TEMPSFORD

Issue 84 TIMES Nov/Dec 2020 The village magazine of , www.tempsford.org

IVY AND A LADYBIRD IN A TEMPSFORD HEDGE. Flowers, berries, and hidey-holes for small creatures.

Read Guy’s article on page 28 www.tempsford.org TEMPSFORD PARISH COUNCIL DETAILS

NAME POSITION Adrian Besant Chairman

Simon Fraser V-Chairman

Chris Bettles Councillor

Steve Cooney Councillor

Jim Donnelly Councillor

Tina Goddard Councillor

David Sutton Councillor

Linda Collins Clerk

CENTRAL BEDFORDSHIRE WARD COUNCILLORS Contact details: Adam Zerny [email protected] Tracey Wye [email protected]

UNITED VILLAGE REMEMBRANCE SERVICE

Sunday 8th November

Will be held in a social distanced arrangement in front of the Memorial on Memorial Green

at 3pm

and thereafter in the Church

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GARDEN WASTE COLLECTIONS will be suspended for the winter from 7th December 2020 to 26 February 2021

This means that the last collection in Tempsford will be on Friday Nov 28th, and the next after that is on Friday March 5th

KNOTTS OF TEMPSFORD FARM SHOP

Ellie and Jodie would like to thank everyone for their support at their recent

Macmillan Coffee Morning which raised a magnificent £800

Local Independent Central Bedfordshire Councillors Adam Zerny and Tracey Wye's latest email newsletter is now available; it includes an update on proposed major changes to Luton airport flight paths which will come right over our area. To get the newsletter directly, join the mailing list by emailing [email protected] or [email protected] .

www.tempsford.org 3 STUART MEMORIALSt HALLPeter ’s

The HallHarvest has now been Service open for a couple and of months, Supper although, unsurprisingly, usage has been fairly low. The Hall remains open for bookings Sundaybut please look 6that the SpecialOctober Covid Booking 6pm conditions on our website and our additional booking conditions. It is now mandatory for all people attending activities at the Hall to wear facemasks unless eating or drinking, doing exercise, or if a special exemption applies. We have no idea how long the Hall will be allowed to remain open and this will depend on whether our area remains in the Government’s new ‘Tier 1’ level.

Our new curtains have arrived and have been put up in the Main Hall and Committee Room. Those who have seen them have been very complimentary. This brings to an end our spending on our £50,000 National Lottery People’s Project grant which has been spent on complete redecoration of the Hall, the new wheelchair ramp and concrete path to the rear of the Hall and extensive roof repairs and replacement of guttering. We would like to thank the People’s Project for our grant and all the people who voted to enable us to win it. In our June report,

I mentioned that we had been awarded a Community Assets Grant of £10,700 from Central Bedfordshire Council, which was to be spent on capital items for the Hall. We have now started to spend this money and have purchased two new cookers for the kitchen which have been installed. In the next few months we will also be replacing the old fluorescent lighting with energy efficient LEDs and we will be installing improved external lighting to the car park and rear patio and lawn.

We will also be replacing the remaining cast iron rainwater goods and will fit new ceiling heaters in the Main Hall and Committee Room. The new heaters will provide energy efficient supplementary heating which will also act as a back-up should the main boiler fail (we hope it won’t because it’s brand new!).

All in all, the Hall Committee has now raised nearly £75,000 towards the maintenance and improvement of the Hall, not to mention in excess of £5000 in three successive years from the Tempsford Show.

www.tempsford.org 4 I’m sure that we would have raised a similar amount from this year’s Tempsford Show had we been able to run it. A Hall like ours, which is approaching its 100th anniversary, will always need continuous maintenance and we could spend more money if we could obtain it.

