks stunning and
makes walking around the square in the
evening very enjoyable. There are lots of
cafes, bistros and restaurants surrounding
the square so there are plenty of places to
wine and dine after a busy sightseeing day.
The Cathedral itself has one of the oldest
working mechanical medieval clocks (1386)
on display and the new font, designed by
William Pye in 2008 for the 750th anniver-
sary, is a stunning sculpted artwork.
There is so much to see in the cathedral, our tour took about 1hr and 30mins and I would most definitely recommend
you do the guided tour as you learn so much more about its history, how the stonemasons worked, how much effort
goes into making each piece and the hours it takes. it is all fascinating.
A short walk away from the Cathedral, are two museums, the Salisbury Museum and The Rifles - Berkshire and Wilt-
shire Museum. These are quite small museums but worth a visit.
If you are looking for a short break I cannot recommend Salisbury and Wiltshire its highly enough.
Photographs by Tina
Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: editor@grafhamgossip.co.uk
July 2019 8 Issue 171
Buckden Gardeners Association Buckden Gardeners Association meets on the third Tuesday of the month from October to April in Buckden Village Hall. Topics focus on gardening but also include related subjects such as wild flowers, bees and birds. In the summer months we organise outings to gardens and related areas.
All are welcome. For more information please visit our website www.buckdengardeners.info or just come along. Rosemary Surridge, Secretary
Have you joined in the parkrun yet? It’s a free 5km run, jog or walk that takes place at
Hinchingbrooke Country Park, every Saturday at 9.00am. Parkrun happens in various other places
all over the country.
You should register with www.parkrun.org.uk/huntingdon before your first run and you will get a barcode,
so that you obtain a registered time on completing the run.
You can run round the course or walk or jog or just watch if you prefer, then you can join everyone for coffee
afterwards if you wish.
Huntingdon Parkrun is organised by volunteers.
If you’d like to volunteer to help email:
huntingdonhelpers@parkrun.com
You’ll find everything you need to know at www.parkrun.org.uk/huntingdon
Every Thursday 10.00am
Starting from Buckden Surgery
25th June – 6th July A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare at the George has been performing at The George Hotel in Huntingdon since 1959. The 60th Anni-versary Summer Production will be A Midsummer Night’s Dream – directed by Dean Laccohee.
The produc-tion will be performed in the court-yard of the hotel.
For more details see www.huntingdonfirst.co.uk For tickets see www.satg.org.uk/tickets
Healthy Living: EngAGE in the Afternoon, Thursday 4th July, Huntingdon Library 1.30– 3pm An informative talk from Eve-ryone Health on keeping healthy and active. We’ll discuss dietary and physical activity recommendations, plus simple ways to help you achieve these and move towards better health. Free (donations welcome) and booking is required.
Please speak to library staff or call 0345 045 5225 for a ticket. For more info visit: www.huntingdonfirst.co.uk
Huntingdon Beach Party Sunday 7th July, 12 noon Market Square
Brought to you by Hunting-donshire Community Church, Huntingdon Methodist Church and the Town Centre Anglicans. There will be a beach play area, crafts, sandcastle competitions, a BBQ, climb-ing wall, tropical fruit juice bar, puppet shows and more. For more info visit: www.huntingdonfirst.co.uk
Summer Family Fun Day Saturday 27th July, 10am – 4pm, Market Square,
With lots of activities for all ages to enjoy. Look out for our popular face painter who will paint children’s faces for FREE and Dave the Balloon man who may even teach you a few circus skills!
www.huntingdonfirst.co.uk https://www.facebook.com/HuntingdonFirst Huntingdon First can also be contacted by telephone: 01480 450250 or email info@bidhuntingdon.co.uk
Some local events in July
Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: editor@grafhamgossip.co.uk
July 2019 9 Issue 171
If you’d like to write a ‘one-off’ article
or a regular feature for the
Grafham Gossip,
send it by email to
editor@grafhamgossip.co.uk
Send your news, views,
photos and gossip to
editor@grafhamgossip.co.uk
The Threedom of God’s Music One of the most puzzling aspects of Christian faith is
the idea of the Trinity. This is the claim that there is
one God, but that God is also in three persons
(Father, Son [Jesus] and Holy Spirit). From fairly
soon after Jesus’ life his followers realised that Jesus
was not only God’s son, but that Jesus was fully God
too.
