Produced and Distributed by St. Andrew’s Parish Church February … · Produced and Distributed...

Produced and distributed by St. Andrew's Parish Church TOFT VILLAGE CALENDAR Page 1

Toft Village Calendar Produced and Distributed by St. Andrew’s Parish Church February 2016

EDITORIAL

A New Year's promise to myself was to spice the Calendar up a bit. Piqued by impudent suggestions that it was turning into nothing more than a - well - calendar, I've been looking for inspiration in the Press, seeking a model on which we could base our new look. And what I've found is that I am go-ing to have to re-learn almost the entire English language to pull this off. Here are just a few ways in which the really major players express them-selves, with translations for the rest of us: Special Investigation: A normal article, but with a picture. Clamour: Something we already mentioned. If mentioned twice, a 'growing clamour'. Revealed: Said. Disclosed: Said. Confessed: Said. Furious Row: Mild disagreement Dictator: This word cannot be used alone. They are either Brutal, Ruthless, Iron-Willed or Tin-Pot. Boffin: Any person in a lab coat Baron: Person who runs a film company, newspa-per or Union. Wide-ranging: More than one. Ill-fated: Something that went wrong Luxury Mansion: Any house a bit better than yours Loot: Money Coffers: Where anyone we don't like keeps their money M-Way Hell: Traffic Jam Celebrity: A nobody Raft: The standard unit of Measures (see also 'cocktail') Love Rat: Ex-Boyfriend Pooch: A nice dog Hell-Hound: A nasty dog Hell-hole: Foreign prison A Senior Source: A source The Eleventh Hour: The time when 'last-ditch' things happen Tragedy: Minor inconvenience Humiliating U-turn: Minor policy tweak Toff: Opposite of 'Yob'. Yob: Opposite of 'Toff'. Perfect Storm: More than one bad thing at once Bombshell: Unexpected Tot: Child Sporadic: What gunfire is Sickening Lurch: Lurch Wow! And I've hardly scraped the surface. This isn't just a change of style - it's a whole new lan-guage. And, if I couldn't master French at school with professional teaching and three lots of home-work a week thrown in, I'm never going to crack this on my own. Looks like I'll just have to stick with plain old English for now. Anyone got an idea for a resolution I might be able to keep?

MONTHLY COF-FEE MORNING

– On Wednes-day 24th Feb-ruary 10.30

am-12.00 noon at the home of Margaret and John Quenby, Frog’s Hall, Hardwick Road, Toft. Everyone wel-come.

~~~~~~~~~~~~ TOFT FRIENDSHIP

CLUB [Over 50s Club]. The February meeting will be on Tuesday the 10th 2.30pm at the People’s Hall. Fran Saltmarsh will give a talk on ‘Corsets, Crinolines and Cami-soles, a history of un-derwear for men and women through the ages’. Visitors are al-ways welcome.

~~~~~~~~~~~

The Parish Council -

The next meeting will

be Mon 1st February.

All welcome.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Simple Sewing, Knit

and Natter

meets again on Wednesday, 24th February, 10.45 –

1pm.

DIARY DATES

Are you concerned about ve-hicles speeding through

Toft? Would you like to see some-

thing done about it?

If so, then why not volunteer to become part of the Toft Speed-watch Team, which needs some new volunteers to monitor speeding through the village.

The Speedwatch scheme is run in partnership with Cambridge-shire Constabulary and involves volunteers monitoring the speed of vehicles on roads in their area. Volunteers are trained to use a speed indicator and work with other team members, per-haps an hour once or twice a month, to record traffic speeds.

If you’re interested in doing something to help deter speed-ers in Toft, please contact the Parish Clerk or a Parish Coun-cillor [see contacts details above the Parish Council report] or talk to existing Speedwatch-ers Richard Fletcher [262727] and Nick Nicholson [263711] for more information.

You can also find out more

about Speedwatch at https://

w w w . c a m b s . p o l i c e . u k /

roadsafety/speedwatch

Remember: There’s nothing like a high viz jacket and a speed watch device to slow down traffic. If Toft gets known as a place where Speedwatchers are ac-tive, it’s likely to have the de-sired effect. Please help us make Toft a safer place to drive, walk and cross the road by deterring speeders.