For the moment, because of Covid, we are running in ‘survival mode’ where our income is not meeting our fixed costs. We have received help in the form of a Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant of £10,000 from CBC which will help to cover these costs. In the meantime, apart from the Community Assets Grant, we have suspended other unnecessary spending so that we have cover should Covid continue well into the New Year. We have now had our Annual Report for 2019 signed off by the auditors and, if anyone wants a copy, please get in touch and I will e-mail one. I wish I could provide a more positive outlook with a list of planned events for the future but, for the moment, we have to be patient and hang in there. Brian Harrison, Chairman, Hall Committee [email protected] www.tempsford-stuart-memorial-village-hall.co.uk

www.tempsford.org 5 PARISH COUNCIL MEETING NOTES:-

The following is a summary of the main points of discussion at the Parish Council Virtual Meeting held on the 7th September 2020. Full copies of the Minutes are available on the village website www.tempsford.org or from the Clerk. Attendance: - 7 Councillors, 1 CBC Councillor, Clerk and 2 Members of the public. Apologies: None received. Declarations of interest: Cllr. Sutton declared an interest in item 11. Acceptance of Minutes: Minutes of the Meeting held on the 6th July 2020 (Virtual) were approved and will be signed later by the Chairman. (14.9.20) Public Session: No items discussed. Residents present for items 5 and 6. Police Report: Incidents in Church Street particularly near the Millennium Garden have been reported to the Council and to the Community Safety Partnership of the Police who have patrolled it more recently. Cllr. Donnelly pointed out that the trees overhang the streetlights which makes it darker, which does not help. The residents nearby said they would cut back their trees. There is a lot of rubbish left about – the Chairman would contact CBC to ask them to clean right to the far end of the road near the hall. A community Spring Clean could be organised at some time.

Speed Watch: Melissa Lucas has taken over as Speed Watch Co-ordinator, and another 4 residents have offered to help with Speed Watch. Speeding motorists have been noted in Church Street as well as Station Road.

Highways: Matters reported were: Flooding around 122 Station Road. Gulley backed up and water filled the road up to the kerb and over into the driveway. CBC and Anglian Water have been contacted to deal with the matter - the gulley to be flushed and the chamber in the path to be inspected. The gulley opposite 122 is above road surface and needs to be lowered. Potholes need to be filled along Station Road, the 30mph roundel at the entrance to Station Road needs to be reinstated, and the surface at the junction with Everton Road is breaking up and needs to be resurfaced.

www.tempsford.org 6 Turning Area in Station Road Workmen arrived on 17th August to rebuild the area. Although the Parish Council had requested this work, it had not been informed or shown any design about when it would be done. The Parish Council had hoped it would be tarmacked so it was surprised it only had chippings on it, which are already being thrown up and making potholes. It had been explained to residents that this was to be a turning area for school buses. A suggestion was made to contact the school bus companies to see if they were happy to turn in this area, perhaps ask them to come and have a look. Parking could take place as long as it is away from the play area where the turning area should be. Footpath alongside A1: between the Anchor and SMH – needs to have the weeds and plants cut back as it is difficult to walk and cycle along. Also, the overbridge needs clearing.

Black Cat Redesign: The Consultation was completed in July and the main conclusion was based on changes to permanent acquisitions. Some land near to the Stuart Memorial Hall is going to be used to put a large matrix sign, but it is not a permanent acquisition. Cllr. Fraser commented that The Charity Fields are not affected by the development.

Anglian Water: They have now decided that adding the air vent in Church Street will not make any difference to removing any odours. The Council expressed concern of the level of building taking place in Blunham and affecting the amount of sewage the pumping stations on the A1 and in Station Road now have to take.

EastWestRail: Very little communication has taken place recently, however the Chairman joined a virtual meeting with other parishes and EWR about developing the alignment of the preferred route. There will be a further public consultation on this in the new year. It was suggested that all Parishes work together to share ideas and concerns. Chairman to contact Wyboston, Roxton and Blunham to meet and discuss the situation.

CBC: Adam Zerny spoke of the new Planning Consultation that the Government is pushing forward to make it easier for developers. It would appear that anything goes! If something in the Local Plan is not

www.tempsford.org 7 signed off, the developer may not have to seek outline planning. This could be potentially disastrous. Need to be watchful. CBC is preparing a list of pavements and roads to be resurfaced for next year. The Chairman will prepare a list for Adam of areas in Tempsford to be done.

