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Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: [email protected]
February 2021 1 Issue 188
Issue 189 Deadline: by 9am on Monday 15th February
Editors’ note… I’m sure like us you are finding
the continuing restrictions of
the pandemic lockdown at the
very least weary! Still, some of
our older residents have already been vaccinated and
there is a programme planned for the rest of us and it
looks like summer holidays may be possible.
Valentine’s Day is likely to be a meal for two at home,
perhaps with cocktails and a special dessert. (See the
chocolate fondue pudding on page 13, dig out the recipe
books or the internet has lots of recipe ideas too.)
Meanwhile take time to review the Neighbourhood Plan
and log your interest in the District Heating Scheme.
(Details of both are on page 4.)
Please send in your news, views, photos, recipes and
gossip in good time for the next deadline, by 9am on
Monday 15th February.
Keep safe! Editors, [email protected]
2
Contents
Were you living in Grafham
in the 1960s, during the construction of Grafham Water?
I would be interested to know what residents thought
about the construction of the reservoir.
How were they told and consulted?
What happened to the people who lost their property?
How have their views modified over the years?
If you can help, please contact: Richard Storey
Secretary to the Buckden Local History Society by tel: 07890 862402
or email: [email protected]
Upgrade of electrical network Starting Monday 1st February for approximately 5 weeks
lpsum Utilities, on behalf of UK Power Networks, will be upgrading the electrical network, removing overhead ca-bles and installing them underground in Breach Road and Church Road. The electrical substation on Breach Road will also be upgraded
The works will start by the Wyvern and proceed towards
Church Road. The footpath and road will be dug up. Traffic lights will be supplied for safety. Breach Road will be closed 20th - 21st February while the cables are laid across Breach Road with the junction of Church Road. The electricity supply will be unaffected at present, Ipsum will inform residents of any planned power outages.
More details are on the letter delivered to properties in
the village about 22nd January. Any concerns or
problems contact: Stuart Tomlin 07890 626580
email: [email protected]
Nativity Stones
Many thanks for all those who participated in painting stones - and finding them!
Is this something worth doing again?
Glad you had fun! Jill Tyack
Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: [email protected]
February 2021 2 Issue 188
All Saints Church, Grafham At the time of writing, Grafham Church is open across weekends from Friday morning until Monday evening.
Covid precautions should be observed please and hand sanitiser is provided for you to use on entry and exit, also red
crosses to show where you’ve been sitting, a QR code to scan (or simple track and trace form to fill in, with a quarantine
box for used pens.) The children's corner is not accessible at present.
If a wedding or a funeral takes place, then the church would have to be closed for 72 hours before and after the service.
As usual, these guidelines may change ...
Book sales continue in the porch. We ask visitors, to use the hand sanitiser provided and to return any
books handled but not bought into a ‘Quarantine box.’ A payment box is attached to the porch table.
Church Services Weekly Sunday services are live-streamed from Brampton at 10.30 on the YouTube channel and you can find an
order of service on the Worship page of the East Leightonstone website https://eastleightonstone.com/
For more information on events and services for Grafham, Ellington and Brampton visit https://eastleightonstone.com
and click on Calendar. To join the mailing list to receive upcoming church services and Parish News visit:
http://www.eastleightonstone.com and click News
Contacting the clergy
Keith Wood Churchwarden, Brampton 07802 368 659 The parish has no rector at present but emails
to the following address will get forwarded to the relevant person. [email protected]
It is a sad fact that our church is closed again except for private prayer between Fri-
days and Mondays. However we still endeavour to keep our church welcoming with
regular cleaning and the provision of fresh flowers, so do pop in when you’re passing
to enjoy some peace and tranquility.
On 20th December Revd Mike Booker led our Communion Service for a small group.
The Christmas tree and Advent wreath, with its glowing candles, were a cheery sight
in this special Christian season, reminding us that in the depths of a pandemic noth-
ing changes in the church calendar.
‘Creative thinking’ primarily by Jill (why are we not surprised?) enabled us to still
have our Crib Service followed by our Communion Service the next day. As we
would normally not be able to have services inside the church two days in a row due
to Covid restrictions, we proved that necessity became the mother of invention. The
Crib Service was therefore held in the churchyard. Preparations included erecting a
gazebo (thank you Martin and Joe) for our two musi-
cians Kate and Sally. Lights were fixed up in the trees
(thank you Brian) and nightlights illuminated the path.
We followed the usual service plan and as it was out-
doors, when we shook, rattled and rolled, we were able
to SING! making the celebration extra special.
On Christmas Day our Rural Dean Ian Brennand led our Holy
Communion service. Ian began his sermon with the more serious
aspects of Covid and its ramifications. He then said we needed
some Christmas cheer and delighted us with his ‘pantomime skills’
and the ‘audience participation’ was great fun. We are sorry for
those who missed it, it was a real treat! Sally delighted us too with
View from the Pew
View from the Pew Continued on page 3
Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: [email protected]
February 2021 3 Issue 188
Grafham’s County Councillor
Peter Downes
07765 833486
Grafham’s District Councillor Darren Tysoe 01480 388310 [email protected] Grove Cottage, Malting Lane, Ellington, PE28 0AA
Follow me on Twitter @darrentysoe
Receive my updates on Facebook www.facebook.com/cllrdmtysoe
Grafham Parish Council
You may contact your parish councillors through the parish clerk or directly.
