Panser News Pampisford’S Community Newsletter

Colour Issue No.: 302 Cover! April 2013

Panser News Pampisford’s Community Newsletter

ST. GEORGE’S DAY

RD 23 APRIL

Daytime Pictures of Milton

Morris Men Needed! Daytime pictures of the Milton Morris are needed – can you help? -See page 6 for more details.

• Pampisford in the Past • A Letter from Ruth, Our Vicar • Village Diary • The Goldfinch Gang’s Return • Fond Memories of Jack Ellis Our Village Diary April 2013 Tuesday 2 nd Black Bin Collection

Sunday 7 th 9.30 am Holy Communion 2 Village Church

Tuesday 9 th 10.55 am Mobile Library Van 20 mins outside Church

Thursday 11 th 7.15 pm Parish Council Meeting Village Hall

Saturday 13 th 7.00 pm WI Folk Evening St. Mary’s Church Hall, Hobsons Voice & Supper Sawston For tickets call 832472

Sunday 14 th 9.30 am Morning Prayer Village Church

Monday 15 th 7.30 pm WI Meeting Village Hall Life in Ghana Lesley Elphick

Sunday 21 st 9.30 am Holy Communion 1 Church

Tuesday 23 rd 8.00 pm Pampisford Society Village Hall Annual General Meeting

Sunday 28 th 10.00 am Worship for All Church

May 2013 Saturday 4 th 7.00 pm Panser News Dinner Village Hall

Tuesday 8 th 8.00 pm Pampisford Society Village Hall Countryside Restoration Trust John Terry

Sunday 26 th 2.00 pm Spring Air Show Duxford IWM

To include your special event, please ring 836578 or email [email protected]

2 A Note from the Editors Hello! We are the first joint-editors for the PN, and we hope that you will enjoy reading this month's articles. You have probably noticed that there is a new colour cover for this issue. Thanks to new funding, Panser News can now have full-colour covers if the editor so chooses. You might have also noticed on the cover it briefly mentions that Saint George’s Day is on 23 rd April(the day on which Saint George died in the year AD 303). Many of you will probably know that Saint George is our patron saint of, who fought a dragon, and of how the English flag is the Saint George Cross. However, Saint George is not just the patron saint of England, but the saint of many other countries too, including Canada, Croatia, Portugal, Cyprus, Greece, Georgia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Republic of Macedonia. We hope you had a lovely Easter and had fun playing a few practical jokes on April Fools’ Day! - Katy and Sarah Ellis

More Choice in Social Care

Social care is provided to people who have been assessed as having substantial or critical support needs with personal care, getting meals, managing medication and staying safe. If you need social care the County Council will arrange your care for you, but they now have a duty to offer and provide Direct Payments. Direct Payments are an alternative way of getting the care and support you need. They are cash payments made directly into a Direct Payment bank account so that you can use the money to make your own social care arrangements. With a Direct Payment you have more choice, control and independence about how your care is organised. If you would like to find out more about Direct Payments visit the Your Life, Your Choice website at: www.yourlifeyourchoice.org.uk , pick up a leaflet from your library, phone adult social care enquiries on 0345 045 5202, or contact the Cambridgeshire Direct Payment Support Service on 0845 6000 684.

Village Hall Matters

Did you know that......

the ticking in the bridge cupboard has been silenced. Hooray!