MINISTRY TEAM THE CHURCH IN TOFT

St. Andrew’s Parish Church

Team Rector: Rev. Canon Mike Booker, Tel: 260095, 92 Swaynes Lane, Comber-ton, Cambridge CB23 7EF Lay Minister: Barbara Preece Tel: 263466 Churchwardens: Ann Mitchell 262516 Arpi Johnson 262708

Methodist Church Minister: Rev Christopher White 01763 256816 Stewards: Diana Tebbit 01223 263557 Stephen Acklam 264055 Douglas Harris 01954 211647 Mrs Pat Morton 264010 Everyone is welcome to come and share in

any of our services

SERVICES OF WORSHIP 7th February 8.00 am Holy Communion – Comberton - Rev Canon Mike Booker 11.00 am Morning Prayer, St. Andrew’s - Rev Canon Mike Booker 10th February 8.00 pm ASH WEDNESDAY, Holy Communion, St. Andrew’s – Rev Canon Mike Booker 14th February 8.30 am Holy Communion – Rev Prof Michael Reiss 11.00 am Holy Communion, Methodist Church – Rev Chris White 21st February 8.00 am Holy Communion – Comberton - Rev Canon Mike Booker 11.00 am Holy Communion, St. Andrew’s – Rev Canon Mike Booker 28th February 8.30 am Holy Communion – Rev Prof Michael Reiss 11.00 am Morning Service, Methodist Church – Mrs Cathy Michell

(Shorter Morning Prayer every Wednes-day, 9.15am at St. Andrew’s. Service lasts

about 30 minutes – everyone very wel-come.)

D ear Friends

Home visits in the dark evenings have finally pushed me into placing a SAT-NAV on my car wind-screen. I have resisted this for years but searching for an address recently made me realise there had to be an easier way. We all resist change, often for reasons we will not acknowledge nor sometimes can see within ourselves. Several years ago I bumped into a GP with his torch looking for a door in the dark when I was doing just the same. We muttered about missing door num-bers and today I think we would mutter about wheelie bins in the dark. Home visits are essential in some villages and estates where public transport is poor and many are housebound. Please help new clergy by having a door number or name which can be clearly seen, it helps such a lot. You may not have noticed but the work of clergy has changed hugely over the years of my own min-istry. It began with no mobile phones or photocopi-ers and meeting other clergy was minimal. I found it a very isolated work and yet the traditional tasks were at the fore. Today I am glad to say that we have far more team work and share more of the ministry with Lay people than ever before. Technology sometimes helps! Over these years I have stepped from having an in-fant baptism every 2 weeks to baptisms only twice a year. I have stepped from having an average of 17 weddings every summer into years with only one. And so we ask ourselves, what do clergy do now? More importantly what should we be doing and what should we let other gifted people do? The role con-tinues to change and we trust God for the shape it will become in future years.

- Rev Chris White.

Simple Sewing, Knit and Natter at the Method-ist Chapel meets again on Wednesday, 24th Feb-

ruary, 10.45 – 1pm.

All welcome - whether to sew, knit or natter


DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

Friday 11th March – Fireside. The speakers will take us on a magic tour as they circum-navigate the British Isles in their yacht Tickets on sale at the beginning of March. Sunday 10th April 6.00pm – Choral Evensong at St. Andrew’s Church – sung by Toft choir 30th April and 1st May – Toft Spring Feast Saturday, 18th June –Church Fête and open gardens. Sunday, 3rd July 4.00 pm Toft Choir Summer Concert

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ On February 17th in the Methodist Chapel at 7.30 for 7.45 there will be the opportunity to study the gospel of St Matthew, via a mix of video input and discussion. To get the most out of the event it will be necessary for those attending to have read the gospel of Matthew in advance of the 17th, looking especially for examples of radi-cal discipleship and the tension between Jesus and the Jewish hierarchy. It is hoped to follow up with studies of the other Gospels.

