Latest neighbourhood news
Chatteris
Joan Jumeau adapted car scheme
The annual report for What Next’s community car scheme showed a busy year, with the volunteer drivers making a total of 352 trips and covering 5,923 miles.
Most trips were made for nursing home visits, but the scheme also helped people with shopping, social and hospital visits.
There was praise for the drivers who give up their time. They are: Keith O’Hara, Del Arnold, Peter Johnson, Graham Mitchell, Mervyn Taylor, Oliver Smith, Tony Brown, Geoff Blackburn and Mariette Dixon.
Chatteris Garage was also thanked for looking after the vehicle.
Chatteris Community Group
The group runs a ‘Good Neighbour’ medical loans service through which items can be borrowed for a maximum of two months.
The group needs five or six garden owners to join in the annual Open Garden event on Sunday, July 3, or Sunday, July 10, between 2pm and 6pm.
The proceeds of the £2 programme will go to the group and garden owners can serve refreshments and runs stalls, etc, for a charity of their choice.
Contact Lillian Oakey on 01354 695154 for more information on the medical loans service or the Open Garden event. Interested gardeners should respond by June 12.
Doddington
WI
Janice Stevens was welcomed as a visitor.
The produce show was a success and Doddington came second in the overall points, with Aimee Ball highly recommended in the craft section.
A trip to Mega Plants in Doddington has been organised for May 19. Natalie Jolly gave her report on the Federation meeting.
Congratulations went to Brenda Mackenzie for winning £25 in the 10 week draw. Ann Chambers won the centennial competition for her poem about the Queen and received a silver teaspoon.
This year’s resolutions were discussed and the vote went to encourage supermarkets to avoid food waste.
Pearl Charalambos spoke about healthy eating – how to manage our food portions and think about our intake of proteins, carbohydrates and fats.
The competition was something made out of plastic. There were 18 entries and five members received 20 points. The raffle was drawn.
The meeting in June is to be a fashion show given by Level 7 of March and the competition will be something interesting made out of pottery.
Elm
WI
President Jeanette welcomed members, including visitor Kathleen Sanderson. She was assisted by secretary, Zoe, and Sheila, treasurer.
Thanks were given to Barbara St for the flower arrangement for the officers’ table and Barbara St, Eileen, Natalie and Nina were congratulated by Jeanette on their entry in the federation produce and craft show, which received very good marks.
The birthday meal was arranged by Marjorie and held on Thursday at the Sportsman public house.
Delegate Ann Haynes, of Friday Bridge WI, will be at the May meeting to discuss the resolutions, which are ‘appropriate care for people in hospital with dementia’ and ‘avoid food waste and address food poverty’. Visitors were welcomed from Marshland St James, Welney and Well WIs.
Karen Brammer, accompanied by her husband, owners of the Stamford Cheese Cellar, brought in lots of different cheeses for members to taste. Karen explained their history and how they were named.
A cheese quiz was organised by Karen and the winner was a Marshland St James member. The president thanked her for a lovely evening.
Nina was in charge of the competition, something beginning with ‘q’. It was judged by Karen. Results – Barbara Sm, Barbara St 3; Eileen, Natalie 2.
Duties – Jean and Marjorie, raffle; Barbara Sm, register and press report; committee, refreshments; Nina, competition; Eileen, b/b stall.
The next meeting is on May 23 and the competition something beginning with the letter ‘r’.
Fenland
Fenland Family History Society
The May meeting on Thursday, May 26, welcomes Ken and Madge Garner to tell their story of what it was like to be evacuated during World War Two.
Everyone is welcome to the meetings held in St Peter and St Paul Church Hall, Wisbech, on the fourth Thursday of each month, from 7-9pm, visitors £2, members free. The meeting on June 30 will be held in St Augustine’s Church Hall, Lynn Road, Wisbech, as wi-fi is needed for a presentation on how to research your family history on-line with guest speaker Steve Manning, from the Federation of FHS. Usual time, 7-9pm.
The Fenland FHS team were at Elgood’s Brewery Garden and Craft Fair and will be back there again in September. The next event for the team will be Walpole St Peter’s Flower Festival from June 4-8.
Family History Research Day is on Saturday, October 15, in Wisbech Library. This replaces the annual Family History Day and will offer so much more to the family historian, including on-line research using many different websites.
For more details on any of the above, call 01945 587723.
Friday Bridge
Village yard sales
The sales day for Elm and Friday Bridge will be headed up by Bob Wardle, again, this year.
His contact number is 01945 860907 and it will be held on Saturday, June 18, 9am start.
Refreshments are organised by the church committee. There will be a scarecrow competition with a cash prize.
A team will be posting competition forms out shortly. The money raised will go towards the Elm and Friday Bridge First Responders charity to buy equipment. Donations to Bob.
WI
The group celebrated their 65th birthday in Tower Hall on May 9 when president Ann welcomed 16 members, plus visitors from Christchurch, Downham Market, Barroway Drove and Wisbech WIs.
Final details of the visit to the VanDal Shoe Factory were given and Hazel gave details of all other events and invitations.
Members and guests enjoyed a sit-down meal. The entertainment was by Jacqui Huggins, who gave an account of her life entitled ‘Life and times of a Fen Girl’. The tale included songs that Jacqui had written to complement the story.
A vote of thanks was given by Janet. President Ann cut the cake, and drinks were distributed for a toast to Friday Bridge WI.