3 A Letter from Ruth, Our Vicar I recently visited someone who told me they had stopped going to church because of all the arguments between Christians. “Why can’t the church just decide what it believes?” she asked. I have some sympathy for her as we all get tired of endless discussions about who’s right and who’s wrong. It’s fairly simple to unite around ‘do not kill’ or ‘love one another’, but much more difficult to find one definitive ‘right answer’ to the sorts of things you cannot find in the Bible like ‘should we use nuclear energy?’, or ‘is gene therapy a good thing?’. It’s interesting that we sometimes expect Christians to believe the same things, given that we would never dream of expecting politicians to all be in the same party. Even people who support the same overall ‘values’ in life - such as loving God and loving others - can disagree on exactly how to live. So we find people in different churches believing different things, following Jesus in slightly different ways. Fortunately it seems that God copes with diversity better than humans do. Jesus said to many people ‘follow me’ but he never seemed to spell out exactly how to do that, nor did he give his followers a ‘progress check’. Sometimes the most loving thing to do is to agree to differ, continue to love one another, and leave it to God to know who’s right. And if you want to know what any church ‘thinks’ the best way to find out is probably to go and worship there for a while, hear what’s being said and sung in services and see how they handle differences of opinion. Somehow, through God’s gracious love, we can learn to live together, even when we disagree – and even learn to thank God for our diversity. Ruth [email protected] Tel: 835314

4 Pampisford in the Past Items from Pampisford’s Archive

Pampisford’s Gentleman Pig

“Horses is horses, cows is cows but pigs is people.” This old saying is reflected in this mighty pig from Rectory Farm, Pampisford in the 1980s. He was full of character and a real favourite amongst those who cared for him – it was they who described him as ‘A Perfect Gentleman’. - OM

What Money Could Get You In 1937

Those were the days when, in 1937, an evening excursion by train from Pampisford Station* to Cambridge cost just 7 pence. For the same money in 1937, you could buy a tin of ‘Health Salts’ and half a pound of lard. For 10 pence you could splash out on a packet of custard powder and a pot of shrimp paste. - OM

*Pampisford Station was situated in the area of the Business Park near the Abington boundary.

A New Playground at Duxford

There is a brand new playground at Duxford’s museum, which has a big climbing frame shaped like a Lancaster bomber and four little spitfires and hurricanes outside. In the corner there is another climbing frame shaped like a control tower. Inside the bomber there are climbing walls and ropes and you can sit in the cockpit. This is better to play on as it is related to the museum. Next to the playground is a café that has nice food. I recommend going to Duxford. My favourite thing to see is the army section at the end.

By Archie Hunt age 9.

5 CAMBRIDGESHIRE'S FIRST COMMUNITY-DESIGNED BUS SERVICE TO LAUNCH ON MONDAY 18TH MARCH SAWSTON-PAMPISFORD-WHITTLESFORD-HEATHFIELD-HINXTON The new 7A service connecting Whittlesford and the surrounding villages to Sawston and Stapleford and then on to the Babraham Road Park & Ride is the first of its kind to have been designed in collaboration with local people, local councillors and Cambridgeshire County Council. The Cambridgeshire Future Transport project (CFT) has been listening to what people living in Whittlesford, Pampisford, Heathfield and Hinxton want and need from their bus service. The new timetable for the 7a is designed to better meet the needs of all the community, offering more options by connecting with the Park and Ride at Babraham and the Citi7. Once the service is in operation, the County would welcome feedback and suggestions on how it could be improved. Copies of timetables for your new 7A service will be available in convenient locations.

More information will be available on parish websites and the CFT pages on Cambridgeshire County Council's website: www.cambridgeshire.gov/CFT You can also check our Facebook and Twitter page for updates: www.facebook.com/CambsFutureTransport Twitter: @CambsFutureTrans

Or you can contact us by telephone: 0345 045 0675 or email: [email protected]

