Grafham Gossip May 2020 1 Issue 180

Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: editor@grafhamgossip.co.uk

Issue 181 Deadline: by 9am on Friday 15th May

Contents

details………… ….……

COVID-19 Advice / Grafham Support Group ..…..

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

For COVID-19 help and advice

including who to get in touch with if

you need support,

see page 4

There is more information about

the support available

for vulnerable and self-isolating

villagers

in Parish News on page 2 and also

in Talking Shop on page 5.

Editors’ note… Thank you for your contributions

to this month’s issue and a special

thank you to our delivery team for making sure

that you get your copy delivered to your door, at this diffi-

cult time.

We hope you have managed to get some fresh air during

the spell of sunny weather in April, and have enjoyed the

lovely spring flowers and tree blossom bursting into life, in

our gardens and hedgerows .

There are lots of ‘Must Reads’ this month including Coro-

navirus (COVID-19) help and advice on the pages listed in

the notice below and also the piece on local company

‘Titan’ making ventilator parts for the NHS on page 9.

Don’t miss the list of gardening jobs on page 5 to keep

you busy during May; look out for some lovely photo-

graphs of local birds and the odd Grafoon by ‘ZAM’ too!

Of course, all of our regular features and updates deserve

a mention, making it very difficult to choose one or two to

mention here, so it’s best that we leave you to browse

through and find them on your own.

Please keep safe and up to date with the advice about

coronavirus given on television and radio news pro-

grammes as well as the websites listed on our pages.

Send in your news, views, photos, recipes, ‘Letters to Edi-

tors,’ and gossip in good time for the June deadline, by

9am on Friday 15th May.

Keep Gossiping!

Editors, editor@grafhamgossip.co.uk

Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: editor@grafhamgossip.co.uk

May 2020 2 Issue 180

A letter from Jason - Moving On Dear Friends,

I announced recently that I would be moving on in the summer to take up the post of Chaplain to the Bishop of

Gloucester.

I have really enjoyed my time in Brampton, Ellington and Grafham but feel ready for a different challenge.

Whilst Bishop's Chaplain is not a promotion, it is a high profile role and I would value your prayers as I prepare to leave and

then settle in.

The Bishop of Gloucester is The Right Reverend Rachel Treweek and she was the first ever female Diocesan Bishop. My

role as chaplain will involve managing her

office, staff and diary, making sure she is

fully briefed for all engagements, being her

personal priest and confidant and attending

her at major services.

It will be business as usual until I leave and

together with the churchwardens and PCC, I

will be busy putting plans in place for the

vacancy. There will be talks with the Arch-

deacon and others about recruiting my suc-

cessor in due course and as soon as we

have further information we will let you

know.

Due to the current pandemic, the exact

timetable for my departure is unknown.

Originally it was planned that I would move

during July but that seems increasingly

doubtful at present.

With love and gratitude,

Jason

View from the Pew It is indeed unfortunate that we have had to close our be-

loved church during the current crisis but right that we

follow advice from the Church of England based on medi-

cal information. However we look forward to the future

when we can once again meet to worship together and

give thanks that we are safe and well.

Meanwhile, the Sunday services streamed from Brampton

and led by Mike with Jason's sermons have been a great

solace to us all. These will continue each Sunday at 10.30

during the Covid-19 pandemic. If you would like to join in

with these visit:

https://eastleightonstone.com/servicetimes

to download the Order of Service, and for the YouTube

link to join the service or visit:

https://eastleightonstone.com/ and click on Worship

(If you’d like to receive an email with the links to Sunday

services and a reminder of what to do, email:

clergy@eastleightonstone.com

Also see note from Ed. at the end of the ‘View’.)

It is sad that at present we have to post-

pone our Flower Festival and the Bishop's

visit but we hope to defer these until later

in the year. We will keep readers informed

in due course. Likewise our Bioblitz week-

end due in May must also be delayed until

further notice. However, work in the churchyard contin-

ues. The bug hotel is being added to and the mowing plan

is being followed, leaving areas we wish left unmown for

the establishment of wildflowers. The cordoned off wild-

flower area will be added to during the Spring. Let's hope

we see some interesting plants emerging.

We are encouraged by the messages of love and hope

from our Queen and our Archbishop Justin Welby which

we can take to our hearts at this difficult time.

(If you don't have internet access or are not confident about

using it, it has been made possible to listen in to the online

services by phone. All you need to do is call 01480 597123

at about 10:25am on Sundays and you’ll be able to listen in.

