Contents page Editorial 5 Letters 6 MP backs Fundraising for New Hall 9 Great Wilbraham Primary School 11 Great Wilbraham Parish Council 14 Little Wilbraham Parish Council 16 Six Mile Bottom Sports and Social Club 19 Vegetable, Flower and Produce Show 19 Fibre Optic for Wilbraham 21 St Nicholas Trust 22 Bottisham & Burwell Photographic Club 23 Wilbrahams’ Memorial Hall Social Club 25 Youth Group & Sport in the Wilbrahams 26 Weenie Warblers 29 Village Signs 30 Untold Stories 31 Calendar 36/37 New Trees in Great Wilbraham 39 Litter Pick 39 Retreating Forward 40 More Weather Vanes 41 Wilbrahams’ WI 43 Burwell Print 45 Our Perfect Playground 46 Mary Layton Cottages 49 Country Music at the Memorial Hall 50 Over the Farm Gate 52 Are We a Christian Country 53 Rail tracking in India 54 Bells Meeting 55 A View from the Garden 57 Tower Project at St Nicholas Church 58 Cycling 60 Cambridge Open Studios 61 Gardening Club 64 News from Bottisham Patients’ Group 64 Wilbrahams and Six Mile Bottom over 60s Club 67 Advertisers 68 Community Group Contact Details 69 Bus Timetable 70 Public Service Contact Details Police Emergency Police, Fire or Ambulance 999 Community Support Officer PCSO John Coppard 101ext.7113441

Doctors The Surgery, Bottisham Enquiries/Appointments : 810030 Mon-Fri: 08:30 am to 6.00 pm Fulbourn Health Centre Enquiries/Appointments : 880216 Mon-Fri: 08:30 am to 6.00 pm Out-of-hours / Urgent Care NHS Direct 111 Cambridgeshire

Faith Anglican Church Rev Alice Goodman 880337 Lay Minister: Steve Mashford, 882163 Baptist Church Peter Wells, 812388, www.re-new.me.uk [email protected] [email protected] Rev Keith Morrison, 813055 Great Wilbraham Parish Council www.gt-wilbraham-pc.org.uk Chairman John Beadsmoore 880889 [email protected] Clerk Natalie Mulvey 07887813702 [email protected] Little Wilbraham Parish Council Chairman Chris Tebbit 811009 Clerk Diane Bramwell 812426 [email protected] Councillors County Councillor John Williams [email protected] District Councillor Robert Turner 813437 [email protected] Photos by Ian Cumming, Martin Gienke, John Bramwell Printed by Burwell Community Print Centre

4 Editorial These are exciting times for us. Some of you may have been aware that the web site went down between the last issue and this one. Well I am happy to report that it is back up and running. Our plan for the web site is to add several more pages and try to keep you more up to date with what is going on in the villages of Great and Little Wilbraham and Six Mile Bottom. So we will be introducing a calendar like the one we have in the magazine with all the important dates. We will also be using the web site for larger articles and pictures that we cannot fit into articles. There will also be an archive of older editions of the Warbler. We are open to any ideas you may have for the website. So if you have any ideas please let us know at warbler.gtwilbraham.net. The other thing is, did you know that we have a Facebook page? Well we have. That got me to thinking, if we wanted to contact people at short notice what would be the best way? We could drop a note into everyone’s home, Email everyone we had email addresses for, or we could put it on the web site. But one of the easiest ways would be to put it on Facebook and as long as people ‘like’ the Wilbrahams Warbler Facebook page you would get messages sent to your phones or computers. We would also welcome any articles from new authors young or old. If you’re young for instance, you could be leaving Great Wilbraham School and going to Bottisham or into Cambridge for your secondary education. Let us know how you feel about changing schools, your hopes and fears. For someone else it could be, how you think things have changed in the time you have lived in the village. These are just ideas. Any interesting photos are also very welcome for inclusion in The Warbler.

Time Why hasn’t anyone got time anymore? Time to have a chat with the person next door Young generation with press button gadgets are all in a hurry You meet them, mobiles attached to ear, they wave a greeting and off in a flurry How us older ones long for a cheery natter, if only for a while It need only be to enquire how they are and a little smile I find time goes by so fast these days Perhaps it’s me getting slower and stuck in my ways Try not to be in such a rush and always on the run Slow down a bit, take time out and have some fun.

Greta Rees

5 Letters Dear Editors I was born in 1932 in a thatched cottage where the nursery day centre is in Great Wilbraham and came to 26 High Street, Little Wilbraham in 1935. When the Wilbrahams knew each other, but not so today. I believe I am the oldest man living in Little Wilbraham, who has lived in the Wilbrahams all his life. When I asked my family in Ireland to come over and look after me because I was alone, they had to build an extension, like the rest of the block of houses. The so called Parish council held a special meeting in the church to stop the extension and came around me like a swarm of bees as if I shouldn’t be there, which was disgraceful and I didn’t get a proper apology. I didn’t have no option but to leave the church, which showed that they had no feeling for the elderly in the village. Then somebody put an article in the Warbler (last edition) concerning the parking outside 26 High Street, Little Wilbraham and didn’t give their name which shows they are not a real village person and wouldn’t face the old man and saying Little Wilbraham was a lovely village until my family came. What a difference from years ago when they looked after each other. Where has the love gone? We parked the cars on the other side of the road instead of the driveway only to have the tyres let down. I was so pleased the council in Cambridge over ruled the Parish Council so I can live in the village I like and let me live in peace with my family. S P Wilson The councillors question the accuracy of some of the facts stated in the letter. The Little Wilbraham Parish Council will respond directly to Mr Wilson, and the letter will be sent for inclusion in the next edition. Some councillors will offer to meet with Mr Wilson to discuss the matter. Chairman LWPC Dear Editor I have read with interest the various letters in regards to the Church Bells being muffled, I cannot understand why someone would be so selfish and arrogant as to move into a quintessential English village and assume they can just dictate to the community. The sounds of the church bells have been a part of village life since the church was built. There is a memorial in the Memorial Hall to all those who gave their lives in two world wars so that we can all enjoy the freedom to enjoy the village

6 life that we have. Those who died lived and worked the estate and fields around this village and would have heard the church bells wherever they were working. Those who came back from those wars and wars since would have found that feeling of joy on returning from active service to hear the sound of the church bells, taking comfort from the sound of village life continuing as normal. I have served in the Army and know how that feels. In 2018 the whole country will be honouring the fallen of the Great War by the ringing of the church bells in all the towns and villages of the country but Great Wilbraham will not be able to join in and honour the fallen as our church bells have been muffled? What would be next, muffle the church organ or ask the congregation to sing less loudly? I would appeal to whom ever forced the church congregation to have the bells muffled to approach the Reverend Alice Goodman quietly and ask for the bells to be reinstated to full working condition as we are all human and make mistakes. Regards Andy Martin, 8 Station Road Great Wilbraham Dear Editors

Following the discussions about cycling, during the Great Wilbraham Parish meeting I feel that there is a need to get your collective wishes for cycling routes down in policy terms. I am in the process of working up the section of the Transport Strategy for Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire that relates to your area. For information a copy can be found here http://tinyurl.com/kcutscv - it's labelled draft but it's not. This will take about 5 minutes to download in Gt Wilbraham I fear, until you get your fibre optic cable! It is a working document, and so I'd be happy to hear from folk with sensible suggestions for village links or links to the Bottisham VC. These can then be incorporated into a policy document which would inform future spend as money becomes available in future. If you wanted to put this suggestion in your parish magazine together with my e- mail [email protected] I'd be happy to consider suggestions for inclusion. Patrick Joyce Dear Editors

On 1st May I attended the meeting at St Nicholas Church Great Wilbraham to find out why there seemed to be a reluctance in accepting the fact that whereas the baffling of the bells has been successful in reducing the noise nuisance suffered by those living in the shadow of the church (who can now hear themselves think

7 when the bells are being rung) there are others who can’t hear the bells, who used to be able to hear them, and would like to again. As it turned out, reaching a satisfactory compromise is not as difficult as has been made out. The bells can be baffled during bell ringing practices, and properly opened for time keeping and ceremonials at quite low cost. So that was good. But then came the “Plan” for the future. Phil’s aim seems to be to develop and use St Nicholas Church as a Regional or District centre for bell ringing recruitment and training etc.. We were told that one of our main assets is that we are at the geographical centre of a bell ringing area, and that when the new toilet is built, St Nicholas will be as good a facility as there is. When questioned about frequency of ringing etc. Phil said it was all or nothing. And since there was no real quantification of “all” - he simply repeated the phrase - we cannot know how much use is intended. The Central Council of Church Bell Ringers (CCCBR) recognises the main problems associated with bell ringing as follows. They are 1) too noisy, 2) rung too often, 3) rung too long, and 4) rung at the wrong time. There are others. It also recognises the need to deal with complaints sympathetically. If the “Plan” is a real one, it is reasonable to expect that Phil should define it in writing well in advance (now) individually for the vicar, church wardens, near neighbours, and for other parishioners via the Warbler. The report should include informative statements on how any nuisances, particularly the four main ones at this stage, will be mitigated. This needs dealing with sympathetically from the start, rather than spending a lot of time, effort and money setting it all up, secretly, and merely hoping that complaints, identified generically by the CCCBR, do not arise when the bell ringing centre opens. The CCCBR guidance is on line and well worth a read if you are interested in this topic. Tony Goryn

8 MP Backs our Fundraising Effort for The New Village Hall South East Cambridgeshire MP Sir Jim Paice accepted our invitation to visit the Wilbrahams’ Memorial Hall, which is described by South Cambridgeshire District Council as one of the poorest facilities in the area. The Trustees welcomed Sir Jim Paice, his successor as the Conservative candidate for the 2015 General Election, Lucy Frazer QC and South Cambridgeshire District Councillor Robert Turner. The visitors toured our dilapidated single storey Hall and were shown the plans for a new building, housing a large new Hall, Meeting Room, Servery and accessible toilets, sensitively Left to right Charlies Raikes, Allan Painter, Sir Jim Paice MP and Ray Tilbrook designed to nestle within the centre of the village Conservation Area surrounded by listed buildings. They were also shown pictures of some of the many village events and celebrations that have centred on the Hall and recreation ground in the last few years. The Trustees have been budgeting and conserving funds for several years and have £100,000 of the Trust’s funds to put towards the project, which is estimated to cost just over £400,000. We are now launching a major fund raising effort in support of the new Hall building project. Parish Councils of both Great and Little Wilbraham have pledged their financial support to the scheme. Chairman of the Trustees, Charles Raikes, said, “In this 100th anniversary year of the beginning of the First World War, it is fitting that we should be redeveloping the Hall established as a memorial to local men who served in that war. The old Hall has served the community very well for a long time, but it has now deteriorated badly and is well past its original design life. The Hall is home to 17 local groups plus a Sports Club and a Social Club, making it the hub of our thriving communities. Accessibility is difficult for some users and kitchen and toilet facilities are below modern standards. Running costs are escalating due to the deterioration of the fabric of the building and lack of insulation. With public transport to our villages reducing, the social need for an up to date Hall becomes ever more urgent particularly as some residents do not have the opportunity to attend functions elsewhere”. 9 Residents supported the recent Model Train Running Day, organised by Roger Burton, raising £272 for the Hall Redevelopment Fund. The Trustees are now initiating a fundraising programme to seek donations from residents and local businesses, as well as undertaking Regional and National grant applications. We also hope to sign up more supporters to easyfundraising.org.uk to help boost our online fundraising efforts. Wilbrahams’ Memorial Hall has 42 supporters so far, who have raised an astonishing £1226 just by shopping online. Please do join us! Donations can be made towards the Wilbrahams’ Memorial Hall Redevelopment Project by contacting Richard Morley, Treasurer, by email to [email protected] or telephone 01223 880723. The Trustees are in the process of creating a donation page at BT Mydonate, which will be available shortly. The Halls next fundraising event is Barry King’s Music Quiz on Friday 13th June. Teams of up to 6 people. £4 per person, to include table snacks. Tickets are available from Steph Rodbard (880442), Sarah Fordham (880698) or Great Wilbraham Post Office Stores. Sarah Fordham