6 Tips to Help Stop Burglaries -From an Ecops Report-

- Lock away tools – spades and other similar items have been used to force entry - Take keys out of locks - glass has been broken and doors unlocked using keys on offer - Lock your side gate – buy bolts and fit them. Access is usually gained via a side gate as burglars prefer to break in at the rear of a property. - If you have an iPad, activate the ‘Find my iPad’ facility (in the iCloud settings) and learn how to use it - Keep laptops and other electronic devices out of view of windows - Burglaries in houses fitted with alarms are extremely rare - consider fitting one, or a dummy bell box (they cost less than £15) – IP cameras (which contact you when they detect movement and send the images) cost under £35 on Ebay. - Burglars don’t like occupied houses. Consider sharing driveways and making arrangements for neighbours to put your bins back after they have been emptied on a bin day, also have a radio playing – a loud radio costs nothing - PHONE IN SUSPICIOUS INCIDENTS! If you are asking yourself ‘Should I call in something you have seen?’ the answer is probably yes - Do it straight away as we are prioritising calls and will do our utmost to attend quickly - We are very interested in any sightings of a metallic Mercedes A Class not belonging to anyone in Foxton. - Burglars will often knock before entering a house to ensure no one is in. If you answer the door to someone who clearly wasn’t expecting it, this is suspicious – try and see where they go from your window, even better, keep a camera to hand and all the police As always please remain vigilant, and report any suspicious behaviour to the Police on 101, or if an emergency 999. Brent Ditch I am sure some of you are thinking, ‘What is Brent Ditch?’ Well, Brent Ditch was one of Cambridgeshire’s 5 Medieval defensive dykes, and I just so happened to do a History project on it a couple of years ago. It was the odd one out, running South- East while the others ran North-West. Although it was initially thought to have been built around the 6 th or 7 th Centuries, further excavations have shown that it was in use in the Roman times, and even as far back as the Iron Age. The ditch has been through many things, including a Halifax Bomber crashing into it during WW2 and the widening of the A11 (which was the Ancient Icknield Way). The ditch (in Medieval times it was more commonly known as the Green Ditch) was 1 mile long, although no bank has survived. Today it is probably best viewed from Pampisford Hall. By Katy Ellis 7 Wandlebury: An Excellent Dog Walk

Wandlebury Country Park is open to the public all year round. A short walk from the car park takes you up to the hills' quietly crowning glory – the Wandlebury Ring. This Iron Age Hill Fort, its construction believed to have been started around 400 BC, occupies the crest of the hill. Archaeologists have unearthed a good deal of evidence in the shape of pottery and stone artefacts that point to Neolithic and Bronze Age settlements predating the hill fort. It is thought that the fort was considerably strengthened in the 1st century AD, possibly by the Iceni, when a second ditch was dug. Even though the hill fort has been diminished over the centuries, it's easy to imagine a time when it dominated the surrounding countryside, and it's well worth taking a stroll around Wandlebury Ring; as with the park as a whole, there is a real air of serenity here, enhanced by careful management by the Wandlebury Preservation Society. From the ring, several paths fall away through woods and alongside fields of chalk grassland. The attractions are natural ones and it's a perfect spot for those who want a walk, a picnic or simply a quiet, contemplative few hours. There are 3 walking trails. Each starts at the gateway between the Ring and the old orchard. Following the trails: the numbered way-marked posts guide you along trails and can be found at regular intervals. All trails end at post 9 by the Games Field. Red Trail: (1.2km) posts 1-9 Green Trail (1.6km) posts 1-8, 10-13 and 9 Yellow Trail (3.2km) posts 1-8, then 10, 11, 14, 11-13 and back to 9 again!

Quick Word Search There are 9 words to do with Pampisford hidden in this word search - can you find them all? Words to find: h h p r c g y e p e e Pampisford f r a l y s r b h p o Chequers r h e r c h s a a a t Rectory d b s s i r r o m e l Brewery e d r o f s i p m a p Church e r e e o p h h o t p Parish f t u h w n o o n r c m e q s a e o h d p i Glebe q r e c t o r y s s m Hammond e c h u r c h y c o m Morris a q c o a n e r i y b

8 SAWSTON SAVERS Fair Finance for All

Come and see us at: John Huntingdon's Charity office , Tannery Road Sawston Daily 9.15 am to 1.00 pm OR at OWL Cafe Sawston Free Church, High Street, Sawston Thursday 12.00 pm to 2.00 pm . Visit our website: www.rainbowsaver.co.uk

Can I join? All those who live or work in Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, South Norfolk or Great Yarmouth are eligible to join (as well as certain other categories – see website) Saving with the Credit Union Any amount saved is welcome – no minimum amounts per month, no lump sum to open an account. Saving is easy -Bring your paying in book to a collection point (there’s one in Sawston) and pay in cash or cheques. You can also save by standing order from your bank account or by using a PayPoint card at a local shop. -Pay in wages, benefits or pensions into the Credit Union by using a PayPoint card at a local shop when it suits you. 3% interest a year for Junior Savers – a great way to encourage saving. Free life insurance for members under 80 (terms and conditions apply).