The Church in toft Diary

Allotment Plot Available An allotment plot in Crane’s Lane, Kingston has become available. The annual rent is normally £15, but will be reduced to £10 this year as the plot is offered part-way through the season. The tenant will need to sign an annually renewable agreement which – amongst other things – agrees that the plot will be kept cultivated. Please contact the Parish Clerk if you are interested or would like more information: Peter Stokes, [email protected] **If Kingston's a little far for you, a reminder that there are also plots available in Toft itself - see any of your Parish Councillors if you're

interested.**

Cambridge Central Library on 20th February 10.30 - 3.00 pm

LOVE FOOD FAIR

Different groups and organisations will be on-hand to show you top tips on preparation, how to stay healthy, how to grow your own - and more! Lots of tasty samples on show and for sale. A

Fun and informative affair - free! (Central Library - third floor)



TOFT SOCIAL CLUB NEWS

OUR THIRD ‘FOOD ON FRIDAY NIGHT’: 12th

FEBRUARY

Why cook on a Friday night? This time our single course meal will be chilli con carne or vegetarian chilli with baked potato. It’ll be available between 7.00 pm and 9.00 pm. Food will be on a first-come-first-served basis, so please arrive early to avoid disappointment!

LIVE MUSIC NIGHT: SATURDAY 13th

FEBRUARY As usual we’ve invited a number of local musicians to come along. We get a dif-

ferent line-up each time. It’s semi-acoustic, informal, fun, and free entry. We hope that you will come to join in, listen, or drop in just for a drink and a chat. Bring your friends, too! Music from 8.30 pm onwards

FILM CLUB: SATURDAY 20th

FEBRUARY ‘THE USUAL SUSPECTS’ (Cert 15)

This 1995 mystery crime thriller won two Oscars and is remembered for having an amazing plot twist. A sole survivor tells of the events leading up to a horrific gun battle on a boat, which begin when five criminals meet at a random police lineup. Starring Kevin Spacey and Gabriel Byrne. Film Club members free. Non-members pay a £2.50 nightly membership fee at the door. Doors open at 8.00pm.

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING: THURSDAY 25th FEBRUARY The AGM will be held on Thursday 25

th February at 8.00 pm. Any requests for additional agenda items or

nominations for committee members should be sent to Nick Nicholson at 3, Farmers End by 11th February, please. (email:[email protected]). The meeting will start at 8.00 pm. Complimentary first drinks!

NICK REVELL: SATURDAY 27TH

FEBRUARY Following up his successful 2015 Edinburgh Fringe show ‘Feminist Porno Jihadi’, Nick Revell is returning to Toft Social Club with a custom-made show just for us! He’s a stand-up comedian of great renown, a writer and performer, Perrier Award nominee, and has appeared on Friday Night Live, Just a Minute, The News Quiz, Quote Unquote, and The Nick Revell Show. Tickets in advance £8.00, available from Toft Social Club and Toft Shop. £10.00 at the door, but don’t leave it too late, it was a sell-out last time! Doors open: 8:00 for 8.15 pm

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

(See individual events above for door opening times)

www.toftsocialclub.org.uk

https://www.facebook.com/ToftSocial

Sunday quiz 7th and 21st February

Sunday Carpet Bowls 14th and 28th February

Thursday Bingo 4th and 18th February

Food on Friday 12th February

Live Music Night Saturday 13th February

Film: ’The Usual Suspects’ Saturday 20th February

Annual General Meeting Thursday 25th February

Nick Revell Saturday 27th February

Your Committee is: Richard Fletcher (Chairman), Martin Sebborn (Vice Chairman), Gill Collett (Treasurer), Nick Nicholson, Koran Collett, Ron Gouldstone, Brian Rob-

erts, Angela Unsworth, Katrina Holmes, Darren Ward, Sonia Cox, Paul Hercus.


Toft Parish Council Clerk: Mrs Gail Stoehr 30 West Drive Highfields Caldecote Cambridge, CB23 7NY Tel: 01954 210241

The Council is your locally elected Council at the first tier of local government.

Meetings are open to the public and are usually held on the first Monday of

each month (excepting August) at the Toft People’s Hall in School Lane start-

ing at 7.00pm.

Notices of meetings and agendas are published on the Parish Council Notice-

board near the bus shelter together with minutes, which can also be viewed at

www.toft.org.uk. Among other things, the Council considers local planning

applications for the planning authority, the South Cambridgeshire District Coun-

cil; provides the local recreation area, the People’s Hall, litter bins, dog waste

bins and the bus shelter; arranges for local verge cutting on behalf of the Cam-

bridgeshire County Council and works with that authority to ensure the mainte-

nance of local footpaths.

