I C E N E

B U L L E T I N

www.ickletonvillage.co.uk

MARCH 2005

Editors: David and Monica Lilley

monica.lilley2@btopenworld.com

Distribution: Tony Court

Hilary Rule

All contributions please. Deadline for next Icene Bulletin

12^th MARCH 2005

PARISH COUNCIL NEWS

Refuse Collections during March

Monday 7^th March - Green bin and green box

Monday 14^th March - Black bin

Monday 21^th March - Green bin and green box

Tuesday 29^th March - Black bin

Parish Clerk I am delighted to say that Jos Flitton has been appointed Parish Clerk in my place (1 Abbey Street). By the time you read this she will have taken over the responsibilities. I have loved my time doing this job and am grateful for the working relationships I have enjoyed, and for all the support I have been given. Best wishes to Jos as she starts her work!

Kitchen Bins I still have around 12 bins left; if anyone wants one please let me know.

Grassy Lane We now have a beautiful new hedge planted on the far side of the level crossing in Mill Lane – helping to restore an ancient track way.

Duxford Airfield You may already be aware that the proposal for Marshalls Aerospace to be relocated to Duxford has now been abandoned.

Back Lane The contractors working on Priory Farm Barn have apologised for the mess created. They are trying their best to keep the mud under control – not easy in the winter months – and have promised to make good the grass and surface of the lane when work is completed. It will not be perfect while work continues, but please let Jos know if there are any further problems.

Coploe Pit Clearing This will take place on Sunday 13^th March – starting 10.00–10.30 am. Please come and help the Cambridge Conservation Volunteers. Coffee and biscuits provided. We recommend that you bring cutting tools and wear gloves!

East of England Plan The Parish Council are in the course of making their comments on EEP, which have to be filed by 16^th March. Any comments that individuals wish to make will be welcome, please note that you should make these via the website – details of which are listed in the Ickleton Society’s article. Jackie Casement - Parish Clerk

PARISH CLERK

In February Jackie Casement resigned as Ickleton’s Parish Clerk and Jocelyn Flitton was appointed by the Parish Council to take over from her. Jos, who has spent all her life in the village, is well known to many of you. We welcome Jos and look forward to working with her.

I know that all the members of the Parish Council will want to join me in saying a special thank you to Jackie. It is perhaps not appreciated how much she did both for the Parish Council in particular and for the village in general; and no-one knows better than the chairman what a difference a good parish clerk makes. Tireless and enthusiastic, and very knowledgeable about all aspects of the village, she was always a pleasure to work with. Of course, she will remain very much part of village life, but meanwhile – Thank You, Jackie! James Macdonald

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Cemetery. Tidying up the cemetery has become the Parish Council’s latest project. Many residents have relations buried there and many more of us may well be joining them one day. We feel therefore that we should have a cemetery to be proud of.

Our responsibility is to maintain the cemetery and this has been done regularly by grass cutting and tidying the compost bins and dustbin. However, it is now necessary to trim many of the trees

surrounding the area, cut back ivy and undergrowth close to the boundaries and remove dead elm, particularly those growing too close to the wall bordering Brookhampton Street. This work may create spaces that need replanting.

Once this work has been carried out, we hope to have a team to help clear the brambles etc from many of the older graves at the northern end of the cemetery. You may not know that there used to be a wide gravelled path, leading from the chapel to this end of the cemetery, which is now overgrown with weeds and moss. Another objective is to restore this path.

Finally, the ongoing problem of rabbits. A few years ago a group of volunteers put rabbit proof wire round the boundaries, it has not, sadly, stopped some burrowing in. There are many rabbit warrens in the nearby fields, which makes it almost impossible to prevent some level of infestation in the cemetery.

However, we hope that clearing the boundaries of unnecessary growth will enable us to identify

places that need special attention.

Expenditure on this programme will have to be spread over two or three years. Trimming the trees has recently been completed and we have already budgeted for this. Clearing the brambles and ivy from the older graves will be done shortly. Restoration of the path and any necessary replanting will probably be next year's target. Meanwhile we are grateful to Charles Frankau, who tends the grass during the growing season. James Macdonald (Chairman)

ICKLETON SOCIETY

It is good news that the Imperial War Museum Duxford is no longer under threat of development by Marshalls. Unfortunately, however, other development pressures seem to be increasing.

