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Grafham Gossip April 2020 1 Issue 179
Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: [email protected]
Issue 180 Deadline: by 9am on Wednesday 15th April
Editors’ note… As Easter approaches, we are still
living in uncertain times and hope all
our readers are keeping safe and
well.
We have continued to publicise village and local
meetings/activities that are planned for the next few
months but please keep up to date with the constantly
changing advice on the coronavirus risk given on TV
and radio news programmes and by visiting
gov.uk/coronavirus
Thank you for your contributions to this month’s issue.
As usual we have an interesting read for you to enjoy.
Please send your Letters to Editors, news, views,
photos, recipes and gossip in good time for the May
deadline, by 9am on Wednesday 15th April.
Happy Easter!
Editors, [email protected]
We are looking for bar staff
to join our lovely team!
Please contact us:
or message us on Facebook or call 07525 660298
Contents
details………….…….……
Solar Panels have arrived on Village Hall Roof….. …
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To find out what
the Grafham Hedgehog Team
have been up to lately, come along to a talk
in the Village Hall
on Friday 17th April at 7.30pm.
The next churchyard rewilding session is Saturday 25th April
from 10am Things to do: 1. Build log piles and add
more to the bug hotel.
2. Make manicured areas wonderful for the judges to see the difference e.g. tidying the hedge around the Garden of Remem-brance and cutting grass near it for the last time, as this is where the new Spring Meadow will be. Remove the cuttings.
3. Clear brambles and other thugs.
4. Clear the area around the nettle bed and any remove any thistles that are growing in
the planted area.
Helpers of all ages welcome. Delicious refreshments!
An Amended Online Version As much as possible has been amended in this online
version of the April Grafham Gossip, in response to
the Coronavirus situation.
We are considering publishing an online version only
of the May issue, but we will make a decision closer to
the deadline after taking account of future Government
advice.
Join us on 18th April
Children’s disco 5pm until 7pm
Followed by live music
from Natalie Upson
from 8pm
Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: [email protected]
April 2020 2 Issue 179
View from the Pew We are now in the period of Lent which
reminds us of when Jesus lived in the
wilderness for forty days and nights.
This is a time when Christians tradition-
ally pay more attention to their spiritual lives and gen-
erally resist a few luxuries. At our service on 1st
March, temptation was on offer in the form of sweets
left on the pews but it seems most people did not
succumb. Our talk centred on the wildernesses we all
inhabit from time to time in periods of stress or worry.
At the beginning of Holy week, leading up to Easter a
Palm Sunday Holy Communion service at 10.30am
will be held at Grafham (5th April) and on Tuesday
7th April at 7.30pm a special quiet Holy Communion
service. During the Coronavirus outbreak the clergy
will follow the Ely guidelines regarding hand hygiene
and we will receive wafers only and not wine from the
chalice. We will also share the Peace without touch-
ing or shaking hands.
On Good Friday (10th April) there will be a quiet
service of meditation/reflection at 10.30am.
Although there will be no Easter day service at
Grafham the flower ladies will have decorated the
church as usual, so do come in and see the displays.
Easter day services will be held at Brampton (Holy
Communion) and Ellington (Family Service) at
10.30am.
The March Taizé service
has been moved to
Sunday 29th March
at 7pm
Coronavirus The advice keeps changing.
For up to date advice visit gov.uk/coronavirus
By the time you read this issue, several notices may be out of date, please check that activities are
going ahead before you attend.
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 - join us in spirit from home if you wish, but preferably please come along and help Mike, Jill and Hazel read some bible passages to discuss and pray for any concerns, local or personal.
Mid-week Communion services are usually on Thursdays at 10.00 roughly once a month. An informal midweek service of Holy Communion with time for prayer and sharing from the Bible.
--------------------------------------------------------------
22nd March (Mothering Sunday) 10.30 - All together Holy Communion Service (see Coronavirus notice and View below.)
29th March (4th Sunday) 19.00 Taizé service with music and candles
--------------------------------------------------------------
5th April (Palm Sunday) 10.30 All together Holy Communion Service (see Coronavirus notice and View below.)
Every Wednesday in March 09.00 - 09.30 Morning Prayer – a short service open to all (See above)
7th April (Tuesday) 19.30 Quiet Holy Communion (more details above and see notice and View below)
10th April (Good Friday) 10.30 Quiet Service of Meditation and Reflection
12th April (Easter Day) No service at Grafham but 10.30 Holy Communion at Brampton and
10.30 Family Service at Ellington
26th April (4th Sunday) 19.00 Taizé service with music and candles
--------------------------------------------------------------
3rd May (1st Sunday) 10.30 Family Service lay led
For more information on events and services for Grafham, Ellington and Brampton visit
https://eastleightonstone.com and click on Calendar.