The next meeting of the Council is Monday 1st February,

All Welcome.

The PC met on 4th January.

There are a few significant things to report following the PC's

meeting on 4th Jan. As was reported last month, the PC has

nominated two people for the South Cambridgeshire Village

Hero awards as well as a group for the Environmental Award.

The two nominees are Ann Mitchell for her significant contri-

bution to the village community over many years and the sec-

ond is Nick Nicholson for his diligent work in obtaining a

range of grants, which enabled the various improvement pro-

jects at Toft People's Hall to go ahead. The nominated group

for the Environmental Award is the team that has transformed

Lot Meadow in recent years. The group has been led by Tri-

cia Ellis-Evans and the management team and the work has

been carried out by many volunteers from the village. The

outcome of the nominations will be confirmed in March but to

the PC at least, they are our heroes.

Elsewhere in the Calendar you will see pieces regarding two

opportunities to become more involved in the village. The first

is a call for more volunteers for the Speed Watch Team. This

is not a heavy commitment but can have a significant impact

in ensuring drivers do keep to the speed limit in the village.

The second piece is about the role and responsibilities of

Parish Councillors and has been included to encourage resi-

dents to apply for the vacant Councillor position. If you have

an interest in either of these roles, please contact the Clerk or

just speak to any of the Councillors.

The PC has recently taken on direct responsibility for the al-

lotments in the village and will be issuing new tenancy agree-

ments for the existing tenants over the next few weeks.

Perhaps the main agenda item at the meeting was to agree a

budget for the Parish Council for 2016/17 and to set the pre-

cept rate (the amount each household pays along with the

council tax for PC expenditure). The PC was pleased to

agree on a budget and to decide that next year the precept

rate will be reduced by more than 10%. This has been

achieved by continuing to manage costs and by the comple-

tion of loan repayments for Toft People's Hall. As they say,

"Every Little Helps".

The PC has agreed to investigate whether improved mobile

phone signals can be achieved in the village. It was agreed

that the network companies be contacted to see what could

be done.

Disappointingly our County Councillor, Stephen Frost, did not

attend the meeting. He has missed many of our meetings

without providing apologies or a report. The PC is to write to

him to encourage him to attend as his involvement provides a

valuable link between the Parish and County Councils.

Please read the formal minutes of the meeting for the defini-

tive outcomes from the meeting.

Councillors Phone E-mail

Chairman:

Martin Yeadon

263663 [email protected]

Gill Pugh 262151 [email protected]

Jeanne McCarten


Pat Gould-stone


Tricia Ellis-Evans


Andy Tall 07984796273

[email protected]

Start your Saturday with enlightening Yoga Session

At the Toft Peoples Hall

Open to all ( ages, gender or ability)

8.30am to 10am.

Drop in session £10

Free taster session

Every Saturday till the 19th of December. We will break for Christmas until the 9th of January.

Seasons greetings to you all

For more information email [email protected] - Tel 07747533306


Derek Bilsland writes: As on page 14 of the last Toft Village Calendar a note indicates that sightings of historical personali-ties could be reported, this is my contribution. Well, not really mine but my wife Kay's contribution. Kay, or Karin Krogh as she was until we married, was born in Sweden. Her father was transferred to Brazil on business when she was one year old. As a result she was brought up

in that country. In 1964 she went back to her native Sweden to attend university in Gothenburg before returning to Brazil in 1968. In 1966, before the football World Cup - which England won, as if that fact needs reminding - the Brazilian squad went to train in Gothenburg before coming to the UK for the games. It was then that Kay was invited by the Brazilian Consulate in Gothenburg to visit the Brazilians and, being fluent in Portuguese, to welcome them to Sweden. That occasion allowed Kay to meet all players and, as a picture in a local newspaper shows, even to kiss the best-ever footballer in the world, the legendary Pelé!