Affordable loans • available to regular savers over 18 • loan interest rate is no more than 2% a month which works out at 26.8% (APR • a much better alternative to doorstep lenders and loan sharks with APRs over 1000% • no penalty if you pay off the loan early or make overpayments

Here's the story of Mrs Rush and Mrs Wise Both need to borrow £300 to replace their washing machine. Mrs Rush borrows from a lender. She'll pay back £9 a week. The interest is 190% APR or £213. And she pays off the loan in 57 weeks In total it costs Mrs Rush £513 . Mrs Wise gets a loan from the credit union. She'll pay back £9 a week. The interest is 26.8% APR or £29.06. And she pays off the loan in 37 weeks. In total it costs Mrs Wise £329.06. In fact if she keeps saving £9 a week, by the time Mrs Rush has paid off her loan, Mrs Wise will have another £180 in her savings account. Poor Mrs Rush!

9 Draft Pampisford Parish Council Minutes Meeting: 1414thththth March 2013

Chairman: Aureole Wragg Clerk: Nina Zealey, Tel: 833037

Present: Aureole Wragg (Chair), Peter Draper, Graham Berridge, Justin Marsh, Tim Stone (CC) until 7:45 pm, Tony Orgee (DC) (latter part) and Nina Zealey (Clerk).

Open Forum :

MINUTES OF THE PARISH COUNCIL MEETING. 1. Apologies: Heather Fordham, Anne Judd away. Nigel Upton for family reasons. 2. Declarations of interests with regard to items on the agenda. AW and JM live in houses included in the VF Option 6 in the proposed Local Plan. 3. Signed and approved minutes of meetings dated, Wednesday13 th February 2013. 4. Matters Arising from the Previous Minutes: It has been noticed that the White Horse has a ‘For Sale’ sign up again even though the recent change of use planning application was approved. 5. Reports by County and District Councillors. Tim Stone (CC) reported: Street Lights : that one in ten street lights will be removed and the rest upgraded. There is no mechanism for Parish Councils to take over the threatened lights yet. Buses : The 7A bus new time table will start on 18 th March. Paper copies will be available later, perhaps in the Village Hall. The timetable includes the bus stop near the vets on London road. TS started arranging for the bus stop sign to be reinstated. PD pointed out the massive pot holes on Beech Lane made by farm vehicles and that the buses are turning badly at the White Horse by driving over the grass verge. TS will look into these points. Tony Orgee (DC) reported: Council Tax : There will be a 1.99% increase (£21) on band D properties, of which £5 is due to SCDC. Local Plan Consultation: There will be another round with regard to the location of a new football stadium, with one proposal to put it near the Babraham Road industrial area, Sawston. You can view the exhibition at Spicer’s Pavilion, 9 th April 2013. One councillor noted that there was no mention of the lakes leisure plans in the gravel pits in the consultation. AW mentioned a lot of people could not see their comments accepted on the website. TO said they should all be up shortly. He said he would check into the problem of ice at Glebe Crescent to see what can be done . Possibly the PC could buy bins and the CC would then fill them with grit. The Post Office in Sawston will be closed for 10 days in April for improvements. 6. Planning Applications: Two tree applications C/11/40/077 9713 and 9714 – for the removal of one conifer and the trimming of other trees, 30 Brewery Road, and Beech Lane, Pump house and both applications were approved. 7. Finance: Community Account as of 27 Feb 2013: £6107.32, Money out £261.9.40, Money in: £0.00 Bills: Cambridgeshire ACRE £30, Carter Jonas £5.00, Grounds man: £138.40, Clerk: £100.59. Res. as of 28 Dec: £10478.51.

