Grafham Gossip

Grafham Gossip September 2021 1 Issue 195

Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: [email protected]

Issue 196 Deadline: by 9am on Wednesday 15th September

Contents

g0grafham

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Editors’ note… Summer is coming to an end and the schools and colleges are due to start a new academic year. Hopefully, you’ve managed to get away on holiday, perhaps a staycation or some days out in the countryside or by the sea.

You’ll find lots of photographs in this issue, of the Flower Festival - page 3 - and the Bioblitz pages 8 and 9. Don’t forget to take a look!

Gradually more activities and events are taking place in and around Grafham. Upcoming events in September include:

• The annual Ride and Stride Day will be held throughout the Diocese on Saturday 11

th September. This day may see

groups of walkers and cyclists visit our church. The event is organised by the Cambridgeshire Historic Churches Trust to raise money to support buildings across the county with essential repairs and improvements. Participants challenge themselves to visit as many churches as they can and at the same time raise money to support the work of the Trust. Participants can nominate their local church to receive 50% of the money they raise. If you wish to take part cycling, walking or taking another mode of transport visit:

https://camhct.uk/ride-and-stride/ for more details and see the poster on page 10.

• The Wildlife Trust Zoom meeting on Wednesday 8th - The Great Fen - see details on page 6.

• Art Exhibition in Grafham on 26th, see poster on the left and information about the group on page 5.

• Buckden Towers Open Day also on Sunday 26th, should prove to be interesting and enjoyable - see page 10. If you get organised you’ll be able to visit Buckden Towers as well as the Art Exhibition.

Please send in your news, views, letters, recipes, photos and gossip in good time for the next deadline, by 9am on Wednesday 15th September.

Keep Gossiping! Editors, [email protected]

Keep the date

Sat 6th November

Grafham Fireworks

See the poster on page 16

Advance warning

Sunday 3rd October Harvest Festival

9.30am Grafham Church

See page 3 towards the end of View from the Pew

Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: [email protected]

September 2021 2 Issue 195

We now have singing in all three churches in our parish (Grafham, Ellington and Brampton) and masks are no longer mandatory - but please continue to wear one if that makes you feel more comfortable.

For those who do not feel able to come into the church buildings yet, the Brampton service is live-streamed weekly at 10.30 and can be accessed via the You Tube site All three churches are open for private worship daily.

Book sales continue in the porch. Please use the hand sanitiser provided. A payment box is attached to the table.

All Saints Church, Grafham

Church Services at Grafham unless indicated otherwise

Wednesdays 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 - join us in spirit from home if you wish, but preferably please come along, help read some bible passages and pray for any concerns, local or personal.

Please note change of service times

Find more details about the services in View from the Pew below

Sunday 5th September 9.30 All Age Worship - Duncan available from 9am for chat

Wednesday 15th Sept 10.00 Holy Communion

Wednesday 22nd Sept 10.00 All Age Worship

Sunday 26th September 9.30 Holy Communion - Duncan available from 9am

Sunday 3rd October 9.30 All Age Worship - Harvest Festival - Duncan available from 9am

For more information on events and services for Grafham, Ellington and Brampton visit:

https://eastleightonstone.com and click on Calendar. To join the mailing list to receive

upcoming church services and Parish news, visit: http://www.eastleightonstone.com and click News

Contacting the clergy

Duncan Goldthorpe [email protected] 01480 459246 / 07907 694177

Keith Wood Churchwarden, Brampton 07802 368 659 [email protected]

Sue Roberts Churchwarden, Brampton 07980 889904

As promised in our August issue we can now report on our Flower Festival and Bioblitz. The theme of

‘Buildings’ for the Flower Festival sounded quite daunting, but true to Grafham’s tradition our flower

arrangers came up with some amazing displays. There were depictions of St Paul’s and Canterbury

Cathedrals, the Taj Mahal and a castle in the air. A garden shed, greenhouse and beach huts plus a

mediterranean villa and apartment block, showed the array of ideas to admire. A milking parlour, oast

house, stable, insect house and millennium wheel, not forgetting the Eiffel Tower and an ivory tower

completed the entries. The porch was a stunning array of flowers with a Disney Castle at its centrepiece. Our thanks go

to Jill for inspiring us all as ever, helping with advice at every turn. Our visitors were so impressed that we have four

more volunteers to take part next year!