Arts Events in February

Dates in Feb Events Tickets and further info

Sat 6th

& Sun 7

th Feb

Eden Dance presents: Aladdin 2:30m – Alice 5:30opm http://www.wegottickets.com/location/3764

Fri 12th

Feb Custard Comedy – Headliner – Noel James with An-drew Watts, Jon Murfin and MC Hayley Ellis

http://www.custardcomedy.co.uk/comberton.html

Sat 13th

Feb Splitz Dance Annual Show

Tues 16th

Feb Cambridgeshire Alliance for Independent Living pre-sents Access All Areas

http://www.cambridgeshirealliance.org.uk/

Sat 20th

Feb The Polka Dots & Feathers Winter Charity Circus Ball https://www.facebook.com/events/778081895651358/

For more information about any of our shows please contact Richard Brown, Arts Development Man-

ager, Comberton Village College – 01223 264444 / [email protected]

FEBRUARY BULLETIN FROM CAMBRIDGESHIRE FIRE AND RES-CUE SERVICE

THINK the fire service is all about putting out fires and rescuing people from road crashes? Think again. At Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service, the men and women on our frontline deliver important fire safety advice to dozens of different commu-nities. From visiting schools to care homes, mother and toddler groups to

community fetes, our firefighters play an integral role in keeping YOUR community safe. And we’d like you to think about joining us. The role of a firefighter is varied and exciting but most importantly, it can make a real different to people’s lives. The next recruitment process for wholetime firefighters opens on February 6. To find out more,

log on to www.cambsfire.gov.uk.

Find us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Cambridge Wind Band presents Stars and Stripes – Saturday 30th April – 7.30pm – at West Road Concert Hall, Cambridge - an eve-ning of American music featuring Bernstein, Stevie Wonder, John Wil-liams and much, much more. Tickets £15 / £10 available from ADC Box office by calling 01223 300085 or email [email protected] We would like to thank the Cambridge Wind Band who will be raising funds through this concert for Home-Start Royston & South Cambridge-shire.


Parish Council vacancy: what is a Parish Council and what can it do? Parish Councils are the level of local government closest to the needs of local people. They are legally established and are required to act within the law to improve the lives of their local community. They can collect a precept each year - a sum collected with the council tax from the householders in the parish. This money is specifically intended to maintain and improve facilities and services for parish residents. Parish Councils are elected bodies and should therefore be responsible and responsive to their local electorate. Par-ish Councils in England have a number of basic responsibilities which fall within three main categories:-

Representing the whole electorate within the parish;

Delivering services to meet local needs; Striving to improve quality of life in the parish. What does it mean to be a parish councillor? Councillors are elected for a period of 4 years. Councillors co-opted in between elections serve until the next elec-tions, which for Toft take place in 2018 They each sign a statutory declaration form agreeing that they will abide by the council’s Code of Conduct which em-bodies principles of Selflessness, Honesty and Integrity, Objectivity, Accountability, Openness, Personal Judgement, Respect for Others, Duty to Uphold the Law, Stewardship and Leadership. New councillors also complete their own Register of Interests and attend training sessions at the Parish Council’s expense. For more information on these commitments please contact the Clerk. What do councillors do? Councillors have three main components to their work:- 1. Decision Making – Through meetings and attending committees with other elected members, councillors decide

which activities to support; where money should be spent; what services should be delivered; and what policies should be implemented. 2. Monitoring – Councillors make sure their decisions lead to efficient and effective services by keeping and eye on

how well things are working. Getting involved locally - As local representatives, councillors are able to choose to take on responsibilities and du-ties to help residents and local organisations.

Why should I become a councillor? As a councillor you can become a voice for your community and you can make/change local policies; ensure delivery of local services; and enhance the quality of life for all residents. Councillors are community leaders and represent the aspirations of the residents that they serve. Parish Councils and their councillors are elected to provide the level of governance closest to their public. You should consider standing for co-option and becoming a Parish Councillor if: You want to do more for your community, you want to spend your time productively, you want to be involved in set-ting the budget, you can think, listen and act locally. As with most things, the more you put in, the more you (and your community) will get out. The Parish Council employs a Clerk to support the Council in its work both at meetings and also between meetings. Toft Parish Council meets on the first Monday of every month, except August, or when the first Monday is a bank holiday when the meeting is held on the second Monday. The meetings start at 7.00pm and are held in the Village Hall. Occasionally extra-ordinary meetings are convened for urgent decisions. Members are encouraged to take on an area of responsibility to help share the workload and to ensure that the Council maximises its efficiency. Being a Councillor should cost you little. There is usually cover for subsistence and travel allowances if your duties take you out of your local Council's area. These allowances will be within a maximum laid down by the Government. You are welcome to attend any Parish Council meeting and if you want to raise any issues there is a public forum at the start of each meeting. Toft Parish Council is currently looking for one new councillor. Could this be YOU? Want to know more? If you are interested and want to know more please speak to any councillor or the Clerk. If you want to apply please contact the Clerk, Gail Stoehr, on 01954 210241 or email [email protected]


Now dig this!

