hi courier february 2011
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HI Courier February 2011TRANSCRIPT
"For the second week this year we
have had no crimes reported" says
Histon's PCSO Tony Martin in a
recent e-cops bulletin. Our lack of
cime was confirmed today when the
new Street-by-Street Crime Map of
the UK went online. In most places
that would be good news. However,
the convention of 'bad news sells'
drives our news media. So all we
heard about were the worst areas
across the nation. All the media hype
caused www.Police.uk to crash for
nearly 20 hours.
What does it say about us? Enter
the postcode for Histon and
Impington (CB24 9JD) and you will
see the map shown above. For the
month of December 2010 there were
22 reported crimes and ASB - Anti-
Social Behaviour. ASB accounted for
11 of our 22 'crimes'. There were 3
burglaries; no robberies; and one
violent crime in the form of an
assault on a police team member
while he was carrying out 'double
yellow line' duties. And there were
six 'other' crimes that are not
explained in detail.
That was in December. January saw
a drop during the first two weeks of
the month with no crimes reported.
One could conclude that Histon and
Impington are pretty good places to
live. That, of course, is no surprise
to those who live here. Villages north
of the A14 are far less prone to crime
than our neighbours to the south of
the motorway. One explanation is
that population density drops
considerably once outside the city.
However, another picture emerges if
you flip through the pages of the HI
Courier every month. What do you
see? A village that actively engages
in the business of 'community
building'. Dozens of local groups,
young people achieving their goals,
art, concerts, organisations of every
type, the annual Histon Feast week,
active and very visible councillors, a
new film club, tremendously active
religous communities, talks, a sense
of community history, involved
village businesses, lessons of every
descriptions, self-improvement
activities, sports of all types - just to
name a few of the things covered in
this issue alone.
Can we do better? Yes, of course.
There are big changes ahead, and
many challenges. That's nothing
new. We prosper when we work
together. Building community
creates a better life for all.
HI CourierThe local community newspaper for Histon and Impington
February 2011Issue 18www.HIcourier.co.ukFREE
Book Review Stutes WIN! History Cricket Camp more
HI CourierVillageSupportSaves HistonLibrary
Nothing to ReportPolice Crime Map Goes Online. How Are We Doing?
After a thorough public
consultation and review, Histon
library and it's staff appear to be
safe, at least for the present, from
Cambridge County Council cuts.
Histon scored high in community
and performance standards and
overall ranked 5th out of 25 County
libraries. Villagers helped by voicing
their opinions at meetings and on
survey forms during the public
consultation.
One of the overall goals of the
County Council is to make use of
volunteers to staff libraries in future.
Over 1800 people across the county
registered interest in becoming
unpaid library volunteers.
The County Council is aiming to cut
a total of £3.2 million over the next 5
year out of the library budget. That
amounts to £640,000 per year or
about £26,000 of cuts for each of the
25 libraries. That equates to a saving
of 14p per household per week in
Histon and Impington.
We understood that libraries will be
run by an independent Trust in
future.
HI Courier Stops Traffic on Park Lane
Busway signal stops car traffic on Park Lane whenpeople walk near track.
Open Gardens 2011 HI Film ClubIVC's 50th
HI Courier's editor inadvertently stopped traffic running
along Park Lane while photographing the busway track looking
at reported defects. He somehow fooled the signal into thinking
he was a guided bus which changed the normally green signal on
Park Lane to red! Further investigation revealed that anyone
walking or cycling along the side of the busway track causes the
signal to stop traffic.
This is a busway problem first identified in Orchard Park during
peak rush hour in mid December. No other mention has been
made of problems in other areas. The busway people have been
notified and will hopefully correct the problem soon. In the
meantime, use caution when approaching busway junctions and
don't be tempted to jump RED signals on the assumption there
is no bus coming. Someday there might be.
2 NEWSFebruary 2011 www.HIcourier.co.ukHI Courier InfoThis is your local paper and we need your
help to keep it going. We have many jobs to
do each month and always need help. If you
would like to volunteer please contact us.
News
Please send your news, photos and stories to
Advertising
We need ADVERTISING revenue to cover
the printing costs of the paper - all ‘staff’ are
volunteers working for FREE! Please
support the HI Courier by advertising with
us - prices are very reasonable, from only
£11! E-mail your advertising copy to
Submitting copy/adverts
Submit copy for editorial by email to
[email protected] - advert booking
forms are available on the website at
www.HIcourier.co.uk/help
Delivery
We need volunteers to distribute the paper:
if you are able to deliver papers for us in
your area please contact Elaine Farrell at
07855 314666 or by email to
Deadline for March issue:
22 February (published 3rd March)
Diary dates 2011
For information about village events, see
www.HIcourier.co.uk/events
Please send us information about your
community events so we can place them on
our calendar and cover them in the HI
Courier. Send to: [email protected]
Contacting Us
Post:
Histon Impington Courier Ltd*
Hollyoak-Middlewhite Building,
St Georges Way
Impington CB24 9AF
Telephone: 07904 876445
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: www.HIcourier.co.uk
*a not-for-profit company run by volunteers
The HI Courier is a community newspaper
and we encourage you to submit articles and
news. Priority is given to news and ads from
Histon and Impington, then surrounding
areas as space permits. We adhere to the
Code of Practice issued by the Press
Complaints Commission. If you have any
complaints, or comments about how we can
provide better service to the community,
please write to the address above or call
07904 876445. For daily and weekly news
updates please visit our online edition at
www.HIcourier.co.uk
(C) Copyright 2011 by Histon Impington
Courier Ltd. unless otherwise noted.
IMPINGTON PARISH COUNCIL:
Chairman:
D.W. Payne, Impington Lane - 233577
ViceChairman:
B. S. Ing, Woodcock Close - 234291
Members:
H.S. Abdullah, South Road - 235989
N.S. Davies, Dwyer Joyce Cl., Histon - 232514
P.A. Manser, The Crescent - 232263
P. J. Nudds, Clay Close Lane - 237155
G. S Payne, Ambrose Way - 510546
A. Turnbull, Mill Lane - 473478
HISTON PARISH COUNCIL:
Chairman:
I M Parish, Church Street - 234486
Vice-Chairman:
J P Emmines, Kay Hitch Way - 236932
Members:
M C Cleaver, High Street - 232897
N S Davies, Dwyer Joyce Close -232514
J A Diplock, Oates Way - 503048
J J Dover, The Green - 237171
A J Eade, School Hill - 232296
C J Foster, Clay Street - 234156
C L Jones, Station Road - 515031
D. N. Legge, Villa Road, Impington - 233565
I. A. Levitt, Spring Close - 232055
D. V. Marston, Dwyer Joyce Close - 236131
R. S. Plumbly, Pease Way - 236313
E. W. Stonham, Normanton Way - 232345
D. J. Thurman, Pease Way - 237477
CLERKto theCOUNCIL:
Angela Young - 235906
The Parish Office:
Histon & Impington Recreation Ground
NewRoad
Impington
Cambridge
CB24 9LU
HISTON and IMPINGTON PARISH COUNCILS - CONTACT DETAILS
Found: Gold Earring
Distinctively shaped gold hoop
earring (almost V-shaped) was
found on Station Road, Histon,
near the doctors' surgery, Friday
7th January. Please claim from
Histon Police Station.
Sixteen gardens in Histon and Impington will be
open on Sunday 12th June for Open Gardens
Day. Eight are new to the scheme with a wide
variety of gardens ranging from mature and
traditional to modern and contemporary. Past
visitors will be able to re-visit some of their
favourite gardens and enjoy familiar
surroundings.