Photos of the displays are opposite, they can be seen in colour in the September Grafham Gossip on the village website

www.grafham.org.uk Richard’s are presented beautifully online: https://tinyurl.com/rabpictures/72157719613496671

In view of the doubtful weather forecast teas were served indoors.

Many thanks to all the cake makers and the ladies who served.

Fortunately the weather held for the Bioblitz and much interest

was provided by the examination and identification of flora and

fauna. A report of the Bioblitz is on pages 8 and 9. Our thanks go

to Debbie for planning, organising and leading this event which

will has been an inspiration to many people, young and older who

were present. Thank you to Gregory Belcher for being on hand to

answer questions and identify species, also our thanks go to

Richard for taking so many brilliant photographs of the Flower

Festival and Bioblitz.

Musical interludes each afternoon were provided by Sally and her group of saxophonists on Saturday and John’s happy

band on Sunday. This music really made the weekend go with a swing. Thank you to all the musicians.

Our Songs of Praise were a wonderful end to the weekend as we were able to sing at last!

View from the Pew

The Cam Saxophone Quartet

Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: [email protected]

September 2021 3 Issue 195

Our thoughts now turn to the future of our three churches. Duncan has been instrumental in bringing new ideas to us all. We will now benefit from a service every week in each church, some of these being on weekdays. More work for Duncan who is prepared to minister two services each Sunday, one in Grafham or Ellington and the other in Brampton. This of course involves changes to service times to enable Duncan to travel between churches. The dates and times are set out on page 2. Duncan will be available from 9am on Sundays at Grafham for conversations with parishioners before the service at 9.30am. Refreshments will still be available for the service. Wednesday services will start at 10am. Morning Prayer will continue on Wednesdays at 9am unless there is a 10am service that day.

Duncan is also instituting the boards in each church for everyone to have their say on what they would like to see for the future of our churches. Feel free to come in and add your comments to the boards. All comments and suggestions are welcome.

A word about Harvest Festival. In view of the earlier time of this service on the first Sunday in October a ‘brunch’ has been suggested instead of a ‘ lunch.’ Further news of that in the October issue.

Don’t forget the ‘Big Conversation’ board!

Photographs taken by Ed.

Grafham Flower Festival 2021

Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: [email protected]

September 2021 4 Issue 195

Send your news, views, photos, recipes, ‘Letters to Ed’ and gossip

to [email protected] by 9am on 15th of every month

The Plan is ‘made’ (has statutory powers)

We are here now

Regulation 16

Independent examiners check it complies with local and national policy

Meetings with team and HDC to agree amendments

Plan now has influence on planning decisions

Referendum now probably late January / early February

Grafham and Ellington Neighbourhood Plan

Our Neighbourhood plan is … with the examiner in September

We understand that the referendum is more likely to be held in the last week of

January or the first week in February. This is earlier than expected.

The Neighbourhood Plan and associated documents are on the village website:

https://grafham.org.uk/index.php/neighbourhood-plan-2/

For further information, contact David Russell [email protected]

Grafham’s District Councillor

Darren Tysoe 01480 388310

[email protected] Grove Cottage, Malting Lane, Ellington, PE28 0AA

Follow me on Twitter @darrentysoe

Receive my updates on Facebook www.facebook.com/cllrdmtysoe

Grafham’s County Councillor

Ken Billington 07725 764889 [email protected]

14 Cranfield Way Brampton, Huntingdon PE28 4QZ

Grafham Parish Council

Ian Gardener Chairman 01480 812821 [email protected] Alastair Watson [email protected]

David Russell [email protected] Jo Dunn [email protected] Patrick Curran [email protected]

Carole Baber [email protected] Sunil Gogna [email protected]

Contact details for Grafham’s Parish, District and County Councillors

PARISH NEWS There is no news to report this month. The date of the next Grafham Parish Council meeting is

7th September. This will be reported in the October issue.

For more information about your Parish Council’s activities, please see the village website:

https://grafham.org.uk/index.php/parish-council/ or contact a member of the Parish Council, details below.

Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: [email protected]

September 2021 5 Issue 195

Talking Shop Hello everyone, we hope you all had a wonderful summer!

Autumn is approaching and the nights will be drawing in

soon. We will shortly be selling logs and kindling again

for when the weather turns cooler.