The M11 Route Management Strategy has raised the possibility of a motorway service area in our vicinity. The study also considers a range of other issues such as noise and access at junctions but does not suggest there would be any improvements in our area. The Highways Agency is consulting on this. In addition, the East of England Regional Assembly is consulting on the East of England Plan (which covers the additional 478,000 homes to be built, development of Stansted airport and other major changes in our region) and the Draft Regional Housing Strategy.

The committee of the Society is considering these reports. It will be important, if we are to get any changes, that as many people as possible send in comments (forms are on the relevant web sites) and the committee will provide more information to help with this in the April edition of Icene. However, the consultation on the East of England Plan ends on 16 March. To help members consider what points they might wish to make, the committee will let members have a copy of its response by e-mail (where we have an address) and will put copies in the Village Hall reading rack.

The details of the reports are as follows:

Study/Report	Web site address	Consultation ends
East Of England Plan	www.eera.gov.uk (link on the right of the page)	16^th March 2005
Draft Regional Housing Strategy	www.eera.gov.uk (link on the right of the page)	7^th April 2005
M11 Route Management Strategy	www.highways.gov.uk/m11rms	17^th April 2005

Rachel Radford

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CHURCH NOTICES – Services for March

Thursday 3^rd	12.30 p.m. Holy Communion (Order 1)	HINXTON
Friday 4^th	2.30 p.m. Women’s World Day of Prayer Service	DUXFORD
Sunday 6^th	9.30 a.m. Family Eucharist	DUXFORD
Mothering Sunday	11.00 a.m. Family Service	ICKLETON
Thursday 10^th	12.30 p.m. Holy Communion (Order 1)	HINXTON
Sunday 13^th	8.00 a.m. Holy Communion (BCP)	ICKLETON
Lent 5	10.00 a.m. Joint Family Eucharist	DUXFORD
	6.30 p.m. Sung Evensong	ICKLETON
Thursday 17^th	12.30 p.m. Holy Communion (Order 1)	HINXTON
Sunday 20^th	9.20 a.m. Procession gathers at Hinxton Hall Gate
Palm Sunday	10.00 a.m. Joint Family Eucharist	ICKLETON
Monday 21^st	8.00 p.m. Compline	DUXFORD
Tuesday 22^nd	8.00 p.m. Compline	HINXTON
Wednesday 23^rd	8.00 p.m. Compline	ICKLETON
Thursday 24^th	8.00 p.m. Eucharist	DUXFORD
Friday 25^th	9.30 a.m. Making the Easter Garden	HINXTON
Good Friday	12 noon – 3.00 p.m. The Three Hours	DUXFORD
Sunday 27^th	9.30 a.m. Family Eucharist	DUXFORD
Easter Day	11.00 a.m. Family Eucharist	ICKLETON

CHURCH ELECTORAL ROLL

The Church Electoral Roll will be displayed in the Church porch from Wednesday 9^th March until Monday 21^st March when it will be taken down for revision. If anyone wants to add themselves to the roll, or knows of any name which should be removed, please would they contact me.

Francis Payne

THANK YOU

Many thanks to Ickleton Barns and Garden Centre and Aquatics for the generous gift of the Christmas tree for the Church which I forgot to mention in last month’s Icene. Jenny Pell

CHURCH FESTIVAL FLOWERS

Many belated thanks to all those who, with busy lives, found time to take so much trouble with the decoration of the Church at Christmas and for various other Festivals during the year. Your efforts are greatly appreciated. Judy Marshall

WOMEN’S WORLD DAY OF PRAYER

This year’s service will be held at St. Peter’s Church, Duxford at 2.30 p.m. on Friday 4^th March. The service has been prepared by the Christian Women of Poland and the theme is ‘Let Our Light Shine’.The speaker will be Mrs. Julie Baillie. Refreshments will be served after the service.

All are welcome to share in the service, so do come along if you are able.