The Open Gardens Plant Group are busy
year–round and, despite the extreme cold and
challenges in over-wintering cuttings and plants,
they are preparing for sales of an extensive
variety of plants in the spring, as well as their
usual grand Plant Sale on Saturday 11th June -
the day before the Open Gardens.
They are also busy potting up bulbs, many of
which have been kindly donated by Oakington
Garden Centre. If you are splitting bulbs and are
able to donate any, or indeed any other plants
suitable for sale, please contact Sharon Chivers,
235069. All proceeds of the plant sales will be
split between the four charities that Open
Gardens is supporting in 2011: Histon Feast,
EACH, Emmaus UK and VSO.
Details of sales of bulbs and plants will be
available soon, or keep in touch via our website
www.opengardens.org
- Val Robson
Open Gardens 2011SundayJune 12th
3www.HIcourier.co.ukNEWS February 2011
Impington Village College’s 50th annual art
exhibition will take place during the spring
half-term from the 19th to the 23rd of
February. As in previous years, it will feature
over 300 works by local artists in a wide variety
of materials and styles. The exhibits will be for
sale at prices from £30. upwards.
The first exhibition took place in 1959, when
some friends of the college bought a painting
by Mervyn Roe, a local artist and former
student of the college. This was the first of their
many contributions to the College’s art
collection and, to mark the event’s 50th year,
the main exhibition will be accompanied by a
retrospective of works purchased for the
College over the years. There will also be a
display of student art, offering a flavour of
what we might expect to see in years to come.
At the private view from 7.00 - 9.00 pm on
Saturday the 19th of February, visitors will be
able to view the exhibits and meet some of the
artists. The £3 ticket (available at the door) will
include a catalogue (normally costing £1.50),
along with complimentary wine and snacks. A
musical accompaniment will be provided by
Richard Compston, a former organ scholar at
Trinity College who has recently returned from
a concert tour in the USA.
Sunday 20 February: 2.00 - 6.00 pm
Monday 21 February: 2.00 - 4.00 pm and 7.00 -
9.00 pm
Tuesday 22 February: 2.00 - 4.00 pm and 7.00 -
9.00 pm
Wednesday 23 February: 2.00 to 4.00 pm
The event is organised by the IVC Parent, Staff
and Friends Association, a local charity, which
rises money for the college. Each year about
£3,000 worth of paintings are sold and the
commission on the sales is used to support the
work of the College.
Impington’s 50th Art Exhibition
Amy Seaman from 3rd Histon Guides was
presented her BADEN POWELL
CHALLENGE AWARD by Liz Burnley the
Chief Guide at the International Centenary
Camp held at Hereward House. Amy is the
first Guide in the Histon unit to complete this
award for many years.
The Baden Powell Challenge is the highest
award a Guide can achieve. Girls have to have
made their Promise, completed at least two
Guide Challenge badges and gained at least
two interest badges to show her commitment
to Guiding before they can start work on this
award.
The challenge is divided into five zones:
Healthy Lifestyles - to encourage Guides to
lead a healthy lifestyle by promoting physical,
emotional and spiritual well-being.
Global Awareness – to increase awareness of
global issues and of the contribution each girl
can make.
Discovery – to challenge Guides with new
experiences and adventure.
Skills and Relationships – to develop Guides
self-confidence and self worth and to improve
their interpersonal and life skills.
Celebrating Diversity – to promote active
citizenship among Guides, develop their
awareness of rights and responsibilities for all.
Girls have to plan, organise and complete ten
clauses from these zones.
To complete the award girls have to take part in
a Baden-Powell Adventure. These are usually
residential events. Amy went to Newmarket for
her adventure.
Amy Seaman Earns Challenge Award
The Ark Toddler group celebrated its 1st
birthday on 20th January.
The Ark meets weekly at Histon Baptist church
on Thursdays from 9.15 -11.30. Children enjoy
craft, messy play, toys and singing, whilst the
parents are supplied with endless tea, coffee
and cakes. The group, run by volunteers from
the church, has now been open for 1 year and
regularly welcomes over 20 families through its
doors. One mum commented: ’It’s excellent,
brilliant and fun and the kids love it! ’
The event was marked with a birthday cake
enjoyed by everyone especially one of its
regular attenders who celebrated his 3rd
birthday on the day.
The Ark is open to anyone with children from
birth to pre-school. For more information
contact Bonny Rogers 237946, Gill Day
720733 or Kate Farmer 07507567893
Ark Toddler Group's 1st Birthday
Audrie Reed, Impington film producer and
founder of Beautiful Memories will be
exhibiting at Who Do You Think You Are?
LIVE at Olympia from the 25-27 February
2011. She will be featuring her newest product
- family documentaries using historical data,
photographs, images and stories. Many of you
will know Audrie from her work as a zone
manager for HI Courier. If you are going, stop
by and say hello and be in to win your own
Family History on Film worth £150.
Who Do You ThinkYou Are?
4 NEWSFebruary 2011 www.HIcourier.co.ukParish Council ReportsHISTON PARISH COUNCIL
Histon Parish Council did not meet in January
but will meet on Monday 14 February at St
Audrey’s Close Community Centre, starting at
7.30 p.m. Minutes as always are available to
view on the website, in Histon Library or from
the Parish Office. Steve Wilkinson, former
Parish Council Chairman for Histon, will
present the Council with a Quality Council
certificate at the meeting
However, committees have continued to meet
and recent issues dealt with or due to be raised
at Council include:
• It is understood that the proposed cycleway at
the rear of Manor Park will no longer be
provided.
• Problems seen with the cycleway north of the
Green have been reported to County Council.
• A group of Councillors has started to look at
improvements to the play area on the Village
Green.
• Flooding issues at the Council’s allotment
site in Gatehouse Road (between Histon and
Girton) are being assessed.
The Council is looking at grant funding to add
to the Christmas light display on the Green for
future years. The current display is funded
entirely by the Parish Council with the
Christmas tree and tree lights very kindly
organised by the Histon Feast Committee.
An order has been
made for the bay
lining to be newly
painted in the High
Street car park, now
leased to the Parish
Council to ensure it can continue to be
available for community use.
The Council will decide the Precept level for
Histon residents for 2011 – 2012 based on
expected spending.
IMPINGTON PARISH COUNCIL
Met on 17 January 2011 and will next meet on
Monday 21 February at St Andrews Church
Hall, Burgoynes Road, Impington, where they
will be re-accredited as a Quality Council.
Everyone is welcome to attend to listen to the
Council debate, or to raise issues of concern at
the Open Forum at the start of each meeting.
There are still 3 vacancies on the Council and
any interested resident is urged to contact the
Parish Office to discuss this opportunity to get
more involved in village life.
Issues recently raised :
• Idea for possible provision of 30mph
adhesive signs for use, for instance, on wheelie
bins along the B1049. If you are interested in
taking part in such an initiative contact the
clerk Angela Young at the parish office on
235906 or by email [email protected].
• The Probation Service team continues to visit
Impington regularly and have recently carried
out some good work in Homefield Park
• SCDC has offered 2 new trees to the Parish
Council to replace some suffering in the
village. The Environment Committee will work
towards getting these planted.
• The Council has agreed to request a Precept
from SCDC of £112,500. This is a small,
below inflation increase over last year, and
means an extra £1.81 a year for a Band D
property, a 0.12% increase in overall Council
Tax. Nevertheless, the Council has increased
its budget for youth work, made provision for
possible extra spend on services for the elderly,
and allowed a contingency sum for other, as yet
unknown, community items.