All Easter services can be found by clicking on Easter 2020
Contacting the Clergy
Revd Jason Taylor (Rector) Rectory, 15 Church Rd, Brampton PE28 4PF [email protected] 07807 118070
Mike Bigg (Curate) [email protected] 07380 809377
Public worship is suspended
until further notice, but
churches will remain open for
individual prayer and reflection
Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: [email protected]
April 2020 3 Issue 179
Grafham’s County Councillor Grafham’s District Councillor
Peter Downes
07765 833486
peter.downes@ cambridgeshire.gov.uk
Darren Tysoe 01480 388310 [email protected]
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 [email protected] Alastair Watson [email protected]
David Russell [email protected] Roy Harold [email protected] Jo Dunn [email protected]
Patrick Curran [email protected]
PARISH NEWS March 2020
This month’s meeting was relatively short and the
Council welcomed Patrick Curran as a councillor
Following Philip Allingham’s resignation, Ian Gardener
was elected to the Chair and we are lucky to be able to
access Ian’s wealth of experience and knowledge.
There is of course still the vacancy created by Philip
and the Council would very much like to hear from any-
one who feels they would like to join them.
David Russell gave the meeting an update on the im-
provements to the village hall and the grant funding we
are receiving. David’s report is published below, for you
to read in full.
In order to accommodate Ian’s diary and fit
our meetings in to his schedules, a couple
of meeting dates may change from the sec-
ond Tuesday of the month to the first, but
you will be kept advised by published agen-
da and from the Parish News.
The next meeting is scheduled for 14th April
as normal, but we expect that the date of the Annual
Parish Assembly will change to Tuesday 5th May. We
hope and trust that meetings will not have to be can-
celled because of the Coronavirus pandemic.
Stay safe and healthy everyone.
Margaret Life, Parish Clerk
07780 119311 [email protected]
We are delighted to see new Solar PV panels generating
some very useful electricity on our village hall roof. We
also have Tesla batteries which will store energy generat-
ed during the hours of daylight and release this to power
the shop at night and further reduce our energy bills.
We now have LED lighting and full loft
insulation in the hall together with state-
of-the-art double glazing provided by our
local specialist GAP.
We are extremely grateful to Amey for
their generous funding for these green
initiatives and are pleased to reduce our
carbon footprint.
If you wish to consider a solar PV system for your home,
possibly with Tesla batteries, please contact Matt Biggs at
Phoenix: Tel: 01138 155 366 Mobile: 07943 406 257
Email: [email protected]
Web: https://thephoenixworks.com/at-home/
If you would like more information
about this project, please contact
David Russell:
The Amey Community Fund awards grants to support
community, environmental and heritage projects run by
non-profit organisations based in Cambridgeshire, within
10 miles of a landfill site. The fund is managed by Cam-
bridgeshire Community Foundation and is part of a volun-
tary environmental tax credit scheme called the Landfill
Communities Fund.
For more information please visit www.cambscf.org.uk/
amey-community-fund.html
Solar Panels have arrived on our Village Hall Roof!
A volunteer to help distribute the bundles of newsletters to the delivery team.
If you are able to help with this task, please email
It involves getting the paper
copies to the deliverers as soon
as possible after printing.
This is usually about 7 -10 days after the
deadline.
Thank you, Ed
Wanted
Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: [email protected]
April 2020 4 Issue 179
Babysitters Bryony 22 yrs 812354 experienced with newborn to 14yrs
Mya 16 yrs 819326 Nicci 17 yrs 811279
Grafham Village Hall
Activities & Classes
Mondays Line Dancing 7.30pm
Tuesdays Pilates 9.30am
Art Club 1.30pm
Wednesdays Little Fishes 10.00am
Yoga 6.15pm
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
Hunts Community Cancer Network (HCCN) hold a weekly support group
Ellington Holistic Drop In at Ellington Village Hall
Every Tuesday 10am until 2pm
To find out more contact Annie by phone 01234 709836 or email [email protected]
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 ✓
No x Yes ✓
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 we find it difficult to lift, carry and dispose of other items.
Thank you for your continued support!
• Hardbacks x
• Manuals x
• Magazines x
• Encyclopaedias x
• Other items x
An hour of your time, once every few months is
all that is needed for you to help
dust and vacuum Grafham Church,
to keep it clean and welcoming.
To join the team please contact:
Deadline 9.00am 15th of April
for the May issue.
The deadline is the same date every month, so
please send us all your adverts, notices, news,
views, recipes and gossip
by 9.00am on 15th of the previous month.
Thanks, Ed [email protected]
Can you help? Lift needed please for two people, to and from a
dementia meeting in Brampton on the first Wednesday of
the month, starting at 10.00am and finishing at midday.
If you can help, please contact Peter Menczer, Brampton
Good Neighbour Scheme, 01480 456396 or email
Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: [email protected]
April 2020 5 Issue 179
Grafham and Ellington Neighbourhood Plan Update
Quietly behind the scenes we are making good progress...
We have written draft questionnaires for Residents, Young Persons and Businesses. The questions have been based on the 2011 Grafham Parish Plan and the November Workshop.
Once tested, the final questionnaires should be delivered to residents and local businesses in June. … watch out for yours please!
Your views are essential in helping us draft our Neighbourhood Plan, which you will be able to review later in the year.