Contact Mike, details below, with any queries. Ed.)

Parish of East Leightonstone

To join the mailing list to receive

the regular newsletter visit

http://www.eastleightonstone.com

and click News

Contacting the Clergy

Revd Jason Taylor (Rector) Rectory, 15 Church Rd, Brampton PE28 4PF

revjasontaylor@gmail.com 07807 118070

Mike Bigg (Curate) mike@eastleightonstone.com 07380 809377

Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: editor@grafhamgossip.co.uk

May 2020 3 Issue 180

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

Receive my updates on Facebook www.facebook.com/cllrdmtysoe

Grafham Parish Council You may contact your parish councillors through the parish clerk or directly.

Ian Gardener Chairman 01480 812821 i.gardener@grafhampc.org Alastair Watson a.watson@grafhampc.org

David Russell d.russell@grafhampc.org Roy Harold r.harold@grafhampc.org Jo Dunn j.dunn@grafhampc.org

Patrick Curran p.curran@grafhampc.org

PARISH NEWS April 2020

This month’s Parish Council meeting was held

remotely via Zoom and all councillors were able

to attend. It was a bit of an experience with

some echo, but we were able to communicate

effectively enough to deal with the business in

hand. Meetings are likely to be held in this way until lock-

down instructions are relaxed and we are all feeling saf-

er. We understand from Darren Tysoe that Huntingdon-

shire District Council (HDC) planning and cabinet meet-

ings will also be held in this way.

Quite a bit of the discussion this time centred on the re-

cent closures of footpaths around Grafham Water and

Brampton Wood. The Council believe that it is right for

Anglian Water to close the car parks around the water,

but the extension to closing public rights of way might be

illegal. Also, of course, with the closure of Brampton

Woods, people in Grafham, Perry and possibly Brampton

are restricted as to where they might safely take their

allowed daily exercise. After a long discussion concern-

ing the rights and wrongs of closing the paths and

woods, it was agreed to work with the Perry Council to

respond to Anglian Water’s closures of public rights of

way and the Wildlife Trust’s decision to keep Brampton

Wood closed while opening other sites.

The grant-funded project to upgrade energy efficiency at

the village hall is now complete. New double-glazed

doors and windows are installed, the loft has new insula-

tion and the solar panels are generating enough electrici-

ty to provide currently, about 75% of the shop’s power .

We are aware that there will be people in our village who

need to avoid contact with others. There is support avail-

able in Grafham. Special measures are in place to help

vulnerable and self-isolating villagers receive vital ser-

vices such as medical prescriptions and food deliveries.

The Council are aware that the Community Shop has

been proactive in providing a delivery service with the

help of many volunteers. The Parish Council are also

contacting the County Council to offer the village hall to

store Government food parcels that may need to be dis-

tributed to vulnerable villagers having to ‘Shield’ them-

selves with no other means of obtaining supplies. The

Community Shop has agreed to receive these parcels

into the hall; they would then be distributed by volun-

teers.

Thanks are due to the Community Shop staff and volun-

teers for supporting us all throughout these difficult days.

The Parish Council receives regular updates from vari-

ous statutory bodies concerning services and help avail-

able during the current crisis. The possibility of getting up

to date information to you all via the village website was

discussed and will be put in place as soon as possible.

In the meantime – if you don’t have access to the inter-

net, please make contact with either Ian Gardener

(Chair) or the clerk. Contact details as shown below.

The date of the next meeting, which is also expected to

be held via the internet, is Tuesday 5th May 2020. This

meeting will be the AGM for the Council. Under normal

circumstances, we would hold the Annual Parish Assem-

bly prior to the AGM. But in accordance with current

guidelines and lock-down instructions, the Parish meet-

ing is cancelled.

Agenda for Parish Council meetings are always pub-

lished four clear days prior to the meeting on the public

notice board in Church Road and on the village website.

If you have any issues you want the Council to consider

please contact your clerk in the first instance and she will

ensure that your concerns are addressed, or arrange to

have a link sent for you to join the virtual meeting.

Take care Grafhamites – we are lucky to live in pleasant

surroundings within a supportive community and we will

all meet again some sunny day!