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BETTY HOLDGATE 1938 - 2005

Betty was born at 20 Coploe Road and was the youngest of eight children. The children all attended Ickleton School and Sawston Village College. Betty moved with her mother to a bungalow in Icknield Close and lived there until her mother's death in 1987. Betty then moved to Jasmine House in Ely where she enjoyed a good social life including holidays abroad.

The family is most grateful to the staff at Jasmine House for the wonderful care that Betty received during her time there. Ruth, Bill, Jim and Peter survive her.

Betty's ashes will be laid to rest with her parents in Ickleton cemetery. The Holdgate Family

ICKLETON SOCIAL CLUB

The next Quiz Night will be on Saturday March 12^th at 9.00 p.m. Entry fee £1.00 per person, maximum 4 persons in each team. A raffle and free buffet will be provided. Why not come along and join in? Ickleton Social Club Committee

BIRTH

Katherine and Chris would like to announce the arrival of Sebastian, born at home on 20^th January.

CHESTERFORD & DISTRICT GARDENING SOCIETY

At the meeting held on February 2^nd, the Chairman James Macdonald welcomed two new members.

The guest speaker Andrew Stewart demonstrated the art of making-up hanging baskets and window boxes with summer bedding to last through to the autumn.

The next meeting will be the Spring Party on March 2^nd ,followed by the A.G.M. in April.

Cynthia Rule

DUXFORD CHURCH OF ENGLAND COMMUNITY PRIMARY SCHOOL

Science week will be the beginning of March and we welcome a show called INSPIRE to share their expertise and enthusiasm with the children. Year 5 and 6 will have taster science lessons in the laboratories at Sawston Village College and they will also be involved in Science and Engineering workshops about forces. Key Stage 1 children will have a visitor who will focus on pollution and animal care with them, while Year 3 and 4 will visit the recycling bus and study the properties of materials.

Year 1 and 2 visited ‘The House on the Hill Toy Museum’ in Stansted Mountfitchet, as part of their history topic, researching how toys today are different from those in the past. The children have put together a book of toys and games from the past, interviewing parents and grandparents and are putting together their own toy museum.

The school is keen to improve the scope and facilities for youngsters to develop sports ability and enthusiasm. The PTA has kindly provided playground equipment for the children and an area of the grounds is to be developed into a Multi-Sports Court. School football teams battled against snow showers and icy winds to come 2nd and 4th in a football tournament organised by Cambridge United. Netball matches have been arranged with near-by schools and all of the 7 to 11 year olds will be having swimming lessons at Sawston Village College in the Summer Term. We end the Spring Term with our ever popular Winter Sports Day. Mixed age teams compete around the school at various versions of sports, such as indoor javelin!

The DX Club still has some space for after school care up to 6.00pm Monday to Thursday and until 4.30 pm on Fridays. Please contact Rose Cousins via the School Office to reserve places.

The school Council organised a non-uniform day, cake stall and nearly new sale for the Tsunami Appeal. £450 was sent to Action Aid who are working in this area. Following the success of last year’s Family Bingo Night, the PTA is holding it again on Saturday 12th March – eyes down at 6.00pm! Other events are planned for the summer, in particular the School Fete and our welcome, coffee bar and parking for the Air Days. Rachel Rugg-Gunn

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VILLAGE HALL

We now have two very attractive leaflet racks in the hall for the use of village organisations. They hold A5 (flyers) and A4 (posters) respectively. Please use these for handouts for any events taking place in the hall. Mr Viliami Mila has crafted the racks and we are grateful for a contribution, which the Preservation Society made towards the cost.

A further improvement, which regular users will benefit from,is the fitting of blinds, which will protect the morning Badminton players and the afternoon Bridge and Bowls players in particular. Again we are most grateful for a contribution towards the cost, made by members of the U3A Badminton teams. Gordon Woolhouse

TSUNAMI DISASTER

Thank you to all the wonderful people who supported our tea and cake afternoon on Wednesday 19^th January. Thanks to Cecil Vincent for setting up all the tables and crockery and to the Chapel for wavering the hire costs.