The questionnaire is important. It gives you the opportunity to tell us what you think. It will provide vital information and evidence on which the plan for our futures will be based.
Why have a neighbourhood plan? It gives us the opportunity to set out a positive vision of how we would like our neighbourhood to evolve over the next 15 years, in ways that meet the needs and aspirations of the people of Grafham and Ellington.
For more details please visit our website: https://www.ellingtonparishcouncil.gov.uk/np/
Or do contact: David Russell [email protected] Darren Tysoe [email protected]
Talking Shop We hope this edition of ‘Talking Shop’ finds
everyone in Grafham healthy and unaffected
by the coronavirus pandemic. At the time of
writing there is much uncertainty over how this disease
will progress, but what seems to be certain is that it will
go on to affect more people over time.
With this in mind we have improved our hygiene proce-
dures to mitigate the risk of coronavirus transfer. We
have done this by increasing the frequency of cleaning
the surfaces and handles, along with cleaning the till,
card payment terminal, computer and other equipment
in the shop. We are also increasing our hand-washing
routines. We have put in place the means to deliver
groceries to people who find themselves ‘quarantined’
at home, and will be able to take card payments over
the phone. If you should find yourself in this position
please call the shop on 01480 810119.
We continue to investigate the feasibility of providing
loose products for you to fill your own containers with.
Thank you to those who took the time recently, to com-
plete the Facebook survey. We may need to delay the
implementation of this because the use of scoops gives
another virus transfer risk.
Did you know? There are now solar panels on the roof
of the village hall. These panels are supplying the shop
with electricity and appear to be working well. It is esti-
mated that this will reduce our power cost by 50%. The
panels and associated battery were funded with a grant
from Amey Community Fund topped up by the Parish
Council. Thanks go to them for this terrific addition to
our village amenities.
By the time you read this Easter will be almost upon us.
We would like to wish all our customers a very Happy
Easter. Don’t forget to come in for your hot cross buns.
£1.85 for a pack of four, baked locally in St. Neots.
See you in the shop
Lynn and Chloe
Easter opening hours 10th April Good Friday 9am - 2pm
11th April Easter Saturday normal hours 8am - 5pm
12th April Easter Sunday 9am - 2pm
13th April Easter Monday 9am - 2pm
Our usual opening hours are on page 10
Tel. 01480 810119 [email protected] www.grafhamvillageshop.co.uk
To advertise, email: [email protected] 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.
Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: [email protected]
April 2020 6 Issue 179
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: [email protected] or [email protected]
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
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 minimum
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 coor-dinator 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
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: [email protected] or
call 07887 628528
and help keep more money in the village!
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 [email protected]
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 [email protected]
Wednesdays Blue bin (recycling) and
Black bin (refuse) - alternate weeks
Every other Thursday - Green bin (garden waste)
“Has the bin man bin Mam?”
Send your news, views, photos, recipes,
‘Letters to Ed’ and gossip to
by 9am on the 15th of every month
Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: [email protected]
April 2020 7 Issue 179
Grafham Lands in 1850 Edward Biffin We continue to mine the facets and quirks of our past, uncovered while writing the draft History for the Grafham and
Ellington Neighbourhood Plan, but move forward 130 years to 1850. In 1773 Parliament passed The Enclosure Act,
modified in 1774, enabling previously communally used open field and common lands, and small holdings, to be fenced
and consolidated under single owners, who were then able to restrict access to the land. There was a process to go
through before the ‘allotments’ were approved in law, and for ‘Graffham’ that was complete in 1776, with the principal
owners being Charles Armstrong, The Revd Hepworth (personal, glebe and tithe land), Timothy Caswell (of Great
Staughton?) and Sir Robert Bernard of Brampton Park (the largest owner).
So began the agricultural revolution and a rapid rise in production, which soon required good roads to transport the pro-
duce to market. The Ellington to Grafham track was realigned, the Grafham to Buckden path replaced by a new road,
and new farms constructed with a modern layout – of which Model Farm (1834 modified 1854) is a prime example
(which is why it is one of Grafham’s ‘listed’ buildings).
In 1850, Sir Robert Bernard’s descendant, Lady Olivia Bernard Sparrow, had her lands mapped, and the map below is
a sketch based on that map (which can be viewed in the Huntingdon County Record Office).
Bernard fields are marked B, Charles Armstrong (grandson of the original) CA, Vicarage lands VL, and the Duke of
Manchester DoM (originally the T Caswell lands). The Bernard plan distinguished between ploughed fields (hatched)
and pasture (plain), but left all other owners blank, so I have used the later Ordnance Survey and the earlier 1774 En-
closure plans to fill in the other fields in outline.
Apart from the roads and fields, the one noteworthy addition is the Village School, said to date from 1815.
Farming remained Grafham’s principal activity, and the 1851 Census has over 75% of the village population thus en-
gaged. Things were about to change – and next time we will look at the 1880s.
If you’d like to write a ‘one-off’ article or a regular feature for the Grafham Gossip, send it by email to [email protected]
Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: [email protected]
April 2020 8 Issue 179
The Labour Party in Huntingdon Our next monthly meeting is
Monday 20th April 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!
