1 The Swaffham Crier Volume XLV Number 1/2 January/February 2020 Editorial We’re sorry not to have produced an issue last month but it was going to be very thin and we were concerned that the extra threat from the emerging new variant didn’t justify the extra risks associated with printing and distrib- uting a short Crier, especially since a number of us are shielding. Fortunately, rumours that the Crier Team have got the Covid bug are unfounded but unfortunately our Business Manager, Peter Cook, is still in hospital recov- ering from an operation. He is greatly missed. But here we are now with a combined issue, contain- ing two delightful articles on Village History: one from Celia Tyler’s Village Album project, and another from Julian Luttrell based on his recent research involving the 1939 census and mysteriously entitled “Reader, I married the Housekeeper” — you need to read it to find out why, and who it refers to! Celia has also made contact with the mystery correspondent who contacted us for information about Clem Wadham (November Crier) — all is re- vealed in her article. Many congratulations to St Mary’s and the School who have been doing a fantastic job of cheering every- one up. Their Christmas Nativity Trail (see p. 18) proved a huge success, and now the Anglesey group have been making gorgeous little pyramid-shaped stands for our phones for all those Zooms and Facetimes (see p.8). To those of you who missed the Swaffham Prior’s Heating Scheme’s appearance in the Times (now mostly hidden behind a pay-wall), Our Reporter has the low- down, together with some hilarious contributions from the Landgirls of WWII, and much more. Finally, we’d just like to say a Very Big Thank-you to everyone who has helped with the Crier during the past tumultuous year and a special message to our loyal Ad- vertisers that invoices will be late but they will be sent out as soon as we are able. Happy New Year, All! Caroline & James Matheson Regulars Letters _________________ 2 Our Reporter ____________ 4 Heating Swaffham Prior ___ 8 Julie’s Recipes _________ 10 CROSSWORD _________ 16 SP Village Photo Album __ 13 School News ___________ 18 Book Club _____________ 18 On the Wildside ________ 20 Cambridge Fire & Rescue _ 22 Bottisham Surgery ______ 22 Bon mot ____________ 21,35 Donations _____________ 23 Village Gardeners _______ 24 Mothers’ Union_________ 24 WI ___________________ 25 Cllrs Trapp & Cane ______ 26 WIcken Fen ____________ 28 PC Notes ______________ 30 Renew ________________ 32 Freecycle______________ 33 Air Ambulance _________ 34 St Mary’s Services ______ 35 Diary & Clubs __________ 36 News, Views & Reviews Nativity Trail ___________ 3 Christmas Bells __________ 7 Advent by Candlesight ____ 9 Gardens for Hedgehogs ___ 11 Newspaper shed vandalism 11 Reader, I married the Housekeeper ___________ 14 Walks in Cambridgeshire _ 19 Christmas Bells __________ 7 What’s On The Great Big Art Exhibition ______________________ 9 For Sale Phone & Tablet Stands____ 8 Cover Picture: A bright day after rain, view towards Swaffham Prior from Barston Drove bridge by Celia Tyler
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1
The Swaffham Crier Volume XLV Number 1/2
January/February 2020
Editorial
We’re sorry not to have produced an issue last month
but it was going to be very thin and we were concerned
that the extra threat from the emerging new variant didn’t
justify the extra risks associated with printing and distrib-
uting a short Crier, especially since a number of us are
shielding. Fortunately, rumours that the Crier Team have
got the Covid bug are unfounded but unfortunately our
Business Manager, Peter Cook, is still in hospital recov-
ering from an operation. He is greatly missed.
But here we are now with a combined issue, contain-
ing two delightful articles on Village History: one from
Celia Tyler’s Village Album project, and another from
Julian Luttrell based on his recent research involving the
1939 census and mysteriously entitled “Reader, I married
the Housekeeper” — you need to read it to find out why,
and who it refers to! Celia has also made contact with the
mystery correspondent who contacted us for information
about Clem Wadham (November Crier) — all is re-
vealed in her article.