We have lots of seasonal cakes supplied by Bramble

Foods still in stock. We sell a selection of fruit cakes,

sponges, flapjacks and biscuits in a wide variety of flavours,

along with sweet treats like fudge and sesame snaps.

Got a loved ones birthday or special occasion upcoming?

In the shop we supply Handmade Cards produced by our

Local Art Club at £2.00 each. Also, we supply each artists

handmade paintings with frames, these make lovely dec-

orations to your home or as a gift to friends. Please help

us support our local artists and keep their club going. All

artwork is cash only.

Look out for new seasonal Saints & Sinners jams, mar-

malades and chutneys coming in September! We have

been supplying Saints & Sinners products for a number

of years now and they have become more and more

popular with our customers. All products are homemade

in Lincolnshire and all ingredients are locally sourced.

Would you like to be involved with the running of the

shop? We are currently very much in need of more

volunteers and committee members. It is always good to

have new people with fresh ideas and extra hands to

help our managers. If you would be interested or would

like any more information pop into the shop to speak to

one of the managers.

We appreciate all of your feedback and suggestions, we

are continuing to try to offer as many products as can.

Hope to see you in the shop soon!

Lynn and Chloe

Grafham Community Shop

Mon-Fri 8.00 - 6.30

Sat 8.00 - 5.00

Sun 9.00 - 2.00

Bank Holidays 9.00 - 2.00

[email protected]

www.grafhamvillageshop.co.uk

www.facebook.com/GrafhamCommunityShop/

For Coronavirus Advice Visit: https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus and https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/

The NHS Covid App can be down loaded from: https://covid19.nhs.uk/

Free rapid lateral flow tests for people with no symptoms The Government is encouraging more testing. You can get regular rapid tests if you do not have symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19).

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/testing/regular-rapid-coronavirus-tests-if-you-do-not-have-symptoms/

Rapid Covid Testing Twice-weekly rapid testing is a tool in identifying cases of

Covid-19 that would otherwise be missed.

With 1 in 3 people with coronavirus showing no symptoms and potentially spreading it without knowing, rapid testing helps to identify positive cases quickly, preventing the spread of infection.

There are several ways you can access rapid testing. You can take a test at one of the rapid testing sites locally. Your employer may be offering testing in the workplace.

You can also collect tests to complete at home or order tests to be delivered to your home. Secondary school pupils are also being asked to take a twice-weekly test.

You can find out more about all of these options at www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/rapidtesting

Dr Liz Robin, director of public health for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, said: ‘Getting into the habit of twice-weekly testing as part of our everyday lives will help us all to keep each other safe.’

Well done to Val Boswell

on achieving 2-1

for her degree

in English Literature

Congratulations!

Local Artists Survive Lockdown One of the positive things to come out of the Covid pandemic was the

idea of a group of artist friends to form a ‘Plein Air’ group, in order for

them to continue to meet up and paint together safely… at a distance

and outside. We bought fishing tents and fingerless gloves to use

when the weather was poor and call ourselves the ‘POD PAINTERS.’

The chance to meet, talk and share ideas and thoughts has helped

us all personally and professionally get through the last difficult months.

We have been able to produce many different styles and mediums of

paintings of multiple subjects including local scenes, portraits and

townscapes. We now need to top up the paint fund and make more

storage space to continue, so we have an exhibition planned at

Grafham Village Hall on Sunday 26th September. We would love to

welcome you to our Exhibition.

Also see the notice on the front page

Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: [email protected]

September 2021 6 Issue 195

Useful Phone Numbers All emergencies 999

Non-emergencies 101

Cambridge Constabulary HQ 01480 456111

Minicom for hard of hearing 01480 422493

Action Fraud 0300 123 2040

Crimestoppers 0800 555111 (anonymous)

To report anti-social behaviour in Grafham 01480 388379 or 387097 or e-mail: [email protected] or [email protected]

To stop unwanted phone calls 08450 700707

To stop unwanted mail 08457 034599

Power cut Call 105 or 0800 31 63 105 or text POWER and your postcode to 80876 http://www.powercut105.com/

For a recycling update and a reminder of the

right recycling to put in your blue bin, go to

www.recap.co.uk

For a detailed list of everything that can go in your

visit https://www.huntingdonshire.gov.uk/bins-waste/

what-goes-in-which-bin/

or call 01480 388640 between 8.45am and 5.00pm

Mon to Thurs and 8.45am and 4.30pm on Fridays

or email [email protected]

Please get in touch if you can spare

an hour to help clean the church,

now and then.