Following the success of the Big Dig project in 2013, we’d like to remind eve-ryone that you can still dig for history. If you want to dig a trial pit (1m x 1m) in your garden or elsewhere on your land, we can supply the tools and advise you on how to go about it. The Big Dig project only scraped the surface, so to speak, with trial pits in se-lected parts of the village, so there’s a lot of history still hidden beneath our gardens and fields. Who knows what you might uncover? Pottery, coins, bones, maybe even that elusive Viking Burial Ship …

This WWII ARP (Air Raid Precaution) uniform button was recently unearthed during routine gardening at 11 Mill Lane. It’s not the Viking burial ship but it is part of our village history.

If you fancy digging a trial pit on your land, get in touch with either Mike McCarthy (email: [email protected] tel: 262523) or Ann Mitchell (email: [email protected] tel: 262516) and we’ll help you to get going.

Finally, a date for your diary: doyen of Cambridgeshire history, journalist, archi-vist and highly entertaining speaker, Mike Petty is coming to give us a talk at the People’s Hall on Tuesday 22

nd March. Details in next month’s Village Cal-

endar.


Had a recent experience of using health or social care? Tell us what it was like for you. Listen: At Healthwatch, we listen. Tell us what is working well within our local health and care services and what you think needs to be better. We log what you say and share this anonymously with the people who make decisions about our care. This helps them improve care where it is needed. Involve: We can make sure you know about local opportunities to have your say on health and care decisions. You can sign up for regular updates, or get in touch whenever you want some infor-mation. We can help you find out what health and care services are available locally, or how to raise a concern. This is a free, independent and confidential service. Challenge: Healthwatch can challenge health and care decision makers, if care isn’t working in the way it should. We can also challenge, if we think a decision has been made where people have not been able to contribute. They have to listen to us, and they have to reply. Get in touch Please do tell us how care is working right now for you and the people who are important to you. Your experiences are important to us. We are happy to talk to local groups and attend events, so please do invite us. Contact us www.healthwatchcambridgeshire.co.uk or call 01480 420628.

Healthwatch Cambridgeshire follow us @HW_Cambs

It’s the perfect time to wrap up warmly and get out and about. At the same time, why not help local charity Cam-bridge Past, Present and Future (CambridgePPF) look after one of its sites this Winter by attending a one off conservation volunteer session. Assist the warden team with conservation projects at Wandlebury Country Park and learn traditional methods of hedge laying and coppicing. For more information: email [email protected], call 01223 243830 extension 207 or visit www.cambridgeppf.org/whats-on

Why Not Try Healthy Walking? - Every Thursday: 10am or 10.30am to 11am Keep fit and enjoy the outdoors by joining our healthy walkers this February for one of our Walking for Health accredited sociable walks around the park. Meet at the Stable Rooms at 10am for a longer walk or 10.30am for a shorter stroll. The walks end at around 11am with tea and coffee in the Stable Rooms. All welcome, suitable for all abilities. NB: Free of charge and no need to book, but please arrive 10 minutes early to register if it’s your first time. Do-nations towards the upkeep of the park are always welcome. Directions: Wandlebury Country Park is on the A1307, 2.5km south of the Addenbrooke’s roundabout. Parking is

available on site and costs £3 per vehicle, members free.


Dear Readers, here is the most recent list of foods on the Cambridge City Foodbank website. I would again like to thank all those who are contributing food. I now work at the Lensfield Road Catholic Church distribution centre in Cam-bridge. Every week young mothers, homeless men, people with mental health conditions, students, ex-prisoners and many others on low incomes or dependent on benefits are sent to collect emergency food supplies from us. There is real and on-going need out there so please go on helping Cambridge City foodbank to support local peo-ple in need by buying something we require this month from the list below. Please note that: We have very high stocks of most items particularly cereals; baked beans; pasta & soup. Please help us 'FILL THE GAP' by donating;

Tinned meats (for eating hot e.g. meat pies, stews, minced beef, chicken in sauce etc.)