Thank you to those who baked biscuits and cakes. I have to mention the delicious coffee and walnut cake by Miranda Stone-Wigg (by the way does everyone know that she makes all sorts of cakes to order?).

We raised £160 for the appeal. Anne-Marie Hoare

ICKLETON CHURCH FETE JULY 9^th 2005

The Fete this year will be held on Saturday July 9^th on the recreation ground and in Ickleton Village Hall from 2.00 p.m. until 5.00 p.m. This annual family event has been running a few years now.

Newcomers to the village will be made very welcome. If anyone would like to help or has any ideas please get in touch.

The Parochial Church Council is ever grateful to the village for supporting this event, as it is one

of our fundraising events for the Church and a social event as well. We are a registered charity No. 245456 and this event helps with the expenses for the Church.

Sponsorship for Ickleton Church Fete 2005

Last year our annual fete was very generously sponsored by local firms and services, to the tune

of £375. This money was a great help to us in defraying expenses such-as hiring the brass band

and placing newspaper advertisements etc. I am now writing to ask firms (or individuals) to sponsor us this year.

The fete will be held on July 9^th and a week before this date a leaflet will be delivered to every

household in the village to advertise the programme of events. The names of sponsors, and their

details, will be printed on the back.

The cost of sponsorship is £25 and I already have several firms interested. So, if you would like

to sponsor the fete; or if you can suggest any firms or services who might like to do so; or if you

would like more information, please contact me, Monica Lilley or one of the

Churchwardens, Sebastian-Payne or Jenny Pell.

Please make cheques payable to Ickleton PCC and deliver them to me at 8 Brookhampton

Street, Ickleton.

** Deadline for payment and sponsorship details is 31st May 2005 **

The Parochial Church Council is very grateful for your help. Thank you, in advance.

Monica Lilley

THE CHESTERFORDS, ICKLETON AND HINXTON W.I.

Despite a bitterly cold February evening there was a good attendance to see the beautiful slides shown by Peter Ashman and his wife Mary. We travelled to Lake Garda, to the gardens of Sispinghurst and ended up viewing numerous chateaux and their gardens in the Loire valley.

We felt we had been on holiday judging from the ‘ooh’s and aah’s’ that could be heard around the hall.

The next meeting will be the A.G.M. and a fish and chip supper on March 16^th . Please note the 7.30p.m.start. Cynthia Rule

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COME HOME 2005

In the last issue of the ICENE we promised stories of some of the ‘Come Homers’. We begin with one from Connie Gravett (nee Hooke).

“I shall remember my wartime village life for always.”

In September 1939 at the start of the war I was 5 years old, and lived in Holloway North London.

I had started at the infants’ school, and was to be evacuated with the school group, but there was a change of plans and I was to go to live with friends of my godmother, who were Alice and Harry Webb, living in Ickleton.

The journey was by train, with my godmother Mabel Bentley. I do not remember the journey but the nearest station was Great Chesterford, where Uncle met us with his bike, and we must have walked the one mile to Ickleton. Uncle was the gardener at Caldrees Manor.

He and Auntie had a cottage next to the Manor House. There was no electricity in the cottage, so in the kitchen, where we had our meals and spent our evenings, we had an oil lamp. In the bedrooms we used candles. The three bedrooms led one into the other, and mine was the middle one. It had two windows, on one side the window looked out onto a covered passage and I had to kneel down to look out, and on the other side the window was so high up I couldn’t see out. The candles made shadows and dark shapes that sometimes seemed frightening, and I had not been used to a room on my own. I cannot remember Mabel leaving; I must have been scared and homesick but the next day I was put in the care of Muriel a girl of about 12 years old. Her family also had an evacuee called Gwen who was my age, so Gwen was my first friend there, and I was soon settling into my new home.

I went to the village school, the infants room was the smaller one, with Miss Carver the infant teacher. The junior part of the school was one large room for four standards - standard one started at one end of the room passing through standards two and three. By standard four you had reached 11 years and would leave the village school for Sawston Village College. The heating was from a big black stove and an open fireplace, the floor was bare floorboards, and I remember the dust flying when we had country dancing and the boys’ heavy studded boots thumping on the floor.