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
To find out more about Dog Fouling and the Law visit
www.keepbritaintidy.org/faqs/advice/dog-fouling-and-law
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 garden-
ing 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 web-
site www.buckdengardeners.info or just come along.
Rosemary Surridge, Secretary
Spring Walks Sunday 26th April
10.30am Brampton Wood
The Huntingdonshire Local Group of the Wildlife Trust in-
vites you to experience some highlights of traditional English
Spring on our annual bluebell walk at Brampton Wood. This
will be led by the warden, George Cottam, who will show us
the rich variety of flora and fauna, focusing on the bluebells.
Please meet in the shelter adjacent to Brampton Wood Car
Park, Grafham Road, Brampton at 10.30am. GR TL 184698.
In the afternoon, we will visit Portholme Meadow in a joint venture with the Hunts Flora and Fauna Society. Dr. Pat Doody will lead this walk and he will focus on one of Port-holme’s specialities, the Snakeshead Fritillary. Please meet at the Chinese Bridge car park in Godmanchester PE29 2NB.
Please note that paths at both sites are very uneven and likely to be muddy. Parking is available, but it is limited. Everyone is most welcome to attend these walks. There is no charge but donations are welcome. For more information please contact Alistair [email protected]
Bedfordshire
Cambridgeshire
Northamptonshire
Huntingdonshire Local Group
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Part of the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire Registered Charity No: 1000412
Sunday 26th April
2.30pm Portholme Meadow
To advertise, email: [email protected]
Community notices are free, business adverts are priced
according to size, payable in advance. They start at £4.00 for a small box.
Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: [email protected]
April 2020 9 Issue 179
Ducks Everybody’s idea of a duck is the Mallard with its iridescent blue green head swimming across the local pond, but there
are around 120 species worldwide. They range into just about every habitat possible from the cold of the Arctic to the trop-
ical jungles of South America. They are related to swans and geese but differ in a number of ways. Virtually all ducks are
sexually dimorphic with males and females having differing plumage, some of the breeding plumages of the drakes being
among the most spectacular in the bird world. Because of this elaborate display, the drakes of most species moult twice a
year, once in the late winter to gain their bright feathers and again in summer to lose them so they are not such a target
for predators. Other differences relate to eggshells and the skin on the feet. As a group they are omnivorous, feeding on
plant material, microscopic organisms, aquatic invertebrates and fish, with some species specialising in certain prey whilst
others will eat virtually anything they come across.
Most ducks fall into one of three groups, which are
defined by behaviour. Dabbling ducks include
many of the ducks found on fresh water, these
ducks feed by filtering water through their bill to
extract small insects and other food particles. They
will also graze and catch larger insects catching
some by ‘upending’, a characteristic pose with
most of the body of the duck submerged and the
tail upright in the air. Found both on fresh and salt
water diving ducks, as their name suggests, they
catch food by submerging below the water surface. To help
achieve this they are heavier than their dabbling counterparts,
a consequence of which is that they need to run to take off,
splashing across the surface of the water before gaining the
air. Within this group are one of the most specialised hunters,
the saw-toothed ducks, which include such species as the
Goosander. These ducks don’t have the typical broad bill but
beaks that are longer and narrower with a serrated edge, ena-
bling them to catch and hold larger fish. The third main group
is the perching ducks. These birds have evolved in a wet,
wooded environment such as the Everglades in Florida and
the Pantanal in Brazil. They have long sharp claws that enable
them to perch, roost and even nest in trees.
There are some ducks that don’t fall into any of these groups; the Shel-
ducks are more closely related to swans and geese than other ducks.
Steamer ducks are a small group of four species found in southern South
America. Three of the four species are flightless and they get their name from the way they use their wings to ‘swim’
across the water surface. The Freckled Duck, found in Australia, has no alarm call or courtship display and is often con-
sidered to be in a separate tribe from all other ducks. Finally, the Torrent Duck lives near fast flowing rivers in the Andes.
It is specially adapted to feed in this hazardous environment with stiff tail feathers to brace it against the current and a soft
slender bill to search for insect larvae under rocks.
If you want to see our local ducks this spring then visit the Wildlife Trust reserves at Grafham Water or Summer Leys in
Northamptonshire or the joint Wildlife Trust/RSPB reserve on the Ouse Washes.
Gregory Belcher
Senior Reserves Officer, Wildlife Trust BCN
Bedfordshire Cambridgeshire
Northamptonshire
Gadwall
Goosander group
Teal
Photographs by Gregory Belcher
Flightless Steamer Duck
Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: [email protected]
April 2020 10 Issue 179
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
Have you visited the refill store in St Neots?
40 St Mary’s Street PE19 2TA
Open Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 9 - 6, Thursday 10 - 4, Saturday 10-5, Sunday 11- 4
You need to take your own containers.
It’s definitely worth a visit for all eco conscious Grafham villagers.