Margaret Life, Parish Clerk

07780 119311 Clerk@grafhampc.org

Deadline 9.00am 15th of May for the June issue

The deadline is the same date every month, so please send us all your adverts, notices, news, views,

recipes, emails and gossip by 9.00am on 15th every month. Thanks, Ed editor@grafhamgossip.co.uk

Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: editor@grafhamgossip.co.uk

May 2020 4 Issue 180

For Coronavirus(Covid-19) Advice:

• Visit: Countywide COVID 19 Coordination Hub

Contact by email communitycv@cambridgeshire.gov.uk or by telephone 0345 045 5219

• Visit: HDC Community Resilience Hub

www.wearehuntingdonshire.org

• Visit: gov.uk/coronavirus

• Visit: NHS.uk/coronavirus

• Visit Grafham’s website www.grafham.org.uk to find more links for help and advice

Grafham Covid19 Support Group We have a fabulous group of 20 volunteers in the village to support our vulnerable residents,

as well as any residents who are self isolating.

Services include shopping, prescription collection, walking the dog, and even a phone call for anyone who’s feel-

ing lonely!

All residents were sent a leaflet with a contact number on but you can call

Audrey Grahame on 07702 175785

as a first port of call or to check and confirm the volunteer details.

Villagers can ask for help on our local Facebook page:

Grafham Village Friends

Villagers can also place a telephone order with Lynn Sharpe or Chloe Caunt in the Village Shop on

01480 810119, and one of our volunteers will drop it to the door within a couple of hours.

Please remember to Stay Home, Protect our NHS and Save Lives!

For more information visit: nhs.uk/coronavirus or gov.uk/coronavirus or tel. 0345 045 5219

Symptoms are:

• a high temperature

• a new continuous cough

This means:

• Do not go to work, don't use public areas or public transport or taxis.

• Do not have visitors at your home (unless carers for a vulnerable person)

• Do not go out to buy food or other essentials. Ask someone to do this for you. If not possible, limit your social contact when you leave the house to get sup-plies.

• Do not go to a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital.

• Do not contact 111 to tell them you're staying at home.

• You don’t need to be tested for coronavirus if you are staying at home

• Government guidance on How to stay at home covers double bagging of personal rubbish e.g. tissues and its disposal, and how to plan your time. gov.uk/coronavirus

Use the NHS 111 online coronavirus service if:

• you feel you cannot cope with your symptoms at home

• your condition gets worse

• your symptoms do not get better after seven days

Coronavirus symptoms? Stay at home

If you live alone, stay at home (self isolate) for at least seven days.

If one person in your household has symptoms – every-one must stay at home for at least 14 days.

After 14 days, anyone you live with who does not have symptoms can return to their normal routine.

But, if anyone in your home gets symptoms, they should stay at home for seven days from the day their symptoms start. Even if it means they're at home for longer than 14 days.

For most people, coronavirus (COVID-19) will be a mild illness.

Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: editor@grafhamgossip.co.uk

May 2020 5 Issue 180

Talking Shop Well these are strange times indeed. The last few weeks have seen us completely change the way we are used to living.

At this difficult time it has been proven what a great as-set the shop is to the village with many more people using it, and we are glad to be able to offer this service to the community. We have been taking telephone or-ders and making deliveries around the village to those who are vulnerable or isolating and cannot get out. To be able to do this we have had many offers of help from local residents and have increased our team of volun-teers. Thank you so much if you have given your time recently.

As you can imagine, the shop has been extremely busy and the continual re-stocking has been quite a chal-lenge. As with the big supermarkets, we have not al-ways been able to fill our shelves as certain things have been difficult to source. We have, however, done our best and this has been reflected in our recent takings. Some days our takings have been twice or three times what we would normally expect and this will help us through our quieter times of the year.

If you haven’t been a previous regular customer of our shop, we hope you will have appreciated how lucky we are to have such an asset and will continue to use us when this horrible time is over.

If you are still self-isolating and would like a delivery from the shop you can call us on 01480 810119.

We are always in need of new volunteers both in the shop and to help out with deliveries. If you would like to

donate your time please pop in to speak with one of the managers, or call us on the number above.

Stay safe and well,

Lynn and Chloe

Grafham Community Shop Tel: 01480 810119 Opening Times

Mon-Fri 8.00 - 6.30

Sat 8.00 - 5.00

Sun 9.00 - 2.00

Bank Holidays 9.00 - 2.00

shop@grafhamvillageshop.co.uk

www.grafhamvillageshop.co.uk

www.facebook.com/GrafhamCommunityShop/

Can you help to distribute paper copies of Grafham Gossip to the delivery team please? For details, please email editor@grafhamgossip.co.uk

It would involve getting the paper copies to the deliverers ASAP after printing. This is usually about 7 -10 days

after the deadline which is 15th of each month. Thank you, Ed

Gardening Jobs to do in May 1. Watch out for late frosts. Protect tender plants.