The three parts of the Trinity are all God in them-
selves, but together they form not three Gods but
one. Confused? You are not alone.
For centuries, Christian philosophers have sought to
explain how God can be one and yet three. There are
various analogies that are trotted out to explain the
Trinity, but none of them really work. For example,
some have said that God is like water, which can
come in three forms as solid (ice), liquid or gas
(steam). However, this doesn’t really work. The idea
of the Trinity is that God is not three aspects of the
same thing, but three independent things that are
also one thing.
The problem is that we like to visualise things. But
the way we see means that we can only see one
thing in any one place. If we paint
three colours on one surface either
the last colour painted is the only one
we see (if the paint is allowed to dry)
or we end up with muddy brown (if
the paint is wet and mixes). But that
isn’t right either; Christian faith teach-
es that God is one, but that the three persons of God
neither dominate each other, nor blur into one non-
descript mess.
I think that the best way to think about the Trinity is
through music and dance. Imagine three figures
dancing together; each one is fully part of the dance,
and yet each one is fully themselves. Think of a musi-
cal chord of three notes – each note is fully part of the
chord, and yet we can hear each note clearly in its
own right. The three are one, yet the one is also
three.
This analogy has its own problems, it’s not perfect,
and yet there is something very important in what it
expresses. Whereas the philosophers tend to treat
the Trinity as a problem to be solved, if we see the
Trinity as music and dance we start to view it as
something in which we might participate and enjoy.
The beauty of God is that from before time began the
three persons of God have been joined together in a
perfect dance; God is united together and each part
of the Trinity delights in the others. But this is not an
exclusive dance to which no-one else is invited. God
invites each one of us to learn the steps, join in the
dance and participate in the on-going creativity of
God. That’s why we meet together in church regularly
– to share together in learning to join with God’s mu-
sic. We don’t always succeed but we work on it to-
gether as we’re invited deeper into the mystery.
What I’ve just described may make no sense at all to
you, but I invite you to come and try it for yourself!
Mike
To read more from Jason and Mike visit:
www.eastleightonstone.com/ and click on Blog
(Contact details for Mike can be found on page 2. Ed)
©Dumitru Verdianu
July 2019 10 Issue 171
Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: editor@grafhamgossip.co.uk
If you can spare an hour once
every few months to help dust
and vacuum the church to keep
it looking clean and welcoming,
please contact:
editor@grafhamgossip.co.uk
Monday 25th November Thursford Christmas Spectacular
Departing from Huntingdon Bus Station 10.50am
Coach leaves Thursford after the show ends, usually about 5.00pm
Price per person is £60.00 which includes the return coach travel and ticket entry to this spectacular show.
We will be joining a trip already organised by Dews Coaches. Please contact me, ASAP but no later than 10th August.
This is a direct coach from Huntingdon straight to the venue, so you will have to make your own arrange-ments for food. I would advise that Thursford does have the Garden Pavilion restaurant serving home cooked food (such as jackets, casseroles and curries.) They also have three snack cafés serving food and drinks and a fully licensed bar.
For more information or to book please contact me on 07711 012957 or email:
tina.theodorou1@gmail.com
Grafham Oil Syndicate
The syndicate is FREE to join.
We must continue to grow and keep a bulk order attractive enough to receive a discount, so simply email Simon:
grafhamoil@gmail.com or call 07887 628528
and help keep more money in the village!
Grafham Grass Cutting Tired of mowing your lawn and want someone else to take care of it? Just call or text me for reasonable prices and a reliable service. Simon 07887 628528
Tina Theodorou in conjunction with
Greatdays Holidays Ltd offers a trip to Valkenburg
in Spring 2020
By Coach and Ferry
Valkenburg City Break
Monday 27th April to
Friday 1st May 2020
4 nights/5 days
Coach and ferry package £470.00 per person (based on two people sharing)
Price includes: ABTA Protection, Return coach hire from Grafham to Valkenburg, four nights bed and breakfast
with a three course evening meal at the 3* Hotel Walram, Valkenburg
For further details and to register your interest, please contact: by email tina.theodorou1@gmail.com or by mobile telephone: 07711 012957
Please note single rooms supplements apply.