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I cannot believe we are in May and I am nearing the end of my first year as Headteacher at Great Wilbraham Primary School. Over the past two and a half terms, significant changes have been implemented to ensure that children receive outstanding teaching and learning opportunities. We now have a stable staff who are all consistently ‘good’ to ‘outstanding’ in their teaching and consequently children are making excellent progress. As part of our audit of need, a new school development plan was written in September 2013 which has fed into a range of new assessment and monitoring schedules. We assess children each half-term through on-going observations, marking, peer and self-assessment and, sometimes, tests. This increased focus on attainment and progress has allowed us to identify children who need further support to reach their next stage of development. Although we are intending to create a new curriculum based on self-regulation (learning to learn) for September 2014, we have already started to plan and implement further opportunities to develop the school’s SMSC curriculum (Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural) including:  Japanese language and culture lessons  St. John Ambulance training for KS2 pupils  Development of a choir who have already performed in public  Visits from the police and fire brigade  Whole school productions  Cathedral days  Prayer spaces  Redevelopment of learning environments to aid curiosity and wonder  Regular services and Collective Worship carried out in school and in Church A lot of our work this year has been about promoting the school and asking for support from the local community. We have a new website that is updated regularly, a Twitter feed that gives brief updates of things that happen in school and a vast number of willing volunteers who hear children read, support ‘booster’ activities and run interventions. We are extremely grateful to all of those volunteers as they add to the ‘community’ feel of the school.

11 Unfortunately, the Local Authority condemned the mobile building on site at the start of this year. Although Little Warblers Pre-School has investigated alternative locations, members of their committee asked the school’s Governing Body to consider whether the School could support such a provision. The Full Governing Body voted unanimously in favour of establishing provision for three year olds. As of September, we will be opening a new Foundation Stage Unit (FSU) within school which will cater for children aged between three and five. This is a really exciting venture as it has so many benefits for children throughout the school such as reduced class sizes, no more than two year groups per class, the development of a new library and additional staffing capacity to offer even more innovative projects. Should you wish to have further information on the FSU, please feel free to contact Kim Crisp on 01223 880408. We are all extremely proud of our school and the dedication of staff and parents in supporting a vast number of positive changes. Thank you for your continued support and remember that you are always welcome to visit our lovely school. Kate Coates, Headteacher

The St. Johns Ambulance School Mark was recognition of our commitment to first aid as a staff and in teaching the KS2 children.

The hockey team were involved in a local inter- schools competition against a range of Cambridge schools.

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13 Parish Council News Great Wilbraham Parish

Much has happened since the last edition of the Warbler: Memorial Hall Firstly, the Memorial Hall Trustees, presented their Business Plan which requires substantial funding from the Parish Council. This was discussed at an extraordinary meeting of the PC on 17th April at which we agreed to release the £20,000 already held in our reserves for the Memorial Hall, together with a further £5,000 in this year’s budget. The initial tranche of up to £8,250 is required to support a major grant application to be made by the Memorial Hall Trustees to an outside body and the rest of the money from the PC will be released as and when required by the Trust during the year. However, the viability of the Memorial Hall Trustees’ Business Plan is dependent upon the Parish Council backing the plan with a further £75,000. We can obtain a public works loan from the Government to do this, but the Parish Council has not yet agreed to do this. Agreement to proceed requires full consultation with all villagers on the electoral register, of whom 15% must vote (about 80 people) and the majority must agree. It is hoped that we could finance the loan without an increase in our share of Great Wilbraham’s council tax contributions, known as ‘the precept’. Watch this space! Annual Parish Meeting Usually our APM is attended by just a handful of residents, but this time some 70 plus people turned up, resulting in an informative, and very useful exchange of views. This high turnout was probably due to some controversial issues being discussed, two of which were raised initially by letters to “The Warbler” - the silencing of the church bells and lack of footpaths and cycle ways out of the village. i) Cycle Ways: Patrick Joyce, Cycle ways Officer at Cambridgeshire County Council, although warning the meeting that the cost of dedicated cycle ways was 14 vast, still encouraged us to start the process of planning possible routes, so that our village could be included in his list of places which could benefit from possible Government funding sometime in the future. ii) The Church Bells: Graham Pye of the PCC explained the reasons for the baffling of the bells during practice sessions and urged residents to attend a meeting at the Church on 1st May for a comprehensive demonstration and discussion about possible solutions to the problem the church faces. The feeling of the meeting was that “We want to hear the bells”. iii) Affordable Housing: This issue has hovered in the background for some time and was a major action defined in our Parish Plan. At the invitation of the Parish Council, Rob Hopwood from Bidwells gave an interesting, and to some, maybe a controversial view on possible sites for new homes for people with a connection to the village. If you would like further information about sites identified by Bidwells as possibly available please contact the Parish Clerk and she will be able to email you copies of the relevant maps plus his qualifying comments. If you are able to receive information by email, we hope you will agree to our including your details on our list of people willing to accept information from the PC by this method. Broadband. Martin Gienke raised the issue of better Broadband connection in the village (see his separate piece). Solar Farm: On the planning front, the major item has been the request by Home Farm Trust to construct a solar farm on the Balsham side of the A11, within our parish boundary. The PC approved the application because we had no valid reason for refusal since the proposed site is not prime agricultural land. However, we have protested about the unavoidable traffic chaos that we shall have to endure when electrical cables connecting the solar farm to the National Grid are being laid under the road between Great Wilbraham and the sub-station by the Super Store in Fulbourn. The route through our village is Mill Road, High Street, Frog End, Station Road and on to Fulbourn. Any utility has the right to dig up the road and we could not object on this ground but we have emphasised to Inazin (the company responsible for the project) and the District Council, the traffic chaos this cable laying would cause. We have requested that the company does its best to ensure minimum disruption and if possible offer some reparation for the inconvenience. Pot Holes: We were visited by our Local Highways Officer from County Council Highways to survey the condition of the infrastructure relevant to them - roads and footpaths. Much of the identified work has been completed, or is in the pipeline. Please remember, repairs can only happen if we know about them – so please tell us.

15 Little Wilbraham Parish Council Parish Council News

The last Little Wilbraham Parish Council Meeting was held at St John’s Church, Little Wilbraham at 7.30pm on Wednesday 7 May 2014.

New Chairman and Vice Chairman of Parish Council After six years of service, Prue Addecott decided to step down as Chairman of the Parish Council but will continue as a Councillor. Chris Tebbit was elected as Chairman and thanked Prue for the work she had overseen during her term of office. John Torode was then elected as Vice Chairman.

Village Signs & Litter Pick The village signs for Little Wilbraham and Six Mile Bottom were each unveiled on Saturday 10 May 2014 by Ray Tilbrook and Christine White respectively. Volunteer Litter Pickers spent nearly two hours before the unveiling, collecting litter in and around Little Wilbraham. Nearly 60 residents attended the Little Wilbraham unveiling and then went on to eat snacks kindly provided by the Hole in the Wall and refreshments. These events, including photographs, are shown elsewhere in the Warbler.

Road Improvements between Little Wilbraham and Great Wilbraham Both Parish Councils met County Highways at the end of April 2014. It was agreed that the best option to reduce speeding along the Great Wilbraham Road to Little Wilbraham was to move the existing 30mph sign 200 yards further away from the school entrance and then install 40mph speed limit signs between the two villages so reducing the speed from 60mph to 40mph. Support from both the County and District Councillors should help to get this improvement underway by County Highways.

County Council News County Council increased its council tax by 1.99% for 2014-15 to help protect frontline services. They made savings of £32 million last financial year (2013/14). The government has taken control of the City Deal of £500 million which will be in 3 tranches over 15 years and most of this money will be used to support large housing developments proposed along the A10 and A428. A new committee system will replace the cabinet style management in June 2014 which will give all County Councillors an opportunity to take part and be responsible for policy and management of the County Council. The current reactive approach to highway maintenance has been failing and expensive so the County will return to a rolling maintenance programme.

16 District Council News The plan to provide 22,000 new jobs and 19,000 new homes in South Cambridgeshire until 2031 was being submitted to the Government for independent examination. This plan includes new towns north of Waterbeach, Bourn Airfield and an extension to Cambourne as well as 900 new homes in six of the district’s larger villages: Comberton, Gamlingay, Histon/Impington, Melbourn, Sawston and Willingham. Also 1,200 new homes at Marshall’s Wing development north of Newmarket Road and 350 homes north of Cherry Hinton. District Council increased its council tax by 1.99% for 2014-15 due to cuts in government grants. Necessary cuts are to be made to green bin waste collections during the winter months when most people have reduced green waste at this time. Significant savings have also been made on bringing the Council’s telephone contact service back in house.

Police Team News The next Police Neighbourhood Meeting will take place at Wheatsheaf Junior School, Wheatsheaf Way, Linton at 7.30pm on Thursday 12 June 2014 followed by the 16 October 2014 at Fulbourn (venue to be confirmed). If you would like to raise any issues or concerns that you wish to report to the local police for these meetings, can you please email your question to the Parish Clerk at [email protected] so that your query can be passed onto the local police prior to their quarterly meetings with the community. The start-up of a Neighbourhood Watch Group in Little Wilbraham and Six Mile Bottom would provide increased reassurance and generate a higher amount of calls for service from the police to try and reduce the amount of suspicious activity across these two villages. So, if anyone is interested in volunteering for a Neighbourhood Watch Group, please email PCSO John Coppard at [email protected] or telephone John on 101 extension 7113441.

Next Parish Council Meeting: The next Parish Council Meeting will be held on Wednesday 2 July 2014 at 7.30pm at St John’s Church, Little Wilbraham. All residents are welcome.

Diane Bramwell Parish Clerk

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18 Six Mile Bottom Sports and Social Club

Special Events Saturday 7th June 1960's and 70's disco. Fancy dress optional. Bring a plate of food. Saturday 14th June England's opener against Italy in the World Cup. Although the match is being televised late in the evening we are hoping to be open. Please see the notice board nearer the time. We hope to be open for other England matches and maybe more. Again please refer to the notice board. Opening times and on going events; Sundays am - Club and bar open at midday. We have regular meat draws and Play Your Cards Right. Please check notice board for actual dates. Sundays pm - Club and bar open at 7.30pm. Bingo to start 7.45ish. Mondays - Club and bar open at 8 pm if we have Bar Billiards otherwise the Club is shut. Tuesdays - Club and bar open at 8 pm if we have Darts otherwise the Club is shut. Wednesdays - Club is shut Thursdays - The Club is open at 2 pm for the Mobile Post Office and everyone is welcome to use it. (At present the bar is shut but this could change if more people were to use the post office). Open again at 8 pm. Fridays and Saturdays - Club and bar open at 8 pm. Any changes or additions will be shown on the notice board.