2. Earth up potatoes and promptly plant any still remaining.

3. Plant out Summer bedding plants at the end of the month.

4. Water early or late to get the most out of your water; recycle water where possible.

5. Regularly hoe off weeds.

6. Open greenhouse doors and vents on warm days.

7. Mow lawns weekly, not too short this month.

8. Check for nesting birds before clipping hedges. It is an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to damage or destroy the nest of any wild bird while it’s being built or in use.

9. Lift and divide overcrowded clumps of daffodils and other spring flowering bulbs.

10. Watch out for viburnum beetle larvae (yellow with black markings) and lily beetle grubs which make holes in the leaves.

There is much more advice to be found on the Royal Horticultural Society website www.rhs.org.uk

Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: editor@grafhamgossip.co.uk

May 2020 6 Issue 180

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!

Power cut? • Contact us 24 hours a day

• Text POWER and your postcode to 80876

• ukpowernetworks.co.uk/liveupdates

• Call us free on 105 or

0800 31 63 105

• For more info visit

http://www.powercut105.com/

For more advice or information about waste and recy-cling services, visit www.huntingdonshire.gov.uk/bins

or call 01480 388640 between 8.45am and 5.00pm Monday to Thursday and 8.45am and 4.30pm on Fridays or email mail@huntingdonshire.gov.uk

Wednesdays Blue bin (recycling) and

Black bin (refuse) - alternate weeks

Every other Thursday - Green bin (garden waste)

“Has the bin man bin Mam?” For a recycling update and a reminder of the

right recycling to put in your blue bin, go to

www.recap.co.uk

For a detailed list of everything that can go in your

visit https://www.huntingdonshire.gov.uk/bins-waste/

what-goes-in-which-bin/

or call 01480 388640 between 8.45am and 5.00pm

Mon to Thurs and 8.45am and 4.30pm on Fridays

or email mail@huntingdonshire.gov.uk

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

Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: editor@grafhamgossip.co.uk

May 2020 7 Issue 180

Finally another plea to check your garden boundaries and see if they are open enough to allow hedgehogs to wander

through on their nightly travels. If they are not, perhaps you can work out how to make some holes about 41/2 inches

square, Or raise your gates, or dig a tunnel or two under fences?

I include a picture of a great example of overcoming the solid boundaries that we have around our gardens.

The Grafham hedgehogs were quite active until the end of last October. Through November and December there

were occasional reports of visits and footprints. Over Christmas, January and February, there was silence as they went

to ground for a rest. From the end of February they started to appear again. Now they are out and about every night,

eating food put into the garden for them and being caught on camera regularly.

If it wasn’t for the lock down, I would be asking people to help check out the distribution again by using tunnels, as we

did last year. But as that is not possible at the moment, it would be good to hear reports of any activity that you notice.

This could be sightings, hedgehog poo in your garden, food eaten that can only be accessed by a hedgehog (put in a

tunnel or hedgehog house), or photos from a camera trap.

Please send a text to me on 07766 662197 with your address or map reference, the date of the visit and the type of

evidence. I will start to build a map for 2020. If you have any good photos, can you send them to me or put them on

Facebook?

If you fancy getting photos and videos of hedgehogs and other wildlife in your garden, then a camera trap is not an

expensive item. Mine is a Victure HC300 trail camera and I got it from Amazon. You need 8 AA batteries and a stand-

ard SD card. I also invested in a battery charger and use rechargeable batteries. If you are feeding hedgehogs, they

will visit every night and then you are guaranteed some lovely footage.

Grafham Hedgehogs Carole Baber

We are all being asked to make radical changes to our lives - to

stay at home, adjust to schools and other places closing, to

socially distance from family and friends, and follow guidance

on self-isolation, but throughout this the incredible care workers

at Caring Together are still at work caring for the elderly, people

with a disability, with dementia and with mental health problems

in your local community.

Caring Together is a local charity who provide care workers to

go into people’s homes to help carers. We work throughout

Cambridgeshire, Peterborough and Norfolk.

The social care system, particularly the vital care givento vul-

nerable people at home is all the more important at this time.

Coronavirus has had a huge effect on our services. We’ve had

to stop all clubs and groups and cancel all

our fundraising events which we rely upon

to help fund our home care services.

Our home care workers are under increased pressure. We want

to ensure that carers and the people they look after are given

the support they need in the home. We want to ensure that

what is a challenging time for all of us doesn’t become a greater

crisis for people who already face huge demands.