PLANNING APPLICATIONS
Recent Planning applications received from
SCDC and considered at regular Planning
Committee meetings (Impington Tuesday
evenings and Histon Thursday evenings). All
applications to the Planning Authority are
available to inspect at the parish office and are
also normally available to view on the SCDC
website.
HISTON:
Council recommended approval of:
S/2189/10 Premier Foods Limited, Premier
Foods, Chivers way – Raising of roof height of
factory to allow the installation of jam
manufacturing equipment.
S/2234/10 Mr Ben Croucher, 15 Merton
Road – Demolition of existing rear flat roof
extension and erection of pitched roof
extension to rear.
Refusal was recommended for:
S/2258/10 Histon Parochial Church
Council, St Andrews Church Halls, School Hill
– Partial demolition of unlisted C19 and early
C20 buildings. Refurbishment and extension of
remaining to form new Church Halls, meeting
rooms, church office and café . Reason:
Application premature, concerns over parking
and design.
IMPINGTON:
To be considered at meeting due 25 January:
S/2231/10 Mr Jonathon Chatfield, 2 Parr
Close – Single storey side extension to
dwelling.
S/2273/10 Mrs Ruth Allgood, Cambridge
Spire Lea Hospital, New Road – Extension to
existing Car Park.
S/2276/10 Mr Bob Tonks, 2 Pepys Terrace –
Erection of dwelling.
S/2258/10 Histon Parochial Church
Council, St Andrews Church Halls, School
Hill, Histon – Partial demolition of unlisted
C19 and early C20 buildings. Refurbishment
and extension of remaining to form new
Church Halls, meeting rooms, church office
and café.
Joint matters affecting both Parish Councils:
• Disappointment over closure of Special
Needs Unit at the Infants School.
• Councillors attend regular Forums and
Meetings at Cambourne looking at liaison with
Parish Councils and services from SDCD
departments.
• The new Chief Executive at SCDC has visited
the villages for a tour with the elected District
Councillors for Histon and Impington.
• Both Councils welcomed input from residents
on spending decisions facing them for the
coming year. Opinions were received from
some who felt they could not afford to pay
extra towards services, as well as from those
who were prepared to pay more in order to
maintain the current level of services
• Attendance at the Connections Bus Project at
IVC on Fridays has fallen over recent months.
The Parish Councils highlight this cannot
continue to be subsidised unless numbers
increase. All young people aged 11 to 19 are
welcome - 7pm till 9pm on Fridays.
• Some Council members will be
representatives on a newly formed group – The
Older Persons Forum (HIAFOP). Details
from Neil Davies C 232514
• Councillors continue to look closely at
appropriate ways of the 2 Parish Councils
joining together in the future.
• Both Parish Council Chairmen were invited
to talk to the Village Society at their AGM in
January.
The recreation ground is managed by the
Parish Councils. The Community Room in the
pavilion is available for hire for meetings,
seminars etc., children’s parties and family
functions. Also available for leisure class hire.
Kitchen facilities are included. For further
information and all bookings for facilities at
the recreation ground, please call Lynda Marsh
on 01223 232423 or email on
Established groups at the Recreation Centre :
BABY YOGA – Tuesday mornings from 11.15
am. A popular session for mums and babies.
Details from 07985 947328
PILATES – Tuesday mornings 9.30 a.m.;
Thursdays 6.30 p.m. Excellent for lower back
problems, Osteoporosis etc. Experienced
teacher. Details from 07758 990940
PILATES – New Time! – Thursdays mornings
10 a.m. Details from 07852 539160
BABY SING & SIGN – Friday mornings 10
a.m. Babies as young as 6 months are learning
to sign through music & fun - Email
WOODCRAFT FOLK – Pioneer Group –
Monday evenings 5.45pm for 10 – 12 year
olds. The aim is to have great fun while
developing children’s self confidence. Details
from [email protected]
Newer bookings for the recreation centre at
the ground in NewRoad, Impington:
ZUMBA - A new exciting fitness dance class is
attracting over 20 keen participants each week
but there is room for more! Please note that
the class on Wednesday, 2nd February, will be
held at IVC Sports Centre at 5.30pm, for this
week only. Classes then return to the
Recreation Centre at 6.30pm . No experience
required, and pay as you go at £5 per session.
Details contact Katie on 07980 429730
FIRST CLASS LEARNING – Maths and
English Tuition every Saturday morning from
5 February. For information Tel 01223 902081
Established activities on the Recreation
Ground:
FRIDAY HEALTHY WALKING GROUP –
Every Friday at 9.45am to 10.45am. with a
trained instructor. Open for all ages, although
current membership tends to be the over 60’s.
New members welcome. Pay as you go at
£3.50 per session
HISTON BOOT CAMP – Monday, Tuesday
and Thursday evenings from 6.15pm. Fun
exercise programmes run by qualified trainer.
Details from 07545 284928
Next month look out for details of contacts for
membership ofclubs using the facilities
Histon Allotments
Play area equipment
Recreation Ground News
5www.HIcourier.co.ukNEWS February 2011
Anyone can have an accident at home. Do
you ever wonder, if that happened, how
people would know who to contact? And
whether you have special medication or
allergies or not?
Message in a Bottle (MIAB) can help, and
it’s free. MIAB is really simple. There’s an
easy information sheet that you fill in. You
put that, and any repeat prescriptions you
may have, in the bottle - and you put the
bottle in your fridge. The bottle comes with
stickers - one for the fridge and one for the
inside of your front door that alert the
emergency services that you’ve got a MIAB,
and where to find it. Why the fridge - well,
almost everyone’s got one, and it’s usually
in the kitchen - so MIAB is easy to find - it’s
nearly always in the same place.
Working through our local Lions Club the
PPG has arranged for a supply of MIABs to
be available from pharmacies in Cottenham,
Histon and Impington. These are FREE - so
if you would like one, just ask next time you
visit - or ask for one to be delivered with
your prescription.
- A PPG Initiative
supported by the
Lions Club, East Anglia
Message in a Bottle
HI Film ClubHICCA warmly invites you to join the
inaugural meeting of the HI Film Club. Over
the next six months there will be monthly
sreenings of important films related to climate
change and the goal of building a secure and
more comfortable life for ourselves and our
families. The first film in the series is 'HOME’
the incredible visual masterpiece by aerial
photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand. You
have probably seen his acclaimed book "The
Earth From Above". This film expands upon
that work and gives us an unusual and
beautiful portrait of our Home planet. One
viewer at a recent screening said: "I have heard
about climate change and global warming
from the TV but until seeing this film I never
realised how delicate the web of life on our
Earth is." This is a film of enormous vistas and
everlasting hope.
The screening will take place at The Stables, St
Andrews Church, Histon, on Wednesday
March 9th @ 7.30 pm. It will be followed by a
discussion for those wanting more
information. Tea, Coffee and Homemade
Cakes. Space is limited to about 25 people per
showing. Admission is FREE. Everyone is
invited. HOME is particularly recommended
for those who would like to understand more
about climate change and its effect on the
Earth and for those who are skeptial about the
science behind global warming. Please reserve
your place by contacting Paul Christie via
email at [email protected]
The HI Film Club will present one film each
month between February and June.
Recent "HOME" reviews:
“This is just the most beautiful, moving and
sensational documentary I have ever seen.
Beautiful for its aerial pictures from all over
the world. Moving because Yann Arthus-
Bertrand is talking about our home: Earth."
"We all live in the same precious place. And
you just can not help being touched by this
common point we all share, the link with our
land."
