HARDWICK HAPPENINGS - Hardwick Village
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HARDWICK HAPPENINGS
October 2018
1
VILLAGE DATABASE
Cambridgeshire County Council: www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk 01223 717111
Community Association:
Anne Jones jeffandanne23@gmail.com 01954 211417
Community Car Scheme:
Marian Gibbens 01954 211709
Hazel Swindells 01954 212998
Lizzie Coe 01954 211838 Gill Stott 01954 210942
Community Primary School:
Headteacher: Andy Matthews head@hardwick.cambs.sch.uk 01954 210070
Caretaker: Alison Berkeley office@hardwick.sch.uk 01954 211591
Community Speed Watch Alan Everitt csw.hardwick@gmail.com 07739322905
County Councillor: Lina Joseph ljosephsc@gmail.com 0740 2351821
Doctors’ Surgeries:
Surgery/Dispensary 58 Green End, Comberton 01223 262500/262399
Bourn Surgery 25 Alms Hill, Bourn 01954 719313
Surgery/Dispensary 58 Green End, 01223 262500/262399
Child & Family Nurses: 01954 282830
District Councillor: Grenville Chamberlain grenville_c@hotmail.com 01954 210040
Evangelical Church: HardwickEvangelical@gmail.com
Co-Ministers: Steve & Kate Gaze 01954 211900/212556
Secretary: Enid Instone-Brewer 01954 210009
General:
Community Education Office: 01223 264721
Ashcroft veterinary surgery: 169 St Neots Rd 01954 210250
Cambridge Water Co (supply): 01223 403000
Anglian water (sewerage): 08457 145145
Eastern electricity: 0800 7 838 838
Gas Emergency: 0800 111 999
Guides: Janet Hayman hardwickguides@gmail.com
Rainbows Jane Muncey 1hardwickrainbows@gmail.com 01954210570
Guiding information www. Girlguiding.org.uk
Hardwick Happenings: Eds Peter Cornwell Howard Baker hardwickhappenings@gmail.com
2
GDPR
Is your name missing from the database?
Have we had
permission to publish your email address?
Please see the June edition
Member of Parliament: Heidi Allen Heidi.allen.mp@parliament.uk 01954 211044
Netball Club: Alison Beresford
Neighbourhood watch Ashley Shepherd ahshepherd@hotmail.co.uk
Parish Council: hardwickpc@lgs-services.co.uk
Parish Clerk: Gail Stoehr hardwickpc@lgs-services.co.uk 01954 210241
St. Mary’s Parish Church:
Priest in charge: Revd Alison Myers alisonmyers@lordsbridge.org 01954 212815
South Cambridgeshire District Council: wwwscambs.gov.uk
Road repair: 03450 455212
Street light failure: 0 800 253529
Sports and Social Club:
www.hardwicksportsandsocialclub.co.uk
secretary@hardwicksportsandsocialclub.co.uk 01954 210110
Pavilion Bookings Contact Lisa or Jerry for hire forms and terms
Club Manager Jerry Burford
Three fifteen club:
Sharon Turner hardwick3.15club@hotmail.co.uk 07787910490
WI: Anne Jones jeffandanne23@gmail.com 01954 211417
3
Hardwick Happenings
October 2018
Issue number 344
Printed by Victoire Press for the people of Hardwick
affiliated to the Community Association with
financial support from the Parish Council
Facebook: Hardwick Happenings
Twitter: @hardwickhap
The Hardwick Happenings Team
Editors: Peter Cornwell and Howard Baker
Home and garden : Carole Oakes
Advertising: Roger Worland
Treasurer: Jeff Jones
Social media manager: Vacant
Distribution: Marian Gibbens, Yvonne Sawyer
Village calendar: Anne Jones
Proof reader: Sue Cornwell
CAR SCHEME EMERGENCY NUMBERS
Lizzie Coe 01954 211838
Gill Stott 01954 210942
Graham Cowell 01954 211493
Sheila Stephenson 01954 210638
hardwickhappenings@gmail.com
4
CONTENTS
Award for St Mary‟s 48 Accounting & Administration for the small business
Auction of promises 57 Self Assessment? Still have your Tax Re-
Bar Hill bridge 14 turn to complete but keep putting it off?
Baseball 23 Let us help– we can take the whole job off
Bin collections 67 your hands or give you the training to com-
plete it yourself –
Cambridge baseball 23
Car scheme 23 Accountancy, Bookkeeping, Payroll, VAT,
CIS, 1-1 Training
Christmas tree festival 52
Comberton library 66 Whatever you need we have the
‘Solution!
Community centre 10
Community speed watch 17 For a free consultation contact
Disco dates 63 01767 677562
Evangelical Church 62 Or
admin@simplesolutionscambs.co.uk
From Heidi Allen MP 28
From Revd Alison Myers 35
From the School 44
Guides 38
H‟wick Sports and Social 42
Letters 7
Morsbags 31
News from St Mary‟s 32
October in your garden 46
Play Parks update 20
Pop up music cafe 47
Scout and Guide building 8
Sloe gin 26
Sticky toffee pudding 22
Village diary 36
Wildly Curious 50
WI collecting 70
WI programme 23
WI report 15
5
EDITORIAL
The picture on the cover was taken at the entrance
to the „Grace Crescent‟ development. The local
residents said no, the Parish Council said no but
the planners said yes. Whilst opposition to new
builds in villages is almost universal, how many
villages have new builds which are as badly situ-
ated, so far away from the centre of the village?
Opposite, Betty Grimes gives her support to the St Mary‟s Commu-
nity Hall at the Church. None of the 106 money from the develop-
ers will go into that project, a project which could well benefit the
residents of the new estate by Grace Crescent. Nor, as she says, will
the Parish Council offer any financial support.
All the 106 money from the developments in the village will go
into the new Community Centre at the recreation ground. A meeting
has been arranged for the 6th of November so that everyone can
have a say in what is to be provided. See Page 7
On Page 8 the Guide and Scout leaders explain why they will not be
joining the new venture on the rec.
Peter
Hardwick Community Centre Working
Group
Planning a new Community Centre
Open evening ( between 5pm and 8pm)
in the school hall
Tuesday 6th November
See page 7
6
From Betty Grimes
Dear Editor,
I read with some dismay the letter from Alison Myers concerning the
proposed new community building at the „bottom end‟ of the village. I
hold no religious beliefs and have nothing against those that do but I feel
that the Church is being „left out‟. As a former resident living at the
„bottom end‟ before moving to Hall Drive I know how it feels to be seem-
ingly left out of all the plans for the future of the village. For this reason
the church and it‟s followers have worked extremely hard to raise funds
for a new community building (congrats on your achievement). I think
that I am more dismayed that the Parish Council cannot find it within
themselves to earmark even a small amount of the S106 money to this
project. Many will say that the „church‟ is rich and that may be so but
that doesn‟t follow for all churches and certainly not for our beautiful little
one. And remember this is a community building, not one just for church
goers but for anyone and everyone, it‟s for part of the community that‟s
been left out for long enough. Maybe a little public pressure could bring
forth a few quid???