Contact: [email protected]

Thursford Christmas Spectacular Tuesday 7th December

Ticket price £62.50 p/p

includes return coach travel and entry fee

Please contact Tina Theodorou 07711 012957

or email [email protected] if you are interested.

Further details to follow closer to the event.

Wed 8th Sept

7.30pm

via Zoom

The Great Fen: Progress on the Peat Our speaker will be Henry Stanier, who is The Great Fen

Ecology and Recording Officer for the Wildlife Trust for

Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire with

responsibility for managing the monitoring of the Great

Fen, including training volunteers in ecology monitoring.

Henry has a wide knowledge of natural history, with particular

expertise in birds, dragonflies, reptiles, amphibians and

mammals, as well as botany.

Tonight Henry will bring us up to date with progress on the

management of the Fen and its wildlife and the plans for

the future of this wonderful wetland.

This talk is free. To book, please email Pat on:

[email protected] in advance and he will send you a

zoom link before the meeting is due to start. Donations are

gratefully accepted via the Wildlife Trust BCN website.

For more information please contact Alistair on 07775

365507 or [email protected] ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Part of the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire Registered Charity No: 1000412

Bedfordshire Cambridgeshire Northamptonshire

The Wildlife Trust Huntingdonshire Local Group

“Has the bin man bin Mam?”

For more advice or information about waste and recy-cling services, visit www.huntingdonshire.gov.uk/bins

or call 01480 388640 between 8.45am and 5.00pm Monday to Thursday and 8.45am and 4.30pm on Fridays or email

Wednesdays Blue bin (recycling) and

Black bin (refuse) - alternate weeks

Every other Thursday - Green bin (garden waste)

Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: [email protected]

September 2021 7 Issue 195

I expect many of you will heard of, if not seen the film

Gunfight at the OK Corral. That had nothing on the fun

and drama of the Bunfight at Bluebell Hill!

Mr Brookes the sales manger contacted me and asked me

to go a large mental institution at Bluebell Hill to make

arrangements for a seminar/product presentation to nearby

NHS personnel. I also had to book lunch for approximately

50 attendees.

I managed to find the building okay, but had trouble find-

ing the Porters Lodge. I was feeling a bit flustered by then

and when I asked to speak to the domestic supervisor

I received some very strange looks and questions. It tran-

spired that the domestic supervisor had the same name

as me! Eventually, I managed to make all the arrange-

ments.

On the day of the presentation everything was going very

well. Lunchtime came and the food looked very inviting!

My friend Clive Tredgett was seated next to me. Lunch

had just begun when a hand reached over his shoulder

and grabbed his Yorkshire pud. Stunned silence ensued

for a few seconds, then another patient on the opposite

side yelled at him which resulted in a flying Yorker!

Pandemonium broke loose! Food and plates were flying

everywhere! There were fifty plus people trying to make a

dignified exit through two doors. I never laughed so much

before or since, that episode is embellished on my

memory. It took the best part of half hour to get on my

way home. I managed to find a Wimpy Burger Bar on the

way back.

I’ve often wondered how long it took to resume good or-

der after I’d left. I don’t know if it was by way of apology,

but we had some good orders after that.

Grafham Villager

Gardening Jobs for September 1. Divide herbaceous perennials

2. Pick autumn raspberries

3. Collect and sow seed from perennials and hardy annuals

4. Dig up remaining potatoes before slug damage spoils them

5. Net ponds before leaf fall gets underway

6. Keep up with watering of new plants, using rain or grey water if

possible

7. Start to reduce the frequency of houseplant watering

8. Clean out cold frames and greenhouses so that they are ready for

use in the autumn

9. Cover leafy vegetable crops with bird-proof netting

10. Plant Spring flowering bulbs

There’s more advice from the Royal Horticultural Society

More details: https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/in-month/september

Recipe of the month Apple and Blackberry Crumble

September sees blackberries in the hedge-rows, what could be better than a blackberry and apple crumble. Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1kg cooking apples

• 1 handful of blackberries

• Sprinkle sugar to taste

• 1 tbsp water

• 100g plain flour

• 75g butter

• 50g porridge oats

• 50g demerara sugar

Method Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.