"This film has been called 'sensational'
because you learn a lot of things about how we,
by our over consumption, are tragically
destroying such a wonderful place, the result of
4 billions years of evolution, and also how we
can change things to build a better future.”
"Don’t miss the chance to see this incredible
film."
6 NEWSFebruary 2011 www.HIcourier.co.uk
New Life Church (NLC) have just opened an
office in the heart of the village.
Situated in the High Street above Lighthouse
Toys, the new NLC offices provide work space
for the fast-growing church’s Pastors, Youth
Pastor and youth interns, as well as a
comfortable meeting space for informal
gatherings.
“We definitely couldn’t have our Sunday
church services here!” Youth Pastor Ben
Rawley laughs “Those are still at 3pm at
Histon Baptist Church – but we do need space
to be able to have some smaller meetings, as
well as provide a base for programmes such as
Marriage and Parenting courses, and some
much-needed storage space.”
As Ben points out, before the offices opened,
the church was being run for over six years
from the Pastors’ house: “Now my parents can
have their dining room back!” he chuckles.
“But most importantly, we now have a place
where people can actually find us outside of
our Sunday afternoon meeting times. We are
no longer a ‘virtual church! ’”
Pastor Carole Rawley feels that the location of
the office at the centre of Histon is also very
significant: “Our vision for the office was to
have a base in the heart of the village from
which we can work with our friends in the
other churches to help deliver God’s message
of love to the hearts of people in Histon and
Impington. So this space is just ideal.”
The office is located at 10 High Street, Histon,
CB24 9JD. Tel: (01223) 234238. Or vistit
www.newlifechurchcambridge.org for more
details.
Serving The Heart Of Histon
On Friday, 4 March, the Women's Day of
Prayer will be held at St. Andrew's Church,
Histon at 2.30 p.m. Members from all the
women's groups of the five village churches
will take part. The service has been written by
the christian women of Chile on their chosen
theme of "How many loaves have you?" This is
appropriate as they eat bread at every meal.
The day of prayer begins on the International
Date Line, the first service at Queen Salote's
Girls School in Tonga. Then a 'Mexican wave'
of prayer spreads over the Pacific to Fiji and
New Zealand. The same service in sixty
languages will be used all around the world in
over 170 countries , the last being the island of
Samoa.
This is an interdenominational service. The
speaker will be the Rev'd Ali Walton. All are
invited to join us, women and men as well.
The whole service is about Chile and its
problems and life. For more details please
contact Margaret Wood on 235492 or email
The Choir 2000 Spring programme is totally
different from anything the choir has sung
before.
Will Todd’s jazzy Mass in Blue and a concert
version of Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess are a
departure from the standard choral repertoire
and, we hope, will appeal to a wide and varied
audience.
The Mass in Blue will be accompanied by the
‘Choir 2000 Big Band’, and Porgy and Bess by
the Cambridge Sinfonietta. The soloists
Maureen Braithwaite (soprano) and Andrew
McIntosh (bass) are both ethnic singers and
will bring the authentic style and vocal
character to the performances.
Mass in Blue and Porgy and Bess will be
performed at the fully refurbished Histon
Baptist Church with its comfortable seating
on Friday 18 and Saturday 19 March at
8.00pm.
Tickets @ £10.00, concessions £8.00,
students £5.00, are available from Jane’s
Frames and the Histon Beauty Studio. Under
16s accompanied by an adult are admitted free
of charge.
You can also get your tickets from members of
Choir 2000 or reserve them by phone (01223
561635) or e-mail:
Choir 2000 Spring ConcertYouth Pastor Ben Rawley at his deskInformal meeting area
Women's Day of Prayer
7www.HIcourier.co.ukNEWS February 2011
KEEP ACTIVEAT THE LEGIONLine DancingMonday 7pm
Keep FitTuesday 9.30-11 .30am
Rosemary Conley FitnessWednesday 6-9pm
Tea DancesTuesday 2-4pm
22-24 Saffron Road, Histon
TEL: 01 223 233447
Mums and dads-to-be in the Cambridge area
will now have an extra chance to ask questions
and plan ahead for pregnancy and the birth of
their babies. A group of local antenatal &
breastfeeding specialists are working together
to offer a free early pregnancy class for women
and their birth partners. It’s targeted at women
who are between 12 & 22 weeks pregnant and
will allow women and their partners to discuss
antenatal care, healthy eating, choosing where
to have your baby, the changes that pregnancy
brings and much more.
Victoria Ward, who runs her own business
offering antenatal & baby yoga classes, is one
of the teachers of the classes. She explains
“Three of us – myself, Sally Lomas from Joyful
Babies and Sarah Allen of Bumpercise &
Aquatots, are local teachers who meet
pregnant women and new mums on a weekly
basis. We often come across people who wish
they’d had more information earlier in their
pregnancy, especially when they realise the
choices available to them around things like
choosing which antenatal tests to have and
where to have their baby. We liked the idea of
working together to offer a free class for people
to come along to and ask some of those
questions, as well as meeting other expectant
parents and having a sociable evening.”
Sarah Oakley, a breastfeeding counsellor and
lactation consultant explains her involvement:
“I usually see women after they’ve had their
baby but there’s so much information that they
would find useful before the birth of their baby.
I’m looking forward to meeting people at an
early stage of pregnancy and being able to offer
them advice throughout pregnancy, once their
baby is born and when they’re looking at
introducing food to their baby at six months or
later.”
Ely mum, Philippa Green, has just given birth
to her first baby and adds “I wish I’d been able
to ask questions earlier in my
pregnancy. There was a lot I
wanted to know but had to find
out for myself from books or by
asking friends. It would have been
great to meet some more
pregnant women, too.”
Classes will run throughout 2011
at different venues around Ely
and Cambridge. It’s completely
free to attend & all participants
will receive a Mama Pack goody
bag, full of pregnancy-related
treats. To book a place, contact
Victoria on 01954 204742 or
e-mail: bookings@
cambridgeshirebirth.co.uk
More information can be found at
www.cambridgeshirebirth.co.uk
New Year, New Baby?
Sally Lomas (top left). Sarah Oakley (top right)Sarah Allen (bottom left), Victoria Ward (bottom right)
Dog fouling is still a problem and was
discussed at a recent meeting of Homefield
Close and Hereward Close Residents Group.
Most dog owners do pick up there dog's poo
and dispose of it properly, but there is a
minority who don’t. Our main concern is that
disease can be given to adults and children,
also other dogs, Some dog walkers when
politely asked to pick it up have been very rude.
We would kindly ask all dog walkers to please
pick up your dog's poo and dispose of it ether
in the bins marked for this or take it home and
dispose of it,
- Geoff Lawrence
Homefield Close and Hereward Close
Residents Group
Dog Fouling
I have been out patrolling the beat areas both
on foot and in vehicles. I have been carrying
these patrols out around the High street, the
Green and Station road. This was to continue
with the monitoring of the parking problems in
these areas.
The patrols have continued in relation to
parking in Station Rd and Dwyer-Joyce Close
caused by vehicles parking on double yellow
lines. Over the past week I am glad to report
that I have noticed a great reduction in the
amount of cars parking and causing problems.
There have been none. I am putting this down
to the amount of time that all of the local
officers have spent in the area issuing words of
advice and Fixed Penalty Notices.
The driver who assaulted a member of the
team while he carried out his duties in Station
Road, in connection with the double yellow
lines has attended Cambridge Magistrates
Court and been found guilty.
I have completed speed checks over the last
few weeks in Park Lane and Glebe Way. This
has been done in the rush hour traffic. I am
very surprised to only have caught two
offenders. Maybe the speeding message is
getting through. If there are any areas in the
villages that you would like me to check please
let me know.