10 8. Local Plan Consultation -Is covered by Tony Orgee’s Report above. Difficulties in confirming replies have been acknowledged by SCDC and not all responses have been loaded on the online website yet. 9. Parish Council and Village Hall Insurance renewal. To be done in April. 10. Grass Cutting Contract for next year. Four quotations for 12 cuts of the two recreation grounds and 6 cuts of the London Road verge were reviewed from landscape contractors varying from £4050, £1530, £1528.56 and £1318.56. PD proposed that we accept the lowest bidder, CGM Landscapes. JM seconded the proposal and all councillors agreed. 11 . CPALC parish councillor training courses. Ongoing, to contact other local Parish Councils to see if there is interest. 12. AW reported from SCDC Liaison Meeting held on 7th March. The meeting was mostly to do with funding of local council taxes. AW enjoyed meeting parish councillors from other parishes. 13. Environment: a. Parish Noticeboards, progress on replacement – AW Still awaiting delivery. b. Brewery Road resurfacing has failed, any more news? – PD has no more news other than further efforts at sweeping up the grit. PD was informed that something will be done in May/June. c. Vehicle entrance to Church Lane Rec – GU: Ongoing. d. Playground equipment and litter bins – AW will contact the insurance company about the need for weekly inspections. JM said SCDC are sorting out the bins in the recreation grounds according to a communication from Heidi Duffett. e. Mcdonalds and litter, letter sent – NZ Awaiting reply. Read out a supportive letter from Whittlesford Parish Council with regard to McDonald’s litter dropped all around the area. f. Babraham Road Hedge cutting – PD is pleased that Highways has taken on the task of contacting the relevant landowners to ensure the hedges are cut back to increase visibility. g. Hedge cutting along A505 – PD reported that this was very messily done and Highways wants to know who was responsible. The debris caused a cycle accident and a backup of rush hour traffic along the A505. h. Glebe Crescent – what to do in icy conditions? Ongoing – TO will look into the problem. i. Two small benches have been installed in the White Horse bus shelter. They are made out of oak and should be vandal proof. The parish council thanks the kind donor for this gift to the parish. 14. The new RTI – taxation system. Real time PAYE reporting may be a burden for a parish clerk for one or two part time employees! Starts on 6 th April and there are penalties. It is mandatory. They do not provide a phone number to call for help. The clerk is worried about this as we only report PAYE once a year because of the very small amounts involved. It may mean more work for the clerk for no real benefit to anyone. GB is happy to discuss processes with clerk. We could contact CAPALC for advice 15. Correspondence by post: HM Revenue and Customs, Are you ready to report PAYE in real time? PAYE Payslip for 2012-13, Letter from Whittlesford Parish Council asking us about progress on the McDonald’s Litter, Play equipment inspection forms for Feb/march for Brewery Rd rec, Came and Company Parish Matters, Spring 2013, Two tree

11 applications with the same reference number, see above. Email from Capalc, questionnaire to identify interesting examples of alternative service delivery in rural areas. 16. Date of the next meeting is Thursday 11 th April 2013.

PAMPISFORD VILLAGVILLAGEE EVENT When? Saturday 8 th June Where? Church Lane Recreation Ground Why? To have some fun, meet people and say farewell to Ruth, our vicar. Details to follow. Suggestions of activities gratefully received. Thoughts so far – bring your own picnic, games and races, drama, ice creams. The main idea is for it to be an enjoyable afternoon, without too much stress for anyone! There will be a meeting at 8.00pm on Thursday 25 th April at 105 Brewery Road, for all those who would like to help, either beforehand or on the day, even in a very small way. [email protected] , tel: 830811

Fond Memories of Jack Ellis

We are sad to announce the death of Jack Ellis in Cambridge last week. He will be remembered with affection by many village residents, as Jack lived most of his life in Pampisford. He had many talents including writing poetry and playing musical instruments, as well as being a true self reliant country man, very aware of the seasons. At least for his final years he was comfortable in a home, warm and well fed. His funeral is at 10.45 on Thursday 4th April at the Cambridge Crematorium.