From Tumi Hawkins, District Councillor Caldecote Ward.
Superfast Fibre Broadband
If you have tried to order fibre broadband and been told its not
available, please email me (tumi@tumihawkins.org.uk) and pro-
vide the following info:
Your Name, house number, street name, postcode, tel number,
supplier, order number (if any), reason for being refused an order,
and any other comment that is relevant.
Thank you.
7
GThe Hardwick Scout and Guide Community Building – an update. About 15 years ago the Guide Leaders and Group Scout Leader, at that time, and other members of the Hut Committee, made the decision that the way forward for Scouting and Guiding in Hardwick was to replace our ageing Scout and Guide build- ing in order to provide an improved meeting place for future generations of our young members and leaders, and to provide a meeting place for the local commu- nity. Since that time there have been many fundraising events organised by the Hut Committee, and by the individuals and Units, sponsored events and personal dona- tions. We thank everyone who has supported these events over the years. We were successful in obtaining a number of grants and planning permissions. Al- though we almost reached our target by fundraising and grant allocations we were not able to start building. Events have now overtaken us and the Section106 money and other agreements from the developers of the new housing planned for the village will enable a new community building to be built in the village. This will be a great asset to the community of Hardwick. At a meeting called by the County Commissioners of Scouting and Guiding for the Leaders and Trustees of the Scout Group and the Guide Units, the decision was made to have discussions with the working party for the new Community Building, to see if facilities for Scouting and Guiding in Hardwick could be incorporated into the design. The Scout Group and the Guide Unit are individually Registered Charities; the Rainbow Unit and the Brownie Unit are ‘Charities exempt from registration’. Each of the Charities has its own Trustees, who have the responsibility to ensure that the Charity they represent maintains the facilities they currently have. The Scout and Guide Hut is vested with the Scout Trust Corporation for the Joint benefit of Scouting and Guiding in Hardwick. 8
The working party designing the new community building had representatives from
the Parish Council, the Trustees of the Village Hall, The President of the Commu-
nity Association, The Village Plan Committee, District Councillor and initially a rep-
resentative of the Scout and Guide Hut Committee.
There were detailed discussions about the proposed community building, and how
the facilities needed for the members of the Scout Group and Girl Guiding Units
could be incorporated into the new building. However as the site for the new
building had not yet been finalised no plans could be drawn up and therefore no
guarantee of the facilities needed for Scouting and Guiding meetings and activities
could be given. There was concern that the new building should give opportunities
for new community groups to be formed, if the current Scout and Guide meetings,
continue on five evenings of the week, together with the regular meetings in the
Community Room, there would be little space or time for new groups to start up.
The representatives of Scouting and Guiding were very mindful that our activities
are not confined to the weekly meetings, and important as these regular meetings
are, we feel that there is great value to our young members in having the opportu-
nity to go camping and take part in other outdoor activities. These activities re-
quire equipment that needs to be stored, sorted, maintained and sadly, sometimes
dried out. We have facilities to do this at the moment and felt that without a guar-
antee that we would be able to have the same facilities in the proposed community
building we could not agree to give up our current hut and enable the proposed
community building to be constructed on the site of the Scout and Guide Hut.
We know that many people in the village and past and current members of Scouting
and Guiding in Hardwick have supported our efforts to replace our ageing hut, and
we have always been grateful for the support we have received.
We will now look at the money we have available to see what needs doing to our
building to enable it to continue to meet the needs of Scouting and Guiding. The
Hut Committee will be contacting those who have made individual donations to see
if they want their donations to be returned or if they are willing for the donations
to be used to maintain the current building.
Jane Muncey, Janet Hayman, Razz Wooldridge, Tim Tack.
9
Hardwick Community Centre Working
Group
Planning a new Community Centre
Open evening ( between 5pm and 8pm) in the
school hall Tuesday 6th November
Did you know Hardwick will be getting a new Community Centre in
the near future?
Did you know that the two proposed housing developments at
Grace Crescent and St Neots Road will generate in the region
of £1 million to a community facility from what is called Section
106 money that all developers pay towards village amenities?
Did you know that the Hardwick Community Centre Working Group
has been established to involve the community in getting the
best possible facility for the whole village?
If the answer to any of these questions is no, then read on, as what
happens over the next three years will be to your benefit.
The Parish Council is involved in the use of Section 106 money that
will be generated from the proposed developments in the village. The
money is to be used to enhance the local amenities and to replace the
loss of the community facilities at the school. The school will need the
Community Room as classrooms for the expected growth in future pre
school numbers. However, the Community Room belongs to the vil-
lage as a community space which many of us use for groups and
meetings. The Community Room Trustees have therefore agreed to
help to get a new Community Centre with extra meeting rooms and
associated facilities in exchange for the present Community Room. To
this end, a small working group has been set up, comprised of a Par-
ish Councillor (Steve
10Rose), the chair of the Village Plan Committee (Martin Cassey), a
Community Room Trustee (Anne Jones), District Councillor
(Grenville Chamberlain) and the chair of the Community Association
(Alan West).
The aim of the group, set up in April this year, was to begin the proc-
ess of:
Finding the best locations for the site of the Community Centre. This
has involved advice from the local Planning Department on possi-
ble sites, to be discussed with residents.
Looking at other Cambridgeshire villages that have undertaken simi-
lar projects, including the type and size of community building, ad-
vice on how their projects were built and how they now run and are
currently funded.
Seeking input from the local community about the range and possible
use of a new facility including where it could best be sited to get
maximum use and the design of the building to meet the require-
ments of the village.
When required, co-opting onto its number a range of residents who
might help with advice at this early stage, such as architects, build-
ers and/or project managers.
The group has begun the first two items above. We have looked at
what other villages have done, we‟ve had Planning Department ad-
vice over possible sites and had access to two recent Hardwick
village surveys about what facilities residents would like to see in the
future.
It might be possible to have a building with a main hall, possibly two
or more smaller meeting rooms, maybe including a library, storage
areas, an entrance/reception area, possibly a designated room for a
medical practice/nurse/physiotherapist and a community cafe.