Update on the series of thefts from CO-Ops in
the area. A man was arrested over Christmas
in relation to our investigations along with a
whole string of thefts across South and East
Cambs. This male has now admitted all of the
offences.
More Good News…. For the second week this
year we have had no crimes reported.
Please also put a reminder in your diary about
the next panel meeting. This will be at 7:30 pm
on the 12th April in Waterbeach. The venue is
to be confirmed.
- PCSO Tony Martin
Late report from PCSO Martin received as
we go to press - 02 February: "This week we
have had 3 crimes reported: A girls cycle was
taken from an unlocked rear garden shed; two
batteries have been stolen from an Isuzu tipper
truck; rubble was thrown over a fence from the
guided bus way smashing the windshield of an
Iveco van."
For thesecond weekthis year wehave had no
crimesreported
PCSO Tony Martin ReportsOn Saturday 26 February 8.00pm, and after
a break of three years, the popular Choir 2000
Variety Show returns to the Histon Baptist
Church.
The beautifully refurbished venue now offers
comfortable chairs instead of the hard pews,
cosy underfloor heating, and a greatly
increased performing area.
Members of Choir 2000 and friends are
looking forward to ‘letting their hair down’
and will perform a variety of popular songs,
choruses and instrumental items. This time,
the audience will be invited to join in at
various times and, as usual, light refreshments
will be served during the interval.
Tickets @ £5.00, under 16s £2.00, will be
available on the door and include
refreshments.
Beat the winter gloom and join us in an
evening of companionship and fun!
- Beatrix Bown, Choir 2000
Variety ShowChoir 2000
8 NEWSFebruary 2011 www.HIcourier.co.uk
My old pet is getting
thin. What should I do?
Pet Column:
Do you sleep with your pets? Many people
do. I have been known to find the occasional cat
on my bed when I wake up. It is well
documented that pets can be of great benefit to
our health; dogs encourage their owners to get
out for exercise and to socialise, stroking
animals will lower blood pressure and
cholesterol and the companionship of animals
can be a great source of comfort to those who
are lonely. People with mental health problems
such as depression can also find the
unconditional affection shown a pet to be most
helpful. Dogs and sometimes other animals are
invited into hospitals and care homes, after
health checks and routine worm and flea
treatments.
However, there are potential risks, especially
for young children, the elderly and those who
are immunocompromised. These risks are
small and can be managed by good preventative
veterinary care and personal hygiene but it is
good to be aware of them. Zoonoses (diseases
which can be transmitted from animals to
humans) are sometimes very serious and
occasionally fatal.
Kissing your pet or allowing them to lick you is
inviting trouble. For example, cat scratch
disease, caused by the bacterial infection
Bartonella henselae, is transmitted by fleas and
flea faeces. It can easily be passed from the lick,
bite or scratch of a cat, or even by the cat
walking over a kitchen worktop which is not
disinfected before food is placed on it. Most of
the victims of this disease are children. It can
cause swelling of the lymph nodes and
sometimes serious damage to the liver, kidney
and spleen of humans. Most cats are
fastidiously clean but the litter tray they just
dug in is not and the poor rodents they catch
are usually carrying plenty of bacteria or
parasites such as worms. Whatever your dog
rolled in at the park was not very hygienic
either!
There are some interesting anecdotes about the
diseases people have contracted from their pets:
• A man was seriously ill after allowing his
German Shepherd dog to lick open sores on his
hands
• A woman died of kidney failure resulting from
an infection caused by her cat, with whom she
slept, licking open sores on her toes and feet
• A nine year old boy (in Arizona, USA) caught
plague after sleeping with his flea-infested cat.
• Each year several people loose a finger due to
untreated infection from a cat bite
• A few people, mainly children, have their sight
severely impaired by the Toxocara worm which
can be found in some dog faeces
ALL OF THESE PROBLEMS
COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED.
It can work the other way round too; a
young man turned out to be the
source of his dog's extensive fungal
skin infection – he used the Jack
Russell Terrier as a footstool while
watching television and shared his
athlete's foot with his pet. Most cases
of MRSA in pets (fortunately still
rare) come from a human carrier in
their own household.
What Can be Done?
People, especially the very young,
elderly or those with a weak immune
system, should be discouraged from
kissing or sleeping with their pet or
allowing it to lick them.
Any area licked by a pet, particularly an open
wound, should be washed immediately with
soap and water.
Pregnant women in particular should avoid
sleeping with pets as diseases such as
toxoplasmosis can affect the unborn child.
Pets should be regularly treated to keep them
free from fleas and worms.
All pets should receive regular health
examinations.
All but the most superficial cat and dog bites
should receive proper medical attention, as
should any minor scratch or bite where the
redness is spreading or which is making the
person unwell or feverish.
In my opinion the benefits of keeping pets far
outweigh the risks; I've been a vet for 25 years
and never caught anything serious from a
patient or a pet of my own – but I'm also very
good at washing my hands!
- Paula Dean BVSc MRCVS
Q My Pet is Becoming Thin – It's Just Old Age,
Isn't It?
Well, not necessarily. A lot of pets become thinner
as they age but often this is an indication of one
or more problems.
The digestive system of many older animals is
less efficient. This means they will lose weight
even if they eat the same amount of the same food
they have eaten for years as they are not able to
digest and absorb so many of the nutrients. It's a
good idea to feed a “senior” diet which contains
highly digestible food which will give your pet
better nutrition. Many of these senior diets also
contain products such as antioxidants which slow
down the ageing process and changes which can
lead to cancer and supplements to ease aching
joints.
An older animal might have a reduced appetite.
This can be for many reasons, including most of
the diseases mentioned below.
Dental disease can make it difficult or painful for
your dog or cat to eat but their appetite and
therefore their weight will improve once they have
received the proper treatment.
Pain caused by other problems such as arthritis
can also put your pet off eating.
Diseases of the heart, liver and kidneys can cause
weight loss for other reasons as well as a reduced
appetite. If the heart is not working properly it
cannot provide a good blood supply to the rest of
the body which then does not work so well. The
liver has many functions including the processing
of digested food. Liver disease usually results in
significant weight loss. Kidney disease can
reduce appetite due to nausea and
mouth/stomach ulcers and will leak vital proteins
into the urine.
Many health problems can cause vomiting which
obviously interferes with the intake of nutrients.
Many older cats will develop an overactive
thyroid gland. Too much thyroid hormone causes
all the body processes to work much faster so
calories are burnt off faster than they can be
taken in. It also makes the heart work too fast and
can cause heart failure.
Diabetes mellitus is an increasingly recognised
problem in dogs and cats and can cause weight
loss as the body is unable to utilise the glucose
which comes from digested carbohydrates.
Cancer will usually cause loss of weight at some
stage in the disease and is more common in older
cats and dogs.
The good news is that many of these problems
can be treated, sometimes giving your old pet a
new lease of life for possibly a few years. It is
important that the correct diagnosis is made and
often blood tests are necessary. Sometimes the
situation can be complicated if your pet has more
than one problem. If your pet is losing weight the
sooner it sees a vet to find out what the problem
is the more likely it will be to respond well to
treatment.
Sleeping with Pets
Photo by Csuka András
9www.HIcourier.co.ukNEWS February 2011
Solar PV arrays are popping up all over the
village. At least a dozen roofs are already
equipped and producing electricity with
another 30 homes waiting to join the ranks of
the "PV generation" over the next 6 weeks.