The Vegetable, Flower and Produce Show Just to let you know that the Produce Show will be held on Saturday, 19th July at the Memorial Hall, Great Wilbraham, as usual. If you haven’t received a schedule along with the Warbler, one should be arriving soon! Everyone living in the Wilbrahams, Six Mile Bottom and all children who attend Great Wilbraham Primary School are welcome to enter. This is a great village event - if you have never entered the show before why not take a look at the schedule and see what you could do - its all for fun! As a reminder, all entries should be brought to the Hall by 11.30am on the day, please. There are some changes this year and we are very pleased to announce two new awards: The David Waters Cup, very kindly donated by Pauline Waters in memory of her husband who took an active part in the Produce Show and Gardening Club. He was a keen gardener with a passion for growing/showing pelargoniums and fuchsias. This cup will be awarded for the best pelargonium in Show (must have been in exhibitors ownership for at least 12 weeks).

19 The 2012 Diamond Jubilee Rose Bowl, very kindly given in memory of two special ladies. This will be awarded for the highest points in the Arts and Handicraft section. (Previously the Social Club Cup covered both the Produce and the Handicrafts sections but now we have this new award, the Social Club cup will be for the winner of the Produce section only.) So more opportunities to win an award!! We have two Best Exhibit cups which vary from year to year: The Les Potter Cup will be awarded for the best exhibit in the Fruit Section. The Doris Franklin Cup for the best exhibit in the Flower Arranging section. Changes have been made to the Children’s’ section which is now for “12’s and under”. The Junior Cup will be awarded for the highest total points and the Thistle Tankard for the best exhibit in this section. Note there is one class for “12-16 year olds” in the Arts and Handicraft section. Last year we had lots of entries in the Arts and Handicraft section and not enough space for them to be well displayed so this year we will be using the Small Meeting Room as well (adjacent to the main hall) for this section and for the “12’s and under”…. so we hope you will be bringing lots of entries! Once the judging has taken place and the hall re-opens at 3 pm ANYONE is very welcome to come and view the exhibits, spot the winners, have tea /coffee and homemade cakes, watch the prize-giving, bid for produce in the auction and try their luck in the big raffle! Any offers of help on the day/raffle prizes would be very gratefully received and if you have any queries about the schedule (spares available at Great Wilbraham Post Office) please contact me: Rosie White, 01223 881293, [email protected].

20 Fibre Optic for Wilbraham After my comment about getting fibre optic for the Wilbrahams at the Gt Wilbraham Parish Annual Meeting there has been further information come to light. The problem is that the longer the copper connection, the slower the internet and in Gt Wilbraham the signal comes all the way from Fulbourn which is why it’s so slow. At the time of writing this I’m getting 0.7Mb for download and 0.3Mb for upload. Lt Wilbraham is slightly better because their connection comes from Bottisham. Your vigilant Parish Councilor, Ian Cummings, found out that there is an organisation, pressure group, looking after getting faster internet to the Cambridge area which is called Connecting Cambridgeshire. See http://www.connectingcambridgeshire.co.uk/parish/great-wilbraham/ for more information. On the web site they say “Many premises in Great Wilbraham are included within the Connecting Cambridgeshire programme. This means that, by the end of 2015, there will be improvements to the broadband infrastructure that will enable many homes and businesses to receive superfast broadband speeds (minimum 24Mbps)* while others will be able to receive fibre broadband speeds of between 2Mbps and 24 Mbps” Apparently we are scheduled for connect sometime between March and June 2015. Then, Rich Andrews spotted a new BT connection box in Gt Wilbraham near Frog End which is very promising. As of the Warbler deadline, power was being connected to the new box. Information gleaned from a BT engineer trying to rectify a fault with an internet connection revealed that fibre optic is already there and comes from Cherry Hinton. So we have fibre optic in the village without having to dig up the roads. It just needs connecting. Advice from BT OpenReach is that there are many reasons for slow internet connection, including the wiring in your own home. If you are having significant issues with your broadband please start by, if possible, disconnecting all equipment and extension cabling from the master phone socket, plugging in only your ADSL modem through a filter and run a speed test making sure that no other devices are accessing the internet at the same time. If the results are still poor, BT

21 provide some troubleshooting advice on their web site (which can be used as long as you have a BT phone line; it doesn't matter who provides your broadband at the time of writing). We await further information and faster internet speeds by next year this time, if not sooner. Martin Gienke St Nicholas Trust

Following the update in the Winter edition of the Warbler, we are pleased to advise that considerable progress has been made in making Gwendoline Squires' £50,000 donation for a wc and general improvements in the church come to fruition. For those who are still wondering, the money is being held temporarily by the trust in an interest bearing account and pooled with its other monies raised, so as to maximise its value together with all other monies raised by the trust. No expenses or other costs are ever claimed by any of the trustees who give their time and resources freely, and the deeds of the trust specifically require that all monies raised must be spent on the fabric of the church on behalf of all current and future villagers and others. Those of us who attended the bell ringers talk & presentation in the church on Thursday 1 May, were also able to see the church architect's proposed drawings of the work to the tower, which includes a disabled wc, kitchen/server and a raised platform for the bell ringers. The subsequent dismantling of the existing kitchen and some of the back pews will result in making a larger open space to the rear of the church available for many different uses, as well as a more flexible space for additional seats when the church is full. The drawings are still hanging on notice boards in the church for anyone to see, but we would like to take this opportunity for copies of some of the proposed plans to be included as part of this article. We invite everyone in the village to make any comments/suggestions either in writing addressed to the undersigned or via email, which will be passed on to the Parochial Church Council for inclusion in their deliberations. Graham Clarke, Chairman of the trustees of the St Nicholas Great Wilbraham Trust, Clare House, I High Street, Gt Wilbraham, Cambridge, CB21 5JD or [email protected]

22 Bottisham & Burwell Photographic Club When you receive this issue of The Warbler, the Club’s year will have drawn to a close. Tuesday 16 May was our last major event for the year, when our member’s social dinner and prize giving took place. You may be aware that last year the club celebrated its 40th Anniversary with an Exhibition held in October 2013 at Mandeville Hall. The event was well attended and we would like to thank all those people who came to view our photographs. Thanks are also due again to the businesses who kindly supported the exhibition. Next year the club will be using a new projector for Projected Image Competitions which will give our members an improved view of their images. It will also bring the club in line with the current updated standard for national competition projection. Date for your Diary: ‘Welcome Back’, the first meeting of the 2014/2015 year will be held on Tuesday 9 September 2014. Members are asked to bring photographs or images which have been taken during the summer break. Members’ winning prints from last year will also be on display. New members are welcome and can bring any pictures/images. For information: photographs may be of any size or images on a USB stick - PI size 1400 X 1050 sRGB. Those interested in becoming members, may view our website below to see a selection of pictures and our programme for next year. Guests are welcome to attend any meeting at our venue, Lode Chapel CB25 9EW from 7:30 to 9:30pm. Fee of £3.00 including refreshments, refunded on joining. Annual subscriptions: Adult: £40.00, Joint Membership: £67.00, Student: £21.00, Refreshments 50p. For further details contact: Mrs Daphne Hanson DPAGB APAGB T: 01638 741106, Website: www.bottburpc.org Speed Limit between Great and Little Wilbraham

The new speed limit has been approved! Even better when the highways Officer visited the site, she decided the desired speed reduction would be better achieved if the Great Wilbraham 30 mph speed limit is extended by 200 metres, linked by the agreed 40 mph for the rest of the road to Little Wilbraham. So perseverance and the two Parish Councils working together has brought success. Maybe our next initiative should be speeding through the village. Also reported on page 16.

23 FUN FOR ALL THE FAMILY

*****WIN A TABLET***** SUMMER FETE GREAT WILBRAHAM PRIMARY SCHOOL SATURDAY 21 JUNE 2014 : 11am-2 pm

£1 for ADULTS, CHILDREN FREE

FACE PAINTING BBQ & BAR BOUNCY CASTLE BOOKS JAR STALL TOMBOLA UNIFORM STALL & LOTS MORE

PITCHES AVAILABLE FOR £15 contact school office

24 Wilbrahams’ Memorial Hall Social Club

The month of May sees the start of the cricket season; therefore the bar comes alive on a Saturday evening with our teams sharing sporting banter and hopefully celebrating lots of wins! It’s a real nice vibe with adults and children alike enjoying the longer summer evenings. The bar is open from 12 – 2pm over this Saturday lunchtime period and more often than not from 6.30pm onwards in the evening. We are currently still shut on Sundays but would like to ask the community if we would open again over Sunday lunchtimes/afternoons, would you come and support us? Obviously the need has to be there – maybe we could have ‘Social Sundays’ where we could all enjoy a game of Rounder’s on the Rec and a drink to go along side or maybe you have another idea? We would love to hear your thoughts and suggestions so do get in touch. June will see the start of the World Cup and the Social Club will be screening those all-important England matches – Saturday June 14th sees England v Italy. Kick off 11pm with later opening on this evening and food will also be available beforehand. Thursday 19th June, England v Uruguay. Kick off 8pm. Tuesday 24th June, England v Costa Rica. Kick off 5pm. Do come along and enjoy the atmosphere! Weekday opening times are currently – Mondays 7.30pm Tuesday 7.30 pm (currently 1st & 3rd Tuesday in the month only) Wednesday 7.30pm Thursday 7.30pm Friday 7.30pm We always have a guest beer and currently it’s ‘Yard Bird’ which has proved popular with the customers. Membership is still only £1 so if you are not a member, pick up an application form at the bar. We would love to see you! Steph Rodbard (Committee) [email protected]

25 Your Youth Group Needs You Unfortunately in this issue I have to announce that we are faced with what I sincerely hope is a temporary closure, at a time when I hoped we would be enjoying the lighter summer evenings and the year sixes boosting our numbers. This is due to us in part being short of leaders to cover the sessions combined with some personnel issues. However I am hopeful that we will be able to run at least a couple of sessions next half term. Bowling on the 18th June Rounders-members verses Leaders/Parents in the 9th July Is there anyone out there who would like to join us as a leader please let me know? Buying in help is an option but would be unsustainable. Helen Torode, tel: 812059

Sport in the Wilbrahams Wilbraham Football Club It has been an interesting season for the Saturday side. They have played well without reward and you could almost argue that on occasions they have played badly and got results so a mixed season. They did however deserve better than their eleventh place, with nineteen points having played 24 games, winning six and drawing nil. Wilbraham Sunday Football Club The Sunday team are fairing better they have played 16 matches out of 20. They are currently 3rd having won 13 matches and lost three. Two of the matches that they have lost have been against the same team when they played Shakhtar Fenetsk first team home and away. Hopefully they are now back on a winning streak that will take them to the end of the season and into the top two. Their next two matches are both away matches, the first is against the Queens Head first team in Needingworth. We wish them all the best.

26 Wilbraham Cricket Club With the season now underway here are the home matches for both the first and second teams. So, if you fancy whiling away the odd Saturday or Sunday afternoon watching cricket then the Great Wilbraham rec is the place to be. You could also support the Memorial Hall and buy a drink or two.