(continued on Page 13
11STEPWISE FOOTCARE
Vivien Honeyborne-Martins
MA(Cantab) BSc(Hons) MChS HPC
Registered
Clinic-based Chiropody/
Podiatry
Chiropody
Biomechanical assessment
Insole/orthotic therapy
Swift Microwave treatment for verrucas
Foot/knee pain problems
Lunula Laser treatmentfor fungal nail in-
fection
C & M Hair Studio, The Mount, Toft,
Cambs, CB23 2RLOn Tuesdays
and Wednesdays
For appointments/enquiries
ring 01638 741973
12Now it‟s time for a general open meeting for residents to see where we
are with the preparatory work and to have a say about how a new Com-
munity Centre can enhance the village.
There will be an open evening in the school hall on Tuesday 6th Novem-
ber between 5pm and 8pm for residents to call in to see the displays.
The working group will be available to answer questions and to collect
suggestions. There will be village plans with possible sites marked,
plans from other, similar village projects and an opportunity for you to
contribute to the range of ideas about what is most important to enhance
a brand new community building.
We think this is an opportunity for Hardwick to gain a community facility
which has been lacking until now.
If you have any preliminary questions or comments please email them to
alan.west10@btinternet.com
13aerial photo of Bar Hill bridge
courtesy of Angela
14
HarrisonJuly was an interesting and varied
month for Hardwick WI
Early in the month we celebrated our
60th birthday at a dinner in St Johns.
We all dressed up in our “posh frocks”
and the dinner was delicious. Our men-
folk acted as chauffeurs. Many thanks to those involved in planning this
auspicious occasion.
A group of us went to Denman College in Oxford which runs courses
where WI members can stay and learn new skills in all things domestic!
We only went for the day but had time not only to experience a cookery
demonstration, making delicious cookies and scones but also to see around
the buildings and facilities.
Later in the month some of us attended an afternoon tea at Quy Mill. This
was a major fundraising event for three East Anglian charities (Air Ambu-
lance, Alzeheimers & Arthur Rank Hospice). On another fund-raising oc-
casion we held a Strawberry Tea in the Sports and Social Club and raised
£460 for Breast Cancer Care.
The July meeting was a talk by James Chandler giving an overview of de-
mentia care and Care Homes and their role in the community.
August is a month for holidays so we had no meetings but instead an amaz-
ing BBQ took place at our President’s home and garden .The weather held
and everyone had a most enjoyable food-filled evening. Many thanks to
Anne & Jeff Jones.
By the time this report appears in HH, the WI Dining-Out Club will have
enjoyed a Chinese meal and the local author Alison Bruce will have given
a talk at the September meeting
In November we have arranged to go and see the Anglesey Abbey Winter
Lights. Also no doubt our discussions will include planning for our Christ-
mas Dinner as the Festive Season is not that far away !
We always welcome new members – why not come and try the WI out?
We meet on the 3rd Wednesday of every month at 7.30pm in the Commu-
nity Room at Hardwick Village School.
Naomi Roy
15We offer a high quality & professional plastering service to Cambridge
and the surrounding villages and take great pride in our work.
Quality, Clean and Reliable.
Fully insured.
Fully Qualified NVQ – Level 2.
City and Guilds Qualified.
Office 01223 211068 Mobile 07775 444641
www.dmwrightplastering.com
D. M. Wright Plastering
Director - Dominic Wright
16Hardwick Community Speed Watch
Hardwick has joined the other villages in the area and now operates a Community Speed
Watch (CSW) scheme. Thanks to more volunteers joining the growing group, you will now
see Speed Watch out and about all over the village.A Speed Watch team is easy to spot with
their Speed Watch sign, “high viz” jackets, and a portable speed indicator.
Most drivers in the village are aware that driving above the speed limits puts pedestrians, cy-
clists, themselves and all other road and footpath users at risk. Our aim is to ensure this is also
brought home to the increasing volume of through-traffic.
The aim of Speed Watch is to calm the traffic by reminding drivers to keep below the speed
limits. Speeds below 30 will not be registered though we expect drivers to respect the 20 mph
around the school. Details of vehicles exceeding the speed limits are reported to the Police for
action. This can lead to prosecution for persistent offenders.
Until the village applies the longer term traffic-calming measures used in all other villages,
Speed Watch is our first line of defence.
More Volunteers required
We aim to have a Speed Watch Team out every week and if we have sufficient volunteers it
could mean only an hour each month for each member. Initial training is about an hour. The
next Training courses are on 27th October and 3rd November at 10.00 at Cambourne Police
Station. Interested? Contact details in the Hardwick Happenings directory.
Community Speed Watch is operated by Cambridgeshire Constabulary and more information
can be found at http://speedwatch.info
Speed Measurements on St Neots Road
When the official Traffic Assessment was carried out for the new 155 dwellings development
south of 279 St Neots Road, the results showed the following. The measurements were taken
over 7 days close to the proposed development access road onto St Neots Road
St Neots Number of % Vehicles ex- Number Vehicles Average speed
Road Vehicles ceeding 46mph exceeding all traffic over 7
measured 61mph days
Westbound 26,219 19.8% 83 37.3 mph
Eastbound 28,035 15.0% 46 35.4 mph
Bus users going to Cambridge or coming from Cambourne,
have to brave increasing traffic at this speed with no Traffic
Islands and no lighting unless we do something about it.
Speed Watch is supported by Pauline Joslin, Vice Chairper-
son, Hardwick Parish Council, in her new role as member
responsible for Highways liaison specifically Hardwick
roads, Road Safety, Village Paths, and surrounding Cycle
Networks.
1718
19
Hopefully the younger children of the village have been enjoying the completed
Phase 1 of the upgrade project at Egremont Road. Fundraising has been continuing
for Phase 2.
We‟ve had an Entertainment Quiz (thanks to Richard Young), held stalls at summer
fetes, received money from the Tesco „Bags of Help‟ charity scheme and had dona-
tions from local groups such as The 3:15 Club, JIB Crafts and Pippins Café; and as I
type, people will be recovering from our 5k Family Fun Run!
The weather was very kind to us this year for the Fun Run. Thank you to all the run-
ners, joggers and walkers who came to support the event. Some of the children run-
ners were super speedy! A big thanks to our sponsors: The Blue Lion, Jazzercise
Cambourne, Tesco Barhill, Natural Landscapes, Big Printing in Huntingdon; the
Chivers family for allowing access onto their land and the marshals for guiding the
way. The pizza and donated cakes went down well at the pub afterwards. We raised
£435.50.
We are currently waiting for a decision from a recent grant application which, if suc-
cessful, would enable Phase 2 to get underway (keep everything crossed for an early
2019 instalment!).