There are more details on their facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/refillshopstneots/
The theme for this year is Buildings. You are very welcome to join the
flower arrangers however much or little experience you have
Please contact Jill Tyack:
[email protected] or 01480 810157
The theme for this year is Buildings. You are very welcome to join the
flower arrangers however much or little experience you have
Please contact Jill Tyack:
[email protected] or 01480 810157
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/ [email protected]
www.grafhamvillageshop.co.uk
See notice on p.12 for Easter Opening Times, also Talking Shop page 5
Join the Choir - ‘Singing Together’ A free activity. No auditions!
Open to people living with
Dementia and their carers.
IN ASSOCIATION WITH BRAMPTON RECONNECT GROUP
‘The power of music for people with dementia’ ‘Many people have a special connection to music, and this can be particularly powerful for people with dementia. Evidence suggests music can improve someone's mood, behaviour and wellbeing.’ Alzheimer's Association
Please join us for the Brampton Dementia Friendly Choir called ‘Singing Together.’ There will be no auditions or solo singing! This is for fun only. You don’t even need to be able to sing! Please arrive from 6.15pm - our singing starts promptly at 6.30pm
Photograph courtesy of BBC & Alzheimer’s Society
Any questions please feel free to contact, Jane 07890 866389 or email [email protected] Alan via email [email protected]
Singing Together
2020
Is on Wednesday…
April 29th
May 13th
June 17th
July 15th
Doors open 6.15pm Singing 6:30 - 7:30pm
Brampton Community Centre, 36 High Street, Brampton, Huntingdon PE28 4TH (Street parking only)
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: [email protected]
Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: [email protected]
April 2020 11 Issue 179
When I was a younger man, not so long ago, I didn’t like
Lent very much. It seemed to me that all the emphasis
on sin and repentance and discipline was unnecessarily
puritanical self-flagellation. Was it really necessary to
bewail my manifold sins and wickedness so fully? Surely
my faults weren’t that grievous!
As I grow older, I still don’t like Lent very much, but for a
very different reason. The passing years increasingly
bring me face to face with what Francis Spufford calls
the Human Propensity to Mess Things Up; specifically,
my propensity to mess things up. As Spufford notes,
anyone who is unaware of their own ability to take
something good in life and destroy it is either young,
extremely virtuous, or not really paying much attention
to the effects of their actions.
It’s not that I’ve come to this realisation because I’ve
been particularly malign or done something terrible in
recent years. It’s just that I’m starting to acknowledge
that I’m not as good as I’d like to imagine. I never have
been.
Lent is a time for us to do our best to face the reality of
ourselves. It’s a time for us to get ready to face the full-
ness of human weakness, cruelty and failure when we
get to Good Friday and look upon the
cross.
It’s a time to look in the mirror with the
most unflinching honesty we can muster.
So that when we do finally get to Good
Friday, and when we can bear to look into the very
depths of human brutality as Jesus – who did no wrong
– hangs on the cross, and when we see him gazing
back at us, and loving us, in spite of all of our faults,
then we can know just how fully we are loved by God.
So, no, I don’t like Lent very much. And neither should
you. If you’re doing it properly it should be an uncomfort-
able time. It’s not an opportunity to parade your virtuous
discipline, but an invitation to excavate the darkest cav-
erns of your heart. It’s not easy or without risk.
I don’t like it, but I do encourage you to take this annual
pilgrimage to walk with your own faults. Take the time to
look unsparingly into the mirror. Because when you do,
you’ll be able to face the cross on Good Friday and see
much better both “sorrow and love flow mingled down”.
Mike
(Contact details for Mike can be found on page 2. Ed)
Approaching Good Friday
Ingredients
• 6 eggs
• 60g parmesan
• pinch sea salt
• ground black pepper, to taste
• 20g butter
• 40g mealworms
• 30g fresh chives
Method
1. Whisk the eggs
2. Heat the butter in a frying pan until it bubbles
3. Add the eggs and fry until the sides go crispy
4. Add parmesan, mealworms, chives, salt and pepper until
the cheese melts
5. Divide in two, fold each half and turn out onto warm plates
6. Sprinkle with chives and serve.
Zero Waste Recipe of the Month - Simple Omelette
Of course, there’s no reason one can't eat worms - unless
you’re on a purely plant-based diet of course - (just make
sure you soak them for a couple of hours so that they
purge themselves) but you’d be better advised to eat in-
sects. These are really high in protein (up to 69% by
weight), nutritionally-rich yet very low in calories, so can
help combat obesity related diseases. They also contain all
nine of our needed amino acids, vitamins and micronutri-
ents, like B12, iron, manganese, and calcium. Insects are a
nutritional powerhouse.
Over 2 billion people world-wide eat insects as part of their
normal diet and, Western squeamishness aside, there’s
every reason to encourage us to do the same. ‘OK’, I hear
you say, ‘Give me one good reason why I should?’ How
about one of these then:
• Bugs produce far less greenhouse gases. Per kilo of pro-
tein, insects come in at 1g. By comparison, beef cattle
are close to 3 kilos.