Margaret Life, Parish Clerk
07780 119311 [email protected]
Ian Gardener Chairman 01480 812821 [email protected]
Alastair Watson [email protected]
David Russell [email protected]
Jo Dunn [email protected]
Patrick Curran [email protected]
A MESSAGE FROM YOUR PARISH COUNCIL PROPOSED CHANGES TO LUTON AIRPORT ARRIVALS
You will no doubt be aware that there are proposals for changes to the Arrival Routes for aircraft into London Luton
Airport and a new stack holding pattern is proposed centred over Grafham Water at a minimum height of 8000 ft. The
new flightpaths are to the south of the District and aircraft will not enter the new flightpaths until approximately the
Black Cat roundabout on the A1 at which point they will start there descent into London Luton. Aircraft will only enter
the Holding Pattern, centred over Grafham Water which will extend as far south as St Neots and as far north as Alcon-
bury, if the flightpath into London Luton is not clear.
There are a number of documents available which explain these changes and the potential impact on our villages and
these can be found at https://www.nats.aero/vr/ad6/static-docs
Your Parish Council has had discussions about these plans and the main points are listed here for your information.
• The preferred plan is for stacking / holding area to be centred over Grafham Water
• Cambridgeshire, Herts County Councils, Bedford Borough Unitary & Huntingdonshire District Council have been
made aware of plans
• All airports have plans for expansion
• Residents have the opportunity to respond to the consultation by 5th February
• The Parish Council view was submitted to Huntingdon District Council and Cambs County Council by 7th
January
• A consultation document states that within the holding area depending on the height of the aircraft and back-
ground noise, the level of noise will be 55 dB, which is comparable to light aircraft that fly over our area. The sig-
nificant noise impacts will be along the proposed Arrival flightpaths.
• Webinars are being offered to the three levels of local government i.e., County, District and Parish Councils in
which Grafham PC expects to engage in January
Please make the Parish Council aware of your views. You can do this by emailing or contacting any of the Councillors listed at the top of the page, or the clerk (email [email protected])
her accompaniment to the hymns which we followed in our books and her superb rendition of ‘Ding dong merrily on
high’ at the end.
Our Epiphany service on 3rd
January also had a theatri-
cal theme. We began with
the bells being run by our
dedicated bellringing group.
The talk began with a short
sketch illustrating that Jesus
is for everyone, not just
kings and wise men in rich
clothes but for the poorest
in society.
Now sadly we must wait for the pandemic to come under control before our services can resume. Streamed services will
continue to be available from the East Leightonstone website each Sunday.
We look forward to better times when we can welcome a new incumbent, hopefully in the Spring.
View from the Pew Continued from page 2
Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: [email protected]
February 2021 4 Issue 188
You have more time! We have extended the deadline for you to give your views on the plan so far
COMMUNITY FACILITIES
• Hands off our playgrounds!
• Shop and dine locally is village
desire.
• Cycling not a viable option
for young people.
TRAFFIC AND TRANSPORT
• Big drive for additional tracks
and trails for better local sustainable
transport links.
• Junction driving residents round the
bend!
• Pot holes and pitfalls.
BUILT-UP AREAS
• Protecting the perimeter a priority
for villagers.
HOUSING: LOOKING AHEAD
• Retain the past, while looking
towards the future.
• Not in your back yard!
Draft of the Plan https://bit.ly/3eVt4EY Feedback form https://bit.ly/37K3H5Q
G0 Heating – Project Begins An update Representatives of the Grafham, Great Staughton and Perry heating project were
joined by newly appointed, Element Energy, one of the UK’s leading low carbon en-ergy consultancies, and community engagement specialist, Line Undrawn at our pro-
ject kick-off meeting held on Friday 15th January 2021.
The project was awarded funding (Rural Community Energy Funding) in October to
develop the feasibility study, which will review solutions to deliver a renewable heat
network to all three villages involved. This innovative project could provide heat from
a local energy source, such as Grafham Water, and deliver heating through underground pipes to your home. It has the
potential to offer renewable heating that is compatible with an existing central heating system and should be much more
affordable than an individual air source or ground source heat pumps (which cost £7,000+.) The feasibility study is a first
step in understanding what is technically possible, financially feasible and what level of interest there is for a heat net-
work in each village.
Get involved An important part of the feasibility study is speaking with you, to find out more about your priorities and potential interest
in joining a heat network. To pursue this project, we must demonstrate that our community is engaged, interested and
ready to support a village-wide project tackling climate change on our doorstep! So, start the conversation with your
neighbours and bring them on our renewable energy journey.
There will be several opportunities to engage with the project and to learn more about the big idea over the next months:
March - Join our public meeting at 7.30pm, Monday 1st March (Online)
- Watch-out for a leaflet and survey through your door
April - An update on the project and meeting minutes will be available in the Grafham Gossip, plus a second survey
release
- A follow-up public meeting will also be held (hopefully in person!)
Please join our mailing list to stay up to date, email [email protected]
Janet Hall from G0, Going Zero
Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: [email protected]
February 2021 5 Issue 188
Talking Shop Welcome to the first ‘Talking Shop’ of the New Year. By the time you read this we will be well into 2021 and Christmas will be a distant memory. We hope you had a good Christmas and were able to see your loved ones, if only for a limited time.
As we start the new year, we feel optimistic for what might lie ahead. We’ve certainly noticed it’s getting dark slightly later and we look forward to the days when we can get up in daylight!
As we write this we, are, of course, locked down again and we realise what a lifeline this shop is to so many people. We are working hard to keep the shop stocked with everything you might need.
We appreciate that some people might not want to come into the shop at this time and we will do everything we can to accommodate you. We have made the shop as safe as possible with hand sanitiser at the door and a protective screen in front of the counter. Masks must be worn in the shop by customers and staff alike and we have a stringent cleaning routine. Some of our volunteers have decided to take time out of the shop to protect themselves and family members so we may struggle to offer a delivery service at this time. However, we will do all we can so if you need something but feel you should-n’t come into the shop please ring us and we will see what we can do. We are always looking for volunteers and even more so at the moment, so if anyone has any time and would like to help with the shop please let us know. We are particularly appealing to the younger mem-bers of our community (over 18) who may have time on their hands and want to put it to good use. You can ring us on 810119 or call in.