Prices are based on a minimum of 30 paying passengers per tour and at an exchange rate of £1 = €1.12. 14 weeks prior to departure we will re-cost the tour elements and apply and surcharge/reduction due to the change in the value of the pound (£) greater or less than 2%. Flights, coach hire, ferries, guides and visitor attractions subject to availability and are not guaranteed.
All coaching subject to confirmation of final itinerary.
These holidays are operated by Greatdays Holidays Ltd whose
booking terms and conditions apply.
Greatdays Holidays Limited are a member of ABTA (Y0380) which means you have the benefit of ABTA’s assistance and Code of Conduct. Please ask us to confirm what protection may apply to your booking.
We use ABTA’s approved ADR to resolve complaints. Please see www.abta.com
Greatdays Holidays Limited has an ATOL licence (4279) All of our air package tours are protected under this licence.
In the unlikely event of our insolvency, the Civil Aviation Authority will ensure that you are not stranded abroad and will arrange to refund any monies you have paid to us for an advance booking. All the flights and flight-inclusive holidays on this document are financially protected by the ATOL scheme. When you pay you will be supplied with an ATOL Certificate. Please ask for it and check to ensure that every-thing you booked (flights, hotels and other services) is listed.
Greatdays Holidays Ltd. Registered in England No.1903941. VAT Registration No. 437 5834 25. Registered Office: Chapel House, Borough Road, Altrincham WA15 9RA
Help! We are very short of
volunteer tea/coffee makers for our
Little Fishes Stay + Play Tots Group,
which meets in the village hall on
Wednesday mornings.
If you can spare an
hour, now and then, we
would be most grateful for your help!
Please contact Hazel 810326
or email the editor:
editor@grafhamgossip.co.uk
Your advert could be here!
To advertise, email:
editor@grafhamgossip.co.uk
July 2019 11 Issue 171
Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: editor@grafhamgossip.co.uk
Grafham Flower Festival 2019 - Hobbies
July 2019 12 Issue 171
Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: editor@grafhamgossip.co.uk
20
The Labour Party in Huntingdon Our next monthly meeting is
Monday 15th July 7.30pm at The Medway Centre
More details on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/
HuntingdonLabourParty/ or via the website:
http://www.huntingdonlabourparty.org.uk
Come along and get involved in helping your neighbours and the community!
HUNTINGDONSHIRE FAUNA & FLORA SOCIETY
Wednesday 10th July 2.30pm
Hinchingbrooke Country Park
Leader: Pat Doody
Hinchingbrooke Country Park covers 170 acres of open grass-
lands, mature woodland and lakes. All three species of British
woodpecker can be seen here, along with Nuthatch and Marsh
Tit. The site has not been surveyed for over 15 years and the
group are looking to update the records. Meet in the main car
park. Grid reference TL221718. Please note charges apply for
car parking.
For more information about the Society visit www.hffs.org.uk
Opening Times Mon to Wed - Closed
Thurs - 18:00 - 22:00
Fri - 18:00 - 23:00
Sat - 13:00 - 23:00
Sun - 13:00 - 19:00
Open longer for special occasions
Dogs welcome
Power cut? Text POWER and your postcode to 80876
ukpowernetworks.co.uk/liveupdates
Call us free anytime on 105 or
0800 31 63 105
Godmanchester Nature Reserve Tuesday 23rd July 7.30pm
A Guided Walk
Godmanchester Nature Reserve consists of four lakes which are
former gravel pits, areas of grassland and ancient hedgerow. The
lakes attract a wide variety of birds, particularly ducks, geese and
kingfishers for us to see and we should also find plenty of butter-
flies, dragonflies and wildflowers. We will be on the look out for
bats at the end of the evening and will endeavour to provide bat
detectors to aid identification.
Please meet at the reserve entrance at the end of Cow Lane,
PE29 2EJ, GR TL2639 7149. There is parking available, but it is
limited.
Everyone is most welcome to attend. There is no charge, but do-
nations are welcome. For more information please contact
Alistair: alistairrgrant@hotmail.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Part of the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire
Registered Charity No: 1000412
Bedfordshire Cambridgeshire Northamptonshire
Huntingdonshire Local Group
Free from
Grafham Shop!