Photovoltaic panels, or PV for short, convert
sunlight into useable home electricity. What's
not used by the occupants is exported to the
national grid for others to use. And, of course,
you are paid for it.
As we have mentioned in previous articles, the
new Feed-in-Tariff (FiT) provides real economic
incentives to anyone able to afford installing
them on their roof.
The HI Courier first brought this to the
attention of the village in September 2010. The
'Village Energy Project' has since been flooded
with calls and emails from people wanting to
join. The Project has researched and
interviewed dozens of companies offering to fit
out roofs with all sorts of solar panels. The
focus has been to unify the community into a
buying group to force down prices and, even
more important, to guarantee that work and
products are of the highest quality.
The project is divided into three categories:
Feed-in-Tariff (FiT) installations, Domestic
Rent-a-roof schemes, Schools and Public
Buildings.
For those who are looking for a safe, stable tax
free investment with a good returnd, indexed to
inflation for the next 25 years, the government's
FiT plan is definitely worth considering even
though it has the highest up-front costs. You
pay to have solar PV panels installed on your
roof and the government then guarantees
payment of 41.3p per kWh generated. You are
free the use the electricity the panels generate
even while being paid for that generation. It
rounds out to between 8 percent and 10 percent
return on your investment.
Rent-a-Roof schemes are another alternative.
This relies on investors to pay for the solar PV
installation on your roof. They get the FiT and
you get free electricity from your roof during
the day. Depending on the size and orientation
of your roof this could add up to a savings of
£100-500 on your annual electricity bill.
Money for nothing really. The problem is that
most companies offering this are very selective
on the type and location of roofs they will
install. Village Energy Project has been
negotiating with two national companies and
two local companies to provide a rent-a-roof
scheme for Histon and Impington. Talks are
ongoing and are expected to yield results very
soon.
The third category involves schools and public
buildings. Last week the Project received word
that one of it's key proposals had been accepted
and one company is willing to install up to
100,000 W(p) solar PV on any of our schools
with an appropriate roof. Village Energy
Project expects to be meeting with school heads
in the weeks ahead to arrange for surveys and
hopefully to schedule installations as early as
possible. This could save schools hundreds to
thousands of pounds per year on their
electricity bills.
Ken Doyle, HI Courier editor and Project leader
said: "The village has been flooded with
telephone calls and flyers offering to install
solar PV on roofs - some of those are charging
exorbitant prices for inferior quality
equipment. The feed-in-tariff is a 25 year long
programme and you have to be sure that the
equipment is capable of operating fault-free for
a long time." Some residents have already
reported 'pushy' salesmen offering deals valid
'today only' which are usually priced one and a
half to two times the prices offered by the
Project's vendors. Doyle said: "Village Energy
Project brings together villagers into a single
buying unit to lower costs and guarantee
quality." Everyone will get at least three quotes
and each homeowner can decide which, if any,
is appropriate for them. There no obligation to
accept any quote.
To register your interest, please email:
Village EnergyProject News
Just to let you know that since the Installation on 23/11/2010, we have generated
approx. 70 kWh's of electricity. We are now fully registered for the Feed-in-Tariff with
British Gas and we notify them on the 24th February 2011 and then on the 24th in May,
August and November with our readings and then a cheque comes back to us for the
electricity generated. Obviously the first quarter will be lower that the next three, but it is
amazing that even at this time of year we have been generating up to 4 kWh's per day on
bright sunny days. - Cedric Foster
Letter: PV Performance This Winter
[Editor's note: Solar PV will generate some power even on cloudy days and during the heavy overcastskies we experience in winter. However, the majority of power will be generated during the Spring,Summer and early Autumn period. Cedric will see big increases over the next few months.]
1 0 NEWSFebruary 2011 www.HIcourier.co.uk
The Histon Feast Committee annual general
meeting will be held on Thursday 17th
February 2011 at the Salvation Army Hall in
Impington. All members of the community
are invited to the meeting. Refreshments will
be available.
Applicants for funding have been invited to
come along to the AGM and give a brief
outline of their organisation and the reason
for the request for funding. The Feast
Committee will consider any request for
funding, no matter how large or small.
We look forward to meeting you all at the
Annual General Meeting. Planning for Feast
2011 has already begun and if you have any
new ideas or wish to join us as a ‘Friend of the
Feast’ do get in touch via our web site.
- Sandra Dunn
Chair, Histon Feast Committee
Histon Feast AGM
Want to do something different? Want to
raise money where you live or work? Want to
eat Fish and Chips, while raising money for
charity? Hold a fish and chip supper on Friday
20th May 2011 whilst raising awareness of
spinal cord injury and supporting SIA’s
information and support services.
You can hold a fish and chip supper in your
own home, at work or hold a larger supper at
your local community centre.
SIA will provide a fundraising pack
containing hints and tips, recipes, invitations
and donation envelopes. By inviting 7 friends
and asking them to donate an additional
£5.00 means you will raise at least £35.00
from your supper but we will also give you
additional fundraising ideas to raise even
more money for SIA.
Last year we had over 100 suppers taking part
in England and Wales and we raised £6,000.
In 2011 we want to double that figure and
ensure we can provide more support to spinal
cord injured people.
The money raised from the suppers will help
the Spinal Injuries Association offer support
to individuals who become paralysed and
their families, from the moment a spinal
injury occurs, and for the rest of their lives by
providing services and publications which
enable and encourage paralysed people to
lead independent lives.
Every year in the UK over 1,000 people
experience a spinal cord injury and there are
an estimated 40,000 spinal cord injured
people in the UK alone.
Community Fundraising Officer, Elizabeth
Wright, says, “The Fish and Chip Supper is a
wonderful opportunity for a great evening
with friends and family. We are also
encouraging people who work to hold a Fish
and Chip Lunch in their work places to raise
even more funds. You may be even a local
community group wanting to run a fun
evening with your group.
Be a part of something special and make a
real difference to help spinal cord injured
people gain access to the information and
support they need to enable them to live full
and independent lives.”
For more information or to request a
fundraising pack call Elizabeth Wright on
0845 678 6633 xtn 229 or email
[email protected] or visit
www.spinal.co.uk
Great British Fish and Chip SupperFriday 20th May 2011
March HI Courier Deadline22 February
11www.HIcourier.co.ukNEWS February 2011
Do you have cancer? Are you caring for
someone with cancer? Have you lost a loved
one to cancer?
Cambridge Cancer Help Centre offers support
and understanding to people with cancer, those
caring for someone with cancer and for those
who have lost a loved one to cancer. Taking
that first step to visit us will not be easy, but
once you step through our door you will be
assured of a warm and friendly welcome. The
centre also welcomes families, carers and
friends. Most of the people there will have
experienced what you are going through.
Why not pay us a visit? We are open on
Mondays from 10.00am to 1.00pm and
Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 10.00am to
4.00pm, or telephone us on 01223 840105
and speak to our Coordinator, Ann Dingley.
You will find us at The David Rayner Centre,
Scotsdales Garden Centre, 120 Cambridge
Road, Great Shelford, Cambridge, CB22 5JT.
CambridgeCancer HelpCentre
A community orchard is being created in
Landbeach thanks to a council grant. South
Cambridgeshire District Council’s Wildlife
Enhancement Scheme has granted homeless
charity Emmaus £264.85. This represents 50
per cent of the funding for the creation of a
community orchard including 31 trees. The
Emmaus team have undertaken the planting
under the guidance of local horticulturalist
Anna McArthur. In the autumn of 2011 a wild
flower meadow will be planted beneath the
trees.