It seems like not a lot happens in January. The next event on the calendar is Valentine’s Day on 14
th Febru-
ary so call in for your chocolates, gifts and of course, wine. Shrove Tuesday this year falls on 16
th February so
come to us for your flour, eggs and toppings.
Don’t forget we have some original pieces of artwork for sale, done by the Grafham and Ellington Art Group, which are displayed on our walls. A percentage of sales goes to the shop funds so come and have a look. We also have a selection of their greetings cards. We have
some very talented people in our local villages.
Saints & Sinners jams, marmalades, chutneys and mus-tards have been replenished since the rush we had on them over Christmas. They were so popular we nearly sold out! Come in and see if we have your favourites. And don’t forget we sell logs and kindling for all those who have open fires. Nets of kindling are priced at £4.95 and logs at £6.50. The face masks made by Barbara Whitlock are still avail-able in the shop priced as £2.50 each and all money goes to charity.
See you in the shop soon
Lynn and Chloe
News update from the shop committee: As stated above we have seen the number of volunteers re-duce. In order to take the pressure off Lynn and Chloe we have decided to revise our opening times for the next month or two. Please note the new times below.
Grafham Community Shop Tel: 01480 810119 Opening Times
Mon-Fri 9.00 - 6.00
Sat 9.00 - 5.00
Sun 9.00 - 2.00
Bank Holidays 9.00 - 2.00 [email protected]
www.grafhamvillageshop.co.uk
www.facebook.com/GrafhamCommunityShop/
• Prepare vegetable seed beds, and sow some vegetables under cover
• Protect blossom on apricots, nectarines and peaches
• Net fruit and vegetable crops to keep the birds off
• Prune winter-flowering shrubs that have finished flowering
• Divide bulbs such as snowdrops, and plant those that need planting 'in the green'
• Chit potato tubers
• Prune Wisteria
• Prune hardy evergreen hedges and renovate overgrown deciduous hedges
• Prune conservatory climbers such as bougainvillea
• Cut back deciduous grasses left uncut over the winter, remove dead grass from evergreen grasses
There’s more advice from the Royal Horticultural Society website
https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/in-month/february
Gardening Jobs for February
Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: [email protected]
February 2021 6 Issue 188
Send your news, views, photos, recipes, ‘Letters to Ed’ and
gossip to [email protected]
by 9am on the 15th of every month
For more advice or information about waste and recy-cling services, visit www.huntingdonshire.gov.uk/bins
or call 01480 388640 between 8.45am and 5.00pm Monday to Thursday and 8.45am and 4.30pm on Fridays or email [email protected]
Wednesdays Blue bin (recycling) and
Black bin (refuse) - alternate weeks
Every other Thursday - Green bin (garden waste)
Useful Phone Numbers All emergencies 999
Non-emergencies 101
Cambridge Constabulary HQ 01480 456111
Minicom for hard of hearing 01480 422493
Action Fraud 0300 123 2040
Crimestoppers 0800 555111 (anonymous)
To report anti-social behaviour in Grafham 01480 388379 or 387097 or e-mail: [email protected] or [email protected]
To stop unwanted phone calls 08450 700707
To stop unwanted mail 08457 034599
Power cut Call 105 or 0800 31 63 105 or text POWER and your postcode to 80876 http://www.powercut105.com/
For a recycling update and a reminder of the
right recycling to put in your blue bin, go to
www.recap.co.uk
For a detailed list of everything that can go in your
visit https://www.huntingdonshire.gov.uk/bins-waste/
what-goes-in-which-bin/
or call 01480 388640 between 8.45am and 5.00pm
Mon to Thurs and 8.45am and 4.30pm on Fridays
or email [email protected]
Please get in touch if you can
spare an hour to help clean the
church, now and then.
Contact: [email protected]
“Has the bin man bin Mam?”
For more advice or information about waste and recy-cling services, visit www.huntingdonshire.gov.uk/bins
or call 01480 388640 between 8.45am and 5.00pm Monday to Thursday and 8.45am and 4.30pm on Fridays or email [email protected]
Wednesdays Blue bin (recycling) and
Black bin (refuse) - alternate weeks
Every other Thursday - Green bin (garden waste)
The Huntingdonshire Local Group of the Wildlife Trust in-
vite you to our online illustrated talk on Wednesday 10th
February at 7.30pm.
Biodiversity and conservation are still managing to make
headlines despite our current difficulties and we are lucky
enough to welcome an expert in this area tonight. The talk
will be given by Andy Plumptre and hosted via Zoom.
Andy is Head of the Key Biodiversity Area Secretariat at the
University of Cambridge, where globally important areas for
biodiversity are identified, promoted and monitored.
Tonight, Andy will show us what has already happened in
Africa and ask whether this can be applied to Britain.
Booking is via the Trust’s website,
www.wildlifebcn.org/events then by following the
Eventbrite link.
Entry charge is £2.50 for members of the Wildlife Trust and
£4.00 for non-members.
For more information contact Alistair Grant
[email protected] or 07775 365 507 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Part of the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and
Northamptonshire Registered Charity No: 1000412
Identifying Key
Biodiversity Areas
for Conservation:
Lessons from Africa
and Applications to Britain
Bedfordshire Cambridgeshire Northamptonshire
Huntingdonshire Local Group
Thursford
Christmas Spectacular
Friday 12th November 2021
Please save the date
Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: [email protected]
February 2021 7 Issue 188
Clifford Owen - 10 Churches, 3 Crises, 1 God In Grafham we know Clifford from his engaging visits to our church in years past, on
several Christmas Days and sometimes Easter Sunday too! His services were made
even more special by his wife Avis, who played the organ.