This is why we need your urgent help and support – please

donate to our Caring for Carers Appeal. Your donation will help

us fund the vital services our care workers provide, all day, eve-

ry day, and to help and support those caring for loved ones at

this time. Please donate at www.caringforcarers.uk

Caring for Carers emergency appeal

Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: editor@grafhamgossip.co.uk

May 2020 8 Issue 180

Method

Use your hands to vigorously stir the mixture and then set it aside for about 1 hour, occasionally mixing the ingredi-

ents up again. You’ll see that lots of liquid has been released. Calculating again from the total weight, in a separate

bowl, weigh out 4% caster sugar, 2% fish sauce, 2% light soy sauce, 2% shrimp paste and 3% Korean chilli powder.

Mix these together into a paste, then mix that into the cabbage mixture.

Pack the brightly coloured, mixture tightly into a sterilised 2-litre Kilner jar along with all the liquid. Make sure that the

contents are submerged, if necessary weighting them down or using a ’plug’ of rolled cabbage leaf. Seal the jar and

leave it at a warm room temperature for about 3 weeks, keeping it out of direct sunlight. Every few days, release the

pressure and then re-seal the jar, making sure that the contents stay submerged all the time.

When ready (and that’s a bit of a personal decision, use a sterilised fork — just dip one into boiling water — to taste

test whether it’s at a spice and sourness level that works for you) the kimchi can be stored in the fridge for up to three

to four months. Eat it up within a month once opened. That won’t be hard to do; it’s delicious even on its own, just eat-

en straight from the jar.

Ingredients

• 2 Chinese cabbages (we like wong bok) but

any cabbage can be substitute, thinly sliced

• ½ carrot, peeled and grated

• 4 garlic cloves, sliced

• 2 spring onion, sliced

• 20g root ginger, grated

• fine sea (or kosher) salt

• caster sugar

• shrimp paste

• Korean chilli powder

• fish sauce

• light soy sauce

Ferment to save, ferment to flavour

Fermentation, along with its closely related cousin, pick-

ling, is a millennia-old process (it dates back to 7000 BC

in China and similarly aged finds have been made across

India and the Middle East), used to safely preserve and

to then be able to store an abundance or excess of food

that comes available during the good times through to the

lean months, when resources are much scarcer in the

ground.

And what’s the difference between fermenting and pick-

ling? They’re similar but if the method calls for salt, then

that’s usually to kick-start a ferment (there are other ways

to ferment using e.g. whey) which gives the ideal environ-

ment for the Lactobacillus bacteria to convert sugars and

other carbohydrates into lactic acid, a natural preserva-

tive and one that gives ferments their distinctive tang and

sourness. If the process involves vinegar or a similar ac-

id, in any shape or form, and heat then it’s (not 100%

surprisingly, I guess), pickling. Again though, pickling can

also involve a salt brine. So this ‘division' isn’t always a

division.

Both methods are now seeing a whole new audience

becoming aware of the many benefits that using these

(very simple) processes can bring to food longevity as

well as - importantly - the different and interesting flavour

profiles and textures that ferments can deliver to your

plate of food. This publicity has only got stronger since

the team at Noma, along with other leading chefs, started

pushing out Instagram-worthy shots of what they're doing

and how they use the results in their cooking. Plus,

there’s the word of mouth buzz that they actually just

taste so very good.

We’ll be running a series of pieces on how to adopt these

fascinating methods to ensure you can save pretty much

any food item from going to waste which, as well as sav-

ing you money, may also bring some (possibly) new ide-

as to your own recipe stockpile. No more wasted windfall

fruit or wondering what to do with that shrivelled old cab-

bage. And fermenting food also has a number of peer-

reviewed health benefits including increased and easier

uptake of nutrients, the production of a wider range of

probiotics for better gut and microbiome digestion and

slight reductions in both blood pressure and LDL choles-

terol levels.

We’re going to start with Kimchi; a diet staple in Korea

and a truly excellent addition to meals, bringing heat,

spice and an increase in umami to lots of dishes. We've

added it to scrambled eggs, have layered it over grilled

cheese andpizzas, whipped it into devilled egg mixtures,

used it as an extra ingredient in tacos and quesadillas

and stirred kimchi through savoury fried rice. It’s a forgiv-

ing ingredient to experiment with. NOTE: you can choose

to omit the spicier elements from this recipe, that’s also

fine, as you’re basically then just making a form

of sauerkraut.

