Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: [email protected]November 2019 1 Issue 175 Issue 176 Deadline: by 09.00am on 15th November Contents details……….. ……….. Neighbourhood Plan Update………………...……………..…….. ………..........…… ………………. …..…….. … …………...…..…………………………..…………….. 2 3 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Hotdogs Jacket potato & cheese Jacket potato & chilli Tomato Soup Mulled wine Coke (Squash free) 2019 If you have timber that can be used for the bonfire, please deliver it to the far side of the 5 - aside pitch, Grafham Village Hall, at 3pm Saturday 2nd November where Simon will be in charge! Or call Simon 07887 628528 who will collect it on the morning of Saturday 2nd. Please make sure that there’s nothing included that is explosive or that might give off noxious fumes. The Macmillan Coffee Afternoon raised £235.82 on 29 th September! Many thanks to all who attended and contributed. A special thank you goes to Julia and Tina for their help during the event. Sincerely, Susana Read the update on the Graam and Ellington Neighbourhood Plan on page 3 Christmas Shoe box Appeal Please make sure you deliver your filled shoeboxes or monetary donations to Moira by 17th of November. All the details are at the bottom of page 2. Editors’ note… Bonfire Night is almost here and we look for- ward to our usual fantastic Firework Display on Saturday 2nd! Be sure to dig out those woolly hats and jumpers to keep you warm while you watch. We have a honey cake recipe for you to bake, sent in by one of our Grafham beekeepers. You could give it a try with some Grafham honey, on sale now in the shop. Do you have hedgehogs in your garden? Borrow a tunnel from Carole and find out if they wake up from hibernation during the winter. (Contact details are on page 9.) Please send your news, views, photos, recipes and gossip in good time for the deadline at the top of this page. Remember that December and January’s newsletter will be combined in one issue. Enjoy the fireworks! Editors, [email protected]Brampton Church - 10th November at 7pm Our annual ‘In Memory’ service, in which we remember those whom we have loved but see no more. Read more details on page 13 Travelling Nativity Box Grafham’s Nativity set will be travelling round the village again this year, starting out on Sunday 1st December. Read all about it on page 13 to find out what’s included in the box and how to host it
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Editors 2019 - grafham.s3-eu-west-2.amazonaws.com Nov 8... · Revd Jason Taylor (Rector) Rectory, 15 Church Rd, Brampton PE28 4PF [email protected] 07807 118070 Mike Bigg (Curate)
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If you have timber that can be used for the bonfire,
please deliver it to the far side of the 5 - aside pitch,
Grafham Village Hall, at 3pm Saturday 2nd November
where Simon will be in charge!
Or call Simon 07887 628528 who will collect it
on the morning of Saturday 2nd.
Please make sure that there’s nothing included that is explosive or that might give off noxious fumes.
The Macmillan Coffee Afternoon
raised £235.82
on 29th September!
Many thanks to all who attended
and contributed.
A special thank you goes to Julia and Tina
for their help during the event.
Sincerely, Susana
Read the update on the Grafham and Ellington Neighbourhood Plan
on page 3
Christmas Shoe box Appeal Please make sure you deliver your filled shoeboxes
or monetary donations to Moira by 17th of November.
All the details are at the bottom of page 2.
Editors’ note… Bonfire Night is almost here and we look for-ward to our usual fantastic Firework Display on Saturday 2nd! Be sure to dig out those woolly hats and jumpers to keep you warm while you watch.
We have a honey cake recipe for you to bake, sent in by one of our Grafham beekeepers. You could give it a try with some Grafham honey, on sale now in the shop.
Do you have hedgehogs in your garden? Borrow a tunnel from Carole and find out if they wake up from hibernation during the winter. (Contact details are on page 9.)
Please send your news, views, photos, recipes and gossip in good time for the deadline at the top of this page. Remember that December and January’s newsletter will be combined in one issue.
Every Wednesday morning 09.00 - 09.30 Morning Prayer – a short service open to all. Download the Daily Prayer app from the Church of England website available for iOS and Android to
join us in spirit from home if you wish, but preferably please come along to the service.
Mid-week Communion services are on Thursdays at 10.00 roughly once a month. (An informal midweek
service of Holy Communion with time for prayer and sharing from the Bible.)
