THE SIX VILLAGES NEWSLETTER Springtime in Papworth St Agnes APRIL 2015 Clarke Midgley 3 PAINTING DECORATING AIRLESS & HVLP SPRAYING TILING COVING Call 01480-880593 or 07904-585963or email PAPWORTH LIBRARY FRIENDS [email protected] The Friends is a group of people who are concerned about the risk of further reduction in our local library service & want to encourage greater use of this excellent facility in Papworth Everard. Although our library is not at risk of closure at the moment, the service has already suffered a reduction in staff & opening hours/times & we cannot afford to be complacent. Library usage is judged by footfall, i.e. the number of visits made using a library card & pin number to borrow books, magazines etc or to use the computers. Calling in does not count. UNIT 11 HARLEY IND. PARK The Friends want you to know what is PAXTON HILL, ST NEOTS, CAMBS PE19 6TA available for you at your local library. Did you ►MOT’s ►REPAIRS ►TYRES know you can borrow magazines? There are ►SERVICING ►EXHAUSTS ►BRAKES WHICH magazines for reference purposes as ►CLUTCHES ►BATTERIES ►RECOVERY ►WINDSCREENS ►CAR SALES ►AIR CONDITIONING well as an information point with many leaflets for local and not so local events. You can also www.paxtonhillgarage.co.uk 01480 217806 browse the Cambridge Evening News! Email: [email protected] EngAGE is a computer buddy scheme to help “We oFFer a quality proFessional service in a clean, well beginner or nervous computer users. The equipped workshop For all your motor internet is free at the library & is a great engineering needs”. source of information so you don’t need your own computer to use Google! Sometimes there are speakers and these meetings are advertised by poster on the library windows. There are two reading groups & Sandra, the librarian emphasises how friendly they are, so please don’t feel shy or intimidated about joining as you will be made very welcome. The library is important for children, providing Storytime sessions & organising holiday activities to encourage reading. So, if you haven’t thought about using the FROM REV STEVE: Benjamin Franklin, the famous scientist and co-founder of the United States of America once wrote “in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes” As recent publicity about some companies has shown, perhaps taxes are not so certain after all, but death is still with us. The author Terry Pratchett, who died recently, wrote a lot about Death, who was a character in Pratchett’s Discworld books, responsible for ensuring that every living thing was properly collected when it reached the end of its life. Pratchett’s Death is not unkind, but rather is concerned about justice, and sometimes prepared to be flexible - and there is always something to come after the end of life. In the weekly ‘Faith and Belief” sessions at Swavesey Village College, we have been offering the students a choice of six topics to engage with, all based round the Easter story: hope, evil, justice, forgiveness, suffering, and death. Invariably, the first topic they all choose is death. Perhaps it is a measure of how we as a society relate to death that youngsters find themselves drawn to explore questions about it, and even a staunch atheist like Terry Pratchett couldn’t bring himself to think of it as the end of all possibilities. In the Christian year, the Easter story, with death at its heart, is not nearly as popular as Christmas: there’s no baby and no tinsel (though chocolate is an Easter bonus!) Instead there’s betrayal, immense suffering, death … and resurrection! The Bible never shies away from the reality or the pain of death, but it also holds out the promise of resurrection – that the end of this life does not mean the end of meaning or love, that nothing good is ever really lost, and that God will, at the last, bring all things together in a new creation. Jesus’ Resurrection was the down-payment for all our resurrections and the time when, in the words of Revelation, God himself will be with us; he will wipe every tear from our eyes, and death will be no more. ELTISLEY ROGER’S RAMBLINGS My thanks to all who expressed concern at the demise of my flagpole which came down in high winds and lay across our drive on our return from holiday. I am pleased to say that it is now fully erect again following skilful repairs by our magic metalworker Gordon! Thanks also to the many who have dropped by or called to express their pleasure with the new Play Equipment, it really is great and already well used. There will be a Grand Opening on Friday 24th April at the end of