• They require less dedicated land or space. All it takes is
15sq.m per 1kg of insect. Cattle take 200sq.m for the
same 1kg.
• Insects require just a fraction of the water and feed need-
ed by traditional livestock, for the same amount of pro-
tein. They can also be farmed in virtually any climate or
environment.
• And one of the most important reasons? They actual-
ly taste really good.
Don’t believe us? There are a number of high-street or
online sources for hygienic, properly sourced insects, so
there’s no need to try and find them in the wild yourself.
(Email us at [email protected] if you’d like some
recommendations.) And you don’t even have to eat them
whole - which we know can be more than a little off-putting
- as you can obtain them in pre-powdered form. So, having
bought some suitable mealworms for example, how would
you use them?
Here’s a recipe for a simple omelette. It’s for two people
but you can always scale up or down accordingly.
Hopefully you’ll enjoy eating this one… and when you’ve
overcome any lingering doubts about eating insects, ‘The
world’s your... well hmm, how about cricket rather than
oyster?’ Chris Bulow
‘Nobody likes me - guess I'll go and eat worms’
Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: [email protected]
April 2020 12 Issue 179
KEEP THE DATE FREE GRAFHAM WILL BE JOINING IN THE
NATIONAL CELEBRATIONS FOR THE
75TH ANNIVERSARY OF VE DAY
ON FRIDAY 8TH MAY 2020
An afternoon of fun, games and picnics
followed by an evening of music, dancing and re-
membrance is planned for all the family
Further details will be announced shortly
WATCH THIS SPACE
75 years - VE Day - 8th May
A free, fun, chair based
exercise class, with music to:
stimulate the memory,
improve balance,
coordination, core strength,
mobility and cognition.
Come along and see what it is all about
and have a cuppa.
10.30 am to 12 every Wednesday EXCEPT
1st Wednesday of the month
at Brampton Memorial Centre
Thrapston Road, Brampton PE28 4TB
If you are coming
or have any
questions
Telephone Jane
on 07731 097236
Can you make tea? We are very short of volunteer
tea/coffee makers for our Little
Fishes Stay + Play Tots Group,
which meets on Wednesday mornings in the village
hall. If you can spare an hour, now and then, we’d
be very grateful for your help and you might make
some new friends.
Please contact Hazel 810326
Grafham Community Shop Happy Easter!
For last minute groceries and a bottle of wine Our opening hours over the holiday are:
Good Friday (10th April): 9.00am to 2.00pm
Easter Saturday (11th April): 8.00am to 5.00pm
Easter Sunday (12th April): 9.00am to 2.00pm
Bank holiday Monday (13th April): 9.00am to 2.00pm
15th May evening Set small mammal traps from 6:30pm Bat walk after dark starting at 9:00pm
16th May morning from 7:30am
Come and help identify small mammals, plants, bees, lichens, birds and our bug hotel visitors
Meet a naturalist, learn about wildlife and help with recording. Every species counts!
Children welcome - Bring a phone if you can, to photograph the wildlife.
Join the challenge to record as much wildlife in the churchyard as possible, over 24 hours
Research
‘Demonstratable benefits in the physical,
emotional and cognitive aspects of older people
especially people with dementia.’
‘Love to Move’ Taster Session
Working towards a dementia friendly community
Reconnect Social Group
Welcomes ALL people living with dementia and memory
loss together with their carers
Brampton Memorial Centre—1st Wednesday of every month
Wednesday 1st April
10am until 12
MUSICAL MEMORIES
(Peppercorn Academy)
Any questions? Telephone
Janet on
07702 010594
Come along for a cuppa and cake
and see what it is all about
Wednesday 6th April
10am until 12
LOVE TO MOVE TASTER SESSION
Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: [email protected]
April 2020 13 Issue 179
Grafham Hedgehog Survey Update and Talk
The Hedgehog team have been busy making plans to survey hedgehogs in Grafham again this year. We have been find-
ing out and planning how to count our prickly friends. The distribution map last year was a lovely surprise, but, as we said
before, we do not know if we have one or two well fed hedgehogs, or a thriving population.
We have been working with two sources of hedgehog expertise: Dr Nigel Reeve
who has been involved in the ongoing Regents Park Hedgehog Study since 2014,
and Shepreth Wildlife Hospital which specialises in rescuing and rehabilitating
hedgehogs. Shepreth are interested in our project as an example of what villages
can do and also to learn about tagging techniques.
We all attended a great session at Shepreth where we were able to use two res-
cue hedgehogs, Bluebell and Joy, for a demonstration by Nigel, on how to mark
them for identification. We also talked through the details of how the study would
be conducted.
To carry out the study and handle the hedgehogs, we need a licence from Natural
England. An application has been submitted and we are waiting hopefully, for it to
come through in time for May. If it does not we have a contingency plan so we can
still estimate population size.
Finally a plea: In order to conduct the study well, we would like to have access to
as many gardens as possible for the two nights of the survey. So we are asking for permission to walk round gardens over
each night, from as many people as possible.