Peel the apples and cut into quarters, remove

the cores and slice each piece in two. Put

them into a pan and add a pinch of sugar, to

taste. Add a tablespoon of water and cook

over a medium heat for about five minutes,

until the apples start to soften.

Transfer the apple mixture to a shallow

ovenproof pie dish and sprinkle the washed

blackberries over the top.

Blend the flour and butter together with your

fingers (or use a food processor for a few

seconds) until the mixture looks like bread-

crumbs.

Stir in the oats and the brown sugar and

sprinkle over the apples and blackberries in

the pie dish. Transfer to the oven to bake for

30 minutes or until crisp and golden-brown

on top.

Please send in your seasonal recipes to:

[email protected]

That’s Life! My memories in Sales

Letter to the Editors Dear Editor … Grafham Churchyard My parents are buried in the Churchyard and over the years I have seen a great improvement in the maintenance of the grass. It is good to see the wild areas being left to nature.

I have been impressed by the effort made by so many to keep the graves tidy and refresh the flowers.

Congratulations to all concerned.

Maurice Armstrong (ex resident of the Parish)

Let us know your news, views, and comments. Email: [email protected] Thanks, Ed

The Grafham Gossip aims to remain impartial and the editor publishes letters, contributions and views received, provided that the

name and address or email address of the writer are provided.

Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: [email protected]

September 2021 8 Issue 195

Thank you for all your help and enthusiasm. Here’s what we found

plant species

moth and butterfly species

other invertebrates (insects

mainly)

small mammals

bat species (maybe more)

birds in & overflying the area

pictures taken by Richard Brown

litres of water each bee colony carries in a year

Helpers aged from to

Pippistrelle Bat ‘In care’

Ringlet Butterfly

Broad-leaved Willowherb

Elephant Hawk Moth

Chrisochraon Dispar

Grasshopper

Common Blue Damselfly Male

Bank vole

Bird’s Foot trefoil

Metriorrhynchomiris Dislocatus

Deraeocoris Ruber False Yellowhead

Seven-spot Ladybird

Cut-leaved cranebill Badger Skull

Common Blue Damselfly Female

Hoary Plantain

Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: [email protected]

September 2021 9 Issue 195

Many of these photographs were taken by Richard Brown. For more of Richard’s photos see: Grafham Bioblitz 2021 Wildlife https://tinyurl.com/rabpictures/72157719660550130 and Grafham Bioblitz 2021 Overview https://tinyurl.com/rabpictures/72157719614315256

Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: [email protected]

September 2021 10 Issue 195

Community Notices in the Grafham Gossip

No charge for notices if no profit is made:

Community Info - Free to good home -

Help wanted

Items For Sale - a donation towards printing costs please, to reflect the size of the advert / money made, if / when the item is sold

Profit making events - a donation towards printing

costs please, to reflect the size of the advert

For more details, email: [email protected]

Brampton Wood Logs For Sale

All hardwood, seasoned 12 months

£90 per cubic yard processed ready to go on your fire

£45 per cubic yard unprocessed you will need a chain saw and a log

splitter

Price includes local delivery

Phone George Cottam, Voluntary Warden 01480 450809

Email: [email protected]

Please support your local wood

Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the red brick Tudor walls of Buckden Towers?

Would you like to learn more about the history or take a guided tour of the grounds or famous Knot Garden?

Are you interested in recent gatehouse repairs and the time capsule that‘s been placed in the gatehouse roof?

On Sunday 26th September

the Friends of Buckden Towers

are holding an Open Day

Entry and parking free No dogs please

• Take a short guided tour of the famous and historic buildings.

• Have a guided walk around the grounds.

• Visit the Knot Garden for a guided tour, including an exhibition of dyeing using plants from the garden.

• Take a look at the photographic record of the gate-house project.

• Enjoy light refreshments.

• Make a purchase from the local food drink and craft market.

All the revenue raised by Friends of Buckden Towers goes to support the owners in maintaining these wonderful, and unique, buildings and gardens.