27th October (4th Sunday) 19.00 Taizé service with music and candles --------------------------------------------------------------
3rd November (1st Sunday) 10.30 Family Service Lay-led
21st November (Thursday) 10.00 Mid-week Communion
24th November (4th Sunday) 19.00 Taizé service with music and candles -------------------------------------------------------------
1st December (1st Sunday) 10.30 Family Service lay led
On Fourth Sundays, an ‘All Together’ Holy Communion Service rotates between the three churches
For more information on church services and other events, visit www.eastleightonstone.com and click on Calendar
Contacting the Clergy Revd Jason Taylor (Rector) Rectory, 15 Church Rd, Brampton PE28 4PF [email protected] 07807 118070
View from the Pew Our flower arrangers were kept busy with
decorations for our Harvest Festival and the
church looked full of wonderful autumn colours
for our service on 6th October. Jill and Hazel
had prepared the service with resources from the Farm-ing Community Network. We gave thanks for the bless-
ings of our harvest and donated gifts were given to the
foodbank via our community shop. Favourite hymns were
sung with the help of John, Kate and Frankie our musi-
cians and lead singer. The service was followed by our
usual lunch and was much enjoyed by all.
Our next family service on 3rd November falls shortly after
All Saints Day when we commemorate all the saints of the
church, both known and unknown who have reached
heaven.
Our mid-week communions have now moved to the third
Thursday of each month at 10am. Our Taizé services
continue on the fourth Sundays at 7pm.
On 12th October wildflower seeds were sown in the area
previously prepared on the south boundary of the church-
yard. This area has been roped off to protect it from foot-
fall, to allow germination and growth. We look forward to
seeing the results next year! More information is within
these pages.
Sue’s Recipe of the Month Honey cake
You may have tasted some of Sue's honey cake at the 'Come and Meet the Pollinators’ afternoon on Sunday 6th October.
This recipe is used by Huntingdonshire Beekeepers Association for Honey Show entrants.
225/8oz unsalted butter 250g/9oz clear honey plus about 2tbsp extra for glazing cake. 100g/4oz dark brown sugar 3 large eggs, beaten 300g/10oz self raising flour
Preheat the oven to 160C/Gas 3/Fan 140C/325F.
1. Butter and line a 20cm/8″round cake tin. Paper Cake liners may be used. Cut the butter and drop into a medium pan with the honey and sugar. Melt slowly over a low heat. When liquid, increase the heat under the pan and boil for about one minute. Leave to cool.
2. Beat the eggs into the cooled honey mixture using a wood-en spoon. Sift the flour into a large bowl and pour in the egg and honey mixture, beating until you have a smooth batter.
3. Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for 50 mins-1 hour until the cake is well risen, golden brown and springs back when pressed. You can also check it is cooked by inserting a wooden or metal skewer and it should come out clean.
4. Turn the cake out onto a wire rack. Warm the 2 tablespoons of honey and brush over the top of the cake to glaze; then leave to cool.
Christmas Shoe Box Appeal – 2019
Can I persuade you to be part of a very worth-
while cause and help bring a smile to underpriv-
ileged children this Christmas?
Do you have a spare shoebox which you could
fill with goodies for underprivileged children this
Christmas?
If you would like to be part of this very worthwhile cause run
by Samaritans Purse (operation Christmas Child), please
give me a call on 811577 or 07859 065 982 and I’ll be happy
to deliver a leaflet to you. This is a fun and rewarding project
which, as a village, we have been part of for many years.
Once completed, shoeboxes should be returned to me no
later than Sunday 17th November. Monetary contributions
are also welcome.
Please note that due to more stringent customs laws
this year, NO toothpaste or sweets should be included.
At this month’s meeting, some residents, whose rear boundaries back on to the playing field, attended to discuss the Council’s intentions concerning the trees along this border. The Council has been aware for some time that the trees here are in need of manage-ment and advice was taken from a tree surgeon last April. The advice given at this time was that some trees would need attention and there was a possibility that there might need to be some thinning out. However, in April, this was not the right time for this kind of work, and it is better left until the autumn. So the Council will now be seeking further help and action on maintaining the trees.
It was noted that some work on the hedges along Brampton Lane has taken place. However, there is still a lot to be done and the Council hopes to get some support from the District Council with the landowners whose responsibility it is to maintain the hedges so that they are not a hazard to the road users.
Four people have come forward to join the committee on the Neighbourhood Plan – two are Grafham residents and two are form Ellington. If you would like to join in please contact David Russell (see contact details below).