school at 3.30pm, light refreshments will be served (see photo on Page 9). If any Eltisley children would like to help cut the tape please drop me a line. It will also be an opportunity to meet our Clerk, Jane Bowd. Jane works from an office in Needingworth and I know feels that she would like to meet more of you so make a diary date now. At our PC meeting on 10th March we discussed the completion of the tree works around the village, repairs to the verges along Cross Path and the re-siting and installation of more bollards, the setting up of a Trust to administer the funds resulting from the sale of the Institute, and the funding of long terms repairs to The Cade. We heard reports on Speedwatch, Neighbourhood Watch, the Parish Plan Steering Group, affordable housing and the latest on the upgrading of the A428. The accounts due for payment were approved together with the Bank reconciliation and budget report, and we reviewed and revised our Standing Orders and Financial Regulations. Planning Applications for the Nursery to remain in the School grounds and an extension and garage to No 20 The Green were approved. We heard that our bid for funding for a footpath from the school to the crossroads had sadly failed, but we will resubmit it next year, and we are exploring the logistics and cost of installing a portable speed warning sign in the village. We followed with a short meeting of the EVGT where we agreed to look at the possibility of obtaining a defibrillator to be installed at The Cade. Our marathon session ended at 9.40pm! Full draft minutes on the noticeboard. The next Open Feast Week and Fête Meeting will be at The Cade, 7.30pm on Tuesday 31st March do come along. The Annual Parish Meeting will precede the PC AGM at The Cade on 12 May 2015, commencing at the earlier time of 6.45pm for 7.00pm look forward to seeing many of you there. As always, praise or problems to me at 45 Caxton End or on 01480 880122 or [email protected] or our Clerk Jane Bowd on 01480 468451 or [email protected] Roger Pinner, Chairman Eltisley PC Bird House Beauty www.birdhousebeauty.co.uk Bird House Beauty is new to Yelling offering spa like relaxation in a pretty country garden far away from the hustle and bustle of town centres Nails, tans, massage and eyelashes. 07787 163747 ELTISLEY SPEEDWATCH: Some of the Eltisley Speedwatch Team in action. We did not actually record a motorist at this speed! but there were a large number of offenders. To join our team ring Roger on 01480 880122. KALEIDOSCOPE Womens’ Discussion Group: Kaleidoscope meets again on Monday 20th April when Judy Pearson will talk to us about her career with Cruse and the families she supports when bereavement occurs. Please ‘Save the Date’ of Saturday 6th June when we’ll have our fundraiser for The Lisa Kent Trust (educating children in the Gambia). Please come along and support this local charity. Our last meeting before the summer break will be on Monday 29th June when Becky Dyball will enlighten us on ‘The 5 Love Languages’: the secret to love that lasts. For more information, please ring Anne, Tel 880672 or 07974 082 604. Advance date For your diary: 'Rendezvous Holiday Week 2015’ will take place from Tuesday 18th - Friday 21st August in Papworth. (4 days of activities for the over 65s). Several people have already booked their place, which will be on a ‘first come-first served’ basis, so if you would like to book or, to find out more, please give me a ring and I’ll be happy to talk to you. Anne, Tel 01480 880672 YELLING Correspondent: Elly Peal 880412 Yelling's free e-newsletter – email [email protected] for village news, events, diaries and items wanted or for sale. Visit: www.yellingvillage.co.uk for news & info YELLING VILLAGE HALL: Facilities include: a refurbished kitchen with dishwasher, oven, hob, fridge and freezer. Enclosed patio and garden with barbeque as well as a large flexible hall space. Perfect for parties, meetings, dance and fitness classes – any type of get together. Available for hire - £7 per hour. See website www.yellingvillage.co.uk YELLING ART GROUP: Yelling art group is looking for new members. We meet every Thursday morning in term time 10-1pm in Yelling Village Hall. We are a friendly group - painting and drawing in a variety of medias and subjects, sometimes with the help of a visiting professional artist. Interested? For more information ring Joyce 01480 477045 or Prema 01480 474157 YELLING Correspondent: Elly Peal 880412 Yelling's free e-newsletter – email [email protected] for village news events, diaries a and items wanted or for sale .