Open Day at Buckden Towers

Sunday 26th September

12.00 – 4.00pm

Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: [email protected]

September 2021 11 Issue 195

Chewing the Cud with Rev. Duncan Goldthorpe, Priest-in-Charge of The Parish of East Leightonstone

‘We plough the fields and scatter, the good seed on the land.’ Important

words if farming is your livelihood. Having spent the early years of my life

living in a village where some of my school friend’s parents were farmers, I

have a good understanding of the importance of the harvest and also the

community celebrations that I would look forward to at this time of year. So

what has that got to do with me? I hear you say. Well, it seems to me that

although the United Kingdom has become less of an agrarian culture, harvest

festival still seems to be a part of the life of the church, our villages and certainly comes

around every year in primary schools. So why should harvest be important to us?

In our world of 24-hour supermarkets – with their

shelves bursting with countless pre-packaged forms

of wheat, barley and their gluten-free equivalents,

with multiple varieties of honey and olive oils – it can

be easy for us all to take food for granted. Harvest

Festival is a great opportunity for us to recall and

celebrate together the origins of these good gifts. This

passage from Deuteronomy reminds us that harvest

is a time to express our gratitude for the land and

people who produce them, and to thank God from

whom they all spring.

Are we really aware of the people around us? We are so often blind to the people who we see every day. This might be

at work, the supermarket, the bus-stop, wherever we find ourselves. This blindness can be both to people’s spiritual

needs as well as to their readiness and openness to Jesus. Judgements relating to lifestyle and sometimes hard atti-

tudes can prevent us from seeing the ripe fruit before our very eyes. How easy it is to forget that God is able to work

powerfully in them when the time is right. This is a lesson about taking the blinkers off regarding the people around us.

Jesus tells his disciples to become alert to the readiness of the harvest.

Yes, at this time of year we are truly thankful for all that God has provided

for us. Our challenge is to pray for the harvest of souls. Harvest is about

taking the opportunity to be thankful for God’s provision. This includes

being alert and ready to talk with others about our faith. You never know,

someone might respond with a ‘yes’ to an invitation to come to church on

‘Back to Church Sunday,’ 19th

September this year where we will be having some food together after the service at

St Mary’s Brampton, or a harvest meal in Ellington or Grafham, even your own harvest meal that you might want to host.

Happy Harvest everyone! Duncan

He said to them, ‘The harvest is plentiful,

but the labourers are few; therefore ask

the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers

into his harvest.’ Luke 10:2

7 For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land - a

land with brooks, streams, and deep springs gushing out into

the valleys and hills; 8 a land with wheat and barley, vines

and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey… ...You may

say to yourself, ‘My power and the strength of my hands

have produced this wealth for me.’ 18 But remember the

LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce

wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your

ancestors, as it is today. Deuteronomy 8:7-18

Photograph taken by Ed. of goldenrod at Wimpole in August, also with flowers unopened.

'Any height you can grow I can grow taller'

Has anyone noticed the way certain plants have enjoyed this year's weather -

my cowslip and ox-eye daisies have already featured in the Grafham Gossip.

(July 2021 page 11)

Looking at a clump of Solidago (goldenrod) behind those ox-eye daisies a few

weeks ago, I though of the phrase 'Any height you can grow I can grow taller'

- and how true that has turned out to be. The flowers have yet to open but

some plants have already reached a height of 2.35 metres!

Edward Biffin

Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: [email protected]

September 2021 12 Issue 195

Cinnamon Bar and Indian Restaurant Open 7 days a week 5pm to 10.30pm Also lunch time if pre-booked for 5 or more people

Call 01480 812211/811316 Thursday Night is 'Banquet Night'

1 starter, 1 main, 1 side.

Any rice or any nan £13.50 King prawn or duck £1.50 extra

http://cinnamonhuntingdon.co.uk/

Your advert could be here! To advertise, email:

[email protected]

Community notices are free.

Business adverts are priced according to size,

payable in advance.

They start at £5.00 for a small box.

The money pays for the printing of the

newsletter and any profit is donated to

All Saints, Grafham and its Restoration Fund.

Donations towards printing costs are always welcome!

Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: [email protected]

September 2021 13 Issue 195

The map above is a summary of the hedgehog data that I have collected so far this summer, using the footprint tunnels.