The meeting had a visit from the Change for Grafham environmental group are asking that, fol-lowing the County Council’s declaration of a climate emergency, the Parish Council should take environ-ment issues into account wherever possible in making their decisions. To this end the Council will consider and adopt an appropriate environmental policy at the next meeting.
The next meeting is scheduled for 12th November 2019
East Leightonstone To join the mailing list and receive
the regular newsletter visit
http://www.eastleightonstone.com and click News
The book stall is a fantastic fund-raiser for our village church, but we‘ve found that we can sell only good quality, clean paperbacks and find it difficult to lift, carry and dispose of other items.
Good quality paperback books in clean condition
We love to receive your paperback books to stock our church bookstall. Please leave them in the
Talking Shop As winter draws nearer we say goodbye to the summer and begin preparations for the festive period. Make sure to look out for our new Christmas stock coming in No-vember and December. By the time you read this month’s Grafham Gossip the clocks will have turned back and the weather will be getting colder. However, for those with fireplaces do not worry, we have logs, kindling and firelighters in stock to help keep you warm over the winter!
This month we will reach our fifth anniversary! Come and join us on 22
nd November to help us celebrate
(there may even be a special promotion.) Those five years with the community shop in the village seems to have passed very quickly, but now we couldn’t imagine life in Grafham without it! It’s the perfect place to grab the things you need from milk and bread to dinners and snacks. The shop has seen sunny days and rainy days. Five different managers have worked in it, but we are still here today working with the community to give Grafham the shop that you need. The managers and the management committee are very grateful to you all, from our wonderful customers who regularly come to visit the shop; to our incredible volunteers without whom we would not be able to keep the shop running. Our friendly team are a pleasure to work with to keep the shop open throughout every day of the week.
If you are interested in volunteering, please pop into the shop and speak to one of the managers. No require-ments are needed and you can come in as little and as often as you would like. Volunteering is a fantastic way to meet new people and learn some useful skills as well.
NEW IN THE SHOP
We now have a new range of Grafham Honey! This hon-ey was made from the community hives that our avid beekeepers share and is a great addition to our local produce selection. Get yours now as it sells very quickly.
Also, we have pure beeswax candles, handmade by one of our local beekeepers. These candles make perfect gifts for Christmas or birthdays.
Speaking of gifts we also have in stock Saints & Sinners jams and marmalades produced in Lincolnshire. perfect as small gifts or stocking fillers. Look out for the new Christmas range coming in December.
To celebrate our 10th birthday we are inviting all present and past members to join us for tea and birthday cake at Grafham Water Centre between 12noon and
2pm on Saturday 16th November. It would help us to know who is coming along so please contact as below.
For further details about the Club and its activities, or for members past and present to book a place for tea and cake, please tele-phone Lion Bernard Dable, on 0345 8337516 or email: [email protected]
There are more details about the above event in the September issue of Grafham Gossip. Visit the village website www.grafham.org.uk Click on Grafham Gossip then scroll down the list of past issues and click on Sept-19
Rewilding the Churchyard We are Making the Change in
• Houghton and Wyton Community Shop, PE28 2AX Details as above
Contact lenses, blister packs and foil covers
• Boots Opticians, Huntingdon
Bread bags Public TerraCycle collection point at:
• Houghton and Wyton Community Shop, PE28 2AX Details as above
Pringles cans
• Longsands Academy Mon - Fri. 9.00am - 3.00pm
Used plant pots and trays
• Dobbies Garden Centre – Hand in at Customer Service Desk
Clothing and paired shoes
• Buckden Village Hall Car Park
Any bags and film, crisp packets and hard black plastics that can’t be recycled at home
• Marks and Spencer, Peterborough, Food Hall
At present this is a trial with the intention of rolling it out to all stores by the end of the year!
Is there anyone who regularly goes to any of the above facilities, especially Brampton Dentists or Scouts, who would be prepared to deliver any prod-ucts for those unable to get there?
Grafham Hedgehog Survey Update Here is the updated Grafham Hedgehog Map, showing the picture of the distribution of hedgehogs in Grafham so far; this was a pleasant surprise to me, and to many of those who took part. We had not been sure what we would find. There is a lot of love and goodwill here for this spiny mam-mal, and much excitement on discovery of footprints.
There is much more work that can be done: filling in gaps in the map, extending the map, looking at the area outside the village, and importantly, counting them. More gardens could use a tunnel to check for visitors and I would like to monitor some of the places where we have had footprints, to see when they stop, which would indicate when they go in to hi-bernation. An intermittent watch over winter to see if they wake up at all would also be interesting. This would involve
setting the tunnels once a week until hibernation time, when-ever that ends up happening, and once a week over the win-ter. If you are interested in helping with this, or want to have a go with a tunnel to see if hedgehogs visit your garden, then text me on 07766 662197.