Date Team Opponents Competition 1st June 1st XI Cambridge NCI 2nd XI CUP 14th June 1st XI Cherry Hinton CC 1st XI League 15th June 2nd XI Bassingbourn NCI 5th XI CUP 21st June 2nd XI Langley CC Essex 1st XI League 28th June 1st XI Newport CC Essex 1st XI League 5th July 1st XI Barley CC Cambs 1st XI League 12th July 2nd XI Linton Village CC 2nd XI League 19th July 1st XI Cokenach CC 1st XI League 26th July 2nd XI Balsham CC 2nd XI League 2nd Aug 2nd XI Hardwick and Caldecote CC 2nd XI League 9th Aug 1st XI Barrington CC Cambs 1st XI League 16th Aug 2nd XI Comberton CC 1st XI League 1st XI Girton CC 1st XI League 30th Aug 2nd XI Mill Green CC 1st XI League Fixture may be subject to change

27 28 Weenie Warblers Baby & Toddler Group

Weenie Warblers meet in the Wilbrahams’ Memorial Hall on Fridays during school term time from 10.15am – 11.45am The next dates are: 6th, 13th, 20th and 27th of June and 4th, 11th, 18th of July. We are a small and friendly group. Just drop in any time during the session. Refreshments provided. £1.50 per family per session. We look forward to seeing you. Sarah Fordham

Can you help?

Wilbraham Rainbows, a thriving group of girls from Wilbraham, Fulbourn and surrounding villages all aged 5-7, is on the hunt for more adults to come and help run their fun and exciting meetings. Rainbows meet weekly during term-time in Great Wilbraham and there are currently 15 girls who enjoy taking part in fun and adventure during their meetings. The Rainbows group offers girls a space where they can come along, make new friends and take part in challenges, games and a variety of exciting activities. The unit has been running now for eight years and during this time has had some fantastic times. They have completed dozens of badges, been on overnights at the Jarman Centre, celebrated the Centenary with days out including a trip to London, ridden in a horse drawn carriage, recently been on a trip to Chessington World of Adventures and had more Promise parties than they can remember! We would welcome any adult who is interested in helping us in any way either every week or on a more occasional basis. If you or anyone you know would be willing to get involved, please contact Gemma Wombwell on 07540 149334 or by emailing [email protected].

29 Village Signs After many years in development the village signs were finally installed during early May, and unveiled on Saturday 10 May.

The schoolchildren at Great Wilbraham Primary, produced ideas for the signs. Developed from a selection of the children’s ideas, the proposed designs include references to relevant historical links for the villages.

For Little Wilbraham, the overall circular form of the sign is in the shape of a Saxon shield, referencing the earliest recorded habitation in the area. The village name is derived from the name of a Saxon princess, Wilbur. Both the villages of Little Wilbraham and Great Wilbraham were linked with the Knights Templars, growing food for the hospice at Denny Abbey. The village sign acknowledges this connection by including the Knights Templars cross in the design. The four quadrants formed with the combination of the shield and cross have illustrations of areas of Little Wilbraham; The Church, the Hole in The Wall, the Almshouses and the Windmill. Six Mile Bottom existed in name before it developed as a settlement, deriving this name from its distance from the Newmarket Racecourse, and the fact that it lies in a valley bottom. There has always been a connection with hunting and shooting in the area for many hundreds of years, including royal patronage. The design of the sign refers to both of these historical activities. Following the design work, permission had to be obtained from County Highways to site the signs in the selected locations, and then formal planning applications were made. The signs were manufactured by Teversham Engineering and the artwork was by Veronica Taylor. The weather was very kind to us, and many of the people involved with the morning litter, together with other villagers totalled sixty people attending the unveiling in Little Wilbraham. Our thanks to The Hole in the Wall for providing the excellent snacks for people who stayed to celebrate the new sign. John Bramwell

30 Untold Stories This is the second in the series of interviews with local people with an interesting story to tell. We meet Brian and Beryl Smith, long-time residents of Great Wilbraham. Brian has written a lot of his memories and is happy to share them. Some have appeared in previous issues of the Warbler (Spring 2010, Spring and Summer 2011, and Spring 2012). These took us through Brian’s childhood and youth up to about the end of the war, with accounts of the shops and vans that then existed in the village. I need not repeat that material here. I interviewed Brian and Beryl together; they were very generous with their time and information. The earlier pieces were entirely about Brian, so this time I will focus more on Beryl’s story. I started by asking her about her father, Bill Raven, who would have been born about 1907.

Beryl Due to family circumstances, he was taken away and put in the workhouse, where he was a tiny child among old people. Mrs. Hicks, the wife of Squire Hicks, may have been a trustee of the workhouse; she rescued him and fostered him with a Mr. and Mrs. South in Angle End, who had no children. JT So he grew up and went to school in the village? Beryl Yes. He always seemed to be in trouble. If he knew he was to be caned at school, he would go in at dinner-time and hide the teacher’s cane. He put it under the floor through a knot-hole in the boards. When it was concreted over years later, he wondered how many canes were found. One day, when the girls had been teasing him, he collected some bugs in a box and let them go in the class room. JT So all the girls screamed. Beryl Yes. He would go along Angle End lifting the gates off their hinges but leaving them standing, so that when people came out of their houses and went to open their gates, the gates fell flat. They always knew who had done it because he forgot to take his own gates off. JT Did he get caught? Beryl I think he got smacked round the ears two or three times. Some of the old chaps used to chase him JT Your father was quite a character. Beryl He was a great character. JT So what did he do when he left school? Beryl He worked for the Squire and for Bert Ratford. He learned to drive tractors, and then started driving a lorry for Kidman’s, the builders. Later he drove a Rolls 31 Royce as chauffeur, gardener and handyman to a psychiatrist in Cambridge. But he always took part in village life. If he did not agree with something said in the Parish Council, he would say so! JT And your mother? Beryl She was caretaker and a dinner lady at the school. JT So you were born in the village. Beryl Yes, in the house next door. I have lived here, and walked up this same driveway, all my life, 76 years. JT What was it like being a child in the village then? Beryl There were 7 or 8 of us, we were known as the Frog Enders. We would play in the trees and have our secret passages. We played hopscotch, and skipped with a skipping rope stretched across the road. As we got into the teens we kept together and gradually paired off. We would sit at the back of the church and get up to all kinds of mischief, especially during the sermons. Later on Brian and I were both in the choir. In the holidays I stayed with my grandparents in Cambridge. We did bicycle rides and bus trips. We would get weekly Runabout tickets on the trains; sometimes we went to Hunstanton each day for a week. JT You left school and … Beryl I went to Cambridge as a tailoress. I was making gowns and blazers for the university until we got married. I would finish about 6.15 and get home about 7.0. It was a long day. Then I gave that up and came back as school caretaker and dinner lady. I enjoyed that and did it for some years. I had a break, and then worked as housekeeper for Mr. and Mrs. Ridgeon for 25 years until Mr. Ridgeon and then Mrs Ridgeon died. At home, I made all the hats, collars and skirts for the choir, of which I was a member. JT What did you do for leisure? Beryl We would go into Cambridge, do a bit of shopping, go to the pictures, have a bit of supper at Joe Lyons and get the last bus home, at 9.0 from Drummer Street. Then we would go on to the village hall for the weekly dance. It would be full. JT This would be when you were courting. How did you meet? Brian I started courting Beryl to make another girl jealous. But it didn’t work, so I was stuck with Beryl! I was demobbed (ending National Service with the RAF) on 1st April 1959 and we were married on 6th June. Beryl The choir formed a guard of honour. JT And you have been married for…?

32 Both 55 years. JT And you have a son… Beryl David. He lives next door, where I was born, with his wife Suzanne. They have a daughter, Sarah. She is training to be a professional golfer. JT Brian, in an earlier edition of the Warbler, we learned that, as a boy, you pumped the church organ. Brian Yes. Then electric pumps came in. I played the piano and learned to play the organ, and sometimes played for services. I was a bell-ringer, and later on I did a couple of spells as churchwarden and took church services. As a lad, I wound the church clock, which involved climbing vertical ladders into the tower, and stoked the stoves up on Saturday nights to warm the church for Sunday services. One night about midnight I had said good night to Beryl and cycled up to the church. Bright moonlight streamed down through the trees. As I entered the churchyard, there was a white figure at the church porch! I came out in goose pimples. I went right up to it, and it said: “Hello, Brian”! It was an old lady who used to walk about. JT What state were the bells in then? Brian They were only for chiming. They needed attention, and around 1958 Squire Hicks had them seen to. There were seven or eight of us ringing, but we had no tuition so it was not very good. Beryl You were involved in a lot of things. Secretary of the British Legion… Brian Yes, on the Parish Council and the Board of School Managers, and treasurer of the Sports Club. I was a founder member of the Social Club. That’s different from a pub. Three of us stood guarantor for £4,000 so that a new toilet block could be built. We had a lot of members then. JT You had a rich social life back then. Travel on the bus was often a social occasion when you met people. Now we travel in cars. Then there were trips to the pictures; now we watch television at home. The social club is not flourishing. So many things we used to do socially we now do almost privately. Have we gained or lost? Beryl Lost. Brian Both. 33 There is much more than there is room for here, such as Brian’s experiences while on National Service with the RAF in Cyprus, the burning of Temple Lodge, where his father lived, as a result of the television exploding. He has written an extensive memoir. We hope this, with photographs, will be available on the Warbler website when it goes live.

Volunteering on Great Wilbraham Common The Volunteer Group will be working on the Common on the following dates: 16 July, 13 August and 10 September. These are all Wednesdays. If anyone would be interested in volunteering the weekends before these days, that is, 12/13 July, 9/10 August or 6/7 September, please let us know. Jo Ladbrooke: 880031 or email [email protected] Pat Simpson: 880664 or email [email protected]

We get dirty and smoky and need a bath/shower when we get home. However, it's wonderful to be in the open air, helping to keep the Great Wilbraham Common a very special place. We are guided by a professional and the work is not arduous. Tea and coffee, biscuits and cake are on offer. We take our own lunches. There is no need to stay for the whole day - volunteers usually get there about 10.30 am and leave at 3.00 pm. Contact Jo or Pat for more details of what to wear and what to bring.

The Children's Society Parish Collection for 2013

Monies raised in 2013 for the Society came to £1,175. Comprising of £870 through the house collection boxes, £133 carol singing in Great Wilbraham and £172 at a coffee morning. Many thanks to everyone who supported the Society. If you would like to have a small collecting box in your home pleased contact me on 01223 880934 or email [email protected]. For details of the Society please visit their website childrenssociety.org.uk. Thanks again for your support. Marilyn Harmer, Secretary for Fulbourn and The Wilbrahams.