Many congratulations to St Mary’s and the School
who have been doing a fantastic job of cheering every-
one up. Their Christmas Nativity Trail (see p. 18) proved
a huge success, and now the Anglesey group have been
making gorgeous little pyramid-shaped stands for our
phones for all those Zooms and Facetimes (see p.8).
To those of you who missed the Swaffham Prior’s
Heating Scheme’s appearance in the Times (now mostly
hidden behind a pay-wall), Our Reporter has the low-
down, together with some hilarious contributions from
the Landgirls of WWII, and much more.
Finally, we’d just like to say a Very Big Thank-you to
everyone who has helped with the Crier during the past
tumultuous year and a special message to our loyal Ad-
vertisers that invoices will be late but they will be sent
out as soon as we are able. Happy New Year, All!
Caroline & James Matheson
Regulars
Letters _________________ 2
Our Reporter ____________ 4
Heating Swaffham Prior ___ 8
Julie’s Recipes _________ 10
CROSSWORD _________ 16
SP Village Photo Album __ 13 School News ___________ 18
Book Club _____________ 18
On the Wildside ________ 20 Cambridge Fire & Rescue _ 22
Bottisham Surgery ______ 22 Bon mot ____________ 21,35
Donations _____________ 23
Village Gardeners _______ 24 Mothers’ Union _________ 24
THANK YOU! Could we just give a BIG THANK YOU to all the people who have daily to slog
into work, enabling us to stay safely at home.
Our postie, Kamal delivering our papers, all the white van men, refuse collectors,
the online shopping guys and all those people working in super markets.
Am not of course forgetting the unbelievably wonderful staff, working in the
NHS. It’s almost impossible to express enough thanks to them.
A Grateful Resident And the Editors would very much like to second this!
3
The Nativity Trail was a great success — there
were over 660 scans of
the QR codes in Prior and Bulbeck over the Christmas period. See School News: p. 18
Dear Editors,
I am noticing an increase in the number of cyclists , runners and walkers out es-
pecially on the fen roads and in particular- Station Rd . Do remind them to wear lu-
minous gear and lights. Many seem to forget - and or leave coming home too late.
Take care- be seen.
Sue Wade
Sometime during January the Crier’s email stopped working because Air
Broadband (RaSP’s successors) had done some reconfiguration of their network
which prevented Crier email being delivered. The problem has now been rectified,
but we are very sorry if your copy has been missed because of this.
4
From our Reporter
at the Parish Council Meeting
January: I had considered putting “our Reporter” into
hibernation until the Spring. Just like a hedgehog. But, because it is
very dangerous to disturb a hedgehog during hibernation I decided to
keep one eye open. Of course there will always be Hoggywobbles to
help out. See pages 11-13 of the December Crier for Saffra
Monteiro’s interesting piece. Here is a non-controversial local
goodwill activity to support. Do help to save the Mrs Tiggy Winkles.
They are rather charming creatures.
For December you will need to read Jude’s minutes of the meeting – unless of
course you were lucky enough to Zoom it.
Let me now fill the page by giving you some idea of the life of the 60 Land
Girls billeted in Swaffham Prior House during the war. They did not have smart
phones, or television – just the wireless and wind-up gramophones. They did
however write poetry amongst their other activities. Below I give you a sample of
these. What an insight into these jolly girls
But, if you want to know all about the life of the land girls during the war do read
pages 104 to 106 of Sylvie Short’s excellent and indispensable history of
Swaffham Prior – Two Churches Together. Even if you have already read it, it is
worth getting out again. And, if you do not have a copy, and have any interest in the
village, you will not regret obtaining one.
Meanwhile the oldies’ triumphant cry of
“I’VE GOT A SLOT” has been replaced by
“I’VE HAD THE JAB”.
Alastair Everitt
“Iris is a good girl She goes to Church on Sundays
She asks the Lord to give her strength
To squeeze the boys on Mondays.”