‘The Little Book of
Big Scams’
Foreword by Esther Rantzen
July 2019 13 Issue 171
Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: editor@grafhamgossip.co.uk
Dogwood
Bees before the ships arrived Travel is great fun. It makes me think about the history
of the place I am visiting, particularly when it is a for-
mer British Colony. What did local people do before
we arrived? What legacy did we leave behind?
We are just back from USA. A visit to a museum of
Indian and Western Art (Western in the sense of Cow-
boys and Indians) set me thinking. Later this year we
hope to visit Western Australia in the Aussie spring to
experience the famous wild flowers.
Bees and Native Americans
Native Americans called the honey bee ‘White Man´s
Fly.’ Before the European honey bee, indigenous peo-
ple collected honey from the nests of wild bees. When
beekeeping was introduced to North America, the
Cherokees, once they saw how bees could be in-
duced to ‘work’ for them, were one of the first tribes to
begin practising the art of beekeeping.
There is a charming and insightful Cherokee Legend
at: https://www.firstpeople.us/FP-Html-Legends/
HowTheHoneyBeeGotTheirStinger-Cherokee.html
It is like a ‘Just So’ story.
Honey bees and the qualities associated with them
have quietly influenced American values for four cen-
turies. Bees and beekeepers have represented order
and stability. The book ‘Bees in America’, by Tammy
Horn is an enlightening cultural history of bees and
beekeeping in the United States.
Bees and Australian Aboriginal peoples
Extracts taken from an article about the book
‘Significance of Native Bees to Aboriginal People’, By
Steve Maginnity: published in The Australian in 2015
The original inhabitants of Australia arrived in the
country over 40,000 years ago. They were skilled
hunters and gatherers and practised their techniques
throughout the country for thousands of years, until a
little more than 200 years ago when European settlers
arrived.
The Aboriginals moved with the seasons collecting
food at the different locations they visited, whereas
the Europeans would settle in an area and modify the
environment to suit their needs.
Aboriginal people have known and used native bees
for food and tools for thousands of years. Native bee
honey acted as a popular sweetener and was
searched for and found in nests located in trees,
stumps, rocky crevices and muddy river banks. Abo-
riginal hunters would catch foraging bees and attach
small pieces of feather, spider web or grass to the
pollen sacs or resin being collected by the bees. The
bee would then fly slowly enough for the Aboriginal
hunter to follow it. If the bee nest was high in a tree
the Aboriginals would carve foot holes into the tree
and climb the tree to obtain the contents of the nest.
By doing this they would be able to come back to the
tree at a future date once the bees had recovered,
rebuilt and collected further stores of honey and pol-
len.
The wax and resin produced by native bees was used
for fastening stone to wood to bind the two objects
together for use as hunting tools.
The honey of the native bees was used ceremonially.
Men being prepared for weddings were coated in hon-
ey and feathers and other objects were stuck to them
for decoration. Baskets for carrying water were made
by joining leaves and sealing them with bees wax.
Aboriginal people would smear native bee honey on
open wounds to prevent swelling and bacterial infec-
tions.
And the legacy common to both stories is the intro-
duced European Honey Bee.
David Cudby
To advertise, email: editor@grafhamgossip.co.uk
Community notices are free. Business adverts are
priced according to size, payable in advance.
They start at £4.00 for a small box.
The money pays for the printing of the newsletter and
any profit is donated to All Saints, Grafham and its
Restoration Fund.