Jack Ellis was our village poet, who was a fine linguist and used to live at 101 Brewery Road. The first photograph is of Jack with a Fijian neighbour in the garden of 5 High Street. The second photograph is of Jack reading French with a magnifying glass (also at 5 High Street). He enjoyed French and was learning Polish at over 80.

Here is a poem of Jack's called 'Pampisford' taken from 'A Rural Eye', compiled and illustrated by Olive Mayo, produced by Panser News 2005.

The Pampisford Pilates Group

The Pampisford Pilates Group has two spaces for new members. We meet at 4.00 pm on Tuesdays in the Village Hall. Previous exercise experience would help. Total beginners would find it a bit difficult. Ring Maggie or Colin on 839091.

13 Pampisford W.I. Meeting held on Monday 18 ththth March, 2013 The guest speaker was Tom Mor, who though, a cartoonist spoke to us about his involvement in tapestry design. He has been involved in several tapestries but he gave us his wry look into the 18 craft guilds of 1620. This was the year the guilds gave money to the AV (the Adventurers of Virginia who were the early settlers). The first stitch was sewn by the Lord Mayor of London and the last by the Mayor of Lyme Regis where the Tapestry was sewn. He gave us a slide show of the tapestry showing each panel in detail. Each one of 18 panels showed the crest of the Guild and a cartoon depicting the activities of the guild. In each panel there were the same four characters doing the work and a cat and a mouse hiding somewhere. The other tapestry he has designed is 267ft. long and is called the New World Tapestry. This is now in the possession of Bristol Council who it is hoped will find it a new home. This has gold stitches from many well known figures such as the Queen, Prince Philip, Princess Anne and other members of the Royal family. Look it up on Google! The WI is organising three open events this year. The first is on 13 th April at St. Mary’s Church Hall, Sawston and is a Folk Evening with Hobson’s Voice. This is to raise money for the East Anglia Air Ambulance and some for our WI. There will be a ploughman’s supper and cake and a raffle. Please bring your own drinks. Tickets cost £8 each and can be ordered from any WI member or from Jean Osborne on 01223 832472. The other events are in June and August so watch this space. JO NEWS FROM THE CHURCH Unfortunately, due to a “technical hitch”, our item which should have appeared in last month’s Panser News was omitted and news about Plough Sunday is somewhat out of date. Nevertheless it would be remiss of us not to thank the Rev Ruth Whitehead for conducting the Plough Sunday Service with her usual aplomb and also to thank Michele Upton for organising the sumptuous tea. Our half-yearly Songs of Praise Service duly took place on 24 March with its usual strong support and hearty singing of those favourite hymns. Once again we are grateful to the Rev Ruth for her light touch handling of these popular services and sad that this is probably the last which she will lead – we appreciate her efforts in this regard but must keep the “tradition” going now that it has been established. As these notes go to print we are looking forward to Psalm Sunday, involving all Churches in our Local Ecumenical Partnership, leading up to Easter Day on 31 March. The Services scheduled for April are fairly standard, as a result of the early Easter. Incidentally, we have an organist vacancy – is there anyone out there who would like to try their hand, if only on occasional Sundays? Colin Richardson Tel: 839091