34

We also offer;

 Post Office & Shop with range of products at competitive prices  Freshly baked bread and rolls at in-store Bakery every day  Special offers change every four week  Newspaper at counter and home delivery 7days a week  Confectionary and Tobacco  Off- Licence with good range  Excellent range of greeting cards  National Lottery and scratch cards  Photocopy and Rug Doctor facility locally  Friendly customer services Support your local shop and Post Office

35 SUMMER CALENDAR 2014 JUNE

XI

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FRIDAY

6 WW 13 WW Music Quiz at Memorial Hall 20 WW 27 WW

:Wilbrahams and Six Mile Bottom Bottom Book:Wilbrahams Group Six Mile and

: Wilbraham Youth WilbrahamGroup Youth :

: Wilbrahams Women’s: Institute Wilbrahams

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: Great Wilbraham Common SSSI Volunteer SSSI Common Wilbraham : Great

: Wilbraham Warriors Football Club Football Warriors: Wilbraham

: Great WilbrahamCouncil : Great Parish

: Wilbrahams HallSocial Club HallSocial : Wilbrahams

: Little Wilbraham Parish Council Parish Wilbraham : Little

: Wilbrahams Over 60sWilbrahams :

: Wilbrahams Gardening Club

: Wilbraham Cricket : Club Wilbraham

: Bottisham Patient: Bottisham Group

: Weenie Warblers

: Contry : MusicContry

: Carpenters Arm

: Bell Ringing

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Web Site: www.tree-feller.com

38 New Trees in Great Wilbraham Three new Silver Birches were planted on the triangle at the junction of Angle End and Temple End, Great Wilbraham. Parish Councillor, Joy Bray and Peter Lawrence (Temple End Resident) chose the three Silver Birches. GWPC paid for them and Peter planted them himself. John Beadsmore is responsible for watering under the supervision of Peter. A genuine community effort.

Little Wilbraham Litter pick On 10th May 22 people took the time and effort to collect litter throughout the village and the roads leading into it. With such a response the volunteers were very effective, and so were all done by midday; some 90 minutes collecting. This meant that they were ready for the unveiling of the sign and to accept the hospitality from the Hole in the Wall Gang! In fact the timings worked out very well. It was very encouraging that several younger residents were involved in this effort. Thanks to everyone and

the Parish Council now has 10 pickers of their own, which they are happy to loan to anyone who takes the time to collect litter during the course of the year. We may even have another walk round in September. Well done to all volunteers! Chris Tebbit

39 Retreating Forward The next Retreating Forward, an ecumenical mini retreat, will be held on Saturday morning 5th July at the Fulbourn United Reform Church in Home End, Fulbourn, CB21 5BS. The theme for this event is Summer. We meet at 8.45 am for a continental breakfast, and then from 9.30 to 12.30 we will have a couple of periods for quiet when people can sit or move around, visit St Vigor’s, use art materials or walk around the locality. The event is organised by Stephen Harmer, a counsellor. His guest for this event is Doctor Michael Quicke, who some time ago was minister at St Andrews Street Baptist church, and recently retired as Professor of Preaching and Communications at Northern Baptist Theological Seminary, Chicago. As well as quiet periods the breakfast and coffee break provide time to chat. The events are aimed at men and women, there are no creche facilities. Please book on line - [email protected]. If you need more information please email as above. The £8 charge can be paid by cheque or cash on the day. Please book early as space is limited. There is ample car parking in the area.

Bingo at the Memorial Hall The Memorial Hall Committee held a Bingo Night on Friday 16th May. A total of £175 in prize money was given out during the evening. Tension was growing as the numbers for the final flyer were called out and the £100 jackpot was scooped by Beryl Smith and Cheryl Taylor, who shared the prize. The Trustees wish to thank Dean Ward for being our Guest Bingo Caller and all those who attended and donated raffle prizes. The generous crowd raised £468.50 for the New Hall Redevelopment Fund. Another great fundraising effort - Well done everyone! Bingo caller Dean Ward hands out prize money to lucky winners Cheryl Taylor and Beryl Smith.

Next fundraising event – Barry King’s Music Quiz, Friday 13th June. See our website: www.hall.gtwilbraham.net for more details.

40 More Weather Vanes Weather vanes seem to keep appearing in the Wilbrahams. I spotted six more since the Winter edition.

There was another witch opposite the village stores, another canine version in Frog end, and two boats. The boat (left) is a Yare and Bure which is found in Norfolk and it’s fitting for the cottage owned by Chris Hanson, especially after his year as Commodore of his sailing club this past year. A lovely one with children can be seen from Butt Lane. The last one almost eluded me as it was erected swiftly at the end of April. The six new ones are; • a witch in Angle End • a dog in Frog End • children cycling in Butt Lane • a boat in Church Street • a boat on a garage in Angle End • swifts across from the Memorial Hall The list also includes A fox Temple End, Gt Wilbraham, a witch on the High Street of Gt Wilbraham, a fisherman at the end of Mill Lane, Lt Wilbraham, a bird on the top of St John’s Church, Lt Wilbraham, a dog in Toft Lane Please let me know if you spot any others. Martin Gienke 882426

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Saturday 16th August 2014 11am-4pm 17 Manor Close, Little Wilbraham CB21 5LA

Free entry, but donations welcome Cake and Refreshments available on the day

For more information, please call Peter 07510 926255 Or the fundraising Office 01223 723115 Registered Charity No. 1133354

THE DRAINAGE OF WILBRAHAM, FULBOURN AND TEVERSHAM FENS A History of Wilbraham River and drainage of the local fen Sold in aid of the Arthur Rank Hospice Charity £7.00 Cheques to the Charity please at 351 Mill Road, Cambridge 3DF Copies from T D Hawkins, Greyfriars, Little Wilbraham, CB21 5LE

42 Wilbrahams’ WI

Early in 2014, Christine Clewes (email: [email protected]) was appointed as President of The Wilbrahams’ WI. Meetings take place in the small meeting room at the Memorial Hall, Great Wilbraham on the second Tuesday evening of each month at 7.30pm. We usually have a speaker at our meetings followed by refreshments. Please come along to one of our WI meetings below to find out more about us – a warm welcome will be guaranteed. Our Programme for 2014 will be:

10 June Tim Page: East Anglia Air Ambulance ‘We need you to-day; you may need us tomorrow’

8 July Chloe Cockerill: ‘Pomp & Circumstance’

12 August No meeting but possible activity to be confirmed

9 September The History of Waitrose

14 October Christine Elsley: ‘Forget me not-dementia awareness’

11 November Chris Page: ‘Turning a failing school around – don’t tell Mr Gove’

9 December Christmas Meeting

43

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44 Burwell Print : In the very heart of the community

Burwell Print was set-up as a Social Training Enterprise in 1988 to provide work experience and training in a real work environment for adults with a range of learning disabilities, known as Printers within the organisation. The ‘Printers’ have a job description and are trained to learn, develop and maintain specific work skills in tasks needed for customer service, working in reception, copying, printing and print finishing jobs for customers. Also, we have several contracts with customers who want and need a reliable business mail-shot service - a very popular job with many of our Printers. Services supporting the charity Whilst first and foremost Burwell Print operates to support and train adults with learning disabilities, that can only be achieved through the support of the ‘enterprise’ part of the charity which generates income through its print-related services. And the scope and range of services available for customers – whether an individual, small business or national company – may surprise you! Whether it’s booklets and brochures or magazines and mugs you need, these and many more items can be printed by Burwell Print – in fact, did you know that your Wilbraham Warbler was printed here too? But that’s not all. A complete professional graphic design service is offered and we have many delighted customers who have used us for either a new business set-up and launch or a complete make-over and re-branding. You can also get your photo’s printed (from a USB, disk, camera, etc) at Burwell Print and not forgetting a full passport photo service is available too. Burwell Print has grown over the years and been able to add such a wide and varied range of products and services, consequently giving the Printers new opportunities for training and progression. Last year Burwell Print celebrated its 25th Anniversary and we held several events to highlight the essential work being done by this local charity. If you’d like to find out more about Burwell Print, its work and its services, then contact Sue Anderson (01638 613102) and/or go to our new-look website www.burwellprint.co.uk But if you’d like to come and see for yourself, then you can find us at The Causeway in Burwell, in the centre of the village next to the Village College. In fact, in the very heart of the community. Sue Anderson, Manager, Burwell Community Print Centre Ltd.

45 Our Perfect Playground ‘I want to go to the Little Park’ is a frequent refrain heard in our house. Whether the sun is shining, it is raining, windy, warm or cold, Alexander wants to go to the Little Park; never ‘would like to go’, always a much more imperative ‘want’. We found this quite surprising initially, after all the ‘Little Park’, so called because of the comparison to the ‘Big Park’ in Great Wilbraham, has one toddler swing, one ‘mummy’ swing and a slide only. The residents of Great Wilbraham, in contrast, have swings, a train, rocking animals, and two climbing frames with slides. As a parent of a boisterous three-year-old boy, I assumed that I would be spending our free time together visiting our larger cousin. Oh no. Alexander has a loyalty to Little Wilbraham’s park. He is not yet at an age when I can have a logical conversation about the reasons for his preference, so can only extrapolate his probable motives. The park is always quiet, so he never has to share the equipment, which is a major consideration for a young child. The slide is on the side of a ‘hill’, which he can run up and roll down. It is a quick trip from home, even faster if he rides his scooter; even though I think of him as ‘only three’, Alexander has a keen awareness of distance and geography. I would not be surprised if he realizes that if we go to the ‘Little Park’, we spend less time going and coming back, which means more time playing. I suspect, however, that it is more than this. For you see, although you may not know it, ‘Little Park’ and its environs is a home to a large population of monsters, dinosaurs, and dragons. They are very shy creatures that don’t like adults very much, so you must be patient when seeking them, but you will see them eventually. It is a wonderful place full of fun adventure too. Rarely a trip goes by, and we go at least once a week, that does not include a game of Hide and Seek – there are some fantastic little dens and hidy holes for small bodies to squeeze into. Sprint races are also a regular event; Alexander is currently the unbeaten champion of all the races he has entered, naturally. We have climbed the three volcanoes looking for dinosaurs, and regularly find pirate treasure (pine cones and stones to the ignorant parent, but priceless jewels to Alexander). There are also various routes to take to get there. The most direct is via Orchard Close, and is our preferred one as it takes so little time, but we sometimes go by Fen Road and follow the footpath back through the rape seed field, trekking T-Rex as we go. An

46 alternative route, and one that is growing in popularity, is the footpath to the rear of The Hole in the Wall, known to us as the Bank Way. Until a few months ago, the full delights of the ‘Little Park’ were unbeknown to me. We had occasionally visited, usually when we didn’t have the time to drive to The Spotted Giraffe, a popular play barn in Linton. I was part of the growing parental movement that sees adults paying money to take their children to an indoor park, yet here we are living not five minutes from Alexander’s perfect play arena. I now spend more time looking for the free, fun activities Alexander and I can share together locally, and worry less about finding the perfect class, play barn, toy, DVD to keep him entertained. By relying more on our own resources, and those that nature (and the Parish Council) has provided, I know that I am nurturing Alexander’s imagination and encouraging an interest in the natural world. Don’t get me wrong, the last thing I want to do on a wet afternoon with a three-year-old and a six-month-old baby is go outside. As I listen to the refrain, ‘I want to go to the Little Park’, watching the rain pour down, I would much prefer to spend that time encouraging a love of books and hot chocolate, but it is amazing how splashing in puddles quickly changes my mind. Holly Tilbrook

Train Running Day Raises £250 Vintage model railway stock was in action in the Memorial Hall on 26th April. Model railway fans of all ages gathered to view the locomotives in action. There were electric and wind-up engines as well as a wide selection of rolling stock and layout paraphernalia. Children were allowed to control the railway engines at one table. Thomas the Tank was a favourite for the youngsters, both in miniature and to ride on. The day organised by Roger Burton raised £250 for the new village hall.