He has just published a book asking how far the TV sitcoms: Vicar of Dibley,
Father Ted etc, represent the realities of life as a vicar or priest?
In 10 Churches, 3 Crises,1 God, Clifford tells his story of 50 years in the church from first call through to
retirement and up to the present day. He had no blinding light revelations that called him to be a vicar;
just a growing conviction as he got on with the business of training as an engineer in the Royal Navy.
The three crises were significant. The first happened when his theological college nearly closed down after a dispute. The
second happened in a Worcestershire parish when he thought about resigning after a dispute which went viral. The third
crisis is of interest to all of us because we're in it: Covid-19.
Clifford spent six happy years in Corfu, when he wrote a monthly Chaplain's column in The Corfiot, the English language
magazine in Corfu. This set the target for the present book which is 'beyond the church walls'. He hopes that many who
don't regularly go to a church service will find that vicars are human beings who laugh and cry; feel fulfilled and frustrated;
sense achievement and get angry; but also testify to a faith that sees them through it all. Enjoy the book!
Available to order via Amazon in paperback and Kindle formats. ISBN: 9798590471034
The Starling This gregarious species is as well known, but perhaps not as well regarded, as
our other garden visitors. There are currently estimated to be around 1.8 million
breeding pairs in the UK, a figure that has slumped by two thirds since the
1980s. On initial inspection, the starling appears to be a drab bird but in bright
sunlight the plumage reveals a beautiful green and purple iridescence flecked
with white specks.
It has an unusual babbling disjointed song that often includes the calls of other
birds and man-made sounds including telephones and dog whistles. This gift
for mimicry should come as little surprise when you consider one of its better
known relatives is that most lauded of copycats the mynah bird. Indeed captive
starlings have been taught to speak, one even being mentioned in Shake-
speare’s Henry IV Part One. This ability, together with the bird’s abundance led
to the widespread keeping of starlings as pets. Known as the poor man’s parrot
even Mozart is rumoured to have owned, and possibly been inspired by one.
This practice, however, declined and by the 19th century was all but unheard of.
Rather than its mimicry, the starling is now most well-known for the
aerial display it provides during the winter months. The twisting ab-
stract shapes produced by flocks of birds coming together to roost
at dusk is one of the greatest spectacles in British birdwatching.
Called a murmuration after the cacophony of noise produced by the
birds once they have landed, it is a device to disorientate predators
as the birds return to their favourite roosts. These roosts can be
located anywhere where there are suitable perching sites for such
large numbers of birds, hedgerows, reed beds and cliff ledges are
favourites. Indeed gatherings of these birds are not just confined to
rural areas with murmurations being recorded on the manmade
cliffs of city buildings from the late 19th century. In London numbers
got so large that the guano produced was considered a very smelly
health hazard and questions were asked in Parliament when, in
1949, the weight of a roost on the hands of the clock of Big Ben
stopped the mechanism. In 1952 the problem was so bad that a whole episode of the Goon Show was devoted to find-
ing techniques of dispersing the birds, with one method being catapult launched rice puddings! However, the real num-
bers were witnessed in rural England in the 1960s and 70s with Thorne Moor in South Yorkshire and Stodmarsh in Kent
each playing host on occasion to over 1 million birds.
A local mumuration can be found on the Wildlife Trust reserve at Godmanchester, but starlings are fickle birds, with no
loyalty to one site, so it may take several visits before an observer can witness a good gathering.
Photographs by Gregory Belcher Gregory Belcher Senior Reserves Officer, Wildlife Trust BCN
February 2021 8 Issue 188
Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: [email protected] Opinions expressed in the Grafham Gossip, including past issues, are those of the writer and not the editors.
Letters to the Editor Dear Editor… Community Spirit As another lockdown is upon us and the unknown is ahead once again I'm finding myself increasingly challenged by
the unknown ahead. As a community I love how everyone has pulled together, offering to help one another, making
masks and supporting our local restaurants with take away. I think when we're struggling it's important to focus on the
positives, the generally good community spirit and the vaccine numbers which are increasing by the thousands each
day. One day this will be over, but let's retain the community spirit we've had throughout.
Grafham Resident ------------------------------------------- Grafham Oil Syndicate It’s time to wind up the Oil Syndicate, I think businesses have found new ways to operate through 2020 and the operat-
ing landscape for Conquest NRG, now suggests that there is no price differential when ordering a bulk delivery to that
of an online order of 500 litres. Of course you can still call them, 01525 402209 and order online: https://oilnrg.co.uk
Historically, back in the summer of 2011, these syndicates became fashionable to help control: the carbon footprint,
traffic to and within villages and towns, wear and tear on road surfaces and so on. It became evident there was a price
advantage which made using it even more attractive. Meantime I know that company’s software have become super
efficient so we hope they will make as few trips as possible for everyone’s sake. We have managed to order over
1.68million litres, with a value of over £820k, over 2.5k deliveries with cumulative savings of over £70k, based on a
500l delivery.
Of course there are other suppliers, not least the faceless boiler juice, but as with other industries I think the original
local family run ones are gradually being bought up by larger operators. C’est la vie.
All the best, Simon Thank you, Simon Thank you very much for so many years of arranging the Grafham Oil Syndicate. Its origins are lost now in the mists of
time. But throughout you have helped us all. We shall miss your reliable service.
Roger Smith
Let us know your news , views, and comments. Email hanks, Ed The Grafham Gossip aims to remain impartial and the editor publishes letters, contributions and views that are
received, provided that the name and address or email address of the writer is provided. Ed
Contact details for local support
Countywide Coordination Hub
www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/coronavirus
or 0345 045 521
Huntingdonshire Hub www.wearehntingdonshire.org
For more guidance see:
https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus and
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
The NHS Covid App can be down loaded from:
https://covid19.nhs.uk/
Coronavirus advice
That’s Life!