July 2019 14 Issue 171
Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: editor@grafhamgossip.co.uk
GRAFHAM WATER (NEXT TO THE VISITOR CENTRE)
WIDE RANGE AT LOW PRICES
OPEN WEDNESDAY- SUNDAY 09.00-17.30 TEL:01480 819730
FREE PARKING & FREE DELIVERY
PET & WILD BIRD FOOD
www.petfoodsdirect2u.co.uk
Free back door, when ordered with 5 or more windows
For a free, no obligation quotation please contact your local representative Jon Goodchild on 07825 238240 or email
jon@gaphomeimprovements.co.uk
WINDOWS DOORS ROOFLINE
CONSERVATORIES
GARDEN ROOMS FLAT ROOFS
www.gaphomeimprovements.co.uk
Grafham Plumbing and Heating Ltd
Oftec registered technician
High efficiency condensing boilers fitted
Oil tanks fitted complete with bases
All boilers serviced
All plumbing undertaken
Vaporising appliances fitted and serviced
Service and maintenance plans available Professional, friendly and reliable
clintthomas_morgan@icloud.com
01480 812590
07799 640476
Paul's Private Hire and Chauffeur Service Van Diemens Way, Grafham,
Huntingdon, Cambs. PE28 0GB
Tel. 01480 811594 Mobile 07795 296281 Email paul.blanchard439@btinternet.com
Travel in style via Mercedes cars to your destinations
JEZ ASHCROFT LTD All your decorating needs including:
Coving, Internal Decorating
Drylining & Plastering
FREE ESTIMATES
Please Call
Tel: 01480 812461 Mobile: 07708031493
Kevin Hutchinson • Reliable Local Carpenter and Joiner
• All carpentry work undertaken
• Fitted kitchens, new doors, wood flooring and much more
• No job too small
Tel: 01480 811863/07889 414274
BSM BSM Driving Instructor DSA Approved, Pass Plus Registered Living locally in Grafham
Call John Sisseman for details
Tel. 07806 941675
Cinnamon Bar and Indian Restaurant Open 7 days a week 5pm to 10.30pm Also lunch time if pre-booked for 5 or more people
Call 01480 812211/811316 Thursday Night is 'Banquet Night'
1 starter, 1 main, 1 side.
Any rice or any nan £13.50 King prawn or duck £1.50 extra
http://cinnamonhuntingdon.co.uk/
July 2019 15 Issue 171
Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: editor@grafhamgossip.co.uk
Penny's admiration for volunteer officers
Television personality, Penny Lancaster, has spoken
of being “inspired”
by the contribu-
tion voluntary
police officers,
“Specials”, make
to policing in
Cambridgeshire.
Penny went out
on the frontline in
Cambridgeshire
as part of the TV
series Famous
and Fighting
Crime.
She was paired
with a Special constable for the Channel 4 series,
which was broadcast earlier this year, and saw her pur-
sue a shoplifter, help solve a serious assault and assist
in dealing with a threatening man who was high on
drugs.
Penny, married to singer Rod Stewart and a regular
panellist on ITV’s Loose Women, said:
“My time filming with Cambridgeshire Police for Fa-
mous and Fighting Crime was a revelation. I was so
impressed by the work the police do all the time, which
often goes unseen. The fact that some officers do their
role in their spare time, without pay, and alongside a
regular career, was just inspiring. I experienced first
hand how they put themselves in harm’s way and go
towards danger when others are running away.”
In April, Penny became a patron for the charity Care of
Police Survivors (COPS), which supports families of
police officers and staff who die on duty. She said:
“I can’t praise the people who do the role highly
enough and I would urge anyone who would like to
help others to think about becoming a Special”, Penny
said, “It gives you confidence, professional training and
a unique opportunity to meet people, see life and really
make a difference. It may seem a lot to give but the
rewards more than compensate.”
Chief Constable Nick Dean praised all the people who
volunteered to support policing in Cambridgeshire. He
said:
“We have great, professional and committed volunteers
across the whole of policing and here in Cambridge-
shire is no different; from police cadets and their lead-
ers, to Special Constabulary members, to members of
the public who assist us within the organisation, I am
sure there are many more. Their work never goes un-
noticed or unappreciated.”
Police and Crime Commissioner Jason Ablewhite said:
“The Chief Constable and I both recognise the enor-
mous contribution our volunteers make and remain
impressed by their level of commitment, professional-
ism and determination. Whilst we recognise that people
are able to make different levels of commitment, what-
ever they give goes a long way in the local community
and is hugely valued.”
In 2018/19, Specials completed nearly 7900 duties,
which equates to more than 51,000 hours worked. The
force currently has about 220 Specials.
Police plea for employers to help boost
the front line
POLICE are urging employers
across the county to sign up to a
scheme that supports their staff to
volunteer as police constables.
Employer Supported Policing
(ESP) asks employers to promote
the role of the Special constable in
their organisation, while granting
those who do sign up additional
leave days to help them meet duty commitments.
In return, the organisation will benefit from staff who
have received a unique training package, worth several
thousand pounds and covering a wide range of skills,
many of which are transferable to the workplace.
Specials are unpaid volunteers with full police powers
who agree to dedicate a minimum of 16 hours a month
to training or operational duties. They often find this
time outside of working hours but family commitments
and other outside interests can lead to volunteers re-
luctantly deciding to leave the service after a few years.