Irene
“Little bits of powder, Little bits of paint,
Makes a lady, just what she ain’t.”
Margaret
“Molly is a good girl, She played with her toys,
All she thinks of now-a-days
Is playing with the boys.”
Betty
“Iris Hazell is her name
Single is her station
May the Lord have
Mercy on the man
Who maketh the alteration.”
Maureen
5
February: I was just preparing to nod off for my half-hibernation when I
glanced at Jude’s draft minutes of the PC’s December meeting. This brought me up
with a start.
At that meeting David Greenfield reported on the Greater Cambridge Partner-
ship (GCP) transport consultation questionnaire. Read on. I quote from the minutes.
“The idea for Newmarket Road is to close it to cars and encourage walk-
ing, cycling and equine access and decisions will be made using this consultation, in
which ECDC have decided not to take part.”
“The PC discussed the possibility of responding to the questionnaire in a
way that represented the village as a whole. It was felt that the questions were
framed to lead to specific answers and that the questionnaire in no way took ac-
count of accessibility for people who
were less mobile or poor.”
Of course it does not because
GCP has no remit for bus transpor-
tation!! Nor is the building of 3,000
dwellings on the Newmarket road part
of GCP’s remit. Presumably some will
be allowed one car.
GCP needed an answer by 18th
December. David, a supporter of the scheme and presumably a keen cyclist, was
asked to draft a written response, circulate it for approval, and send. I hope this an-
swer appears on the village notice board. And meantime if this scheme does get off
the ground it will be a truly delightful sight when King’s Parade has horses clumping
along it again. College Porters will be rushing out to collect the horse droppings for
their roses, Certainly it will be a good feature piece for the newspapers.
Swaffham Prior itself has had brilliant coverage in the Times of Saturday 9th
January for its Ground Heating Plan. It was a full half page multi-colour treatment,
This was reported by Ben Webster, the paper’s Environment Editor. He did the
scheme proud and any other council reading it must want to know more. Enquiries
will flood in. But, as one villager commented, “I’ll never believe any story I read in
a newspaper ever again.” It was such a sad distortion of the facts.
I have always maintained that as a village we have been privileged to have been
involved from the very beginning with this “good idea”. And good ideas have to be
researched and tried out, otherwise there will be no progress. Just like Smart Meters
and Smart Motorways. But very soon it was apparent that this was not a good one –
it was not suitable for Retrofitting. Most probably it may be an excellent idea for
New Builds. We must remember that there have always been District Heating Sys-
tems in this country, all powered by gas, oil, wood chips, furnaces burning waste.
They are nothing new. But there are NONE using ground heat sourcing.
I am slightly dismayed that the people Ben Webster spoke to only gave part of
the facts. I think this is disrespectful to the village and ignores the number of sincere
questions which villagers have raised over the last two years, questioning, objecting
etc. I think there have only be two letters in support. They still bang on about 160
Swaffham Prior itself has had brilliant coverage in the Times of for its Ground Heating Plan...but, as one villager commented, “I’ll never believe any story I read in a newspaper ever again”
6
people “expressing interest” implying this means they will sign up. It means nothing
of the sort, and never has done. It means people wish to be kept informed. I find this
very disappointing. And it is not only a “few older residents” who raise objections. I
suppose if you are only aged forty-two people in their sixties are old.
One must wonder whether Ben Webster is being a little mischievous in his se-
lection of quotes, I am light years behind Emma in my appreciation of new technol-
ogy, but I do know that for £100 or so there is a little gizmo that she can have in her
kitchen which will give her the level of her oil when she needs to refill. That would
solve one of her problems, and I think she owes me a no-offence-taken half in the
Red Lion when all the troubles are over. And of course everyone is impressed by the
size of Mike’s oil tank. The removal of this will enable him to build a summerhouse
to work from home and to also have a small vegetable garden. My tip to Mike is that
if he installed heating and light he would be able to work there all the year round.