The last of the memories with the undertaker!
One fine day the contractors were in to paint the windows
and doors in the woodshed and cold store. The wood
shed was a converted six stall stables alongside the hay
barn which was converted to accommodate the very large
refrigerator with storage capacity for eight stretchers.
One of the painters was very nervous at working there
and made a big mistake by telling us! I crept past him
when he couldn’t see me. I banged on the back wall and
gave a very convincing groan. There was a horrific
scream and the painter was last seen doing a good image
of an Olympic sprinter. He refused point blank to come
back.
I quite often took a hearse home lunchtime. On one occa-
sion I was unable to park outside my house so left the
hearse 50 yards along the road. A rather upset neighbour
called and asked me to move it, as it made her very nerv-
ous! I often took my wife shopping in whatever vehicle
was not required and left her at the local supermarket.
She looked rather regal seated in the rear of one of the
Rolls Royce Saloons! I must admit she was not too fond of
using the hearse, mind you, parking was never a problem
and the parking wardens never bothered us.
On one occasion we had terrific problems in lowering a
coffin into the grave, it got stuck about 3ft down. The gra-
vedigger had not made it wide enough. Fortunately the
vicar had presence of mind to carry on and complete the
service and the mourners are not aware of the problem.
When they had all gone we managed to pull it back up
with the straps and widen the sides of the grave. The vil-
lage ‘Bobby’ came by and gave us a very hard look. I
reckon he thought we were grave robbers!
A different theme follows next month...
I’m on the Ambulances! Grafham Villager
Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: [email protected]
February 2021 9 Issue 188
Grafham’s Non-Listed Heritage Buildings: Part 2 Edward Biffin
This article covers buildings which appear to have been constructed between the first edition of the Estate Map of the
lands of the Bernard Sparrow family of Brampton in 1852 (the map is covered in summary in the April article; it was
overlaid with new developments around 1866) and the publication of the first Ordnance Survey 1 to 2500 maps of our
village, surveyed in 1887 (which can be consulted at https://maps.nls.uk/view/ - there are two main maps plus adjacent
sheets for outlying parts of the parish).
This was a period of expansion for the village – the initiation of
‘model’ farming on the Manchester estate, the opening of the brick
and tile works, and the arrival of the railway in 1866.
North along Breach Road the 1852 Estate Map was originally just
fields, but when the railway was overlaid in 1866 so were ‘The
New Cottages’ – two rows, four larger cottages in one, six smaller
dwellings in the other. They are still there.
As is The Montague Arms and its rear outbuildings, (now the Cinnamon)
which arrived more or less at the same time as the railway. It had an ‘e’
then but was for a time without it. These buildings, and the now lost sta-
tion, were a direct consequence of the new brickworks - just over the
boundary in Ellington - together with the arrival of the railway.
In the Bernard Sparrow/Duke
of Manchester lands, the new
farming methods required on-
land workers cottages, and
down Church Hill the present
nos. 1 and 2 are marked on
the Estate Map but the sloppi-
ness of the drawing suggests
that they are post 1852 but pre
-1866, which, given the ornate
brickwork, would fit in very well
with the c1860 date of the ‘listed’ Village Farm, also an addition to the
original map and marked ‘New House.’
Also marked as ‘New Cottages’, and with similar ornate brickwork, are
the cores of the recently extended Top Farm Cottages, again likely of
around 1860.
Further down Buckden Road is Model Farm, a listed ensemble, with two
pairs of workers cottages;
they have similar core
designs but with heavy
whitewashed walls it is
difficult to see the extent
of any polychromed brick-
work, but the 1850-1860
period seems likely, coin-
ciding with the period that
the farm was expanded.
That completes my survey of the existing heritage buildings of Grafham. At some point I would like to write about the
buildings which have disappeared in the last 100 years, including those that were lost to Grafham Water, but that will
require more research in archives which are currently closed: if anyone has any information about these buildings that
they would like to share please contact me on [email protected]. I do, however, have another article about
much smaller things for next month!
In the meantime, may I point out that the History and Heritage parts of the online draft of the Grafham and Ellington
Neighbourhood Plan contain a lot of useful material.
Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: [email protected]
February 2021 10 Issue 188
Grafham Water Richard Storey, Secretary to the Buckden Local History Society
It’s hard to believe but in the 1950s this part of the country was one of the driest and there were constant water shortag-
es in the Northampton and Cambridgeshire areas. In 1958 the daily consumption of water from the existing reservoirs
at Pitsford, Hollowell, Ravensthorpe, Cransley and Thorpe Malsor, was 12,500,000 gallons per day. The planned ex-
pansion of Corby, Northampton, Wellingborough and Peterborough, plus the new town at Milton Keynes, was going to
substantially increase the demand for water, with a forecast consumption for the 1970s at 20,000,000 gallons of water
per day.
It was clear that something had to be done and a report written in 1959 stated the need to augment water supplies,
leading to the Great Ouse Water Act in 1961. A joint project was formed between Bedfordshire County Council, the
Great Ouse Water Authority and the Mid Northants Water Board to build a new reservoir in the Diddington Valley. This
area was chosen for a number of reasons: it was close to the river Great Ouse, which was an ideal source for extrac-
tion; the materials for the dam were readily available; there was a waterproof layer of clay under the soil to prevent the
water seeping away; and it was sparsely populated, although a few properties had to be sacrificed.
The left-hand map below, taken from an historic ordinance survey map - OS 0ne inch 1885 - 1903 - Hills, shows the hill
shading from which you can see the outline of the current Grafham Water.