There are still some sites to go but the picture is positive. This year I have found hedgehogs at Lake view camping and

Westwood Lodges, both sites had no hedgehog signs last year. An even bigger surprise was finding them down at one

of the Orchard Row Cottages. The question is, are they part of the core village population or a separate enclave? Some

of the work I will be doing next might help to answer this. I would like to say a big thank you to all who have participated

and allowed me to place tunnels, without your help I could not do this.

Another part of the project is to find out as much as I can about badger activity and sett locations to model their influence

on the hedgehog distribution pattern. Badger presence has been shown to have an influence on hedgehog activity and

distribution; as many people know, badgers are the main predators of hedgehogs, and hedgehogs will avoid badgers if

they can. If anyone has information about our local badger residents, I would love to hear from you.

Carole

Grafham Hedgehog Activity

Cambridgeshire ACRE has been supporting and

strengthening rural communities across the County for

nearly 100 years now. We work alongside local people

and groups to help improve the places, services and as-

sets that are important to them.

We have a new look that we feel better reflects who we

are and all we have to offer you and your community.

Key to our new look is a logo that now includes the

words ‘Community Action’ because this is at the heart of

everything we do.

We’ve also launched a brand-new website, that clearly

sets out the wide range of services we offer and features

examples of how our work has made a real difference to

people and communities. https://www.cambsacre.org.uk/

(If you see the old version of our website for any reason,

you may need to clear your cache or search for

'Cambridgeshire ACRE' via your preferred search en-

gine.)

Do get in touch if you have any questions by calling 01353 860850 or emailing [email protected]

Welcome to the new Cambridgeshire ACRE

The same Cambridgeshire ACRE but even better

Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: [email protected]

September 2021 14 Issue 195

JEZ ASHCROFT LTD All your decorating needs including:

Coving, Internal Decorating

Drylining & Plastering

FREE ESTIMATES

Please Call

Tel: 01480 812461 Mobile: 07708031493

www.gaphomeimprovements.co.uk

Your local family-run

home improvement company,

specialising in

windows, doors,

garden rooms and roofline

For a free, no obligation quotation

please contact your local representative

Jon Goodchild on 07825 238240 or email:

[email protected]

John Sisseman, Driving Instructor

DVSA Approved, Pass Plus Registered

Based in Grafham

Call John for

details

If you’d like to write a ‘one-off’ article or a regular feature

for the Grafham Gossip,

send it by email to:

[email protected]

Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: [email protected]

September 2021 15 Issue 195

Replacing your boiler soon? The Race to Renewable, March 2022

There’s a UK-wide race on for households to access a grant that has made renewable energy affordable for 90,000 homes over the last decade. This fund, the Renewable Heat Incentive will end in March 2022.

National headlines last month announced rising energy prices and questioned how we pay for a renewable, carbon zero society. After Grafham, Great Staughton and Perry decided that a renewable energy heat network was not an affordable option for the local villages involved, we are seizing local momentum to support individual households in the village and beyond, to change to renewable energy heating. We have put together some practical information to help those who may be considering replacing their heating in the next year or so to make a positive move to future-proofing your heating and to make a change that the next generation can be proud of.

Put simply, the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) pays a tariff to you, based on your home’s Energy Performance Certifi-cate (EPC), a measure of your homes insulation, and the energy saved by your new renewable heating installation. Overall, the funding has been very successful, almost 90,000 homes have had renewable heating installed. The tariff, paid over 7 years, can cover up to 70% of the costs involved in installing an air source heat pump. This has been the most popular form of renewable heating installed in homes using RHI. After March 2022, it is expected that RHI will be replaced by a single £4,000 payment towards the cost of an Air Source Heat Pump, which would cover less that 50% of the upfront costs.

What are your future heating options?

1. Replace an oil boiler, with an oil boiler. There is a plan to phase out oil in the UK, and some manufacturers are winding down oil boilers, parts and maintenance may become increasingly difficult.

2. Replace your boiler before March 2022 with an Air Source Heat Pump, cover around 70% of the costs, potentially 100% using Renewable Heat Incentive. This option will only be able until 31

st

March 2022, when RHI ends.

3. Replace your boiler before March 2022 with an Air Source Heat Pump, and low or no upfront costs using an installer offering Assignment of Rights. This process allows the installer to claim your Renewable Heat Incentive payment, to cover installation costs. You would pay for the ongoing electrical and servicing costs of the heat pump. This option will only be able until 31

st March 2022, when

RHI ends.