Finance: Council approved the list payments presented by the Clerk. Cashflow showed £4296.05 was still ring fenced for the Neighbourhood Plan. Clerk has been having some problems with internet banking signatories and is working hard with the bank to resolve this. Cllr. Fraser and Clerk would be discussing Budget in November.

Planning: No recent planning applications received.

Playground: Cllr. Sutton reported on the problem of a football going over into a resident’s garden from Church Street play area. After discussion, the Council felt the only option was to move the goal posts halfway down the field. Sanitation of playgrounds will continue to be done. A contractor is being sought to maintain the equipment.

Churchyard/cemetery: A request that Tempsford Parish Council could include the maintenance of churchyard had to be declined as our precept will not cover the cost. Council agreed to hold another community work party on October 10th and 11th so that residents could come along on either or both days 9am – 2 pm. Refreshments would be provided. This would be for general work and planting of bulbs for the cemetery and millennium garden. A new gate has been put at the entrance to the Millennium Garden (near Memorial Green) with a plaque in memory of a resident, and paid for by his wife.

Permissive Path: A meeting with Estate Agent and the Chairman and Cllr. Sutton is being organized to discuss this topic.

Date of next meeting: The next meeting will be on November 16th. It will be decided nearer the time if it will be a virtual or actual meeting in the hall. Linda Collins, Parish Clerk

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TEMPSFORD CANDLELIGHT AND CAROLS in the MILLENNIUM GARDEN

WITH REGRET

DUE TO THE COVID-19 CORONAVIRUS RESTRICTIONS THERE WILL BE NO CANDLELIGHT AND CAROLS EVENT THIS YEAR.

This would have been the 20th anniversary of the opening of the Tempsford Millennium Garden Sanctuary.

It is the first time we have had to cancel in 20 years and we are sorry for any disappointment this will cause.

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Frustratingly, there is not a great deal of news to tell. Covid-19, Coronavirus and the pandemic, are words we have just become accustomed to saying and just accept it is the norm, and sadly, that is the case for the time being. We were hoping, like everyone else, that things would improve and hopefully that life would return to some kind of normal. However, what is abundantly clear now, is that the museum will not be opening its doors for some time yet. Let us hope that the spring brings better news for us all.

Some other sad news is that one of our trustees, Lee Greene, has resigned from the committee. Lee has worked extremely hard since he joined us in 2016 and we are incredibly sad to see him leave and thank him so much for all his efforts in helping to keep the museum thriving over his time with us.

On a positive note, we are still moving forward with upgrading the main exhibition room for when we do eventually re-open and we continue to update our archives which continues to grow. The Tempsford Estate has recently donated some wonderful archive material, which they found when they were recently clearing out their old estate offices at the Tempsford Mill. Our sincere thanks to the Wynne family for thinking of us and to Robin Clarke the estate agent for arranging the donation.

The committee would also like to convey our sincere thanks to our membership, who continue to support us in renewing their memberships at this difficult time and to those of you who are supporting us with donations and help to keep the museum thriving. Our grateful thanks also to Kay Quinn who is organising a festive fundraising for the museum, which you will see more details on within these pages and we hope you will support.

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In the last edition of the Tempsford Times, you may remember that we published the memoirs of Bessie Darrington and we hope you enjoyed reading her memories of past life in Tempsford. In this edition, we have the memories of Mrs Dorothy Bettles, who came to Tempsford during WW2 as a Land Army girl. Dorothy married one of the farmers son’s Fred Bettles and lived the rest of her life in Tempsford. We hope you enjoy reading her memories of past village life.

On behalf of the Trustees of the Tempsford Museum and Archives, we would all like to send our early Festive good wishes for a “Happy Christmas” and sincere good wishes for a happy, healthy and much better 2021.

Steve Cooney – Chairman Tempsford Museum and Archives.

Fruit, Vegetables, Meat, Eggs, Bread, Honey & Homemade Preserves, Quiches, Cakes, Sauces, Oils, Cheese, Crayfish fishcakes, Dog Treats, locally crafted items and much more. Open Thurs 11-4, Fri 9-5 Sat 9-5, Sun 10-4. 07522 559010 [email protected]

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Flood Lights for 12 Days of Christmas

After such an amazing response to our “12 days of Christmas” last year, we are hoping you will sponsor the lights again, so we can have our lovely St Peters Church lit up all over the Christmas period. The cost will be £5 per name, you can either have it in remembrance of a loved one, or just to celebrate your friends and family, your name will be on the list of sponsors. Hope to hear from you soon, the more we get the longer we can keep St Peters lit up. Please contact: - Gloria 01767 640050.