At Caldrees Manor there was a very very large garden, with all sorts of fruits and vegetables, and eggs from the chickens. Auntie was a good cook so we always had good food, but there was food rationing and we could only have small amount of meat, cheese and butter for each person. Worst of all for me, sweets were rationed too, I would go to the village shop and buy a bar of chocolate, which I would eat on the way home, and then Auntie would say. “Now you won’t be able to have any more until next week”.

I would sometimes get visits from my parents, or an aunt and uncle and they would try to bring me some sweets or chocolate, which was an extra treat. I also belonged to the Sunday School both Church and Chapel, one in the morning and the other in the afternoon, so there were sometimes parties and outings for the Sunday School children, and I could go to both.

At a Garden Fete at the Caldrees Manor, there was a children’s Fancy Dress. I was in my nurse’s uniform, and my friend Beryl was in some sort of army uniform and sitting in a push chair as a wounded soldier. We got the second prize, the winner was the doctor’s son, who had his small wheel barrow filled with vegetables, and a sign ‘DIG FOR VICTORY’ which was a well known saying at that time.

Later on I moved with Auntie and Uncle to a smaller cottage, 28 Frogge Street where we now had electricity, but all the water had to be collected from the pump. My room there overlooked the garden and the recreation field. Next door lived Auntie's niece who had two children Eileen and Tony Human, so now I had a chance to spend some of the evenings with them, but my best friend was Betty who was the daughter of the village policeman. In summer we had our favourite places to play around the village, and in the winter we spent a lot of time at Betty’s house and played in her shed.

So my days at Ickleton were very happy ones, I always hoped my family would be safe in London. Auntie and Uncle were very kind and treated me like one of the family, I got on well at school, and my friends and the people of Ickleton were kind, so I shall remember my wartime village life for always.

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THANK YOU

I would like to thank all my friends and relations very much for the flowers, presents and visits and especially the care and kindness they also showed me in my recent accident.

Josefina Barker

AEROBICS

Aerobics classes have just started at Ickleton Village Hall on WEDNESDAYS - 9.45am to 10.45am. Everyone is welcome - so come along and get in shape for the summer! Please bring a mat or towel. For more information please call Nicky YMCA Qualified Fitness Instructor. Rachel Rugg-Gunn

BRIDGE RE-OPENED

The new bridge over the river dividing Ickleton and Hinxton was opened (apparently without ceremony) on the afternoon of 18^th February. It has been interesting to watch progress each week. I wonder when the old bridge was built? The remains of an earlier bridge were visible.

Brookhampton Street has been as quiet as my childhood days when we could play in the street.

It will be nice to get the buses back, though our shuttle minibus has proved invaluable – it had a full load on several occasions, and its ability to get under Chesterford railway bridge proved a bonus. And, most importantly, it will be nice to drive to Hinxton without having to go round Will’s mother’s! David Lilley

DUXFORD IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM

Mosquito Aircraft unveiled at Duxford

Following an extensive restoration programme by a skilled team of staff and volunteers, the Imperial War Museum, Duxford rolled out its newly restored wartime de Havilland Mosquito aircraft on Wednesday 9^th February. The aircraft was unveiled in the presence of former Mosquito aircrew from all over the region, who have responded to the Museum's call for veterans to come and see the aircraft pulled out for the first time.

The Mosquito has a long association with the East Anglian region - most were built at Hatfield, some of the aircraft were built in Luton, on what is now part of Luton Airport, and many were based at airfields across Norfolk and Suffolk during the Second World War. Duxford's Mosquito, TA719 is one of only 33 left in the world from a total of nearly 8,000 which were built. The Mosquito is one of the greatest ever combat aircraft and served in the Royal Air Force in a variety of roles, including bomber, nightfighter and 'spyplane'. It was, until 1944, the world's fastest combat aircraft and was in RAF service from 1941 to 1953. Says Duxford's Marketing and Public Relations Manager Tracey Woods, "We are delighted that so many Mosquito aircrew were present when the aircraft was rolled out. Our Conservation team has worked extremely hard to restore this aircraft to its service configuration and it is only fitting that their efforts are seen by those so closely associated with the Mosquito.”