14 Historic Duxford Our new permanent exhibition and historic trail opens on Thursday 28 thth March

Historic Duxford is a brand new exhibition and historic site trail which explores Duxford’s time as an RAF airfield from 1918 to 1961. It is our first new permanent exhibition since the opening of AirSpace in 2007. This exciting new exhibition has been under development for almost two decades, with the creation and delivery taking three years to complete. Steve Woolford, Head of Interpretation and Collections, said: ‘IWM Duxford is famously known for its air shows and large-scale exhibitions, such as AirSpace. For the first time, we are giving visitors an insight into the heart of this historic site, telling RAF Duxford’s own story. Historic Duxford builds on what we’ve created in AirSpace and in the reconstructed 1940 Operations Room. In AirSpace, the historic objects take the lead in the exhibition, with personal stories supporting the interpretation and understanding of those objects. In Historic Duxford, the personal stories of the men and women who lived, worked and fought for their country at RAF Duxford, take centre stage, supported by the personal objects that help to convey those stories. We’ve been working for many years to research the stories of the men and women who passed through the gates at RAF Duxford. This gives us the incredible depth and intensity of personal stories that we now tell in Historic Duxford. One of our most famous characters is Douglas Bader, and in the exhibition we not only have his dress cap and jacket on display, but we have a film of him talking about his experiences at RAF Duxford, rare 1930s home- shot film of him off-duty, plus the personal memories of his RAF colleagues. ‘ In Historic Duxford, we’re able to show why Duxford is so important historically and also to help visitors to look at our historic site with fresh eyes.’ Historic Duxford is housed in the original 1930s Watch Office building. In the exhibition, we explore Duxford’s fascinating history. As a typical RAF fighter base, Duxford experienced significant historic events, military developments and social change during the first half of the twentieth century. RAF Duxford was created during the latter stages of the First World War to train pilots for war. Between the wars, it was part of ‘ the best flying club in the world’ and an important arena for showcasing the RAF’s capabilities to royalty, the press and the public. RAF Duxford’s Second World War history is perhaps the best known, with the dogfights of the Battle of Britain, and, later, the arrival of the American forces. Finally, we look at the Cold War era, when many men did their National Service at RAF Duxford, and the station’s eventual closure in 1961. With many things to watch, listen to, have a go at, wear and even smell, Historic Duxford paints a vivid picture of daily life at RAF Duxford. Hear and see fascinating personal stories told by the men and women who worked and lived at RAF Duxford, in sound and film. We look at their jobs, living conditions and how they spent their leisure time.

15 Our interactives will immerse you in the lives of RAF Duxford’s service men and women, as you learn how they spent their working day and the skills they needed to do their jobs to exacting RAF standards. Personal objects tell the stories of some of the remarkable individuals who served at RAF Duxford. For the first time in almost a decade, items owned by Douglas Bader will be on display alongside scenes from a rare 1930s home film which shows Bader, alongside his RAF friends and colleagues, having fun off-duty. See the Watch Office, the forerunner to the Control Tower, as it might have been during the late 1930s. Period details and interactive elements give the impression that the Duty Pilot has only just left the room. Complementing the Historic Duxford exhibition is a heritage trail around the historic site with eight interactive posts. Each post features audio memories from veterans who worked at RAF Duxford. Pick up a family activity sheet from the exhibition to complete as you follow the trail. Discover Duxford’s own story – its eventful past and fascinating people. Historic Duxford opens to visitors on Thursday 28 March. Historic Duxford is included in general admission to IWM Duxford. Visitors aged 15 and under enjoy free admission to IWM Duxford.

Visit iwm.org.uk for details of our events and activities. Keep in touch - sign up for our regular eNews at iwm.org.uk Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Our new permanent exhibition Historic Duxford opens to the public on Thursday 28 March. Follow the progress of Historic Duxford , on its blog by going to iwm.org.uk IWM Duxford is a charity. To help us preserve our aviation heritage please text IWMD55 £5 to 70070 to donate. What's On at IWM Duxford:

Saturday 9 to Sunday 24 February - half term activities Sunday 5 May - Spring Car Show Sunday 26 May – Spring Air Show Remembering the Mighty Eighth Sunday 16 June (Father's Day) - Military Vehicle Show

Tickets for all air shows are now on sale.

Jokes from the Hunt Family Katherine’s Joke: Name someone who smells and is a singer. Dustbin Bieber!

Archie’s Joke: Why did Captain Hook cross the road? To get to the second hand shop!