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48 Mary Layton Cottages, Little Wilbraham The Mary Layton Cottages are a well-known landmark in Little Wilbraham, featuring on the new village sign in Little Wilbraham. Mary Layton was the mother of Frederick Layton, a successful Anglo-American businessman. Frederick was born in Little Wilbraham in 1827. The family moved to Great Wilbraham in 1836 where Frederick’s father opened a small butcher’s shop and where, from the age of 14, Frederick learned his trade. In 1843 Frederick and his father emigrated to the United States initially trying their hands at farming. When this proved unsuccessful they moved to the pioneer town of Milwaukee and set up a retail meat market. In 1847, when enough money had been saved, they were joined by Frederick’s mother Mary Layton. The business prospered and Frederick became extremely wealthy and an important figure in the meat industry. In 1999, many years after his death, he was inducted into the ‘Wisconsin Meat Industry Hall of Fame’. Apart from being a successful businessman, Frederick was also a philanthropist and an art collector. Much of his large art collection can still be seen in the Milwaukee Art Museum. Despite his success in America, Frederick never forgot Little Wilbraham and, when the house in which he was born came up for sale in 1901, he purchased the site, pulled down the old buildings and erected three cottages. He endowed a charitable Trust to manage the cottages for the use of ‘agricultural labourers or their widows who lived in the parish’ and who were deemed ‘most deserving and suitable’ by the Trustees. He dedicated the cottages in the name of his mother Mary Layton. Although Little Wilbraham has changed dramatically from the rural farming community of the early 1900’s, the volunteer Trustees continue to manage the cottages in the spirit of Frederick Layton’s original legacy. This year, three longstanding Trustees have retired: Wallace Wells became a Trustee in 1956, continuing almost without a break until he resigned from the Trust in April this year. For many years he was Chairman of the Trust, handing over this responsibility only a couple of years ago. Andrew Collins has been a Trustee for 35 years and, has not only acted as Treasurer for much of that time, but has also personally done an enormous amount of work to maintain the buildings. Ray Tilbrook was appointed Secretary of the Trust over 20 years ago, following in the footsteps of his father and continuing a longstanding family tradition of service to the community.

49 Between them Wallace, Andrew and Ray have supported the Trust for an astonishing 113 years, the same length of time as the Trust has been in existence. Their hard work and dedication has ensured that the cottages will remain an important feature of the village and the current Trustees felt that it was important that this level of commitment was recognised and appreciated through the pages of The Warbler. Dr Richard Davies, Secretary

Country Music at the Memorial Hall Saturday February 15th – We had Mr Nicky James who gave us a nice evening of good Country Music, plus some fine Irish Country which was enjoyed by the good sized attendance of music lovers. It was Nicky James’ first time in Great Wilbraham and many asked for him to return again soon. Saturday March 15th – The Jeff Gallant Band from Norfolk came to entertain us, and they did with some fine songs. What a joy it was to hear the sounds of Tich playing the Fiddle brilliantly as always. Some of the time Tich was out there playing on the dance floor walking and dancing amongst everyone. The drummer, Dick, also played the Banjo too. A nice evening and atmosphere. Saturday April 12th – It was a great pleasure to have the father and son duo "Clear Cut" from Leeds to entertain us. On this, their first visit to our venue, I didn't know how they would go down, but I’m pleased to say that they had their audience with them from the word go. Both listeners and dancers enjoyed it. Father, Don, has a lovely voice, and son, Darren, is superb when playing keyboard and accordion. The night went too quick. Saturday May 10th – We had the ever popular duo from Corby, Campbells Country, and there was a great crowd in on this evening, as they knew this was going to be a great night. It was, as Campbell and Tim gave us a wide selection of Country Music, and oh how the Cajun Numbers were loved by us all. Oh what a joy it is to bring such top quality entertainment to Great Wilbraham. Dates for The Diary-Saturday July 12th – Dave Bryan, Yours Derek Fabb

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51 Over the farm gate

A week after writing in the Warbler last time, saw a real step change in the weather from being constantly wet and miserable to a high pressure system based over eastern England giving us a settled and dry time, (possibly too dry). Work on the fields was able to take place without one eye on what the weather might bring the next day and we could establish our spring crops of barley, sugar beet and linseed, get them all rolled down and fertiliser applied without making too much mess. Some areas of our wild bird mixtures and pollen and nectar strips were also re-established and some of the tracks and footpaths which had suffered in the last few months could be re-instated. All the crops had their fertiliser applied so that it was available to the roots once the soil temperatures rose above 5C and what a difference that made. April and early May is the time most of the crop protection products are applied to combat diseases such as Yellow Rust, Mildew, Septoria and Net Blotch, weeds can be controlled at this time too so the sprayer has been very busy of late. Sadly whilst spraying on the Fulbourn side of the railway line I discovered one of our 4 Roe deer living in that area dead with what looked like an attack from a dog. These pretty little deer were reintroduced to Thetford forest in the early1900’s and have spread naturally and it was really nice to see these deer who would watch intently as I passed them by on a tractor. The other 3 look a little lost now. Dry weather is a double-edged sword on our light land around Wilbraham, on the one hand cereal diseases tend not to thrive, but on the other the crops struggle without water. On balance though the crops look largely healthy and are slightly ahead of normal. The earliest start to grain harvest we have had here is 9th July in 2007 could we beat that? Chris Ascroft, Farm Manager, Wilbraham Farms

52 Are we a Christian country? I’m writing a week or so after the Prime Minister drew harsh criticism upon himself, from a number of humanists, atheists, and others, for asserting that Britain is a Christian country. Rowan Williams, the ex-Archbishop of Canterbury, responded by saying that we are a post-Christian society, which doesn’t necessarily mean non-Christian, but rather that our society has a cultural memory which is still quite strongly Christian. It is surely undeniable that the foundations of many of our laws, our moral values, our system of government, our welfare and social programmes, our care for the weak and the vulnerable, are rooted in Christian principles. Today, however, in many of these areas, Christian influence is being eroded. To a Christian the figures are not encouraging. In the 2001 Census 72% of the UK population claimed to be Christian, although only 5% are actually in church on any given Sunday. A Church of England report, published in 2004, concluded that Christianity is no longer at the heart of the nation, ‘Although people may identify themselves as ‘Christian’ in the national census, for the majority that does not involve belonging to a worshipping community, or any inclination that it should.’ Another survey in 2007 found that almost 70% of the UK population has no intention of attending a church service at any point in the future! So was David Cameron right? Surely we have to say that on the basis of actual faith and commitment we can hardly claim to be a Christian country. What would a truly Christian country look like anyway? Honesty and integrity in business; truth and justice in the legal system; faithfulness in relationships; respect for others, even if you don’t share their beliefs; compassion and practical concern for the poor and needy; help and healing for the sick; a determination to work together for the common good. Now, I would have to confess that not everyone who professes to be a Christian measures up to those standards. And also that many people who do not profess to be Christians measure up much better than I do! Even if we were able to create a society like that it would still not make Britain a Christian country, because Christianity is first and foremost about faith. It is not something which is endowed automatically by virtue of being born in a ‘Christian’ country. It is about what people believe in and put their trust in. Without personal conviction and faith in Jesus there is no Christianity. At RE:NEW we try to explore what it means to be a Christian in a world which seems increasingly hostile to our beliefs; and we aim to be a group of people who try to put into practice the teaching of Jesus that we should love one another; love our neighbours; and even love our enemies! Tough call! But we promise a warm welcome to anyone who would like to come along and give it a try!

53 Christian country – No! Christian believers trying to make a difference in the world – Yes! Peter Wells.

RE:NEW Services in June 2014. 1 June 10.30am – RE:NEW The Bigger Picture (Bottisham Primary School) With Holy Communion 8 June 10.30am – RE:NEW Café style (at the School) 8 June 6.20pm – Traditional service. (Lode Chapel) 15 June 10.30am – RE:NEW The Bigger Picture (at the School) 22 June 10.30am – RE:NEW The Bigger Picture (at the School) 22 June 6.20pm – Traditional service. (Great Wilbraham Chapel) For more information about any of the activities of RE:NEW please contact Rev. Keith Morrison on C.813055 or Peter Wells on C.812388. Email: [email protected] Or visit our website at www.re-new.me.uk

Rail Tracking in India On 30th April, in the Memorial Hall we gave an illustrated talk about our trip, last October, to India. It was a railway holiday, and we spoke of our rail journeys from Delhi to Shimla and also on the Palace on Wheels train which took us around Rajasthan. During the interval Yasir and Rabia (left in photo) from the village shop and post office provided delicious Indian refreshments. The event, organised by Lorna Carr, was in aid of the St Nicholas Church Tower project and Toilet Twinning, a Christian charity sponsoring toilet construction in remote parts of the world; the money raised being shared between the two. A good number of folk attended the event which raised £150.00. St Nicholas church will get a certified link with an adopted toilet in the developing world. More information about this charity can be found on www.toilettwinning.org. A big thank you to all those who supported the event. Marilyn and Stephen Harmer

54 Bells Meeting Great Wilbraham residents got a chance to find out about the baffling of the bells, see the bell ringers in action and express their disappointment at the recent lack of volume from the bells as a result of the baffles. The Parochial Church Council (PCC) arranged a meeting to explain their reasoning for baffling the bells in St Nicholas Church, Gt. Wilbraham on 1st May. Ringing Master, Phil Gorman explained the reasons for the bell baffling and was quick to point out they are baffles not muffles. He said as rain and snow entered the tower the mechanism deteriorates with time. In the past the bells had been refurbished at a cost of £15,000 and it was felt necessary to protect this investment. The baffles are in place to protect the bells as well as reduce the volume of sound. They allow for much quieter practice sessions.

There was an exhibition with photos of the bells and the baffles, which are essentially two by two feet holes with a shutter, which can be open and closed from the ground level. It is possible that the Gt Wilbraham church might be used in the future as a 'ringing centre’ to train bell ringers and ensure the bells are rung regularly. Graham Pye, Church Warden, who chaired the meeting, also outlined the project for improving the church facilities including toilets and kitchen under the ringing platform, which will be raised. The drawings of the proposed project were on show for the first time at the meeting.

55 There were comments from the floor about how much the community enjoyed the bells, but also about the lack of willingness of the PCC to listen to the community's concerns about the reduction in sound volume. Many villagers are upset because they are now unable to hear the bells either at all, or not as clearly as they had before. In order to try to solve the problem and move forward, there was a suggestion that the PCC should investigate the re-engineering of the baffles to restore the volume to the pre-baffle level for non-training events. Grahame Pye agreed to take this suggestion forward.

Phil Gorman and his group of bell ringers were thanked for their time and effort in keeping the bells ringing in Gt. Wilbraham. A demonstration of ringing followed. There was also an opportunity for those present to experience ringing themselves.

Carpenters win again

The Carpenters Arms have won another award. The photo says it all. Rick and Heather were thrilled to receive the award from the Cambridge branch of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) for the Rural Locale Pub of the Year 2014. They have previously had such accolades as four outstanding ratings for beer, wine, food and value for money in the 2012 Good Pub Guide. They were the only pub with all four awards within a 100 mile radius. Rick Hurley said “As well as local food we serve local ale. We always served local ales, but now with our own brewery it is extremely local.” Last year was the first year in which they had their beer, Crafty Beers, in the Cambridge Beer Festival. In May 2014 they had a much larger quantity in the Festival for which brewer, Robert Beardsmore, had to have an extra brew.

