THE SIX VILLAGES NEWSLETTER Toseland Bluebells April 2014 Clarke Midgley PAINTING DECORATING AIRLESS & HVLP SPRAYING TILING COVING Call 01480-880593 or 07904-585963or email [email protected] ____________________________________________ KINGS LANE GARAGE Cambridge Street, St Neots, Tel 07894 238782 OPEN 24/7/365 Plus sandwiches, rolls, pasta salads etc Freshly made by Tara every day Tara’s buffet service – we can cater for any occasion UNIT 11 HARLEY IND. PARK PAXTON HILL, ST NEOTS, CAMBS PE19 6TA ►MOT’s ►REPAIRS ►TYRES ►SERVICING ►EXHAUSTS ►BRAKES ►CLUTCHES ►BATTERIES ►RECOVERY ►WINDSCREENS ►CAR SALES ►AIR CONDITIONING www.paxtonhillgarage.co.uk 01480 17806 Email: [email protected] “We offer a quality professional service in a clean, well equipped workshop for all your motor engineering needs”. 3 FROM: REV STEVE I had to climb the tower: first up the very narrow and steep stone spiral staircase to the clock chamber. From there up a 20-foot vertical wooden ladder, slide open a hatch at the top, clamber through onto a narrow ledge, and up a six-foot vertical ladder onto PAPWORTH LIBRARY FRIENDS a two-foot wide plank over the bell chamber. Up another six-foot ladder and The Friends is a group of people who are out through a tiny wooden door into the gulley which runs round the base of concerned about the risk of further reduction in our local library service & want to the spire, with only knee high, badly cracked parapets. encourage greater use of this excellent facility in Papworth Everard. Although our library is Are your knees wobbly yet? Mine were! not at risk of closure at the moment, the service has already suffered a reduction in I was up there to take photos of Eltisley church roof following its recent repairs, staff & opening hours/times & we cannot afford to be complacent. and I wasn’t looking forward to the journey down either! Library usage is judged by footfall, i.e. the number of visits made using a library card & Sometimes we find ourselves doing things that frighten us - things for which the pin number to borrow books, magazines etc or term “comfort zone” just doesn’t apply. to use the computers. Calling in does not count. In the season of Lent leading up to Easter, we remember how Jesus was tested The Friends want you to know what is in the wilderness. He was pushed to the limits of physical endurance, and then available for you at your local library. Did you know you can borrow magazines? There are challenged about who he was, and what his mission would be. Would he use WHICH magazines for reference purposes as his power just to please himself by turning stones to bread? Would he get well as an information point with many leaflets attention, or rather ‘celebrity’, by jumping off the temple? Would he steal for local and not so local events. You can also power by allying with evil or stay firmly connected to God? And with all of browse the Cambridge Evening News! EngAGE is a computer buddy scheme to help theses, the nagging doubts: “If you are the Son of God…” beginner or nervous computer users. The internet is free at the library & is a great He passed the tests, and so was able to teach “with authority”, knowing who he source of information so you don’t need your was and where he was going. own computer to use Google! Sometimes there are speakers and these meetings are advertised by poster on the library windows. Jesus faced an even greater test at Gethsemane: the choice between running There are two reading groups & Sandra, the away and a terrible death. Yet again he passed the test, and achieved both our librarian emphasises how friendly they are, so please don’t feel shy or intimidated about salvation, and his own Resurrection. joining as you will be made very welcome. The library is important for children, providing Climbing the church tower is nothing in comparison, of course, but when we go Storytime sessions & organising holiday past where we thought our limits were, new possibilities open up, and we can activities to encourage reading. So, if you haven’t thought about using the see further than we could before. When you next face a test that feels too big library, please go in to have a good look at or frightening, I hope the message of Lent and Easter will help you persevere. what it can offer you, have a browse & see if The view will be worth it! you can make good ‘footfall’ use of this excellent & important facility in our community. ELTISLEY ROGER’S RAMBLINGS The sun is shining (at last) the daffodils are in full