If you would like to find out more about our findings last year, hear about our visit to Shepreth, and see how we will con-
duct the mark and recapture study,
Come along to a talk in the Village Hall on Friday 17th April at 7.30pm.
The Grafham Hedgehog Team: Carole and George Baber, Barbara and Andy Holt, Jill Tyack, Penny Woodcock, Anne and Tony Lea, Debbie Russell
Zero Waste and Chicken Chicken shouldn’t be seen as a commodity item; as
something that one can afford to eat every day of the
week, just because it’s so cheap. As a child, we lived
on farms. But we could only afford to buy a chicken maybe 3 or
4 times a month. Now though, they’re viewed as a source of
inexpensive protein. And there’s just so much wrong with that
type of food-supply model. The last time I looked at one of our
supermarket chains, they were selling whole chickens at £3.34
per kilo. Even their free-range option was only £4.65. This isn’t
sustainable. The factory farmed birds are treated terribly. Their
effect on the environment is shameful. There’s no profit here -
to allow for their living conditions to be improved - or at least no
profit for the farmer, who needs it the most.
And what of all the innards? Nowhere to be seen. They’ll have
been thrown away, or ground into pet food. And whilst we too
love our pets, that’s such a waste of some of the very tastiest
and most nutritious pieces of the bird. We should hold the
chicken in high regard: if we’re going to take its life, shouldn’t
we use all of it - not just as a mark of respect - but to extract all
of the flavour and nourishment that it contains?
There’s a yakitori restaurant called ‘Yardbird', that manag-
es to break down a whole chicken into 29 distinct, individ-
ual morsels. It’s a work of art. Mind you, that does in-
cludes less ‘relished' items such as the head, gizzard and
the feet, so we’d not necessarily expect this level of dedication
to the art of butchery in an English home kitchen.
So, on that note, here’s some suggestions on how to remem-
ber (almost) the whole chicken by using some of the less used
parts.
Heart A great source of iron, zinc, B12, protein and more,
they're are rich and flavoursome. You can stir-fry them, sauté,
or cook in a creamy sauce. They're also lovely when bat-
tered, fried and then dipped into whatever chutney or sauce
happens to be leftover in your fridge (think sweet chilli, cranber-
ry or caesar dressing). Trim off the fat and remove the
valves, before slicing them open. Cover with plenty of sea salt
and set aside for half an hour. Rinse and dry them thoroughly
then dredge with flour, dip in egg yolk and then dredge
with flour again. Fry on each side for 3-4 minutes in fairly hot oil
before laying on kitchen towel to absorb any excess oil. Continued on page 15
Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: [email protected]
April 2020 14 Issue 179
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
WINDOWS DOORS ROOFLINE
CONSERVATORIES
GARDEN ROOMS FLAT ROOFS
www.gaphomeimprovements.co.uk
•
Service and maintenance plans available Professional, friendly and reliable
01480 812590
07799 640476
Van Diemens Way, Grafham, Huntingdon, Cambs. PE28 0GB
Tel. 01480 811594 Mobile 07795 296281 Email [email protected]
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 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/
John Sisseman, Driving Instructor DVSA Approved, Pass Plus Registered
Based in Grafham
Call John for
details
Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: [email protected]
April 2020 15 Issue 179
It is said that everyone likes a good listener, an attentive,
non-judgemental, undemanding listener. Hearing every-
thing, saying nothing. Their listener was accepted by the
family and had been around for a large part of Beth’s
young life. Beth and her parents spoke freely in front of
the listener. Chit chat, family discussions, expressions of
strongly held opinions all took place within earshot of the
listener.
Raised voices in Beth’s family are common, usually about
a subject hotly debated everywhere.
Casual comments led to repeats and reruns which didn’t
resolve the family argument. The listener took it all impas-
sively. The listener never made any interventions, and
was never asked for an opinion. The family members
were each certain of the rightness of their point of view.
Beth initiated the discussions most often; she was adept
at spotting and exploiting triggers. Born mid-century, her
parents’ pride and joy, she rejected old ideas, old atti-
tudes.
The parents, as was demanded by the times had accept-
ed the universal one child target. They knew why the poli-
cy had been adopted and accepted the financial incen-
tives offered to their generation. Even allowing for the fact
that the policy was time limited and the 25 year, one child
target would end for Beth and she would be free to make
her choices within the rules of phase two, they occasion-
ally spoke of it. The listener listened. They spoke of it re-
flectively. Mum and Dad knew well enough why it had
been introduced. They had voted in favour of it at the ref-
erendum when they were little older than Beth is now and
trying to rent their first living-unit. Taking a listener was a
condition.
These days all personal living-units accommodate a lis-
tener. Listeners have become ubiquitous just like green
energy, the communal self driving transporters, the cash-
less society, universal home tutoring and 8G.