One organisation signed up to ESP in Cambridgeshire
is the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute near Hinxton,
Cambridge, which is at the cutting-edge of genome and
bioinformatics research.
Dr Martin Dougherty,
the institute's Chief
Operating Officer, who
is a Special in Cam-
bridgeshire, said: “The
time and effort that you
put in as a Special is
rewarded 10-fold by
the sense of well-being
that you're making a
contribution to society.
It’s about making those
real life decisions that
have an impact and
help people on the
spot.
For more information on becoming a Special visit our
website www.cambs.police.uk/specialconstable
Visit https://www.cambs.police.uk/ to find out more
about Cambridgeshire Constabulary.
Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: editor@grafhamgossip.co.uk Opinions expressed in the Grafham Gossip, including past issues, are those of the writer and not the editors.
July 2019 16 Issue 171
Printed by Easiprint 01733 602302
YOUR COUNTRYSIDE NEEDS YOU
www.gwcg.btck.co.uk/
Regional winners of the British Trust for Conservation
Volunteers Green Award 2006 & 2007
Join Grafham Wildlife and Conservation Group
Call Sam Malt on
01480 811654 or 07849 082870
sammalt@btinternet.com
Across the Churches Bible Study We are a small group meeting twice a month (Tuesdays 7.30pm) for Bible study, prayer and fellowship. We come from different churches and are always happy to welcome new members.
For more information, please contact Rob or Jean Clark 01480 890033.
Grafham Church Flower Club We are available to decorate the church for weddings and other church occasions.
Floral arrangements for: pedestal, altar, font, windowsills, pew ends, pillars.
Please contact Hazel Powell on
01480 810326 for details and quotes.
If anyone in the village has foliage in their garden that they would be willing to donate for church decoration for festivals, please let us know, we would be very grateful.
The Mobile Library Route H24 visits Breach Road, Grafham on the 4th Wednesday of every month from 10.40 to 11.00. Next visits - 24th July
For renewals/ enquiries call 0345 045 5225 or click here
.Come and join the
GRAFHAM LINE DANCERS Beginners are welcome
Monday evenings in the Village Hall
7.30 – 9.00pm
For more information ring Julia 01480 811613 or Text Penny 07986 509481
Ellington and Grafham WI
meets on the first Tuesday of the month in Ellington
village hall. Membership is £41 per annum but you
are most welcome to come as a visitor.
The programme is varied and interesting with
speakers or events every month.
July A visit to Buckden brewery
If you would like more information please contact:
Sue 01480 896139 normanrice@btinternet.com or Ann 01480 891192 nigel.bentley@btinternet.com
Grafham Little Fishes Toddler and Baby stay and play session
All Welcome
Wednesdays 10.00 to 11.20 term time only Grafham Village Hall
Free play time followed by a short bible story, action songs and simple craft.
Just turn up on the day
Little Fishes is very short of helpers to make tea/coffee. Please contact Hazel 810326 or email: editor@grafhamgossip.co.uk if you can help.
See also the notice on page 8
Coffee Morning Grafham Social Committee invites you to
Coffee Mornings at 10.30am on the third
Wednesday of the month:
17th July - Pat Watson, 26 Inhams Way
This is an informal social occasion for
residents of the village. Please come along
for a cup of coffee and a chat.
GRAFHAM VILLAGE HALL has a Public Entertainments Licence for music, dancing, performing arts and can accommodate 92 guests seated in rows or 150 at a dance/disco - an ideal venue for children's and family parties. There is a playing field for sports activities and the hall has small changing rooms with shower facilities.
For details or to book, tel: 07711 769911
Grafham and Ellington Art GroupGrafham and Ellington Art GroupGrafham and Ellington Art Group http://grafhamandellingtonart.weebly.com/ Grafham Village Hall, Every Tuesday 1.30-4pm Calling all who want to meet and paint with like minded people on a regular basis.
Beginners and those with more skills are all very welcome.
Cost: About £2 to cover hall hire/refreshments. Come along with your paints and equipment!
Please ring me for more details.
Jackie Woods 01480 890279
Quiz night Last Thursday of every month
Starting at 8pm
Teams of 4, £1 entry per person