bloom and the trees are blossoming, Spring has sprung at last and a young man’s fancy turns to……….but that’s another story! We had a super working party on 8th March and the Pocket Park paths are now gleaming with new woodchip (apart from about 20m where we ran out!), the brook is cleared and the grass cut. It was the best attended ever and thanks to all who helped, many hands make light work and it makes a fun morning, especially with Pat’s cake to round it off! And on the subject of working parties, we shall be planning more as soon as ground conditions permit to raise the verges along Cross Path and spread the soil to the front of the Cade to create a more level area. This will clearly be weather dependant so keep your eye on the Notice Board for dates and times. ‘Coffee with a Copper’ went well at the Cade (my preference was for ‘Beer with a Bobby’ but it was not to be!) There will be more of these sessions which are really useful to get to know the local officers and voice any concerns you may have. We will be holding more, possibly in the evening, or combined with the Coffee Mornings at the Church, watch for dates and do come along. Thanks to Sarah Blackburn for organising them. At our March PC meeting we considered a request from Residents for better signage around The Green, the appointment of an Arborist to survey the Village Trees, and the definitive map showing the area of the pond and access at the end of Manor Farm drive. Reports included the Cade Management Committee, the Feast Week and Fete Committee and the Allotments and Gardeners Group whose members had expressed their satisfaction with the discounted seeds obtained through the Group. Remember the Club is open to all gardeners and for details call either me on 880122 or Mike Cropley on 880358. We approved payment of the accounts and correspondence included requests from the Cricket Club and Feast Week Committee to use the Village Green. The Steering Group appointed to investigate the method of sale of the Institute reported meetings with agents, and the favoured option approved by the Council was an auction that will probably take place in June. We are now able to offer Speedwatch Training on a couple of dates in April to be confirmed. The Police have indicated that there will be no more patrols in the Village to monitor speeding making Speedwatch even more important. The commitment is minimal (about 2 hours) and I would welcome volunteers. Do call me for details. The next PC Meeting will be at the Cade on Tuesday, 13th May, 2014 at 7.30pm, put it in your diaries. As always praise or problems to me at 45 Caxton End or on 01480 880122 or [email protected] or our Clerk Jane Bowd on 01480 468451 or [email protected] Roger Pinner, Chairman, Eltisley PC CADE PAVILION NEWS Bar Opening Times: Fri: 8-11pm and Sun: 12pm-2pm (For bookings/hire contact Anne: 07974 082 604) We have reached the end of a long journey spanning over 2 years with all the improvement works now complete; we hope that everyone will make full use of the new facilities. We had a good attendance at the AGM on the 21st March which gave us the opportunity to bring everyone up to speed on our progress. We can all be immensely proud of what has been achieved by everyone – the new building and management infrastructure will hopefully serve our village needs for many years to come. We’re pleased to have sold our temporary kitchen and fridge – we still have a cooker and a dishwasher if anyone would like to make an offer. Please contact John, Tel 880672. On Saturday 5th April we will be having a ‘spring clean’ of The Cade, particularly the outside areas, in conjunction with the Cricket Club – all volunteers are very welcome. Meet at 10am – tea, coffee and bacon rolls will be in abundance! ELTISLEY FEAST WEEK: 4th-13th July 2014 The organising committee have met and events are progressing. To date we have booked I addition to the donkeys a flying display, an ox roast and are looking at the possibility of a childrens’ entertainment marquee. For more information and a current update, we look forward to seeing you at the next open meeting on Tuesday 25th March, 7.30pm, at The Cade. We require lots of volunteers and helpers on the 12th so if you can help and would like to get involved, do come along. ST PANDIONIAʼS PARISH Thanks to all who turned out on March 22nd for our spring clear up and worked so hard to cut back and tidy the churchyard. You did a great job! There is lots to look forward to at St Pandionia’s this month.