Chris Bulow

zero.waste.menu @SaluteZeroWaste

Zero Waste Recipe of the Month - Kimchi This recipe will give you approx. 1.8kg of kimchi. It’s important that all utensils are sterilised

to ensure none of the bad bacteria can get a leg-up. Boiling water is your friend here.

Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: editor@grafhamgossip.co.uk

May 2020 9 Issue 180

Re-wilding the Churchyard Update March 2020 Thanks so much to the people who have helped to

maintain our conservation efforts in the churchyard.

Since the dreaded COVID-19 ‘lockdown’ a number of

people have offered to complete the March tasks in

family groups or alone.

In particular, an amazing job has been done of mowing

the reduced area, resulting in perfectly defined mown

and unmown areas.

Ivy has been removed from the Yew trees and new wild

-flower plants have been planted. The weeds around

the nettle-bed are being kept down and we’ve added to

the log piles.

It was lovely to see little Tilly finding more luxuries for

our bug hotel.

If you’d like to help in the churchyard

please let me know - there are lots of

tasks both big and small - the bug

hotel always needs more furnishings!

Debbie Russell

debs.russell@gmail.com

Local motorsport company, Titan, is making ventilator parts for NHS

Titan, based in Great Paxton, specialises in the design and manufacture of components for the motorsport and auto-

motive industry. From their origins

as race car manufacturers, Titan

has evolved over the years to pro-

duce specialist component parts

for a wide range of applications in

other high performance engineer-

ing sectors including automotive,

marine and aerospace markets.

During April, Titan has been man-

ufacturing ventilator parts for the

NHS, day and night, six days a

week and will continue into May

at least, to help provide the NHS

with more ventilators that are vital

for the treatment of patients with

severe cases of COVID-19.

Photograph: Titan

Titan is co-owned by Diana Thomas who lives in Grafham and is a member of our church community. As Grafham

residents, we can share in feeling proud to contribute towards this life supporting treatment.

Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: editor@grafhamgossip.co.uk

May 2020 10 Issue 180

Grafham 1887 – maps, bricks, drains and trains The Ordnance Survey was established in 1791 and gradually mapped Great Britain at smaller scales, with the

Huntingdon area, including Grafham, first published in 1808. After 1854 maps were introduced with a scale of

1:2500 (25.344 inches to the mile) and for Grafham the surveys of 1887 were published in 1888, and the adjust-

ed map at a reduced scale below shows how magnificent the results were! Fields were numbered, acreages giv-

en, trees indicated and even the hand pumps that delivered household water marked. The map, the combination

of segments from two base maps, is reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland. The two

base maps can be viewed at https://maps.nls.uk/view/114489938 and https://maps.nls.uk/view/114489902 and

this online version of Grafham Gossip includes the original colours.

Compared with the original map I have distinguished buildings erected since 1850 from earlier constructions. And

the map emphasises the major transport link arrival – the Kettering to Huntingdon branch of the Midland Railway:

text in the middle of the map indicates a Mile Post that was 20 miles from Kettering. In the section showing Elling-

ton parish at the top is the Duke of Manchester’s ‘Graffham Brick and Tile Works’, said to have been founded in

the 1850s, and certainly operating in 1863 when William Love was in charge. Love was born into a brickmaking

family with origins in northern Bedfordshire and had been operating the Duke’s Willow Lane Brickworks at Stone-

Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: editor@grafhamgossip.co.uk

May 2020 11 Issue 180

Views of Grafham during April 2020

We may not have been able to get

close to it for a while

but yes, there in the distance,

it’s Grafham Water!

ly since 1850. The works produced stock and specialised bricks, pantiles, and a variety of land drains – all prod-

ucts to be found in the buildings emphasised in red on the map, roofing their outbuildings, and draining the fields

of the parish. Indeed, field drain production was double the brick production and essential to serving many of the

water supply pumps.

Many of these recent buildings pre-date the opening of the railway in 1866 although there is no doubt that trade

picked up when it arrived. The facilities and highlights of the railway need a separate article but Love made full

use of it, not only operating the brickworks but also acting as a carrier for the Midland Railway, ferrying goods

from Graffham station by horse and cart or wagon, as well as having a coal yard there.

William Love seems to have given up the Graffham works in about 1880, and from this date the works was re-

ferred to as Ellington brickyard. Meanwhile, the station had been renamed as Grafham from 1877.