Designed by Binnie and Partners and at a cost of approximately £9M, W and C French Ltd started work on the new
Diddington Reservoir in 1962. In 1963 the name was changed by popular demand to Grafham Water. The massive
dam, 80 feet high and a mile long was built with rolled boulder and Oxford clays with a central rolled clay core. Work
was completed in 1965 and started filling with water in 1966. It was designed to provide 40,000,000 gallons of water per
day to Bedford, Luton, Northamptonshire, Cambridgeshire and parts of North London. The finished reservoir would cov-
er 1,570 acres and hold 13 billion gallons of water.
The Diddington brook had to be diverted before work could begin and a new tunnel had to be excavated to carry the
pipes to bring water to and from the completed reservoir. A pumping station was built on the bank of the river Great
Ouse at Offord to lift the water three miles through steel pipeline under the A1, the dam and into the reservoir.
Grafham Water was officially opened on 6th July 1966 by His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh.
Grafham Water site now covers 1,992-acre and was designated a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in
1986. It has a circumference of approximately 10 miles, 69 ft deep at maximum and is the eighth largest reservoir in
England by volume and the third largest by area at 1,550 acres.
Buckden village was much affected for over three years during construction as most of the gravel required was taken
from what is now the Marina and hauled by truck through the village.
Apart from being an important source of water for millions of people, Grafham Water is an important water sports centre
and is famous for trout fishing and bird watching. An area of 280 acres at the western end is a nature reserve managed
by the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire.
Continued on page 11
References:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScwHqBLfbbo&ab_channel=AnglianWater
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grafham_Water
© OpenStreetMap contributors https://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright
Reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland https://maps.nls.uk/index.html https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: [email protected]
February 2021 11 Issue 188
A Life on Our Planet by David Attenborough This is a book for those who care and worry
about what we are doing to our planet; and of
course, for all David Attenborough fans. It does
not pull any punches about the damage we
have done, and the damage we are still doing
to our planet; you would not expect less from
Sir David. As with his programmes he details all that we do to enable our survival and our happi-
ness; and it graphically explains the conse-
quences of these activities. It is not a happy
picture. However, he goes on to talk about all
the tools that we currently have, to turn things
around. Some of these we are only too aware
of, such as renewable energy in the form of
solar and wind power. Other solutions are less
obvious but imaginative and creative, yet realis-tic; it is an exciting and optimistic read. But it
does require that we all pull
our weight by changing many
things. In order to turn things
around we need to change
our expectations and our ide-
as of what we want from life
and then change our behav-iour and habits. A Life on Our
Planet is an inspiration to do
just that. Carole Baber
Wilding by Isabella Tree This is a story about Knepp, an estate in West
Sussex that has been owned by the Burrell fami-
ly for over 220 years. Until 2001 it was dedicat-
ed to traditional arable and dairy farming. How-
ever, by 2000 they were struggling make ends
meet. Isabella and her husband, Charlie Burrell
decided that continuing to intensively farm the
heavy clay soils of the Knepp estate would lead
to bankruptcy. They began a pioneering re-wilding project to create a landscape-scale
wildland. Taking their lead from Dutch ecologist
Frans Vera, Burrell and Tree have introduced free-roaming herbivores
to mimic the grazing of extinct animals such as aurochs and tarpans;
they ‘farm’ 350 head of English longhorn cattle (100 cows and their
youngsters), Tamworth pigs, red and fallow deer and Exmoor ponies.
They had no ecological objectives, they wanted to see what would
happen if they let the land revert to wilderness without management, they watched how the animals and time shaped the land scape. It has
been controversial, as are Frans Vera’s ideas on how our landscape
is shaped. Neighbouring farmers and other local people were espe-
cially vocal. Isabella and Charlie accept that this cannot be true wild-
ing as they cannot introduce top predators for a range of good rea-
sons and unlike the Dutch project, they do not leave animals to die if
they are sick or old.
This book is thought provoking, exciting, inspiring, and beautifully writ-
ten. It is easy to read for an audience, with or without ecological
knowledge. Anyone who loves nature and wildlife, and especially
those of you who are devastated by the state of our countryside, will
be heartened by what has been achieved at Knepp. Carole Baber
Some images of the construction of Grafham Water, including the aeration tower start, from the late Robin Gibson are
shown below, courtesy of Anglian Water.
Robin gave an illustrated talk on Grafham Water to the Local History Society a few years ago, which Barry Jobling
would like to repeat when Buckden Local History Society gets the opportunity to open again.
Grafham Water continued from page 10
Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: [email protected]
February 2021 12 Issue 188
The property market of 2021 is likely to be a far cry from 2020;
2021 will be a time of renewal and fresh opportunities.
2020 started with a bang. Brexit had passed an enormous
hurdle and the property market responded quickly - but by the
end of March, nothing. We were in lockdown. The market
ground to a socially distanced trickle and, frankly, many in the
property industry wondered if they would survive. But by July
we had no time to worry about all that because we had the
surprise of our lives. Thousands upon thousands of people
were fleeing the major metropolitan areas. They sought a qui-
eter, healthier life in peaceful places with room to breathe,
where the countryside or coast was beautiful and towns and
villages were welcoming. They looked for locations like ours.
Suddenly we had never been busier, and there didn’t seem to
be enough hours in the day. It has been an astonishing sum-
mer and autumn. Now things have settled down a bit. But
there is still a tremendous job to do getting pipeline sales over
the line before the stamp duty holiday comes to its announced
end on 31st March.
But buying a property is not about a tax advantage. It is about
new beginnings, about building a home for one’s self or family
and it is about investing in the future.
With our outstanding National Health Service personnel and
medical scientists putting us well on the road to Covid recov-
ery, we can look forward to a bright and optimistic New Year.