The Wheatsheaf Church Street TEMPSFORD Tel: 01767 641065

BAR OPEN USUAL

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Christmas Puddings By Tempsford Treats

¼ pt basin @ £2.50 (1-2 portions) ½ pt basin @ £3.50 (2-3 portions) 1 pt basin @ £5.00 (4-5 portions) 1½ pt basin @ £8.00 (6-8 portions)

Traditionally home-made with muscovado brown sugar, brandy, Guinness, dried fruit, spices, and more! Suitable for vegetarians Also available gluten-free or without nuts or alcohol as a special request.

To order for collection in December please either: complete order forms at Knotts Farm Shop

or contact Steve Cooney: 07748 465285 or Kay Quinn: 07970 385354

Profits going to

www.tempsford.org 13 ST PETER’S PARISH CHURCH, Church Street, Tempsford Priest in Charge: Rev Graham Buckle The Rectory, Park Lane, Blunham 01767 640412

Others First Is it just me, or has this year, so far, passed quickly? It doesn’t seem that long ago when we were thinking about Easter and the approaching Spring and Summer. Now we are thinking about Advent and Christmas. We are in the throes of deciding what we can and cannot do under the government advice, as it stands at the moment. We all want to stay safe and free from the virus, but at the same time we want to live our lives as normally as possible. It’s a fine line to walk and as we try to fulfil that criteria, we must be aware of other people’s anxiety and concerns. Social distancing is a phenomenon we have needed to pick up, as is the concept of being in bubbles! Words we will always think of in a different way in the future. When Jesus came on the scene it meant that all the things that people knew so well in the scriptures, had to be viewed in a different way. As Jesus said to them, I haven’t come to do away with the Old Testament, but to fulfil all of its prophecies. Most of the authorities were interpreting the words and commands for their own convenience, and in some cases profits. The story of Jesus turning over the tables of the moneychangers in the temple courtyard is a good example of how the stallholders were defrauding those who had come to worship by taking more money than they should for the sacrifices. Jesus came to show how life should be lived, by putting others’ needs first, rather than their own. As we approach the cold of winter, and the loneliness for some of the dark evenings, I hope we will look out for the needs of others and as Jesus said, “Love your neighbour as yourself”. It is important that we care for one another at this time of the pandemic, not only keeping ourselves safe, but remembering to keep our communities free from the anxiety of the virus. God bless you all! With Christian love, Rev Graham

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Notices There are no services at St Peter’s in November. Please see the Riversmeet Recorder for further details for December.

St Peters Church will be open on each Wednesday from 10am till 11am for private prayer.

Days and times for the rest of the Benefice: Blunham : Wednesday and Sunday afternoons from 2pm until 4pm

Great Barford : Tuesday and Saturday afternoons from 2pm until 3pm

Roxton : Monday and Friday afternoons from 2pm until 3pm

Handwashing and sanitising facilities are in place in each of our church buildings, and all necessary precautions for social distancing have been taken in accordance with Government guidelines.

Raising Funds for St Peter’s

Maureen Gore and Maureen Goddard are making a Christmas Hamper to raise funds for St Peter’s. If you would like to contribute please ring 640231 or 640227.

And if you would like to buy a raffle ticket for the hamper please again contact either Maureen!

www.tempsford.org 15 TEMPSFORD METHODIST CHURCH, Station Road, Tempsford (part of the and Huntingdon Methodist Circuit) Minister: Rev James Bamber 01480 453857 Church Steward: Stephen Gosling, 81 Station Rd, Tempsford 01767 641175

Dear Friends, November is a month when various remembrances are brought to the forefront of our living so I thought it might be worth thinking about the power of memories. Smells, sounds, sights all have the capacity to transport us back in time to other events in our lives.