Edward Biffin

Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: editor@grafhamgossip.co.uk

May 2020 12 Issue 180

Birds spotted in Grafham during the last few months

Blue Tit

Yellowhammer

Long-tailed Tit

Dunnock

Goldfinches

Great Tit

Photographs: Richard Brown

Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: editor@grafhamgossip.co.uk

May 2020 13 Issue 180

The second instalment of a piece of ‘imaginative fiction’ using an environmental issue developed as a fictional story.

The End of Arrogance 1 - Denial can be read in the April 2020 issue on the village website. Ed.

The End of Arrogance 2 - Anger David Cudby

Liam’s anger overwhelmed him. He knew what he was angry about but not who he should be angry with. He saw the

need for the new WOVEN philosophy of humans in nature, not above nature. He saw the need but found it difficult to

accept. What had it come to when humans deserved no more regard than bears, bees, penguins and oak trees?

How could that really be true?

He knew that the target for his anger shifted between his generation, current politicians and policy makers who intro-

duced endless new regulations and prohibitions. But why hadn’t previous generations acted? They too were abused

in his angry moments.

Beth worried about her father when his anger overcame him. His arguments were vehement but not always rea-

soned. When he raised his voice and damned The Powers, his wife Amelia put a finger to her lips and nodded to-

wards the listener. Liam usually fell silent at this signal but seethed inside all the more. Angry but unwise to give

vent, Liam depended on Beth and Amelia to lower the temperature of his anger.

Beth’s home education through the National Education Service allowed her to study at times to suit her. Liam some-

times watched the screen or briefly wore the virtual reality headset and listened to the modules too. Her fellow learn-

ers frequently were encouraged to discuss the learning materials. Liam recognised that his daughter’s generation

took a very tough line on climate, ecology and the environment. They knew who they were angry with. It was Liam ’s

generation. The learners blamed their parents for inaction and resistance and denial about the seriousness of the

issues. This added to Liam’s anger as he realised that his own daughter and hundreds of thousands of her age held

their parents responsible and this felt unjust to Liam as he knew that his parents’ and grandparents’ generations

were the root of the problem. They hadn’t acted decisively when they had the reins.

Liam’s anger grew greater when he watched and listened with Beth to her International Education Service modules

and heard kids around the world expressing the same view about their parents.

Liam’s anger seemed to be rekindled each time The Powers issued another regulation for guidance or instruction.

The regulations were many and varied. Essentially they were of two types, Advisories and Mandatories. The Adviso-

ries were issued with a notice period indicating when the new rule would become a Mandatory. So Advisories sig-

nalled a transition period before the penalties for non compliance would kick in. The modus operandi of The Powers

had evolved over a decade from democratic processes of decision making to steering the ship by rule making and

central edict. This had been accepted by a populous confronted by expert opinions and the evidence of their own

experience and observations. Public protest against the issuing of regulations consisted of mockery, usually by giv-

ing the new regulation a rather disrespectful title.

Today, Liam’s anger was fired by the Green Spaces

Maintenance Advisory from two years ago becom-

ing the Green Spaces Maintenance Mandatory. It

prohibits cutting lawns and grass areas shorter than

15cm. intended to support more diversity of plants

and consequently invertebrates and bird life. The

public’s mocking title for this Mandatory is ‘The-no-

low-mow order.’ Beth and Amelia saw the value and

how the order supported the aims of bee-nurturing

of honey bees and all bees. Liam hated it. He hated

its imposition.

To be continued...

Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: editor@grafhamgossip.co.uk

May 2020 14 Issue 180

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

Triple glazed windows

for the price of double glazed

when quoting

‘Grafham Gossip’

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

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

Cinnamon Bar and Indian Restaurant

Open for Takeaways

Call 01480 812211/811316 http://cinnamonhuntingdon.co.uk/

John Sisseman, Driving Instructor DVSA Approved, Pass Plus Registered

Based in Grafham

Call John for

details

The Highway Community Car Scheme 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 expensesat a rate of 30p per mile with a mini-

mum charge of £3.00.

To arrange a journey or for more information please call 07786 520540

If the phone is not manned when you call, leave and the co-ordinator 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

Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: editor@grafhamgossip.co.uk

May 2020 15 Issue 180

Reduce waste: more uses for seasonal fish

What can you do if you have somehow

managed to buy more fish than you

can eat and despite keeping it in the

’fridge, you've run out of time to cook

it? We know you shouldn’t have this

happen but, hey, things go wrong, even with the best of

plans...

You’ll find that it’s easy to preserve what’s left by curing it

in salt, a simple, quick process that people around the

world have used for centuries, to preserve items that

would otherwise have gone off before they could get

around to eating it. It’s an early example of ‘zero waste’ in

action.