Phase 2 includes climbing equipment for older children to explore. Hopefully some
of you will have had a chance to look at the plans at recent fundraising events.
Future fundraising events include a Music Quiz in November and the annual Christ-
mas Market at the Sports & Social Club in December.
With the new developments happening in the village, a proportion of the Section
106 money has been allocated to play park equipment. The timing of the money be-
ing released is dependent on certain milestones, but hopefully this injection of cash
will enable other play equipment around the village to be looked at once the
Egremont Road project is complete.
Other things happening behind the scenes include getting quotes for outdoor gym
equipment. All of this work is done by volunteer parents in the village. We would be
really grateful for more people willing to get involved to lighten the load. If you are
interested in helping, please contact hardwickplayparks@gmail.com. Thank you to
everyone who has supported us since we began in October 2015.
2021
Sticky Toffee Apple Pudding
Recipe tried and tested by Carole Oakes
Flavours of autumn in this warming pudding using some of this seasons‟ abun-
dance of apples
Ingredients
85g butter, melted
140g self-raising flour
100g golden caster sugar
2 tsp baking powder
200ml milk
1 egg
2 Bramley apples (or other cooking apples) peeled, cored and thickly sliced
For the topping
140g dark brown sugar
50g pecan nuts, roughly broken into pieces
Method
Heat your oven to 180c – fan 160c – gas 4.
Lightly grease a 2 litre/3½ pint ovenproof dish with butter.
Put the flour, sugar and baking powder into a large bowl. In a separate
jug/bowl mix together the milk, butter and egg and stir into the dry ingredi-
ents until you get a smooth batter. Arrange the apples in the dish, pour the
batter on top and smooth with a knife until the apples are covered.
For the topping – in your jug/bowl pour 250ml boiling water over the sugar
and stir together until smooth. Pour the liquid over the pudding mixture
and scatter over the pecans.
Bake for about 40 minutes until the pudding has risen and is golden. Serve
using a large spoon to make sure you get some of the delicious sauce
covering the bottom of the dish. This pudding goes well with pouring
cream, vanilla ice cream or warm custard.
22HARDWICK WI
PROGRAMME 2018-19
17th October: A Spanish Cookery Demonstration by Alison Hoskins
21st November: What’s in a Name? Anthony Poulton-Smith talks
about places names, their origin and meaning.
19th December: Bring and Share.
2019
16th January: New Year Social Evening.
21st February: Dance Matters. Let‟s dance and have fun!
Cambridge baseball are announcing today that they will be holding coaching session for
any child age 9-12 during half term at Eddington sports fields. The dates are October
22nd to 25th from 10 AM to 12 PM.
The club can be contacted:
Facebook: Cambridge Monarchs baseball
Email: Cambridge.baseball@outlook.com
"Caldecote, Dry Drayton and Hardwick Community Car Scheme
Firstly we have some excellent news. Our computer system is really start-
ing to work and cover our needs although all the co-ordinators say firmly
their diary is their first means of recording their journey requests. However
what the system has just shown up, is that in the last five months, as a
team, we have carried out 483 separate journeys and covered 6,071 miles.
We knew we had been busy and needed all our drivers – especially with all
the holidays – but it really does show how much a big team is needed.
Because we were all feeling the demand, and as always resolve not to let
any one of our passengers down, we have expanded our number of co-
ordinators. Now there are five people to ring for lifts instead of our origi-
nal four. Please see the details below. Graham Cowell is our new recruit
and we are very grateful to him for not only driving but also taking on Co-
ordinating too. Thus if you need a lift for medical, dental or essential social
purposes such as shopping, hairdressing, visiting relatives etc do please
ring one of the co-ordinators listed below. Please try to give 48 hours no-
tice if possible and only leave an answerphone message on one phone line
as otherwise it confuses co-ordinators and might mean two lifts or more
get booked . See Page 4 for the list of coordinators
Sheila Stephenson
2324
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Tel: 01223 863908
www.orchard-mobility.com
25Sloe Gin
Whilst on one of my favourite dog walks in a neighbouring village I came
across a Blackthorn bush with an abundance of sloes on it. Carrying on
walking it became clear that 2018 is definitely a good year for these
berries. By the time I reached my car I had decided to make, for the first
time, some sloe gin.
Having done some research the recipe below is the one I will be follow-
ing. I‟ll let you know after Christmas what the results were.
Why not have a go yourself as this would make a great Christmas gift –
but please don‟t pick the sloes I have had my eye on for some time,
regularly squeezing them, waiting for the optimum picking time!
Ingredients
500g ripe sloes
250g golden caster sugar
1 litre bottle gin
1 x 2 litre Kilner jar or 2 smaller jars
Method
Rinse and pick over the sloes, then pat dry in a clean tea towel. Using a
cocktail stick or stainless-steel fork prick the sloes and tip into a 2 litre
Kilner jar, or divide between 2 smaller jars.
Add the sugar and gin, and seal the top. Shake well each day for a
week, giving the jar a last good shake put into a cool, dark place and
leave for 2 to 3 months.
Line a plastic sieve with a square of muslin or similar, set over a bowl,
and strain the sloe gin through it. Decant into clean, dry bottles, seal and
label. The sloe gin is now ready to drink but will improve and mature
over time.
Carole Oakes
2627
From Heidi Allen MP
There‟s been no shortage of sun this
Summer so I hope you have been able
to spend some time enjoying the glo-
rious weather!
Parliamentary recess allows me to fo-
cus on important local issues while I
am away from the “hurly burly” of
Westminster. As always, my newslet-
ter can only ever be a snapshot of my
work but I hope it gives you an overview of what I have been up
to!
The major infrastructure improvements needed in South Cam-
bridgeshire remain a priority for me. In July, Highways England
announced their plans to start construction work on the express-
way between the Black Cat roundabout and Caxton Gibbet in
2021/2. This is later than originally planned and I share residents‟
concerns about the delays. Highways England told me there are
two reasons. The engineering at the A1 end is more complex than
originally envisaged and they also want the A14 Cambridge to
Huntingdon works to complete before they begin construction
work on the A428.
I am meeting with the Chancellor (along with neighbouring MP,
Jonathan Djanogly) soon to ensure he fully understands how vital
this road improvement scheme is and that nothing can allow it to
be delayed further.
Another much-needed improvement to our local infrastructure is
the Girton M11/J14 Interchange. If improvements are not made,
the benefits of the A428 expressway and the improvements to the
A14 simply won‟t be delivered as we won‟t have a joined-up net-
work. With the housing growth anticipated across Cambridgeshire
and with new jobs being created at the Biomedical Campus, we
need to make sure the growth potential of the area has the infra-
structure to match the ambition for the area. I have made a bid for
funding for the Girton interchange ahead of the Autumn statement
28and reiterated how vital it is to the Chancellor and Roads Minis-
ter.