Memories can be positive or negative. They have the ability to hold us back or propel us forward. How do you discern what is worth remembering and what isn’t? What might God invite us to keep holding on to in these days of change at all sorts of levels in our lives?

I believe the primary memory God would invite us to reflect on is that we are each precious. Through one of His spokespeople, Jeremiah we read, ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love.’ (Jeremiah 31:3). Another, Isaiah, expresses it like this, ‘…you are precious in my sight.’ (Isaiah 43:4) God values us without any pre-conditions which are often attached to other relationships. He chooses us, welcomes us, whispers we belong and loves us with a love that is inexhaustible. We are invited then to live lives which broadcast that message to all.

In all life asks of us currently may we know what it is to be in the company of the God whose name is ‘I am,’ not ‘I was’ or ‘I will be.’ For all times, in all circumstances God will sustain us…a truth worth remembering always.

With love and blessings, James

November Services Sadly we are not able to hold “in presence” services yet, but there are other local Methodist Church Services: please see opposite:-

www.tempsford.org 16 CHRISTMAS THOUGHTS by Carole Gosling

Now where’s my list, I know it’s somewhere around, I can’t do anything until it is found. Ah, here it is, thank goodness for that - Without it I’m lost and that’s a fact.

The cards are all written and we’ve got the tree, You do the lights, leave the decorations to me. The presents are all bought and wrapping’s begun, It seems to take hours, but it’s really quite fun.

The turkey is ordered, the plum puds are made. Everything’s ready for the table to be laid. Sorry I didn’t hear, what was that you said? Oh yes, don’t worry I’ve got plenty of bread.

Then of course there’s the brussel sprouts, But wait, is this what Christmas is really about? Yes, it is a time from which we gain pleasure When love is all around in boundless measure.

But remember a time when kings travelled from afar Led to a manger, guided by a star. When shepherds left their flocks at night, Moving onward, led by a wondrous light.

It is the time that our Lord was born A new beginning, a brave new morn, A child who was born for you and for me, For all those gone before and yet to be.

So enjoy all the things this festive season brings, The holly, the mistletoe, when church bells ring But also remember when surrounded by those you love, Our Lord came to earth from the Father above.

Other local Methodist services in November 1st Nov at 10.30am at Eaton Ford: - Rev'd Pam Siddall 8th Nov at 10.30am at : - Rev’d James Bamber 8th Nov at 10.30am at Berkley Street, Eynesbury - Rev'd Sue Baker-Maher 15th Nov at 10.30am at Eaton Ford: - Rev'd James Bamber 22nd Nov at 10.30am at Great Barford: - Rev Heather Walker 29th Nov at 10.30am at Berkley Street, Eynesbury- Rev'd Sue Baker-Maher

You will all be made most welcome at any of these Services.

www.tempsford.org 17 MEMORIES OF A “LAND ARMY GIRL” By Mrs Dorothy Bettles

When I first came to Tempsford in 1944 as a “Land Army Girl”, I thought what a nice village it was, a lot of thatched cottages and houses, a proper little village. I remember when I reached the farm where I was to work, the yard was full of children and I thought to myself “it’s true what they say about farmers having a lots of children” but I was to learn later that they were the children from the village. The farmer did however have four children of his own, as did his younger brother who was a partner in the farm.

Before I came to Tempsford, I did my training at a hostel in Toddington. We had fun there, but the work was very hard as well. The first day I was to milk a cow (of which I knew nothing at all), the supervisor in charge said to the other girls, with a grin, “I think Dorothy can milk the heifer”. I soon found out what the grin was for, having managed to get over half a bucket of milk, she gave such a kick, I lost all the milk that I had worked so hard for, down the gully. The reason being she was a first time calver and very nervous, but I got on OK after that. The first time I had to lead a horse and cart through a gate, it ended up with one wheel on one side of the gate-post and the cart on the other, being frightened of horses I had been too busy watching his ‘feet’. We had to take the horse out of the cart to free it, you can guess I wasn’t very popular. Another thing we had to do was to lead the Bull in from the gate by his halter, which I refused to do. I was only a raw recruit at the time, but for all of that I was passed a fully fledged “Land Girl” at the end of my training.