I will also be doing more next year in the spring and the au-
tumn so watch this space.
It is clear from several studies that hedgehog numbers, amongst many other species, have seriously declined since the 1970s and shown a continued decline over the last 15 years. The reasons for the decline are unknown, but habitat fragmentation and the isolation of sites within the urban mo-
saic, as well as issues to do with habitat management, are likely to be significant factors.
Hedgehogs require undisturbed areas of undergrowth, in
which to nest at all times of year and a supply of fallen dead leaves as nesting material. Hedgehogs may also nest in woodpiles or in spaces under sheds or other such structures. They feed mainly on a wide variety of ground invertebrates and particularly exploit edge habitat bordering hedgerows, shrubberies, wooded areas. Urban and suburban hedgehogs can persist in biodiverse ‘hedgehog-friendly’ gardens and public green space provided that these are accessible at
ground level and well connected to other areas of suitable habitat with few hazards. The tendency to keep parks, gar-dens, roadsides and other green spaces looking neat and tidy often results in the clearance of suitable nest sites and grassland rich in ground invertebrates in a way unsympathet-ic to the needs of hedgehogs. They are wide-ranging animals that may routinely travel one kilometre or more in search of food in a single night and sexually active males may move three times that distance in search of females (Reeve, 1994).
Therefore they need to be able to move efficiently and safely between habitat patches, but walls, fences and other struc-tures often prevent such movement.
So the message is clear, if we are to help our hedgehogs, we need to keep our garden boundaries open enough in places, for them to get in and out, and if possible provide areas of cover from shrubbery, or put up a hedgehog house for them to hibernate and nest. I installed a hedgehog house when I found footprints this summer, and now have a resident hedgehog who sleeps there during the day. I hope it hiber-nates there and hope it will breed there next year.
Can you make tea? We are very short of volunteer tea/coffee makers for our Little Fishes Stay + Play Tots Group, which meets on Wednesday mornings in the village hall.
If you can spare an hour, now and then, we would be most grateful for your help!
I have written in various places before about neonico-tinoids pesticide impact on bees. My belief is that tradi-tional lab based toxicity testing for pesticides fails to reflect the real life situation in the wild. In real life pesti-cides are present in the environment below the lethal concentration indicated by lab tests. However, the lab work never looks for the effects of sub-lethal doses. So bees and for all I know, insects more generally, are im-pacted by Neonicotinoids, for example, by affecting navigation functions. In honeybees this may result in foraging bees failing to find their way back to the hive with consequences for the viability of the colony. The EU has restricted but not banned the use of neonico-tinoids (neonics).
But now this, from a National Geographic press release by Stephen Leahy published on September 12
th 2019.
Extracts below:
Neonics - pesticides introduced to plants at the seed stage – act like an appetite suppressant for birds.
The world's most widely used insecticide has been linked to the dramatic decline in songbirds in North America. A first ever study of birds in the wild found that a migrating songbird that ate the equivalent of one or two seeds treated with a neonicotinoid insecticide suffered immediate weight loss, forcing it to delay its journey.
Although the birds recovered, the delay could severely harm their chances of surviving and reproducing, say the Canadian researchers whose study is published today in Science.
“We show a clear link between neonicotinoid exposure at real-world levels and an impact on birds,” says lead author Margaret Eng, a post-doctoral fellow at the Uni-versity of Saskatchewan Toxicology Center.
Spring bird migration occurs when farmers are plant-ing, and most crops in the United States and Canada are grown with neonicotinoid-treated seeds. Birds may suffer repeated exposure at successive stopover sites where they rest and feed. That may extend migration delays and their consequences, the study concludes.
The results are likely to apply to other bird species that consume pesticide-treated grains, said Hallmann (ecologist at Radbound University in the Netherlands), who was not involved in the Science study. Hallman’s own published research has linked widespread de-clines in insect-eating birds to neonicotinoid use.
The populations of more than 75 percent of songbirds and other birds that rely on agricultural habitat in North America have significantly declined since 1966. The new study reveals how neonicotinoids, also known as neonics, could be directly contributing to the die-offs. Just last month a comprehensive study concluded that the widespread use of neonicotinoids had made Ameri-ca’s agricultural landscape 48 times more toxic to hon-eybees, and likely other insects, than it was 25 years ago.