East West Rail (Oxford to Cambridge) is another project that
many constituents have contacted me about and I want to reas-
sure you that NO route has yet been chosen. Personally, I support
a route that is closely aligned with the A428 corridor as public
transport is almost non-existent in this part of the constituency. It
would also support the housing growth planned at Cambourne
and Northstowe, so seems obvious to me. I am pushing this route
with Rob Brighouse (Chairman of the East West Rail Company)
and am pleased to report he has shown interest and we will be
meeting again soon. I‟ll keep you posted, but please be assured I
will let you know as soon as any route possibilities emerge.
In my newsletters at the beginning of the year, I urged local resi-
dents to contribute to the consultation on the Ministry of Justice‟s
proposed closure of Cambridge Magistrates‟ Court. Well, you did
and they listened! At the end of July, the Ministry confirmed the
court will remain open. Thank you to the many local people who
contacted me about this – there were a number of concerns about
the consultation and I am pleased that the right decision has been
made. We made this happen!
Over the summer I‟ve been out on the farm, helping with the har-
vest in Thriplow and Boxworth. I suspect I may have been more
hindrance than help but I was very enthusiastic! A combine har-
vester may not be everyone‟s vehicle of choice, but I thoroughly
enjoyed it!
Our farmers of course work hard all year round, but there is an
undeniable pressure at a harvest time as they work around the
clock to bring our food in off the fields. Hats (caps?) off!
In August, I spent a shift with the Cambridgeshire Fire and Res-
cue Service. I donned my boots, braces and trousers as I got to
grips with just some of the work our fire service do for us. As
you‟d appreciate, they do an amazing job in often very difficult
29situations, but having participated in a training exercise in a smoke
filled building, I cannot commend them highly enough. It never oc-
curred to me that when a building is on fire, they work with no
visibility – zero. I couldn‟t see a thing. Speaking honestly, I was
terrified. So I‟d just like to put on record my personal thanks.
You will be aware from my previous newsletters of the action I
have been taking to hold GTR to account for the debacle following
the introduction of their new train timetable in May. Over recent
months, I have been arguing that compensation must not apply only
to season ticket holders – there are plenty of commuters in South
Cambridgeshire who have been affected but who are not season
ticket holders.
In the last few days, GTR has announced that the compensation
scheme will now also include non-season ticket holders. This is
welcome news but GTR still have some way to go to ensure that
services are better and I have contacted Chris Grayling again to
urge him to delay the proposed rail fare increase until the services
have been fully restored AND maintained. My work on behalf of
commuters continues and I will be meeting with the new Chief Ex-
ecutive of GTR shortly. I will leave him in no doubt about the
strength of feeling of local commuters and will provide an update
on this on my dedicated website page –
www.heidisouthcambs.co.uk/gtr and in my next newsletter.
Until then, if there is anything you would like to talk to me about,
my next no appointment “drop in” surgery will be on Saturday 6 th
October (10.30am -12.30pm) in Northstowe. If you‟d prefer an ap-
pointment, I‟ll be in Bassingbourn on the 2nd November between 3
and 5pm. You can find more details on my website here: https://
www.heidisouthcambs.co.uk/residents-drop-surgeries
If you would like to contact me, please email
heidi.allen.mp@parliament.uk or call my office on 01223
830037.See you next month!
30Ditch the plastic- get your FREE reusable
MORSBAG
from the Sidewalk Café, Highfields Caldecote.
Morsbags is a national movement to try and dis-
place the use of plastic carrier bags by providing
hand made tote bags free of charge. You can now
collect your free Morsbag from the Side Walk Café
in Highfields, supplied by the local Morsbag group,
the Hardwick carriers.
You can find out more about the movement
at www.morsbags.com, which has details of the is-
sue we are trying to tackle, as well as the patterns
for the bags so you can make one yourself if you
would like to!
We would love to hear from you if you would like
to get involved, either making bags or if you have
materials you can donate. Please do not take any
materials to the café – they do not have room to
store this! Contact us at
either
jenny@bowleswhite.co.uk or
Cherylphillips.cb23@talktalk.net
3132
St Mary’s Church, Hardwick
St Mary‟s, Hardwick, is part of the Lordsbridge Team of Churches, and the diocese of Ely
www.stmaryshardwick.org.uk
Vicar: Revd Alison Myers, Tel: 01954 212815; Email: alisonmyers@lordsbridge.org
The Rectory, 50, Main Street, Hardwick, Cambridge CB23 7QS
Assistant Ministers: Revd Howard Bigg& Clare Bigg
Services in October
(at St Mary’s Hardwick unless otherwise noted)
2 Oct (Tues) 9.30 am Tuesday Mornings at St Mary‟s
7 Oct (Sun) 9.30 am Holy Communion
9 Oct (Tues) 9.30 am Tuesday Mornings at St Mary‟s
14 Oct (Sun) 9.30 am All Age Harvest Celebration
7.30 pm „Sacred Space‟ based at Dry Drayton
15 Oct (Mon) 7 – 8 pm Church open for „Wave of Light‟ for Baby Loss
Awareness Week
16 Oct (Tues) 9.30 am Tuesday Mornings at St Mary‟s
21 Oct (Sun) 9.30 am Holy Communion
28 Oct (Sun) 9.30 am Holy Communion
30 Oct (Tues) 9.30 am Tuesday Mornings at St Mary‟s
4 Nov (Sun) 9.30 am Holy Communion
4 pm A Service of Remembering
6 Nov (Tues) 9.30 am Tuesday Mornings at St Mary‟s
Toddler corner with toys and books at the back of church in every service.
All these are public services and open to all. Just come along or contact Alison for more
details.
Tuesday Mornings at St Mary’s
Every Tuesday9.30 – 11am
Coffee, croissants, conversation, Bible stories and activities
for carers and their under-5s.
Everyone welcome!
33Youth Activities in October Church open
More details from Teresa Tayloryouth@lordsbridge.org at weekends until
the end of
Fri 12th Oct- ‘Higher’ gig at The Junction, Cambridge Half Term
Sun 14th Oct- 6 to 8.30 pm-Thirst-‘Higher’ event A quiet, reflective
Hosted by Comberton Baptist Church space in the church and
churchyard for anyone
22nd -26th- ‘Higher’ Youth cafés, details tbc who needs it.