Cllr James Hockney said: “The Emmaus
community is a fantastic project helping to
turn around homeless people’s lives. We will
always do what we can to support Emmaus in
Landbeach.”
One of SCDC’s priority actions for this
financial year was assisting communities in
creating orchards. Five orchards are being
created as the council’s Conservation and
Design Team work with parish councils and
community groups.
More than 225 fruit trees are being planted in
Coton, Rampton, Landbeach, Orchard Park
and Impington.
Community Orchards
www.HIcourier.co.uk
1 2 NEWSFebruary 2011 www.HIcourier.co.uk
Back Issuesof theHI Courierare availableatwww.hicourier.co.uk
LETTERS:
For Small and Home Businesses:
Air Cadets from 2524 (Oakington) Squadron
were at Marks & Spencer in Market Square
Cambridge helping shoppers pack their bags of
groceries in the food hall. The pre-Christmas
effort helped to raise almost £2000 of much-
needed funds to support the squadron’s
activities. Flying Officer David Williams
(Squadron Officer in Command) said “I’d like
to thank the staff at Marks & Spencer for
allowing the fund raising activity to take place,
the volunteer staff, parents, and all the cadets
who turned up to pack bags, and especially the
people of Cambridge for their generosity in
these testing times.”
The Squadron was formed in April 1975 and is
run by a team of volunteers. Cadets range from
13 to 20 years old.
Parade nights start with drill practice - drill is
an important way of instilling a sense of self-
discipline – and move on to cover a wide range
of projects, lectures, field-craft and initiative
exercises.
Lectures and projects are an integral part of
the cadet syllabus, which ultimately leads to a
BTEC in Aviation Studies. Lectures cover the
full spectrum of aviation-related subjects,
while projects build both personal and
practical skills. The Air Training Corps (better
known as the Air Cadets, or ATC) is the RAF's
cadet force, divided into six regions, 36 wings
and more than 900 squadrons across the UK.
For further information, please contact: Chris
Goddard, Media & Communications Officer
on 07932 992234
Air Cadets Help Christmas ShoppingCadets and from 2524 (Oakington) Squadron ATC, with M&S Food Section Managers, Eliott Webband Sami Musallam.
At our January meeting we were pleased to
welcome Veronica Bennett. She works for the
National Trust at Wimpole Hall.
We were shown pictures of how all the
furniture, china, books in fact just about
everything is cared for at all of the National
Trust properties. Only mild cleaning products
are used with distilled water and natural
brushes to gently clean the delicate china and
ornaments. How books are all taken
individually down and brushed and checked for
any start of deterioration. The Chandeliers are
also checked and the furniture gently cleaned
with special vacuums.
They are all covered in the winter with cotton
dust sheets and blinds drawn closed over the
windows. When it is time to reopen in the
spring every object has to be returned to the
correct place as described in the brochures
ready for all of us who visit.
Our next meeting is in The Methodist Church
Hall 7.30 17th February.
The speaker is John Drayton on Barrington
Cement works. Visitors are most welcome.
WI Report:Wimpole Hall
1 3www.HIcourier.co.ukNEWS February 2011
Once upon a time, a Histon landowner
purchased a large close (enclosed village field )
just over the boundary in Impington. Histon
locals came to call this field Impington Close.
By 1801 it had been subdivided and sold off to
various farmers. One such allotment, which
ran alongside Impington Lane (in the past
variously described as Dog Kennel Lane,
Green Hill, Mill Hill Lane etc.) was called
Ratcatchers. Until recently this was associated
with the Unwin seed packing factory. Today it
is the site of the Merrington Place
development. In 1801 it was owned by John
Merrington.
John Merrington was born in 1755 in Essex.
He married an Impington lass, Frances Ostler,
in 1780. By 1801 John Merrington was an
established farmer who could afford to employ
a shepherd and several farm hands. He lived
with his wife and five children (John Ostler,
Lettice, Frances, Richard and Mary) in a
farmhouse on Clay Close Lane, where a pair of
19th century brick cottages now stands (Nos.
3&4). All his children survived into adulthood
and his daughters married well. References to
Farmer Merrington survive in letters,
newspapers and documents of the period. In
1799 he drove the wagon which returned the
badly frost bitten Eliza Woodcock to her home
after her 8 day burial in snow. Someone stole
25 of his sheep in 1810. Earlier in 1809 the
Cambridge Chronicle reported
“‘John Love was charged with milking a cow
belonging to Mr. Merrington of Impington. He
was imprisoned for one week and publicly
whipped at Impington.”
The fortunes of the family took a serious turn
for the worst in 1814 when his eldest son John
Ostler died.
By 1815 his farm, a tenement and 55 acres of
land were put up for sale. In 1822 he lost his
wife closely followed by his eldest married
daughter Lettice. Richard, his remaining son,
followed his siblings and mother into
Impington churchyard in 1824. Mary, first
wife of John French of Burgoynes Farm, died
in 1829. John Merrington appears to have left
the village and died in Fulbourne aged 84 in
1838. He was buried in Impington. No
permanent memorial to the family survives.
Most tomb stones were cleared when the
churchyard was lowered later in the 19th
century to improve drainage.
John Merrington’s sons apparently died
without issue. However, there
is circumstantial evidence
that a child of the Merrington
line did survive and thrive.
Richard Christmas, carpenter
and builder of Christmas
Bridge, always maintained
that he was born in
Impington and his father was
called Richard. He went on to
name his first son
Merrington. Richard
Christmas is not recorded in
the Church register. There is
no record of his mother
though the unmarried
midwife Elizabeth Christmas
could be his mother for she
and her unmarried midwife
sister Phoebe, had several illegitimate
children. In addition, Richard, as a young man
in 1837, is recorded as a carpenter in a petition
sent to Queen Victoria. This means he had
served an apprenticeship. This did not come
cheap. Richard would have been ten years old
when Richard Merrington died. On observing
how Farmer Merrington married his girls into
established farming families, it is likely that he
had ambitious plans for his sons. A union with
a local girl with no connections would not be
deemed appropriate. Someone, however,
sponsored young Richard Christmas and he
certainly inherited the drive to do well.
EFW 2011
The popular “Photographic Memories of
Histon and Impington” was first published in
1999. After three reprints the plate broke. Over
the last ten years there have been regular
requests for a further reprint. Major advances
have taken place in digital reproduction since
that time, making a further reprint on a smaller
scale an economic proposition. As a result the
H&I Village Society are asking for expressions
of interest in order to gauge demand.
If there is sufficient interest we can reprint in a
larger format, with clearer text and better
images.
To express interest please send an email to
[email protected] including your
name address so we can get back to you, by the
end of February 2011. Possible corrections to
the original edition can be sent to the same
email address.
As in 1999, to secure a copy we will be
requesting prepayment at a reduced price
which will include local (H&I) delivery.
Application forms will be available from March
2011. The publication date will be in early
June.
Further inquiries to Pippa Temple, Village
Society Publications Officer, The Mill,
Cambridge Road Impington.
Photographic MemoriesFebruary 4th:
Orchard Ensemblea String Quartet, piano and flute
February 11th:Students of the Perse Girls
School7.30pm Brackenbury RoomImpington Village College
Impington Music SocietyConcertsinFebruary
A Short History of Farmer Merrington and Family
14 NEWSFebruary 2011 www.HIcourier.co.uk
Impington-based design and marketing agency Ideas by
Eden has made a good start to the New Year wrapping up a
number of web development and online marketing projects
in a flurry of activity that bodes well for 2011 .