16 A Choirboy

My son Sammy is a busy boy. He has all the usual commitments of a 10-year-old and then some – because as well as being a schoolboy, he is also a senior probationer chorister at King's College school. Founded in the fifteenth century, the Choir of King’s College, Cambridge is undoubtedly one of the world’s best known choral groups. Every Christmas Eve millions of people worldwide tune into A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, a service that has been broadcast each year by the BBC since 1928. It’s a major commitment. Sammy – along with 16 other boy choristers – rehearses every morning for an hour before school. They also sing at the chapel’s evensong services on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays Saturdays and Sunday as well as the Sunday morning service. On average, the choristers perform at about 150 services each year including extra events at Easter and Christmas. They may also go on tour once or twice a year.

It’s a lot to fit in – so how do they manage? Sammy, said: “It’s tiring. I’d like to have a little bit more spare time to do other things such as football but I like singing so I don’t mind.” Sammy can expect to stay until he is about 13 – although that age varies, depending on when a boy’s voice breaks.

Despite their young age the boys sing in front of congregations of several hundred people and are often only told they are to sing a solo during rehearsals. It is demanding. Every day of the week they are singing two or three different pieces of music. Concentration levels are really important. However, this also gives the choristers valuable skills. They’ve learnt to manage their time, to work as professional musicians, to work as a team and they’ve learnt a lot of self- confidence.

If you find yourself in town around the time of an evensong (5.30pm) do go along to one of the services in the chapel. They are free and you will hear some of the most glorious music sung by beautiful voices in a magnificent setting. It's a great opportunity to stop your world for 45 minutes and have some reflection time to yourself.

(The Director of Music Stephen Cleobury is always pleased to hear of prospective Choristers. If your son is aged six or seven and enjoys singing then feel free to contact Stephen by telephone on 01223 331224 or by email at [email protected] .) By Sarah Ellis

100 Club Winners 1st Prize £10 - no. 96 G Berridge

2nd Prize £5 - no. 171 A Hutcraft

3rd Prize £3 - no. 73 B Houghton

PAMPISFORD CHURCH BELLS DIARY

Since 9th February the village bells have not been rung.

On Palm Sunday, 24th March, a band of ringers from Whittlesford rang them before the Four Churches Service.

19 The Goldfinch Gang’s Return You may remember a while ago I did a small article on the Goldfinches of Pampisford. Well, their gang seems to have grown a few members since then (the last count was about 13- 14, hard to count when they are all hopping around!) and they are still regular visitors to our garage roof. Goldfinches like moss on roofs, particularly if it has bugs in it, thistle plants and Niger Seed which can be bought from garden centres. If you want to treat them, any leftover seedy bread is always a favourite!! The Goldfinch Gang (who we now refer to as the GGs) are most common in winter as they can’t get food from their usual place. So, if you see the GGs around in your garden, put out some food for them and they’ll soon become regular visitors. But Goldfinches aren’t the only regular Pampisford visitors – we have a Jay who visits often, lots of Chaffinches, Tits, Doves, etc. There is even a giant mystery bird on the telephone wires going down the Sawston bypass. I think it is a Red Kite so we called him Clement, but then found out he was a ‘her’ so renamed her to Clementine!! Finally, be sure to see lots of Pheasants in your garden if you live in Brewery Road or Church lane and your garden backs out onto the big field when the shooting season starts – these crafty birds have learnt that they need to get out of the woods at that time of year. –Katy

It is believed that the Goldfinch is thought to have the red face because when Jesus was on the cross, one plucked a thorn out of his crown of thorns and a drop of blood f ell on its face.

Panser News is financially supported by in-house fundraising, local advertisers and other kind donors. Ideas and opinions expressed in Panser News are not necessarily those of the editors.

This month’s editor: Katy and Sarah Ellis [email protected] Next month’s editor and address for new items: Roger Turnbull [email protected] Deadline for contributions/articles: 21 st April

Coordinating editor: Chas Hunt [email protected] 38 Brewery Road, 01223 837750 or contact: [email protected]