Even the Brexit trade talks will have come to one resolution or
another. We believe that the property market in our region will
remain active through next year with values continuing to rise.
Buyers will carry on being attracted by our fantastic way of
life, and opportunities will be many.
So we are looking ahead to an exciting 2021 and wish every-
one, especially all our clients – old, new and future - a very
happy, prosperous and extremely healthy New Year.
Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: [email protected]
February 2021 13 Issue 188
Churchyard re-wilding – CAN YOU HELP? Thank you for supporting us whilst we were working towards the Bronze medal – now we need to up our game and aim for the Silver!
No working party is organised until March at the earliest … BUT …
We would love some help please.
1. Do you have young people wanting to grow sunflowers at home? If so please can we have some of your excess seedlings – we can provide seeds if that would help. A sizeable patch vis-ible from the church gate would not only look amazing but be a great source of food for the birds later this year.
2. Nest boxes – we would love any donated bird nest boxes – small holed or open front-ed ones. There are plenty of trees we can pop them up in and it would be great to attract robins, blackbirds, thrushes, pied wagtails, various tit species, house and tree sparrows
3. Oli, our resident owl, may appreciate an owl box if any carpenters would like to make him one.
4. Hedgehog homes – we do have at least a few hedgehogs in the churchyard so it would be wonderful if you feel you can donate one.
5. We are considering adding a pond so do you have any liner material lurking which could be rehomed?
6. If your 2021 resolution is to make records of wildlife in Grafham, let me have your information please – pictures are great.
Do contact me Debbie Russell [email protected]
Makes 2 individual puddings
Ingredients
• 15g melted butter, for brushing
• cocoa powder, for dusting
• 50g quality dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces
• 50g butter, in small pieces
• 50g golden caster sugar
• 1 egg and 1 yolk
• 50g plain flour Method
1. First get your moulds (individual ramakins or muffin cas-es) ready. Using upward strokes, heavily brush melted butter (use 15g in total) all over the inside of the pudding mould. Place the mould in the fridge or freezer. Brush more melted butter over the chilled butter, then add a good spoonful of cocoa powder into the mould. Tip the mould so the powder completely coats the butter. Tap any excess cocoa back into the jar, then repeat with the next mould.
2. Place a bowl over a pan of barely simmering water, then slowly melt 50g good-quality dark chocolate and 50g butter, both chopped into small pieces, together. Re-move the bowl from the heat and stir until smooth. Leave to cool for about 10 mins.
3. In a separate bowl whisk 1 egg and 1 egg yolk together with 50g golden caster sugar until thick and pale and the whisk leaves a trail; use an electric whisk if you want. Sift 50g plain flour into the eggs, then beat together.
4. Pour the melted chocolate into the egg mixture in thirds, beating well between each addition, until all the choco-late is added and the mixture is completely combined to a loose cake batter.
5. Tip the fondant batter into a jug, then evenly divide be-tween the moulds. Chill for at least 20 mins or overnight. The fondants can now be frozen for up to a month and cooked from frozen. To bake from frozen, simply carry on as stated, adding 5 mins more to the cooking time.
6. Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Place the fondants on a baking tray, then cook for 10-12 mins until the tops have formed a crust and they are starting to come away from the sides of their moulds. Remove from the oven, then leave to sit for 1 min before turning out.
7. Loosen the fondants by moving the tops very gently so they come away from the sides, easing them out of the moulds. Tip each fondant slightly onto your hand so you know it has come away, then tip back into the mould ready to plate up.
8. Sit a fondant in the middle of each plate and serve with ice cream
Chocolate Fondue Pudding - A Recipe for Valentine’s Day
Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: [email protected]
February 2021 14 Issue 188
Your advert could be here! To advertise, email:
[email protected] Community notices are free.
Business adverts are priced according to size,
payable in advance.
They start at £4.50 for a small box. The money pays for
the printing of the newsletter and any profit is donated to
All Saints, Grafham and its Restoration Fund.
Cinnamon Bar and Indian Restaurant Open 7 days a week 5pm to 10.30pm Also lunch time if pre-booked for 5 or more people
Call 01480 812211/811316 Thursday Night is 'Banquet Night'
1 starter, 1 main, 1 side.
Any rice or any nan £13.50 King prawn or duck £1.50 extra
http://cinnamonhuntingdon.co.uk/
JEZ ASHCROFT LTD All your decorating needs including:
Coving, Internal Decorating
Drylining & Plastering
FREE ESTIMATES
Please Call
Tel: 01480 812461 Mobile: 07708031493
Van Diemens Way, Grafham, Huntingdon, Cambs. PE28 0GB
Tel. 01480 811594 Mobile 07795 296281 Email [email protected]
Travel in style via Mercedes cars to your destinations
Triple glazed windows
for the price of double glazed
when quoting
‘Grafham Gossip’
For a free, no obligation quotation
please contact your local representative
Jon Goodchild on 07825 238240 or email
WINDOWS DOORS ROOFLINE
CONSERVATORIES
GARDEN ROOMS FLAT ROOFS
www.gaphomeimprovements.co.uk
John Sisseman, Driving Instructor DVSA Approved, Pass Plus Registered
Based in Grafham
Call John for
details
GRAFHAM WATER (NEXT TO THE VISITOR CENTRE)
WIDE RANGE AT LOW PRICES
OPEN WEDNESDAY- SUNDAY 9am - 5pm TEL:01480 819730
FREE PARKING & FREE DELIVERY
PET & WILD BIRD FOOD
www.petfoodsdirect2u.co.uk
Grafham Grass Cutting Tired of mowing your lawn and want someone else to take care of it?
Just call or text me for reasonable prices and a reliable service.