Imidacloprid, even at extremely low doses, has an ap-petite-suppressing effect on the sparrows. They were lethargic and not interested in eating, she said. “We saw the same thing with captive birds in a previous study.” That study was published in 2017 in Scientific Reports.
This isn’t surprising since neonicotinoids are chemically similar to nicotine and stimulate nerve cells, killing them at high doses. Nicotine poisoning in humans is rare because consuming too much usually makes peo-ple too sick to take more. At low doses nicotine sup-presses appetite in humans. The same thing appears to be happening in birds.
Neonics and Songbirds
David Cudby
The Marine World – A Natural History of Ocean Life Dr Frances Dipper
7.30pm Wed 13th November
Brampton Memorial Hall
The Huntingdonshire Local Group of the Wildlife Trust invites you to lis-
ten to this fascinating talk. Dr. Frances Dipper is an author, lecturer and
independent marine consultant, whose major work, ‘The Marine World: A
Natural History of Ocean Life,’ has been published recently.
Frances will describe an immense three-dimensional living space inhab-
ited by marine life that varies from the mundane to the bizarre. Its salty
influence extends along river estuaries, over seashores, and inland with
brine-laden spray.
Everyone interested is very welcome to attend. Please meet at: Brampton Memorial Hall, Thrapston Road, Brampton, PE28 4TB. No booking is necessary.
For more information please contact: Alistair Grant [email protected] or 07775 365 507
------------------------------------------------------------------------- Part of the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and
Buckden Gardeners Association Buckden Gardeners Association meets on the third Tuesday of the month from October to April in Buckden Village Hall. Topics focus on gardening but also include related subjects such as wild flowers, bees and birds. In the sum-mer months we organise outings to gar-dens and related areas.
All are welcome. For more information please visit our website www.buckdengardeners.info or just come along. Rosemary Surridge, Secretary
Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: [email protected] Opinions expressed in the Grafham Gossip, including past issues, are those of the writer and not the editors.
Grafham Wildlife and Conservation Group Regional winners of the BTCV Green Award 2006 & 2007 invite you to carry out woodland conservation
Across the Churches Bible Study We are a small group meeting twice a month (Tuesdays 7.30pm) for Bible study, prayer and fellowship. We come from different churches and are always happy to welcome new members.
For more information, please contact Rob or Jean Clark 01480 890033.
Grafham Church Flower Club We are available to decorate the church for weddings and other church occasions.
If anyone in the village has foliage in their garden that they would be willing to donate for church decoration for festivals, please let us know, we would be very grateful.
The Mobile Library Route H24 visits Breach Road, Grafham on the 4th Wednesday of every month from 10.40 to 11.00. Next visits - 27th November
For renewals/ enquiries call 0345 045 5225 or click here
Come and join the
GRAFHAM LINE DANCERS Beginners are welcome
Monday evenings in the Village Hall
7.30 – 9.00pm
For more information ring Julia 01480 811613 or Text Penny 07986 509481
Ellington and Grafham WI
meets on the first Tuesday of the month in Ellington
village hall. Membership is £41 per annum but you are
most welcome to come as a visitor. The programme is
varied and interesting with speakers or events every
Grafham Little Fishes Toddler and Baby stay and play session
All Welcome
Wednesdays 10.00 to 11.20 term time only Grafham Village Hall
Free play time followed by a short bible story, action songs and simple craft.
Just turn up on the day
Little Fishes is very short of helpers to make tea/coffee. Please contact Hazel 810326 or email: [email protected] if you can help.
See also the notice on page 11
Coffee Morning Grafham Social Committee invites you to
Coffee Mornings at 10.30am on the third
W0dnesday of the month:
20th November - Philippa Patel, 3 Field Close
This is an informal social occasion for
residents of the village. Please come along
for a cup of coffee and a chat.
GRAFHAM VILLAGE HALL has a Public Entertainments Licence for music, dancing, performing arts and can accommodate 92 guests seated in rows or 150 at a dance/disco - an ideal venue for children's and family parties. There is a playing field for sports activities and the hall has small changing rooms with shower facilities.
For details or to book, tel: 07711 769911
http://grafhamandellingtonart.weebly.com/
Calling all who want to meet and paint with like minded people on a regular basis.
Beginners and those with more skills are all very welcome.
Cost: About £2 to cover hall hire/refreshments. Come along with your paints and equipment!