The results of the tabletop monthly competition were announced and also the monthly competition – with 5 points going to president Ann and 4 to Joan D, Brenda, Delia, Margaret, Hilda and Janet. Hazel conducted the raffle.
The next meeting on June 13 will see Bob Scott giving a demonstration on glass-blown animals. If you are interested in going along, phone 01945 860753 for further details.
Gorefield
Gorefield Ladies Group
Chris Ashton welcomed everyone to the April meeting.
Guest speaker was Helen Spriggs, from Citizens Advice Rural Cambs, who explained the free and completely independent areas in which they can help people.
Helen offers one-to-one money help at the Wisbech and March branches and gave advice on general household finances. She was thanked by Chris and refreshments were served by Val Goult, Janet Kell and Margaret Tuck.
The next meeting will be on Wednesday, May 25, at Gorefield Village Hall, 7.30pm, when Wendy Crick will give a jewellery demonstration. New members welcome.
March
March Flower Club
Barbara Collins, of Peterborough, was the demonstrator on Tuesday, May 10. Her title was “Spring into Summer”.
She used roses, gerberas, carnations, lilies and gladioli in a selection of beautifully bright colours. Members enjoyed the displays.
The next meeting will be on Tuesday, June 14, at Trinity Church Hall, at 7pm. The demonstrator will be Ann Purt.
The summer excursion will be to Hunstanton Flower Festival on Friday, July 29. Please book next month. Visitors welcome.
Marshland St James
WI
Members welcomed Ann Haines, their delegate, who will represent their views on the forthcoming Resolutions at the annual meeting in Brighton.
They discussed the two Resolutions – asking the Government and the NHS to provide facilities to enable carers to stay with patients with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, once admitted to hospital; and calling upon supermarkets to sign a voluntary agreement to avoid food waste, passing surplus food on to charities.
Members agreed local hospitals and supermarkets should be lobbied to enable both issues to move forward.
Speaker was Tricia McCarron from Trues Yard who gave a talk on the social history of women in the North End docks in King’s Lynn in the 19th century.
Jean Barrows was presented with a cake and a rose to commemorate 70 years as a member of the WI. During that time she has served on the committee and always baked a magnificent cake for the birthday meetings. She has enjoyed playing whist and still wins the trophy at the whist tournament.
Gill Fox was presented with a patio rose to celebrate her diamond anniversary with Michael. She was proud to show members the card from the Queen.
Joan Thompson was congratulated for second prize with her photograph at Doddington’s produce show and Christine Pomfret was awarded second prize for her salt dough figures in the craft show.
The next meeting will be on Tuesday, June 7, when Christine Earnshaw will speak on the origin of surnames. Visitors are welcome – £3 per meeting.
Tydd St Giles
Archive event
There will be an exhibition of old registers, including one from the 1600’s, and panels depicting the history of Women in the Fens for the last 100 years in Tydd St Giles Parish Church on Saturday and Sunday, from 2pm-5pm.
Cream teas and other refreshments will be available in the garden of Fourways, near the church.
Upwell
Green Fingers Gardening Club
Val opened a well-attended meeting. Raina introduced speaker John Parish who spoke about his vineyard and showed photographs of wildlife in the area. He was thanked by Dora.
Refreshments were served by David and Yvonne and Val gave out notices, reminding members to ensure a good supply of plants for the club stall at Upwell Fete in July, with proceeds going to the club’s charity of the year, Marie Curie.
The competition for a miniature garden in a seed tray was won by Raina. Dora gave the results of the flower of the month competition and Ronnie and Mary organised the raffle.
Further details about the club are available from Val on 01945 772247.
Walsoken
All Saints’ Church
Vestry hour is on Wednesday at 6.30pm in the church to arrange weddings, baptisms and banns, etc.
Services this week: 8am Holy Communion and 10.30am Morning Worship. All welcome.
The next coffee morning is on Friday, May 27, at 10am in the community room in the church. Everyone welcome.
Beavers meet in the village hall at 6pm on Thursday, term-time only. Cubs meet at St Peter’s Junior school on Wednesdays at 6.30pm, term-time only.
West Walton
Village Hall
An open evening with cheese and wine will be held at the village hall in Mill Road from 6pm tomorrow (Thursday).
It is being held to promote the hall and representatives from some of the user groups will be available to talk to. Visitors can have a look round the hall, if they are thinking about hiring.
The hall committee is looking to increase membership and also have a Friends of the Village list of people who might be willing to help at events. Perhaps you would like to add your name to it.
If you cannot go along to the meeting, you can speak to Lenner on 01945 466570 or Hilary on 01945 589508.
Wisbech
Wisbech Committee of the Children Society
The annual coffee morning was held at the Cricket and Hockey Club and £488 was raised with a cake stall, raffle and plant stall.
The committee thank Rachael’s Plant Outlet, J T Campion and the Vineries Nursery for their kind donations of plants and also Wisbech Cricket Club for the excellent venue.
Model Railway Club
Richard Stowe and Daniel Reid continued to make improvements to the club’s layout fiddle yard.
Gerald Cross used the meeting to complete some more work to a 00 gauge stable block he is building for his own model railway.
John Roughton has completed a 00 gauge model of a Scammell Scarab brewery lorry and has donated it to the club for the brewery on the model railway. He also donated a spare trailer, which will be painted and detailed in due course.
The club chairman can be contacted on 01366-380224 or 07841423788.