TA719 rolled off the production line as the Second World War drew to a close and was placed in storage for 6 years. It was then converted to tow practice targets so that RAF, Royal Navy and Army pilots and gunners could perfect their shooting skills, and in this role served with No 3 CAACU (Civilian Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Unit) at Exeter until 1961. It flew in the film 633 Squadron, starring alongside Coronation Street's Johnny Briggs (Mike Baldwin) and also in the later film Mosquito Squadron. The aircraft is now resplendent in its eye-catching target tug silver and yellow paint scheme and will take its place in Duxford's new £24 million pound AirSpace exhibition set to open in 2007. Supported by £9 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund and £995,000 by the East of England Development Agency, AirSpace will tell the story of Britain's aviation industry from its earliest days to the present. Tracey Woods ' 01223 499320

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ON THE BUSES

There were some changes in our Burton’s 32 Monday-Saturday bus service from 21^st February.

The timetable on SCHOOLDAYS:

Saffron Walden 0700 0856 1056 1256 1447 1556 1731

Ickleton 0715 0911 1111 1311 1502 1611 1746

Sawston Memorial 0728 0922 1125 1325 1515 1625 1800

Sawston Link, Rd 0730 0924 1327 1802

Addenbrooke’s 0800 0944 1143 1345 1532 1643 1821

Cambridge 0825 0956 1156 1356 1546 1705 1835

Cambridge 0730 0840 1045 1245 1445 1615 1745 1845

Addenbrooke’s 0745 0853 1100 1258 1500 1632 1800 1856

Sawston Link Road 0913 1318 1818

Sawston Memorial 0807 0916 1119 1321 1519 1650 1821 1911

Ickleton 0821 0930 1131 1332 1531 1704 1832 1925

Saffron Walden 0836 0945 1146 1346 1546 1719 1846 1938
__________________________________________________________________________

The timetable on NON-SCHOOLDAYS and SATURDAYS

Saffron Walden 0700 0856 1056 1256 1456 1556 1656 1752

Ickleton 0715 0911 1111 1311 1511 1611 1711 request

Sawston Memorial 0728 0922 1125 1325 1524 1625 1725 1815

Sawston Link Road 0730 0924 1327 1727

Addenbrooke’s 0755 0944 1143 1345 1543 1643 1748 1830

Cambridge 0816 0956 1156 1356 1556 1656 1801 1841

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cambridge 0730 0840 1045 1245 1445 1645 1745 1845

Addenbrooke’s 0745 0853 1100 1258 1500 1658 1800 1856

Sawston Link Rd 0913 1318 1718 1811

Sawston Memorial 0807 0916 1119 1321 1519 1721 1821 1911

Ickleton 0821 0930 1131 1332 1531 1732 1832 1925

Saffron Walden 0836 0945 1146 1346 1546 1746 1846 1938

Note that:

In order to improve reliability, some buses do not go via Link Road in Sawston (so you have a long walk for the Health Centre).

On schoolday afternoons there is one less journey, with consequent longer gaps due to ‘school run’ cars causing traffic congestion. There seems to be some flawed logic here – if the bus cannot keep time they should put on another bus – not cut out a service.

David Lilley

ICKLETON DIARY

March 2^nd	Chesterford & District Gardening Society Spring Party
	7.30 p.m. Chapel, Carmel Street, Gt. Chesterford
12^th	Visiting Bellringers 9.30 a.m. – 10.15 a.m.
12^th	Social Club Quiz Night 9.00 p.m. Social Club
14^th	Mobile Library
16^th	Parish Council Meeting 7.30 p.m. Village Hall
16^th	The Chesterfords, Ickleton & Hinxton W.I. AGM 7.30 p.m.
	The Community Centre, Gt. Chesterford
30^th	Visiting Bellringers 10.30 a.m. – 11.30 a.m.
May 21^st	Parkinson’s Bazaar
July 9^th	Church Fete

PUBLISHED BY ICKLETON PARISH COUNCIL