4. Replace your boiler after March 2022 with an Air Source Heat Pump, with a voucher for £4,000 via the Clean Heat Grant, which will cover up to 50% of the costs, maybe.

Through the tri-village heating project we have met several households that have taken advantage of RHI and installed an air source heat pump within their own home. An air source heat pumps uses electricity to upgrade heat extracted from air, through a process that is the opposite of a fridge. This means that your electricity costs will go up due to use by the Air Source Heat Pump, but that your overall heating costs could go down in the long term

After installing an approved Air Source Heat Pump, you register your heating system, to then receive a quarterly pay-ment from the government. The payment amount is based on the estimate energy use of your home, stated on its EPC.

We would like to help facilitate a heat network of a different kind in the village, by creating a support network between those who are interested in installing renewable heating and those who have already installed it! If you would like to speak to someone in your village about their personal experience of installing an air source heat pump, please email [email protected] or contact us if you would be happy to speak with your neighbours about your experience.

We are also in the process of speaking to Cambridgeshire County Council to see if they would be willing to support group buying of air source heat pumps. This might help reduce the cost of installations.

Useful Links: How much could you earn from RHI? https://renewable-heat-calculator.service.gov.uk/StartCalculation.aspx

Where can I find an Air Source Heat Pump installer? www.buywithconfidence.gov.uk (Trading Standards Approved)

www.tradingstandards.uk/commercial-services/consumer-codes-approval-scheme/i-am-a-consumer (Search for Energy Systems Quality Assured Contractors Scheme, or Renewable Energy Consumer Code)

https://mcscertified.com/find-an-installer/ MCS certified website was recommended

Printed by Easiprint 01733 602302

September 2021 16 Issue 195

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.

Details of planned road closures, diversions and latest news can be found on the Highways England website

by clicking here or type www.highwaysengland.co.uk/A14C2H

into your search engine

or stay updated by following: https://twitter.com/a14c2h and https://en-gb.facebook.com/A14C2H

There’s also a dedicated A14 Public Helpline 0800 270 0114

Details of planned road closures and diversions are on Grafham village web site also: www.grafham.org.uk Ed

A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon Improvement Scheme

Grafham Community Shop Tel: 01480 810119

Opening Times

Mon-Fri 8.00 - 6.30

Sat 8.00 - 5.00

Sun 9.00 - 2.00

Bank Holidays 9.00 - 2.00

www.facebook.com/GrafhamCommunityShop/ [email protected]

www.grafhamvillageshop.co.uk

Find Shop News in Talking Shop on page 5

East Leightonstone Parish - Brampton, Ellington, Grafham

Little Fishes Stay + Play for 0- 4 years

Grafham Village Hall

Wednesdays 10.00 to 11.20

Term time only

Free play time followed by a short bible story, action songs and simple craft.

If you are interested in attending, please contact Jane in in advance of the session.

Contact Jane Rowley 01480 890986

[email protected]

Highway Community Car Scheme Provides transport for people unable to make essential journeys by

public transport or any other means.

Passengers pay the driver on the day of travel

to contribute towards fuel expenses at a rate of 30p per mile with a minimum charge of £3.00.

To arrange a journey or for more information please call 07786 520540

We are also looking out for volunteer drivers so if you want to help your community, give us a call. We would love to hear from you.

The scheme is supported and advised by Cambridgeshire County Council and Care Network Cambridgeshire

Quiz night Last Thursday of every month

Starting at 8pm

Teams of 4, £1 entry per person

Opening Times

Mon to Wed - Closed

Thurs - 18:00 - 22:00

Fri - 18:00 - 23:00

Sat - 13:00 - 23:00

Sun - 13:00 - 19:00

Open longer for special events

Bank Holidays - 13.00 - 18.00

Deadline - 9.00am Wed 15th September

for the October issue Thanks, Ed [email protected]

Hunts Community Cancer Network (HCCN)

Ellington Group

with Chris Moulds and Sue Shaw

Tuesdays 10am - 1pm

We offer a drop-in space where people can come together to talk freely and gain mutual support.

There is always a warm welcome and lots of laughter. We also hold two yoga classes with Jill Wiles.

To register your interest please visit www.hccn.org.uk/ouroffer

email [email protected] or call Amanda Burridge 01480 416410