A Service of Remem- WW1 Commemoration
bering for Hardwick
4 November, 4pm Remembrance Sunday & Armistice Day, 11
Our annual reflective service of November
readings and prayers At St Mary’s, starting at
to remember those we love
who have died 10.50am
With an opportunity to light a A service of readings, hymns and prayers for
candle the occasion. Open to all.
Open to all: just come along With two minutes silence at 11 am and ending
around 11.45 am with an act of commitment to
peace.
For national baby loss awareness week
honouring the lives of babies gone too soon and open to anyone who has been af-
fected by baby loss at any stage and any time
Global Wave of Light, 7-8pm Monday 15 October
Hardwick church will be open for those who would like to light a candle as part of the
global wave of light
www.october15th.com
Hardwick’s community café Findour Facebook
is open on 6 Oct and 3 Nov, 10am to group
midday, “St
in the community room at the school. Mary’s
34Reflections on harvests and new starts
In the countryside, the year has a particular rhythm- of new
shoots then harvest; of a long dry period followed by refresh-
ing rain; of slow dormancy, then energetic activity followed
by the dog days of summer. Alongside this, there is the
rhythm of the school year, of a new stage that begins, then
develops into familiarity, then before too long reaches its end
and pauses.
At this time of year, the rhythm of the natural seasons bumps against the
rhythm of the school or college year – in the countryside we are complet-
ing the harvest of what has previously been sown and nurtured, and, meta-
phorically or actually, anticipating the winter by laying up stores; but in
family and college life, we are just beginning a new year with all the po-
tential that lies ahead. Depending on your stage of life, or your job, these
or other rhythms may have an influence on how we approach October life.
Either way, taking stock of what we have and what we want to grow
seems a good exercise. So, I wonder -
What wise lessons have other people sown in you, that you practice
today?
For what have you been or are you truly, abundantly grateful?
Who has refreshed, or is refreshing, your dream in a long, dry season?
Do you feel yourself caught up in timeless spinning or in the mo-
tionlessness of an early autumn afternoon?
What simple, new, intentional steps can you take to bring abundant
beauty to the mundane?
What spiritual, emotional or relationship stores are you laying up
against winter storms?
In our village, Harvest celebrations in which you can participate include a
community service of thanksgiving in our church and a family ceilidh in
the school. There are more details elsewhere.
Whether taken as a stance towards life or as a prayer, these words, spoken
by UN Secretary-General and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize Dag Ham-
marskjöld, seem appropriate for this time of year -
“For all that has been, thanks! For all that is to come, yes!“
35VILLAGE DIARY
Date Event Venue Time
Oct
2nd Neighbourhood Watch meeting Hardwick School 7pm
th
4 Quiz Sports & Social Club 7.30pm
th
6 ‘Pippin’s’ Coffee & Company Hardwick School 10am - midday
10th Guides Jumble Sale Hardwick School 2pm – 4pm
th
12 Library Bus – route H12 Hardwick School 10.40am-11.50am
St Neot’s Rd, 2.15pm – 2.30pm
Blue Lion 2.40pm – 2.55pm
Limes Rd, near school 3.05pm – 4pm
36
12th Disco for years 3 - 6 Hardwick School 6:45pm - 8:30pm
13th Harvest Supper&Family Ceilidh - tickets £5 child, Hardwick School 6.30pm
£10 adult, £25 family from Sue 01954 210063 or
Thelma 01954 210321
14th St Mary’s Church Harvest Service St Mary’s Church 9.30am
th
16 Quiz Blue Lion 8pm
17th W.I. – Spanish Cookery demonstration Hardwick School 7.30pm
rd
23 Parish Council Meeting Hardwick School 7pm
th
29 Bingo Sports & Social Club 7.30pm
th
30 Parish Council Meeting Hardwick School 7pm
Nov
1st Quiz Sports & Social Club 7.30pm
rd
3 World Kindness Day – reach out to someone with a
simple act of kindness3rd ‘Pippin’s’ Coffee & Company Hardwick School 10am - midday
th
6 Public meeting re Hardwick Community Centre – all Hardwick School 5pm – 8pm
are welcome
9th Library Bus – route H12 As above As above
th 6:45pm - 8:30pm
9 Disco for years 3 - 6 Hardwick School
th
16 Auction of Promises – see full page Hardwick School 7pm
th
17 Christmas Bazaar Hardwick School 11am – 3pm
th
20 Quiz Blue Lion 8pm
21st W.I.–What’s in a name–Place names & their origins Hardwick School 7.30pm
th
26 Bingo Sports & Social Club 7.30pm
th
27 Parish Council Meeting Hardwick School 7pm
th 6:45pm - 8:30pm
30 Disco for years 3 - 6 Hardwick School
Dec
1st ‘Pippin’s’ Coffee & Company Hardwick School 10am - midday
37
st
1 Christmas Tree Festival St Mary’s Church 2pm – 5pm
nd
2 Christmas Tree Festival St Mary’s Church 2pm – 5pm
th
6 Quiz Sports & Social Club 7.30pm
8th Christmas Tree Festival St Mary’s Church 2pm – 5pm
th
9 Christmas Tree Festival St Mary’s Church 2pm – 5pm
th
14 Library Bus – route H12 As above As above
th
18 Quiz Blue Lion 8pm
th
19 W.I. – Bring & Share Hardwick School 7.30pm
th
20 Fun morning St Mary’s Church 10.30am–12 noon
st
21 Carols around the camp fire Behind St Mary’s Church 6.30pm
rd
23 Carol Service St Mary’s Church 4.30pm
th
24 Bingo – unsure whether this will happen Sports & Social Club 7.30pm38
39
40
41
HARDWICK SPORTS & SOCIAL CLUB
SEPT SATURDAY 22nd – Anthony Joshua Vs
Alexander Povetkin Televised
FRIDAY 28th- Members Draw
SUNDAY 29th– Macmillan Coffee Morning 11am-1pm
(everyone welcome)
OCT THURSDAY4th - 8pm Monthly Quiz Night (everyone welcome)
SATURDAY 20th– Karaoke Night from 7.30pm.
FRIDAY 26th – Kids Halloween Party from 6.30pmAdults Hal-
loween Disco 9pm- Late &Members Draw
MONDAY 29th – 8pm Monthly Bingo
(everyone welcome)
NOV THURSDAY 1st – Monthly Quiz Night (Everyone welcome)
SATURDAY 10th –Motown Night
(Tickets £5 members, £6 non- members)
MONDAY 26th –Monthly Bingo (everyone welcome)
FRIDAY 30th- Members Draw
DEC SATURDAY 1st– LIVE MUSIC Dance till Dawn from 7.30pm
MONDAY3rd – Annual Christmas Market 7pm-9.30pm
THURSDAY 6th – Monthly Quiz (everyone welcome)
FRIDAY 21st– Live Music with Tom n Pete.