Back to Tempsford. The farm that I went to had a village girl working there as well, and we got on well together. My job apart from milking and keeping the cow-shed and dairy very clean, and mixing their feed, was to do the milk round. No, I could not drive, it was done on a bicycle, with a churn on each handlebar. Two measures, 1 for a pint and another for ½ a pint. Sometimes I would be told that I had given short measure, which I am sure that I had not, but I topped the jug up to save any trouble. I only had one mishap with the churns and that was trying to get the bicycle through the small gate at the level-crossing, without

www.tempsford.org 18 taking them off the handlebars first, and I lost one by it falling off! I just stood there and watched the milk flowing down the road. I had to finish the round with the afternoon milking, I cannot remember if I told the ‘Boss’. There was one lady, who always had a cup of hot cocoa for me when I delivered her milk. The price of a pint of milk in those days, I think was three or four ‘old’ pence, but I am not quite sure. We also had to drive the cows and the bull along the road to their field in the morning and bring them back in the afternoon. So long as the bull had his ‘lady’ friends with him he was all right, but I still kept my eye on him! As well as looking after the cows, I also did field work. This included hoeing and stacking corn sheaves. At one time I did it with barley, I did not think about the new cardigan I had on at the time, until I was finished. The only way to get rid of the barley ears from the wool was to unpick it, needless to say it was never reknitted. Corn was put through a threshing machine. I always got the job of bagging the chaff up, which is the husks off the corn, a very dusty job. Harvest is much easier today. Hay making, which was quite different in those days, was cut and stacked loose, unlike today when it is baled up and much easier to handle.

The Airforce was in Tempsford during the war years, it made the village a lively place, always a sing-song in the pubs and dances held in the Stuart Memorial Hall were a regular thing. Those were the days!

I later married one of the farmer’s sons and came out of the Land Army in 1947, but my work on the land was by no means over…………….!

WITH FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHS OVERLEAF……...

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DOROTHY MARRIED FRED BETTLES

FRED (on right) & DOROTHY'S SON CHRIS (centre), AND CHRIS’ GRANDFATHER FRED (left)

www.tempsford.org 20 JOE AND FRED BETTLES CAME TO TEMPSFORD IN 1927.

Also in this picture taken in the 1930s, is Bob, Joe’s son More photos and archives of Tempsford families are to be found in the Tempsford Museum. Let’s hope it won’t be long before we can get to see them again.

Our pre-season was a longer one than it would have been in normal TEMPSFORD times - consisting of games played FOOTBALL out in August and September. Altogether, we won two, drew one, and lost three. Elephant hawkmoth We won our firstabout competitive to be game released of the season, 5-0 vs Dunstable Snooker Club in the Bedfordshire Cup, but then went on to lose our next two league games versus Clifton Pirates and Bromham United Reserves. The standard of the league certainly seems to have improved since last season, as too has our squad with 22 players regularly competing for just 16 spaces in the matchday squad. Many valuable lessons will have been learnt so far, as we continue our journey to improve both on and off the pitch. As always, please show your support for your village side by coming down to our games, or by sponsoring us on our long and winded path to success.

Tempsford FC Founder, Joe Lawrence

www.tempsford.org 21 St Edmunds or St James Church, Blunham - Christmas Market

We are hoping to hold an outdoor Christmas Market on Saturday 28th November from 2pm until 5pm.

We are very conscious of Government guidelines and restrictions, but current advice is that outdoor events such as this can go ahead as long as social distancing guidelines are strictly observed.

We have also taken advice from the Church of . The event has been planned in accordance with CURRENT guidelines, but obviously if the government advice/rules change the event would be adapted, postponed or cancelled.

The market would be held in the car park and driveway of the Rectory (situated behind the church) with stalls arranged in such a way to allow people to browse safely.

Mulled wine and hot food will be served outside, with teas and coffees in our café in church at socially distanced tables of no more than 6 and with table service. A QR code will be displayed.

Stallholders would be asked to provide their own table and gazebo for a pitch fee of £10 or 10% of takings.