Simon 07887 628528
Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: [email protected]
February 2021 15 Issue 188
The Hog, The Bird and The Beetle - 5 David Cudby
The Bird chirped a little while poking and scraping in the leaf litter looking for some tasty morsels. “It is remarkable
that each year so many leaves and twigs fall to the ground beneath this hedge and yet the fallen material disappears
and we don’t find ourselves buried in it”.
“Do you eat it?” asked The Beetle, keen to make conversation.
“Not deliberately” answered The Bird, also feeling rather conversational today. “A few fragments might go down with
a tasty worm or a maggot”.
“I and my beetle cousins eat a little, but nothing compared with the enormous quantities that simply disappear”.
The Bird and The Beetle continued their conversation puzzling and speculating about the fate of the disappearing leaf
litter. They oscillated between fanciful beasts that came in the night to tidy up and a quiet resignation that they really
had no idea. Well that’s not exactly true. They both realised that some force was at work and not only under this par-
ticular hedgerow, but under all hedgerows that they knew of and in woods that The Bird had ventured into while trav-
elling around.
The Hog was listening to the conversation and thought it time to share some real knowledge. So, putting on his most
professorial voice he began. “Beetle you should know about small things, after all you have an estimated 400,000
cousin species, many of which are very small and play a part in pollination and so are familiar with that small stuff
called pollen. You and your kind aid the process of development of fruit and flowers and so support the plants that
end up making leaf litter. Full marks for that!”
“So why make reference to small stuff Hog?
“Well I overheard you and The Bird talking about disappearing leaf litter. It disappears because tiny organisms, bacte-
ria and fungi feed on it and in the process they break it down, aided by the weather too. Rain and wind and sunshine
play their part but mostly it is the bacteria and fungi that do the job”.
The Hog had their attention and The Beetle and The Bird wanted to hear more and The Bird asked, “Where are these
bacteria and fungi?”
“They are everywhere, on the leaves and stems of plants, on their roots, even inside their roots. They are living on the
flowers, on the trees, on the fruits, in the soil, in the air, in the rivers and oceans too. They are on living things and
dead things”.
“But I live mostly on the ground and don’t see them”. The Beetle chipped in a little unsure about what The Hog was
telling them.
“You do sometimes – you see mushrooms don’t you, well they are the fruiting part of fungi living underground and
breaking down leaf litter and feeding the roots of trees. The mushroom releases spores, a bit like seeds, to create
more fungi”.
“OK but where else are these small things?”
“Bacteria and fungi are everywhere, they are on you, in every nook and cranny, between your toes inside Beetle ’s
wing cases, on Bird’s feathers, on your skin and here is the most interesting bit, and they are inside your gut helping
with digestion. Humans have a lining of bacteria inside their gut. The human needs the bacteria and they need the
human. It’s reckoned that the number of bacteria lining a human gut is greater than the number of cells in a human ’s
body. Makes you wonder who the master is.”
The Beetle spoke ....
The small things matter
Our planet is controlled
By things out of sight
Dear reader, I recommend two books that reveal how systems really work without a thought from us.
Gaia: A new look at life on Earth by James Lovelock
Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake
Happy Valentine’s Day 14th February!
Printed by Easiprint 01733 602302
February 2021 16 Issue 188
Website: www.grafham.org.uk E-mail: [email protected] Opinions expressed in the Grafham Gossip, including past issues, are those of the writer and not the editors.
Grafham Community Shop
Tel: 01480 810119 Opening Times
Mon-Fri 9.00 - 6.00
Sat 9.00 - 5.00
Sun 9.00 - 2.00
Bank Holidays 9.00 - 2.00
www.facebook.com/GrafhamCommunityShop/ [email protected]
www.grafhamvillageshop.co.uk
Find Shop News in Talking Shop on page 5
Details of planned road closures, diversions and latest news can be found on the Highways England website
by clicking here or type www.highwaysengland.co.uk/A14C2H
into your search engine
or stay updated by following: https://twitter.com/a14c2h and https://en-gb.facebook.com/A14C2H
There’s also a dedicated A14 Public Helpline
0800 270 0114
Details of planned road closures and diversions are on Grafham village web site also: www.grafham.org.uk Ed
A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon
Improvement Scheme
Hunts Community Cancer Network (HCCN) The weekly support group held in Ellington Village Hall is cancelled until further notice, but there is a closed Facebook group for members and volunteers. For more details or help contact Annie by phone: 01234 709836 or email: [email protected]
East Leightonstone Parish - Brampton, Ellington, Grafham
Little Fishes Stay + Play 0 - 4 years
Grafham Village Hall
Wednesdays 10.00 to 11.20
Term time only
Free play time followed by a short bible story, action songs and simple craft.
If you are interested in attending, please contact Jane
in advance of the session.
Contact Jane Rowley 01480 890986
Deadline - 9.00am
Monday 15th February for the March issue
Thanks, Ed [email protected]
Person required to deliver newspapers
in Grafham
Monday to Friday mornings inclusive:
Please contact: Perry Stores on
01480 811 743
01480 810 368 (Leave message)
Please email
if you are able to deliver
paper copies of Grafham Gossip
to one side of Breach Road
once a month.
Thank you, Ed.
Highway Community Car Scheme Provides transport for people unable to make essential
journeys by public transport or any other means.
Passengers pay the driver on the day of travel to contribute towards fuel expenses at a rate of 30p per
mile with a minimum charge of £3.00.
To arrange a journey or for more information please call 07786 520540
We are also always looking out for volunteer drivers so if you want to help your community, give us a call. We
would love to hear from you.
The scheme is supported and advised by Cambridgeshire County Council
and Care Network Cambridgeshire
![[030] Gossip](https://img.dokumen.tips/doc/110x75/568c4d7e1a28ab4916a42713/030-gossip.jpg)