SUNDAY 23rd - Children‟s Christmas Party
MONDAY 24th– Christmas Eve
The Sports and Social Club committee is now 11 strong with a sub
committee to oversee events. Meetings are well attended with our main
incentive being to continue making improvements the Club, provide a
safe and friendly environment for its members & guests & to support
local charities & clubs.
Our membership system allows us to offer our members slightly
cheaper prices & perks such as „Happy Hour‟, „Ticketed Events‟& door
access all with their membership cards. Membership is only £10 per
year & the renewal price remains £5 so pop in or call 01954 210110
after 5pm Mon-Fri or after 12 noon Sat/Sun.
We run events which are open to everyone &subsidised for members
and have continued to support local clubs &organisations, most re-
cently Members Draw Night. 42supporting the local Scouts & St Mary‟s Church.
The Club has Sky Sports, BT Sports and with our larger HD TV‟s and
Projector Screen you can enjoy watching all televised Sport, or even
watch and support our local teams who play most Saturdays on the rec-
reation ground. We will be closely following the World Cup throughout
June. We currently have two Pool Teams that play competitively in the
Cambridge Area Pool League on Thursday nights, a Crib Team and a
darts Team both that play competitively on Wednesday evenings. If
competitive sports aren‟t for you why not come along to one of our Quiz
Nights (1st Thursday of every month) and Bingo (last Monday of every
month) for some light hearted fun, both of which are open to Non Mem-
bers.
We are a friendly Club and love welcoming new faces, so if you haven‟t
already, pop in or look at our website: hardwicksportsandsocial-
club.co.uk, or Facebook Page „Hardwick Sports and Social Club‟ to see
our upcoming events and what we are about. The club is also available
for private hire at a competitive rate, or free if it is for a fundraising
event.
Finally, we are in the early stages of planning our third annual Family
Fun Day on the recreation ground on Saturday 22nd June 2019. We al-
ready have several things confirmed, including, live music, local magi-
cian Jamie Seagrave, bouncy castle, face painting, tombola, cake stall,
BBQ, sweet stall &much more. If you would like to have a stall or pro-
vide any entertainment please contact Rachel rachel.j.rason@gmail.com,
Karen karenwhitmore@talktalk.net or Louise ljlaud@gmail.com. The
day is about getting the community together & raising money for local
clubs and associations making the Village a better place, everyone is
welcome.
We are offering 2019 membership renewal anytime from now as the
current memberships expire 31 Dec 2018. Any new members wishing to
join will get the remainder of 2018 free hen purchasing 2019 Member-
ships.
We are currently looking for new bar staff to join us. Interested? If so
contact our Manager Jerry Burford clubman-
ager@hardwicksportsandsocialclub.co.uk. We look forward to hearing
from you.
HSSC Committee.
43From the school. We do so many things at the end of the school year to mark the Y6 pupils‟ transition from primary to secondary school including the leavers‟ BBQ, water games, a water-fight between Y6 pupils and Y6 teachers and the leavers‟ as- sembly. However, one end of year celebration that always makes a big impact on pupils, parents and staff alike is the Y5/6 summer production. This year our production was a musical called „Smike‟. Loosely based on Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens, Smike is the story of a group of rest- less school children who go back in time to the world of Dickens and see for themselves just how hard life was and that there are many advantages to living in the twenty-first century. The action begins in the modern-day classroom where the teacher named Mr Nicholls is newly-employed in a school that is ruled by a stern headmaster and the drama mistress, Miss Grant. In an attempt to engage children in their learning of Dickens, Mr Nicholls suggests they put on a performance of their own. He casts the headmaster in the leading role of Mr Squeers, owner of the infamous Dotheboys Hall, near Greta Bridge in Yorkshire and accepts Smike‟s invite to play Nicholas Nickleby. The school children take on the characters of the boys living at the hall and the story shifts back in time from modern day to Victorian times. Smeeton, a child picked-on by the headmaster in the modern-day school, becomes the much-bullied Smike, our title character, at Dotheboys Hall. As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that Mr Squeers does not have any of the boys‟ interests at heart but rather he is a mean, heartless man who is motivated only by money and so de- prives the boys in his care of even the most basic of comforts, such as a decent meal or a comfortable bed in which to sleep. Nicholas steps in when Squeers threatens to beat Smike for ruining his books, and sparks a revolution at Do- theboys Hall which sees himself, Smike and the rest of the boys overthrow the cruel couple and their spoiled children, Nancy and Wackford, and kick them out of the school. The play returns to the modern day. A newly confident Smeeton organises a clean-up so the boys don‟t get into trouble. When the headmaster returns, he has read Nicholas Nickleby and not only changed his mind about putting on a musical but has come to appreciate the importance of giving students more freedom to study. Taking the lead this year, with a massive amount of lines to learn, was Callum MacDonald as Mr Squeers. Callum did really well in his audition to gain such a challenging role and proved to be a worthy and formidable actor. He was joined by the other members of the Squeers family who all did a fantastic job in running the school and treating the boys with serious contempt. Well done to Izzy Mulderij as Mrs Squeers, Georgia Down as Nancy and Max Fielding White as Wackford. 44
Other significant characters were Smike played by Henry Lutkin, Nicholas
Nickleby played by Aidan Lee and Mr Snawley, a gentleman looking to off-
load his step-children into Squeers‟ school, played by Riccardo Sasso.Henry,
Aidan and Riccardo all coped brilliantly with their lines and rather tricky solos.
There were also some notable performances by Ben Lancaster, Callum Wright
and Sebie Page who proved to be strong „leaders of the gang‟ amongst all
those at Dotheboys Hall. Praise also needs to go to our brilliant back-stage
crew, a group of Year 6s who proved invaluable in keeping the play running
smoothly.
As always, our Y5s became the chorus for the play, demonstrating a sound
awareness of dynamics and tone in music as well as singing with great enthusi-
asm and commitment. Well done, Y5s.
As is often the case, it was a delight to see so many pupils rise to the challenge
of putting on such a mature musical and for some it was their first time singing
a duet or solo to an audience. Others realised that they could act and have
vowed to get involved in drama at secondary school.
We think it‟s fair to say that the performances were greatly appreciated by all
who came to watch. After all their hard work throughout the preparation and
rehearsal time, the pupils did themselves proud and we are sure they will have
made memories which will last a lifetime.
Mrs Marlow and Mrs Creamer.