Tinned tomatoes

Tinned meat s/fish to be eaten cold e.g. tuna, ham

Pasta sauce

Small salt (65 grm)

Small pepper (35 grm)

Cooking Oil - 500ml

Sponge Puddings (Longlife) ALL GOODS SHOULD BE UNDAMAGED & IN DATE PLEASE Thank you for your support! - Best wishes, Cathy Michell PS If you would like to become a volunteer please see our website http://cambridgecity.foodbank.org.uk/

Fork-Talk

If ever a place ought to have it made, it's The Plough at Fen Ditton. Quiet, country location, generous grounds sweeping down to its own river front-age, huge car-park - by rights, this place should be heaving on all but the

dreariest nights. And yet, like most riverside pubs I've known around Cambridge, it has suffered for years from anodyne management, so-so service, an indifferent bill of fare and a lead-booted inability to react to demand. There are many days in the calendar when The Plough must know it's going to be busy - fishing, rowing and other river-related events signalled well in advance - yet all that hap-pens is that you wait even longer to be served, when an astute inn-keeper would ship in a few extra pairs of hands to accommodate demand and boost the takings. A similar dilettantism attended their approach to the Christmas din-ner season when a few of us turned up there immediately before the Big Day. Bear in mind that this pub required us to specify a week in advance exactly what we wanted to eat, choosing from an adequate but brief menu. And that a standard Christmas dinner - turkey, usual trimmings - is a pretty straightforward affair, particularly for a professional kitchen given weeks of notice and, indeed, weeks of prac-tice. In fact, much of it can be prepared some time in ad-vance, although a good trick is to successfully disguise this fact from the diners, an area where The Plough needs prac-tice. As we'd booked in advance, The Plough had reserved six-teen seats for our merry band, which would have been ideal, had there not been nineteen of us. However, a bit of pushing and shoving soon created space and we settled in with anticipation. As with most seasonal jollies of this type, you go on the understanding that it's the occasion that mat-ters rather than the food, and you're prepared, in true Christmas spirit, to make a few allowances. Service was

provided by the usual crowd of shiny-faced, eager-to-please-but-clueless persons that pubs seem to attract, plus one glacially cool hipster behind the bar. I'd chosen a to-mato and red pepper soup as a starter. This was just warm enough to distinguish it from gazpacho, but nothing you couldn't have knocked up in your own kitchen for about thirty pence. But it wasn't until the main course turned up that The Plough unveiled its true flair. A plate of pale meat arrived accompanied by a couple of black gooseberries. Or at least, that's what they looked like, but later analysis re-vealed that they were the chef's attempt at roast potatoes. A chipolata sausage the size of a matchstick loitered like a lost soul at the rim of the plate, whence it had glued itself. While we were waiting for these to cool - The Plough thoughtfully provided a lengthy interval for just this purpose - I snuck a look at my companions. There was little doubt. Their mood had veered from that of do-or-die Yuletide rev-ellers to that of an order of monks contemplating some par-ticularly savage dietary penance. You could expend an awful lot of verbiage on a description of green vegetables, if you wanted, but I'm restricting myself to one: sorry. Con-soling ourselves with the notion that you couldn't go too far wrong with Christmas pud, we gummed down what we could of the turkey. The pud, when it arrived, was 'fun-sized' - which turned out to be a blessing, since it meant that at least some of us could finish it. I've been pretty harsh on The Plough so far, so it's only fair to say that their prices are very reasonable (compared to what like-establishments charge for a Christmas dinner). Service was acceptable, if not outstanding, and everyone got what they ordered, which is not as easy as it sounds with large parties such as ours. Drinks were fairly priced and, since all present were in a convivial and forgiving mood, no-one seemed too downcast as we swayed in to the night at the end of the evening. If you want to shovel up some cheap grub in pleasant surroundings, you could do worse. If you're desperately trying to impress your boss, this place might not do it.