56 A view from the garden

The mild wet winter has brought everything forward. Writing this piece at the beginning of May, the countryside is a riot of hawthorn blossom, peppered by a vibrant green layer of young leaves. A sharp intake of breath fills my nose with rich scents of cow parsley and honeysuckle as I pass hedgerows and field margins. And just as the swifts return, there’s nowhere better than the English countryside on a fine spring morning. June arrives to herald the start of real summer; long days in the overhead sun bring optimum conditions for growth and development for plants and animals alike. Spring flowers fade to form fruits and seeds, whilst leaves make their adult size - firming in texture and colour – and sappy shoots start to harden into twigs. Meanwhile, life abounds in the aerial spaces between the plants. The bird-nesting season matures as fledglings flap and fumble in the foliage, chirping incessantly at exhausted parents for the next meal. A myriad of insects fill the warm evening air: ready meals for squadrons of screaming swifts across the skies of rural England. A flying display that I think is unrivalled in skill and maneuverability. Back in the vegetable garden, broad beans, peas, radishes, spring onions, and early potatoes should all be ready to eat at sometime during this month. Of the soft fruits, gooseberries should be the first to pick, followed by strawberries and raspberries. Make sure there’s space in the freezer for the surplus. Continue to sow short rows of lettuce and beetroot for succession picking and plant main crop carrot seeds for a crop that will take you into winter. Prick out autumn cabbage plants, Brussels sprouts and broccoli in their final positions, ensuring that you protect well from the pigeons. If you haven’t already done so, plant outdoor tomatoes, peppers and aubergines in a warm, sheltered spot. Plenty of sun and regular watering should produce an abundance of autumn fruits.

57 In the flower borders the delphiniums tower gracefully (with a bit of support) and roses bud eagerly in preparation for their own special show at the end of the month. Now is the time to sow wallflower seeds to make sturdy plants for autumn. I sometimes keep the seed from the previous season, but it does tend to revert to ‘type’ with a lot of orange flowers. I normally protect from flea beetle by covering the seedlings with a strip of fleece until the true leaves have developed. And on a final note, don’t forget the village show in July. Nigel Start

The Tower Project at St Nicholas Church Sometime before any of us are much older, and before very few of us have died, our parish church here in Great Wilbraham will have a lavatory. It’s quite amazing for me to be able to write that sentence. The saga of the St Nicholas loo is so long and complicated that it’s taken me most of the two years and seven months that I’ve been in the parish to unravel it, and an exhaustive account of the story must wait for a later chronicler of Great Wilbraham’s history. We are more concerned with getting the work done. The fact that we are in a position to install a lavatory in the church is entirely owing to the generosity of one person and the perseverance of her family. That person is the late Mrs Gwen Squires, who gave £50,000 to the St Nicholas Trust and wrote a letter specifying that this money was to be used for a lavatory. I have a copy of this letter, which I occasionally take out and read, as if I can’t believe my luck. Further thanks are due to the St Nicholas Trust, which has taken such good care of Mrs Squires’s donation over the succeeding years. At this point it’s probably worth explaining what the St Nicholas Trust is. The St Nicholas Trust is a charitable body which meets at Wilbraham Temple. It raises money for the purpose of helping the Churchwardens and Parochial Church Council to maintain the fabric of St Nicholas Church. In many respects it is like The Friends of St Vigor in Fulbourn. Since its creation, the Trust has, as those of you who have been here longer than I have will remember, raised a substantial sum of money towards the roof appeal in 2008, and for other repairs. The Trust has absolute discretion as to how money given to it is spent. What work is done in the Church, whether the hanging of a picture on the wall, the repair of the roof, the baffling of the bell tower, or the installation of a toilet, is determined by the other body I mentioned, the Parochial Church Council, or PCC, with the permission of the Diocesan Advisory Committee for the Care of Churches, or DAC. The Trust can give or withhold the money in its care, but it cannot authorise work to be done. Only the PCC can authorise work, and it can only do so with the permission of the DAC.

58 The PCC is an elected body; its members, apart from the Vicar, are elected from the members of the Church’s Electoral Roll. Anyone in the village can become a member of the Electoral Roll. The PCC has a Fabric Fund, administered by our long-suffering and saintly Treasurer, Jeremy Barnett. When something needs to be repaired in the church, when the radiators need replacing or a rotten bit of stonework in the roof starts letting water in, the PCC looks first in this fund, a restricted account whose contents can only be used for repairs and reordering here at St Nicholas’s. The DAC, meanwhile, issues what are called Faculties, which are like Planning Permission for churches. Traditionally churches grumble about the DAC and its decisions. However it seems to me that our Ely DAC has, at least in my time, been doing its difficult job well. It wants the churches of Cambridgeshire to continue beautiful and historic and watertight, and to be able to make the necessary changes to stay at the centre of the life of the village. Is all that clear? I hope so. If not, then all you need to know is this: on 20 May our plans for a lavatory and servery under the tower at St Nicholas, a mezzanine floor for the bell-ringers to be reached by way of a galleried staircase outside a new screen, and the removal of the old screened kitchen and several rows of pews, will go before the DAC. The DAC has already been consulted and indicated that they are likely to give us the Faculty to do this work. The St Nicholas Trust has made it clear that Mrs Squires’s gift will be released in its entirety to help pay for it. It’s more than likely though, that more money will be needed to finish the job. If you would like to donate—towards equipping the toilet for nappy changing or the servery for heating soup, towards general building costs or something specific—you have two choices. You can either donate to the St Nicholas Trust, or directly to the PCC’s Fabric Fund (contact Jeremy [email protected]). Or---and I am hoping and praying that there is someone reading this who will step forward—you can help us to apply for the various grants which are available for churches that want to become more useful to their communities. What do I mean by useful? Well, I am looking forward to the day when our Parish Church in Great Wilbraham is warm in the winter. I’m looking forward to the day when we can have concerts in the church, and when the children from our school can come over the road for RE and history classes and After School Club events. I’m looking forward to being able to host a community lunch of bread and soup at St Nicholas, with easy, level access and a door to accommodate people who use wheelchairs or push pushchairs. But before all that happens, I’m looking forward—not long now!—to the day when the people of Great Wilbraham can come to church knowing that there’s a toilet at the back if they need it. Not just useful, then, but necessary. And about time too! Alice Goodman, Vicar of Great Wilbraham

59 Cycling With the reduction in the bus service to and from Fulbourn and into Cambridge, we all increasingly need a car to get anywhere. This is such a shame as it is very environmentally unfriendly. The only alternative I can see is for people to get on their bikes. I know there are a lot of cyclists who cycle into Cambridge risking life and limb on a daily basis. Well to those I say it is time to stand up and be counted. Because that’s the only way we will get a cycle path, unless you want a trade-off, more houses built in the villages and the money received from them put towards a cycle path or other projects. It would also encourage so many more to cycle to Fulbourn and beyond if there was a cycle path. Village children need a safe way to get to 6th Form colleges and to go out for work or pleasure in Cambridge. Ideally what we really need is a cycle path linking Fulbourn to Bottisham or at least the A1303. According to the council officer who attended the Gt Wilbraham parish meeting they need 3 metres at the side of the road for a cycle path. There is probably enough room to do this all the way from Fulbourn to the A1303, however the problem and sticking point may be the bridge on the bend going to Fulbourn from Great Wilbraham. Lorna Carr wrote in the last Warbler edition about starting a campaign because we need to get this into the document mentioned in Joyce Patrick letter. Contact Lorna at [email protected], or John Torode at the Warbler if you can help this campaign. Tour de Dialysis (June 2014) This year the Tour de France visits Cambridge and the Addenbrookes Renal Unit are planning their own cycling event, raising money for the Addenbrooke’s Kidney Patient’s Association and the National Kidney Federation. The aim is to help people like Gordon Beavis a resident of Little Wilbraham. On Friday 6th and Saturday 7th June 2014 a team of 20-30 cyclists are planning to cycle between Addenbrooke’s Hospital and our satellite dialysis units, which are spread over East Anglia. On Friday the route will take us from Cambridge to Hinchingbrooke Hospital, then through the Fens to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital at King’s Lynn. On Saturday we’ll cycle from King’s Lynn through the Breckland to West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmund’s, before heading back to Cambridge in the afternoon. The whole route is about 150 miles – we’re expecting that some people will cycle a section of the route only, others join us for one day, and some complete the whole distance. I will be cycling with a mixed bunch of dialysis nurses, doctors, ward nurses, transplant co-ordinators and dieticians. The patients and staff at each dialysis unit will be coming out to cheer us on! If you would like to sponsor me, please donate online via my “JustGiving” site: http://www.justgiving.com/John-Torode or http://www.justgiving.com/Addenbrookesrenalride John Torode

60 Cambridge Open Studios July 2014, 11-6PM Look out for the yellow flags. The 2014 Open Studios are open throughout four weekends in July and there are five participants here in Great Wilbraham for you to visit. Richard Bray (Sculptor) 62 Angle End Richard Bray will be opening his garden studio for visitors in the middle two weeks of Cambridge Open Studios. There are works in progress and for sale, mainly in wood, but also drawings, ceramic pieces and portfolios of commissions and previous projects. Richard is an Associate of the Royal British Society of Sculpture and has shown widely here and abroad, most recently in Taiwan. His work can be found in public and private collections internationally, as well as in many private homes and colleges in the Cambridge area. If you would like to preview the kind of work on view at his Open Studio, visit his web site www.richardbray.org. All are very welcome to visit and perhaps buy a piece of their own or discuss a commission. Richard is working on a walnut tree from Soham at the moment. Nuala O'Connor (Painter) 20 The Lanes Please visit during the second and third weekends to view and buy original paintings in watercolour, mixed media and pastel. Prints and cards of previous work will also be for sale. Helen Clarke (Painter) Summer House Studio 1 High Street Visitors will be made very welcome during the second, third and fourth weekends to view and buy from her new collection of watercolours and mixed media work. Original watercolour cards will also be available. Helen's website is: www.summerhouse-paintings.co.uk. Mel Fraser (Sculptor) Herrings House Wilbraham Road Open during the middle two weekends, Mel will be showing her figurative and abstract work in stone.