A good rule of thumb is to use a 20% ratio by weight e.g.

for every kilo of fish, use 200g of (non-iodine) salt. Make

sure the fish is coated all over with salt and then com-

pletely buried in it. Kept in a container, to trap any liquid

expelled, the process takes about 48 hours in the fridge.

After that time, wash off any surface salt, dry -- by now --

the much firmer fish, then return it back to the fridge or to

the freezer; it will stay good to use for a long time. Try

using thin slices, served topped with pickles, herbs and

some lemon.

Cured fish products are also really useful as flavour en-

hancers. Think of using them as you would a truffle. A

whole one would be much too strong to consider popping

in your mouth or eating whole off a plate. It's meant to be

shaved over very simple ingredients to add a big hit of

deep, rich umami or it’s added to oils where it infuses

them with flavour to be drizzled into or over a dish. Use

cured fish in the same manner.

We’ve used salt cured fish in things like a beef stew; it

really helps emphasise the base note flavours. Salted

fish is also great when used to make fish sauce or for

smoked and pickled fish. But if curing or smoking isn’t for

you, an easy way to begin experiencing the flavour punch

that you get, is still easy to replicate. You can buy small

packets of bonito or katsuobushi as flakes or small shav-

ings from Asian and other specialty groceries as well as

online. Small pinches of them can be used to impart

more depth of flavour to mild dishes; for example, try us-

ing a large pinch as a topping for cold tofu with a sesame

-soy dressing. The traditional Japanese dashi, which is

the base for sauces, soups, and indeed, much of Japa-

nese cuisine, is made with bonito flakes simmered in wa-

ter with dried kelp (kombu), heated and then strained.

Or purchase some good quality fish sauce (we’d suggest

choosing ‘Red Boat’). Use it in place of salt to add flavour

plus an extra layer of taste to your vegetables, stews,

and curries.

There’s a huge range of possible uses; feel free to exper-

iment and we guarantee you won’t be disappointed by

the results.

Chris Bulow

zero.waste.menu @SaluteZeroWaste

SPOT-THE-DIFFERENCE COMPETITION! (or not?)

Here’s your chance to win either half a toilet roll, 5 slightly used dust masks or 3 pairs of nitrile gloves (left hand only) in our exciting national crisis competition!

All you have to do is look at the two photos of

Brampton Rd, Grafham and try to spot any

differences.

The first photo was taken before the Covid 19 crisis

and the second during the Covid 19 crisis.

It’s sooooo easy and great fun for all the family!

Post your entry to:

Pointless Competitions Ltd, 999 Nonexistent St, Scamm-on-Sea, Jupiter

Grafham Resident

Printed by Easiprint 01733 602302

May 2020 16 Issue 180

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.

Details of 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’s also a dedicated A14 Public Helpline 0800 270 0114

Details of planned road closures and diversions are also on Grafham village web site www.grafham.org.uk Ed

A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon Improvement Scheme

Unfortunately this has been postponed until further notice.

There is a little more information in ‘View from the Pew’ on page 2.

Join the challenge to record as much wildlife in the churchyard as possible, over 24 hours

Hunts Community

Cancer Network (HCCN)

The weekly support group held in

Ellington Village Hall is cancelled

until further notice, but

there is a closed Facebook group

for members and volunteers.

For more details or help

contact Annie:

by phone: 01234 709836 or email:

annie@hccnthecharity.org

Sadly, the Flower Festival below has been

postponed until later in the year.

There are a few more details in ‘View from

the Pew’ on page 2.

Grafham Community Shop

Tel: 01480 810119 Opening Times

Mon-Fri 8.00 - 6.30

Sat 8.00 - 5.00

Sun 9.00 - 2.00

Bank Holidays 9.00 - 2.00

www.facebook.com/GrafhamCommunityShop/ shop@grafhamvillageshop.co.uk

www.grafhamvillageshop.co.uk

Find out Shop News in Talking Shop on page 5

Friday 13th November Thursford Christmas Spectacular

Departing from Huntingdon Bus Station 10.50am (approx. TBC)

The coach will leave Thursford after the show, 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.

This is a direct coach from Huntingdon straight to the venue, so you will have to make your own arrangements for food. I would advise that Thursford has the Garden Pavilion restaurant serving home

cooked food (such as jackets, casseroles and curries.) There is also a café serving snacks and a fully licensed bar.

For more information or to book please contact me on 07711 012957 or email: tina.theodorou1@gmail.com