St Peters Flood Lights If you would like the flood lights put on for any occasion, the cost will be £10 per night. Please contact Gloria 01767 640050

www.tempsford.org 22 KNOTTS OF TEMPSFORD Family Run Farm Shop Home Produced Meats Homemade Pies & Pasties Milk & Eggs : Local Veg Call: 07598834439 Or 07943716290 Email: [email protected] Like us on facebook Tingeys Farm 121 Station Rd Opening Hours 9am - 5pm Tempsford Thursday, Friday and Saturday Bedfordshire SG192AY

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CHURCHYARD AND MILLENNIUM GARDEN WORKING PARTY

On Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th October the Parish Council held a two day work party in the Churchyard and Millennium Garden for a general clearance of growth and to plant 3000 English Bluebells, as well as 100 Cyclamen in the woodland setting and 100 Welsh Daffodils round the village memorial.

A good turnout of about 20 people helping on the Saturday (photos and overleaf) and a few on the Sunday helped to significantly transform the area, letting in much more light to the Millennium Garden. The springtime should see a noticeable covering of lovely bluebells, which will hopefully naturalise over the years and spread throughout the wood, as well as the cyclamen. The daffodils round the village memorial will help to make the village Memorial Green more attractive and beautiful than ever.

Work also continued in the churchyard removing ivy that had grown over grave stones, completely engulfing one stone which, when it was uncovered, was shown to be in very good condition, even though it is over 120 years old. (photo) Tea, coffee, hot bacon rolls and cakes were enjoyed by those who came along. A big thank you to everyone for their help and assistance in making it a worthwhile event. Our grateful thanks to Rose Meeks of Home Farm Close who has donated a beautiful gate which leads from the Memorial Green into the Millennium Garden. This was erected in memory of her late husband Peter who loved to walk through the wood with their dog.

Steve Cooney

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DISCOVERING A GRAVE STONE

BEFORE AFTER

SOME OF THE WORKERS, ALL SOCIALLY DISTANCED OF COURSE!

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WORKING HARD IN THE MILLENNIUM GARDEN

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All rooms en-suite, home-made marmalade and biscuits, White Company complimentary toiletries, free Wi-Fi, off-road parking, top quality linens, bread from the local baker, a real ‘home from home’, Credit Cards accepted, many repeat guests. Website: www.highfield-farm.co.uk

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WILD TEMPSFORD: THE HOLLY AND THE IVY …AND THE HEDGEHOGS

The seasons are changing fast and the race is on. Our wildlife is stocking up, shutting down, preparing future generations, finding cosy places to escape any coming cold weather, or exploring their new winter home having travelled from far away. Many plants give up any idea of growing over the next few months. They extract all the hard-won energy and nutrients they can from their extremities and discard their colourful decommissioned solar panels (or leaves as we call them) on to our streets and gardens. Unless you have piles and piles, don’t bother obsessively raking them all up – they will just break down and provide food for micro-beasts and nutrients for your grass – free fertiliser for your lawn.

Such a disposable lifestyle is not for all plants of course. The evergreens tough it out and refuse to let their leaves go. As a result, they often feature in our winter-themed music and culture - symbols of continued life and vitality in a season otherwise lacking in green. Holly and ivy are classic examples. Holly – tough, spiky and with vibrant red berries - was assumed to have masculine qualities, with ivy more associated with more feminine characteristics (we are talking about a long time ago here). Holly gets much more attention than ivy in the Christmas carol lyrics (the holly represents Jesus, and ivy, the Virgin Mary).

But in terms of wildlife value, ivy is hard to beat. Tough leaves and stems provide shelter and wintering hidey-holes for mini-beasts, and nesting sites for birds. Wrens, blackbirds and woodpigeons have all nested in our garden ivy. Autumn flowers provide a vital late nectar source for insects. Ivy even has its own solitary bee (yes, the ‘Ivy Bee’) which can be on the wing into November, taking advantage of the sugary bounty. Black ivy berries in late winter and early spring are irresistible for thrushes and other birds short on food at this lean time of year. Ivy gets bad press for its climbing habits, and nonsense is talked about it killing perfectly healthy trees and destroying buildings. In reality, it is pretty harmless on sound wall surfaces, and on living trees. It only becomes an issue if it grows into roofing or guttering, or adds

www.tempsford.org 28 significant weight to a dead or dying tree, then more at risk of being blown over. Otherwise its fine – keep it in check if you need to with regular pruning, but don’t get paranoid about it. The Roman god Bacchus is often depicted wearing an ivy crown, possibly because ivy was thought to prevent drunkenness. Good luck with that idea though ivy is pretty good, but not that good.