45October in Your Garden
with Carole Oakes
Looking back over the last few months in our garden with the wonderful
but unexpected heat of the summer, it has been predictable and unpredict-
able in equal measure. With a number of dead plants due to lack of rain
which has led us towards a re-think on several fronts, we have enjoyed a
grand crop of Mediterranean varieties of tomatoes that I had not sown be-
fore until this year, the flavours of which have been outstanding. Some
crops were over and done with in what seemed like the blink of an eye
whilst others have been rich and plentiful. But, onward and upward to a
new season.
This month is mostly about tidying, with hanging baskets being emptied of
summer flowering plants or crops and either stored for next year or planted
up with spring bedding plants or spring bulbs. Hedges can be trimmed to
keep them neat over the winter period. Fences and gates should be checked
for any weak or rotting posts that may need replacing.
Trim down those summer flowering shrubs and perennial plants that need
it. Clear vegetable crops that have finished producing and dig over the soil
while it‟s still quite loose (any diseased plants should be put into the green
bin rather than onto your compost heap).
Our lawns have suffered over the summer but should be re-gaining some
vibrant colour by now. Give the grass a last cut at the end of this month,
raising the lawnmower blades slightly higher than during the summer
months.
When carving out your pumpkin for Halloween instead of throwing away
the flesh why not make a delicious moist pumpkin cake or some spicy
pumpkin soup and the seeds can be roasted before eating!
46Improvised jazz piano playing by Chris Rider opened Hardwick‟s first Pop Up
Music Cafe on Saturday morning, 1st September. If that wasn‟t quite your cup
of tea – or maybe you had bought coffee and cake from Pippins‟s Cafe and
taken it through to the school hall – the music continued with further live, dis-
tinction level, performances on piano, cello, electric guitar, and voice, from a
range of performers and a variety of styles.
The aim of the cafe is to provide an opportunity for local musicians to perform
“acoustic” music in Hardwick to a listening audience in a relaxed environment.
Children and adults performed from Grade 1 through to Grade 8+ standard.
Some music was by classic composers, some own arrangement or impro-
vised, some by modern composers, some was composed by the performers
themselves. All the musicians came from Hardwick with one visiting performer
from Coton.
The “new” school piano, a Kawai K-50E upright piano, was put to good use.
The school hall was laid out cafe style and entry cost £2 per person on the
door, towards the cost of hiring the hall, publicity, etc.
Owing to the intermittent availability of the school hall on the same Saturdays
as Pippin‟s Cafe, these events will be occasional “pop-up” dates.
The next one is booked for Saturday morning, 6 April 2019 – save the date. If
you would like to know more about the Music Cafe, or are interested in playing
at it, please contact Steve Gaze on stevegaze@gmail.com
47St Mary‟s Church, Hardwick award from the
Historic churches trust
After considerable discussion, the rear pews of the church, to the left
of the entrance door, were removed in the autumn of 2017. It was
decided however, that the font should remain in its original position.
This has made the font more prominent, which has been especially
useful at baptisms as we welcome the community to gather around
it. The overall objective was to create a more flexible, open space,
which could be used for a variety of activities. In general, the con-
gregation can be accommodated in the remaining front pews and for
funerals, weddings, carol services etc., chairs now provide the addi-
tional seating.
The space created by removing the rear pews
The project was entered for a special award about engaging with the
Community. So we talked about Tuesday morning church with the
little ones and the Christmas tree festival.
48Pictured right is Dr
Jeff Jones receiving
the certificate and
cheque from the
Bishop of Huntingdon,
The Right Rev .David
Thomson. Below is
the Bishop and Jeff
with Boyd Myers, Ali
Marcus and Clare
Bigg.
49WILDLY CURIOUS
Not long after I‟d set up Wildly Curious in September 2016, Peter
Cornwell very kindly came to visit and wrote a piece for the Hardwick
Happenings about my new venture. At the time I was running a Saturday
Bushcraft Club and the occasional children‟s party at Manor Farm in
Bourn.
Here I am, two years on and Wildly Curious is continually evolving. Hav-
ing been a primary school teacher for twenty three years, I still get to util-
ise that skill-set on a daily basis, but I now work with a much broader age
range. My week goes something like this:
Monday: I arrive at the farm early to set up for Little Wildthings, my par-
ent and pre-schooler‟s group. I light the fire, set up the activities and pre-
pare the hot food for the session. Once everyone has arrived, we start with
a story and then there‟s lots of time to play in the mud kitchen, or out on
the paddock, or in the shelter before snack time. I often find dinosaurs,
shells and other surprising items hidden around the bushcraft shelter,
sometimes weeks after a session! I update Wildly Curious‟ social media
with photos or video.
Tuesday: today I am working with three different Home Ed groups – two
groups for Bushcraft and one group for Archery in the barn. Once I‟ve
packed all the archery gear away, I head back to the shelter for my After
School Club. I may have spent the day teaching groups how to light a fire;
make leather tinder pouches; forage; whittle; make rafts; purify water;
make primitive weapons etc. I update Wildly Curious‟ social media.
Wednesday: admin, maintenance and planning day. And wood chopping.
Lots of wood chopping…
Thursday: three more Home Ed groups today – it‟s lovely working with the
same children each week, like having my own class again. Today I work
with children ranging in age from 4 up to 13. Some children with addi-
tional needs attend with their parents; I‟m not sure who enjoys it more! Af-
ter school my final group of the day arrives, from a charity based in Cam-
bridge. If it‟s winter time, this session will take place in the dark, so we
often have a fire and always have hot chocolate! I head home and update
Wildly Curious‟ social media….again.
50Friday: it‟s the evening and I‟m likely to be found with a local Scout or Guide
group, either bushcrafting at the shelter, or in the barn running archery or team
building challenges. In the summer, we watch the bats heading out for their sup-
per; in the winter we watch the snow flakes blowing in through the gaps.
Saturday & Sunday: chances are we‟ll be running a party or two over the week-
end – perhaps Bushcraft, or maybe Spies or Magic for Muggles. A couple of
hours on fun activities and then the participants cook their party food over the
fire. We save the giant marshmallows until last and then send the guests home.
Sometimes we might be found running bushcraft activities at a local event, a
campfire sing-a-long at a festival or a corporate team building course. I update
Wildly Curious‟ social media.
I love the variety in my days; being outdoors, feeling the changing of the sea-
sons, working with enthusiastic young people and parents, and being part of the
farm community. I also love the smell of woodsmoke, which is lucky, as I
mostly smell like a bonfire these days….
Melanie Grenfell www.wildlycurious.co.uk
51You can also read