Mum and Beth usually agreed on the rightness of the
World View Equal Nature (WOVEN) philosophy. The phi-
losophy had been written about and discussed among
academics and moral philosophers for decades before
politicians and policy makers had shown leadership. Pub-
lic support grew very quickly against a background of cli-
mate change and species extinctions. Probably the final
straw that moved opinions rapidly in favour of WOVEN
was the decade of the great floods. An estimated 500
million people worldwide had been forced to abandon
large parts of coastal cities and low lying islands, estuar-
ies, and agricultural lands. The shock was felt everywhere
as the media, space agencies with a true bird’s eye view
and personal videos showed the mass exoduses on five
continents.
WOVEN recognised the place of humans in nature, not
above nature. Many found this hard to accept. There re-
main flat-earthers and creationists who are in denial of
common experience and evolutionary science. WOVEN
deniers cling to the belief that humans are at liberty to
exploit the natural world for their own pleasure.
Beth knew that her father was old school seeing the earth
as exploitable, accepting conservation only to soothe his
conscience.
Acceptance of WOVEN varies. The analytics are clear
and reveal the belief and acceptance score for each living
-unit in the connected world. Ever since Alexa Mark 4 and
her sister listeners the data has been tracked. It informs
the media, World View policy and penalties and incen-
tives.
To be continued.......
Following David’s explanation of his idea ‘to experiment and explore what it takes to be a writer, (‘Storytelling,’ Grafham Gossip, March 2020,) here is David’s first instalment of a piece of ‘imaginative fiction’
using an environmental issue developed forward as a fictional story. Ed.
The End of Arrogance - Denial David Cudby
Chicken Neck The neck is full of both flavour and fat which is why it
makes an excellent addition to stocks and broths. Or they can
be browned and added to curries and stews for the
same reason – to add depth and nutrients. There isn’t much
meat on them but they can still be nibbled and enjoyed.
Legs These are less popular than breast cuts even though
they're cheaper, have far more flavour and are even easier to
cook. Marinade in chopped garlic, grated ginger, soy sauce,
rice wine, five spice and honey while your oven is pre-heating
to 180C. Place in a baking tray and bake for 40 minutes until
crisp. The juices will run clear. Sprinkle some sesame
seeds and sliced spring onion over them. Serve hot.
Carcass After a roast dinner, make sure not to leave any meat
left behind which you can add to sandwiches or noodle soup.
To make a broth that you can drink on its own or use as a
base for soups, stews and curries, place all your skin, bones
and anything else leftover into a pot and cover with cold water.
Then throw in ingredients such as roughly chopped car-
rots, onions, celery and leeks, plus a small handful of black
peppercorns and a bay leaf or two. Raise to a boil, then reduce
the heat to a simmer, with the lid, on for a minimum of six hours
and up to twelve, to extract all of the important collagen and
vitamins that make broth so very good for you.
Liver Fry a sliced large onion in oil until translucent then add
chopped garlic, smoked paprika and thyme and cook for a mi-
nute or so. Add the washed and chopped chicken livers, stirring
continuously. Don't overcook them – you’ll want them blushing
pink inside – so a few minutes will do. Add a splash of brandy,
set light to the alcohol then scrape and tip deglaze the pan.
Add lemon juice, zest and salt and pepper. Finish with a table-
spoon of cream and cook for a couple of minutes more to re-
duce. Serve on toast with grated Parmesan.
The moral of this piece is: if you can, make sure you buy hu-
manely reared, organic chickens, from local suppliers. Also,
find a butcher who’ll supply an intact one. Pay more, eat less,
enjoy more. Chris Bulow
Continued from page 13
Printed by Easiprint 01733 602302
April 2020 16 Issue 179
Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: [email protected] Opinions expressed in the Grafham Gossip, including past issues, are those of the writer and not the editors.
Grafham Wildlife and Conservation Group Regional winners of the BTCV Green Award 2006 & 2007 invite you to carry out woodland conservation
Call Sam Malt: 01480 811654 / 07849 082870
or email: [email protected] www.gwcg.btck.co.uk/
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.
Library News To read or sign up
for the monthly Cambridgeshire Library newsletter Click here
The Mobile Library Route H24 visits Breach Road, Grafham on the 4th Wednesday of every month from 10.40 to 11.00. Next visit: 22nd April.
For renewals or 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
The WI meets on the first Tuesday of the month in Ellington Village Hall. Membership is £42 per annum but you are most welcome to come as a visitor. The programme is varied and interesting with speakers or events every month.
7th April - Chris Bylett - Magic, its history and some tricks For more information please contact:
Sue 01480 896139 [email protected] or Ann 01480 891192 [email protected]
GRAFHAM VILLAGE HALL has a Public Entertainments Licence for music,
dancing and performing arts. It 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
http://grafhamandellingtonart.weebly.com/
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
Little Fishes is very short of helpers to make tea/coffee. Please contact Hazel 810326 or email: [email protected] if you can help.
See the notice on page 12
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
Coffee Morning Grafham Social Committee invites you to Coffee Mornings at 10.30am on the third Wednesday of the month:
This is an informal social occasion for residents of the village. Please come along for a cup of coffee and a chat.
Quiz night Last Thursday of every month
Starting at 8pm
Teams of £4, £1 entry per person