THE COLOURS OF AUTUMN - FIERY RED SUMAC WITH NORWAY MAPLE BEHIND

November is also when we play the game of “guess where the hedgehog will hibernate” in our Station Road garden. Time to carefully check any piles of wood – especially any destined for bonfire celebrations. A few years ago I shifted some stacked firewood in late November and found a football of twigs and leaves, which started twitching and making grumpy-sounding snuffling noises. I carefully put the wood back in place and backed away. A few months later I returned, carefully removed the wood again, and found an empty hedgehog nest, the inhabitant having arisen and wandered off into the spring. This year, we have an upturned old cast iron bath which we have not yet worked out how to remove from the garden. We suspect our ‘hodgepigs’ might view this as the best potential hibernation site ever. This won’t be a permanent feature of the garden, but they can have it for one winter at least. So, come April, does anyone want an old iron bath? Photo (and front cover) and notes by Guy Anderson

www.tempsford.org 29 EAST WEST RAIL DEVELOPMENTS IN OUR AREA

Parish, ward and division councillors from the to Cambridge area joined EastWestRail Company for one of four online sessions held between 18 and 25 August to restart the conversation about East West Rail following lockdown and to discuss ways of working together going forward. Specific questions were asked of the team and the following are summaries of their answers.

How can we get to know more about what is being done? We have introduced a quarterly newsletter, send by email to all parishes, with print copies made available – initially on request. A Community Hub has been created to share thoughts and learn more about the project. It will be an opportunity to discuss aspects of the project. We’ll be informally seeking your ideas and thoughts on a diverse range of topics, from what makes a great travel experience to how we communicate with you. We will also formally consult you on specific aspects of the project. Consultations are a chance for you to have a formal say on our plans. A report of the feedback we receive during any consultation is published alongside our responses, and your views will help inform what direction the project takes.

What is being done at the moment? We are currently developing route alignment options, undertaking surveying and studies across a range of factors to help determine which options we should share with you for consultation. As part of this activity we are considering station sites, studying connections with local transport networks, and undertaking land and environmental surveys. Once options for the preferred route alignment are sufficiently advanced, we will present them to you and the communities along the route as part of a second round of non- statutory consultation. We are aiming to hold this consultation in early 2021. In the meantime, we are keen to keep talking to you and hearing your ideas and preferences.

www.tempsford.org 30 Could the railway be built at the same time as, and alongside the A428? Specifically, on the A428, we are working with their team to see whether there is a practical way to bring the projects together being mindful that it is not as straightforward as it might seem at first - railways do not like hills or bends and the station stops might not fit well with the needs of road users. However, as mentioned, we will keep talking to our counterparts at the A428 and the other projects across the area to create not just the best rail system, but the best transport system we can. We are also committed to exploring ways of delivering improved ‘active travel’ plans that fully integrate with East West Rail and deliver the most benefits for passengers and its communities.

Where will the stations be? While a station to the north of Bedford or west of Cambridge is not within our current planning, as we keep on developing the railway, we will from time to time back-check our decisions to test that the Preferred Route Option and its elements continue to be the right ones for the communities who live and work between Bedford and Cambridge. Currently, the new railway would serve: • Bedford Midland station, providing interchange with Thameslink and Midland mainline services; • A new station between the existing Sandy and St Neots stations, providing interchange with the East Coast Main Line; • A new station at Cambourne, and • Cambridge station, after connecting to the West Anglia Main Line to the south of Cambridge. The exact location of the new stations has not yet been decided, and we will be working with local authorities and other stakeholders to make sure the locations work for the local communities.

If you’d like to communicate with EWR directly, or would like more information on anything you’ve read here, or join the Community Hub, please get in touch with them at [email protected]

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