61 Ros Fraser (Jeweller) Herrings House Wilbraham Road Ros's jewellery is inspired by the art and designs of ancient peoples and her studio is also open during the middle two weekends. Check all artists on www.cambridgeopenstudios.co.uk Keep a look out for your FREE Cambridge Open Studio Guide which will be available in the village post office and elsewhere in the village

‘Patience’ by Gilbert and Sullivan 11th – 14th June Swaffham Bulbeck Summer Theatre was formed in 1982 and stages a Gilbert and Sullivan operetta every June, this year therefore being the 32nd production. The entire G&S repertoire has been covered and ‘Patience’ has been staged twice previously by the group, in 1989 and 2002. Summer Theatre productions take place in an agricultural barn, which is miraculously transformed into a magical theatre with a permanent stage and even a carpeted floor! Together, the cast, orchestra and backstage crew comprise about 60 people, often including teenagers enjoying their first experience of performing G&S. Although initially a village group, members now come from a wide area, as SBST’s reputation has grown over the years. ‘Patience’, or ‘Bunthorne’s Bride’ was the sixth operetta from the pens of Gilbert and Sullivan and is a hilarious satire of the ‘aesthetic craze’ of the 1870’s and 80’s. A group of young ladies, rapturously caught up in aestheticism, have forsaken their former lovers (officers of the Dragoon Guards) and are in love with Reginald Bunthorne, an aesthetic poet. He, in turn, loves Patience, a simple milkmaid who cares nothing for poetry and who initially spurns his love. Matters become complicated when Patience first heeds some strange advice about love and then meets a former playmate. Acting on the advice of his solicitor, the disappointed Bunthorne subsequently puts himself up to be raffled. In an attempt to win back the ladies, the soldiers attempt to embrace aesthetics, with mixed consequences. However, in true G&S form the situation is finally resolved to (almost) everyone’s satisfaction. A wonderful show, which will appeal to all ages. For further information contact Ruth Dennis on 01638 508171 or [email protected]

62 63 The Wilbrahams’ Gardening Club Future Events

June 16th 2014 Visit to Lark Rise Farm, near Barton, run by the Countryside Preservation Trust (CRT). The Trust has transformed Lark Rise from an intensively farmed wildlife desert into a productive 400- acre arable farm that now teems with wildlife. We are told that it now has an abundance of skylarks, as well as other breeding birds that are considered rare elsewhere, such as barn owls and grey Gardening Club Chairman, Bob Wicket, partridges. Farmland flowers and Peter Wilson, gardener at the Temple, including bee orchids are admiring snowdrops on a Garden Club visit evident once again, brown hares at the invitation of Richard Wright. have returned and otters have re-colonised the brook system. Our party will have an escorted tour of the farm on a tractor and trailer seating about 26 people. There is no charge for members, but the club will be giving an appropriate donation. July 19th 2014 Flower and Produce Show in The Memorial Hall September 15th 2014 Margaret Nimmo-Smith will tell us about hardy ferns October 20th 2014 Kate Carver, Great Fen Project Manager will be speaking November 17th 2014 Simon White will demonstrate Christmas wreath making.

News from Bottisham Patients’ Group Action Plan for 2014/15 The Patients’ Group (PG) Committee met on 27th March and approved an action plan which the Practice will take forward following the results of the General Practice Assessment Questionnaire (GPAQ) survey last January. For yet another year, we appreciate the very high standards of care that the staff at Bottisham Medical Practice provide and the consequent high levels of satisfaction shown by patients in the survey, particularly in the current context of reduced funding and increased demand for Primary Care. The two areas for concern focussed on the

64 appointments system with the access it gives to doctors and nurses, and patients’ need for more health advice and information. The following five points attempt to address these concerns as well as others which should improve the services available to patients. 1. Increase patients’ awareness of the Practice’s services, systems and processes Comments made in the survey showed that not all patients are aware of all the services provided by the Practice and clarification is needed to give them a better understanding of Primary Care and its limitations. The PG will continue to work with the Practice to disseminate information through articles and events which benefit the full range of patients. 2. Review current appointments system, clinics and opening times While the Practice has employed an additional GP and provides above the national average of 100 appointments per 1000 patients, better methods of managing demand will be considered, e.g. telephone triage, where a doctor is available to give advice on the phone or see a patient with urgent need, and/or shift working. A nurse is currently training to provide the possibility of a Minor Ailments service. However, a further decrease in funding this year means that the Practice cannot consider extending opening times. 3. Improve the monthly repeat prescription and electronic prescription services The Practice currently dispenses around 10,000 prescriptions each month. Improvements to these services are currently being investigated and it is hoped that it will be possible for patients who wish it to have their repeat prescriptions dispensed automatically for collection each month. 4. Promote greater awareness of opportunities for self-care The PG will work with the Practice to encourage patients to keep themselves healthy, self-treat minor ailments and self-manage their long-term conditions where possible. The Practice’s website currently receives between 5000 and 8000 hits a month. The range of advice available will be increased, including links to sites promoting health awareness, e.g. the Self Care Forum. The range of leaflets and information available at the Practice will be reviewed and doctors and nurses will make patients more aware of useful sources of help and advice. 5. Increase the engagement of younger patients with the Practice Although the age profile of patients at the Practice remains fairly stable, a need to engage patients aged 13-24 in health awareness is recognised. The PG will seek feedback from pupils at Bottisham Village College about their health interests and a new page on the Practice’s website will focus on teenage health issues. Annual General Meeting The Group held its AGM on 24th April at Bottisham Village College when the Chair – Sylvia Thomson – welcomed 36 members plus Doctors Higham and Shackleton. She presented her report which you can read in full at 65 www.bottishammedicalpractice.nhs.uk/ppg.aspx, together with the minutes of the meeting. Concerns were raised about possible increases in population due to planned house building and the impact on the Practice. Further concerns were expressed over the high number of appointments missed. The highlight of the evening was an extremely interesting and informative talk by Dr Shackleton on Coping with Depression, which generated a variety of questions. Leaflets were available for those who wished to register an interest in the Cambridge and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust which is responsible for local mental health services. The election of officers resulted in Sylvia Thomson as Chair, Jenny Langdon as Secretary, and Christopher Welton as Treasurer, all continuing for another year. Steve Gilson, Roger Liles, Carole Stevens, Richard Braun, Penny Irwin and Elizabeth Mitchell all volunteered to serve on the committee for another year. Proposed activities for 2014/15 were: a talk by a Dementia Champion; another Heart Start first aid session; and something focusing on children’s health. Any Other Business brought a query about the annual patient survey being limited to 2 weeks in January and to patients attending during that period. It was explained that this was an NHS standard, but that patients could complete the questionnaire online or by collecting a copy from the surgery. Dr Higham emphasised that any complaints could be directed to the Practice at any time. Patients’ Car Service For more years than we can remember there has been a voluntary scheme for drivers to take patients with no means of transport to Bottisham Surgery for appointments. It is greatly appreciated by the doctors and nurses and operates to their benefit as well as the patients who use it. The Medical Practice does not run the scheme, and can take no responsibility for it; it has been taken under the umbrella of the Patients’ Group so that it can continue to be managed effectively. If you are a patient who has no means of transport let the receptionist know when you make an appointment. If you can volunteer as a driver please contact our Secretary on [email protected]. The appointments system In one two-week period in April 66 PATIENTS MISSED THEIR APPOINTMENTS. Yes, really! These included appointments made on the day for urgent reasons. 11 hours of doctor’s time was wasted. The Practice is struggling to cope with an increased demand for appointments, at the same time as working with decreased funding. If you cannot keep an appointment please phone the surgery on 01223 810030 so that it can be given to another patient. Car parking at the surgery The increased demand from patients has put more pressure on the parking spaces available at busy times. Double yellow lines have been painted along the entrance road to prevent parking which blocks the way for emergency ambulances, of

66 which several are called each week. Please respect them and if there isn’t a free parking space, please park on Tunbridge Lane. The Older People’s Integrated Service There is still time to contribute to the public consultation on the proposals to improve older people’s healthcare and adult community services in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough which runs until 16th June 2014. Copies of the consultation document and questionnaire are online at: www.cambridgeshireandpeterboroughccg.nhs.uk; available by phone: 01223 725304; by post from: Freepost Plus RSCR-GSGK-XSHK, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough CCG, Lockton House, Clarendon Road, Cambridge CB2 8FH; or email: [email protected]. Have your say by completing the questionnaire and/or attending the final consultation meeting in Cambridge on 6th June at 10.00 am–12 noon at the Central Library, Lion Yard. Walking Group The next walk will start at 11.00 am from the surgery car park on Wednesday 11th June. Anyone registered at the Practice is welcome to join these walks. Our walk leader Steve Gilson will be away after that so watch this space for future dates. If you are interested please contact Steve at [email protected] or phone 01223 811021. Bottisham Patients’ Group Committee

Wilbrahams and Six Mile Bottom over 6o’s club The club held its annual general meeting on Thursday April 24th in small room in village hall – there were 29 members present. May 3 Spring Fair – the committee would like to thank all who came to the fair and all the people who help to run the stalls. We made £660; many thanks.

Coming Events June 11 trip to Clacton – we have some seats left non member £17 June 26 Mr Barry King is going to give a talk on record collection and then set a quiz June 29 Fulbourn Feast – we have two tables, a cake stall and bric-a-brac stall July 2 trip to Windsor – members £14 – non members £17 If people wish to know more ring Miss C Fabb on 880813 or K Precious on 880832

67 List of Advertisers Advertiser Page AG Asbestos 48 Alexander Talbot Tree Surgery 38 Cleaner World 51 FCM Carpentry 18 Fisher Carpets 38 Gt Wilbraham Village Shop/Post Office 35 J & J Drake 44 Robert J Barnes 13 Rothwells 18 Station Garage 48 TECT Risk Services 10 The Carpenters Arms 18 Wasp Removal 44 Wilbraham Boiler Services 8

Advertise in The Wilbrahams’ Warbler March June September December Over 500 copies distributed to Great Wilbraham, Little Wilbraham and Six Mile Bottom Rates per issue Full page £40.00, Half page £25.00, Quarter page £15.00

Disclaimer While every care is taken in preparing the content of this magazine, the editors disclaim all warranties, expressed or implied, as to the accuracy of the information in any of the content. It also (to the extent permitted by law) shall not be liable for any losses or damages arising from the use of, or reliance on, the information in the form of articles, letters or adverts within the magazine. The adverts are provided for convenience only. We do not sponsor, endorse or otherwise approve of any information or statements appearing in the magazine. The editors are not responsible for the availability of, or the content located on or through, any advert. 68 Community Group Contact Details Weenie Warblers Mother and Toddler Group Sarah Fordham, 880698 Little Warbler Pre-School 07546 535075 Great Wilbraham Primary School Office: 880408 Primary School PTFA Liz Gardner Cubs/Scouts Ian Braybrooke 07795055288 Rainbows Lesley Jenkinson, 881984 Brownies www.cambseastguides.org.uk County Office: 813917 Wilbrahams’ Memorial Hall Shirley Morley, 880723 Wilbraham Gardening Club Jackie Petts 880889 Great Wilbraham Common Rights Jo Ladbrooke 880031 [email protected] Volunteer group Pat Simpson [email protected] Great Wilbraham Guild of Change Ringers Phil Gorman, 844458 Great Wilbraham Oil Syndicate Malcolm Grant 882507 Little Wilbraham Oil Syndicate Sue Lee, [email protected] Wilbraham Warriors FC Philip Gardner 07802499638 Wilbrahams’ Youth Group Helen Torode 812059 Wilbrahams’ Sports Club Roddy Tippen 880728

Wilbrahams’ Warbler Editors John Torode John Bramwell Martin A. Gienke 7 High Street 83 High Street Iceni Cottage, 46 Church St Little Wilbraham Little Wilbraham Great Wilbraham Cambridge Cambridge Cambridge CB21 5JY CB21 5JY CB21 5JQ 01223 812059 01223 812426 01223 882426 07886103132 [email protected]>

Deadline for the Autumn edition of the Warbler is 15th August 2014 Email contributions to [email protected] Email adverts to [email protected] Hand-written or typed contributions can be handed in or posted to the editors.

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