USEFUL PHONE NUMBERS

Alcoholics Anonymous: 0845 769 7555

Anglian Water (for sewage): 08457 145 145

Ashcroft Veterinary Surgery: 01954 210250

Bourn GPs’ Surgery: 01954 719313

Cambridge AIDS help-line: (01223) 508805

Cambs County Council: 0345 045 5200

Cambridge Dial a Ride 01223 506335

Cambridge Water: 01223 706050

Care Network Cambridgeshire 01954 211919.

Citizens Advice Bureau: 0844 848 7979

Comberton GPs’ Surgery: 01223 262500

Comberton Village College: 01223 262503

County Councillor: 01954 211444

District Councillor: 01954 210840

Eastern Electricity (Emergencies): 0800 7838838

CVC Community Education: 01223 264721

Household Waste/Pest Control: 0345 045 0063

Lifespan Health Care, Family and Child Team: 01223 264460

Meridian Primary School: 01223 262423

Police: 101 (Emergencies: 999)

(Local Beat Officer is PCSO Alex Giltinane)

Road/Pothole Reporting: 0345 045 5212

Street Lighting: 0800 7838 247

Street Cleaning: 03450 450 063

South Cambs District Council: 03450 450 500

South Cambs Fire and Rescue: 01480 444 500

Toft Car Scheme: Mary Baverstock (263629. If no reply, then please call 262708.)

Trading Standards: 0345 0455206

And, finally… Please remember that contributions for the next issue of the

Calendar must reach the Editor, Michael Walker, by 20th February. Many thanks to all who contributed to this edition.

Email: [email protected] Post: 33 Egremont Road, Hardwick, Cambridge CB23 7XR

Telephone: 01954 211346

Advertisements are published quarterly. Copy for inclusion in the next available edition of the Calendar must reach us by 17th April 2016 at the very latest. Advertisements will NOT be published unless full payment has been received in advance. Please note: We are currently unable to accept PDF file types. Quarter-page adverts MUST be Portrait-style, half-page adverts MUST be Landscape- style. In the first instance, advertisers should contact Pat Gould-stone at: [email protected] to discuss their requirements.

Notice to Advertisers

Wheelie Bin Collections For February (N.B. These dates may be subject to change)

Black Bin:

Thurs 11th Feb Thurs 25th Feb

Blue Bin: Thurs 4th Feb (+ Green Bin)

Thurs 18th Feb

T he Calendar is always pleased to receive contribu-tions from readers, advertisers and fund raisers. We

reserve the right to edit, amend, abridge or otherwise butcher any submissions to accord with technical or edi-torial requirements, or sometimes just on a whim. Con-tributors are asked to note that all formatting is removed from items on receipt. Consider plain text files as your first choice where possible. Please avoid proprietary file types (e.g. PDF, JPG, PUB, DOCX, XLS etc) unless you feel it unavoidable. Many thanks.

HARDWICK NEW MUMS & TUMS GROUP

A group especially for parents-to-be and parents /carers of babies up to the age of being mobile..

We meet every Wednesday 11 a.m. - 12.30 p.m.

Venue : In the port-a-cabin behind St Mary's

Church, Main Street, Hardwick, Cambs. CB22 7QT.

Come and have a chat with other parents & share

experiences

A chance to catch up with friends and make new ones

Baby play mats, seats & toys provided, plus chang-ing facilities

Drinks & biscuits - donations welcome

For further information please do not hesitate to

contact us.

Leaders Stella :Tel: 01954 210049 / Mob. 07903229296 Email: [email protected] Jo : Tel 01954 213167 / Mob 07752870320 Email [email protected]

Thank you! I would like to say a huge “thank you” to all my

friends, neighbours and fellow dog-walkers who, with your kind words and gestures, have made me

feel so welcome in the village. I can't thank you enough for making me and “my girls”, Molly and

Phoebe, feel really at home. Many thanks, Elaine Miles

Produced and distributed by St. Andrew's Parish Church TOFT VILLAGE CALENDAR SERVICES DIRECTORY Page 1 ADVERTISEMENTS APPEARING HERE ARE SUPPLIED BY THEIR RESPECTIVE BUSINESSES. NO WARRANTY, RECOMMENDATION OR OTHER

MARK OF SECURITY OR APPROVAL IS EXPRESSED BY THE PUBLISHERS OR THEIR AGENTS, NEITHER SHOULD ANY BE INFERRED.













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