Peterborough-based consultancy for sustainable innovators
Cambium LLP has appointed Ideas by Eden to help make
their website work harder through a series of improvements
and search engine optimisation. The first stage of
development has been completed and Tony O’Donnell of
Cambium says he’s “looking forward to developing the
relationship and building a stronger and more successful
online marketing tool. The new website looks great”.
International training company Financial Training
Associates based in London, has commissioned Ideas by
Eden to migrate their static website to a content-managed
system, giving them full control and enabling them to
quickly respond to changes in their service offering.
Ideas by Eden has also won a competitive three way
branding and website pitch for new Cambridge-based
recruitment agency Eden Search & Select (no connection) ,
launched on Monday 10th January. Eden managing
director David Macaulay is “excited to launch the new
business, brand and website and has enjoyed working
through the development process from start to finish with
Ideas by Eden”.
David Robins, director of Ideas by Eden, said "We won lots
of new business last year and this
is a great start to 2011 . It might be
chilly outside and the recent VAT
increase has had a frosty reception
but we’ve got a warm feeling for
2011”. For more information visit:
www.ideasbyeden.co.uk
Ideas by Eden
Dave Robbins
You thought the climate was the problem?
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It is no exaggeration to say that the sea is the
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And what she finds will shock you. If you think
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This is a must read for anyone planning to live
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Seasick: The Hidden Ecological Crisis of the
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SEASICK: The Hidden CrisisBOOKS
1 5www.HIcourier.co.ukSPORT February 2011
Around 15-20 kids braved the arctic conditions
to descend on the Impington Sports Centre for
a 2 day indoor cricket camp run by Histon
Cricket Club and funded by a generous grant
from the Cambridge Community Foundation.
Both boys and girls enjoyed learning new
fielding, batting and bowling techniques,
finishing on big group game at the end of each
day. All participants benefitted from the use of
brand new equipment bought from the ECB
club shop which helped develop many skills
within the three disciplines listed above and all
were expertly overseen by County level coaches
and sports leaders alike. Camp organizer and
coach Joe Uttridge commented ' All the kids
seemed to have enjoyed themselves particularly
with the Ashes currently going on and the camp
has given many an introduction to cricket
which we hope will develop into playing
competitive colts cricket at Histon CC. I would
also like to thank Cambridge Community
Foundation for funding the camp which has
enabled us to buy some of the latest
equipment'. Histon CC will be running more
holiday camps over Easter, summer half term
and the summer holidays. As well as this, Kwik
cricket for those at Junior school will start
down the rec on Sunday mornings after Easter
holidays. Histon CC will also be running
sessions at Histon Junior School and
Impington Village College after Easter. This
year we are also hoping to run an U-11, U-12,
U-13, U-14 colts sides. For more information
on any of the activities above or Histon Cricket
Club please call Joe Uttridge on 07771787695
or email [email protected]
Cricket Camp Success
Cambridge Lawn Tennis Club (CLTC) is a
community-based not-for-profit club
committed to making tennis available to all
ages, abilities, and social groups in and around
the Cambridge area. The club was voted 2008
LTA Club of the Year and was the first club in
the Eastern region to achieve the Tennis Club
Mark.
Their Half-Term Tennis Camp will run from
Mon 21st – Fri 25th February. It includes:
coaching, fun drills and activities by fully
qualified staff.
Equipment is supplied. There is a discount for
members with reduced membership rates until
March 2011. The camp sessions and costs are:
Mini (4-7yrs) 9.30am – 11.00am. £8.50
members/£10.00 non-members per ½ day.
Book in advance for 5 days to get a discount:
£38.00 members/£45.00 non-members
Junior (8-16yrs) 9.30am – 12.30pm. £15.00
members/£19.00 non-members per ½ day.
Book in advance for 5 days to get a discount:
£65.00 members/£79.00 non-members
For info contact Cambridge Lawn Tennis Club
Wilberforce Road Cambridge CB3 0EQ. call:
01223 312550 email: [email protected]
Web: www.cambridgeltc.com
HalfTerm Tennis Camp
Electronic copiesof every HI Courier
are available atwww.hicourier.co.uk
1 6 February 2011 www.HIcourier.co.uk
The first month of the New Year has been a mightychallenge for Histon. In the wake of the 5 pointsdeduction imposed by the League we faced theprospect of taking on 7 sleeping giants and formerFootball League clubs in our bid for survival.Cambridge United, Grimsby Town, Darlington,YorkCity, Mansfield Town and Newport County have allcome round in quick succession and whilst thepoints tally certainly leaves a lot to be desired therehave been some encouraging signs.Particular positive features have included:• Hard earned, well deserved draws away atCambridge United and Barrow• Pushing playoff contenders York City really hardat homeIn addition there have been some promisingpersonal performances:• Youngster Jim Stevenson v York City including agreat debut goal• Lanre Oyebanjo in an unaccustomed position vMansfield Town and recognised in the Non LeaguePaper Team of the Day• Joe Welch's superb shot stopping, including apenalty save v Barrow• David Livermore putting on his boots, rallying tothe cause and leading from the backOff the pitch some encouraging comments werereceived from the management and supporters ofGrimsby Town after their first visit to the GlassWorld. The managers of York City and Mansfieldwere full of praise for our team's efforts and attitudefollowing their narrow victories
Any local people who have never been to seeHiston at home and who have possibly made a NewYear's Resolution to 'Get Along to the Glass World'will be most welcome at any of the forthcomingFebruary fixtures which areSaturday Feb 12th v Hayes and Yeading United ko3pmTuesday Feb 22nd v Cambridge United ko 7:45pmSaturday Feb 26th v Rushden and Diamonds ko3pmAll the above February fixtures are attractive oneswith the midweek, floodlit game against local rivalsCambridge United on Feb 22nd the one that reallystands out. With the weather improving and thegame taking place during half term it really is agreat opportunity to 'Get Along to the Glass World'on your doorstep to see not one but two local teamsplaying at the pinnacle of Non League Football.Tickets are now on sale at Histon FC for this gamebut please note it is not an 'All Ticket' game sospectators can pay at the turnstiles on the night.The local community continues to get behind theClub in many ways. and we are so very grateful forthisThe Christmas Draw was very well supported andanother Draw is planned for Easter. The Red Lion'ssponsorship of the Grimsby Town game was realgenuine support of grass roots football with Markand regulars at the Red Lion having an affinity withboth teams. DW Sport and Fitness has struck up agreat partnership with the club which sees usbenefit from the use of their first rate facilities.
Histon Hornets youngsters are now involved in a'Star Stute' Award at every home gameAnother really positive feature is the continuedsupport of the Philip Biggs inspired IncomeGeneration Group which has now raised more than£40000 pounds since its inception. Keith Nichols,who has taken over the leadership of this group, isenthusiastically planning the next phase so we canbuild on Philips good work and raise even more vitalfundsAll these developments can be checked out at theforthcoming Fans' Forum which is planned forThursday February 17th which everyone is verywelcome to attend in the Glass World Lounge at7:45pm. The evening will take the familiar format of
a 'Forum of 2 Halves' covering developments onthe pitch and off. Manager David Livermore andrepresentative players will be present for the firsthalf and Club Officials, Board members and ClubHelpers will be involved in the second half
Graham EalesHiston FC
The Local Community Newspaper for Histon and Impington
HI Courier SPORT
Never Say Die! Histon WIN 1 0 against5th place Fleetwood Town
The win against FleetwoodTown puts the Stutes
7points away from safety. The team deserves the
support of the entire community. Let's get out
there and urge them on at the next home game
against Hayes & Yeading United on 12th
February! - editor