One could go on for ever. For example the illustration only shows how the
scheme works for a New Build project. But not for a retrofit. The costs have now
risen to £9 million which even for 160 house is an astonishing amount. Who was the
comedian who said “You cannot be serious!!”
Other incorrect statements in the article include:
a) “more than a dozen other villages...are keen to copy the scheme”. Wrong.
They have just “expressed an interest” and wish to know more.
b) “there was overwhelming support in the village”. Wrong. At the August PC
Meeting only one member intended to “sign up”. That is 11%. Work out the num-
bers likely to sign,
c) “a few older residents” “don’t like change”. Many of the people raising ques-
tions and objections are in their sixties and may not like being placed with the oldies
just yet.
In the November Crier (page 4) Dave Jackson wrote a brilliant letter which is
essential reading for anyone who has has “expressed an interest”. He is a great fan of
District heating, and he asks questions for which anyone “signing up” needs an-
swers. He went direct to William Frinault of Bouyges who designed the scheme but
who has “not visited Swaffham Prior” to see how we differ from a NewBuild.
Dave had already raised a number of his concerns 18 months ago at a public meet-
ing. He still does not have satisfactory answers to some of his major concerns.
Meantime all will be resolved in February when the final chance to “Sign Up”
by the end of January (date moved from October/November) is revealed – if it is
revealed. So, it is not long to wait for the end of this long ongoing saga.
If anyone is still interested, do Google Ben Webster to read comments from the
rest of the country.
Meanwhile the world has moved on. Another triumphant cry has been added to
“I’VE GOT A SLOT” and “I’VE HAD A JAB”
We now have
“I’VE HAD TWO JABS!!”
Alastair Everitt
7
Bellringing has been very limited by Covid rules
and Swaffham Prior bells haven't rung since March.
However, by providing a band of ringers all from
the same household, we were able to ring four of
the bells for the Christmas service in the morning. I
hope you enjoyed hearing them again.
Gareth Davies Eds’ Note: The gorgeous sound of St Cyriac’s bells
managed to coincide with the few flakes of Christ-
mas snow — magical!
Ringing out the Christmas bells in St Cyriac’s Tower
Eds Note: Dave’s letter and a response from the Heating Project are on pages 4-5
of the November Crier. If you don’t still have a paper copy, it’s online —just google
“Swaffham Crier November 2020”.
Christmas Crucifix outside St Mary’s
8
Heating Swaffham Prior
In Mid-January, the Environmental and Sustainability Com-
mittee at Cambridgeshire County Council unanimously
approved funding to deliver the Heating Swaffham Prior
project. Confirming delivery of the heat network.
Our next major project milestone is to apply for RHI (Renewable Heat Incen-
tive), in early February. Following this application, we will finally be able to fix the
tariff and standing charges, offer packs will then be sent to households that have
expressed an interest in joining the network. There will also be an additional oppor-
tunity for further households in the village to join the heat network launched.
Following the success of our planning application, people’s interest in the Heat-
ing Swaffham Prior project has sparked across the country. We had some wonderful
opportunities to discuss the future proofing of our village in The Times, Your and
Yours (BBC R4), and BBC Cambridgeshire. Rural villages across the UK are keenly
watching the project develop, inspired by the environmental and long-term cost
And from January 15: The COVID vaccination programme for Cambs City Primary Care Network (which includes Bottisham Medical Practice) starts imminently. Patients will be contacted via text message or phone to arrange an appointment. Please do not contact the practice unless you have been contacted to arrange an appointment. Patients will be called in order of priority starting with those over 80 and all care and nursing home residents and staff. To begin with a central vaccination hub will be used and patients will be informed as to where this will be at the time of booking the appointment. If you are strug-gling with transport to get to a vaccination hub, please speak to our recep-tion team who will be able to assist you. We will update the website as and when we move on to the next cohort of patients. The phone message will also be updated as and when things change. Below are frequently asked questions and further information about the wider vaccination programme and the other ways you may be contacted for a vaccine.
Also anyone prepared to volunteer to help with these clinics please mes-sage [email protected].